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Aurelia Marcella is a Roman citizen who considers Britain her home. She moved here with her family over ten years before. Her brother owns the Oak Tree Mansio; however, Aurelia and her sister are involved with the actual day-to-day business. They find a body in their courtyard, which they presume is a corpse. In fact it is a Roman soldier, Quintus, involved in a secret mission. Quintus claims to have been sent by their brother; however, all they have is his word for it. While they willingly accept Quintus into their household, a killing spree erupts in nearby areas. Romans are being murdered on the roads with a message that all Romans should get out or die! Aurelia must fight to protect her friends and family from an unknown terror. GET OUT OR DIE is written as a narrative for her brother to pass on up the chain of command. Aurelia tells her story naturally without the formal or stiffness that one would expect from a report. Very little that she supplies would be helpful in formal report; yet, what she includes holds the story together. Aurelia has an interesting voice. She is supposedly writing this report after all of the events have occurred but manages to keep the plot moving. GET OUT OR DIE is obviously written from the Roman perspective and very well so at that. The ideas Aurelia presents regarding Rome and its behaviors are very similar to the Roman propaganda dating from that period. Unfortunately, a lot of what Aurelia presents is just that propaganda. Yes, the Celts practiced human sacrifice, but so did the Romans. Although they had discontinued that practice, gladiatorial games and having Christians fight the lions were merely sacrifices without the religious trappings. In addition, the Romans did rape, kill and or enslave Celtic women and men whether it was deserved (Aurelia's rational) or not. Yes, the Celts were not exactly the most peaceful of peoples either; however, the Romans are by no means superior in this regard. To expect the Celts to live in peaceful co-existence with them is a little unreasonable. None of this is especially vital for reading enjoyment; however, it is important to realize that Finnis is only presenting one side of this period's history. GET OUT OR DIE is Jane Finnis' first novel. It is also the first book in the series featuring Aurelia Marcella.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, January 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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