Sand of the Arena: A Gladiators of the Empire Novel (The Gladiators of the Empire Novels) [Hardcover]

James Duffy (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Gladiators of the Empire Novels | Publication Date: November 1, 2005

In AD 63 the long arm of the Roman Empire stretches across the European continent and the gladiatorial games are awash in blood and glory. For Quintus Honorius Romanus, son of one of the richest men in Rome, everything is as it should be—as long as he can sneak off to the arena for a little entertainment. Things go drastically wrong, however, when Quintus loses his family, his social standing, and his name to an imposter. Faced with a life of menial slavery, Quintus joins a gladiatorial school instead and begins a game of high stakes, as he vows to bring down the usurper who stole his life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For this first entry in a new series, debut novelist Duffy recreates in gory detail the world of Roman gladiators, complete with larger-than-life characters and plenty of fast-paced, sanguinary action. When the hero, Quintus Honorius Romanus, loses his parents and is injured during a storm at sea, a resentful and resourceful slave, Lucius, steals his identity. The real Quintus—renamed Taurus—works to rebuild his life as a gladiator, with the help of new friends Lindani, an African hunter, and Amazonia, a rare female gladiator who seems lifted straight from the overheated world of professional wrestling. Meanwhile, Lucius—masquerading as the patrician Quintus—rises to a position of power in Rome. Beginning in Britannia on the frontier of the Empire, Taurus fights his way to notoriety, a match in Rome and the inevitable showdown with his nemesis. From training regimen to weapons and fighting tactics, Duffy renders the technical elements of the "sport" in layman's terms. He also corrects some common misconceptions about gladiatorial combat—e.g., the losing fighter was more likely to be spared than killed. Despite its made-for-TV-movie plotting and characterizations, this entertaining read may find a receptive audience among fans of historical fiction.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

". . . It's an exciting, thrilling novel. I'm looking forward to more in the series." -- John Maddox Roberts, author of the SPQR series of Roman mysteries

". . . galvanize(s) the genre." -- Ted McKeever, graphic novelist/illustrator of Eddy Current

"An action-packed, head-spinning ride … Duffy writes with enthusiasm, and his affection for his gladiators shines through on every page." -- Nicholas Nicastro, author of The Isle of Stone: A Novel of Ancient Sparta

"Duffy recreates in gory detail the world of Roman gladiators … fast-paced, sanguinary action … [an] entertaining read." -- Publishers Weekly

"Well researched and exciting" -- Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press; First Edition edition (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590131118
• ISBN-13: 978-1590131114
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,360,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been a documentary filmmaker for 30 years and have produced historical and military programs for Discovery Networks, the National Park Service, the US Navy, and the Department of Defense through my production company, Venture Media. My magazine articles have appeared in Modern Drummer and Amazing Figure Modeler, and I contributed to a recent National Geographic magazine article on gladiators. A few years ago I wrote "The Cisco Kid", a graphic novel series for Moonstone Books based on the O Henry character. Awards include an Emmy, 16 Telly Awards, & 20 Addy Awards. "Sand of the Arena" is my first novel. It's Book One of the new Gladiators of the Empire series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting read from a writer who knows his stuff, May 29, 2006

By 

Colin P. Lindsey (Manchester, NH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sand of the Arena: A Gladiators of the Empire Novel (The Gladiators of the Empire Novels) (Hardcover)

Quintus Honorius Romanus, a 15 year old young man who is an avid fan of the gladiatorial matches in ancient Rome, realizes his dream of becoming a gladiator when a calamitous shipwreck takes the lives of his successful merchant parents and an unscrupulous slave usurps his identity. This story, set in the Roman Empire from the period of 63 AD to 67 AD during the reign of Nero, is bracketed between the revolt of Boudicca and Galba's bid for emperorship.

The novel has a number of things going for it including good writing and characterization, an interesting time period, the fact it is fiction based on ancient Rome, and an author who is obviously expert on the lives, training, and experiences of the ancient gladiators. He corrects a number of mistaken impressions left from the Hollywood treatments like Spartacus, and tells a riveting good tale while doing so. I was very impressed with the book and the scholarship which underpins the story-telling.

If I had any quibbles it would be that the book, while reasonably realistic in many ways, could have benefitted from an even grittier realism. The protagonist benefits from an oriental martial artist, self-devises a weight training regimen similar to what you see today, becomes famous on the basis of two matches, ends up being one of the top gladiators of the period while he is still nineteen, and makes a few friends who seem a little to good to be true. I'd also have liked the story progression to have been influenced by world events such as Boudicca's revolt or the coming crises of emperors, but if the auhtor writes a sequel, as seems likely from the dust cover, then that should be present in future novels.

Other than my personal preference in wishing for a slightly more realistic development of the protagonist and a tale impacted by the major events of the time, I have to say this is a very good book and a really enjoyable read. I banged it out over two days this weekend and enjoyed myself immensely because the author does a fantastic job of describing the training of the gladiators and an even more impressive job in describing the gladiator matches themselves. If you want an enjoyable trip to the past of Rome, an immersive experience in the life of a gladiator, and some of the most rousing fight scenes I've read then you will really enjoy this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A VERY GOOD BOOK, November 17, 2005

By 

Ancona613 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sand of the Arena: A Gladiators of the Empire Novel (The Gladiators of the Empire Novels) (Hardcover)

A series about gladiators fills the niche between all the Roman mystery series (Steven Saylor, John Maddox Roberts, etc.) and the Roman legion series (Simon Scarrow, Michael Curtis Ford, etc.). This book is well researched with lots of action, both in and out of the arena, but the action doesn't overshadow the characters and their relationship with each other.

One interesting point is the inclusion of a female gladiator among the principal characters. Some may find the idea a bit far-fetched, but there actually were women gladiators! As a female reader, the addition of "Amazonia" lent a welcomed woman's point of view to certain parts of the story plus added some interesting tension among the fighters. The scene with her in the latrine on her first day at the gladiator school is classic.

I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 due to the particularly violent scene of the crucifixion of an innocent slave, which disturbed me. But overall, A VERY GOOD BOOK.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced, fun, one of the best I've read this year!, May 5, 2006

By 

Jason Frost "RubiconReader" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sand of the Arena: A Gladiators of the Empire Novel (The Gladiators of the Empire Novels) (Hardcover)

I "found" this book on Amazon.com while looking for other books about Rome. Something about the cover grabbed me and I read the "jacket". Once I did I knew I had to get this book. Everything about this book was right! The plot was on point, the characters you loved and hated with a passion, the action was non stop and I found myself holding my breath during the gladiatorial bouts. I highly suggest that you guys get this book!