Vitellius' Feast is a truly epic story from the heart of the Roman Empire, during the Year of the Four Emperors. It is the last in a series from L. J. Trafford, which I will be collecting in due course as this is the first time I had heard of the series.
The book opens with young Domitian being watched over by a freedman, Philo, who is charged with watching the Flavian family. Vespasian is in the East with his legions, and remains a distant worry. However, for the victorious Vitellius and his two generals - Valens and Caecina - the party is just beginning.
And it is a party. Not since the days of Nero's successes has the palace seen such hedonism and debauchery. But it is not all harmless fun. Vitellius quickly proves to be much darker and crooked than any of his predecessors. Shining eunuchs such as Sporus quickly crumble under Vitellius' burdens, and it isn't long before whispers of mutiny start to float through the palace.
The painstaking research Trafford undertook to produce such an epic literary account of one of Rome's most turbulent times is seen throughout. The world building, the characters, the whispers and betrayals, the friendship and family dramas, and the grand soap opera of the story kept me flicking page after page well into the night. If you are a fan of the Roman period, or even just historical fiction in general, then this is the book for you.
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