The Key To Rome
By Sophie Masson
Cover and internal illustrations by Lorena Carrington
Published by Eagle Books, an imprint of Christmas Press, May 2023
ISBN 9780645378856
RRP: $19.99, 256 pages, trim size: 190mmx128mm
About the book:
Ancient Roman province of Britannia, AD 84
Twelve-year-old orphan Livia has to keep a promise made to her late father: to take a mysterious key to her estranged uncle Marcus. She sets out with the key, her old horse Pegasus and her father’s doctoring kit, only to learn that her uncle has left for a town further north.
By the time she reaches it, her uncle has gone, and she can’t find out where–until a boy named Mato informs her that he knows. But he refuses to tell her unless she takes him with her.
As the two young people journey on the trail of Livia’s uncle, they start to suspect that the key holds a very dangerous secret. And now Livia and Mato must keep their wits about them, in a deadly game of cat and mouse. But figuring out who is friend, and who is foe, is the greatest challenge of all…
An exciting historical novel by multi-award-winning author Sophie Masson.
Cover and internal illustrations by Lorena Carrington.
Read reviews here, here and here.
About the author:
Born in Indonesia of French parents, who are themselves of mixed ethnicity: Basque, Spanish, Portuguese and French-Canadian as well as French, Sophie Masson AM was brought up in France and Australia and now lives in regional NSW. Sophie is the multi-award-winning author of over 70 books, for children, young adults and adults, many of which have been published internationally. Her most recent titles for young readers, aside from The Key to Rome, are Sydney under Attack (Scholastic Australia, 2022) Cock-a-doodle-doo(illustrated by Kathy Creamer, Little Pink Dog Books 2022) and Four Up In Lights (Christmas Press 2022). In 2019 Sophie received an AM award in the Order of Australia honours list for her significant service to literature. Her author website is at www.sophiemasson.org and she blogs at www.firebirdfeathers.com.
Selected reviews:
A dying man’s promise, a mysterious key, and a dangerous journey in ancient times; The Key to Rome is a story that will keep you reading until way past your bedtime. Set in the Roman Province of Britannia in AD84, the story sees 12-year-old Livia keeping a promise to her dying father to deliver a key to her estranged uncle. Along her perilous journey, Livia meets Mato, a boy who needs to see his dying mother before it’s too late. Together the two travellers make their way through ancient lands where they learn that the key may hold a dreadful secret. Multi award-winning author Sophie Masson has created a thrilling historical adventure that not only excites but teaches us about the troubled times in which the story is set. (Heather Zubek, The West Australian, April 23 2023)
Sophie Masson pens a rich story of substance, style and sparkle…This is a treat of a novel for any historical fiction fan. Highly recommended. (Brenton Cullen, Good Reading Magazine, June 2023)
This is a first-class middle-grade historical adventure…..Multi-award-winning author Sophie Masson has carefully crafted a believable and suspenseful adventure. Her details of the period have been thoroughly researched to create an intriguing historical mystery. (Debra Williams, Buzz Words)
Sophie Masson’s latest book, The Key to Rome, is an exciting, fast-paced adventure set in AD 84, and based on historical facts….This is a fantastic read, full of mystery and adventure about two children, each on an individual quest, intending to succeed in creating a life of value and meaning for their future. (Anastasia Gonis, Kids Book Review)
Highly recommended. Sophie Masson is a master at weaving historical facts into captivating stories, and this book is no exception…. The exciting plot moves along well, and readers are drawn into the dangerous game Livia is playing when she tries to figure out what the key means and why her uncle and his enemies will do anything to get or destroy it. But will they uncover the truth in time to stay alive? Detailed background notes and a glossary at the back of the book are very helpful additions for young readers. (Gabrielle Anderson, Read Plus)
The Key to Rome is an exciting, historical novel with intriguing and mysterious plot twists, written by prolific and award-winning author, Sophie Masson. I enjoyed the depictions of social and political conditions of Roman occupied Britannia. The language of the dialogue and vivid descriptions of the lifestyle and the landscape evoke a sense of ancient Roman times. (Barbara Swartz, Reading Time)
There’s nothing quite like a good ancient Roman historical fiction, and this one full of drama, deceit and death will appeal to many middle grade readers who relish an exciting and suspense-filled adventure…It is, all in all, an exhilarating and tense quest for truth and justice. Readers will gain some interesting insight into life in early Roman-occupied Britain, and the oppression of the native people that always follows the invasion of a ruthless force. (Sue Warren, JustSo Stories blog)
