Eight fascinating short stories set in the alternative reality world of ROMA NOVA, a fictitious modern mini-country populated by direct descendants of the Roman Empire. This latest instalment is a delicious side order to my favourite contemporary saga, combining thrilling action with impeccable historical research, and fired up by Alison Morton's fertile imagination. If you haven't yet heard of ROMA NOVA, these bite-sized appetizers might just whet your appetite for the full-size books, of which there are six plus a substantial novella. Having read all seven books comprising the Roma Nova saga, I was very curious about this collection of “side stories” focusing on characters featured or mentioned in the main books. I was delighted to lose myself in these juicy slices of historical intrigue. Of the eight short stories, three are set at crucial points in the past, pre-dating the events of the series, and the last five fit into the existing storyline, slotting in at various points and featuring familiar faces, as well as new ones. Although short, they successfully complement the events of the main books and read more like chapters than stand-alone stories. Reading them prompted me to go back to the relevant books, to revisit some of the related storyline which, I think, proves the effectiveness of these additional episodes.
My favourites are “The Girl from the Market”, “Silvia's Story”, and “Carina and Conrad's Roman Holiday”. The romantic tension is a small part of the overall narrative, but it proves to be the spice in these delicious excursions, overlaying the human interest aspect on to the heroic historical deeds. I also loved the quirky “Victory Speaks” wherein we are given a fascinating glimpse into the epic journey of the beleaguered founders of what will become Roma Nova. It was interesting to see the author experiment with different POVs, departing from the first-person narration so compellingly used throughout the saga. It worked beautifully in “Silvia's Story”, but not so well in the last tale, “Allegra and Macrinus” which missed the mark with me principally because I thoroughly dislike alternate-voice narrative style, but also because I find grown-up Allegra annoying. I think the author excels at the “sandals-and-dagger” military-adventure thriller side of things. She brings the strict discipline of the Pretorians to life and weaves gripping action into the many field operations and spying sorties, especially those set abroad. Compelling reading for fans of the Roma Nova series.
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