The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper (Head of Zeus)

The House with the Golden Door is a second part of a trilogy. You can read here about the first book - The Wolf Den.

Amara escapes the brothel, but she isn't free at all. She feels captured and lonely in a golden cage and wears a mask of lovely, delicate and naive concubine. It doesn’t matter that she outwitted the most violent pimp in Pompeii, or that she could move mountains with her rage. This is not what her lover wants to see, so she hides it all. She holds the master's attention, even manipulates him, because she knows that her look will last only a short period of time, lovers are just as bad, but a closet full of coin never made any woman cry. Freedom has already exacted a heavy price. She cannot give up everything, or she will have nothing left of herself.

As is a first book, this one is also extremely enchanting, wonderfully written with vivid characters, real figures from history (Pliny) and in an atmosphere of an ancient Pompeii in the shadow of forthcoming volcanic eruption. 

And in the middle - powerful Amara - love, grief, friendship and everyday struggle (of slaves and freemen) to achieve better life.

Every chapter begins with graffiti or a quote from ancient Roman era as a reminder that human nature stays the same.

Elodie Harper is a great storyteller and I am looking forward to Amara's adventures in Rome.

Highly recommended.

5/5