To date this is the best Christian novel I have ever read. I am very picky when it comes to books and this did not disappoint. I would say, that even if you're not interested in Christian beliefs, perhaps you don't even have them, it is worth a read. There is no getting around them though as God is heavily pronounced so keep that in mind. This had multiple POV but I wasn't deterred at all. The romance is fitting for the era and beautifully written.

I noticed a lot of people said this was a slow read but I could hardly put it down. By the end I was in tears and felt so utterly heartbroken. (Don't worry there are two more books!) It is one of the few books that moved me to feel while reading and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a beautiful, elaborate story. Again, this is a Christian book but it has everything you could possibly want from the Roman era, with violence, gore, romance, and more.

As a series this is one of my favorites and will always have a home on my book shelf. I have not been able to bring myself to read it again though simply because it moves me so much I don't feel like crying haha The first and third are deifently my favorites as I was not as interested in following the characters in the second.