“So gripping, your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind’s eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page.”—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author
First-century Rome: One young woman will hold the fate of an empire in her hands.
Thea, a captive from Judaea, is a clever and determined survivor hiding behind a slave’s docile mask. Purchased as a toy for the spoiled heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea evades her mistress’s spite and hones a secret passion for music. But when Thea wins the love of Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator and dares to dream of a better life, the jealous Lepida tears the lovers apart and casts Thea out.
Rome offers many ways for the resourceful to survive, and Thea remakes herself as a singer for the Eternal ’City’s glittering aristocrats. As she struggles for success and independence, her nightingale voice attracts a dangerous new admirer: the Emperor himself. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her destiny.
Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Rome’s most powerful man lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.
Praise For Mistress Of Rome (Empress Of Rome #1)…
“So gripping, your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind’s eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon
“Stunning…a masterful storyteller…It is no mean feat to write a novel that is both literary and a page-turner.”—New York Times bestselling author Margaret George
“An intensely emotional spectacle…An exhilarating read.”—New York Times bestselling author Kate Furnivall
“Equal parts intrigue and drama, action and good old-fashioned storytelling.”—John Shors, author of Beneath a Marble Sky
“For sheer entertainment, drama, and page-turning storytelling, this tumultuous debut novel is well worth reading.”—Library Journal
“Quinn’s command of first-century Rome is matched only by her involvement with her characters; all of them, historical and invented, are compelling.”—Publishers Weekly