Jasmyn's Reviews

This series does not need to be read in order to enjoy them. However, Jared and Bryna do play a fairly important role in The Patrician's Fortune and it was great to see their story. 

Bryna is a slave. Her "barbarian tribe" was captured and sold in the slave markets of Rome. A beautiful woman doesn't usually last long there, but her brother had the fore sight to brag about her powerful visions - ones that would disappear if she were violated. So instead of entering a brothel as a prostitute, she enters one as an oracle with services for sale. I love how Joan Kayse set up the back story. It became a seamless part of the current story, revealed in small ways that led to a great understanding of the position Bryna found herself in. 

Jared, on the other hand, was not a slave. At least not at first. He was a customer - and the lies Bryna tells him lead to his capture. Through a series of events and sales, they find themselves working for the same master on a secluded estate. This is where the story hit a little hiccup for me. I know the Roman empire was vast, but I would have thought someone, somewhere in one of the markets would have recognized one of Alexandria's most prominent merchants. This thought popped up several times in their journey. But putting that aside, the way they were brought together was brilliant. 

Jared and Bryna both have the same basic goal - escape. Each with their own motives. I love how their relationship grew so gradually that neither one even realized it at first. They are torn apart several times, but somehow always managed to find themselves together again. The end of the story ends with several fantastically moving scenes between them and with the "bad guys". I just wish Jared's history had been a little bit easier for me to believe.