"I can't help but feel a thrill. It is a vast undertaking and the spectacles that will be put on here will be the greatest in the Empire, that much I can be sure of."
From the Ashes by Melissa Addey is a historical novel, set in Rome, 80AD.
Blurb:
They called it the Flavian Amphitheatre. We call it the Colosseum. Let the Games begin.
Rome, 80AD. A gigantic new amphitheatre is being built. The Emperor has plans for gladiatorial Games on a scale no-one has ever seen before. But the Games don't just happen by themselves. They must be made. And Marcus, the man in charge of creating them, has just lost everything he held dear when Pompeii disappeared under the searing wrath of Vesuvius.
Now it will fall to Althea, the slave woman who serves as his scribe, to ensure the Colosseum is inaugurated on time - and that Marcus makes his way out of the darkness that calls to him.
Can a motely crew comprising a retired centurion, slaves, a prostitute and an ex Vestal Virgin pull off the greatest gladiatorial Games ever seen? Or will they fail and find themselves in the arena as punishment? Time is running out to deliver an unforgettable spectacle.
From the Ashes is the first, fast-paced novel in the gripping new Colosseum series. Follow the quick-witted and fiercely loyal backstage team of the Colosseum through the devastation of Pompeii, plague and fire. This is historical fiction at its most captivating: both action-packed and tender.
We meet Althea as she gasps at the vulgar images, in a newly redecorated triclinium, as her master Lucius prepares to host an important banquet. Lucius is a wealthy import-exporter from the equestrian class. The forthcoming banquet which is staged as a debauched orgy is "an ingratiating attempt to be part of a class he knows secretly look down on him".
Althea is an intelligent, educated woman. She is also a slave, and has to endure everything that her lowly status entails. Her brains are her asset to be displayed, as an object of curiosity.
"He likes to boast that I'm Greek and can read and write better than his wife... He likes having an educated slave, most of his household's aren't, you see. So, he makes a fuss as though I'm some sort of expensive trinket. It annoys the mistress..."
Lucius is delighted with the banquet. He has a cunning plan of inviting Marcus, the organiser of the Games in Pompeii, to be his man in Rome and become an official manager of the gladiatorial Games in Rome, when the Colosseum is going to be open. There is no time to lose, as the stadium will be ready to welcome its first guests in less than a year.
Marcus agrees.
And at the snap of her master's fingers, Althea's fate changes. She is given as gift to Marcus without any warning. Althea is hesitant, she doesn't know what to expect from her new master.
Marcus dreams of restoring his family fortunes and buying back a farm that used to belong to his grandfather. He believes he will be a happy farmer. But for now he is working with "the best team a man could wish for, all of them mad, all of them fiercely loyal..."
Marcus might not want to do his current job forever, but he is also quietly proud of what he is doing. "It turned out I was good at it. I kept the peace in the audience, I put on shows everyone remembered. I find ways to manage things that I think are right. Mostly".
He expects a total loyalty from Althea as well, promising that he will set her free, once the hundred days of the inaugural Games are over.
And then the tragedy strikes. While Marcus and Althea get to Rome, the eruption of Vesuvius buries Pompeii under a thick layer of ash.
How do you re-build your lives from the ashes, when those that you love have perished? Marcus loses everything, and the darkness calls to him.
Althea has to convince him that life is still worth living. Clever, resourceful and ingenius, she swears to stand by his side and keep him safe.
From the Ashes is a character-driven historical novel. Both Althea and Marcus are strong protagonists, who show depth and willingness to fight for what matters.
This is not the first book by Melissa Addey that I've read. The Consorts and The Fragrant Concubine are set in a different culture and historical period, but they have something in common with From the Ashes. There is a recurring theme of a woman's role in the patriarchal world. In these female character-centred stories, the main protagonists find themselves in a position of total subjugation (a slave, a concubine) but rather than staying helpless and passive, they try to find some semblance of dignity in the most undignified situation.
From the Ashes is a captivating historical narrative.
Powerful and evocative, it portrays the horror of the Pompeii disaster in a sympathetic tone. Almost two thousand years of history in between don't stop you feeling the pain and devastation of the survivors.
When Marcus and Althea arrive back to Pompeii buried under the metres of ash, you can feel their panic and desolation. "This is Hades. This is the land of the dead. Everywhere is grey and black. There is no other colour. I shake my head, blink my eyes, for they seem to have lost the ability to see colour. But there is no colour. The sky is grey. The broken mountain is grey and black. The whole of the land beneath the sky, no matter where I turn, is grey...".
Addey does a great job of recreating ancient Rome, its decadence and opulence, and the challenges of spectacular Inaugural games of the Colosseum
Don't miss an unforgettable journey into the extravaganza and grandeur of ancient Rome.
This post is part of the blog tour for From the Ashes.
Many thanks to Melissa Addey, Letterpress Publishing and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!
Trailer Link -
Purchase Link
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashes-Colosseum-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08W1TJWXH
https://www.amazon.com/ashes-colosseum-book-1-ebook/dp/B08W1TJWXH
Author Bio –
Melissa Addey writes historical fiction set in Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco and 18th century China. She is a fulltime self-published author and runs workshops for authors wanting to be entrepreneurial. Her books have been selected for Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society and won the inaugural Novel London award. She has been the Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library, has a PhD in Creative Writing and works with the Alliance of Independent Authors on their campaigns.
If you’d like to try her writing, visit www.melissaaddey.com to pick up a free novella, The Cup.
Social Media Links –
www.melissaaddey.com where readers can get a free novella that starts another series (medieval Morocco).
https://www.facebook.com/MelissaAddeyAuthor
https://twitter.com/MelissaAddey
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/melissaaddey/
No comments:
Post a Comment