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Master and God

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Master and God

By: Lindsey Davis
Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble
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Summary

 AD81. The Roman Emperor Domitian seizes power. Afflicted by classic paranoia, the self-styled Master and God sees enemies everywhere - and he is right. The Senate loathes him, his advisers are terrified, he cannot trust his wife and barbarians menace the frontiers. As he vents his suspicions, no one is safe...

Gaius Vinius Clodianus survives physical and mental scars to reach high rank in the Praetorian Guard. Flavia Lucilla tends the privileged women at court; when Domitian's inherited talent unravels into madness, she loses her patron cruelly. In the haven of their shared apartment, Gaius and Lucilla find solace together, yearning for normality while living in a Reign of Terror.

Moves against Domitian are begun by his own household. Lucilla has to watch Gaius choose between love for her and risking death; between his sworn duty to protect the Emperor and killing Domitian for the good of Rome.

The plot careers close to exposure. Rome teeters on the brink of its Golden Age. A group of unlikely conspirators must now act with decency and courage, whatever the personal cost.

Master and God is the epic story of a despot whose contemporaries wrote him out of history. Told in Lindsey Davis' sardonic style, it is an intimate portrait of resilience, friendship and love.

(P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton©2012 Lindsey Davis Fiction Historical Fiction Witty Resilience Rome
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Critic reviews

Praise for MASTER AND GOD:

'The narrative is rapid and the story well told with much sharp-edged detail. You can open this book and step right into a convincing yet extraordinary past.'
Praise for Lindsey Davis
'Lindsey Davis ... brings her locations alive with the roar of cannon, the ache of hunger and the smell of fear'
'A fantastic historical whodunit'
'Davis is adept at convincing us that her hero's anachronistically modern sensibility sits persuasively in ancient Rome'
'The plot is well-paced, with clever twists to keep the reader guessing'
'The fans' expectations are higher than ever and are unlikely to be disappointed'
'Elegant and intelligent'
'As gripping and enjoyable as usual'
All stars
Most relevant
I always love Ms.Davis books whether its Falco or Civil War (which I really admired). Although I warmed to the characters I was disappointed in the title as it had little to do with Domitian overall. And what was the fly chapter all about?
But thats only a small grumble. I really liked the dual narration - it worked well for me.

vintage Lindsey Davis

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I loved the story, which was interwoven with historical accuracy.

Loved the characters and the fact that there were two narrators.I think audible should do this more often! Thoroughly enjoyable !

Superb!

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Think "I Claudius" merged with "Much Ado About Nothing", mix it with Davis's excellent writing style and sprinkle with the reality of historic first century Rome and you will be some way to appreciating what a superb novel this is.

The basis of this novel, as the title suggests, is the reign of Domitian, not one of Rome's better emperors. It opens in the aftermath of the eruption of Vesuvius and takes us on a journey of almost twenty years. In Davis's usual way, real historical characters are entwined with those of her rather idiosyncratic imagination. The main protagonists are neither hero nor anti-hero, but beautifully crafted flawed human beings doing their best to get by in a Rome in the grip of an increasingly insane emperor.

The use of two narrators, which can sometimes grate on the ear, works extremely well and the delivery adds depth to the characters.

This novel will be an instant hit with those who are already fans of Davis's books. For anybody who has not yet come across her work, I would seriously suggest that they give this novel a chance. I can guarantee that nobody will regret their choice and will come back to this book again and again.

Simply Superb

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This was a very interesting and unusual way of telling the history of the Roman Emperor Domitian. I enjoyed it very much.

Interesting

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Such a great tale filled with detail on aspects of daily Roman life . She brings history alive .

As always - fabulous .

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