Erryn and Marc review ‘Favorites of Fortuna’ (Dominus #4) by JP Kenwood. The book was released by the author on September 15, 2022 and is 524 pages long. The audiobook was narrated by Hannibal Hills and Nick J. Russo. The audio was released December 19, 2022 and is 17hrs and 152mins.
Erryn’s copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Audiobook Cover
E-Book/ Print Cover
Alternate E-Book / Print Cover
No one claimed the fickle Fates were fair.
While Rome once again prepares for war, Gaius Fabius Rufus confronts treachery and tragedy at home. With his future uncertain and his spirit shattered, Gaius chases the only dream he has left: the imperial throne. When a ghost’s secrets expose a dreadful mistake, will the Lion of the Lucky Fourth give up his destiny and embrace the forbidden love of a vanquished barbarian?
Abandoned and angry, Prince Allerix struggles to find purpose and honor in defeat. With fierce determination and his mother’s gift of magic, Alle crafts a new plan to exact vengeance and earn his Dacian kinsmen’s respect at last. When he must choose between revenge and saving the love of his life, can Allerix ignore his sacred oath and escape to happiness?
Fortuna alone can guide these two former enemies back into each other’s arms and hearts, but only if Gaius and Allerix are willing to sacrifice immortality and disappear from history.
Favorites of Fortuna is the final book in the Dominus saga.
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SALE!!! ‘Games of Rome’ (Dominus Book #2) by JP Kenwood is on sale at Amazon for 99 cents through February 28th! 🙂
Buy Link: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
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See Marc’s review of Book 1 here.
See Marc’s review of Book 2 here.
See Marc’s review of Book 3 here.
See Erryn’s review of Book 1 audio here.
See Erryn’s review of Book 2 audio here.
See Erryn’s review of Book 3 audio here.
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Erryn’s Review:
I have really enjoyed these books – hours and hours of listening pleasure. I have to say the narrator, Hannibal Hills, has done a tremendous job. These books are full of characters, and he manages to give each one a unique and memorable voice. I especially like his Gaius. His women are interesting, but that often happens when you have a male narrator with a deep voice. Regardless, very well done. Also, Nick J. Russo pops on at each end to bring modern day to the stories and he’s always a treat to listen to.
The story – Allerix is home and safe. Gaius is home and safe.
But they are apart.
This being a love story, they needed to get back together. How that might actually happen was a mystery to me. But J.P. found a way that was pretty much believable – secret ring and all. I enjoyed the men’s adventures. Especially when Gaius’s political ambitions come to the fore.
I think what I loved most about this book was when the men faded into the background of Roman society. We have so few books of what later in life looks like – for men and women. Love doesn’t fade. Sex continues. Relationships and bonds deepen.
I’m sorry to see this series end, but I’ve had many many many hours of listening pleasure. I did note a little mystery was left unresolved – an extended epilogue set in modern times to come?
Erryn’s Rating:
8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) – Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
Marc’s Review:
Marc’s Review:
The ‘Dominus’ series is truly an epic historical fantasy series and over the past few years, has become one of my all-time favorites. That made me extremely eager to finally get to read this last book in the Dominus series and to find out how it would all end and extremely nervous, if the end would feel as satisfying to me as the rest of the series. I have a close emotional bond to these books. I have read each of the 4 books during a summer vacation at a different beach. These were my summer reads that carried me to a different time and captured my imagination and heart. Well, I should not have been worried. To me, this finale was perfect!
Let’s start with the present day bookend. I always thought this part of the books was intriguing, but I did not know where it would lead. We only had a little time each book to get to know the present day characters and while I liked them and thought the mystery of how their story fit in with the rest and the mystery of the bones were great, my heart belonged to Gaius and Allerix. I must admit, I still don’t think the present day story has come to a final conclusion, even though as reader the mystery of the bones has been resolved in an interesting way that satisfied me. But I finally understand the importance of the present day story. The author manages to use the present day story to show the beauty and importance of archeology in an emotional way that deeply moved me and made me look at this field with new eyes, but also shows that full knowledge of the past is not possible and shows some of the darker aspects of this field, too. I did not expect the way this story bookend became an emotional highlight of the story for me, but I loved the way it came all together. I will now look differently at artifacts of the past. They have always fascinated me in some way, but I now better understand that each remnant of the past is a tiny puzzle piece of a story we will never fully know. While these stories happened a long time ago, the persons they happened to were just as real as we are, complex, capable of great and terrible things. They loved and hated, were loved and were an important part of the world they lived in. They mattered. And while we have forgotten much about the ancient past, remembering even the small parts of our history we can re-discover is a small but important part to honor those, who lived before us.
As for the main story, I must admit that I am normally not a big fan of main characters being separated from each other. The end of the last book left us at a place, where both characters were on their own with a broken heart and their own unique journeys. I NEEDED to know ASAP what would happen to them and wanted them to explore their own fates, even as for a while, it left them a part from each other. I usually want characters I love, who clearly belong together to be and stay together, as their character dynamics are often what I enjoy most about a book. But Gaius and Allerix are complex and fully formed characters on their own and had very different paths to walk on their own, before their paths could cross again. To me, both of their stories were very important and interesting and introduced us to cool new characters and new, fascinating character dynamics. Both main characters went through important character development and only after resolving what they needed to resolve were they ready to step on a path that made sense for them as characters and set them up to meet again. Most importantly to me, while the previous book already did a lot to put both men on an equal level in their relationship, which was very important to me, here we delve more into morality of living and acting in that time and it helped me to see both characters more clearly in their complexities.
The book is full of action and funnily the most crazy and unbelievable action is firmly rooted in reality. The author uses her expertise in history to weave the characters we know and love into what is known about the time period and the real life characters that are still known to this day. It was so fun to see how the author made her story fit into history in creative ways – and it all worked and made sense in the end. There were so many things that I never expected, so many twists and surprising moments, the book always kept me at the edge of my seat and in the end left me utterly satisfied.
Still, I’m glad that we will get more stories in this universe, even if the main novels are finished now. To me, this finale was the most epic book in the 4 book series and masterfully crafted. It was a perfect ending to one of my all-time favorite series and brought the past to life in a wonderful and exciting way. I’m really looking forward to Charlie’s contemporary MM novel and the planned Gaius & Allerix novella, but honestly I think it would also be fascinating if the author one day explored the story of Hadrian and Antinoos. There are so many mysteries about this ancient gay love story that I think it would leave enough room for a fascinating and spellbinding story. And Hadrian was a very interesting and complex character in the Dominus books and in history. I have my fingers crossed. But no matter what the author will choose to do next, sign me up!
I have read the eBook of this story as ARC, own the gorgeous alt-art print book and I have bought and listened to the audiobook version, when it came out. Hannibal Hills and Nick J. Russo both are fantastic narrators and have done an amazing job with this series. Hannibal Hill’s narration, especially, stepped it up into high gear for this epic conclusion. One of the finest narration work I have been lucky enough to enjoy in a while. These audiobooks are long, beautifully narrated and incredibly well-produced. So worth the Audible credit!
Marc’s Rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
When she doesn’t have her nose stuck in a dusty history tome, JP Kenwood relishes reading and writing plot-packed erotic m/m fiction with strong romantic elements sprinkled with humor and angst. Her alternate history series, Dominus, features an ensemble of memorable characters—masters and slaves, senators and soldiers, lawyers and freedmen, wives and whores—who live, laugh, and lust during the Golden Age of imperial Rome.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 