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Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome #2)

by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating Details · 4,890 Ratings · 484 Reviews

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

Paperback, 400 pages

Published April 5th 2011 by Berkley (first published April 1st 2011)

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Historical Fiction 2011

108 books — 662 voters

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough

Best Historical Fiction About Ancient Rome

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Jun 25, 2011 Ivana S. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: great-books, i-own, fiction, 2012, historical, cro

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

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Apr 08, 2011 C.W. rated it it was amazing

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

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Jan 26, 2017 Donna rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction

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

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Oct 03, 2011 Stephanie Dray rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, historical-fiction, ancient-history

For readers used to a Julia Quinn-style Regency tone, this novel would make a good introduction to more serious ancient historical fare. We do manage to secure happy-ish endings for most, if not all, of our heroines. But the light touch is deceptive.

While the snarky tone of the writing and the scenes of privileged noblewomen fussing endlessly over weddings and clothing might give the impression that this is a fun romp through ancient Rome, beneath the glossy surface is novel that tackles some ve For readers used to a Julia Quinn-style Regency tone, this novel would make a good introduction to more serious ancient historical fare. We do manage to secure happy-ish endings for most, if not all, of our heroines. But the light touch is deceptive.

While the snarky tone of the writing and the scenes of privileged noblewomen fussing endlessly over weddings and clothing might give the impression that this is a fun romp through ancient Rome, beneath the glossy surface is novel that tackles some very serious issues. This is a novel not just about the powerlessness of even privileged women in ancient times, but, more importantly, about the way women coped with it.

We're given four different models for how to adapt. We have Cornelia, the upright girl who never did anything wrong until she realized that propriety would never protect her from losing what she valued most. We have Lollia, whose family wealth ensures that she'll be handed over from one man to the next, only to find that her casual attitudes about sex won't protect her, or her loved ones, against the dark realities of life. We have Diana, who never wavers from her unconventionality. And last, but not least, we have Marcella, who should have been a historian, perhaps an emperor, and whose bitterness at being shut out leads her to desperate, horrifying acts.

You know I love a bad girl, and this novel has them in spades. I'm reminded more of the bad girls in Starz' Spartacus than in HBO's Rome, but I'm sure there's a little bit of both here.

The novel starts slow, but the author has a lot of players to put onto the game board--many of them with the same name. Once the daggers come out, however, the book shoots off like a charioteer at the races. I enjoyed the way my emotions were toyed with in regards to my feelings about our heroines. I came to love and hate them each in turn, and then love them again.

Whereas Mistress of Rome touched upon the horrors of the ancient world with an unflinching eye, this second novel almost makes light of tragedy. As if we must laugh not to be driven mad. But it's all there. The year of four emperors. Blood in the streets. No safe harbor for anyone. Not even the reader. And I love books like that.
...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction

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

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Oct 23, 2011 Ben Babcock rated it really liked it

Shelves: from-library, historical-fiction, ancient-rome, 2011-read

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

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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 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 pace with a detailed plot full of suspense; I constantly wanted to flip the page to find out what happened next. Basically, four female relatives, called the Cornelias, try to survive one of the most turbulent years in Roman history (Year of 4 Emperors). To do so, each one follows a different path. While the four heroines share a name and a (largely) patrician family history, they are not carbon copies of each other and are fleshed out with vibrant personalities and singular coping mechanisms. All four of them undergo changes to their outlooks on life, love and duty. It was a fascinating journey to watch how Rome's upheaval affected each of their destinies, desires and personalities.

The only cons to the book are more a reflection of my personal tastes (i.e., my laziness as a reader) than of the writer's skill. I like the point of view to be utterly clear. This book's narrative flows around the four Cornelias, sometimes switching POV from one paragraph to the next. I'm getting old, because I find it exhausting to have to stop and think about which voice I'm reading now. A related issue is the writer's tendency to jump time frames. I'd have to stop, go back and re-read a passage to figure out that the 2 or 3 conversations portrayed actually took place at different times. Again, that's my personal preference; I'm too lazy to enjoy intellectually challenging narrative styles.

Overall, I'd recommend if you like historical fiction that offers a slice-of-life perspective of an era, have a fondness for Roman times or like to read about strong women battling for their place in the world with whatever tools society allows them. And if you like gorgeous, golden Gaul body slaves, well, that's an added bonus. ...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Blair rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, read-on-kindle, 2011-release

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 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 Cornelia, a devoted wife with ambitions to become the next Empress; Marcella, a scheming writer who records the lives of the emperors and becomes increasingly preoccupied with making history; Lollia, a rich, party-loving heiress who nevertheless has the biggest heart of all the cousins; and Diana, who is young and beautiful but cares for nothing but horses, racing and her dream of becoming a charioteer.

The book was as exciting, involving and action-packed as I expected. It races along at a cracking pace, taking in everything from secret affairs, decadent banquets and true love to war, suicide and political intrigue. As I know little about the era, I can't comment on how accurate Quinn's portrayal of Rome in AD 69 actually is, but it certainly feels very well-researched and is full of entertaining details; many of the characters are embellished versions of real-life historical figures, which certainly adds interest. There's plenty of sex and violence, but the characters are well-developed too and you really come to care about what happens to them. Only Diana seems a bit two-dimensional - is anyone actually this obsessed with horses?! - but she gets a great ending, and Lollia in particular progresses wonderfully from a seemingly unpleasant spoilt girl to a warm, delightful character.

If you liked the author's debut, you will LOVE this book. Some of the characters overlap, and there are bits of foreshadowing which will be enjoyable for anyone who's read Mistress (it made me want to go back and read it again immediately!) I did miss having a variety of narrative voices - I'm kind of surprised at the absence of this, as the author pulled it off so well in her first book - but perhaps it would have been confusing in a story with four main characters. I also didn't think Marcella really deserved her fate and felt quite sorry for her in the end, however meddlesome she may have been! However, overall I think Daughters has the edge over its predecessor; it feels more accomplished and less like something destined mainly for the chick-lit end of the market.

In a word, this book is JUICY. This is historical fiction, but never dry or boring; it's also romantic and full of action, but never comes off like poorly written genre rubbish. Quinn's books are huge fun to read and I am already looking forward to the next. (As an added bonus, at the time of writing I am about to set off for a holiday in Rome, and enjoying this story has really whetted my appetite for exploring the city and its history!) ...more

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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 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 spattering of well placed, carefully groomed characters that are both actual, factual historical figures and fictional creations, but the perfectly fleshed out imitations are hard to flush out. We follow 4 cousins from the clan Corneliaii (all named Cornealia, but with nicknames for clarity), out of them one pair are full sisters. While the sisters are the more prominent characters, we hear from everyone with regularity, that combined with their differences of personality and interests gives us a much broader view of The Year of Four Emperors.

The settings are equally as lush and well described as the characters are well rounded, you can tell the amazing research that was put into the writing of both Kate Quinn's novels.

The only issues I had at certain points, is the way the grils (who start out so close) act towards each other. There are different things that happen throughout the novel, love, war, death, marriage, divorce and wild life styles. But at somethings I just did not understand how they reacted. There were times that in my mind what two girls had done was practically the same in 'not greatness' and yet the latter of the girls they stopped talking to, wanted nothing to do with her.

I would recommend Kate's novels to anyone and everyone who loves historical fiction or Ancient Rome, they're great and sometimes the characters are so real, they can annoy you like real people!!

Definitly a good read. This is a prequel to Mistress of Rome (which did come out first) but you can read either book as a stand alone with out the other, though it does round out a more clearer vision of Roman life through a generation or two. ...more

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May 26, 2011 Courtney rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved this book. However on the issue of whether or not I liked it the same as I liked Mistress of Rome, or better, or not as much, the jury is still out.

The characters were very developed to the point where you could predict their actions. Not it a boring way though, the plot was in no way predictable.

I've heard many complaints about Marcella. Having read Mistress of Rome first, I know how her life turns out. My heart went out to her for the last few chapters of Daughters of Rome. So, she had ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Jenny Brown rated it liked it

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

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Jul 02, 2012 Cheryl A rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

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

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Nov 12, 2014 Brittany rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Daughters of Rome is definitely a fun read with prose that flows so naturally you easily breeze through it. Once I got sucked into the lives of these four women I could not wait to read what happened next. Political upset, seduction, romance, betrayal..loved it!

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Jul 27, 2012 Maddie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, owned, series, reviewed, 2017-books-purchased

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

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Mar 30, 2011 Ana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ancient-rome, historical-fiction, 2013

"'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 h ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 Aleksandra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Iako smještena u okvir burnih zbivanja u Rimskom Carstvu u periodu poznatom kao godina Četiri cara, ovoj priči mi je nedostajalo stvarne historijske ubjedljivosti. Četiri glavne junakinje kao da su sad izašle iz serije "Seks i grad" i kao takve samo premještene u Anno Domini 69. Dramatična završnica ponudila je ipak odgovarajući rasplet, te mi izazvala interes za čitanje nastavaka ove trilogije. Sve u svemu, dobar početak serijala.

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Mar 31, 2012 Lauren K rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical

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 di 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 different ways.

Lollia is a flighty young woman on the surface, but rather intelligent underneath despite being married three times by the age of 19. Her grandfather marries her off to make alliances with various men associated with the current emperor, but as each emperor falls a new alliance must form. At times I felt sorry for her as she views herself as being ‘leased’ for marriage and acknowledges that the men marry her for her substantial dowry. Lollia has a sense of protectiveness for her family and accepts each marriage rather graciously for the sake of her family. It doesn’t stop her from frolicking with the slaves and making the most of her situation. Lollia has a mixed heritage of both slave and royalty and I found it interesting that she seemed to straddle these two worlds, but find most comfort in the lower class and even fell in love with a slave. Lollia grows as a character and loses her arrogance as she matures with the chaos of the city.

Diana is a character that is always sitting on the outskirts, she is a young woman who captures the interest of many suitors because of her beauty, but ironically she is not interested in marriage, her only interest is horses and horse racing. A strong young woman with a brash mouth and seems to get away with her eccentrics as she sparks the interest of one of the emperors.

Cornelia is one of those lucky young women who happened to fall madly in love with the man her father arranged for her to marry. She is destined to become the empress of Rome, but when her husband is brutally murdered her life falls apart. I sympathised with Cornelia’s mourning and grief and felt saddened by her isolation during this time as her family and social network were keen to have her married again. Cornelia grows as a character and her priority becomes love and happiness rather than success and status. She falls in love with an outcasted soldier and I became quite invested in the success of this secret relationship and hoped that Cornelia would dismiss the demands of her class and follow her heart.

Marcella is the younger, reserved sister who is always writing and happily lives in a world of words and stories while her husband travels. She dreams of running her own household but her husband has other things in mind. Initially, Marcella is happy to write about history and observe history in the making but as her desire for power and control surge she becomes less passive in the role of history and more active in the upheaval in Rome. Marcella becomes the catalyst for the rise and fall of four emperors in a twelve month period and it turns out that the power she seeks isn’t exactly what she hoped it would be.

It’s not all happy endings for each of the women, but as the prequel, Daughters of Rome certainly sets the scene for Mistress of Rome. Another wonderfully written historical story with suspense, complex characters and an intriguing setting- ancient Rome.
...more

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Jun 22, 2015 Stephanie (Bookfever. ❤) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, adult, historical-fiction, romance, favorite-authors, library, series, 2011-publication, ancient-rome

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

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Apr 04, 2011 Charity U rated it did not like it

: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

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Apr 05, 2011 Kelly rated it it was amazing

"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

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Jul 13, 2011 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ancient-historical-fiction, historical-fiction

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

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Dec 16, 2010 Alison rated it liked it

Shelves: at-library, xpired-2011-read, xpired-2011-sbc-read

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

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Mar 09, 2011 Cortney rated it liked it

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.

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Dec 07, 2014 Marie80 rated it it was amazing

Absolutely wonderfoul!!!!
Навистина прекрасно!!!

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Mar 20, 2017 Linda rated it liked it

Good book hard to get through the first few chapters trying to understand all the characters. Over all a good book with a good ending.

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Feb 17, 2012 Sofia Grey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, top-picks-2012

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

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May 06, 2011 Heather rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, ancient-worlds, 1st-c, rome

Daughters of Rome is a wonderfully fast paced ride through the Year of the Four Emperors in Ancient Rome. Author Kate Quinn absolutely immerses the reader in Roman culture, right down to the tiniest details. It is an all senses experience of the city. One of the most interesting and detailed segments is the food – especially at the dinner parties – OMG! Things that you would never imagine eating. How about a fish served to you while it was dying so that it looked pretty? I would have said, “No t Daughters of Rome is a wonderfully fast paced ride through the Year of the Four Emperors in Ancient Rome. Author Kate Quinn absolutely immerses the reader in Roman culture, right down to the tiniest details. It is an all senses experience of the city. One of the most interesting and detailed segments is the food – especially at the dinner parties – OMG! Things that you would never imagine eating. How about a fish served to you while it was dying so that it looked pretty? I would have said, “No thanks!”. You also have the chance to learn a lot about how they dressed. I loved how the four girls frequently dressed in shades of the same color. The most interesting cultural experience for me was the chariot racing at the Circus Maximus. In Mistress of Rome you get to experience on of the other favorite pastimes – the gladiator battles – but it was very interesting to see a great deal of time spent on one of their other enjoyments. Apparently there were favorite teams and you would root for the team you loved (how very similar to today).

Quinn also does a great job making each of the Four Emperors their own unique character. As the book is about the Year of the Four Emperors it is very important that as a reader you understand the differences between these individuals otherwise the drama of the time will not be as profound. She also does a great job of detailing why each one was successful at taking over and what led to the downfall of their predecessor.

The main characters of the story are the four family members, the Cornelias – Cornelia Prima (aka Cornelia), Cornelia Secunda (aka Marcella), Cornelia Tertia (aka Lollia), and Cornelia Quarta (aka Diana). At first it was a little difficult to keep straight who was who, but as the book progressed these characters grew into very distinctive women. Slightly stereotyped but each their own person. My favorites were Cornelia and Lollia. Like any family you see divisions between the girls, arguments, support for each other, reconciliation, etc.

Overall this was a great read – I absolutely raced through the pages. I had to stop reading this book for awhile to get to another book that was more pressing, but I couldn’t wait to get back to this book. I am eagerly awaiting the third book in this series – I like how each book incorporates some of the previous book’s minor characters as main characters.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review. ...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Judith Starkston rated it liked it

Shelves: strong-women, historical-mystery, roman

The Feminine Side of Rome

Typically historical fiction set in ancient Rome focuses on senators, military geniuses, mad emperors, and a lot of blood. Daughters of Rome has six emperors (It takes place largely in the year of four emperors—then add in Nero and Titus mentioned in the beginning and ending portions.), chariot races and battle scenes, but much more predominantly it has four women of the patrician family of the Cornelii. These women, who have four profoundly different approaches to livin The Feminine Side of Rome

Typically historical fiction set in ancient Rome focuses on senators, military geniuses, mad emperors, and a lot of blood. Daughters of Rome has six emperors (It takes place largely in the year of four emperors—then add in Nero and Titus mentioned in the beginning and ending portions.), chariot races and battle scenes, but much more predominantly it has four women of the patrician family of the Cornelii. These women, who have four profoundly different approaches to living upper class lives, reveal the other side of Rome many people will have heard very little about. The book glides from “frivolities” like brightly colored silk stolas and ancient makeup to the mental requirements that women accept being political pawns in marriages to men they have good cause to hate, to the tawdry state of marriage and family in a society that pretended to value them above all, to a host of other complicated social issues that Quinn weaves in without our ever stumbling over them or thinking “too much history!” And she does this while keeping us turning the pages, wanting to know what the next political machination will be, the next wild sex scene, the next intimate moment between women when their lives are threatened and they have only each other to get them through.

These four women are cousins from an old and respected family, now funded largely by one of the cousin’s ex-slave grandfather who built a vast fortune and then bought his way into a patrician line—and he’s a genuinely likeable character with a good heart among many scoundrels with old pedigrees. The four live through the calamitous events of the year when Rome discovered that societies are forever altered for the worse when the rule of law is overthrown by power hungry men who do not care about the bloody means they use to usurp legitimate rule. Rome was no innocent before this particular year. The “Republic” had long since given up anything but lip service to the old Roman ideals of elections and a free citizenry and had been kissing up to emperors, crazed or good, for some time. But through the transformations of Kate Quinn’s characters and her vivid portrayal of Roman life turned upside down, the author makes a good case that this year-long spasm was different than any that had come before. It’s an apt lesson from history that is worth pondering, especially if you can have so much fun in the process. This may be a well-researched, historically engaging book, but it also has golden boy Thracian lovers, extravagant jewels and feasts, family and political intrigue. Let Quinn build her characters in the opening chapters—some people think the beginning is a bit slow with so many people to put into place—and then hold onto your hat.
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Oct 28, 2012 Dione Sage rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action-adventure, romance, drama, historical-fiction

The best historical fictions in my opinion are always the ones that have a little factual substance weaved skillfully throughout the storyline. I believe that histories have been written with a little embellishment in the first place and the fact that a writer can paint a whole picture (even though fictional) from small facts taken from those histories is amazing. Daughters of Rome, written by the talented Kate Quinn, is one of those historical fictions that I find absolutely breathtaking and in The best historical fictions in my opinion are always the ones that have a little factual substance weaved skillfully throughout the storyline. I believe that histories have been written with a little embellishment in the first place and the fact that a writer can paint a whole picture (even though fictional) from small facts taken from those histories is amazing. Daughters of Rome, written by the talented Kate Quinn, is one of those historical fictions that I find absolutely breathtaking and intriguing. The story of the four Cornelias of the Cornelii family that seem to not only endure tragic moments in history but end up becoming stronger from living through such moments is a great testament to the strength of women. This is no love story, although there was love inside the plot, it is more of a story of courage of four young women finding their way in life to what would make them happy. There is Cornelia who is very proper and almost a model of what a Roman woman should be. Her younger sister, Marcella is extremely smart and calculating which in the end her schemes do end up getting the best of her. The cousin, Diana is probably my favorite. She is a very strong willed girl that does not wish to live her life to please the world around her and she is definitely a tomboy stuck in a beautiful body that has no lack of suitors. Lollia the other cousin took some time for me to warm up to because at first I thought she was a little too vain but as it turns out she does what she does in order to protect her family. She ends up also capturing my respect because of her pure devotion and sacrifice. Actually to be honest most of the characteristics I listed for the individuals can actually found in all four of the heroines in this story. History shows that most women were not as valued for their minds or accomplishments and in whole it was a man’s world for thousands of years. In a way it may be sad that women did not get recognition in the way that men did but I also like to believe that women did have a way of shaping history in ways that even though overlooked, still had great impact.
In my opinion there is nothing better than a strong heroine in a story. Much to my heart’s desire there are four strong women in this book all with the dedication and conviction that makes them beyond admirable in my opinion. Often we find women in stories that are reliant on a male figure to lift them to happiness or that are codependent on a man to find their way in life. Daughters of Rome gives the pleasure of success to the heroines themselves. This is a book that I will probably read again in the future just for fun and also recommend to my friends.
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Mar 28, 2012 Lucy rated it really liked it

Kate Quinn is on her way to becoming the best ‘All-That's-Ancient-Rome’ historical fiction writer ever. I loved reading her first book: Mistress of Rome- never read anything like it before-Fabulous (read that review here).

In this year’s novel, Daughters of Rome, Quinn brings us into the lives of the four 'Cornelias'. Patrician nobility at its best, the young women take us through a roller coaster of emotions as they live in splendour, grandeur as well as gruesome tragedy. Such young lives (the e
Kate Quinn is on her way to becoming the best ‘All-That's-Ancient-Rome’ historical fiction writer ever. I loved reading her first book: Mistress of Rome- never read anything like it before-Fabulous (read that review here).

In this year’s novel, Daughters of Rome, Quinn brings us into the lives of the four 'Cornelias'. Patrician nobility at its best, the young women take us through a roller coaster of emotions as they live in splendour, grandeur as well as gruesome tragedy. Such young lives (the eldest is only in her early twenties!), yet the ‘Cornelias’ manage to master charioting, espionage, perpetual weddings and divorces, enthronements and coup d’etats- not to mention clandestine loves and rendez-vous...hmmm, all that within the governance of four emperors!

Quinn’s knack for crafting exciting novels on ancient Rome and making them the most fascinating read has to do with more than just her captivating characters but also with her detailed surroundings. I’m not talking about boring laid out sceneries- No- I’m talking about serving up a whole Roman feast to describe events that took place. For example, Daughters of Rome includes detailed menus that only an expert in Roman times can tell you about. Loads and loads of unimaginable delicacies of the finest cuisine were served (some of it certainly objectionable by our times!). Not only does this bring the mood to the setting; it also brings in the attitude and way of living of the ancient nobility. It also gives a flair of how this all adjusted depending on the Emperor in power.

Food and feasts are not all that are being lived through this novel. In Daughters of Rome we experience the Chariot races as well as blood baths and slayings. I could not however have survived a book filled only with these. In fact, these vivid scenes were but the setting in which the heroines were immersed. What I loved most about this book was the growth and change the Cornelias themselves experienced. They lived a full-circle life that brought them to a turnabout construed by their own will and determination; sometimes to their own demise. Not all was a ‘happily ever after’.

What can I say... if you’re going to read about Ancient Rome, you want absolute beauty and abundance to parallel the most decadent and horrid. Kate Quinn is master at creating this by truly bringing ancient history back to life and absorbing you right into it.

Loved it of course. ...more

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Rome: Daughters of Rome: Destiny or Determined?	1	6	Apr 22, 2015 08:21AM
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About Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with "The Alice Network." All have been translated into multiple languages.

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The Empress of Rome (4 books)

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Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1)

Empress of the Seven Hills (The Empress of Rome, #3)

The Serpent and the Pearl (The Borgias, #1)

Lady of the Eternal City (The Empress of Rome, #4)

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“Courage is defined by how we meet unfortunat circumstances - inevitable or not.” — 24 likes

“Making history was so much better than writing it.” — 7 likes

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