From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 - In this sixth book in the series, Flavia Gemina has marriage on her mind. Her friend Jonathan's sister celebrates her betrothal to Flavia's uncle, her father announces his intention to find a suitable husband for her, and, worst of all, he becomes enthralled by a new woman in town. Flavia convinces her friends that Cartilia must be a witch causing changes in her father's behavior, and when Hercules comes to her in a dream, she knows she must solve the mystery of who Cartilia is and how she has bewitched her father. This is a mixed bag of a book. While Lawrence does an excellent job of re-creating the customs and daily life of ancient Rome, the mystery is a bit thin. Cartilia's intrusion and integration into Flavia's family is abrupt, and the girl's dislike of her is extremely modern. A bigger issue comes with the fact that Lawrence writes with the assumption of familiarity with her characters. However, if readers are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief and figure out the relationships among the people, they will be in for a treat. The glimpses of life from another time are fascinating, and the story moves quickly enough to keep interest going.
- Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Product Description
It is December AD 79. In the Roman port of Ostia braziers are lit, hot spiced wine is brewed and soft fur covers are brought out from cedarwood storage chests. It's the season of Saturnalia, a pagan festival where anything can happen. When a Roman widow begins to show a keen interest in Captain Geminus, his daughter Flavia and her friends have to find out if she really loves him or is just after his money. To do that, Flavia has to undertake the twelve labours of Hercules. And there is a lion on the loose!
