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The Gladiator |  | Author: Simon Scarrow
Publisher: Headline
Category: Book
List Price: £17.99
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Seller: awesome_books_001
Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 38671
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0755327780
EAN: 9780755327782
ASIN: 0755327780
Publication Date: August 6, 2009
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
 Lose The Girl - Needs an Ending March 4, 2010
Filthy Raider (Dorset, England)
I have to confess I read the first books in this series practically one after the other, so it was strange to read this one after a gap of almost a year between putting down the last one that saw the main characters walking off into the sunset (as it were) with Macro heading back to Rome looking for a good posting, Cato arm in arm with his new love Julia.
And there lies the problem in this book. Julia.
The overall concept is terrific. Pitched onto Crete after an earthquake and a tidal wave, the two find themselves in the midst of a slave revolt led by a gladiator, and it turns out to be someone they sent into slavery back in the other books. But as they were accompanied by Julia and her father, therein lies the issue with two characters you neither care about (they represent more than Cato and Macro the Rome the slaves are fighting against) nor agree with the directions the story has to go in to accommodate them.
Sorry if it's a spoiler but there is no conclusion to the feud between Macro and Cato and the revenge filled gladiator Ajax. That appears to be left for another book, but as only Macro and Cato are sailing away you get the feeling even Scarrow felt he was not happy with the Julia character - she is just one dimensional and not needed. So off she goes back to Rome (hopefully!) as up until then in the book she was like having Penelope Pitstop in the story.
Other than that, it is a good read, but lacking the spirit that imbibed the other books in the series. Unlike Cornwell, who stormed back with The Burning Land in his Alfred series, you can only hope this is a blip on Scarrow's good work so far. Two stars off for Julia and her Dad. An abridged version with them taken out would be fantastic.
 Disappointing February 23, 2010
David J. Ellis (Stourbridge,UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having read the series I find this part sadly lacking in intrigue and characters.It is almost as though it is a 'fill-in' whilst working out how to take the series on.Certainly not up to Cornwell's ability to keep you interested. Hope the next part returns to the previous excellence.
 More soon Please!! February 18, 2010
Mr. R. Collins (Norfolk UK)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
All I can say is that I have now read 1 to 8 twice and just finished 9. I enjoyed it very much and now eagerly await Number 10. I read a wide variety of books but Simons books are always good yarn.
Works as a stand alone. February 10, 2010
Bob
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I got it I did not realise that this book was well into a series in fact the 9th in the series however it reads well as a stand alone. The only disadvantage is that I want to read the previous books and they are already slightly spoiled as I know that Marco and Cato the two main characters have survived from at least the previous book.
Without trying to give away too much of the plot there is an earthquake followed by a tidal wave that wrecks the boat that Marco and Cato are travelling in and they end up on Crete where the book is set which is devastated by the earthquake which coupled with a slave revolt allows much action.. The book is fast paced and the characters well developed, although I know little of Roman history the book looks well researched and the plot holds together well. I read this in one session as I wanted to know what happened next. The book does not end on a cliff hanger where you need the next book to make any meaning out of it like so many series but sets up nicely for the next book in the series.
Part of an ongoing series January 28, 2010
J. Morgenstern (Houston, Tx)
You know what you are getting with a Simon Scarrow novel. This is one of his better ones. Exciting action and not a great deal of character development. It is just fun
Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
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