The Lodestone Review

https://open.substack.com/pub/celestebriefs/p/reviewq-and-a-the-saturnalia-queen?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

"Paloma Blue’s debut novel The Saturnalia Queen not only does its homework, beautifully fleshing out this largely unfamiliar ancient world, but puts in the hours to make her readers really understand the perspectives of her two main characters, how they diverge and, ultimately, align. A romance involving a powerful man and a (relatively) powerless woman isn’t news. In fact, one could argue that it’s been done to death and we would all benefit greatly from a departure from this tired, problematic trope. Enter Caracalla, emperor of Rome from 198-217 AD, and Gelvira, a healer from a pagan tribe in Germany during his short-lived reign. On the surface, these two differ little from the typical romance fare we see over and over again on today’s bookshelves. But look a little closer and you’ll find that Blue not only takes the time to weave a compelling relationship, but cares deeply about placing her characters within a time and place that is equal parts dangerous and entrancing."