Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Daughters of Rome
    Daughters of Rome
    Daughters of Rome
    Audiobook13 hours

    Daughters of Rome

    Written by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A.D. 69. The Roman Empire is up for the taking. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything-especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome.

    Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister Marcella is more aloof, content to witness history rather than make it. But when a bloody coup turns their world upside-down, both women must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor . . . and one Empress.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 3, 2015
    ISBN9781494579012
    Daughters of Rome
    Author

    Kate Quinn

    Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.

    More audiobooks from Kate Quinn

    Related to Daughters of Rome

    Titles in the series (4)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Wisdom of Women Shines in Najla Jraissaty Khoury’s ‘Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales’

      Oct 22, 2018

      Long, long ago These things happened or maybe no. Let’s start with the image on the cover. Three women sit in a courtyard. One holds a long-handled pan over a coal brazier; the other two, one of whom has her back to us, hold small cups. They wear ide

      7 min read

    • Article

      5 New Fantasy Novels Invigorate Old Tropes

      May 18, 2023

      Spell books, dragons, mermaids, fairies and a magic circus all take on new life in the pages of these five enchanting tales hitting shelves in May and June.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Jun 16, 2021

      Great Read
      4 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Jul 1, 2019

      Outside, the cold is a kingdomsitting for a portrait, preeningits pale blue snow on its black branches.Weeks ago my child began a storyOnce upon a time there wasa Queen Mama and a Princess Papa.They lived in a big monarchy on a hill.A monarchy is an

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Scarlet PEBBLE

      Feb 28, 2024

      The Scarlet PEBBLE
      9 min read

    • Article

      Magnets: Carried through time, lovers seek their purpose.

      Feb 6, 2014

      Moon Colony B, 2213 Former Ponzi-schemer Mary Pillar digs through a trashcan. It smells like rotten eggs and milk. She is elderly and homeless, living in an alley between two eco-efficient skyscrapers. Dust particles dance around her. She has lost ev

      11 min read

    • Article

      Yara And The Witch Queen

      Oct 1, 2019

      I knew the dangers of witchcraft. My parents had told me about the time before I was born, when magic plagued our desert kingdom of Bahati. Untrained witch doctors trying to cure warts ended up paralyzing their patients or turning them into crocodile

      10 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 22, 2022

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      La Otra Historia

      Jun 30, 2022

      La Otra Historia
      14 min read

    • Article

      Jack of Knives

      Jun 3, 2021

      WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four middle grade children’s novels published by Maverick (writing as Jenny Moore). Her latest book, The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb, is set during the same period as her winning story and also includes a scen

      6 min read

    • Article

      What Ray Charles Says

      Mar 1, 2024

      The nighttime is the right time to be with the one you love, says Ray,but according to Hamlet, it’s when “churchyards yawn and hell itselfbreathes out contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood,”says Hamlet, “and do such bitter business as

      2 min read

    • Article

      FOUR POEMS for Lucie Brock-Broido

      Jul 1, 2019

      Correspondence from Madam Rachel, Purveyor of Eternal Youth, to Mister Walter Potter, Anthropomorphic Dioramist, ca. 1880 Most Splendid Immortalist: Herewith you have a letter sent by my solicitor, writtenin my final leapt year, my sliver of pound ca

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Daughters of Rome

    4/5

    124 ratings15 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      The novel is great! I read it once before and liked it, but had forgotten the details so welcomed the retelling. My issue is with the reader. Her pronunciation of some of the Roman names is jarring. Otho she says as "Otto" and Vespasian she pronounces "vess-pass-see-an". The worst is Domitian, which she says as "dome-it-ee-an." If I hadn't read it before and known about the historical period featured I would have had no clue who she was talking about!
    • 5/5
      Sisters Cornelia and Marcella live in the era of great change in the Roman Enpire. Together with their two cousins they must use all their wits and skills to survive when a coup turns their world upside down.
    • 5/5
      This book should really be read before Mistress of Rome as it tells the back story of a lot of the characters. Absolutely phenomenal though, love the whole series.
    • 4/5
      Another excellent novel by Quinn. This time, we get the story of the four Cornelii women, including Marcella from the first novel. Steeped in the same scandal and violence and Roman escapades, this novel covers the Year of the Four Emperors, where being heir to the throne means nothing and armies mean everything. I really loved watching the four women change, although sometimes I felt frustrated when they had trouble seeing each other change. Each one handled the stressful situations in their own ways, and I actually hurt near the end when their lives were turned so completely upside down that they all suffered in different ways. I really love Quinn's style of writing, so I am off to read the third installment.
    • 4/5
      Moved very quickly through the year of the 4 emperors and felt a little contrived in place with some very unlikable characters but it is a good read and there is always a fun little interlude around the corner.
    • 5/5
      When I first started reading this, it was a little slow and I couldn't figure out how it was going to tie into the first book, but man was I pleasantly surprised! I think Kate Quinn is officially one of my new favorite authors.
    • 4/5
      Decent story, but I felt that following four women was a bit much. Never got a great chance to really know any of them. Diana was always a bit of a mystery, but maybe that was because I didn't identify with her? Marcella's plots...well I just didn't find them very believable. I also didn't enjoy going back and forth between their stories. I found I wanted to just keep following one or the other of them. I also think this book should be labeled as the first in the series. Going backwards in time from Mistress of Rome felt odd so I'd recommend anyone starting these to read that one first.After all my complaints, I felt the end was just, if a bit nicely rounded up.
    • 3/5
      This book was really not the type of book I normally read. I don't have a great interest in Ancient Rome, really. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it. I do have a few quibbles, though. The dialogue was very modern, which made it easy to read but it sometimes made me wonder. The biggest problem I had was the character of Diana. I could not stand her. She seemed so one-dimensional. Actually, she seemed mentally challenged. I almost put the book down because of her. Once I started skimming over the sections of the book that included her I was much happier. The author is a good storyteller and often I didn't want to put the book down. I would certainly read more books by this author!
    • 4/5
      This novel tells the story of the Year of the Four Emperors, seen through the eyes of four women of a patrician family, all named Cornelia but given nicknames here by the author to distinguish between them.I have to admit that it took me some time to get into this book: I was reminded of a Roman edition of a glossy celebrity magazine at first, giving us all the lowdown on the latest gossip and fashion. The characters come across as shallow and one-dimensional, the style of Quinn's writing irreverent and occasionally flippant. The novel appears well researched, but initially wears its historical detail heavily on its sleeve. The novel starts to really come into its own when a bloody coup sees Otho declare himself emperor; the mob scenes are terrific and terrifying and quite violent. Where Kate Quinn excels in my opinion is the depiction of the political backstabbing and opportunism, the whispering campaigns, and the changing of loyalties in a trice when it most suited, often only implied, and I found the device of Lollia's marriages always reflecting the changing political climate very effective. I was glad to see some satisfactory character progression after a wobbly start, and I really came to care about them, even though I found the love stories just a tad contrived.If you're interested in this time period, you will find this a worthwhile account of a turbulent time in Rome's history.
    • 5/5
      Kate Quinn once again weaves a beautiful and stunning tale of Ancient Rome. The family Cornelii has four beautiful girls, Cornelia Prima, the only one to escape a nickname; Cornelia Secunda, Cornelia's sister who is known as Marcella; Cornelia Tertia, a rich heiress who is cousin to the first two and is known as Lollia and Cornelia Quarta, the horse crazy cousin who is nicknamed Diana. The four girls are close and loving, but each girl is very different. Cornelia is married to Piso, who is soon to be named Emperor Galba's heir. Marcella watches history being made from the sidelines, documenting it all. Lollia's husbands change with the winds in Rome. Diana doesn't love any male that has less than four legs for chariot races. Set in the Year of the Four Emperors, the Cornelii girls struggle to stay true to their family, their loved ones and themselves; all while struggling to stay alive. At the end, there can only be one Emperor, and one woman by his side.Ancient Rome is one of my favorite time periods. And I LOVED Kate Quinn's first book, Mistress of Rome. At first, I had problems keeping the four Cornelias distinct in my mind. But fear not, it doesn't take very long for each of the girls to develop a personality that is all her own. I probably would have to say that I loved Diana and Marcella the most, but they are very different from each other. Quinn also makes each Emperor ruler of his time period and gives them all distinct personalities. The plot is thickly woven and each of the girls plays her part magnificently, from Marcella's scheming to Diana's indifference.Quinn also adds stunning details from Roman bath house life ( I died over these details) to banquet details. No detail was too small and it paints such a vivid picture one can see the lacquered nails, smell the feast and hear the chariot wheels smash by. Quinn perfectly sets up the sequel, Mistress of Rome, in which life is dominated by Domitian.
    • 4/5
      The Year of the Four Emperors is recounted in this novel of the ancient Roman Empire, centered around the role of four cousins in historical events. Cornelia, Marcella, Lollia, and Diana all experience the changes and tumult of the year together and are changed themselves by the course of events. I enjoyed seeing these cousins transform over the course of the novel, although few of the transformations were as gripping as Marcella's, who goes from writing history to making history. An entertaining read, recommended for those interested in Ancient Rome.
    • 4/5
      The Feminine Side of RomeTypically historical fiction set in ancient Rome focuses on senators, military geniuses, mad emperors, and a lot of blood. Daughters of Rome has six emperors (It takes place largely in the year of four emperors—then add in Nero and Titus mentioned in the beginning and ending portions.), chariot races and battle scenes, but much more predominantly it has four women of the patrician family of the Cornelii. These women, who have four profoundly different approaches to living upper class lives, reveal the other side of Rome many people will have heard very little about. The book glides from “frivolities” like brightly colored silk stolas and ancient makeup to the mental requirements that women accept being political pawns in marriages to men they have good cause to hate, to the tawdry state of marriage and family in a society that pretended to value them above all, to a host of other complicated social issues that Quinn weaves in without our ever stumbling over them or thinking “too much history!” And she does this while keeping us turning the pages, wanting to know what the next political machination will be, the next wild sex scene, the next intimate moment between women when their lives are threatened and they have only each other to get them through. These four women are cousins from an old and respected family, now funded largely by one of the cousin’s ex-slave grandfather who built a vast fortune and then bought his way into a patrician line—and he’s a genuinely likeable character with a good heart among many scoundrels with old pedigrees. The four live through the calamitous events of the year when Rome discovered that societies are forever altered for the worse when the rule of law is overthrown by power hungry men who do not care about the bloody means they use to usurp legitimate rule. Rome was no innocent before this particular year. The “Republic” had long since given up anything but lip service to the old Roman ideals of elections and a free citizenry and had been kissing up to emperors, crazed or good, for some time. But through the transformations of Kate Quinn’s characters and her vivid portrayal of Roman life turned upside down, the author makes a good case that this year-long spasm was different than any that had come before. It’s an apt lesson from history that is worth pondering, especially if you can have so much fun in the process. This may be a well-researched, historically engaging book, but it also has golden boy Thracian lovers, extravagant jewels and feasts, family and political intrigue. Let Quinn build her characters in the opening chapters—some people think the beginning is a bit slow with so many people to put into place—and then hold onto your hat.
    • 3/5
      After thoroughly enjoying Kate Quinn's first novel Mistress of Rome, I couldn't wait to dive into her follow up, Daughters of Rome. Following a new collection of characters, Daughters of Rome promised to continue Quinn's exploration of Ancient Rome and offer new, juicy and intriguing stories of women in the Ancient world.Daughters of Rome follows the tales of two sisters, each with their own lives, personalities and ambitions. The novel switches between the viewpoints of the two women -Cornelia and Marcella -and explores their lives of intrigue, uncertainty, romance and powerful ambition during the year of four emperors in Rome. With an empire in dissaray, the world never quite seems as solid as it once did. Cornelia seeks to be the perfect Roman wife -and see her husband as emporer, while Marcella wants to be nothing but a simple bystander. Then the terror starts, and the empire is throw into bloody coups where the emperor seems to be constantly changing. Cornelia and Marcella are thrown into a new world where they must learn to survive.Daughters of Rome takes on a somewhat different approach than Mistress of Rome. Rather than taking the romance route, Daughters of Rome prefers intrigue and power, as well as rebellion. Usually I would be more at home with these themes, but I found that I just got lost in this story between the two women and the shifting tides. I hate to say it, but I thought Mistress of Rome was better. It just felt more solid, easier to follow and the characters seemed more fleshed out and stronger to me. It almost seemed like Mistress was the product of years of meticulous research and thoughtful writing while Daughters was put together more quickly -and somewhat sloppily.The tale of Marcella and Cornelia just didn't intrigue me as much as I wanted it to. Their personalities and struggles never fully came alive for me and made it difficult to become fully invested in the story. I'm not sure if it was the writing itself (which was lovely) or the detail/historical accuracy (seemed fairly well researched....), but the characters remained flat.A decent second effort, but just not as good as Mistress of Rome.
    • 1/5
      I received this book as a GoodReads First Read copy. While the style of writing was interesting, I felt that the characters were poorly developed. Each time I started to relate to one of the four female leads, her actions or thoughts would show a completely contradictory side that made her seem insipid, callous, superficial or downright cruel. While some readers may find enjoyment solely in the period, history, or graphic nature of some of the scenes, in my own preferences, I need to be able to relate to at least one of the characters that I am following in order to truly enjoy a book. At the end, I found myself hating every single one of the titular "daughters of Rome". I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book, but it was definitely not aimed at me.
    • 5/5
      Disclaimer: I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway. Excellent story about the Cornelii Family during the Year of Four Emperors in Rome. The four Cornelia’s; sisters Cornelia Prima, Marcella, and cousins Lollia, and Diana have very different and often conflicting personalities, but have an unwavering bond…or so we think at the beginning of the book. There are many tests and trials that affect all the Cornelia’s. It’s a great story of love, death, war, friendship, sisterhood and how decisions can make or break relationships…and people.