Sparrow

James Hynes’ novel focuses on Jacob, nicknamed “Sparrow”, who’s a slave in a brothel in New Carthage at the end of the Roman Empire. Yum!

Although the book itself is too brutal for my taste, as it goes through development, perhaps they could add a thread of lightness, especially in the lives and friendships Sparrow develops with many of the “Wolves” (prostitutes).
As a series, this could be a Gladiator-meets-Harlots, with a darkness and depth that would give us insight into the lowest rung of the Roman Empire, with the possibility of a dozen sub-stories to fill… show more.

This book is a beautifully written novel, using science fiction to tackle the nature of morality, faith, theology, human values, and why terrible things can happen to good people. It challenges the nature of good and evil and what happens when a person tries to do the right thing for the right reasons and ends up causing incalculable harm.

It also addresses in a realistic way, some of the most important questions in the realm of sci-fi. What happens when humanity comes face-to-face with an extraterrestrial civilization? How does humanity relate, if at all, to a civilization in another world… show more.