Collins does a fantastic job of portraying the environment in 3rd century Rome. Sometimes I could almost taste the dust in the air or hear the clanging of swords. This is clearly a love story between Valentine and Agatha (who is blind by the way), but it also depicts the clashing of religions - the Roman gods versus the Christian god. Valentine starts as a good Roman but is influenced by the Christians, which is one reason he is a saint. Worth a good read.

I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction novel and how everything worked to tell the story that it needed to. The characters felt like they were supposed to in this universe and was glad everything was on point. Sheldon Collins was able to create a world that worked overall and was invested in the characters overall. I’m glad it had that Roman element that I wanted and enjoyed reading this.

A true masterpiece! As a discerning reader, I'm rarely so deeply captivated, but this novel is an exceptional blend of history, action, and romance that held me from beginning to end. It’s my favorite book of the year. Highly recommend!

A history of Valentine! I was intrigued by the cover and I liked how the story was written. Some of the content was very technical and I don’t love that. Overall it was something outside of my normal reads. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.