Feast of Sorrow: A Novel of Ancient Rome

Synopsis

Set amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairs-downstairs politics of a Roman family, Crystal Kings seminal debut features the man who inspired the worlds oldest cookbook and the ambition that led to his destruction. On a blistering day in the twenty-sixth year of Augustus Caesars reign, a young chef, Thrasius, is acquired for the exorbitant price of twenty thousand denarii. His purchaser is the infamous gourmet Marcus Gavius Apicius, wealthy beyond measure, obsessed with a taste for fine meals from exotic places, and a singular ambition: to serve as culinary adviser to Caesar, an honor that will cement his legacy as Romes leading epicure. Apicius rightfully believes that Thrasius is the key to his culinary success, and with Thrasiuss help he soon becomes known for his lavish parties and fantastic meals. Thrasius finds a family in Apiciuss household, his daughter Apicata, his wife Aelia, and her handmaiden, Passia whom Thrasius quickly falls in love with. But as Apicius draws closer to his ultimate goal, his reckless disregard for any who might get in his way takes a dangerous turn that threatens his young family and places his entire household at the mercy of the most powerful forces in Rome.