Julia, Daughter of Rome

by Elizabeth Elson, Joyce Elson Moore

This is the compelling tale of Julia, only child of the Roman leader Octavian, who inherited his power from the slain Julius Caesar. When Julia’s father discovers her adulterous affair with Marc Anthony’s son, the lovers are forced to make desperate choices that scandalize the Roman elite and change the course of history in the Republic.

Genres: Historical Fiction

549 pages, ebook

First published February 10, 2012

Reviews

[Ginger Myrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia, Daughter of Rome is the story of a lesser-known character in Roman history. Daughter of Caesar Augustus—the upstanding reformer and unifier of the Republic of Rome—Julia is a spirited and indomitable woman who would not be cowed even by Octavian himself. As the only natural child of the Roman leader, she is married off in several attempts to get an irreproachable heir and secure the succession of her father’s bloodline. Though she acquiesces and plays the dutiful wife, as she has been trained to do, she never finds true happiness or satisfaction with any of her husbands.

But her passion and intense compatibility with Iullus, the charming and irreverent son of Marc Antony (the foremost of Octavian’s former rivals) is her one abiding desire throughout. While married to Tiberius, her longing for Iullus drives her into clandestine meetings with her forbidden lover, participation in the dark world of cults, and direct defiance of the edicts against adultery issued by her iron-fisted father, risking her position, privilege, and entire way of life.

This is a well-written book and packs an abundance of information into a compact, 217-page volume with much rich historical detail. It gives a well-researched account of the intricacies of everyday Roman life, touching upon subjects from the houses to the clothing down to the differences between the education of girls and boys. It also provides a comprehensive look at the customs, important events, and influential people of the time. I enjoyed it and recommend it to those readers seeking an informative read to supplement their knowledge of this period in the history of Rome.

A hearty thanks to the author for providing a free eBook.

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[caffeinated reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is irresistible to fall into the notion that Julia, only child of the first emperor of the Roman empire, lived a charmed life; but the bar was so set so high for this girl from the onset that it does not come as a big surprise that she'd rebel against the life that's been set up for her, gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, and comes to a very sad and painful end.

[Sarah Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so torn between giving this three starts or four. Overall it's a great story of Rome. I however felt that even though the plot twists were there, there was no REAL climax. Julia really does get the $hi# end of things and she is an easy character to sympathise with, I really do like her. I just kept waiting for something...more I guess. The research into the writing was well done; Roman life wasn't easy for women, let alone women of "power" who seem to always to have the least amount. Agustus feels a little less real as in my mind he'd be a lot harsher. I've read tons of stories involving Julia and Octavian, some of which she is the adopted niece, the daughter, a mistress, but all of which have one thing in common and that is that he has total control of her. After all the reading I've ever done there is just no way I can look at Octavian as the doting father type.

Overall I would recommend this book, once I got into it I didn't put it down. Ultimately that is what tells me I really enjoyed it. I just wish it had a little more depth and detail in some places

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it took me a while to get there.

The beginning, I thought, was a bit confusing, with a whole host of characters introduced quickly. I had some difficulty differentiating them.

Those problems resolved quickly, however, and we are quickly taken along for the ride of all of Julia's marriages and her fated romance with Iullus, which does not result in marriage.

I was unfamiliar with Julia's history, and it was, in many ways, a sad history. But Ms. Elson manages to turn this around on its head. Somehow, even though Julia has been banished and lost all her husbands and chidren, she manages to come out on top. The book does not seem contrived.

I am looking forward to Ms. Elson's next work. She definitely has potential as a writer. It would be interesting to see a first person narrative. Perhaps she'll try that next.

[Krystena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only about 45% of my way through this book but I am loving it! I am surprised I have put the book down long enough to write this review! Between the way Julia has unraveled in her character to how Agrippa meets every one of my imagined character points, I just love this book so far!

Finished this months ago, literally MONTHS and forgot to mark it as finished. But I have to say this book still resonates with me. So good!

[Samantha Lighty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read, but a really good one at that. We’ve often heard about Octavian, the first Emperor of Rome, and all the stories that go along with his quest to the throne. However, a lot of us fail to realize that he had a daughter named Julia. And even fewer know her story. This tale follows her life as a strategic pawn for her father’s personal gain.

[Rio (Lynne)]

156 pages in....simply lost interest....maybe later...

[ROMANTIC HISTORICAL REVIEW BLOG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Ginger Myrick for Romantic Historical Lovers

http://romantichistoricallovers.wordp...

[Suzette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing on with my Roman fetish. Good book