What is the author's style in Pope Joan by Donna Cross?

Donna Woolfolk Cross writes in a style that flows conversationally, giving the impression of a person telling a story, occasionally interspersing dialogue and monologue. She very smoothly uses an abundance of Latin in her writing, but rarely leaves the reader wondering its meaning. Without being intrusive, she manages to slip in the meanings and definitions of most of the obscure words and places that surface from her knowledge of history, so the story moves along fairly quickly.