Dominus    by Steven Saylor Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2021 (2021) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens Historical fiction about a place has never been so pleasant to read. Dominus brings to life the difficult centuries of the Roman Empire - roughly 161-337AD. In that time, there were over 30 rulers, and source material is quite sparse. Steven Saylor, the author of Roma, continues his retelling of Roman history in the same sprightly manner in this work. This time it is the Pinarius family we follow, and they also have as their talisman a gold fascinum in the shape of a phallus with wings. Since they are artisans of good reputation, they always manage to get commissions from the emperors. And so we learn a great deal about the city, its statues and monuments and its myths and legends. The publisher's back-page blurb led me to believe that there would be a significant amount of information about the Christians. While they are definitely part of the story, it is only when we get to Constantine at the end that they move more to the foreground, and then reluctantly, since the novel is written from the Pinarius' very traditional point of view about who should be worshipped. One of the things I liked best about this work is the way it brings to life one of the quotes in the Author's Note: 'The past did not generate fixed memories; instead, memories constructed a past' (Raymond Van Dam). It has forever changed my view and reading of history. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews