Member Review
Review by
Jen R, Reviewer
The House With The Golden Door - Elodie Harper
AD 75
We return to Pompeii and the life of Amara. She is now a freedwoman, free of the brothel and the danger that life brings. She has to adjust to her new life, all paid for by her patron. Yet, she cannot forget her old friends at the brothel and contrives to buy them their freedom. Putting herself back in the debt and path of her old master, she craves revenge and has to become as ruthless as he to keep her freedom. Can she keep her place in her patron’s affections even as she falls in love, risking everything to be free?
I am so thrilled to be back in living breathing Pompeii! Elodie Harper has recreated a world we only see in pictures and stone, scenes so vivid, you could climb into the pages and walk alongside Amara.
Initially it felt slower moving than The Wolf Den, but I felt we got to know these characters more deeply for it and I was pleased that Dear Old Pliny made an appearance too!
It is a captivating, moving story and tells a tale of female survival, bravery and friendship. It is unflinching in the depiction of these women’s lives, at times making my heart beat faster, I could feel these women’s fear lift from the page, having to live on their wits. I was left wondering if Amara would survive. Although I am always rooting for Amara, I found a new affection for Britannica, the feisty Iceni warrior, she is a brilliant character and I loved watching these two women’s relationship deepen and develop.
I constantly felt like I was learning from this book, at the same time as being entertained. The research that has gone into this is clear to the reader and I am desparate to make a trip to Pompeii to see this place for myself the inscriptions that head each chapter and to walk in Amara’s footsteps.
This is a beautifully woven tale of strong, vibrant women. A tale of love and survival, brutal at times with betrayal and dark secrets but their courage and bravery shine through.
Inevitably my mind turned towards that dreaded date of AD79 and how will this series end for Amara? Having to wait will not be easy!
✩✩✩✩✰
AD 75
We return to Pompeii and the life of Amara. She is now a freedwoman, free of the brothel and the danger that life brings. She has to adjust to her new life, all paid for by her patron. Yet, she cannot forget her old friends at the brothel and contrives to buy them their freedom. Putting herself back in the debt and path of her old master, she craves revenge and has to become as ruthless as he to keep her freedom. Can she keep her place in her patron’s affections even as she falls in love, risking everything to be free?
I am so thrilled to be back in living breathing Pompeii! Elodie Harper has recreated a world we only see in pictures and stone, scenes so vivid, you could climb into the pages and walk alongside Amara.
Initially it felt slower moving than The Wolf Den, but I felt we got to know these characters more deeply for it and I was pleased that Dear Old Pliny made an appearance too!
It is a captivating, moving story and tells a tale of female survival, bravery and friendship. It is unflinching in the depiction of these women’s lives, at times making my heart beat faster, I could feel these women’s fear lift from the page, having to live on their wits. I was left wondering if Amara would survive. Although I am always rooting for Amara, I found a new affection for Britannica, the feisty Iceni warrior, she is a brilliant character and I loved watching these two women’s relationship deepen and develop.
I constantly felt like I was learning from this book, at the same time as being entertained. The research that has gone into this is clear to the reader and I am desparate to make a trip to Pompeii to see this place for myself the inscriptions that head each chapter and to walk in Amara’s footsteps.
This is a beautifully woven tale of strong, vibrant women. A tale of love and survival, brutal at times with betrayal and dark secrets but their courage and bravery shine through.
Inevitably my mind turned towards that dreaded date of AD79 and how will this series end for Amara? Having to wait will not be easy!
✩✩✩✩✰
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