Gladiatrix [Paperback]

Russell Whitfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

The Ancient Roman public's hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian's passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of warrior: the Gladiatrix.

 

Sole survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor, Lysandra finds herself the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the foremost Ludus for female gladiators in the Eastern Empire. Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, refuses to accept her new status as a slave. Forced to fight for survival, her deadly combat skills win the adoration of the crowds, the respect of Balbus.

 

But Lysandra's Spartan pride also earns her powerful enemies: Sorina, Gladiatrix Prima and leader of the Barbarian faction, and the sadistic Numidian trainer, Nastasen. When plans are laid for the ultimate combat spectacle to honor the visit of the emperor's powerful new emissary, Lysandra must face her greatest and deadliest trial.

 

This is a thrilling first novel that combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great debut that shines an entirely new light on the glory and the bloodshed of the Roman arena...It's exciting stuff, with well rounded characters, nail-biting duels to the death and vividly depicted settings. Gladiatrix makes Gladiator look very tame indeed!" --Simon Scarrow, author of Under the Eagle

About the Author

RUSSELL WHITFIELD's lifelong interest in Ancient Greece and Rome inspired him to write his first novel, Gladiatrix. He lives in England.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312534884
• ISBN-13: 978-0312534882
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,278,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, I'm Russ.

I've had an (almost) life long fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, sparked by seeing the The Three Hundred Spartans on ITV in the seventies.

I was educated to A-Level, but did not complete college, preferring instead to seek fame and fortune in a heavy metal band.

Sadly, fame and fortune were not forthcoming and a career in telesales beckoned. A series of jobs followed culminating in the heady heights of 'content editor' for a large multi-national. Its not brilliant, but it'll pay the bills until I get that call from Angelina Jolie demanding to option my books.

Gladiatrix is my first novel, but the sequel, Roma Victrix is due out in March 2011 and at the time of writing, I'm at work on a threequel.

I'm a bit of a geek (all right, a lot of a geek), I love watching DVD's, reading comic books and historical fiction novels. And I used to play Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons...but that was a very long time ago.

In an attempt to stave off an ever increasing beer-gut, I've taken up Silat - a Malaysian martial art, but in all honesty, I'm rubbish.

Still, in a strange quirk of fate, I'm actually training with the person who inspired me to write the Gladiatrix novel! A few years ago, I saw a documentary on the telly called "Gladiator Girl" which was about "Great Dover Street Woman" - purportedly the only physical remains of gladiator uncovered at the time, a "fact" (its contended) made more unusual because the fighter was a woman. Anyway, the lead actress in that is also a Silat Guru - Cecily Fay is her name - and now, years later, I'm training with the Gladiatrix herself.

I love Heavy Metal. As a child of the 80s, I'm into all the old stuff, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Manowar, Judas Priest et al. However, these days my favourite band are called Hysterica - Gladiatrix Metal, believe it or not (I didn't till I went to their website, but the proof in in the pictures.An all-female five piece, they sound great, look great...And they have swords - what's not to love).

Thanks for looking at my page - I should add that its a privilege to be in a position to have one of these sections on Amazon. If you're reader AND a writer, don't give up! Believe me when I say that despite all the knocks and rejection letters, if you keep at it you'll get there in the end.

Thanks

Russ

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book about gladiatrix, January 25, 2009

By 

Karissa Eckert "Devourer of all books fantasy" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gladiatrix (Paperback)

(What's this?)

This was a very interesting book that takes a look into the life of a gladiatrix. It is a fictional story, the author explains at the end of the book where he got the story from and how much is based in fact and fiction. Most of the book is fiction with the historical figures being accurate.

Lysandra is a Spartan priestess who is sold into slavery after her ship sinks and she washes up on shore. Her Spartan upbringing serves her well as a gladiatrice and she is quickly found to be ferocious fighter. She finds love where she least expects it and finds a trainer's hatred to be much more dangerous than anything she faces in the ring.

This was a well-written book. It was engaging, with well done action scenes. There is something for everyone here; love, hatred, revenge, action, politics. For some reason when I got the book from Amazon Vine I thought it was a young adult book...I don't know where I got that idea from but it is not.

This book is not for the faint of heart. The arena violence is described in detail, as is subjugation of the gladiatrix, rape, sex both between same sex and opposite sex partners. From time to time I was cringing at the bloody detail.

The author did a great job at weaving this story into what is known about Roman history. It was very believable sounding. The ending takes an ironic twist that was delightfully surprising and somewhat realistic.

I was a little disappointed that so much of the story was spend setting Lysandra up as the general of an army for an outlandish arena spectacle, and then nothing was really ever done with that. I guess maybe it was part of the irony of the story but it seemed like that was a waste of plot. Other than that I enjoyed the story.

Great book I look forward to more books from this author.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brutal. Harsh. This novel is not for everyone, April 26, 2009

By 

YA Librarian "http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/" (Always Cloudy Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiatrix (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Lysandra is a Spartan priestess who is captured and sold into slavery. Her story begins with a brutal battle between her and another woman in the arena. Lysandra proves herself(by staying alive) and is then brought to a facility that trains women how to fight. It's here where the story unfolds and we learn more about Lysandra and the techniques used to train these women.

It is within this school that Lysandra meets an array of different characters including her trainers, slaves and other women who are fighting to stay alive. Lysandra makes numerous enemies for various reasons. Some hate her for her forbidden love affair. Others despise her because she is Spartan. And there are those who think she is full of herself and need to be knocked down a peg or two.

Much has been said about the violence of this novel. It's true. There is a great deal of killing(but then again these women are trained to kill). There are a few rape scenes(very brutal) and there are some lesbian scenes. The language in this novel is very blunt. I like to think of it as locker room banter. I can't write an example because it would be removed by Amazon. It's safe to say that this book does not censor itself. I did not find it offensive because I put this novel in the context it was written. These women are like soldiers and as we know sometimes soldiers can get a little um, colorful. However, I can understand why some would be offended. Again this is all personal taste.

Lysandra is an unforgiving character, but that's why I like her. She isn't your typical woman. Even after everything she has faced she doesn't turn soft, cry in a corner and wonder what her life has become. That is not the Spartan way. At times I wonder if the author has written her too much like a man. However she did come from Sparta, so perhaps it can be overlooked.

I read a lot of historical fiction and I would have to say this is not your typical book from the genre. Most HF is written with women in mind, but not this novel. It is brutal with very few of the traits you see in your typical HF novel. That isn't to say it is bad, but it is different.

Overall I enjoyed the book. Sometimes I thought it was a bit too long winded for me. The ending seemed to drag and was not at all fulfilling yet I still enjoyed it.

I went to the author's website and it appears as if a sequel is in the works.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing spin on the classic "gladiator" myth, March 15, 2009

By 

Scott Schiefelbein (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gladiatrix (Paperback)

(What's this?)

One of the most enduring myths revolves around the Roman gladiator who rises from abject slavery - forced to fight and die for the entertainment of others - to become a lynchpin in the survival of the Roman Republic or Empire. Thanks to "Spartacus," "Gladiator," and numerous other efforts, there is no shortage of spins on this classic storyline.

"Gladiatrix" takes a slightly-different spin by acknowledging that the Romans liked to see women enter the arena as well. Inspired by a well-known frieze depicting two women locked in gladiatorial combat, "Gladiatrix" imagines the life of women forced into the gladiatrix school during the Roman Empire.

Our heroine, such as she is, is Lysandra, a Spartan priestess who is the lone survivor of a shipwreck. Captured and thrown into slavery, Lysandra is destined to be fodder for the arena until a Greek priest tells her that to fight well in the arena is to honor Athena, goddess of war. A Spartan woman, Lysandra has grown up trained in the military arts, and soon she is jockeying for position as the lead gladiatrix in her school.

Her arrival disrupts the carefully-maintained harmony of the gladiatrix school as she falls in love with a gorgeous veteran while earning the enmity of the First Sword of the school. Sporting an ego so large that it raises the question of whether Donald Trump has Spartan blood, Lysandra gets under the skin of everyone she encounters, for good or ill. Refreshingly flawed, Lysandra makes for an interesting protagonist.

Much of the novel looks like a classic build-up to an epic confrontation between Lysandra and the first sword of the gladiatrix school, but the final act of the novel meanders somewhat, ultimately building to an unsatisfying climax. Some story arcs are left dangling, while others are wrapped up in overly-convenient simplicity.

Well-researched and sporting some intriguing characters, "Gladiatrix" will not supplant the Rome-based novels of Colleen McCullough or even Conn Iggulden. But it is an enjoyable read that offers some surprises, and I look forward to future novels by author Russell Whitfield.