Finished
Rome: The Emperor's Spy, at last. I don't read much these days.
I'm mixed but I can't explain why, and it's just me. The story is very well written, and is set in a rich part of history when Nero was emperor. It takes place mainly in Gaul, Rome and Alexandria, which happens to be the locations of a game I've played recently.
I didn't know, so it was a funny surprise.
The book takes its time to describe the characters, their thoughts, the culture and locations, and is very in-character when it comes to that.
My mixed feelings come from the somewhat classic and rigid tone of the conversation and personalities, it almost brings me back to the translations of ancient Greek texts. I don't know if that's on purpose, and we don't know if people were more about honour and formalities in every day's life (I doubt it). By association, it seems to emphasize the impression of being in ancient civilizations, but it doesn't seem entirely natural. It's a style, but not one we often find these days.
Also, the author doesn't rely as much on a rhythm of suspense and relaxation as "modern" stories of the same genre. It feels like it's been written a couple of centuries ago. That doesn't make it bad, but I wasn't used to that anymore.
Still, I'd definitely recommend it if you like this period.