Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle

Of Love and Treason
by Jamie Ogle

ISBN-13: 9781496479662
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Released: January 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, has been petitioning various gods to heal her, but this quest has put her father in deep debt. Her last hope rests in Valentine and his God, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris's new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together. But instead Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives...and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.


My Review:
Of Love and Treason is set in 269-270 AD in Rome. I thought a novel would be a fun way to learn about Valentine only to learn that he might not have even existed and the little that's recorded is conflicting. The author has done a lot more research than me, but this story didn't even seem to match the various legends beyond Val was a Christian leader who prayed that a blind daughter of a judge or jailor would see again when they presented it as a test.

Val was portrayed as such a thoughtful, kind, and courageous man that it was hard to read the scenes of him being tortured and martyred. (While not highly graphic, we do get a rundown of the various torture devices, how they're used, and how much pain Val was in during his ordeal.) I loved the Christian message: the cost of standing firm and reaching out to unbelievers during a period of persecution and how Iris struggled with how God is real and good because He gave her back her sight, but how can she trust a God that doesn't always protect His followers?

My main problem was that the main characters just didn't act realistically. Iris was under threat of being sold to her father's superior officer to be raped, beaten, and maimed. He was initially a serious threat, then suddenly Iris came out of hiding and went about in public with no thought to the threat. The evil man knew Titus cared for her yet didn't have someone follow him as he repeatedly went to visit her hiding spot. In another case, Val was threatened with death and warned to leave Rome that day, but his pride kept him there because his church needed him. Hello, he won't be there to teach them if he's dead, now will he? Val's supposedly in hiding but would go out in public both at night and during the day to help his doctor host. He also barged into the clinic when unknown people were present. And so on. It's like he had a death wish. Then, at the end, a lot of people we know and like were unexpectedly killed. The ending felt rushed and wasn't very satisfying.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I might recommend this to Christians who want to know what it was like for a Christian to live in Rome under persecution.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.