![]() In fantasy we call this world-building, and that word is nearly applicable here for all that it normally applies to entirely fictional creations. What she's done in invoking Rome is a marvel. For the most part it's all very well integrated and just enough is provided to move the plot forward. She was only occasionally overbearing when wielding her research, as when Sulla is describing his new laws in needless detail. ![]() Possibly a sign that by the third book the author's confidence was growing and her care lessening? I was chastened at the end, reading the glossary, to be reminded how many smaller details McCullough did keep track of and incorporate to a painstaking degree. Occasional oversights (Caesar forgetting to say farewell to his wife among the laundry list of others whom he takes leave of, etc.) pop up now and then. The dialogue in this series remains as artificial and unlikely as ever, but maybe that's a sacrifice to maintain the narrative pace. This is also the volume that features the adventures of Sparticus, and McCullough does him justice. With Sulla's passing the spotlight smoothly shifts to Caesar and his destined rival, Pompey. ![]() Of course history is never so tidy as fiction, and McCullough insists on abiding by it, but she's able to muster a sense of closure. This historical fiction novel concludes the Marius and Sulla story arc that began in the first volume. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |