Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear

A powerful and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of history’s greatest empire, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible.

The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons’ journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children.

But she did not die; she survived. And so does her story.

Beautiful, royal, rich: Rhea has it all—until her father loses his kingdom in a treacherous coup, and she is sent to the order of the Vestal Virgins to ensure she will never produce an heir.

Except when mortals scheme, gods laugh.

Rhea becomes pregnant, and human society turns against her. Abandoned, ostracized, and facing the gravest punishment, Rhea forges a dangerous deal with the divine, one that will forever change the trajectory of her life…and her beloved land.

To save her sons and reclaim their birthright, Rhea must summon nature’s mightiest force – a mother’s love – and fight.

All roads may lead to Rome, but they began with Rhea Silvia.
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First line:

The gods whisper a girl's name; she curses them all.

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Source:

eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Rating:

3 wolves out of 5

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A story of female empowerment and rage, Mother of Rome is a story of the twin founders of Rome's mother. Rhea Silvia journeys from princess to priestess to outcast to mother and so much more through this story that spans approximately 18 years. Though I was not really attached to any of the characters, there journey is impactful and explores particularly how much women impact the stories of history even if they are not told.

I can't decide how I feel about the ending. At once, it feels both disingenuous to this journey we have gone on with Ilia but also a statement that mothers are also women and that shouldn't be there only sense of identity. Also, there were points where the writing style changed and really threw me out of the story (there is a scene where Rhea is speaking to the spirits of her mother, grandmother, founding mother of Alba Longa, and a goddess where the story suddenly becomes a playscript).

I do think this is worth the read, even if I wasn't in love with the book, characters, or story. I am more familiar with Greek mythology than Roman mythology, so it was interesting to dive into the events that led to the birth and rise of the Silvia twins who founded Rome.

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