Soothsayer is Kathryn Amurra’s debut novel. It was published in the beginning of May 2020.

About the Book

Soothsayer is set in ancient Rome. Aurelia has always valued love and happiness over titles and power. Her kind father indulged her desire to marry for love, allowing her to turn away suitor after suitor in her pursuit of love. However, when her father dies, she is placed in a predicament that doesn’t allow her the freedom to choose. If she is to protect her mentally challenged brother, she must marry the elderly governor of a nearby province.

Cassius, a Roman centurion, and captain of the governor’s guard, is to escort Aurelia and her unpleasant aunt to the governor’s estate. However, one mishap after another seems to threaten this journey, and soon Cassius finds himself escorting Aurelia alone. Cassius’s only desire is to carry out his duty and keep his heart unaffected by such things as love.

My Review

Soothsayer grabbed my attention from the very beginning and didn’t let go until the very last page. I felt disappointment with every loss and challenge that Aurelia had to face. I understood her distaste for a man a great many years older than she and hoped for another way for her to keep her beloved brother safe. I admired her courage and determination to do what she believed she must do, sacrificing her own dreams.

Cassius, a man of few words, but also a man of honor. A man who could be trusted. Also, a man who had a troubled heart and believed he wouldn’t remain in this world very long. I hoped he would be able to experience what every human needs, but that he felt a need to deny himself.

As I read about the journey of Aurelia and Cassius as their paths crossed and they helped one another, I grew to love these characters and wanted to see them happy by the end of the book.

Kathryn Amurra’s writing is strong. She paints pictures in the reader’s minds, grips their hearts with emotions, and keeps them hoping for the best. This book was so well written and I found no errors, and therefore had nothing to distract me from the story. I related to the internal struggles of the characters, as well as some of their external struggles. I loved the ancient Roman setting, as historical fiction is one of my favorite genres.

This was definitely an exceptional debut novel, and I will be looking for more books from Kathryn Amurra in the future.

I give this book 5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.