Review: "Ave, Caesarion" by Deborah Davitt

Title: Ave, Caesarion
Author: Deborah Davitt
Genre:  Fantasy
Publication Date: October 20, 2016
Publisher:  Self-Published
Pages:  534

This product was given to Black Fox Book Review in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:  3 out of 5

Amazon Book Blurb: 
  

A single event can reshape a world—or shatter it forever.

Fifteen years ago, Caesar escaped assassination, and went on to be crowned Emperor of Rome. His son by Cleopatra, Caesarion, carries the blood of Mars, Venus, Isis, and Osiris in his veins—but will the power that the gods have granted him, be enough to secure his hold on Rome after his father’s death?

What of the powers his sister, Eurydice Julia, has begun to manifest, and her puzzling visions that hint at the sacrifices that the gods of both Rome and Egypt will demand of them?

Will they, together, be strong enough to forge a better world than the one their ancestors built?

Return to the world of Edda-Earth, where magic and science coexist and all the gods are real.

And always remember this truth: The end of all things . . . was just the beginning.

Review: This review is somewhat limited in scope. The copy I received for my kindle had some strange formatting issues that I verified are not found in the digital retail copy on Amazon.  As a result,  I'm not sure what formatting and sentence structure issues are unique to my copy.  Thus, I am forced to keep this review limited to an evaluation of its story elements.

Mixed in with the nonfiction backdrop of a recently imperialized Rome is a healthy dose of magic and mythology that gives the setting a relatively unique setting akin to Stiger's Tigers, the review of which you can find here.

I should say upfront that this book contains adult content and some nearly universal taboo themes.  The author tries to keep this from being a surprise to the reader in the Foreword where she encourages readers to keep an open mind by not projecting current day morals on a very different time and culture.

Those who read bodice rippers will probably find it pretty tame.  While Ave, Caesarion contained many references to male and female arousal and the occasional blanket hornpipe, I felt it was still subtle and tastefully done and it served to further specific plotlines.  Still, there was far, far more sexual tension and sexual content than I'm used to.  So if you avoid books containing green gowns, you've been warned and you're welcome.  If that sort of thing is your bag, you're just plain welcome.

This an innocent hornpipe.  Not a blanket hornpipe.  Take note.

The plot pacing was a little off at the beginning, but improved as the story progressed.  Near the start, a key character is giving a eulogy one moment at a beloved's funeral, then the reader is whisked suddenly and without so much as a section break to an attempt on his life which is also brushed over.  These scenes would have been wonderful storytelling opportunities; the assassination attempt could've been a very exciting conflict, but received only a cursory treatment which I found disappointing.  Again, this sort of scene-skipping was only prevalent in the beginning.  There were also instances of head-hopping throughout.  This kind of third-person omniscience within a single scene has to be treated carefully, and many, myself included, prefer to avoid it altogether.  It wasn't confusing, however, and as such is acceptable by literary standards.

Another issue that occasionally presented was awkward sentence structuring.  E.g.: "Was going to ask you to go to Athens for me.  Will take three months, probably."  Now, this being dialogue gives the author a lot of leeway given its usually casual nature.  I've heard people drop the starting pronoun just like in the first sentence enough that it still works for me.  It's rare in written dialogue, but it doesn't quite cross the line into awkward territory.  The second sentence on the other hand, I do find awkward.  And then there were cases similar to this that were not dialogue, internal or otherwise.  Exposition that isn't internal dialogue really shouldn't ever be casual like this, and unfortunately, Ave, Caesarion contains a few instances.

I found the ending to be a tad anticlimactic.  There came a point when our protagonists' military campaigning came to an end when their taboo activities became public knowledge.  It's at this point that only the potential for political conflict is present, but no real political conflict really presents itself.  There's some overheard backbiting, but nothing overly threatening.  There's only the potential for threatening conflict, and that's not good conflict to rely on just before a climax.  The book winds up with a very showy climax, but without a stronger conflict that actually manifests itself, this climax is wasted.

Now, after having pointed out the various flaws and weaknesses of the story, I come to the point where I broadly paint a picture of why the book is still a worthwhile read. 

I'm generally reading several books at any given time, so it's noteworthy that while I slogged through the other books I was reading at the time which were all written by established and traditionally published authors, Ave, Caesarion was the book I kept falling back on when I was tired of trudging through these other books' frequent lulls.  The premise, setting and characters all kept me interested and invested throughout the book.  Ultimately, despite the detractions I outlined earlier, I enjoyed the book quite a bit.  I fear that due to its imperfections, its appeal will be greatly limited to readers who have a preexisting interest in fantasy and the Roman Empire such as myself.

While I can't confirm the author's accuracy, it seemed apparent that Ms. Davitt really did her research on ancient Roman culture.  There are a number of rituals and holiday traditions I'd never heard of before that helped tremendously with immersing me in the setting.  There's also a considerably sized glossary of Roman terms at the back of the book that sheds additional light on the the unique aspects of the culture of the Roman Empire.

In all, Ave, Caesarion is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy fiction based in ancient Roma and don't mind a little horizontal mambo mixed in.

Do you have any books you'd recommend to others?  Let us know in the comments below.