About:
I Am Rome (Roma soy yo) by Santiago Posteguillo is the first in a historical fiction series following a young Julius Caesar, making a name for himself and enemies while he’s at it. Mr. Posteguillo is a published Spanish author philologist, and linguist.
- 624 pages
- Publisher : Ballantine Books
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0593598040
My rating for I Am Rome — 5
Buy I Am Rome from Amazon.com*
More Books by Santiago Posteguillo*
Thoughts:
This is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve read in a while. The novel revolves around a 23-year-old Gaius Julius Caesar taking on Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella, a corrupt Roman Bureaucrat, in court.
Like each of us, Julius Caesar is a man made from the sum of his experiences. Each step he takes in court, or in life, is based on something that happened in the past. I Am Rome by Santiago Posteguillo moves in time to show why Caesar is doing what he’s doing.
Caesar’s uncle, Gaius Marius, plays a big role in the book. He was a seven-time consul (unheard of), a popular military and civil leader. His young nephew adored him, but also bore the burden of becoming just as successful, or more than his famous uncle.
Each section is told through the eyes of a different character, whether it is Caesar himself, his wife Cornelia, Titus Labienus his best friend, or the antagonists Cinna, Dolabella, or Sulla.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed the trial aspect of the book. The strategy, procedures, and arguments made an exciting read just as much, if not more, than the description of battles.
I have to be honest and say that I don’t know much about this part of Roman history. I have no idea if the author was fictionalizing historical events, or making things up as he goes along. And I enjoyed the narrative too much to stop every five pages and search.
The only complaint I have was that the character of Julius Caesar wasn’t what I had in mind the little I knew about him. I thought he’d be more brutal, to be frank, but his strategic mind is on full display regardless.
Buy I Am Rome from Amazon.com*
More Books by Santiago Posteguillo*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer:I got this book for free.
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
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