Exsilium: The Founding of Roma Nova

I reviewed Nexus ,a previously published book in the Roma Nova alternate history series, back in 2019 on Flying High Reviews here. Exsilium is chronologically far earlier than Nexus since Exsilium deals with Roma Nova's founding in the late 4th century CE.

I received this book from the author, Alison Morton, earlier in the month. The title was spelled differently on the ARC I read.  I have corrected the spelling in this review.

 I decided to post my review of Exsilium to this blog because Roma Nova wasn't yet the matriarchal society that it later became.  Flying High Reviews is devoted to strong female protagonists, but it's also a more woman centered blog.  Shomeret: Masked Reviewer is my personal catch all blog that encompasses the rest of my admittedly eccentric reading history.

                                           

As the book opens the Fates have cut the life thread of someone who is fated to die at age 33.  This is tragically young in the modern era.  So it caught my attention. 

There are a great many characters in Exsilium.  We get to know those who are most central to the narrative.

Christians had become powerful in Rome. Those who continue to practice the ancient Roman traditions would be executed if they are discovered.  

I read a very interesting Wikipedia article dealing with persecution of Pagans once the Christians had become dominant in Rome.  You can find it here.  There is apparently a great deal of disagreement about how Paganism was eliminated in Rome.  Some  historians think there was a slow decline and others that it was hastened by persecution.

In Alison Morton's fictional version, the female protagonist of Exsilium and many of her associates left Rome in a hurry.  We learn the circumstances of those who decided to leave, and the plans they made for their future.  

Intolerance was an important commonality between what was happening then, and some current day problems.  I was sympathetic toward the difficulties of the protagonists who chose to exile themselves from Rome.

Roma Nova is a fictional community.  Yet I do wonder if there were any actual communities established by non-Christian exiles from Rome during this period in the established historical continuity.

I would give this book the very good grade of B+, and will award it four stars on Goodreads.