Feast of sorrow by crystal king is a superb historical novel set in ancient rome. A novel of ancient rome by crystal king is the decemberjanuary selection for cook the books. Feast of sorrow by crystal king is available tuesday, april 25th. As a slave about to go on the auction block in 1stcentury rome, thrasius has few hopes for his. Crystal s passion for history and the world of food and wine has fueled both her writing and her love of the country of italy. Her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language, and cu. Crystal king is a wordsmith with the power to immerse the reader in each scene, and the words on the page were a veritable feast.
Thrasius of feast of sorrow, by crystal king the protagonist. Feast of sorrow creates a world where curses are feared, blessings hinge on blood sacrifice, and history becomes real. Her debut novel, feast of sorrow, was longlisted for the center for fictions debut fiction prize. A quick search into roman history reveals that marcus gavius apicius actually did publish such a book or rather a series of them, which most historians consider the first cookbook ever written. Crystal king is the author of historical fiction books, feast of sorrow and the secret chef. A gastronomical delight associated press, feast of sorrow is a vibrant novel, replete with love and betrayal, politics and intrigue, and sumptuous feasts that. Crystal king is the author of historical fiction novels feast of sorrow about the ancient roman gourmand, apicius and the chefs secret about the renaissance chef bartolomeo scappi. If you enjoy vivid descriptions of food and the fine nuances of roman decorum, then this is. Feast of sorrow by crystal king won 1st place in the ciba 2017 chaucer awards for early historical fiction. She has many credentials for her writing, including a pushcart prize.
She has taught classes in writing, creativity and social media at harvard extension school, boston university. The ancient rome of crystal kings feast of sorrow is filled with delectable dishes and astonishing injustice, deep loyalties and stunning loss. Feast of sorrow book by crystal king official publisher page. Crystal king is the author of feast of sorrow, about the ancient roman gourmand, apicius. The history of rome was skillfully told and the lives of both patricians and slaves delineated with unabashed realism. Set amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairsdownstairs politics. A culinary enthusiast and social media professional, her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language and culture of italy. Her writing is fueled by a love of history and an obsession with the food, language, and culture of italy. She has taught classes in writing, creativity, and social media at several universities including harvard extension school and boston university, as well as at grubstreet, one of the leading creative writing centers in the. King creates a sensory exploration of this ancient culture through food but feast of sorrow branches well beyond that to the inner workings of those feasting.
Im not much of a food person so im glad that the story didnt revolve solely around what meal is being planned for soandso and how it was prepared, and so on. On a blistering day in the twentysixth year of augustus caesars. Crystal king is an author, culinary enthusiast, and marketing expert. But it is crystal king s feast of sorrow that brings readers into the kitchens of ancient rome, where nobles and slaves jockeyed for position by using food as bargaining chips for personal and. Cambridge chefs bring the food in crystal king s feast of sorrow to life topics. Margaret george the ancient rome of crystal king s feast of sorrow is filled with delectable dishes. Randy susan meyers, bestselling author of accidents of marriage crystal king s debut novel, feast of sorrow, tells the story of apicius, the notorious gourmand of ancient rome, from the viewpoint of his slave and cook thrasius. Dear readers, tonight with me is a man, working in a profession we do not normally come across. She has taught classes in writing, creativity, and social media at several. During the latter years of augustus and livias rule and during the reign of tiberius, a roman patrician named marcus gavius apicius, one of the earliest known foodies, embarks on a project to make himself legendary.
I am always up for some ancient historical fiction, and feast of sorrow fit that niche perfectly. Crystal king is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn. She is the author of feast of sorrow and the chefs secret. Its a dark and engrossing read, and provides an evocative new perspective on the rule of tiberius. Crystal kings debut novel, feast of sorrow, tells the story of apicius, the notorious gourmand of ancient rome, from the viewpoint of his slave and cook.
Wealthy patrician apicius was famous for his profligacy and for a palate so exacting that when he was down to what his. Crystal king is the author of the chefs secret and feast of sorrow. Crystal king is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by. View crystal king s profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community.
Author crystal kings blog tasting life twice feast of. Feast of sorrow, by crystal king, is the fictional story of thrasius, a roman slave in the first century ad. Crystal king is a marketing and communications veteran. Set amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairsdownstairs politics of a roman family, crystal kings seminal debut features the man who inspired the worlds. Feast of sorrow a novel of ancient rome by crystal king author simon vance narrator. I was inspired to make a simple honey cake that was used as a sacrifice to the roma in ancient rome, food was a bargaining chip for position for slaves and nobles alike.
My guest today is crystal king who is a writer, culinary enthusiast, and social media expert. Her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language, and culture of italy. King writes about the men behind the cookbooks that inspired the rich culinary tradition in italy. She has been learning the italian language for the better part of the last decade. Cambridge chefs bring the food in crystal kings feast of. Crystal king is the author of the chefs secret and feast of sorrow, which was longlisted for the center for fictions first novel prize.
Crystal king s debut novel, feast of sorrow, tells the story of apicius, the notorious gourmand of ancient rome, from the viewpoint of his slave and cook thrasius. Although hes only nineteen, thrasius has already made a name for himself as the inventor of mouthwatering delicacies, and apicius harbours designs. Thrasius is no mere cook, though, and under apicius command, thracius plans and caters elaborate parties, becoming a master chef as. Crystal king audio books, best sellers, author bio. Crystal king social media professor hubspot linkedin. Thrasius, a slave who is uniquely gifted in the culinary arts, has everything to gain when he is brought into the household of the famehungry apicius.
A novel of ancient rome by crystal king 2017, hardcover at the best online prices at. Set amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairsdownstairs politics of a roman family, crystal kings seminal debut, feast of sorrow, features the man who. She lives in boston but loves italy and the food scene there. Decemberjanuary book was feast of sorrow by crystal king. The reallife famous gourmand apicius buys thrasius to be his household cook, manage his kitchens and help him obtain the goal of being appointed gastronomic advisor to the reigning caesar. Against the backdrop of meticulously researched ancient rome, full of the extravagances of society at the time, brimming with incredible descriptions of true gastronomy, this is a story of a colorful cast of characterssometimes appalling, often compelling, always richly portrayedplaying out the gamut of human behaviors and emotions. She is an author, culinary enthusiast, and marketing expert. A culinary enthusiast and marketing expert, her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language and culture of italy. In crystal kings feast of sorrow, apicius and his slave, thrasius, develop their own cookbook.
A novel of ancient rome by crystal king im back, and i greatly appreciate everyones patience and kind comments asking when i would get my ass back into the blogging world. Feast of sorrow by crystal king tells the story of a kitchen slave, thrasius, and his owner, the gourmand apicius. Feast of sorrow author crystal king muses on life, history, writing and food. Touchstone books is publishing feast of sorrow by crystal king amaryah orenstein. Crystal kings debut is a feast for the senses, bringing ancient rome to dark, vibrant life. By the time youre done, youll want a sip of honeyed water alongside some fried hyacinth bulbs. A novel of ancient rome touchstone, by crystal king if true gastronomy resides at the intersection of food, art and culture, then crystal king s debut novel can. See others named crystal king crystal s public profile badge. The life story of a notorious ancient roman gourmand, recounted by his slave, a master chef. Crystal king, author of feast of sorrow, describes the makeup of the women of ancient rome.