This is an effusive account that displays an enthusiasm for the Getic landscape to which Ovid was exiled by Augustus Caesar. The surrounding environs of Constanța (then called Tomis) in ad 8–12 have historically been viewed as barbaric and without civil influence, and this work seeks to disprove that thesis with archaeological evidence and details of the battles that took place there before, during and after Ovid's lifetime. Whilst many of the facts relayed in this work are already known to scholars in the field of Ovidian studies – the relative obscurity of the reasons behind the poet's relegatio; the chronology of his works; the existing ‘assumption’ of autobiographical fact within his poetic works from exile –, there are some additions worthy of note to those interested in geographical and archaeological discoveries and contextual information of invasions that the Getic and later Scythian groups endured.

R. begins by offering a contemporary window to Ovid, outlining briefly the various rulers Constanța was subject to in its long history. This is a deeply personal narrative, rather than an analytical close reading of Ovid's texts and, as such, would be of interest to landscape-historians or geographers rather than strictly classical scholars with a working knowledge of the literature looking at the stylistic nuances of Ovid's work. R. has a habit of proclaiming something to be impossible to know, then theorising without facts or evidence on the various possibilities; this is unhelpful and does not further the argument, but rather undermines it. It is also problematic when so many pieces of information from the Augustan period are taken at face value, without additional investigation. This is apparent when dealing with the suspected adulterous behaviour of Augustus Caesar's household and the implication that Ovid may have been involved (Chapter 3). Some of the accusations levied at Livia and Julia are particularly vitriolic without clear cause, and other references to women in Ovid's life come across as slightly misogynistic (pp. 71–2; 124).

The book is, in many parts, unsubstantiated and under-referenced, which, whilst potentially adding to the work's readability, reduces its reliability as a work of secondary criticism. For instance, on many occasions secondary references would be welcome in order to evidence R.'s vehement assertions that appear from nowhere. References that are included could be updated, as relying on sources from the turn of the twentieth century is unforgivable when there is a wealth of current criticism on Ovid, both in Europe and beyond. Recent works by S. Pugh, J.M. Claassen and R. Lyne as well as A Handbook to the Reception of Ovid, edd. J.F. Miller and C.E. Newlands (2014), would shed light on these areas. Chapter 5 is an exception, and perhaps the best-written chapter of the book, in that it betrays a sincere appreciation and knowledge of the Tomitan appropriation of Greek and Roman classical culture, presenting a summary of archaeological findings in need of more examination in this historically exceptional habitat. This is fascinating food for thought for those historians looking at how far the bounds of the Roman Empire's civilising influence stretched in ad 8–12.

In places there needed to be more development of ideas, and certain chapters feel rushed or of little interest to their author. This is particularly true of the lack of in-depth syntactical and linguistic analyses of Ovid's Tristia and other works. The book took too long to get started, and too little time was spent on the literature written in exile as a result; it would have been better named Ovid in Tomis for its emphasis on geography and culture. There is no provision made for alternative translations of Ovid's work, and no sense that R. had consulted multiple resources in drilling down into the meanings of Ovid's verses. As such, there is less emphasis upon any new insights into Ovid's writings from exile, and more weight placed upon generic recited pieces, which seem to be understood in the way that they have historically been interpreted; there is nothing innovative here, or, at least, the time was not given to unearth anything new. Whilst the ‘old favourites’ are alluded to (Metamorphoses, Heroides, Amores, Ars amatoria, Tristia), there needed to be some fresh interpretations of these exceedingly well-cited verses.

The volume is a kindly-written work, designed to heighten one's appreciation of Ovid's day-to-day experiences in the land that he emphasised as (conceivably unfairly) barbaric and devoid of hope. R. proves that, on the contrary, Constanța (Tomis) was an emerging trading post with an active port close by and an area under the influence of Greek and Roman cultures, whilst retaining its Getic and Scythian roots. The ongoing deification of Ovid in this part of the world with statues and plaques shows the inhabitants’ clear appreciation for the poetic verses of their guest exile. Chapter 7 is useful in determining such lines of enquiry.

This is a book for those who are not fully aware of Ovid's biography and the circumstances of his exile and want a simple read to fill in some chronological gaps. The volume identifies some thought-provoking areas of discovery in terms of archaeology and its interconnection with Ovid's life in Tomis and should be read in conjunction with recent literary criticism and classical scholarship on the nuances of semantics in Ovid's exilic work.