Comments on: REVIEW: Flavia’s Secret by Lindsay Townsend

By: jillyfae

jillyfae — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:29:18 +0000

I think it sounds wonderfully fascinating… but the house rule is that I’m not allowed to buy books until after I’ve read them and determined they’re worth it, (or else there’d be no money for food or room for beds), and my library doesn’t have it, or anything else by Townsend. *grumbles off to try and track down a swap or ILL of it*

By: Francesca Prescott

Francesca Prescott — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:11:38 +0000

The first Lindsay Townsend book I read was her historical romantic suspense, “A Secret Treasure”, set on the Greek island of Rhodes during the Italian occupation in the late 1930s. As in “Flavia’s Secret”, it is Lindsay’s capacity to include the historical detail without slowing down the story that fascinates me. There is a gentle, innocent charm to her writing that I really enjoy; something classic and…ladylike!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:25:07 +0000

Okay, I fixed that incorrectly capitalized word. Hopefully it’s clearer now. Thanks for the correction.

By: Savanna Kougar

Savanna Kougar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:59:23 +0000

Personally, I found Flavia to be a wonderful chance to time travel via the written page. It was like living in that time, which I adore in a book or a movie. I lost myself in the adventure of being in the Roman/British culture, not to mention sighing over the sweet love story. I say, brilliantly done.

By: Laura Vivanco

Laura Vivanco — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:34:49 +0000

Thanks, Lindsay. I only knew the military meaning and if it hadn’t been for the typo, I wouldn’t have gone and looked up the word and discovered it had a second meaning, so I’m glad Jayne made the typo, but I’m also glad you’ve cleared up the confusion.

By: Lindsay Townsend

Lindsay Townsend — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:28:31 +0000

Dear Laura,

You’ll find it’s ‘decurion’ in the book.

Lindsay

By: Kalen Hughes

Kalen Hughes — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:22:47 +0000

Oooh Kalen, I’m rubbing my hands at this information. And I totally agree on that second title. ::shudders::

If you don't mind a tragic romance, she also wrote a wonderful novel under her own name (Amanda Cockrell) about the Ninth Legion Hispana (I got my jones for all things Roman early and legitimately, LOL!): The Legions of the Mist Sometime during the beginning of the second century A.D., the Ninth Legion Hispana marched into the mists of Roman-occupied Britain and disappeared forever. Rome erased their name and number from the legionary rolls, and so far no British farmer has turned up a buried graveyard with his plow, to show where they lie. Perhaps they turned their backs on everything that was of their own world and melted into the native tribes. Perhaps they were ambushed and cut down. All we know for certain is that they vanished as surely as if the ground had opened to swallow them, taking with them their Eagle, the life and honor of the Legion, and leaving behind only a few men who happened to be detached from the HiIspana when it marched out that day. This novel is history as it may have happened, on the edges of that country where history turns into myth.

By: Laura Vivanco

Laura Vivanco — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:56:38 +0000

What's a "Decurian"? I've heard of a decurion, in the military, and there were also decurions who were the equivalent of modern city councillors.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:05:46 +0000

Lindsay, thanks for being a good sport about the grade. I bet that alone will get more people to buy and try the book than anything I could say. I am serious about wanting to see what you’ll publish next.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:03:38 +0000

Oooh Kalen, I’m rubbing my hands at this information. And I totally agree on that second title. ::shudders::

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:01:01 +0000

DS, I ADORE “Alena.” It ain’t PC at all which is fine with me. “Somewhere in Time” is also good as is another book she wrote set in ancient Greece – the title of which is escaping me right now.

By: Kalen Hughes

Kalen Hughes — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:21:34 +0000

My godmother’s Roman trilogy was sold as “historical fiction”, but they’re full of romance (and I simply LOVE them). They were also put out under a man’s name, cause “historical fiction doesn’t sell under a woman’s name”. Ugh.

They’re LONG OOP, but you can still find ‘em used (looks like paperback swap has them):

The Centurions, Barbarian Princess (oh how she hated that title) and The Emperor’s Games by Damion Hunter.

By: Lindsay Townsend

Lindsay Townsend — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:18:21 +0000

Dear Jayne,

Thank you for your fair and helpful review of my ‘Flavia’s Secret’. I’ve always enjoyed the ancient world and I’m glad it showed through. Happy 2009!

Lindsay

By: DS

DS — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:35:55 +0000

I have a soft spot for two books by Merline Lovelace set in the Roman world. One, Alena, is a 1994 Harlequin Historical which probably isn't in print. It was set in Roman Britain. The other is a time travel called Somewhere In Time which was also published in 1994 and has some time travel plot holes, but it was entertaining enough that I forgot about them (that's hard for me) and just rode with the story. I think that one has been reprinted a couple of times.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:06:47 +0000

Moth, go up to the tags section of this review and click on “roman britain” and “ancient rome.” All the Roman era books I’ve reviewed here should come up. Of course there are the mystery series set in Rome (and parts around Rome) that you could check out if you haven’t already. If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend “The Warlord’s Mistress.” Dreadful title, I know but darn good book.

By: Moth

Moth — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:21:01 +0000

Oooh, see I’ve been DYING for more good books set in Ancient Rome too.

I liked Michelle Style’s Gladiator’s Honor but her other books disappointed me (Particularly the one with the plot she ripped off from Georgette Heyer).

I also grabbed one called Sword of Rome at the library which featured a Roman tribune and a Bedouin princess but it was (unsurprisingly) so over the top I couldn’t get through it.

Are there any other good Roman romances out there that you can recommend to me, Jayne? They don’t even have to be romances actually. I’ll take almost anything set in ancient rome as long as the ending isn’t too depressing. *hopeful face*