Books

This book is definitely more enjoyable than the previous one (Fortune's Favorites) probably because the plot is more streamlined and well paced. The focus of the narrative is more on political intrigue rather than military campaigns, making it more interesting than previous books, in my opinion. Caesar comes across as ferociously intelligent, highly capable, self - centred, manipulative, unscrupulous and ruthless, but makes for interesting reading. Cicero's section in the first half was immensely enjoyable, especially how he tried to root out the Catilina conspiracy. However, flirting with the boni (the ultraconservatives, i. e., Caesar's opponents) ultimately gets him in deep trouble. Looking forward to getting back to the Cicero Trilogy after finishing this series. Reading about the eccentric, relentless and bull headed Cato was very entertaining. He is totally immune to corruption, coercion, intimidation and probably slightly unstable. He would bull headedly advocate what he believed to be the right and would inevitably be outwitted by his more astute political opponents. Can't help but grudgingly admire the transparent directness of his intentions and motivations, especially when surrounded by his peers with shifting loyalties and hidden agendas. In the latter half of the book he becomes the leader of the boni. Politically, his biggest drawback is his lack of vision and political acumen when pitted against Caesar. However, the whole boni vs Caesar does get annoying after a while. The constant boni assault also changes Ceasar over the course of the book, making him less easygoing, intolerant and more autocratic. Servilia is as monstrous as ever. At one point, I actually felt sorry for her, something I didn't think was possible. Clodius (and Fulvia) are detestable and absolutely loathsome. Clodius is definitely unstable. Compared to him even Cato comes out to be highly sane and stable. I shudder to think what shenanigans he'll be up to next!