Review: SPQR X: A Point of Law

SPQR X: A Point of Law by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is one of J.M. Roberts' best. A perfect blend of history, mystery and comedy — five days after reading it and I am still grinning at the book's most comic scenes.

A Point of Law is a lesson on Roman courts: how Ancient Romans dealt with legal issues such as complaints, juries, arrests, investigations and, well, the law in general. As usual, J.M. Roberts made his characters so endearing to the reader that even "killjoy" Marcus Porcius Cato seemed so lovable. Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger and the gang make you feel like they are your old friends, and whenever I put down another book (especially this one!) in this series, I feel really sad. If that's not amazing (as in deserving of five stars), I don't know what is. For me, a great book (regardless of its place in whatever critic or bestseller list) leaves you laughing/crying/heartbroken/mad/ecstatic for days after you've finished reading the last page.

SPQR X: A Point of Law is a WORTHY book in MY book :)





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Review: SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates

SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



With The Princess and the Pirates, the reader hits the ground running: the protagonist's archenemy is dead, one of his best friends exiled, his family's power fading. But these issues weren't really tackled in this book; instead they served as a backdrop to Decius' adventures in Cyprus.

Somehow, I could not reconcile the image of Decius as a pirate-hunter with Decius the politician or even Decius the soldier. But I guess well-born Romans were really trained to be all-around "servants" of the Senate and the People. Cleopatra in this book did not really dazzle, and I think the eventual development of her character (in this book) did not do the very interesting intro justice. Still liked the book though, and it's better than the last one for me.



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Review: SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance

SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not as enthusiastic with SPQR VIII as I was with the previous installments in this series (e.g. Nobody Loves a Centurion). Maybe because I did not care too much for the topic/theme explored (Roman politics is too much like Philippine politics—nothing new about the extent of Roman corruption for me). However, I still liked it, and there were still a lot of shining moments for Decius. Plus, I wouldn't recommend skipping even one book in this series.

Again, the Kindle version of this book leaves MUCH to be desired. Too many typos, and most of them were "repeats" (e.g. flood, which was repeatedly mentioned in this book, spelled ?ood; floor was ?oor). Improvements, please.



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Review: Pearl in the Sand: A Novel

Pearl in the Sand: A Novel by Tessa Afshar

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Unlike some Christian Fiction books I've read, Pearl in the Sand does not go preachy on the reader. Maybe because it is set in the Old Testament, it focuses more on other aspects of Israelite culture and life — especially the nomadic, post-Egypt/pre-Canaan part of their history.

I learned a lot from the book: how God was portrayed in the Old Testament (conditional and sacrifice/ritual-requiring) vs. how He is portrayed in the New Testament (loving, unconditional); how prostitutes were classified (temple prostitutes vs the zonahs or the "garden-variety" prostitutes) in the olden times; and how the Israelites were actually fierce warriors, as opposed to their general reputation as obedient, God-fearing desert nomads.

This book is primarily a love story between Canaanite zonah Rahab and Israelite warrior leader Salmone. However, Pearl in the Sand is also a special book for "the broken" — abused kids, etc. ("He believes the past remains the past. It becomes God's domain. He also said, 'Our job is to rescue the present from its rotting carcass.' — p.124).

For Christians, this book has special meaning as written in the author's foreword: "Rahab's destiny is revealed in one third of a verse in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. These simple words reveal Rahab's amazing destiny: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab (Matthew 1:5)."

The author further pointed out that Jesus Himself counted Rahab, a Canaanite harlot, as one of his ancestors. Amazing indeed.



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Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



At the surface, this book may seem to have shades of Hunger Games and A Song of Ice and Fire—Exhibit A: Graceling's heroine Katsa's name sounds like a combination of Hunger Games' Katniss and A Song of Ice and Fire's Sansa. Katsa, like Katniss, is gifted with superior fighting skills (albeit in a more "fantastical" manner), and her story is set in a medieval fantasy world such as that described in the books of George R.R. Martin.

However, the comparison should stop there. Graceling is a class all of its own—the author does not waste any of her words; each word has its place in each mesmerizing sentence in each breathtaking chapter (going overboard with the adjectives here, but what the heck). The descriptions are so vivid—you can picture the seven kingdoms' hills, the seas, the castles, and the beautiful, mismatched eyes of the Graced like they were right in front of you. I have not really been a fan of the fantasy genre in the past, but this book made me reconsider this.

The characters were so well-developed, and nothing in Graceling was predictable and boring. I felt real terror when the book's main antagonist, who did not really materialize frequently in the book, suddenly appeared in one of the later chapters. That's how good Kristin Cashore is: her writing has that rare ability of making your heart pound when you encounter a sinister character who does not even show himself too much in the story. Great storytelling. Great writing.



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Review: The Tribune's Curse

The Tribune's Curse by John Maddox Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Another absorbing read from John Maddox Roberts. I like how he focuses on different aspects of Ancient Roman life and relives them enthusiastically for the modern reader. There were just some scenes in this book which I felt could use a "fresher" treatment (like Decius getting jumped at near his home: a scene that can be read in almost every book in this series). Otherwise, good job JMR. As always.



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