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Master and God

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Master and God

By: Lindsey Davis
Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble
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About this listen

 AD81. The Roman Emperor Domitian seizes power. Afflicted by classic paranoia, the self-styled Master and God sees enemies everywhere - and he is right. The Senate loathes him, his advisers are terrified, he cannot trust his wife and barbarians menace the frontiers. As he vents his suspicions, no one is safe...

Gaius Vinius Clodianus survives physical and mental scars to reach high rank in the Praetorian Guard. Flavia Lucilla tends the privileged women at court; when Domitian's inherited talent unravels into madness, she loses her patron cruelly. In the haven of their shared apartment, Gaius and Lucilla find solace together, yearning for normality while living in a Reign of Terror.

Moves against Domitian are begun by his own household. Lucilla has to watch Gaius choose between love for her and risking death; between his sworn duty to protect the Emperor and killing Domitian for the good of Rome.

The plot careers close to exposure. Rome teeters on the brink of its Golden Age. A group of unlikely conspirators must now act with decency and courage, whatever the personal cost.

Master and God is the epic story of a despot whose contemporaries wrote him out of history. Told in Lindsey Davis' sardonic style, it is an intimate portrait of resilience, friendship and love.

(P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton©2012 Lindsey Davis Fiction Historical Fiction Witty Resilience Rome

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Critic reviews

Praise for MASTER AND GOD:

'The narrative is rapid and the story well told with much sharp-edged detail. You can open this book and step right into a convincing yet extraordinary past.'
Praise for Lindsey Davis
'Lindsey Davis ... brings her locations alive with the roar of cannon, the ache of hunger and the smell of fear'
'A fantastic historical whodunit'
'Davis is adept at convincing us that her hero's anachronistically modern sensibility sits persuasively in ancient Rome'
'The plot is well-paced, with clever twists to keep the reader guessing'
'The fans' expectations are higher than ever and are unlikely to be disappointed'
'Elegant and intelligent'
'As gripping and enjoyable as usual'
All stars
Most relevant
I always love Ms.Davis books whether its Falco or Civil War (which I really admired). Although I warmed to the characters I was disappointed in the title as it had little to do with Domitian overall. And what was the fly chapter all about?
But thats only a small grumble. I really liked the dual narration - it worked well for me.

vintage Lindsey Davis

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I loved the story, which was interwoven with historical accuracy.

Loved the characters and the fact that there were two narrators.I think audible should do this more often! Thoroughly enjoyable !

Superb!

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I always enjoy Lindsey Davis and look forward to another in her Falco series. This, however, is another of her standalone novels.
It is set in the time of Domitian, one of the emperors it was extremely unfortunate and highly dangerous to work for. One of his Praetorian guard is a major character, Gaius Vinius, as is Flavia Lucilla, an imperial hairdresser! They meet at the time of one of the great fires that devastated Rome, and their relationship developes over the years, despite Gaius' series of disastrous marriages. They see Domitian's increasing paranoia and are faced with the opportunity to do something about it.
The narration is in two voices which works very well.

Another success

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A break from Lindsey Davies other series but written with the same fascinating grasp of the Roman world.

Excellent standalone novel

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great narration and story, recommend for a quick read!! nothing intense really easy to settle into!.

Easy listening

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