With fabulous and richly woven historical detail… this is a must-read novel. Bravo Elisabeth Storrs.
Ben Kane, Author of The Forgotten Legion
The Golden Dice
A Tale of Ancient Rome Book Two
During a bitter siege between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii, three women follow very different paths to survive.
Caecilia, Roman born but Etruscan wed, forsakes Rome to return to her Etruscan husband, Vel Mastarna, exposing herself to the enmity of his people while knowing the Romans will give her a traitor’s death if Veii falls. Semni, a reckless Etruscan servant in the House of Mastarna, embroils herself in schemes that threaten Caecilia’s son and Semni’s own chance for love. Pinna, a destitute Roman prostitute, uses coercion to gain the attention of Rome’s greatest general at the risk of betraying Caecilia’s cousin.
Each woman struggles to protect herself and those whom she loves in a dark cycle of war. What must they do to challenge Fate? And will they ever live in peace again?
The Golden Dice was judged runner-up in the 2013 Sharp Writ Book Awards in general fiction and was also judged first in category for Ancient Fiction in the 2014 Chaucer Awards. It is the second book in the A Tale of Ancient Rome Saga, which includes The Wedding Shroud and Call to Juno.
Read the complete series!
A Tale of Ancient Rome is now a complete trilogy including The Wedding Shroud, The Golden Dice and Call to Juno.
The Golden Dice Reviews
Skillfully plotted and with vividly drawn characters, THE GOLDEN DICE is a suspenseful, romantic, exciting drama that transports its readers into the ancient cities of Veii, fighting for its independence, and insatiable Rome, determined to devour it. Love; seduction; black magic; bloody battles; courageous (and sexy) heroes; despicable villains, and, best of all, inspiring heroines, THE GOLDEN DICE kept me turning its pages — with increasing speed — to the very end
The novel interweaves scenes of domesticity with those of politics, war, religious observances, and love and brings them all to life beautifully; none of these elements overwhelms the others. There aren’t many novels of the Roman world that provide such a comprehensive picture, which should give The Golden Dice great appeal for a variety of readers.
..an enthralling tale of political intrigue, romance, and corruption.
With fabulous and richly woven historical detail (a hard thing to do, given how little we know about the mysterious Etruscan civilisation), this a must – read novel. Bravo, Elisabeth Storrs.
Elisabeth Storrs’s A Tale of Ancient Rome series should really be called Tales of Ancient Veii, as it brings the Etruscan town to life. Thank you, Elisabeth, for giving a voice to some of the most intriguing pieces of the Museum of Veii.
Storrs’ thoroughly researched books offer a rewarding read. If you want to learn about this early period of Rome’s conquests and the remarkable, luxuriant lives of the Etruscans while being engaged with a compelling story, I recommend Storrs’ series.
In The Golden Dice, set in the late 4th century BC, Elisabeth Storrs takes us back to the richly imagined world she created in The Wedding Shroud. Once again the historical detail of her novel is staggering. In addition, Storrs gives us two new third-person female viewpoint characters: Pinna, the prostitute, and Semni, the flighty young servant. These characters add complexity to the plot – indeed it is hard to imagine the story without them – and give us a portrait of women at war.
Storrs’ prose is superb and it is this quality of writing that makes such a raw novel exquisite and refined even though- because let’s face it- this particular time and era with all its harsh realities and crude situations can often repulse. Not so in The Golden Dice.
Set in the 4th century BCE, this gorgeously-written, masterful blend of fact and fiction exposes the raw passions, betrayals and victories of three strong women as they navigate politics and corruption in an ancient world at war. (First Place Category Early History Chaucer Awards)
Storrs’ prose is eloquent and her attention to detail leaves the reader with a very strong sense of time and place… [she] does a good job of incorporating the key events from The Wedding Shroud into The Golden Dice and, as a result, this latest novel can be read independently of the first.
Storrs fills her canvas with the complexities of human emotion: love, trust, and loyalty; hate, envy, and revenge. With each of the characters, male and female, she dissects contrasting values, using the cultural differences between Etruria and Rome to show the psychological torment of conflicting loyalties.
Two other aspects of Storrs’s writing make this book such a satisfying read. One is the masterly way that exposition of the political machinations of Rome and Veii …. The other is the breathtaking amount of research… This is a stimulating and clever novel and it is very pleasing to know that The Call to Juno, a third volume in the series, is currently being written.
Elisabeth Storrs presents a complex, believable, intricately woven story of a woman trying to protect her loved ones from internal and external threats, while trapped in a city at war.
Storrs book has the same attention to detail, evocative atmosphere, solid characterisation and narrative momentum that made Renault’s books such a wonderful gateway to immersion in the ancient world.
''Two of the most compelling characters, fleshed out gorgeously in this volume, are Pinna, poorest of the poor prostitutes, and Semni, the artistic slave.
The Golden Dice certainly gives The Wedding Shroud a run for its money. I enjoyed this one equally as much and I look forward to finding out what Caecilia, Pinna and Semni have in store for them next.
Also available in Italian
- Amazon:
- Il velo nuziale (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 1)
- I dadi d'oro (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 2)
- Il patto di Giunone (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 3)
- Altre Voci Edizioni:
- Il velo nuziale (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 1)
- I dadi d'oro (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 2)
- Il patto di Giunone (I racconti dell'Antica Roma Vol. 3)
