Imperium

Robert Harris is a bestselling British author (Pompeii, Enigma) who writes historical fiction, and in Imperium he returns to ancient Rome to chronicle Marcus Cicero's rise to power. Cicero's household slave Tiro, who served as his personal secretary for 36 years, is the writer and narrator of this fictional biography. It tells of Cicero's early years of training and his gradual rise to political power Without money or an army to back him up, Cicero relied on his wits and oratorical prowess to subsequently claim the highest position in the Roman government.

Harris' writing is crisp and fast-paced. Cicero's story is intriguing in itself but Harris is able to add more suspense and drama, as well as paint a vivid picture of Roman politics, legal system and culture. I'm not exactly a fan of historical biography, and I just got the book because it was on sale at that time, but Imperium has got me hooked to this particular historical figure's story. The novel ends as Cicero becomes Rome's supreme consul and there will most likely be 2 more books to coming out to finish what Harris started. I rate this as 3.5 stars.