Brides of Rome: A Novel of the Vestal Virgins
Book One in The Vesta Shadows Trilogy
Their world is one of power and privilege, secrets and sacred duty.
It is the world of ancient Rome. And it is the esteemed Vestal Virgins -- priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the home and hearth -- who protect the Eternal Flame that protects the Eternal City.
Dedicated to a thirty-year vow of chaste service, Priestess Pomponia finds herself swept up in the intrigue, violence, wars, and bedroom politics of Rome's elite -- Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian and his maneuvering wife, Livia -- all the while guarding the secret affection she has in her heart.
But when a charge of incestum -- a broken vow of chastity -- is made against the Vestal order, the ultimate punishment looms: death by being buried alive in the ''Evil Field.''
In Brides of Rome, Book One in the Vesta Shadows series, Debra May Macleod skillfully re-creates the world of ancient Rome with all its brutality and brilliance, all its rich history and even richer legend. A true page-turner that is as smart as it is compelling, this must-read novel brings the Vestal order to life like never before.
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Praise for Brides of Rome:
“A riveting imagined world ripped right from the pages of history, this smart repartee captivates in every way. It’s atmospheric and tense, allowing the reader to easily conjure up what it must have been like to be a Roman Vestal virgin. Well done.”
— Steve Berry, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Warsaw Protocol
“A fascinating look inside the lives of the enigmatic Vestal Virgins of Rome, who tended the sacred flame of Vesta in her temple in the Forum. But they were at the heart of Roman politics as well, true ‘brides of Rome” who had a ringside seat in events of Roman history, and had a hand in them as well. Macleod lets us enter their forbidden and mysterious lives in a page turning story of the birth of the Roman empire, watching all the big names—Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Livia, Augustus—from an angle never seen before.”
— Margaret George, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Confessions of Young Nero
“In an age of murderous warlords and ruthless politicians (often indistinguishable from one another) the seemingly benign Vestals could hold the balance of power. Debra May Macleod has written a fascinating mystery set within the relentlessly masculine world of Roman power politics, but seen through the lens of a unique, all-female institution. The Vestals did not just tend Rome's sacred flame. They guarded Rome's secrets.”
— John Maddox Roberts, author of the Edgar-nominated SPQR Roman Mystery series
“The world of the Vestal Virgins, the revered priestess sorority of ancient Rome, is at the center of BRIDES OF ROME, the first volume in Debra May Macleod’s The Vesta Shadows series, in which veteran thirty-year Vestal Pomponia has an up-close vantage point for the most tumultuous political upheavals in the city’s history. The wars of Marius, Sulla, and Julius Caesar, the power-struggles of the triumvirs, the battles between political climber Octavian and his military rivals Antony and Cleopatra.
“While Pomponia is navigating these treacherous currents, Macleod gives readers a very rich picture of what the day-to-day life of the Vestal Virgins was like, the institutional life of the order, with older priestesses recalling sisters and scandals long since gone. Pomponia herself harbors secrets that threaten to become scandals as the book’s lean, fast-paced plot advances. This is very intelligent and well-researched Roman historical fiction, populated with very strong female lead characters (including a scene-stealing rendition of Livia, the strong-willed wife of Octavian). A fine start to a promising series.”
— The Historical Novel Society
Other books in The Vesta Shadows Trilogy
About the trilogy:
The Vesta Shadows trilogy spans decades, from 45 BCE to 14 CE. It follows the life of the Vestal priestess Pomponia Occia, who is inspired by the real Vestal Occia who lived during this time, serving in the Temple of Vesta for more than fifty years. Set during the tumultuous years that saw the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire under Augustus - and beyond - it dramatizes some of the major historical events that occurred during her lifetime while simultaneously bringing ancient Rome to life with fast-paced, engrossing and visceral storylines played out by a striking cast of characters.