The Seven Wonders is a historical fiction novel by Steven Saylor exploring the Wonders and uncovering mysteries! My favorite characters are in a historical period or fantasy world (including comic books and sci fi) that is beyond ordinary life. This is the case with the ancient world that is in Steven Saylor’s The Seven Wonders. He is the author of the Roma Sub Rosa series that began with Roman Blood (1991). This follows the Roman, Gordianus the Finder, he lives in Ancient Rome, the time of Julius Caesar. The Seven Wonders is a prequel to his adventures following Gordianus when he has just turned eighteen.
The Seven Wonders are known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This includes the Great Pyamid of Giza and other Wonders that are not around now like the Colossus of Rhodes. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was before the time of may of the scribes. The novel has a map of the Seven Wonders centered around the Mediterrnean Sea in 90 B.C. duing the Time of Gordianus. It begins with a funeral for the poet, Antipater of Sidion, who had a famous poem on the Seven Wonders. He was the mentor for Gordianus and has set up his funeral to travel anonymously to the Wonders.
Gordianus’ father is known as Finder, a title for an early detective, and we have mysteries at each Wonder. We get the cover story for Antipater’s death as well as some of the funeral rites like the death mask. At the time, there is also tension with King Mithidates’ supporters and the hatred of Rome’s occupation of parts of the world. Gordianus has not mastered speaking Greeks and encounters many different cultures and people. Antipater takes the clever name of Zoticus of Zeugma. There are a few Wonders that he has not visited, even having composed his poem, so he wants to travel to them all before he gets too old. They travel by boat and donkey across the Ancient World.
The first Wonder is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. It is impressive to walk around the Wonders descibed by Saylor. There is a ceremony renacting the myth of Actaeon that ends in murder! Gordianus is clever to notice details, he is also a little superstitious, with historical monuments. The greatest mystery eludes Gordianus until the very end! The mysteries are rooted in human nature which makes me think of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. Every chapter reads fast since I discovered that they were short stories in magazines like Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. There is also the audiobook from Recorded Books read by Stephen Plunkett. This is da Vinci Code mixed with Hercule Poirot plus a little James Bond since Gordianus has affairs with anyone attractive!
Five+ Death Masks out of Five!
#TheSevenWonders, #StevenSaylor, #RomaSubrosa, #RomanBlood, #Gordianus, #Antipater, #TheFinder, #KingMithidates, #ZoticusOfZeugma, #ElleryQueenMysteryMagazine, #StephenPlunkett
No comments:
Post a Comment