Amazon US $3.75
Amazon CA $23.92
This title was shortlisted for the April Book of the Month
Alternative / Thriller
Alternative / Thriller
1980s
Austria and Roma Nova
Roma Nova Series #6
"Early 1980s
Vienna. Recovering from a near fatal shooting, Aurelia Mitela, ex-Praetorian
and former foreign minister of Roma Nova, chafes at her enforced exile. She barely
escaped from her nemesis, the charming and amoral Caius Tellus who grabbed
power in Roma Nova, the only part of the Roman Empire to survive into the
twentieth century.
Aurelia’s duty
and passion fire her determination to take back her homeland and liberate its
people. But Caius’s
manipulations have isolated her from her fellow exiles, leaving her proscribed, powerless and
vulnerable. But without their trust and support Aurelia knows she will never
see Roma Nova
again."
So you thought that the Roman Empire gradually dissolved over 1500
years ago? Not according to Alison Morton; her series of Roma Nova
thrillers - already highly acclaimed - suggest that Rome remains as a small
independent country somewhere in central Europe.
And, boy, is this believable! She has mapped out its history
throughout the series and we read about people whose names seem to come
straight out of Shakespeare. They even blaspheme in the names of the ‘old’ gods
and hold celebrations at Saturnalia.
The question is really about whether the scenario is authentic and the
answer is a resounding 'Yes'! The lives of the characters blend seamlessly with
those of the traditional world as we know it – although there has been some
slight adjustment to 'New' Europe and the United States.
In this, the sixth tale in the series, Aurelia Mitela is recovering in
exile in Vienna and plotting with other exiles to overthrow the new and illegal
regime in Roma Nova, led by the beautifully evil Caius Tellus. We follow her
and her allies as they organise plans and strategies and everything is logical
and well thought out. Aurelia’s mission is also not an overnight process, a
trap which many authors might fall into.
In most cases, starting so late in a series may mean that the reader
can get confused, or feel that they have missed something in previous volumes,
but Ms Morton avoids that trap too, giving us enough information as we go along
making it very possible to treat this as a stand alone book – although, as
ever, it is always useful to have read the previous stories… which I will
promptly set out to do because this really is an unmissable ongoing adventure!
A fantastic concept, skilfully written, utterly believable and one of
my favourite books of the year.
© Richard Tearle
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