The Cleansing - Vicky Alvear Shecter - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Vicky Alvear Shecter

GENRE: Historical Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: January 20, 2026

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical fiction set in Ancient Rome and inspired by true events. Gritty and disturbing. Slow but atmospheric. Good character development and build-up to the finale. Slightly repetitive. I’m somewhat undecided on my feelings about the ending. Recommended.

Plot Preview:

216 BCE. Sixteen-year-old Mia has been serving as one of the Vestal Virgins for more than a decade already. Though this wasn’t a decision she made by choice, she performs her role with diligence. When she hears of the huge defeat of the Roman Army at the Battle of Cannae, she is sad for the 50000 fallen soldiers, but more than that, she mourns the death of her childhood love Attius in that battle. The priests declare that the only reason the gods abandoned Rome at Cannae was the breaking of the vow of chastity by the youngest Vestal Virgin. Mia knows that it is up to her alone to save her life. But will she be able to prove her innocence and virtue in this era of blind adherence to gods and men?

The story comes to us mostly through Mia’s first-person perspective over two broad timelines: her present and some flashbacks from the past.

PSA: The GR blurb is too detailed.

I have hardly ever read a book set in Ancient Rome unless you count stories from Roman mythology (which isn't really the same thing.) So when I read the blurb of this indie novel, I was immediately intrigued. The fact that it was based on true events also added to its appeal. Barring a few minor areas where the book could have done better for me, it delivered well on its promise, though I must add I wasn’t mentally prepared for just how disturbing it would be.

Bookish Yays:

👏🏻 The prologue, which is set during the Battle of Cannae and comes from Attius’ third-person perspective. Such a nerve-wracking scene! I felt like I was right there next to Attius!

👏🏻 Mia, our young lead, who knows what she wants and also knows what is expected of her. I liked her courage and dedication, and how she constantly mulled over rights and wrongs while still performing her duties. Also appreciate that she (almost) always sounds her age, whether at six or sixteen.

👏🏻 The handling of the female rage trope. Mostly era-appropriate. Mia is portrayed as having doubts and yet not as too much of a modernistic rebel. Her emotions are more of uncertainty despite her strong belief in the gods. This is more realistic than ancient characters spouting 21st century ideas.

👏🏻 The role of women in the plot. Whether as supporters or betrayers, mentors or friends, enablers or dissuaders, the story highlights various complex roles women play in other women’s lives.

👏🏻 The various themes: patriarchy, consent, superstitions, manipulation by the powerful, sexual exploration, religion, female chastity… All powerful topics and woven in well. I wasn’t too sure about one of the inclusions as it felt unnecessary, but I later saw its relevance to the story.

👏🏻 The clear marking of the timelines, whether present or the flashbacks. I appreciate this even more as the author used relative time markers such as “Six Months Before” or “Ten Years Before”. I would have been so lost had she used absolute time indicators such as 226 BCE! BCE year calculations take time! 🤭

👏🏻 The depiction of Ancient Rome. Not the Rome we typically see in fiction. This is like the dark underbelly always hidden from us. Love how the writing brings so much realism to the place and era.

👏🏻 The author’s note at the end, along with an astounding detailed historical note about the facts vs. fiction of the book. As I am mostly ignorant of the era (the only thing I know about ancient Rome is from what I've seen in Hollywood movies, so it's as good as knowing nothing), I just went with the flow. But the author’s mindblowing research and her knowledge of the topic is evident in her parting content. It is so fascinating to read!

👏🏻 A separate Yay for linking this ancient story to the current abuse of women’s rights in certain countries, even the so-called developed ones.

<b>Bookish Okays:</b>

🤞🏻 The flashbacks become too frequent in the second half. While this is partly justifiable by the events of the *contemporary* timeline of 216 BCE, it still breaks the pacing of the intriguing trial Mia has to face to clear her name. Also, the flashbacks aren’t chronological, though the time indicators help to some extent.

🤞🏻 There’s a lot of telling in the novel. I guess this is needed because most readers would be as blank as I am about all the historical and religious intricacies of the era. But at times, I felt like it was becoming a bit too detail-oriented.

🤞🏻 The darker part of the era. So very disturbing! The author’s disclaimer at the start warned me about the brutality of the content and the necessity of including it in the narrative, but some scenes were still too much for me. The final quarter (before the finale) is especially harsh on the mind.

🤞🏻 The ending. I get why the story went the way it did, and the author also clarifies her point of view in her parting note. But without going into spoilers, all I can say is that the abrupt change in emotional tone was tough for me to accept.

<b>Bookish Nays:</b>

👎🏻 Mia’s inner monologues get somewhat repetitive at times, not just about the prevalent facts and beliefs but also about her emotions and reactions to the trial of her virtue.

👎🏻 The pacing is on the slower side, partly because of the flashbacks.

Overall, the book met many of my expectations and delivered mostly as promised. The writing might need a bit of finetuning to cull out the repetitions and the ’telling’, but these are relatively minor hurdles in what is otherwise a compelling story of a woman who stands against the system alone. 

This story would make a great movie, though I don’t know if Hollywood should be the one in charge of the adaptation; they’ll surely mess up the emotions and focus only on voyeurism. And no, not Bollywood as well. Who wants to see Mia breaking into song and dance in between her trial?! 🤭

How much has changed from 216 BCE to 2026 ADE in terms of women’s rights? In some countries, it seems like we have returned to ancient times in every bad way possible, where war is still waged, women and minorities are still forcefully subdued, and religious bigots still wave the flag of moral superiority. I never expected to find so many parallels to our present world in a story set in Ancient Rome! The only difference is that today’s misogynistic pseudo-dictators cannot hide under the excuse of ignorance.

Recommended to readers of historical fiction and feminist narratives.

My thanks to author Vicky Alvear for providing me with a complimentary copy of “The Cleansing”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.