This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Aimee Carol Dixon for Readers' Favorite
In Ana Costa Alongi’s Mortal Flesh: The Last Hero of Pompeii very little is as it seems. As one of the elites of Roman society, Marcus Poppeus wants for nothing. A life of luxury and promise stretches out before him, courtesy of his parents’ money and his own ambition for a seat in the legal body of Rome. An advantageous marriage has long since been arranged, and he is largely left to his own devices. He is content. All is as it should be until one day, completely by accident, Marcus becomes privy to a secret held deep within the heart of the slave girl who grew up by his side. From that moment on, the doubts Marcus has kept at bay for years struggle to the surface and he sees his world through fresh eyes. Meeting his intended bride for the first time since they were children solidifies his misgivings, setting him on a path that pushes him beyond the bounds of his station and has him questioning the very bedrock of his society.
Mortal Flesh is a powerful novel. Alongi has perfectly captured a world where beauty is often skin deep and corruption runs rampant. This setting, coupled with a character who yearns to be moral, provides much of Mortal Flesh’s dramatic tension. You can actually sense Marcus waking up, as if from a suppressed state, and becoming keenly aware of the little wrongs in his life. Alongi’s choice to begin where she does allows Marcus’ growth to be more easily identified – by the end he is a completely different person from the naive young man climbing with his friends on holiday. A bit rough around the edges, but glorious all the same, Mortal Flesh comes complete with a delicious twist at the end that is sure to leave you eager for the next installment of Ana Costa Alongi’s The Time Chronicles series.
