Date published July 2008
ISBN
Genre
Hardcover
Reviewed by Penny
The year is 83 A.D. Arcturus, a doctor who is half-native and half-Roman finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery that can have explosive and far reaching consequences depending on who gets convicted for it and who the actual culprit is. The Emperor Domitian has sent a message to the governor of Britannia, Agricola; a written message that could be devastating, but has disappeared upon the death of its bearer. Can Arcturus discover what the message is and who killed the spy/messenger before all hell breaks loose between the natives and the Romans?
Upon reading the blurb on the back of my advanced reading copy of NOX DORMIENDA, I seriously didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. Kelli Stanley has given this reviewer a delightful surprise! The story grips the reader from the very first, once you are able to get the cast of characters straight in your mind. This, I must admit, was a formidable task! Perhaps hindered by the strange, yet most probably authentic names said characters.
Our hero has been penned with his faults, but yet he is perfect; a caring man who wants to see justice done with out any undue consequences to the innocent…and not so innocent alike.
What sets this book a step above many others is that it keeps the reader guessing and is fast paced enough to never incite boredom. Ms Stanley must have done a great deal of research in order to make this book so believable and realistic, at least to my untrained and non-historic savvy eye. Written in the first person, readers will follow Arcturus, as he journeys into some unsavoury and scary places in his quest.
Don’t miss out on this one! It promises to be a hit and come as a surprise to you as well as it did to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment