Kate Quinn’s Empress of Rome Book Series
I picked up the first of the four Empress of Rome books by Kate Quinn and, before I knew it, I had finished the whole series. In this vivid historical fiction series, Kate Quinn makes the politics and intrigue of the Roman Empire come alive through a cast of strong female protagonists. If you’re interested in some quick reads that are as thoughtful as they are entertaining, The Empress of Rome Series by Kate Quinn is perfect for you!
This post is a part of my What to Read series, where I share themed reading lists and book guides based on genre, time period, theme, or author.
You can peruse more of my What to Read reading guides here!
The Empress of Rome Series Continuity and Plot Points
There are four novels in this series. Kate Quinn starts out with Mistress of Rome. This first book tells the story of a servant who rises to become mistress to the Emperor.
From this original tale, Quinn weaves the characters into related tales and histories. I found this narrative style to be incredibly interesting, which is why I read the four books so quickly. It’s also part of why I featured this series as one of my favorites read in 2022. Interestingly, the protagonist from the first book doesn’t feature prominently in the other books. However, her history is mentioned and tied in as a catalyst to certain plot points.
Side note, I had an interesting thought in regards to this style of storytelling. In this way, the writing style is not unlike Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing universe. That is, characters from one novel (such as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) find their way into other books (like Malibu Rising).
Historical Research for this Series
It is clear from the writing that Kate Quinn has done a great deal of historical research in preparation for these novels. She also details in various author’s notes sections how she deviated from known history, and where she embellished to build her story.
As such, the novels are clearly historical fiction. However, I felt confident that I was being shown a well-researched backdrop with some fictionalized characters and embellished scenarios.
The Books in Kate Quinn’s Empress of Rome Series
While you could probably pick them up individually and get into the story, reading them in order definitely has it’s benefits. For your convenience, here are the four titles of Kate Quinn’s Empress of Rome series:
- Mistress of Rome – Amazon, Bookshop
- Daughters of Rome – Amazon, Bookshop
- Empress of the Seven Hills – Amazon, Bookshop
- Lady of the Eternal City – Amazon, Bookshop
Closing Thoughts on The Empress of Rome Series
Overall, it was a delight to read this fast-paced series. While I was originally overjoyed to realize there was more than one book, I now wish I had savored them a bit more, rather than reading them all in a matter of days. But, hey, it’s not often you come across a writer that can entrance you in that way. Might as well enjoy it when it happens!
Looking for more great historical fiction reads?
Check out my full historical fiction round up here!
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*This post was originally published on August 8, 2022. It was most recently updated on July 19, 2023.
