In AD 69, Nero is dead, signifying the start of a period known as Year of the Four Emperors, as one after another topples from the height. Bloodshed spills into the streets of Rome. Chaos results. This is a year that will change everything. Two sisters are deeply involved in the happenings. Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia represents the perfect Roman wife who hopes to see her husband emperor. Quiet Marcella, less outgoing, discovers she can influence Rome's most powerful men. While she has many suiters, she is happy to simply witness events, thus chronicling historical events as they occur. With their cousins, Lollia and Diana, the four must survive the year's tragedies.
Upon Nero's death, the Senate chooses Galba emperor. When Galba announces Cornelia's husband as his heir, Senator Otho, kills Galba and Cornelia's husband, and takes the throne. With their connections to the heir, the four women are concerned about what will happen to them under Otho. Lollia, who often changes husbands and lovers, quickly remarries. Little matters to Diana whose focus is horses, not politics. Emperor turnover continues with Vitellius, who is followed by Vespasian. Interestingly, Marcella realizes she might have been partly responsible for deaths of two emperors, motivating plans for removing the third and fourth.
Characters are not flawless which them believable. The elegant women are beautiful, ambitious, and talented, each in her own way. Wonderful dialogue merges with detailed descriptions of Roman life including food, architecture, sports, entertainment and daily life. Of course, politics, overwhelms it all for in the end, there can only be one emperor and one empress. This is a wonderful chronicling of a perilous time in Roman history. Wonderful tale by a talented author who juggles it all skillfully.In AD 69, Nero is dead, signifying the start of the a period known as Year of the Four Emperors, as one after another topples from the height. Bloodshed spills into the streets of Rome. Chaos results. This is a year that will change everything. Two sisters are deeply involved in the happenings. Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia represents the perfect Roman wife who hopes to see her husband emperor. Quiet Marcella, less outgoing, discovers she can influence Rome's most powerful men. While she has many suiters, she is happy to simply witness events, thus chronicling the historical events. With their cousins, Lollia and Diana, the four must somehow survive the year's tragedies.
Upon Nero's death, the Senate chooses Galba as emperor. When Galba announces Cornelia's husband as his heir, Senator Otho, kills Galba and Cornelia's husband, and takes the throne. With their connections to the heir, the four women are concerned about what will happen to them under Otho. Lollia, who often changes husbands and lovers, quickly remarries. Little matters to Diana whose focus is horses not politics. And, emperor turnover continues with Vitellius, who is followed by Vespasian. Interestingly, Marcella realizes she might have been partly responsible for deaths of two emperors, motivating plans for the removal of the third and fourth.
Characters are not flawless, a fact that makes their lives believable. The elegant women are beautiful, ambitious, and talented, each in her own way. Wonderful dialogue merges with detailed descriptions of Roman life including food, architecture, sports, entertainment and daily life. Of course, politics, overwhelms it all for in the end, there can only be one emperor and one empress. Wonderful tale by a talented author who juggles it all skillfully.
