A Mist of Prophecies

A Mist of Prophecies, by Steven Saylor, tells the story of "Cassandra," a beggar woman called by that name because she is given to odd fits in which she foretells the future. All the best women in Rome want to consult her, especially since their various husbands and lovers are either fighting in the Civil War between Pompey and Julius Caesar or are stirring up trouble in the city itself; nobody knows what the outcome might be of so much chaos. When Cassandra appears suddenly in the marketplace, foaming and crying and ultimately dying of poisoning in the arms of Gordianus the Finder, he is compelled to find out what happened, which means he must start to investigate some of the most powerful women Rome has ever seen.... This is the ninth show more book in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, all of which feature Gordianus as the main character, a sort-of detective living in ancient Rome and making his way by using his curiosity and intelligence to uncover the truths that others might want to remain buried. What is especially intriguing about this entry in the always-interesting series is how much it focuses on the women of the upper classes, a group about which historians really know next to nothing as the ancient Romans themselves didn't consider women to be important enough to be written about. This gives Saylor much leeway in his depictions of these women, but as he's a scholarly soul as well as a novelist, I think his ideas about their lives are probably quite sound. Indeed, one of my pleasures in reading this series is his end-notes, in which Saylor lays out his research for all the world as if it's a history text, not a novel, that we're reading - and yet, each book works well as a novel too, with compelling and fascinating individuals and real-life complications and problems. Highly recommended! show less

A beggar woman reputed to have a gift of prophecy collapses and dies in the forum at Gordianus's feet. Her last words were "She's poisoned me." Gordianus gives her a funeral and to his surprise some of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most notorious women in Rome come to witness the cremation. Was one of them the poisoner?

Interesting premise but disappointing execution. Lots of repeated material about the suspects and their backgrounds.

It was nice to return to my favourite Roman characters after 18 months since I read Last Seen in Massilia. There were a lot of static scenes in this one and jumping back and forth in time and I found that while a good page turner as ever, it didn't absorb my interest quite as much as some of its predecessors. But a somewhat less good Saylor whodunnit is still better than many others of its genre. And another adoptee into the family at the end!

This is a later book in a series, and the review may contain spoilers for earlier books.

In some ways, this book is the best of the later Roma Sub Rosa books. The story is compelling, and the device of following the two seperate timelines until they meet near the end of the book is effective. However, it contains some rather sloppy repetitions, as well. I am not referring to the multiple accounts of Cassandra's death: those heighten suspense. However, Gordianus repeatedly gives background information on his family that is useful to be given in each book, so that in case somebody reads the series out of order he won't be lost, but which does not need to be repeated in the same book. He also explains one too many times that he did not know show more what Rupa's relationship to Cassandra was until after her death. And on the subject of Cassandra, although she is the center of the plot and Saylor is to be commended for finding a way for a hero who has been devoted to his family for the whole series have an affair without damaging him in the eyes of the reader, but the beautiful young woman hopping into the sack with the aging detective with little prelude and no explanation is far too remeniscient of the Mickey Spillane model, minus the description Garrison Keillor parodies so well ("She was wearing a brown UPS uniform, and what a parcel she was"). In hard-boiled detective fiction, properly over-the-top prose can make this entertaining, but in Roma Sub Rosa, it is out of place. show less

I skipped a few books from this series since it seemed to be dragging just a bit, and that may have done the trick. This seems like the old Gordanius stories I remember...but with a undercurrent of melancholy. I'll definitely be going to the library to read #10 to see if Bathsheba gets well.

A unique Gordianus novel, told alternately in the present (when Rome is waiting to hear news of the final battle between Caesar & Pompey) and in flashback to the previous few months during Gordianus' interactions with a supposed prophetess, Cassandra. Good to see Gordianus doing investigative work again, and Saylor also gives us a look at many famous Roman matrons and their behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings.

To my mind, this is the best of the series. Good story and interesting meditation on love, fidelity, and age. There's been evidence in the more recent books in the series that the spark has been lost. This book really has the feel of last hurrah and Saylor probably ought to move on beyond Gordianus now. I look forward to what comes next.