Alan

If you are looking for exciting space opera, a la the Vorkosigan saga, take a pass. This is more like Tom Clancy in space,detailing of fighter-carrier operations and weapons technology. The focus is largely on the wonderful technology and the expertise of the characters rather than ideas and emotions.

In short, I bought it on a whim and discovered it's not my cup of tea.

I found Mr. Plunkett's choice to pronounce ancient words and names in American dialect disappointing. In particular this mean that Gordianus' name came out with an unfortunate emphasis on the last four letter.

Steven Saylor gives us the formative adventure of Gordianus the Finder, as the 18 year old sets out with his tutor to visit the seven wonders. As with all Saylor's works, the attention to historical reconstruction of the Roman era intrigues me and keeps me reading. I felt like a tourist accompanying the main character on his visits to the great sights. Narrated in first person by young Gordianus, it presents a series of episodes that prompt his inquisitive problem solving skills and lead to the solution of several mysteries. It is only at the end of the book when we (and Gordianus) learn that there was more to his episodic adventure than was apparent. The final puzzle sets the young Finder onto the path to become the skeptical investigator we know in later books. I found The Seven Wonders interesting throughout and rewarding at the end. Recommended.

While there are several interesting characters in the story, I don't feel I got enough to really care about any of them or their aspirations.

Yes. This is only the first of her works I've tried. I'll give another one a try.

Ottorino Vespucci, black sheep of a rich family with romantic notions about the Martian frontier based on Spaghetti Westerns.

This book reads like a collection of tales, published as individual short stories, which it may well be.

The premise about the colonization of a large landmass mid-Atlantic intrigued me and the alternate history was fascinating.

I needed more involvement with a central character -- or a succession of them, as Steven Saylor provides in Roma. Especially in the first third, I would have been much more engaged if I had a main character to focus on with some personal concerns I could identify with. As it was, it was merely a man in his time with little thematic juice.

The narrator was excellent: great tone, pace, and rhythm.

Brene Brown's latest book on vulnerability, leadership, and living covers science, anecdotes, and insight in easy to understand and entertaining text.

This audio book suffers only from the narrator, who reads at good speed and emphasis, but has a high rasp in her voice that I found irritating. Not a fatal flaw because the content is so good. I recommend this audiobook.

The story is straightforward, stepping through the process of a town's survival in a new environment. No surprises and little to prompt wonder or philosophical speculation.

Yes. I like authors from the classic era of SF.

He read much too fast.