Description
Book SynopsisTwo years after Emperor Augustus’s bloody defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, he triumphantly returns to Rome. To his only child, Julia, he brings an unlikely companion—Selene, the daughter of the conquered Egyptian queen and her lover. Under the watchful eye of Augustus’s wife, Livia, Selene struggles to accept her new home among her parents’ enemies. Bound together by kinship and spilled blood, these three women—Livia, Selene, and Julia—navigate the dangerous world of Rome’s ruling elite, their every move a political strategy, their most intimate decisions in the emperor’s hands. Always suppressing their own desires for the good of Rome, each must fulfill her role. For astute Livia, this means unwavering fidelity to her all-powerful husband; for sensual Julia, surrender to an arranged marriage and denial of her craving for love and the pleasures of the flesh; for orphaned Selene, choosing between loyalty to her family’s killers and her wish for revenge. Can they survive Rome’s deadly intrigues, or will they be swept away by the perilous currents of the world’s most powerful empire?
Trade Review“An absolutely marvelous book, even better than I Am Livia...Phyllis T. Smith is a remarkable and sophisticated writer who truly breathes life into her characters and her era. A masterful work.” —Reading the Ages “I found myself absolutely in the thrall of this book from the moment I opened it up.” —Precious Books and Baubles “Smith brings ancient Rome to life...An excellent follow-up to her first novel, I Am Livia.” —Historical Novels Review Praise for I Am Livia: “Highly polished and compelling…seamlessly written…[Phyllis T. Smith] offers a richness of historical detail...” —Publishers Weekly “I Am Livia is a wonderful journey to ancient Rome that provides amazing, thoughtful insight into one of its most influential and unconventional citizens...Smith’s Livia is such a dynamic character, so approachably human, at times fearless and forceful but also merciful and just...The historical backdrop of Rome becomes more accessible, less academic, when seen through the lives of Smith’s characters.” —Historical Novels Review
