The seven wonders : a novel of the ancient world / Steven Saylor.
Material type: TextSeries: Roma Sub Rosa ; Prequel. | Saylor, Steven, Roma sub rosa ; Prequel.Publisher: New York : Minotaur Books, 2012Edition: First editionDescription: 321 pages : map ; 24 cmContent type:- text
- unmediated
- volume
- 0312359845
- 9780312359843
- 813/.54 23
- PS3569.A96 S48 2012
Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book | Bedford Public Library Mystery | Fiction | F SAY | Available | 32500005277653 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The year is 92 B.C. Gordianus has just turned eighteen and is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a far-flung journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World. Gordianus is not yet called "the Finder"--but at each of the Seven Wonders, the wide-eyed young Roman encounters a mystery to challenge the powers of deduction.
Accompanying Gordianus on his travels is his tutor, Antipater of Sidon, the world's most celebrated poet. But there is more to the apparently harmless old poet than meets the eye. Before they leave home, Antipater fakes his own death and travels under an assumed identity. Looming in the background are the first rumblings of a political upheaval that will shake the entire Roman world.
Teacher and pupil journey to the fabled cities of Greece and Asia Minor, and then to Babylon and Egypt. They attend the Olympic Games, take part in exotic festivals, and marvel at the most spectacular constructions ever devised by mankind. Along the way they encounter murder, witchcraft and ghostly hauntings. Traveling the world for the first time, Gordianus discovers that amorous exploration goes hand-in-hand with crime-solving. The mysteries of love are the true wonders of the world, and atthe end of the journey, an Eighth Wonder awaits him in Alexandria. Her name is Bethesda.
Prequel to: Roman blood.
Includes bibliographical references (pages [313]-321).
The year is 92 B.C. Gordianus has just turned eighteen and is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a far-flung journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World. Gordianus is not yet called "the Finder"--but at each of the Seven Wonders, the wide-eyed young Roman encounters a mystery to challenge the powers of deduction. Accompanying Gordianus on his travels is his tutor, Antipater of Sidon, the world's most celebrated poet. But there is more to the apparently harmless old poet than meets the eye. Before they leave home, Antipater fakes his own death and travels under an assumed identity. Looming in the background are the first rumblings of a political upheaval that will shake the entire Roman world. Teacher and pupil journey to the fabled cities of Greece and Asia Minor, and then to Babylon and Egypt. They attend the Olympic Games, take part in exotic festivals, and marvel at the most spectacular constructions ever devised by mankind. Along the way they encounter murder, witchcraft and ghostly hauntings. Traveling the world for the first time, Gordianus discovers that amorous exploration goes hand-in-hand with crime-solving. The mysteries of love are the true wonders of the world, and at the end of the journey, an Eighth Wonder awaits him in Alexandria. Her name is Bethesda.
Excerpt provided by Syndetics
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Publishers Weekly Review
Saylor's lucky 13th entry in his Roma Sub Rosa series (after 2008's The Triumph of Caesar) takes Gordianus the Finder on a tour of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. In 92 B.C.E., the Greek poet Antipater has, for obscure reasons, chosen to fake his death and leave Rome, accompanied by Gordianus, his 18-year-old student. At every stop around the eastern Mediterranean, from the temple of Diana in Ephesus to the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria, Gordianus has a tricky puzzle to solve. With his insight and attention to detail, Gordianus is able to find the truth in each case before his elders. This prequel marks the start of his successful career as a detective, chronicled in the 12 previous books. As always, Saylor excels at bringing the past alive, in particular by incorporating the political issues of the day into the action. A closing author's note surveys the many and often conflicting sources of information for the Seven Wonders. Agent: Alan Nevins, Renaissance Literary and Talent. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.Booklist Review
*Starred Review* If ever a time was awash in plots and counterplots, it was ancient Rome. Historical-mystery writer Saylor has taken this turbulent era (concentrating on the first century BCE) and found a way to make it vivid without dumbing it down. His focus is on one fictional character, Gordianus the Finder, whose skill at recovering items and uncovering plots makes him a natural consultant to senators and consuls, even to prime movers like Caesar and Cicero. The 12 novels in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series span the decades of civil unrest leading to the Republic, from about 80 BCE (with his first novel, Roman Blood, 1991) to 46 BCE (The Triumph of Caesar, 2008). His latest is a prequel to the series, offering a way of explaining how Gordianus came by his skills and a way of giving readers a tour through the Seven Wonders of the World. It's 92 BCE, and Gordianus, 18 years old, is about to set off on the ancient version of the Grand Tour. He's accompanied by his tutor, the poet Antipater of Sidon, who stages his own death and funeral. That's the first mystery.The duo encounters more mysteries at every stage, including murder and human sacrifice. By having a hero who freely explores palaces, baths, brothels, and temples in his search for answers, Saylor has found a marvelous way to bring Roman history and mores alive. This is an excellent entryway to ancient Rome.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 BooklistAuthor notes provided by Syndetics
Steven Saylor (born March 23, 1956) is an American author of historical novels. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and Classics. Although he also has written novels about Texas history, Saylor's best-known work is his Roma Sub Rosa series, set in ancient Rome. The novels' hero is a detective named Gordianus the Finder, active during the time of Sulla, Cicero, Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra.He divides his time residing in California and texas. (Bowker Author Biography)