This is a solid enough historical political intrigue novel but won't threaten Robert Harris or Umberto Eco. The plot is well-thought out and engaging, which is more than can be said for the titular hero who left me feeling a little cold - even the baddest of characters makes you feel something for them and Loreticus just didn't connect for me. Other than that the pace is good, and it keeps the attention, right up until certain phrases jump out as way too modern, I found this jarring and they sometimes leapt out of the page as glaring and disrupted the flow of the novel for me. This didn't live up to my expectations, although it was enjoyable enough I wouldn't particularly seek out the future releases in this planned trilogy.