Excellent

Brilliantly written, wonderful characters, great plotting, sparkling dialogue. Weighty subject matter but told with superb energy and life.

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1 person found this helpful

Totally engrossing tale of life in Pompeii

This was one of those audiobooks that draws you in to its world. It's a wonderfully narrated tale of the lives of prostitutes in a brothel in Pompeii. The women have contrasting stories of how they became slaves but they share the dream that they will someday be able to free themselves. I loved the relationships between the women and the way the author has brought to life the characters and streets of Pompeii. Really looking forward to listening to rest of the series.

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Harrowing but Engaging

An interesting story about the brutal life of a slave woman living within a brothel fighting for her freedom. The author navigated the nuances of showing Amara's (and the other brothel slaves') inner strength and drive to survive while showing the male dominated setting of the brothel effectively. A harrowing tale but an engaging read.

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A Thoroughly Enjoyable Ancient Historical Masterpiece!

I purchased this book after hearing Elodie Harper’s interview about it on the Exploress podcast.
I was then immediately transported back 2000 years to the ancient streets of Pompeii, which I have been fortunate enough to visit twice in my life, so could really visualise scenes from long ago in my mind, particularly after remembering what it was like venturing into the brothel there and seeing how tiny the cells were and trying to imagine what life was like for the women who inhabited it.
I enjoyed how the author wove some of the ancient artefacts into the seams of the story, as well as famous quotations and some of the graffiti from the walls of the ancient city of Pompeii.
I was also very happy when the book ended with the knowledge that there are going to be two more books to follow this, as there is definitely more to explore with this story.

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3 people found this helpful

Enjoyed

It's a good read. I think a different voice actor should have been chosen though. Would recomend to people who are interested in what life would be like for the Romans

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Brilliant!!!

Amazing story, beautifully written and really gripping, I felt like I was, actually there in Pompei!!!! Fantastically read and performed by Antonio Beamish!!! Absolutely loved it!!!

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Outstanding

A very gripping read. Atmospheric, moving and fun.
Would recommend for lovers of Ken Follett.

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Highly recommend

Such an amazing read! I was gripped by this book for days and couldn't stop listening. It takes a few chapters to understand who's who and what's really going on, but after that it's an addictive read. I loved the she-wolfs, and I loved how the author never romanticised or belittled their trauma. Exploring the lives of the prostitutes of Pompeii is such an interesting angle, and I loved learning about the city's history, especially the graffiti. It deals with very tough topics - sexual abuse, assault, poverty, slavery, etc. - in a serious way but, at it's heart, this is a book about female friendship and solidarity.

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Loved this so much!!

Great characters in it and description of what life was like back then in Pompei was excellent. Highly recommend.

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worth persevering

Hard to get into but turned into an interesting story. I personally don't like narration that uses voices for the characters especially if a bit over done which I found was the case with this narration

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