FEAST OF SORROW A Novel of Ancient Rome

This audiobook has all the ingredients to be a rip-roaring fictional trip through ancient Rome--food, lust, murder, politics, and Simon Vance, one of the top narrators in the business. However, Vance's fine performance can't disguise the book's weaknesses, which make it a bit of a disappointment. Thrasius, a slave who is great in the kitchen, is purchased by Marcus Gavius Apicius, an exceedingly rich gourmand with ambitions. The book, without any real defining plotline, follows the two men and their friends, enemies, and meals over several years. Vance does what he can to pump life into the numerous characters, but too many are fairly flat and stay that way. While Vance is the consummate professional, even he can't quite overcome this book's flaws. G.S.D. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2017]