Mother of Rome

Starred review from October 1, 2024

In Bear's superb follow-up to Medusa's Sisters, she centers another pair of women largely unheard from in Roman myths, overshadowed by the men who manipulated and used them or the kings they bore. Cousins Rhea and Antho grow up as sisters, the children of King Numitor and his conniving brother Amulius. When Rhea's family is ripped asunder and Amulius usurps the throne, both women find their lives irrevocably altered, but they find ways to take back their own stories and seek glimmers of hope too. Fierce Rhea is sent to become a Vestal Virgin, though she joins pregnant with the god Mars's children (Romulus and Remus), leading her down a path of motherhood and sacrifice she'd never have imagined. Antho, meanwhile, risks everything to choose love, quietly altering the future from within the Regia. Themes of sisterhood and motherhood, nature and wildness, survival, and love in its many forms resonate throughout. Bear weaves a layered, captivating story of the two tenacious women behind the birth of Rome that will resonate with readers long after the final page. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers who love mythological retellings like Madeline Miller's Circe or those who enjoy tales of fierce women seizing control of their own destiny.--Katie Lawrence

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 4, 2024
In this epic reimagining of Rome’s origin, Bear (Medusa’s Sisters) tells the story from the perspective of Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus. Rhea is a princess of Alba Longa, daughter of King Numitor and Queen Jocasta. Tragedy after tragedy befalls her family, leaving King Numitor distraught and unable to rule. When he retreats into his grief, he leaves his daughter unprotected from the machinations of his treacherous brother, Amulius, who seizes the throne. Amulius sends Rhea away to join the Vestal Virgins, hoping the vow of virginity will keep her from ever producing an heir who would threaten his claim to the stolen throne. But the ever-rebellious Rhea hatches a plan of her own, taking advantage of the desire that Mars, the god of war, harbors for her. The two enter a steamy affair and Rhea gets pregnant. When word gets back to Amulius, she is hunted by his men and only manages to survive with help from the gods and goddesses themselves. Bear brings her strong heroine to life with compassion and skill. The result is a must-read for fans of mythology retellings. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

December 1, 2024
For generations, Rhea Silvia's family ruled over Alba Longa. However, the combination of the deaths of her mother and two brothers has mentally shattered Rhea's father, providing his brother, Amulius, with the perfect opportunity to crown himself king. Forced by her uncle to enter into the service of Vesta as one of her vestal virgins to prevent her from having children and heirs to the throne, Rhea will ultimately have the last laugh. A dalliance with the god Mars leaves Rhea pregnant, and though she's ostracized, her sons Romulus and Remus will one day take back control of the kingdom. Bear (Medusa's Sisters, 2023) returns to the classical world with another spectacularly crafted, spellbinding, reimagined legend portraying a woman who refuses to go silently into the night. Bear beautifully contrasts Rhea's journey with that of her cousin Antho, who proves in her own quiet manner to be equally fierce in fighting for what she wants in life. A vibrantly written, vividly evoked novel of Rome's mythic origins that deserves a place beside the classic sagas of Mary Renault and Robert Graves.

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