Avis Aurea – The Golden Bird – Omnia Vincit Amor Book 2

From the ashes of suffering, a new strength can be born. From embracing one’s demons, a new life can be found.

Back in Rome after his perilous adventures, Marius makes a shocking discovery about his past. But life must go on. Not only does his child need raising, but he must also resume his duties amidst the plotting of Rome’s elite.

To add to that, his love for Kyle burns even brighter, melting the walls behind which so many painful memories are trapped. And as feelings bubble to the surface more and more, Marius and Kyle’s love is revealed without hindrance, slowly and sensually, even though shadows of Kyle’s past come back to haunt him, and the people involved in his suffering are thorns in their emerging love.

That, and the fact, Marius also brings home a new wife, Claudia.

And as Claudia takes her place within the family, unexpected emotions emerge between them all, lacing themselves into Marius and Kyle’s world, resulting in unexpected bliss. Until shattering news about their enemies leaves all of them grappling for air, facing decisions none of them want to make… caught in the race for power.

Will their love surmount the many painful obstacles put in their path? Or will their enemies drive a wedge, an unbridgeable chasm between them all? Are Marius, Kyle, and Claudia nothing more than victims of the cruel world they live in?

★★★★
In my review of the first book, I called it the start of an epic love story. This second book definitely lives up to that promise, with surprising twists and turns. Although this series is not a meticulously researched historical novel, it still reminds me of Mary Renault’s The Persian Boy in scale. At this point, it’s hard to even guess at where things will end, so I’ll just have to read the third book to find out.

Amazon review

★★★★★
The second book in Maxime Jaz’s Roman trilogy is another triumph! It moves flawlessly through the thoughts and hearts of the protagonists, even giving glimpses into the thinking of antagonists such as Gaius and Antonius. I love the way it plunges straight in, with a major shock for Marius!

Amazon review

★★★★★
Basically, Maxime has created a whole family of characters that I feel extremely attached to and I’m *super* worried about what they’ll have to go through in the third book.

goodreads review