I had a good time with this speculative, queer, alternate history book.

It did take me a bit to really get into it, although the premise was interesting, it came together slowly. A little info-dumpy and a lot to parse out with all the characters and the world early on. Once things really began moving along, I didn't want to put it down. There are a lot of POVs, and I liked viewing the way this world is set up, the oppression, and politics through each character's eyes, which given their different stations and situations, were quite varying.

While I knew something was going on that most of the characters didn't know about, I had no true inclination as to what it was, and I appreciated the reveal all the more for it. The world was really interesting, the exact time period setting is ambiguous, and I enjoyed trying to clue it together with little pieces.

The romantic relationships were a little too convenient and we could have done with getting rid of one of them maybe? Or keeping it more casual, as it felt a little like insta-love (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers).

I would highly recommend this book to fans of The Endsong Trilogy by Sascha Stronach, which I know is a niche comp but a fitting one all the same.

Thank you so much DAW and NetGalley for the ARC! Review and feature will be posted on my Bookstagram and linked here closer to pub date!

This is a fantasy dystopian novel that takes place in a country where the Roman Empire never really fell and everyone still lives by the caste systems and rules of the Romans.
The Imperial Historian is a prestigious position in this world and is in charge of keeping track of their history including a mysterious period of time that no one remembers and no one knows what happened during this time.
The historian is mysteriously unalived and his daughter has to step up and take his place in society. She and her half brother are thrust into political intrigue, resistance movements and a murder mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest review. I am giving this book 3 stars.
While this book started ok I had an issue with one of the POV characters, Darius. He is a young policeman involved in the investigation of the death of the historian and he starts out as an ok character and slowly evolves into a gross misogynist. I understand making him a villian type or adversary but don’t feel like that was the way it should have been done.
The reveal at the end of the book about this unexplainable mysterious missing time period was ok although not completely original but made the book feel like a Roman rehash of the Divergent books.
I will not be continuing with this book series and can only recommend it as a get it from your library book not for purchase.

Very boring and confusing. The opening prologue was promising, but then you drop the reader right into heavily descriptive prose with no set up. There are only like 3 lines of dialogue in the first 10 or so pages? I want to experience the story, not have it laid out for me. It feels like when you're playing as a kid and spend the whole time explaining the make-believe that your going to play instead of actually playing it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I will admit this took me a little bit to get into as the chapters were written from different character viewpoints and every chapter switched characters. However, once all the players were introduced and the world building started to unfold and the story progressed, I was hooked. This book is riveting and the setting is unique as it is a post apocalyptic world where a new Roman empire has taken over almost every where. I have so many questions about the history of this world that I hope are answered in the next book. I loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next one.

Sargassa is a science fiction novel; its vivid alternate-history worldbuilding is rooted in rigorous thought experiment, as opposed to fantasy’s invocation of the mythic or magical. But like many great science fiction novels, it nonetheless invokes something of the feeling of a great fantasy novel—a world simultaneously ancient and new, a journey into the unknown that is really a circling back to the beginning.

The novel is gloriously political. It bears the obvious imprint of contemporary academic thought. Burnham is interested in systemic injustice, history as political currency, knowledge and power and knowledge as power, the terrifying potential of revolutionary change, the intertwining of the personal and political (colored, perhaps, by the foolish insistence of some young people that having sex can itself be somehow a revolutionary act). In other words, a novel of thorny questions and horny teenagers. Also secret rituals, mysterious maps, stolen books, ancient cities, kidnapping, murder, sex in crypts. I will definitely be reading the sequels!

“Sargassa” follows a group of young adults in an alternate universe in which the Roman Empire never fell. Selah, still reeling from her father’s murder, takes his place as the Imperial Historian. While adjusting to her new role, she is targeted by a group working to take down the empire as a figure they can get close to, use for information, and possibly turn to their cause. The ensuing plot of intrigue and interpersonal drama makes up the story. However, I found all the elements of the plot fairly disjointed and the characters difficult to relate to. A cool concept, but not a particularly enjoyable read.

The first book in a series by Sophie Burnham entitled EX ROMANA, Sargassa is, not unsurprisingly given that series name, set in a world where the Roman Empire seemingly never fell, at last not permanently, though there was a mysterious “Great Quiet” in which most of the prior knowledge and technology was lost before the Empire was reestablished. More specifically, the novel is set in Sargassa, long ago colonized by the Roman Imperium and now home to the Imperial Archives, the repository of all the Empire’s knowledge and lore. Sargassa is heavily divided by class and rights, with the population made up of true citizens and plebs (themselves heavily divided by class), slaves (servae), and children of slaves who have gained quasi-citizenry as “vernae.” Adding to the tensions in the state are those who believe Sargassa should have self-rule or out and out independence, with a group of freedom fighters/terrorists (depending on who is doing the naming) called the Revenants actively engaged in resistance, including via violence.

The novel kicks off with a bang, as the current Imperial Historian is murdered. By whom and for what reason are two mysteries that run throughout the story. Caught up in that mystery (directly or indirectly) and/or in the political confrontations are:

• Selah Kleios: the 22-year-old daughter of the murdered Imperial Historian who now inherits his role
• Arran Kleios: Selah’s half-brother, born of her father and a slave, making him a vernae with citizenship rights but still relegated to being a “client” of Selah’s
• Theo: a member of the Revenants
• Tair: Selah’s former best friend before being forced out of the household to live on the streets where she gets involved with several groups, including the Revenants
• Darius: a member of the Intelligence wing of the Cohort, the police of Sargassa, and a true believer in the Imperium’s traditions

The story is told from their alternating viewpoints and moves back and forth in time, which makes the early parts of the book somewhat disjointed, though this smooths out as the story goes on. In general, the early sections are the weakest, with some clunky exposition and world-building, and some pacing issues. Once the main characters are directly interacting, the pace picks up, as does the reader’s engagement with the story. There’s a lot of internal tension amongst the group — romantic/sexual tension, sibling tension, betrayed friendship tension, political disagreement tension, and more. Burnham generally does a good job in manipulating that tension and balancing it, even if the romances are a bit too “insta-romance” for me.

The characters are interesting in their backgrounds and interactions, but I found myself wishing for more development, more delving into their character, such that it felt that the potential there wasn’t being fully mined. This was true as well for Darius, who thanks to his job is not part of the “group”, but we get little hints of complexity there that are never really brought forward which seemed a missed opportunity. The same was true for Selah’s mother, a Senator, who makes a few early appearances that disappears entirely, again I’d say to the story’s detriment.

The middle section is the strongest, as the characters negotiate around their internal tensions and also try to solve the mystery of the Historian’s murder, as well as figure out a piece of old pre-Quiet technology left to Selah by her father. Things take a turn downward in the latter part though. The book gets very talky, with characters explaining things to one another. One scene in particular, with a character under the influence of truth serum, is too long, too convenient, and too expository. It seems having the characters discover much of what they’re told in that scene rather than just get it recited at them would have been a better way to go. Another issue is the ending relies on a series of revelations, though given the number of people involved, it’s hard to believe how any of the supposed secrets could have remained secret to the main characters (especially when servants are literally directing people to places where the secret activities are occurring). The revelation (and use of) the old technology was also a disappointment, though I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers.

As for the world-building, while the world of the novel feels real and inhabited, I can’t say it felt particularly “Roman” outside of some vocabulary and some surface connections. The Empire Never Died felt like a thin veneer, a bit betwixt and between in that it seemed it either should have gone more fully “Roman” or just leave the Rome part out and have it be a divided society. To be fair, though, this is the first book in the series, so it’s quite possible we’ll see more Roman Empire connection later.

The themes are thoughtfully (and sadly at times all too relevant) handled as they delve into issue surrounding imperialism/colonialism, propaganda, surveillance states, class, gender, identity.

Sargassa definitely had its flaws, but the characters and general storyline were strong enough that I’ll pick up book two in hopeful anticipation of those issues being ironed out. Recommended with the above caveats.

This was a case of a good book that was just not for me. While I liked the overall plot and themes, it ultimately read a little too light and young for my personal taste.

"[He] is not a bad person because he is an evil one, a sadist who relishes in the pain and misery of others. [He] is a bad person because he has been taught to use his talents for the sake of bad works." Sargassa was an interesting read which presented a future in which the Roman empire had conquered the world and gave us insight into the lives of several people of different social standings. While one man believes himself to be the hero because of his upbringing, others seen him as the villain. It was full of tension, romance, and criticism of many issues we have today in the modern world.

While I quite enjoyed Sargassa, it did contain very heavy themes of colonialism, police brutality, systemic inequality, indentured servitude, and political corruption. While these themes are to be expected in a Roman story, I would suggest that readers consider whether they are in the right headspace to read this right now. I don't know if it was intentional but there was a situation which paralleled the Indigenous residential schools that happened in North America in real life, and someone who has been affected by that may want to know that going into the book. expecially considering that <spoiler> the "reeducated native" turned out to be a murderer who was secretly working for the colonisers </spoiler> as well as the fact that the main characters regularily refer to the natives as savage and violent because of the propaganda they have been fed.

Overall, great book, 5 stars. The big reveal at the end explains all the inconsistancies and historical innacuracy, and sets up the next book quite nicely. I hope to read the next one when it comes out.

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and DAW books for the ARC. Unfortunately, this was not the book for me as I found it difficult to care about the characters or the plot.

This was a book I was given the opportunity to read via netgalley.

It was a thrilling ride, that surprised me and had me on the edge of my seat.

It was a superb alternative history, with interesting world building, intriguing characters and surprising plot twist.

I truely fell in love the characters and the world, absolutely adored it! I do not impress lightly this is only my third 5 star book out of around 70 so far this year!

I have also left a review on storygraph

As soon as it comes out I will need to own a copy!

What if Roman Empire neverl fell? That's the premise of Sargassa, first installment in Ex Romana series. Although it starts as adult fantasy, it's more of an alternative historial dystopia (you'll find out why at the end of the book). Sophie Burnham created a world resembling our own though... built on Ancient Rome with all its glory - social hierarchy, gladiators, slaves etc. One of the most important people out there is Imperial Historian who oversees the history. And the current one is killed... which leads to the plot of our story.

Sargassa is a slow read. Very slow. The writing style itself is pretty captivating but I had a problem to get into the story in the beginning. I don't usually read high fantasy or historical books (especially in English) so I struggled for a while. Not because it was bad but because I couldn't truly dive into the story. I devoured the book after I managed to do that though. The second half of the books is action packed and all the characters come together in one big action. I can't really say much without spoiling it but the main plot twist in the end? Wow. Didn't expect it at all.

Characters are just as important as plot. We follow several different Povs which helps the complexity of whole book, showing different benefits and cons of different social statutes etc. Big focus is also on sexuality and self-appreciaton. You'll get a lot of queer characters.

In the end, Sargassa was truly a hidden gem. I can't wait for the book 2 because this? I digged it. And in few last chapters I couldn't get enough.

Thank you Netgalley and DAW Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

"In a world where Rome never fell."

When I first heard of this book and read its synopsis I was hooked. A story that follows a rag-tag group as they delve deeper into the secrets of the world they are living in and learning they are ready to watch it burn. However, the book didn't hit the mark for me. While the writing was excellent I found the story to be very plot heaving. We were introduced to our main characters through their POVs but the focus still remained mostly on the world they were living in. I found that since it was plot heavy I ended up not feeling strongly toward any of the characters. I felt at one point that on of the MCs could be killed and I just wouldn't care because I wasn't able to connect.

While, this book didn't end up being for me I think that anyone who loves a strong political fantasy will find this book to be their cup of tea.

Sargassa by Sophie Burnham, well written but not a book for me. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book but it didn't succeed at keeping my attention and making me want to come back.

This sounded fascinating, but the description of the book seems completely at odds with what I started reading! The beginning is so busy, confusing and just an explosion of characters, history, motivations... I couldn't keep track of it all enough to get very far. Really sorry, DNF.

The disjointed beginning of Sargassa, a thriller about revolution, information, and who gets to have power and why, belies just how masterful the novel becomes.

The opening of Sargassa—contrary to the rest of the book—feels sloppy. It has a great hook—the Imperial Historian of Sargassa, part of a Roman Empire which never fell, is murdered. However, this momentum is squandered by info-dumping and rapid jumps in time and character perspective.

Fortunately, these issues are resolved within the first 50 pages or so. Once the setting is established, the excellent world-building and characterizations come to the fore. What really stands out is how well the characters are emmeshed in a Roman society heavily divided by ethnicity and class. Their world-views are heavily shaped by their privilege or lack thereof and power makes its way into every relationship, either drawing characters together or working to force them apart. Close third-person narration captures this dynamic in intimate detail. The romances—based first and foremost on emotional need rather than physical attraction—deserve special mention, particularly the central sapphic relationship between Selah and Tair.

Still, the story lacks a consistent sense of tension beyond the excellent personal dramas. Despite the clever political maneuvering in the background, the POV characters are often too unaware of what is happening to create suspense. For example, when the Imperial Historian is murdered, neither Selah nor Arran, his children and POV characters, are overly concerned about solving the mystery or being assassinated themselves. It plays out more like a drama than a political thriller except for some POV chapters.

A little before page 200 (about halfway), the characters start to become more directly involved in the political danger and the novel kicks up a notch. The political and the personal dramas begin to ratchet up to a fever pitch, culminating in series of clever reveals and tough (one in particular) character choices. It is up-lifting, earth-shattering, and devastating all at once. I’m going to have a hard time waiting for the sequel.

I have posted this review to Goodreads and will post it my Twitter ( @laramie_graber) and Instagram (@laramiegraber).

I'm loving the current trend of including Greek and Roman history in sff atm. This is more of a fantasy based on an alternate history but the author has skilfully blended fantasy with history and this goes down smooth as ice cream. Great characters and an exciting, intelligent story made this one of my favourite reads of the year.

If someone ever asks you, “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” just hand them Sophie Burnham’s Sargassa, lean close to their ear, and whisper, “More than you can possibly imagine,” because, my god, this kept the history nerd in me grinning for over 400 pages!

I was tempted to turn this into a spoiler-filled review because there was so much I wanted to geek out about, but I also know many people ignore spoiler warnings and read the review anyway. I really want everyone to experience this without any prior knowledge of the plot.

As a matter of fact, don’t even read the description. If you love alternate history, delicious villains, dystopia with incredible world-building, and characters who are one step away from either saving the world or breaking it, I guarantee you’ll love Sargassa.

One thing I want to praise in particular is the world-building. I love both history and SFF, so I’m the type of reader who is really difficult to impress with an alternate history narrative. Writers usually underestimate how difficult it is to take something from real history, especially two massive historical events such as the Roman Empire and the discovery of the Americas by Europeans, and then use these events to create an alternate timeline. Usually, this premise falls flat because the alternate history simply isn’t believable. But Sargassa is a great example of how writers should write alternate history. That’s why I keep emphasizing that history enthusiasts, especially those who love the Roman Empire, will absolutely fall in love with this story. It will keep them repeating the phrase, “Interesting. Yeah, I see how this could’ve happened.”

A quick tip: consider reading the appendix “An Official History of Roma & Her Client Empires” before reading the story. I discovered it after finishing the novel, but I think it would’ve been nice to read before starting. Not that the plot itself was confusing or anything, but if you have a more list-based mindset like me, the appendix is a great resource.

Overall, Sophie Burnham’s debut was a fantastic read and one of my favorite stories of 2024. It’s probably just one of my favorites in its genre. I finished Sargassa and immediately Googled if there was a sequel, only to remember mid-search that this was only an ARC of the first book. I think that’s really the biggest compliment I can give to a debut and a first entry in a series.

There's a lot to like about this book. It's very well written, for the most part, and the plot is absolutely riveting. I had a hard time putting the book down.

I did find it a bit difficult to get into - I think the time jumps in the opening chapters, and then the viewpoints from all the different characters contributed to that, but once I got past the first few chapters, it was very compelling. The book is plot driven rather than character driven, which is okay, but I do like more character development. The main characters are somewhat interchangeable, and the villains are VILLAINS. There was one character who was mildly morally ambiguous because he was motivated by belief in the system, rather than pure evil; I would have liked more of that. I also found the couples annoying - sort of insta-love and again, not much character development.

there is a big twist at the end, which I kind of saw coming, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment. I also very much liked the other twist at the end, which involves one character doing something unanticipated.

Even though this sounds very critical, I enjoyed this book very much - good writing and a good plot go a long way to captivate my attention. I'm a bit disappointed I'll have to wait so long for the next installment.

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley.

An alternative history Roman empire

Approximately 2000 years ago (no one knows for sure how long it's been), Augustus Caesar became the first princeps of Roma. The Empire grew, and Caesarian explorers crossed the Sargasso Sea to discover the continents on the other side. Some of them moved north to Sargassa, where they defeated the Ynglots and established the state of Roma Sargassa. But then 800 years after Augustus, Italia was decimated by plague. A few years later Roma was sacked, leading to a general breakdown of civilization, called The Great Quiet. No one knows how long the Quiet lasted -- historians estimate it was about 300 years. Much of the pre-Quiet historical record was lost. Eventually, Roma was re-established. Five years later Antal Iveroa was appointed the first Imperial Historian. The office of Historian passed from him to his descendants -- in 753 PQ (Post Quietam) Alexander Kleios became Imperial Historian. In 779 PQ Alexander Kleios was assassinated. Thus begins our story.

The preceding history is condensed from "An Official History of Roma and Her Client Empires", which appears as an appendix to Sophie Burnham's novel Sargassa, the first book in her planned series Ex Romana. I read the appendix before reading the novel, and I advise you to do the same. It spoils nothing and makes the novel easier to follow.

A Sargassan citizen who commits a crime will be forced into servitude. The children of servae (slaves) can be apprenticed to a trade, and if they do well (as judged by their masters, of course) become Sargassan citizens -- vernae, but they remain clients of their masters. There exists a resistance movement, called the Revenants, fighting for their idea of democracy. The government of Sargassa call the Revenants terrorists. The Revenants are immediately blamed by the Cohort Publica (think "police") for the Historian's murder.

Alexander left an artifact behind for his heir -- his daughter Selah. It's called the Iveroa stone, and everyone wants it. (view spoiler)

This was a good story, with lots of good characters, including not just good guys but at least one delicious villain. Near the end we get a huge reveal, which I will not spoil. I certainly intend to read the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Sargassa. Release date 8-Oct-2024.