Review Update: I've read this novel four times now, and each time is just as exciting and satisfying as the last. Reading the Rome novels have made me somewhat of a Roman history buff, after several years of being a Renaissance/Tudor history kind of girl. However, there's room in my heart to love sixteenth-century England and first-century Rome at the same time. It's a good thing too because I'd forgotten just how much freaking stuff happens in this book! At over 500 pages it's hardly a slim read, and fourth time round I decided to take it slow and savour every moment. Unlike last year, for this re-read I managed to do just that, and I didn't enjoy it any less. 
 Mistress of Rome has undoubtedly become one of my favourite books. It's vivid and entrancing and if you love historical fiction intertwined with themes of love, violence, betrayal, adventure, and an unhinged Emperor then this is right up your alley. Think Gladiator with even more "umph". 
 The story is told by the two leading female characters- one the protagonist, the other the antagonist. The other shorter third person narratives intertwine with these. Don't panic if this sounds confusing, I personally loved this touch as it makes the story super fast paced, and plus you get to see events through the eyes of other characters. All the narratives are of the central characters so what you're being told is never mediocre, useless trivia. The best way I can put it is that it's like a film in book form - it cuts effortlessly from one scene to the next giving you a flawless reading experience. Moreover, I think the multi-narration is needed; so much shit happens in this novel and all the characters keep the plot flowing. If it were all told by one person it wouldn't have the same feel to it. 
 And the characters, man. I loved them all. They're all well fleshed out and each have their own desires and agendas that no two feel the same, which kept the story fresh and exciting as it moved forward. Arius and Thea I was rooting for from the very beginning, and as the novel progressed I grew partial to many more. Vix was a gem; he gave the novel some much needed comic relief with his mischievous demeanour and boyish cockiness, and at the same time I respected him as a serious character. Even Lepida, spiteful bitch that she is, she's a great character. Each time she pops up I want do nothing more than slap her in to next week, which gives you an idea of the kind of antagonist that she is. 
 And Domitian. Man, that bastard snuck up on me. At first I was just like, "Yeah, so he's the Emperor acting all Emperorish in his Imperial box and what not, catching flies on his pen, the usual... Oh he might have taken his niece for a mistress? That's no big deal, right? This is Ancient Rome after all, people back then did some wacky shit back then..." However, when Thea becomes entangled in Domitian's peculiar mind games, and you actually get to see what he was capable of, you realise that this dude just might have a screw loose. 
 Domitian was interesting though. Yeah, I hated him; he watched people writhe in pain for his own amusement and there wasn't a merciful bone in his body, but he fascinated me. He was unpredictable and I thought he made a hell of a character. Oh, and for the record, Domitian's quiet, statuesque Empress surprised me a good deal. I found I rather liked her by the end of the novel. I love surprise newcomers. 
 I hope there are others out there who love this novel as much as I do as it deserves recognition. This is a brilliant debut and a great beginning to what ends up becoming a fantastic series, and I've no doubt I'll be re-reading Mistress of Rome again in the future.