ARC Review: I, Claudia by Mary McCoy
10:00
Series: None
Author: Mary McCoy
Published October 1st 2018 by Carolrhoda Lab (R)
Goodreads Synopsis
Disaffected teen historian Claudia McCarthy never expected to be in charge of Imperial Day Academy, but by accident, design, or scheme, she is pulled into the tumultuous and high-profile world of the Senate and Honor Council. Suddenly, Claudia is wielding power over her fellow students that she never expected to have and isn't sure she wants.
Claudia vows to use her power to help the school. But there are forces aligned against her: shocking scandals, tyrants waiting in the wings, and political dilemmas with no easy answers. As Claudia struggles to be a force for good in the universe, she wrestles with the question: does power inevitably corrupt?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
You might not know this, but I have a degree in Ancient History, and any book that even has a whiff of classics to it, will be on my wishlist/in my basket ASAP - this book was no different. The Julio-Claudian family and and early Imperial Rome has always been a love of mine, and Claudius was one of my favourite Emperors. I had high hopes for this book, because of that, and I was not disappointed.
If you've ever seen the BBC series, I, Claudius, or read Robert Graves book of the same name, you'll have a vague idea of the history of the Julio-Claudian family. In I, Claudia, we follow Claudia, the female reincarnation of Claudius for this adaptation, as she navigates the brutal and cruel life of Imperial Day Academy. Despite her best intentions, she finds herself entangled in the Senate and Honor Council of the school. Filled with cut-throat characters, scandals at every turn, and the risk of being stabbed in the back on a day to day basis, Claudia has to discover just who she can trust, and try and regain her own humanity, before the power corrupts her too.
I simply adored this book, and Claudia too. She has a limp and stutter, just like the real Claudius, and has been underestimated for most of her life. She was happy with that, and used it to get by school without any trouble. Her sister had been on the High Council at school, and that was her only link with the group, initially. After her sister left school, we see through court transcripts and flashbacks, how Claudia's rise and fall took place over the four years of high school. Everything was done so believably, and was so like the true history, that McCoy must've researched the history so well. Every little nuance played out in a high school setting, which wasn't actually that far from reality, and nothing seemed forced. We had the honour of Augustus, the vindictiveness of Livia, and the sheer depravity of Caligula. I wish the book never ended, and I can't believe how little I've heard people talk about this book. Really, you need to get a hold of this book!
Dates Read:
October 11-17, 2018Rating
4 Stars
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