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Daughters of Rome
(The Empress of Rome #2)
by
A.D. 69. Nero is dead.
The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….
Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. S ...more
The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….
Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. S ...more
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Paperback, 385 pages
Published
April 5th 2011
by Berkley Books
(first published April 1st 2011)
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Popular Answered Questions
Christine
No. The second book is actually set earlier in time than the first, and the stories are independent of one another.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #2)

As I expected, this was a great read. I simply couldn't put it down, it got me hooked at the opening line and I really enjoyed every minute of reading this amazing book. I liked everything about Daughters of Rome, just as I liked everything about Mistress of Rome.
Daughters of Rome is a wonderful mix of well-developed characters, very interesting plot, historical events in ''The Year of Four Emperors'', political intrigue, romance, fights, great descriptions of life in ancient Rome and really, r ...more

I must admit, I'm a sucker for almost anything set in ancient Rome. The tumult, the marble, the breastplates, the decadence - it all fascinates me. And when I started reading Kate Quinn's DAUGHTERS OF ROME, I expected to be drawn right in; after all, it doesn't take much for me.
What I did not expect to be as enthralled as I am; not only does Ms Quinn's second novel (her first is the bestselling MISTRESS OF ROME) brim with witty dialogue and marvelous descriptions, but her four women protagonist ...more
What I did not expect to be as enthralled as I am; not only does Ms Quinn's second novel (her first is the bestselling MISTRESS OF ROME) brim with witty dialogue and marvelous descriptions, but her four women protagonist ...more

This wasn't my cup of tea. For being historical fiction, it was very light. This isn't particularly a bad thing for me, but it felt so cheesy and cheap. It felt like 'National Enquirer' for this time period. That didn't work for me. The words "slut" and "whore" were completely overused. It was like an episode of the Jerry Springer show. These 'historical' women felt way to contemporary (with their attitudes and speech) for this time period. They could have been teleported from the world today.
Th ...more
Th ...more

How does one remain strong when the world and the life that you have built falls apart around you? Daughters of Rome answered this question in the simplest way possible; one just keeps on living. In the "Year of the Four Emperors in Ancient Rome" it would appear that the turmoil was a constant factor of life, but the four main characters in this book; Cornelia, Marcella, Lollia and Diana not only overcome adversity but prove themselves in their own unique way that they are strong women who will
...more

Mar 26, 2011
Paula Patience
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
readers of historical fiction/romance
Shelves:
goodreads
Won as a Goodreads First Read. First off, I was a history major, so I love fiction based in ancient history. This novel does a great job of immersing the reader in the nuances of daily Roman life without coming across as grandstanding (I hate when authors throw nifty facts at me for the sake of showing off their research skills). The casual references to menu, dress and customs are seamlessly incorporated into the flow of the narrative and don't feel forced at all.
Quinn maintains an energetic pa ...more
Quinn maintains an energetic pa ...more

I read this after reading Lindsey Davis's wonderful book, The Course of Honor, which covers similar territory. Compared to that book this one was just okay.
The author is a good story teller--after the first few chapters which seemed dull and left me wondering what the book was going to be about. But the real problem for me was how anachronistic so much of it felt.
The characters' language is full of very recent slang--slang that if you read it in a contemporary novel would define a character as ...more
The author is a good story teller--after the first few chapters which seemed dull and left me wondering what the book was going to be about. But the real problem for me was how anachronistic so much of it felt.
The characters' language is full of very recent slang--slang that if you read it in a contemporary novel would define a character as ...more

I read Kate Quinn's debut, Mistress of Rome, last year and found it an extremely enjoyable read, so I'd been looking forward to her follow-up ever since and snapped it up as soon as it was released. Daughters of Rome is based on real events (in this case the Year of Four Emperors), but unlike Mistress, which had one central character, it takes a more sweeping, politically orientated view of the time it depicts, with the focus on four cousins who become entangled in these events. These women are
...more

I have had Kate Quinn’s debut novel, Mistress of Rome, on my to-read shelf since January 2010! And I totally forgot about it—this is why I love my to-read shelf. I don’t remember how I learned about it, so it’s serendipitous that I found Daughters of Rome, which has whet my appetite even more for Mistress. I saw this book on the “New Books” shelf at my library and decided to “give it a chance”. That’s a code phrase for “I’m not really sure I’ll enjoy this, but it is within my sphere of interest”
...more

Jun 17, 2011
Amy
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Everyone who enjoys historical fiction/Ancient Rome
Shelves:
rome-greece
Another great and well researched read by Kate Quinn. I did find this one a little hard to get into at first, but what things got rolling it picks up! It is set again in Rome, about 20 or so years ahead of Mistress of Rome, and involving many of the character we meet there, and setting up different events and experiences. It's placed in a tumultuous period of Roman history where in a 12 month period 4 emperors came into power, with 3 loosing their life in the struggle.
Again we're greeted with a ...more
Again we're greeted with a ...more

This was a surprisingly good read for me...I am not a big fan of historical fiction set in ancient civilizations as I often get confused by all of the, well, history. Author Kate Quinn did a wonderful job of telling her story about the Year of Four Emperors, which I knew nothing about, without getting too bogged down in the politics.
The story is told through the voices of the Cornelias - two sisters and two cousins - and the effects of the turmoil on all of them. Cornelia the eldest is married t ...more
The story is told through the voices of the Cornelias - two sisters and two cousins - and the effects of the turmoil on all of them. Cornelia the eldest is married t ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

An astrologist reads into the future of each of the four Cornelii girls; sisters Marcella and Cornelia and their cousins Diana and Lollia. He envisions one of the young women to become the empress of Rome and to have blood on her hands, he also foresaw 11 marriages in total.
Set in Rome A.D 69, approximately 20 years prior to Kate Quinn’s first novel, Mistress of Rome, it delves into the year that four emperors ruled. Each of the sisters are well developed and I could relate to each of them in d ...more
Set in Rome A.D 69, approximately 20 years prior to Kate Quinn’s first novel, Mistress of Rome, it delves into the year that four emperors ruled. Each of the sisters are well developed and I could relate to each of them in d ...more

I've really enjoyed this series so much so far, it's a fine work if historical fiction which gave me a great picture of what it was like to live in 1st-century Rome... and it also made me glad I did not live in such a time. In the 1st century CE, Rome might have been one of the most civilized countries/empires in the world, but violence and injustice were much harsher in that time than today.
...more

"'Things have changed, Cornelia. This isn't Rome anymore, not the Rome we know. The kingmakers rule this Rome.'"
Daughters of Rome is the story of four women from the Cornelii clan who survived the Year of the Four Emperors.
Unlike Mistress of Rome and Empress of the Seven Hills, “Daughters of Rome” is written exclusively in third person. Reading this book right after “Empress of the Seven Hills”, I found this odd. None of the women in the book seemed to outshine the other, there were no clear ...more
Daughters of Rome is the story of four women from the Cornelii clan who survived the Year of the Four Emperors.
Unlike Mistress of Rome and Empress of the Seven Hills, “Daughters of Rome” is written exclusively in third person. Reading this book right after “Empress of the Seven Hills”, I found this odd. None of the women in the book seemed to outshine the other, there were no clear ...more

This didn't grab me at all and I often like a historical book.... Oh well.
Maybe because it was a little slow going. 😕 ...more
Maybe because it was a little slow going. 😕 ...more

Jun 22, 2015
Stephanie (Bookfever)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2011-publication,
historical-fiction,
romance,
library,
adult,
ancient-rome,
favorites,
favorite-authors
Daughters of Rome was an excellent read. I'm a huge fan of books set in ancient Rome and Kate Quinn really captured my attention with this book.
This book is about four women all different from one another. They all intrigued me in their own way and nobody is really what she seems at first because due to events happening in this book they all quite change.
I liked all main characters and I found myself liking one character but disliking her in the next few chapters. But my favorite of the four w ...more
This book is about four women all different from one another. They all intrigued me in their own way and nobody is really what she seems at first because due to events happening in this book they all quite change.
I liked all main characters and I found myself liking one character but disliking her in the next few chapters. But my favorite of the four w ...more

:P :( Okay, I said I finished it, but actually I stopped 1/2 way through. Let me back up...I won this book from goodreads.com. I love the cover and the plot sounded wonderful! I know a few of you have thought the same. Well, I think that the story would have been great. For that matter, I think it _was_ great, BUT unfortunately, the book is packed with kissing and, well, the step beyond kissing. The chapters were really long, which I don't mind, but I think it definitely could have been done wit
...more

"Daughters of Rome" is a prequel to the fabulous "Mistress of Rome," but it's not necessary to have read one to enjoy the other. There are some overlapping characters but the stories are very different: whereas "Mistress" was a violence-driven whirlwind of a plot, "Daughters" is a more political, intrigue-laden story. The rise and fall of 4 Roman emperors is seen through the eyes of four upper-class young women, and their own fortunes rise and fall just as quickly and unexpectedly as their polic
...more

Sadly, I ws very disappointed in this book, especially because I loved Mistress Of Rome. This book follows 4 girls all namd Cornelia. It was very confusing, even after they were given distinguishing nick names. It was hard to keep them all straight. And I was expecting this book to have Vix in it, but apparantly that is the third book, so I was completly confused, especially when Marcus Nobanus and Paulinus appeared in the story, only 30 years younger than in the previous book. It wasn't until h
...more

This second installment in Kate Quinn's Rome series far outstrips its predecessor ("Mistress of Rome"), and that is saying a great deal! Once again the reader is immersed in the vivid color and life of ancient Rome as seen through the eyes of a group of people around whom the warped fate of the Empire revolves. As with the previous book, the language was occasionally too modern for the setting, but Quinn's style is so smooth that the mental speed bumps are easy to move on from.
If there is any si ...more
If there is any si ...more

Oh wow, I'm so glad I made the decision to re-read this book.
I forgot how much of a bad person Marcella was. Time went on and I wanted to shake her more and more - she was an excellent character though, even if she was a bad person.
This time around, I was fixated on Diana and Llyn's relationship, it was so subtle and understated and they never betrayed who they truly were. The pairings in this book are all excellent really; Cornelia and her Centurion (And she finally got to have babies!!!), Loll ...more
I forgot how much of a bad person Marcella was. Time went on and I wanted to shake her more and more - she was an excellent character though, even if she was a bad person.
This time around, I was fixated on Diana and Llyn's relationship, it was so subtle and understated and they never betrayed who they truly were. The pairings in this book are all excellent really; Cornelia and her Centurion (And she finally got to have babies!!!), Loll ...more

I fell in love with how the author brings parts of Rome to life. I love Rome. It's enchanting. Ms.Quinn brought such life to my memory of the Forum and Circs Maximus and Palatine Hill. The way she wrote abut the vendors at the Forum was simple but made the memory of the ruins in my head spring to life-and I truly enjoyed the mental pictures.
The story is based a lot in fact, which I enjoyed.
As for the main characters some of them I liked, soe not so much. Not because they were villians (i love ...more
The story is based a lot in fact, which I enjoyed.
As for the main characters some of them I liked, soe not so much. Not because they were villians (i love ...more

Won this on goodreads firstreads!
I was pretty excited about this book and I enjoyed the Roman history in it. The only problem was toward the middle it all became about who was sleeping with who. None of the scenes was too explicit which I appreciate, it just became the only focus for a bit which I didn't care for. Great beginning and great ending. ...more
I was pretty excited about this book and I enjoyed the Roman history in it. The only problem was toward the middle it all became about who was sleeping with who. None of the scenes was too explicit which I appreciate, it just became the only focus for a bit which I didn't care for. Great beginning and great ending. ...more

May 23, 2018
Benjamin Thomas
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
historical-fiction-rome,
historical-fiction
Back in 2012 I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of Mistress of Rome as an advanced reading copy and I enjoyed it quite a lot, even though it seemed to be marketed more to a female audience. Now, six years later, I managed to turn to the second book in the series (actually a prequel) and feel much the same about this one as the first.
In AD 68, Emperor Nero is dead and four young patrician women, all sisters or cousins with one another, must make their way forward in this male-dominated soc ...more
In AD 68, Emperor Nero is dead and four young patrician women, all sisters or cousins with one another, must make their way forward in this male-dominated soc ...more

Historical fiction is at its best when the fictional characters blend in just as well as the actual historical ones and you can't tell the difference. This was a beautiful prequel and I may actually have enjoyed it more than the debut, Mistress of Rome. Kate Quinn's writing is stellar, and all four of the Cornelias come brilliantly to life under her pen. They're all so different, but to see the journey each character takes and how they change as the years go by makes for a beautifully-crafted st
...more

This is the prequel to Mistress of Rome, a book that I found myself glued to. I had high hopes for this one too… and thankfully was not disappointed.
DoR follows the fortunes of the 4 Cornelias: 2 sisters (Cornelia and Marcella) and their cousins (Lollia and Diana). Rome is going through troubled times – the year of 4 Emperors and the girls lives – and loves - are overturned.
Cornelia is happily married to Piso and excited about her role as the future Empress of Rome when Piso is named as Emperor ...more
DoR follows the fortunes of the 4 Cornelias: 2 sisters (Cornelia and Marcella) and their cousins (Lollia and Diana). Rome is going through troubled times – the year of 4 Emperors and the girls lives – and loves - are overturned.
Cornelia is happily married to Piso and excited about her role as the future Empress of Rome when Piso is named as Emperor ...more

At this point, I am completely addicted to Kate Quinn's "Rome" series and I don't think anything can stop me from gobbling them up one by one. That said, I was a little put out by the fact that Daughters of Rome is a prequel, versus a sequel to Mistress. I really want to know what happens to Mistress's Vix and Sabina (which is why I started Empress of the Seven Hills as soon as I finished Daughters). Nevertheless, as soon as I began to understand whose story this installment was telling, all dou
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rome: Daughters of Rome: Destiny or Determined? | 1 | 6 | Apr 22, 2015 08:21AM | |
Rome: Daughters of Rome: Four Women, one name | 1 | 4 | Apr 22, 2015 08:05AM | |
Rome: Daughters of Rome (one-liners) | 1 | 6 | Apr 22, 2015 08:01AM | |
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish | 1 | 4 | Feb 14, 2015 07:03AM | |
Basically Books!: Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn (November's Group Read) | 12 | 37 | Nov 09, 2011 05:13AM |
--I use Goodreads to track and rate my current reading. Most of my reads are 4 stars, meaning I enjoyed it hugely and would absolutely recommend. 5 stars is blew-my-socks-off; reserved for rare reads. 3 stars is "enjoyed it, but something fell a bit short." I very rarely rate lower because I DNF books I'm not enjoying, and don't rate books I don't finish.--
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA ...more
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA ...more
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The Empress of Rome
(4 books)
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