Gladiator : Fight For Freedom

Gladiator #1

by Simon Scarrow

Book by Simon Scarrow

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Roman

352 pages

First published July 4, 2011

About the author

Simon Scarrow is a UK-based author, born in Nigeria, and now living in Norfolk. He completed a master's degree at the University of East Anglia, and, after working at the Inland Revenue, went into teaching as a lecturer at City College, Norwich.

He is best known for his "Eagle" series. This is Roman empire military fiction, starting with the second invasion of Britain, and continuing with subsequent adventures in every corner of the empire. The stories are told through the eyes of two centurions, Macro and Cato. To date there are eighteen books in the series.

Scarrow has also written a series of four novels on the Napoleonic wars, focusing on the lives of Wellington and Napoleon.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good!

I've always been intrigued by gladiators and the story of Spartacus, so when I saw this YA series I thought I'd give it a read just out of curiosity. Wow! Am I happy I did.

The story surrounds Marcus a ten-year-old Roman who lives with his mother and father, a retired Centurion, on a remote farm. The description of the book says Marcus was "recruited" as a gladiator. It's a much sadder story than that. Seriously, considering they were all slaves, was anyone actually "recruited" as a gladiator?

Right from the beginning of the novel, I had to respect young Marcus as he helped out on his family's farm and later when they started having problems. You just had to love the character of the little boy fighting alongside his father as best he could. Then later as a gladiator in training how he would handle being bullied by older boys. His determination to right the wrong done to his family, in one so young was just unbelievable. Learning as much as he can so he can be the best gladiator possible no matter how much it hurt, no matter how tired he got was inspiring.

Now as with all novels that are part of a series, the story doesn't end with a resolution to Marcus' problems, but "OH MY GOD" does it have a great climax of its own! I think it was the climax that pushed this novel over into the five-star rating for me. The last one hundred pages are real page turners. I just could not stop reading it.

Now I'm seriously looking forward to reading Street Fighter.

[Clemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**

Read this book in 2011, and its the 1st book of the very likeable "Gladiator" series.

This YA Roman tale is set in Rome in the year 61BC, and it will tell us the life and adventures of Marcus Cornelius Primus.

Now recruited as a Gladiator, this Marcus is determined to find out who killed his father and kidnapped his mother, to be sold into slavery.

This Marcus seeks the help of his father's old commander, Pompeius the Great, in an effort to seeks justice and free his mother.

But without him knowing this Marcus is hiding a life-threatening secret that cost him dearly.

What is to follow is a very likeable Roman story told in a clear fashion by the author that is destined especially for YA readers.

Very much recommended, for this is a very engaging begin of this wonderful YA series, and that's why I like to call this episode: A Very Enjoyable YA Roman Read"!

[Jason Golomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Scarrow expands his literary (Roman) empire into the realm of children's books, with the first in a new series: "Fight for Freedom".

Scarrow is most well-known for his action adventure "Eagle" series which focuses on a pair of Roman Legionaries fighting the good fight for the Emperor during the early years of the first century. With "Fight for Freedom", he steps back a century back in time, centering around the years following the Spartacus rebellion. A young boy's father is killed, and he and his mother wind up at a slave auction setting up a this nice adventurous tale.

After being captured and sold as a slave during a bungled attempt to stow away on a ship, the hero Marcus listens to his introduction at his new residence - a gladiator training school south of Rome. "This is your new home. This is the only home you have from now on. Where you came from is no more than a memory, and it will go easer with you if you try to forget your past lives. That is all dead to you now. All that remains is to learn how to fight and survive."

The plot is cliched and most conclusions are obvious. Scarrow does a nice job, however, of embuing the story with a strong sense of historical "place", as well as dealing with the issues of slavery and how much it impacted ancient daily life.

Overall, the book is a solid three. BUT...it scored very highly with my 12-year old son who loved the action, the melodramatic cartoonish violence, and the relatively realistically portrayed ancient roman themes of honor, citizenship, and gladiatorial/warrior glory. He can't wait for book 2 which move it's focus to Rome itself.

The story is violent by the nature of its topic, but it's not over the top and shouldn't shock a modern, TV-hardened boy of 11 years and older. This comes nowhere near the depth of Sutcliffe's "Eagle of the Ninth", to whom Scarrow dedicated this novel, but it's a good-hearted children's tale and a fun read.

[Ben Jeffery · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.I decided to read 'Fight for Freedom by Simon Scarrow because I enjoy learning about ancient Greece and so since Rome is Right next to Greece I decided to read this book. i also had a read of the blurb and saw that his father was murdered as a centurion which high rank in the Roman Military so i wanted to find out more.

2.One of the Characters I found interesting in 'Fight for Freedom' was Marcus Cornelius Primus because at the start his father was confronted be a tax collector's thug and so marcus decided to train his dog, his best and only friend into a guard dog, a fierce and killer dog. i found that interesting because i don't think i would do something like that but his dog was still killed along with his father.

3.My favorite quote from the book was said by Brixus (a lieutenant) of the Famous Spartacus) who said to Marcus "you carry the mark of the rebellion, you carry the mark of Spartacus!" i fond this interesting because he said in a slave house and nearly yelled it. Saying this would have gotten him and Marcus killed if Someone had heard them.

4.Something I thought deeply about in the book was that marcus when they were being transported to the slave market, he would keep telling people he was a citizen of Rome which kept getting him Beaten until they threatened to hurt his mother.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note that I feel may be of interest:
I don't know if these books connect with the Eagles of the Empire series, but it is very easy to mix this book up with "The Gladiator" (by the same author) which is the book I thought I was reading - Macro and Cato do not appear in this book.

However, I did enjoy this book and I'm very tempted to read more in this series.

[Marcelo Hecht]

Mein Lieblingsbuch. Eins meiner aller allerersten Bücher.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a long time, I have been interested in historical fiction, and ancient Rome has a special place in my heart when it comes to interests. This is the first volume of a new series about Marcus Cornelius Primus. As the book opens, Marcus' father Titus Cornelius Pollenius is on the battlefield fighting in the conclusion to the Spartarcus wars. The rebelling slaves have all but lost. Just at the conclusion of the battle, Titus saves the leading General Pompeius from an attack by one of the slaves and is rewarded with a selection of the recently captured slaves. Titus chooses Marcus' mother Livia.

After this opening, the novel jumps ahead 10 years. The family has settled on an island estate only to find its fortunes fading, largely due to struggling crops from their farms. They are greatly in debt, and everything falls apart when Decimus comes calling after his money. Since none is forthcoming, Desimus decides to take it in the form of the family itself. Titus is killed and Livia and Marcus are sold into slavery. Unfortunately, they are separated with Marcus finding himself taking on the role of gladiator-in-training.

From their, the story takes on common forms. Marcus is confronted with a "school" bully while also being befriended by a wizened former gladiator that not only provides guidance, but might hold Marcus' future in his hands. Marcus would like nothing better than to get free and reconnect with his mother. The hope is that someone could understand that he and his mother are really free citizens who have basically been kidnapped, then maybe they will have their freedom back. This would really be great if General Pompeius heard of their situation since he owes Marcus' father so much. Unfortunately, few believe the word of a slave.

How will Marcus survive his training as a gladiator and help gain his and his mother's freedom? That is the real question, and the storyline keeps the pages turning. I really liked the story, but it will have a tough time finding an audience. Marcus is only 10 years old at the start of the book, and the author does nothing to hide the violent and difficult times in which he lives. That makes this a tough read for most upper elementary school students, and I am not sure that a lot of middle and/or high school students would want to read about a character this young. With that said, the action and violence adds a lot of reality and would very much keep the interest even of older readers if they can just get past his youth.

I am actually surprised that this is the only book of this topic to come out. I know the Starz Spartacus series is very popular and well written, and this really nicely connects to that as well as the earlier Rome series that was on Showtime. Like those two series, I think this novel presents a fairly realistic view of life at the time.

The only major shortcoming I felt after finishing the book is that I really would have liked Scarrow to have included an Author's Note to talk a little bit about his research about the times and what/who was real and what was part of his creative process. Similarly, it might have been helpful to include a map, particularly in the early portion of the book when the enslaved Livia and Marcus are being shipped around, and a glossary of Roman terms to help with keeping straight some of the weapons, the money, and the types of gladiators. That is nitpicking, though.

I am greatly looking forward to the next volume in the series.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcus Cornelius Primus is the son of a Roman Centurian. With the first ten years of his life spent on his family's farm in Greece, Marcus' life is suddenly turned upside down when his father is killed and he and his mother are taken as slaves. Marcus is then sold to a Gladiator trainer where he learns to fight whilst all the time contemplating his escape and how he can find and free his mother. He sets his sights on somehow making it to Rome to find General Pompeius, who's life his father once saved, in the hope he will help ... that is until Marcus finds out that his past is not what he always thought it to be.

This is a fast paced, exciting adventure story that I imagine is primarily aimed at ten to fourteen year old boys but at the same time is a great read for all. Scarrow's writing superbly describes the scenes and the period in which the book is set and you really get a sense of what it was like to be a slave in the Roman era. It is clearly well researched. The fight scenes don't hold back on their realism but are still appropriate for the target age of the book.

I liked that Marcus acted his age. He would sometimes not make the best decisions, acting more in tune to his feelings than what might be best long term. He also had that determination and optimism that only a ten-year-old can have. He doesn't really consider that Rome is a heck of a long way or the dangers that might stand in his way. He's courageous yet vulnerable and in general a well balanced, well written character.

There were some aspects of the plot that were a little predictable but again, it is a children's/young teen book so that's usually the case when reading as an adult. Still, while it might have been obvious what the outcome was going to be, how the story got there wasn't always as predictable. And in any case, these elements were things that you wanted to happen so it was all good.

I'll definitely be looking out for the second book in this series and will likely also check out some of the authors other books.

[Anish Bhardwaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great history story. It was a great fun,historical and enjoyable read. This book takes place in Rome 61BC ago.Plot: When 10 year old Marcus Cornelius Primus the main character his father dies. Him and his Mom get sold to slavery while Marcus Cornelius Primus a gladiator training school south of Rome.As he learns the ways of how to be a gladiator and survive.

Characters: Commander Pompeius,Marcus Cornelius Primus, Mom,Dad,Soldiers of Rome

The Genre of the book is young adult fiction has the book was made for kids, and it was a fictional book about the way how Marcus learns how to survive and be a gladiator.

The way that Simon Scarrow writes his book is. He will always describe the felling is that he will explain his felling as if it was real. For example when his father died he explained it as if it really happened to him.
The thing that i found unique about this book. The setting and the story was unique to me because, I have never read a book that takes place in rome 61BC and the story was very interesting. I really liked the way that he described his situation’s.

This book is great for people who live historical book's.

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the time before Julius Caesar had risen to fame, and after the great slave rebel Spartacus died, the story begins with 10 year old Marcus living on his family farm with his parents. His father is a retired Centurion – who has told stories all Marcus’ life about the final battle between the great Roman army and the Slave Army led by Spartacus.

When Marcus’ father is slayed for non-payment of taxes, he and his mother are sold into slavery to the taxman in payment of the debt. Marcus is angry and bitter – his rage the only thing driving him to survive and someday be reunited and save his mum.

I loved this story! Being a fan of the movie Spartacus, I couldn’t stop reading. I think this will be fantastic for boys to immerse themselves in. Marcus is a great character, full of anger at his fate, but with strong honour and courage.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Big warning about spoilers: Don't look at the titles of the rest of the series before you finish this book or you'll be able to guess the big reveal at the end very easily. It is predictable anyway, but still.

This is the kind of book that would have been much more believable if Marcus, the main character, had been two years older. His age works at first, because he still has a lot of childhood innocence and believes that people will believe him if he tells the truth and that people will fight for what is right. However, as soon as loses that, he starts behaving in a much more mature way, a way that is a bit too mature for a boy who just turned eleven.

Even though most of the plot was predictable and unsurprising, this book is written in a way that kept me reading until I reached the last page and left me wanting to read the rest of the series.

[Drishti · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had everything but something new. The same old story.......... Someone makes the MC's life a living hell (bonus points if this someone kills the MC's family as well!). MC swears revenge against the aforementioned someone. Then throw in a lot of complications (bullies, starvation, poverty, life-and-death situations. In short, all tragedies imaginable!). And BAM! There's the ultimate plot twist............ Sadly, not even the plot twist here surprised me. All I had as a reaction was "Okay. Whatever. Like I give a damn!"

The author's unrealistic portrayal of Marcus (the MC) did not help one bit. He was barely eleven! Then why the heck was he talking like a guy in his late teens?!

Aaaaannnnndddd, this book ended on a cliffhanger. But I couldn't care less!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird one. I liked the storyline enough though I couldn't possibly believe that the MC was a 10 year old kid. The way he spoke seemed more fit for a grown adult than a fumbling kid not even hit by puberty yet. I didn't love this story but it also wasn't completely dreadful.

The whole book was interesting enough that I wanted to know how this first book would end though I don't think I'll want to continue with the rest of the series.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Lots of information on the Slave Revolt, slaves in that period and gladiator training

[Isabelle Ley · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was dumb. I rolled my eyes so many times I'm surprised that they didn't fall out of my head. Needless to say, I will not be continuing on with this series.

[Kiki van Dijk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boooooooring

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het beschermde en aangename leven dat een jonge Romein "in de provincie" leidt wordt verstoord door de moord op zijn vader. Hijzelf ervaart een heel erg pijnlijk ontwaken wanneeer hij en zijn moeder als slaven worden weggevoerd. Marcus is erg naïef en overtuigd van zijn eigen gelijk, hij is gewend dat de wereld rond hem draait en verwacht dan ook dat hij in zijn rechten hersteld wordt zodra hij zijn zaak kan uitleggen bij de juiste personen. Heel het boek blijft hij die illusie achtervolgen, van de ene - letterlijk - pijnlijke terechtwijziging tot de volgende.
Het boek is gebaseerd op grondige kennis van de Romeinse zeden en gewoonten en lijfstraffen en slavernij zijn dan ook normaal in het dagelijkse leven. Marcus krijgt van beide meer dan zijn deel.
Avontuurlijk en regelmatig onderbroken door een positief element wanneer iemand hem toch probeert te helpen of troosten, maar het is toch vooral het relaas van een heel lange vernedering en een hard ontwaken van een verwend jongetje in de heel erg harde realiteit. Huilen helpt niet, het is letterlijk aanpassen en vechten of sterven, sterven is geen echte keuze maar het lot dat hem wacht bij de minste (grote) fout die hij maakt.
Op het einde krijgen we een duidelijke tijdsaanduiding wanneer hij Julius Caesar ontmoet, die is in Rome aan de weg aan het timmeren maar nog volledig onderdanig aan Pompeius.
Door de historisch correcte achtergrond en het standpunt van de slaaf waaruit het verhaal verteld wordt is dit niet zo'n aangenaam boek om te lezen. Wel spannend en vol aktie maar ook vol wanhoop - het gaat essentieel wel over een jongetje van 12 jaar die uit zijn luxeleventje wordt weggerukt en als slaaf wordt weggevoerd, om dan als gladiator met als doel eervol te sterven tot vermaak van de vrije Romeinse burgers.
Op de cover staat "Boek 1" vermeld dus er is waarschijnlijk ook nog een deel 2, geen idee of ik de moeite nog zal nemen om ook dat te lezen. Het einde is natuurlijk wel een cliffhanger - hoe zal het Marcus verder vergaan in zijn streven naar ontsnapping of vrijheid, groeit er iets romantisch tussen hem en Portia, het nichtje van Julius Caesar, wiens lijfwacht hij wordt en zal hij zijn moeder nog levend kunnen terugvinden en redden. En natuurlijk blijft ook de vraag of hij nog wraak zal kunnen nemen om de moordenaar van zijn vader, de man die zijn moeder en hemzelf als slaven heeft verkocht?
De schrijver stapt wel losjes over het feit heen dat zijn Romeise vader geld leende en niet echt van plan was om dat correct terug te betalen omdat hij - heel hooghartig - zich beroemde op zijn Romeins staatsburgerschap en het feit dat hij Pompeius persoonlijk kende.
En dan heb ik het nog niet over de revelatie over de echte afkomst van Marcus gehad, iets wat pas in de laaste bladzijden bekend wordt en meteen een totale plotwending betekent.

[Jakob Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Marcus Gladiator #1" by Simon Scarrow takes readers to the heart of ancient Rome in an exciting manner while telling an exciting story of bravery, commitment, and the brutal realities of the gladiatorial theater.

Scarrow takes readers into the colorful and dangerous world of the Roman Empire from the very first page. Marcus, the main character, is an interesting figure whose complicated personality changes as the narrative progresses. As a gladiator, Marcus must handle the moral problems that come with his harsh trade in addition to physical difficulties in the arena.

The depth of historical detail that presents Ancient Rome is proof to the author's thorough research. Scarrow effectively combines political, cultural, and historical elements to create a complicated history for the individuals' storylines to take place against. The reader is given an emotional and intense experience through the very well-executed informative portrayals of the gladiatorial fights.

The story is kept interesting and lively by the smart control of the narrative's rhythm. The language is humorous and genuine, and the action scenes are powerful, adding to the novel's overall authenticity. One can easily become captivated in the novel because of Scarrow's straightforward ability to transfer readers to a distant age through his writing.

Even though the story follows some genre rules, Scarrow adds just enough uniqueness and complexity to the story to keep it interesting and engaging. A varied and well-developed additional group of characters adds to the story's depth and the reading experience as a whole.

"Marcus Gladiator #1" does a great job of finding a balance between genuine historical accuracy and an engaging plot. Fans of historical fiction and anyone interested in the glory and cruelty of ancient Rome shouldn't skip reading this book due to Simon Scarrow's superb narrative and great attention to detail.

[Tony Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait, this is a "Young Adult" novel?! Boy, they've really changed since I was a "Young Adult".

To say the tone here wasn't quite what I was expecting is an understatement. It's also a compliment. I was itching for something set in ancient Rome/Greece etc. as I wait for my turn on Libby for Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. Given that novel's length and heavy tone, I wanted to scratch that itch with something light. An appetizer if you will. The relatively short length here certainly qualifies it as an appetizer, but light? Nope. Not the word I'd use.

I'm honestly surprised that I don't see any major blow back from the reviews here from parents who were bothered by the graphic and uncompromising drama that Scarrow depicts. This isn't Percy Jackson or Rangers'Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan (The former I haven't read--though I tried--, the latter I just finished). There aren't any quips or light moments. While it might not be "Adult" strictly speaking, it's not the sort of thing you'll typically find in your library's YA section, that's for sure.

For my part I really enjoyed Fight for Freedom. Marcus makes for a likable and compelling protagonist. He's someone who's easy to root for, and the road ahead of him is anything but smooth and clear. The story (and it's part of a series, so there are threads-a-plenty hanging when it "ends") is simple, but well told. Scarrow knows how to spin a tale, and the fighting scenes literally had my heart racing a bit.

To see something like the aforementioned first Ranger's Apprentice novel have a higher rating is baffling to me. Ruins of Gorlan is okay for what it is, but it never, ever rises above the genre tropes it wears like a cloak. Fight for Freedom on the other hand trims off all of the silly frills of the genre and tells a far more compelling story as a result.

[My Point Of Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puntuación: 6,5 / 10 – 3,25 estrellas de 5

Pasar de esclavo a persona libre es un sueño, de libre a esclavo es una pesadilla.

Esta es la primera parte de una tetralogía de ficción histórica en la que nos encontramos después de la gran batalla de Espartaco con los generales Cayo y Pompeyo. En ese contexto, el centurión Tito ha terminado su servicio activo y tiene una granja, pero se ha retrasado en algunos pagos a un prestamista. Marco, su hijo, tendrá que enfrentarse a la vida tras pasar a convertirse forzosamente en esclavo.

La parte histórica, aunque breve y mayormente fundamentada en referencias (forma del armamento y de los petos, por ejemplo), está bastante bien. El problema aquí es principalmente la forma en que está escrito: parece simplificado al máximo para que cualquiera pueda entenderlo y resultarle una lectura ágil y ligera. Espero que no se me malinterprete: no lo recomendaría para ese grupo de edad por describir asesinatos, hablar de esclavitud y promover el encuentro físico, pero los adolescentes no lo verán tan crudo. De hecho, las muertes son contadas casi que de refilón, sin pararse demasiado en ellas.

Este formato ha hecho que no me llamara tanto la atención el libro, a pesar de que sí lo hizo la trama. Además, es previsible desde el capítulo tres, o antes incluso, lo que va a suceder en este libro y el “gran secreto” que se espera a revelar al final.

[Mohammed Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable and interesting book!

The book "Gladiator: Fight for Freedom" was written by the author Simon Scarrow, and it narrates the life story of Marcus Cornelius Primus a 10-year-old kid who lived his life in sorrow, guilt, agony, and pain. Marcus sets a goal to avenge his father's death after his father has been slain and to rescue his mother from slavery as seen on (P. 74) "If Marcus was caught, then it would all have been for nothing, and he and his mother would be condemned to the living death of working in a slave gang." This quote shows us that Marcus went through a lot so he can rescue his mother and avenge his father, so he can't give it up just yet. Marcus later was sold as a slave to a gladiator school and he gets used to the rough life, as Marcus spends his time training, he becomes tougher as times passes by until he becomes one of the strongest gladiators to ever live.

I would really like to recommend this book for the people seeking adventure because this book is not only about entertainment, but it also gives us a scoop about the different aspects of Marcus's life as a gladiator and as a slave. The book also offers some facts for history lovers and for people who want to learn more about that Ancient Rome and Greek as seen on (P. 112) (chapter 12) "Unlike you Roman citizen, I was born into slavery, in an inn in the slums of Athens" and on (p. 117) "What about the others? The Thracians and the Spartans?". The first quote shows us that in the old times, Rome was a powerful country and unlike the people from Greek, they ruled over other countries. Also, the second quote shows us that later in the story, they talk more about who are the Thracians and the Spartans.

I would rate this book four out of five. Although this book contains a really great sequence of events and events that makes you wanna read more, this book has some minor mistakes that need fixing so that the book seems a little more realistic and does not cause a lot of confusion and this was seen throughout the book because it was said that Marcus was only 10 years old and yet, he went through a lot of events that a 10-year-old can't handle, but if Marcus was 14 or so, the book would have more meaning into it.

[Merinereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut recherchiertes, historisches Jugendbuch, das nichts beschönigt aber auch nicht zu blutig ist.
Man merkt beim Lesen schnell, dass der Autor sich ausgiebig mit der beschriebenen Epoche beschäftigt hat, wodurch die Schilderung sehr authentisch wirkt.
Der Hauptcharakter Marcus wirkte auf mich sehr reif für sein Alter, allein vom Eindruck her hätte ich ihn eher auf 13-14 statt 10-11 geschätzt aber ich denke der Autor wollte seiner Zielgruppe einfach eine für sie eindrucksvolle Heldenfigur geben.
Den Plottwist am Ende habe ich schon vorher erraten, ich habe allerdings schon viele Jugendbücher gelesen weswegen das Foreshadowing für mich ziemlich eindeutig war.
Auch ansonsten finden sich einige typische Jugendbuchelemente, das Setting ist jedoch originell und interessant.

[River Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcos 10yrs lives with his mother a former slave and his father a Roman Centurion who had married her, they lived on a small farm and Marcos was very happy
Unknown to Marcus his father had borrowed money from a cruel Roman who sent soldiers to recover the debt, at first they fought them off but a month later more soldiers returned, far more than before and although they put up a brave fight his father was killed and Marcus and his mother were to be sold into slavery to recover the debt
His mother ends up on the moneylenders plantation, Marcos eventually ends up at Gladiator school, Marcus knows the great Roman General Pompelus owed his father a favour after saving his life, Marcus is determined to find him and rescue his mother

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and engaging historical fiction novel. It captures the sad life led by slaves and the desperate fight for survival amid an unforgiving and deadly world ruled by the aristocrats who saw the slaves as mere property, bought and sold and killed like an animal. This book slowly builds up to the main secret which Brixus, a former guard of Spartacus, tells Marcus at the very end of the book. This secret is very big and changes everything Marcus fought for. Instead of fighting for the injustice done to a roman citizen, Marcus finds a new class of society which will look up to him as their leader when the time comes..

[EdRes Readers]

È un libro di genere storico, ma non tipo i libri storici noiosi…
È ambientato nel 60 A.C., circa. Racconta di un ragazzo che vive nell’antica Grecia, al quale viene portato via tutto: padre, madre, casa… perfino il suo cane. Da questo libro ci si può aspettare da azione e combattimenti a sedute politiche in senato.
Grazie a questo libro, ho capito cosa voleva dire essere schiavi nell’antica Roma: una cosa terribile. Condizioni igieniche pessime, vieni considerato un oggetto.
Leggete questo libro se vi attira l’antica Roma, le strade malfamate, gli scontri sanguinosi nell’arena e anche un po’ l’antica politica romana.
Francesco

[Annette Heslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rome, 61BC.

Young Marcus Cornelius Primus was raised on a farm with his mother and Father. His Father Titus was brutally murdered for unpaid debts. Marcus and his mother were kidnapped and kept as Slaves. They devise a plan to escape but only Marcus was successful. His Mother remains a Slave.

Marcus hides on a ship. but is found and brought by Porcino where he is taken to be trained as a Gladiator. But one of the cooks recognizes Marcus's brand on his shoulder and unknown to Marcus he carries a life-threatening secret.

Will he ever escape and have freedom? Will his mother ever be free?

Lots of twists in this book.

[Joep Kranendonk · Rating 3 out of 5]

In dit spannende jeugdboek neem je een stap terug in de tijd naar het jaar 61 voor Christus, waar de gladiatoren elkaar nog het hoofd insloegen. Ondanks de best moeilijke, ouderwetse woorden ben je erg snel door dit verhaal heen. Ik zou dit boek aanraden aan jongens en meiden in de leeftijd van 12 tot 16 jaar die wel houden van een spannend en leerzaam avontuur. De flaptekst 'Dit is je nieuwe thuis. Vergeet je oude leven. Het enige wat er nu nog toe doet is dat je leert vechten en overleven.' sprak mij in ieder geval enorm aan als tiener.

[Rock Pirih · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story, filled with references to the ancient Roman Empire, which is shown in a form of the life of gladiators.
The setting is very likely and the narration is so good written, that holds the reader next to the book, not letting him go, until he finished the whole book.
The story itself sticks very keen to it's boundaries with the ancient Roman Empire timeline.
Would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the life of a gladiator and in ancient Roman history.

[Gerda Jongsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een leuk en makkelijk weg te lezen boek. Ik dacht vooraf dat dit boek misschien wel in het YA-genre zou vallen, maar het is overduidelijk een kinderboek. Iets te simpel beschreven naar mijn inzicht. Ook was het al vrij snel duidelijk hoe Marcus' achtergrond in de steel stak en was het voor de lezer dus afwachten wanneer Marcus het zelf door zou krijgen. Wel knap hoe Simon Scarrow de meeste normale dingen erin weet te verwerken, wat historisch waarschijnlijk ook klopt.

[Anthony Price Radford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I though at first (well for 9/10ths) of the book that this kid couldn’t catch a break. It was quite depressing. But I liked the ending and the little twist although it was predictable. I like the “star” cameos and would like to read the next in the series. Scarrow is a bit dark but he is a good story teller. I won’t let my 10 year old read this book. Probably better for 13 and up due to the gore and pessimism.