A Valiant Woman Rising to Defeat the Roman Republic - an Editorial Review of "Social War"

Book Blurb:

Psychologically abused Helena escapes her peasant upbringing in the olive groves only to become a slave in the house of General Sulla. When her natural genius is spotted by Sulla’s ailing spymaster, Demophon, he trains her to be his eyes and ears in Rome. After the only man who treats her with respect is crucified by Sulla, Helena is set on a path of vengeance. Always riddled with self-doubt, she manipulates hand-picked agents to make herself rich and powerful. In the process of turning Rome against Sulla, Helena succumbs to addiction and self-loathing as her corrupt practices inadvertently set in train a series of destructive events which lead to the violent end of The Roman Republic and the beginning of The Empire.

Book Buy Link: Coming Soon!

Editorial Review:

Title: Social War

Author: Simon Rumney

Rating: 4.5

"Social War" by Simon Rumney is a historical novel set in the final years of the Roman Republic and its Italian allies who were demanding Roman citizenship and equal rights. The novel also explored a psychological portrait of its protagonist, Helena, shedding light on how her childhood, which was rife with extreme abuse and neglect, warped her mind in its claws, creating a woman who was both a victim and a formidable, cunning manipulator. 

"The sad truth is, even if they were still alive, Mama and Papa wouldn’t have been able to give Helena a meaningful answer. They simply didn’t know why they criticized their sensitive daughter from dawn till dusk, because their 

behavior was nothing more than a reflex born of guileless habit. A mere perpetuation of hurtful behavior which had been passed down to them by their parents, and their grandparents, and their great-grandparents." 

This passage complicates the emotion readers may initially feel in regard to the protagonist parents' cruelty.  While their actions are not excused here, readers are forced to see them as victims as well as perpetrators. It creates a sense of a chain stretching back into the dim past and a meaningless family tradition of misery, that she finds herself sacrificed to. The excerpt is composed of two complex sentences that reflect the complex, intergenerational nature of the problem being described. Words like "The sad truth is..." and "They simply didn’t know..." establish a tone of resigned omniscience and a tragic inevitability to the readers.

"Releasing the ribbon on a thinner scroll, he spoke while laying it out in front of Helena. “We will use Rome’s founding story as our template. As you learn how Trojan Prince Aeneas escaped the burning city of Troy, you will learn how to read. As I explain his voyage across the great sea with nothing more than the armor he wore and a satchel full of golden jewelry, you will learn how to write. As you learn about his descendants, Romulus and Remus, 

establishing the city you now inhabit—here among the seven hills—you, in turn, will learn how to understand the subtle nuances of the Latin language.”

Helena, whose entire childhood was a masterclass in helplessness, finds herself abducted from a life of brutal poverty and deposited into a gilded cage where she is entirely dependent on her abductor, a powerful Roman senator. In this excerpt, her life trajectory shifts from passive victim to active strategist that offers her the key to her own much-needed freedom. This is a critical turning point in her life that uses rhetoric and repetition, transforming a simple reading lesson into a compelling initiation into Roman identity. A phrase like "As you learn...you will learn..." creates a progression that beautifully connects skill to purpose, all while elevating the plot's stakes in connection to her future role. 

"Looking into the far distance, Helena could just make out a stand of trees in the place where the river Tiber contained the field within its dogleg right bend. Something about those trees seemed odd. They were too well ordered, and this was late spring. They should be covered in leaves. Squinting, Helena tried to make sense of what she was seeing, and when she eventually twigged, every instinct told her to walk in the other direction, back through the gate to sit with her lions, but she had to find out if one of those many crosses held Demophon."

This passage is a masterclass in suspense and tragedy. It is built on a series of clauses linked by "and," and "but," as well as commas, mimicking the step-by-step process of observation and deduction. Here, the author employs foreshadowing and imagery as well as stark juxtaposition. A "stand of trees" is juxtaposed with something "well ordered and artificial and the expectation of spring foliage is contrasted with barren wood. The final clause, "but she had to find out," is critical; it reveals that her journey is no longer one of passive victimhood but that she is  consciously choosing to walk into horror. Lastly, it is a critical staging ground that forges the final version of the woman she will become- an antagonist working systematically to dismantle the power structures that create vulnerability. 

"Social War" by Simon Rumney is the perfect pick for viewers of the series "Rome" and "Spartacus," who crave the same blend of brutal political intrigue, visceral action and the intimate stories of those clawing for power from the bottom up. It will also be enjoyed by those captivated by the psychology of power and the question of how trauma can shape an individual into either a formidable leader or a tyrant.

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