Customer Reviews

The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina (The Roman Mysteries)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We pick up the story in the sixth book of The Roman Mysteries with Marcus Geminus in grave but not disastrous financial circumstances. However, something potentially disastrous seems about to happen where Flavia is concerned. He father appears to be interested in marrying again and his intended bride seems to disapprove of her future step-daughter. Worst of all Flavia has been betrothed!

In short, Flavia is grounded because of her general disobediece and eagerness to solve mysteries which her father no longer finds charming. She discovers that her father's intended, named Cartila, was married before and her husband died somewhat mysteriously. Flavia is convinced that the woman has bewitched her father and intends to make him her next victim, and sets out to discover who Cartila is and what her motives are. In the process, Flavia also learns a great deal about herself.

The book is set during Saturnalia so there is a festive atmosphere to the proceedings, and also allows Flavia to engineer her selection as the king of Saturnalia. From a dream she has Flavia adopts the famous twelve tasks of Hercules as her guide to finding clues. It also helps that a new fresco is being painted in her house dealing with all of the tasks. As the book proceeds and our heroes get closer to the truth there are ominous signs that an epidemic has begun in Ostia.

This in the Roman Mysteries series concentrates more on Flavia and her character and her relationship to her father. Like the preceding volumes, Caroline Lawrence writes beautifully and I especially appreciated her descriptions of the Saturnalia. A nice addition to the series that is not to be missed.

I just wrote a rather long review for this, then it disappeared so I'll make this rewrite short. My daughter and I love the Roman Mystery books, and were really enjoying this one until the whole mystery turned out to be a non issue and (SPOILER) they killed off a female character that Flavia had just bonded with so touchingly. My daughter was outraged. For myself, I'm so tired of children's books and Disney movies with their dead mothers, this seemed like a great opportunity to go against the tide, but apparently Lawrence chose not to take it.

For the first two thirds of the book we were reading eagerly, claiming that this was her best book yet. By the end my daughter was upset at the death (which looked completely tacked on in one paragraph, as if some outside source told her to do it) and the unsatisfying conclusion. In addition, it was never made clear whether the mystery woman's younger sister was normal, an overly jealous sibling, or actually something of a psycho. Oh, and one other thing. Not sure I want to read about a ten year old girl being romantically obsessed with a forty year old man. It may have been ancient Rome, but it's still creepy.

I've been enjoying this series, and have read seven of the books in the last week or so. On the whole, the series has been fun, educational, and largely harmless.

This book, however, is my least favorite of the ones I've read. I'm sure this is largely personal preference...I didn't like the feminist themes in this book, nor the reliance on pagan mysticism. Certainly, all the books in the series (of the ones I've read) contain information on Greco Roman "gods", but they are functionally portrayed as powerless. In this book, however, they seem to actually be "helping" the main character. As a Christian myself, I'm not so interested in that.

Additionally, two of the young girls in the book (10 and 11) fall "in love" with much older men (one of whom is married). Both crushes are unrequited, but conservative parents may want to be aware of this subject matter.

My purpose in reading these books is to preview them for my 10yo, who easily demolishes a book in an afternoon. I'm going to have her skip this particular title, though I'm sure she'll enjoy several other titles in the series.

I have raved about all the books thus far in Caroline Lawrence's "The Roman Mysteries" series, but this is the first one that's left me a little cold. It's not bad by any means, but is simply not up to the same excellent standard of previous and subsequent books. Dealing with unrequited love, escaped animals, and a plot that is based loosely on the twelve tasks of Hercules, it is though Lawrence had a lot of disparate ideas that she wanted to use but couldn't quite piece together properly. Although the research (particularly on the Roman festivals and lifestyle) and her rich, clear prose is as impeccable as ever, the plot is rather haywire. The unclear mystery has an unsatisfactory resolution, and Flavia unfortunately comes across as a bit shrewish.

Ostia in the year 79AD is preparing for the Saturnalia festival, and our four young protagonists are looking forward to the celebrations: introspective Jonathan, wise Nubia, fearless Lupus and headstrong Flavia, who (as the title would suggest) takes centre-stage for this particular story. As an only child with a doting father who gives her the freedom to solve mysteries whenever they crop up, Flavia is conscious and grateful for her charmed life. But changes are on the horizon. Captain Marcus Flavius Gemina suddenly feels that his daughter is dangerously independent and informs her that she's not to leave the house without his permission. It's time that she starts thinking about the prospect of marriage, despite the fact that Flavia believes herself in love with a much older friend of the family. The final blow comes when her father brings home a beautiful young widow. Cartilia Poplica is clearly interested in Marcus, and Flavia is certain that this potential step-mother is the one responsible for the new restrictions on her carefree lifestyle.

Flavia is determined to prove that Cartilia is bewitching her father, and after a strange dream in which she is told by the legendary Hercules that she must complete his twelve tasks, the investigation begins. Using Hercules' tasks as a guide, the clues that it provides leads the friends on a treasure hunt that is so remarkably specific that coincidence borders on the supernatural.

Desire and intrigue is in the air for more than just Flavia's father, as the young detectives uncover the infatuations and love affairs of other lovesick characters, including their tutor, their tutor's friend, Jonathan's betrothed sister, Flavia's uncle, Cartilia's sister, and Nubia herself. Even Lupus fosters a little crush on a fierce warrior-woman, and what the book lacks in clear plot, it tries to make up for in the fact that the youngsters are growing up fast. Flavia in particular gets some long-anticipated character development as she makes her first steps toward womanhood and all that it requires of her.

As other reviews have mentioned, the death of a significant character at the end of the story is a disappointment. There's nothing wrong with a children's story that involves the stark reality of death, but that it happens after an entire book's worth of character development and which is literally squeezed into the final four pages of the book with little foreshadowing makes it feel like a slap in the face. It's as though Lawrence simply lost interest and didn't want to deal with the ramifications of this character's inclusion in future books. It's a pity, as the character in question could have enriched certain aspects of the protagonists' lives.

Though this review may seem largely negative, it's only because the quality of this series as a whole is so high. It's necessary reading in the context of the overarching story at work, and entertaining throughout. On its own terms it is a bittersweet look at first love and begins several important plotlines that will be explored further in later books (as well as wrapping up the long-time tension surrounding Miriam's wedding). Certainly a worthy read, though I suspect most will be happy to move on to The Enemies of Jupiter.

The twelve tasks of Flavia Gemina is yet another book written by my favourite author Caroline Lawrence. To Flavia, it looks like her pater has finally found true love.... once again. But thats not all..... Flavia's found love too... but most young girls would fall in love with smone young but Flavia's found love with a older man.... Will he ever find out? What will happen to Flavia's Father? will he get married...??..? its all up to you to find out by readin' the book. It's a great book