Lady of the Eternal City

I was not sure at first, I was getting used to the setting and the names and various references of the time. I love Kate Quinn‘s books, and why I was searching for more of her books to read. I had not read anything of this time period, from any author. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but I plunged forward. I’m so glad I did! I really loved this book, and all its love, anger, violence, deception, heroism, and loyalty. The characters are well developed. The book is long! But… That actually became a good thing because this was the book I cuddled up to every evening and I didn’t have to find another new book so quickly ha ha. A great read and I highly recommend it.

I’ve read this book at least four times, and putting it down would be at this point an act of heresy. First of all, this book emotionally destroyed me. It’s very rare that a book impacts me in the way this one did—as in only one other book ever has. If this book makes you uncomfortable, that’s because it should. If you feel challenged by this book, you should. And if you cry reading this, you took that risk by opening the book. I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but the story of this book is a modern Greek tragedy. Most people who lived lives like those of some of the main characters would probably fall on their own sword. Every twist in the plot from Titus being bailed out to Pedanius being the real killer to Vix razing his own people’s cities was brilliantly executed (pun intended), and many of them honestly had my heart in my feet. I loved this book because the kinds of things it does to its character would almost always make you hate it, but you keep reading because you just want to see everyone get what they deserve. It’s morally gray and darker gray, nobody is innocent—or often safe.
It’s not an emotional rollercoaster. It’s an emotional hurricane, and if it hurts to read, that’s because THIS STORY HURTS. And that’s what makes Lady Of The Eternal City the literary masterpiece that it is.