I received a pre-publication copy as a reviewer for
the Discovering Diamonds review site; however, another tough reviewer beat me
to it in posting his on Helen Hollick's Blog (definitely worth reading) where it received the
Discovered Diamond Award - see
Here is my review:
Alison Morton’s excellent Speculative History series
poses the underlying question, “What If...” While the thread also runs through
"Carina," it does not detract from the thriller-element of this
novella.
Having read several full-length (5-star) volumes of
the series, I had come to know Carina rather well as a hard-trained and
self-reliant Praetorian Officer (with a rather dangerous penchant not to take
orders too well at times). In "Carina," it was doubly satisfying to
delve deeper into this feisty character defeating foes as well as her own past;
we also glimpse her more vulnerable side (especially toward the swoon-worthy
Conrad).
The writing once again is what we have come to
expect from Ms. Morton: brisk and intelligent, with her material being
well-researched as the imaginary autonomous country of Roma Nova fiercely
guards her borders in the middle of an unstable Europe.
Here, I'd like to mention the choice of covers for
the series: Simply stunning. While the basic image for all books is the same,
the one-word titles and their graphics beautifully stand out. There is no
mistaking which book is which.
This is an exciting series for history and thriller
lovers alike.
Alison's Blog gives us many interesting insights into Roman Society:
