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Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
I am particularly fond of novels about ancient Rome. The novels I have liked best deal with how Rome conquered other nations, but novels describing Roman politics and the struggles between powerful families are fun too. Age of Gold by Cecily Paul presented Rome to me from a different angle. I have seen the movie and, most recently, the TV show Spartacus. I have read the books these films are based on, so I am somewhat familiar with the Roman version of the institution of slavery, but those books and films come at the subject mostly from the angle of gladiators and rebellion. In Age of Gold, we get to see what I can only assume is an average to medium sized household. They are going about their daily business, mostly like servants from any era. They did not appear as hard pressed as gladiators, brothel slaves, or slaves working in mines. This was a different look at Rome for me.
The writing is good in Age of Gold. I felt myself carried back to that era, and seeing that life through the eyes of people who lived it. I thought the attention to detail was good. The plot moved along and my investment in the story seemed to grow with every page. There is no way to know for sure if characters like Nerysa really thought the way Cecily Paul presents her, but it certainly feels likely. There is a psychological dynamic played out between free man and slave that is both fascinating and disturbing. I liked it mostly because this was a new angle for me. It was very entertaining.
