As a person who’s somewhat of an antiquarian with an occasional desire to escape from the modern world I’m always looking for books that will provide that outlet for me. When I first came across Steven Saylor’s first book in the Roma Sub Rosa seres of historical fiction, I was swept off my feet and wished that I could magically step into the pages and observe the events taking place first hand.
“Roman Blood” the first book in the series introduces the reader to Gordianus the Finder, an ancient Roman version of a detective. Living in the city of Rome with his Egyptian wife Bethesda, Gordianus finds himself caught up in scandal and intrigue which takes him deep into the dirty dealings of the mean streets and dead end roads of the city and all the way out into the country side along the Appian Way with its bandits and roadside Inn’s. The reader is also introduced to Cicero, the famous orator and statesman and Sulla the dictator. Ancient Rome literally pops out of the pages in the most 3D and colorful way which makes you wish you could be there.
Each subsequent book in the series finds Gordianus older and a little wiser. The events and people in the stories are all real people and events that actually existed and took place. Only Gordianus and his family are fictional and Saylor finds a way to fit them into these historical events in an uncanny way which makes me wonder if Saylor is some sort of genius in the historical fiction genre. I’m nine books into the series and could read them over and over again. If you have the same tastes as I do then these books are highly recommended.
Majestic Virtues 