"You should pierce my heart now, Marcus Cordovis, General of Rome." Her dark eyes flashed. "Because if I live, I will not hesitate to kill you."Wow. Tough chick. That's the heroine of this book, Ademeni, a Dacian princess turned slave after her nation is conquered by the Romans. So how does she go from threatening to kill the hero to warming his bed and fearing for his life?
Never judge a man solely by the actions of the group as a whole. Marcus does have a heart, unlike his brother in law. The evil BIL sets Ademeni in Marcus's home and sets him up for fall. He claims to the Emperor that Marcus has fallen in love with the slave (true...) and has changed his loyalties... (eh...sorta..)
See, Marcus realizes for the first time what Rome does to others. His loyalty as a soldier is not in question. He has a job to do and knows it, but as he falls in love with the head strong slave, he realizes...
"He did not like what his eyes beheld. A different side of history. The story of a people who had built an empire on the backs of others. Men who had turned on one another to gain power--only to do nothing good with that power. Did the deeds of a few good men truly extinguish the stench of the useless?"
Ademeni begins the story with intent to kill...then intent to seduce to gain her freedom, but instead, falls in love. The story builds up with awesome crescendo as we wonder what is going to happen with the Marcus and his BIL. As they go before the Emperor, the reader is left dying of suspense. Who will be rendered guilty? Who will be killed? How? Will the man be torn apart by animals? Will they be forced to kill each other? Will Ademeni ever see the man she loves again?
Well done. I think the relationship/romance between Ademeni and Marcus could have been built up a bit more...it felt choppy and sudden on her part, though I can't say I would do any better.
Four bikes. I received this thru netgalley.
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