I admittedly don’t really know anything about Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius, except that it’s a thing that happened, but it still seemed like an interesting setting for a book. And it was! I liked this.

The plot was not really what I expected, I thought it would be about them trying to escape, but it was more politics and solving mysteries and making plans within the city. There was mythology and magic, romance with a touch of angst, and a bit of action here and there. (Not magic as in spells, but visions and godly powers.) I did get a little confused sometimes about the visions and related stuff, but honestly that’s probably on me, I lose focus sometimes.

It had nice writing, and I noticed sentences or moments here and there that were especially pretty or funny or well-written.

The characters were interesting. One was a thief with muddled memories, trying to get by, who maybe wasn’t as selfish as he thought. The other was a seer and aspiring politician full of lies and secrets and hope who wanted to help people and do good. Their backstories and arcs touched on things like trauma and choosing your own path. Felix and Loren were sort of surprising, not fitting the molds I expected, in a way that I enjoyed.

I listened to the audiobook. I really liked the narrator for Felix’s chapters (Max Meyers). He sounded natural and emotional and brought the characters to life well. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the narrator for Loren’s chapters (Amin El Gamal). He sounded somewhat stiff, not quite natural, not enough emotion. Amin’s reading was also too slow for me (I rarely say that, I listen to most books at 1x speed), but if I sped it up much, Max’s parts would end up too fast. I got more used to it, I would still recommend the audio if you like audiobooks, but I preferred Felix’s chapters.

Overall, nice writing, good story, and interesting characters!

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2025 // Format: Audiobook*