Kate Quinn

Mistress of Rome

The first in an unforgettable historical saga from the New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Rose Code. “So gripping, your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind’s eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page.”—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author First-century Rome: One young woman will hold the fate of an empire in her hands. Thea, a captive from Judaea, is a clever and determined survivor hiding behind a slave’s docile mask. Purchased as a toy for the spoiled heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea evades her mistress’s spite and hones a secret passion for music. But when Thea wins the love of Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator and dares to dream of a better life, the jealous Lepida tears the lovers apart and casts Thea out. Rome offers many ways for the resourceful to survive, and Thea remakes herself as a singer for the Eternal ’City’s glittering aristocrats. As she struggles for success and independence, her nightingale voice attracts a dangerous new admirer: the Emperor himself. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her destiny. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Rome’s most powerful man lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.

One of my reading goals for 2025 was to reread one old favorite book a month and finally get around to writing reviews for them. I definitely slacked off (oops!) but Mistress of Rome is my latest reread. And what a treat it was. I probably haven't read this since high school, so much of this felt new to me, but I remembered more and more as I went along. I loved every minute of it.

This book is real treat. A gem. A delight. It's so rich and full of wonderful characters and more than enough intrigue, romance, action and sumptuous storytelling. The first time I read Mistress of Rome, I had not yet delved into the Outlander series, but now, I can tell Kate Quinn was influenced by Jamie, the red-haired, gallant Scottish hero of Diana Gabaldon's books, through her gladiator character of Arius. (This is a compliment, BTW. I love both. And in hindsight, why shouldn't she be influenced by the character of Jamie Fraser? We need more masculine heroes and love interests like this!) Arius is not an exact replica by any means; you can just tell there's an appreciation from Quinn that inspired this book. You don't have to have read Outlander to appreciate this book, story or characters, though. I loved it so much a decade ago and probably even more so now. And I just had to point out the comparisons.

The attention to detail was phenomenal. The costumes, clothing, hairstyles, everything was brought wonderfully to life. You truly feel immersed in ancient Roman culture, daily life, and even fashion. This is a sweeping epic through ancient Italy, not just Rome, and neighboring provinces like Gaul. Every setting was clear and brought so beautifully to life.

You may have to suspend your disbelief a bit. For example, I still can't wrap my head around how Senator Marcus Norbanus is supposed to be the (fictional) grandson of Caesar Augustus, but this did not alter my enjoyment whatsoever. In fact, it makes this book even more endearing to me. There are characters you love to love, love stories to make you swoon, and characters you love to hate. But no one is a caricature or stereotype. Every character was well thought out by Quinn and brilliantly developed.

This is probably in my top 3 favorite books of all time. And, as I recall, the entire series is just as good. I hope to reread the rest and review them soon!

Kate Quinn, I wish you'd return to the ancient world. Or even the world of the Renaissance, like her lovely Borgia duology. I still have yet to make the plunge into her more modern books, but I know I need to. If they're half as good as Mistress of Rome, then I'm guaranteed to like them.

Amanda

One of my reading goals for 2025 was to reread one old favorite book a month and finally get around to writing reviews for them. I definitely slacked off (oops!) but Mistress of Rome is my latest reread. And what a treat it was. I probably haven't read this since high school, so much of this felt new to me, but I remembered more and more as I went along. I loved every minute of it.

This book is real treat. A gem. A delight. It's so rich and full of wonderful characters and more than enough intrigue, romance, action and sumptuous storytelling. The first time I read Mistress of Rome, I had not yet delved into the Outlander series, but now, I can tell Kate Quinn was influenced by Jamie, the red-haired, gallant Scottish hero of Diana Gabaldon's books, through her gladiator character of Arius. (This is a compliment, BTW. I love both. And in hindsight, why shouldn't she be influenced by the character of Jamie Fraser? We need more masculine heroes and love interests like this!) Arius is not an exact replica by any means; you can just tell there's an appreciation from Quinn that inspired this book. You don't have to have read Outlander to appreciate this book, story or characters, though. I loved it so much a decade ago and probably even more so now. And I just had to point out the comparisons.

The attention to detail was phenomenal. The costumes, clothing, hairstyles, everything was brought wonderfully to life. You truly feel immersed in ancient Roman culture, daily life, and even fashion. This is a sweeping epic through ancient Italy, not just Rome, and neighboring provinces like Gaul. Every setting was clear and brought so beautifully to life.

You may have to suspend your disbelief a bit. For example, I still can't wrap my head around how Senator Marcus Norbanus is supposed to be the (fictional) grandson of Caesar Augustus, but this did not alter my enjoyment whatsoever. In fact, it makes this book even more endearing to me. There are characters you love to love, love stories to make you swoon, and characters you love to hate. But no one is a caricature or stereotype. Every character was well thought out by Quinn and brilliantly developed.

This is probably in my top 3 favorite books of all time. And, as I recall, the entire series is just as good. I hope to reread the rest and review them soon!

Kate Quinn, I wish you'd return to the ancient world. Or even the world of the Renaissance, like her lovely Borgia duology. I still have yet to make the plunge into her more modern books, but I know I need to. If they're half as good as Mistress of Rome, then I'm guaranteed to like them.

Judy McClure

First time reading Kate Quinn and I am blown away. A new favourite historical fiction author to add to my collection.

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea becomes her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life - that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart. As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome ...

Mistress of Rome

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