Since there are no other eligible candidates, Brinnaria agrees, albeit unwillingly, to serve as a Vestal Virgin for the next 30 years and the novel is the story of her time in office.

The author doesn't seem to have quite got the hang of writing historical fiction and often addresses the reader directly to explain social and cultural matters by comparison to early 20th century equivalents. This bumps the reader out of the story quite a bit.

The romantic element is also rather disconcerting. Brinnaria is 9 when the story opens but is apparently mature enough mentally and physically to pass for 18 and she already has a love interest, Almo, who agrees to wait for her which he does but not very patiently. Quite honestly, in the end the ordeal by sieve seems the most natural and reasonable incident in the book.

Having said, all that if one can suspend belief enough, the book is actually very readable and enjoyable. I'm not sure how many stars to give it as complete nonsense but an enjoyable read. ( )

What a wonderful story, and to think it has been on my TBR for well over 12+ years! I was really tired of everything modern I've been reading, so I chose something different.

Brinnaria, is her father's favorite child. She intelligent, articulate, impetuous, & high spirited beyond her 10 years of age. In the first chapter her father begins his talk to her of marriage and she acknowledges him with the response that she plans on marrying her best friend Almo, upon which her father informs her that she will marry her nemesis, Calavaster.

When Brinnaria refuses, her father takes her to the Temple of Vesta and petitions for her acceptance. As there are only ever six Vestal Priestesses at any given time and for her to be accepted one must either die or leave after her time served, Brinnaria is comforted, but not for long... as one of the six immediately dies leaving an opening & space for Brinnaria.

As time progresses, Brinnaria becomes friends w/ Emperor Aurelius.. She often acts out, thus causing consternation throughout Rome, but she is always able to defend herself w/ her complete knowledge of Roman law & Vestal regulations.

Her love for Almo undergoes many a test and Calavaster spends no small amount of time attempting to undermine her and her position.

This book was well written and definitely held my interest. The Vestals had more freedom than any other woman and most everyone else in Rome save the Emperor, and we learn quite a bit of their duties and manner of life.

I am taking off 1/5 ★ due to the fact that the ending was a bit overdone. ( )

I found this novel – set in Rome from the 160s to the 180s – good in some parts yet tedious in at other times. The first chapter proved amusing and entertaining, engaging me immediately, but the second chapter bored me senseless. This up-down pattern continued from here onwards and the further into the story I delved, the more often I began to skip paragraphs.

I liked Brinnaria – the main character – and found her offbeat nature appealing. She starts off as a nine-year-old yet is described as looking like and behaving like an eighteen-year-old, including sitting on her boyfriend’s lap, giving him ‘loud’ kisses, which I found somewhat uncomfortable reading, as no matter how old she appears to be she’s still only nine.

Brinnaria declares she’d hate to become a Vestal, as it would mean giving up Almo – the love of her life – for 30 years, such is the time a Vestal virgin must live-out her service. The narrative covers this extensive period, skipping along a few years every so often, finishing when Brinnaria is 40.

The ending is clever in that the author creates a scene in which the reader can’t be sure if Brinnaria will perish when her new life is just beginning or whether she’ll emerge a true heroine. ( )

Story of a fashionable young woman of Rome made a Vestal for wanting to marry the wrong man (in her father's opinion). It is written with conversations in "modern" slang of the time it was published, which is rather dated now.