Aurelia Mitela is a mother and a soldier in Roma Nova, what remains of the Roman Empire in an alternate timeline. She loves her job and her family, but an accident forces her to leave her job and take up the reins of her family. Once she is settled into her new role, the Empress of Roma Nova offers her a temporary assignment as a diplomat in Berlin, where, through her family connections, she will have to investigate a delicate matter. Many things will happen in Berlin, both good and bad. In plot twist after plot twist, Alison Morton takes the readers to the final pages without disappointing them.

As an alternate historical novel, Aurelia by Alison Morton throws the reader into a dimension where the Roman culture never died out. The story takes place in Roma Nova in an alternate timeline where the Roman Empire didn’t fall. Roma Nova citizens, though, live in a modern era like ours. They drive cars, fly planes, and behave as we do. In this alternate timeline, women are not second class citizens, but rule like men and they do it in a matriarchal society. I love books with strong women, but where the female character is not basically a man with a woman's name. Morton knows how to write a female lead character without falling into the trap of making her too masculine. The book is in the first person, therefore we see the story through Aurelia's eyes and only hers. This is a style I usually dislike, but Alison Morton has mastered it. All in all, I loved this book.

Ex-Praetorian officer Aurelia Mitela regretted ever thinking she was bored. Following her mother's death, she is forced to take care of matters. But such a life was not becoming of her. When the opportunity to be retrained as an undercover operative is placed before her, it is a chance she could not resist. Her familial ties put her in the unique position to investigate a smuggling ring, an opportunity which allows her to realign with the person she wanted to be. Unaware of the dangers she will bring upon herself and her family, she delves deeper into the investigation, determined to expose the guilty party, but when someone finds the means to exploit her, she has some difficult choices to make; country, duty, or family.

Aurelia is part of Alison Morton's Nova Roma thriller series. Interesting twists will keep a reader engaged as they become invested in the well-developed characters. Aurelia, the main protagonist, is perfectly complemented by the challenging antagonist. Morton's world-building shows insight into how times may have been different if history had moved in an alternative direction, and her descriptions suggest she has good knowledge and understanding of key areas, all of which enhance the feeling of reality injected into the complex and thoughtful story arcs. Action, mystery, and adventure drive this steady-paced plot forward, as divided between duty, country, and family, Aurelia is forced to make difficult, sometimes heart-wrenching choices. I enjoyed watching her character change and alter as her investigation takes interesting and life-threatening twists. Those who enjoy strong female leads and a 1960s alternative history setting are bound to enjoy every moment of this tale.