Friday Memes - Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen. 339 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc. February 24, 2015. 9780545562034.

Publisher synopsis: Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of the NYT and USA TODAY bestselling Ascendance Trilogy, has woven an electrifying tale of greed and power, magic and destiny, and one boy's courage at the heart of it all.

When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.

First Line: In Rome, nothing mattered more than the gods, and nothing mattered less than its slaves.

Page 56: Strange as may sound, except for Livia, I had rarely seen any girls my own age. Girls who were born into the mines were quickly sold away, and the few women who were kept there to cook and tend our wounds were usually widows of older miners. Livia only stayed because of Sal's fondness for her. So although I tried not to stare at the girl, I wasn't doing a very good job.

I seriously enjoyed Ms. Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy (here, here and here) and am eager to read this over the holiday break. Thanks to Scholastic for putting this arc in my brunch bag.