With excitement I turn to this novel because I just read a story on clays and I liked it, however this novel is a completely different aspect as clay writing goes. A Roman setting is intriguing because I am always curious about the life of people during the Roman Empire.
I love that the author tried to show a view of both the title and servant life. Through Helena, the reader followed a rich compassionate girl free to roam {to the point of safety} but could not decide her fate. Through Felicity, {Helen’s servant} we glimpse the duties of a servant with very little mobility – women were not their own.
The character names ring a Roman bell making the story a more true empire one, the dominance of one brother over another and the uncertainty in being a girl even in a rich home, reflects the times of the empire. The author skilfully showed the patriarchal rule both in public and private sphere, how Brutus word is law and his wife, a mere overseer of household duties. Cassius roam freely, creeping closer to the girl he loved- money allowed him. However, for Lucius although a free young man, he was a servant commoner and interaction with Helena could mean death for him and dismay for his family.When the author shows a love interest between Helena and Lucius, it exposes the difficulty of a bond between a rich girl and a commoner. I like that the author made the meetings between the two charming but full of danger.
It is a lovely story, clean romance which offers some details of life in Roman city , to know how the love story between Helena and Lucius really ends, I need to read the second part of the novel. The first was intriguing enough for a dive into volume 2.
Yelhispressing 