Reviews

A first part of the book I thoroughly enjoyed but to be honest the second part just pulled me out of it and I just had to trudge through it to just finish the book. Overall the ending was interesting as we enter the final chapter of Cicero's life but it will be some time before I pick the 3rd and final book in this trilogy to read.

jgcully's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nebulous_tide's review against another edition

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Whereas the first of this trilogy, Imperium, had me in stitches at the outrageous antics of Cicero and the senate, Lustrum had an altogether more serious aura. Not sure how to rate this one. I loved it. It was so well-written and there was the thread of Cicero’s oratorial greatness woven throughout. But at the same time, horrifying. Expect betrayal, backstabbing and deeply flawed characters. It’s a marvel any government survives the lure of power.

Regardless, I am very much looking forward to reading the concluding book, Dictator.

clonimhuiri's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

This is the second book in Harris’s Cicero Trilogy, set in Ancient Rome and written from the perspective of Marcus Tullius Cicero’s longtime secretary Tiro. I read the first instalment (Imperium) as a teenager, and the third (Dictator) several years later, so I decided to finally catch up and I’m very glad I did, as this was a great read!

Despite being set over two thousand years ago, Lustrum feels just as real as any modern-day political thriller. It is based largely on real events that took place during Cicero’s career and the reader will recognise the names of many key Roman leaders from that time. It can’t be easy to bring figures like these to life on the page, but they are well fleshed-out as characters with their own idiosyncrasies and feel entirely believable.

It’s been a long time since I read the other two books in this trilogy, but Lustrum would still hold up as a standalone novel even if you’d never read Imperium. That being said, the Cicero trilogy is excellent historical fiction - among Harris’s best work - and if you enjoy one, you won’t regret picking up the rest of the series. It might be time for a reread for me!

ruruari's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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