The Seven Wonders
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- 3,99 €
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- 3,99 €
Publisher Description
An enthralling prequel to his bestselling Roma Sub Rosa series of mysteries set in the Ancient World, Steven Saylor takes readers back to the younger days of Gordianus the Finder.
The year is 92BC and Gordianus has just turned eighteen and is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a far-flung journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World.
Gordianus is not yet called 'The Finder' - that title belongs to his father, who we meet in these pages. But at each of the Seven Wonders, the wide-eyed Roman encounters a mystery to challenge his powers of deduction. Here is a portrait of a master sleuth in the making, the earliest exploits of the man who will become the most sought-after investigator in Rome.
Accompanying Gordianus on this travels is his tutor, Antipater of Sidon, the world's most celebrated poet. Together, teacher and pupil journey to the fabled cities of Greece and Asia Minor, and then on to Babylon and Egypt. They attend the Olympic Games, take part in exotic festivals, and marvel at the most spectacular constructions ever devised by mankind.
Praise for Steven Saylor:
'Saylor expertly weaves the true history of Rome with the lives and loves of its fictional citizens.' Daily Express
'Saylor's scholarship is breathtaking and his writing enthrals' Ruth Rendell
'With the scalpel-like deftness of a Hollywood director, Saylor puts his finger on the very essence of Roman history.' Times Literary Supplement
'Readers will find his work wonderfully (and gracefully) researched... this is entertainment of the first order.' Washington Post
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Saylor's lucky 13th entry in his Roma Sub Rosa series (after 2008's The Triumph of Caesar) takes Gordianus the Finder on a tour of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. In 92 B.C.E., the Greek poet Antipater has, for obscure reasons, chosen to fake his death and leave Rome, accompanied by Gordianus, his 18-year-old student. At every stop around the eastern Mediterranean, from the temple of Diana in Ephesus to the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria, Gordianus has a tricky puzzle to solve. With his insight and attention to detail, Gordianus is able to find the truth in each case before his elders. This prequel marks the start of his successful career as a detective, chronicled in the 12 previous books. As always, Saylor excels at bringing the past alive, in particular by incorporating the political issues of the day into the action. A closing author's note surveys the many and often conflicting sources of information for the Seven Wonders.
