Lycan Gladiator

Wolf Maiden Saga #1

by Eva Gordon

During a time of bloody gladiator games and treacherous schemes, a secret society of lycans live amongst the Romans.

When Ulric, a lycan gladiator, meets a mysterious human woman with green eyes, he’s drawn to her fiery beauty, enraptured by her alluring aroma. Unfortunately, Ulric and the beauty are slaves. To make matters worse, he can mate only with someone marked with the sign of the wolf.

Cassia’s hidden wolf mark burns in the presence of the handsome gladiator. While her heart yearns to be near Ulric, logic warns her against it—having a slave as a mate is against the lycan society’s plans for her.

In spite of the lycan society’s rules and the emperor’s brutal plots, their love grows … but their passion just may cost them their lives.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Historical Romance, Fantasy

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2013

About the author

Website http://www.ravenauthor.com
http://evagordon.blogspot.com/

Eva Gordon writes genre bending paranormal/fantasy/steampunk and historical novels with a strong romantic element. Alpha heroes and brilliant feisty heroines. HEA with a kick. She loves to create stories that combine her passion for mythology, steamy romance, and action/suspense. Her imagination takes her from one universe to the next. Thus far, she has several series up as well as single titles waiting in line for production.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if the Roman times and the brutality of the Gladiator Games weren’t bloody enough, imagine a secret society of brutal Roman Lycans putting their Lycan Gladiators in the arena! In a fight to the death, there can be only one winner and to protect his family, Ulric, an alpha male, warrior and slave is determined to always be the last one standing, too much is at stake not to be.

Cassia is a gifted healer, trained in the art of healing lycans by “normal” means, she hides a secret. She has super natural healing powers and a hidden wolf mark, making her a rare human mate for one alpha male and to be discovered could mean a life of imprisonment and abuse as a breeding machine if anyone should find out. Are Cassia and Ulric destined as mates? If Ulric can survive the arena, will Cassia’s secrets get them killed?

You know those mental images a good author can create for their characters? Take a close look at the cover for Lycan Gladiator, go ahead, look…admit it, you already did…trust me, THAT IS ULRIC, without a doubt! Are we panting yet? Ulric is power, controlled, just barely. Cassia is giving, and willing to sacrifice all for those around her. I couldn’t help but like and admire them both! All of the characters in this bleek world feel real, their frustrations and immense self-control are as admirable as their pain is palpable as their “masters” seek to break their spirit any way possible for full control. The villains are completely disgusting, totally unlikable, no middle of the road here, and definitely to be feared for the power they wield.

Author Eva Gordon has taken a brutal part of ancient history, complete with its prejudices, slaves, and over-indulgence and spliced in a paranormal twist that will have you hanging on by your fingernails. I was cringing at the whipping, the blood, the haughty attitudes, the deceit, the treachery…and thanking the powers that be that I didn’t live then. If you like your paranormal romance with jagged edges and tension as taut as a garrote, strong characters and larger than life conflict, this new series is going to rock your world as you are pulled back in time and find yourself standing in the arena hearing the shouts for blood. Eva Gordon knows how to make a bold paranormal statement!

I received a copy of Lycan Gladiator in exchange for my honest review as part of the Lycan Gladiator Book Tour September 17 at Tome Tender!

Wolf Maiden Saga, Book 1
Published By: Corvallis Press
Published: Aug 18, 2013
ISBN # 9781625289803
Print Length: 282 Pages
Available at: Amazon Kindle 

Amazon UK 

 Barnes and Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be the first to admit I am not a fan of historical romance. There were, however, two things that intrigued me about this novel. One, it's about shifters, lycans, to be exact, and I'm a huge shifter fan. And, two, it's set in Ancient Rome which, let's face it, isn't usually an author's choice for historicals. My experience with historical romance is Victorian or Elizabethan England and that's just not my favorite time period. So, this author had already snagged my attention just from the description.

The beginning of the story introduced me to Cassia, a very special woman to the lycans. For one thing, she has the small wolf print mark on her hip which designates her as a wolf maiden, only able to mate with an alpha. The other is that Cassia is a Valeria Luperca, a rare woman able to heal physical and emotional wounds of lycans. These women are highly prized as they are believed to be goddess touched, so only a few know about her abilities. Everyone else just thinks that she's Gaius's slave girl and apprentice physician. If she was discovered by the Caninus pack in Rome, they would take her and use her as a breeder.

Next I was introduced to Ulric, and, ummm, woof. Pun intended! A hot Germanic alpha lycan slave who fights as a gladiator and is, as far as the Roman people know, the only lycan alive. Ulric's master, Caninus Macula, is Rome's alpha and a very powerful man with a powerful pack behind him, and the loyalty of the Emperor. Ulric keeps hoping he'll find his wolf maiden but sometimes he fears his mother's stories were just that ~ stories. Ulric meets Cassia at the market when he tries to eat her pet goat. Not a great beginning, big guy. *snort* Something about her calms him, though, but she can't be a wolf maiden for she is not wearing the traditional red cloak. Cassia is dressed as an upper class woman, not a slave like Ulric.

The descriptive writing about the Bestial games, the Wolf Hunt, in the coliseum was fantastic. It was bloody, gory, thrilling, and so very, very exciting. The Emperor pitted fifteen gladiators with multiple weapons and five mastiff dogs against Ulric and ten natural wolves. I guess the Emperor was dumb enough to think he could win. Ulric would have liked to slain his master then, too, but his master uses threats against Ulric's mother and his remaining pack members to keep him in line.

When Macula's son is badly injured and brought to the clinic, Macula orders Ulric to kill Cassia if she allows his son to die. Cassia manages to get Ulric to leave the immediate vicinity of the surgery so she can work on healing the boy. Unfortunately, the boy's wounds are severe and he is near death. Healing him almost kills Cassia. Ulric witnesses all and begins to guess at her abilities. However, when Ulric saves Cassia from street thugs, she is injured, and when he uses his lycan saliva to heal her, that is when he knows for sure that she is a wolf maiden, she is his true life mate, and she is a healer with powers from the goddess. The fact that Cassia's wolf print mark blazes and turns bright red when she is with Ulric means Cassia can no longer deny the truth, either. This is not a good thing, though. Ulric is enslaved to Macula which means even if Ulric were to claim Cassia as his mate, Macula could still take her.

This book is filled with all of the machinations of Ancient Rome. Betrayal, jealousy, power, greed, and insanity fill the pages. It's awesome! There is no possible way that I can cover all the intricacies that happened in this story. The evil plotting the Romans did left me incredulous. I'm surprised anyone survived those times! I greatly enjoyed this story and the romance between Ulric and Cassia. The author told an exciting and riveting story that kept me entranced. The pain these two endure, not just emotional, but physical as well, to be together made for a very beautiful love story. I look forward to future installments in the series.

Review by: Christy Duke
Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild

[Jessica McSwain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read anything from Eva Gordon. I know I was given this book in exchange for an honest review and I got to say it was adventurous and movie like.. That's good, it reminds me of the movie gladiator except you have Lycan instead of just humans. I told everyone my husband he would love it. This book is filled with all of the machinations of Ancient Rome and or Greece.. Betrayal, jealousy, love, uncertainty, power, fear, greed, and acceptance fill the pages. It will definitely keep you up all night and day reading it. The story has a lot of actually activities going on in the background but the main story line is Ulric and Cassia. Theirs is a love story that has to not only jump through the many hurdles in thier path but face death with the knowledge that love is stronger than pain..
Cassia is a beautiful Lycan woman but only a few know of this. Why? Because she is not an ordinary wolf she has healing powers that can heal others of her kind. She has be blessed by the goddess with that gift. Therefore she hides her gift. Because if it is found out the clans would take her as a breeder for the chance of getting her gift. And that is not the fate she wants so she does not wear the attire the Lycan women wear she dresses almost noble. But when she first meets Ulric she fears that time is to an end.. He brings to her something she never had .. Love and affection, and stirs total excitement inside she never felt before. But what is she to do, he is a slave and if she comes out his alpha can take her too. Will she risk it for it?
Ulric has enslaved himself to Caninus Macula in order to save lives. He fights for it. But when he meets Cassia he will fight for her at all cost. He doesn't understand why he wants her so much she doesn't wear the attire inclined for females of his kind. Plus is she a slave or?... One day Macula son is injured and is dying she is working to help but keeps trying to get him to leave. Macula tells him to kill her if his sons dies but strangely they do leave her alone. She goes to healing him, but Ulric hid and saw it all. His she was his. He has to later save her life and then thier Union begins. It's so beautiful but never forget where they are and what they are against...what is the outcome of thier new found love? Will others try to take her? Live through the words of the author to see for yourself and feel the emotions rolling off. The pain the evil and the love. Truly can not wait for another to continue...

[Andrea Murray · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I began writing this review, I had a hard time defining the genre. While it is historical, it is more of an alternate history and definitely paranormal. I loved the concept of lycans in ancient Rome, but hey, I like the idea of werewolves anywhere! I’m a huge werewolf fan, so maybe I had unrealistic expectations for this one because it fell short of my hopes.
The novel was complicated. I seemed as though I had missed the first novel. The terms and categories were confusing at times and not completely or clearly defined. The whole saga revolves around wolf maidens, so I began this novel assuming there were no female lycans. Why would there be a need for a human mate if there are she-wolves? I assumed that all lycans were male and was confused when I discovered otherwise. Also, what exactly are the Lupercii? Are they lycan or human? Several times, I found myself questioning the “rules” of the werewolf world.
There were also some errors that grated on my internal editor. Blame it on my seventeen years of teaching English, but there were recurring punctuation errors that can be expected in an ARC but not a purchased copy. I understand style and using fragments for style, even stretching some comma rules, but the errors began to overshadow my enjoyment of the novel. Also, twice the author uses “distain,” which I assume was utilized for its archaic value. However, I don’t think it was used correctly as “distain” is a verb but was used as a noun. Also, why use “chirurgery” but also use the modern “surgery”? Some of the phrasing was awkward as well. It went beyond historical style and caused me to reread passages for clarity.
All of that aside, the love story between Cassia and Ulric was endearing. There is something captivating about an eternal love and a fierce warrior willing to destroy whatever or whoever threatens his lady love, and Gordon does a great job capturing the duplicitous Roman world where intrigue and poisoning were commonplace.
2.5 Stars

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have to say that when I got this book I was a little leery . Well because I

don't really do historical novels. But this book had me from the first chapter. I mean Rome was deadly enough but through in the gladiator wars .Throw in Lycan gladiators fighting for their very existence. You have the makings of an awesome book. Ulric is a lycan gladiator , an alpha, enslaved to fight in the arena. When the son of his captor is hurt, They take him to a healer . Where he finds Cassie. A green eyed slave with a secret. He is instantly smitten with her and needs to find out more about her.

Cassie is hiding a secret she is a wolf maiden. Her mark burns when Ulric is around. He know that she is his mate . but they can not because they are both slaves. But they can't deny each other anymore. As they claim each other , their love is great but will they survive to be together .

Eva takes you on a very big rollercoaster ride. She writes with such passion , you can feel in the characters. Ulric is a alpha that is just a sex god in his own right. Cassie is on determined young woman with a strength that blows your mind at times. The scene of the story ancient Rome was a great twist. It could of been any time period and Eva picked ancient Rome. Which I thought was a great idea. The persecution of the Jews , Christians and the Lycan , it just all worked out great.

This is the first book I have read of Eva's and now I want to read more. She just has a way of pulling you in and keep you turning pages way late into the night. Another great book to read while relaxing in the hammock this summer. So get swept away to another time and place. Where the men are hot and sexy and the women can put up with them .

I give this book a 4 out 5 stars

[Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva Gordon has done it again. I was lucky enough to have read her book Apocalyptic Moon, which I’m still waiting for the next installment of, and loved every page of that book. When I was given Lycan Gladiator by her to read and review, I couldn’t wait to sink into this new and exciting world she had created.
She gives such detailed descriptions without making the reader want to say hurry up all ready lol. I could imagine the clothing, to the surrounding, right down to the last detail and was completely enthralled the entire time. In this paranormal story Ms Gordon takes you back to the Roman times and gives a twist to the Gladiator games where there can be only one winner. Only instead of throwing a lion in to fight a man, they have a lycan who defeats his opponents to save his fellow pack members who are also being held captives. Her fight scenes are not for the faint of heart. They are graphic, but they make the book so much better in my opinion. She doesn’t fill the pages with unnecessary filler, or fluff. Each page you read keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat and wanting or needing to read more until you’ve reached the end.
And last but definitely not least, the thing that makes all paranormal romances a good read in my opinion is the love scenes. Again, Ms Gordon doesn’t let us readers down. She gave us the sweet, bone melting, sensual love making that Cassia needed while still giving Ulric the fulfilling any Alpha Lycan needed as well. The way she seamlessly blended the sweet Cassia and rough-tough-hardened Ulric made this a truly wonderful read to me.

Reviewed by Michelle Boone

[Sharon Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book, I jumped at the chance to.

Omg did I really enjoy this book. It not only was about Lycan's but a wonderful love story. Oh so good!!

This is so nail biting with waiting for Ulric and Cassie to escape Rome and their enslavement by Marcus.

Ulric, wolf shifter and slave, is protecting both his mother and omegas by not escaping and killing both Marcus and his evil wife Floretta. He will be their prized gladiator in the arena while he plots his escape and their demise. What he doesn't expect is to meet his life mate..Cassie. Now the stakes are higher.

Cassie is the human Gaius owns as a slave, yet to her he is both her teacher and father figure. He knows her true identity, she's the child taken by the Romans but also Shifra, Valeria Luperca. the rarest of wolf maidens. A women meant to be a queen. Never would she of thought the Lycan gladiator would be her life mate.

Both will face unbelievable tests and trials. Will they make their escape or will Floretta stand in the way?

A must-read for anyone who enjoys PNR or just a great Love story. It is action packed, thrilling and exciting.

Loved it

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's over four years since I read the other Wolf Maiden Chronicals and I've been checking ever since for more in this series from Eva and this book doesn't disappoint, it's got fantastic characters, great story and a history lesson thrown in for good measure. I loved Cassia and Ulric and the whole tangled web that Eva creates I also liked how things related back to the previous books or I think now they'll be future books when they're re-released.
The first Wolf Maiden book I read was Werewolf Sanctuary back in 2009, this was set in the present date so when the next book Beast Warrior came out it was a bit of a surprise to say the least to find it set in 825AD the Viking era and then White Wolf of Avalon was around 488AD, my point is that even though these books all carry the wolf maiden theme and are linked by this they are each there own book it would have been so easy for her to just carry on from Sanctuary and write another modern werewolf book but she didn't and that takes guts to deviate so strongly. I really can't wait to find out where Eva takes us next.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic start to a new series by the author. A lycan can only mate with another who carries the lycan mark but not a slave and this will cause problems for a lycan gladiator and a human.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. This is book 1 of A Wolf Maiden Saga by the author.

[Nicole Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow after the first book I was looking forward to this book, but I wasn’t prepared for the leap back in time to the Roman Gladiators and what a great read it was. It was nice to have actual history added into the story which helped you place it in the timeline of history, and a glimpse into some events from that time period. I loved the two main characters and could have hurt some of the other characters. I’m glad to say they eventually got what was coming to them. This story also gave us history on the wolf maidens and makes me wonder what time period the next book will be placed in. I’m amazed at how much Cassia has been through but wow did Ulric get handed a tough hand in life. I’m just glad that at the end of the day these two mazing characters got to have a HEA...... ps love the goat.
Patrice was a great narrator for this story. She read the story at an easy to listen pace, clear words, spoke with passion and even changed her tone of voice for characters.

[JoAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Story!! This is a great shifter romance story set in the ancient Roman time period featuring a captive wolf clan forced to fight as gladiators by an unscrupulous local wolf clan and their friendship with a human Roman ruler. The story will captivate you as you become immersed in the tale of an improbable fated mate romance between one of the slave shifters and a goddess-blessed healer There is plenty of suspense in this story that will keep you from wanting to stop listening even for a minute! The author did a wonderful job incorporating ancient historical facts of being a slave and a gladiator and the Roman’s persecution of religious freedom. The narrator does an excellent job in bringing this story to life. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Wolf Maiden Saga, a Paranormal Romance. The story takes place in ancient Rome. Ulric and Cassia's story is long, complex, beautiful, and intriguing. Ulric is an alpha lycan gladiator. Cassia is a wolf maiden, and a lycan healer. They are both slaves, but they are meant to be mate. The storyline has a very slow pace, and some twists and turns. I liked the story, but I found it a bit too long. The cast of supporting characters is great. The world building is original, and well detailed. Patrice Gambardella has a great voice, easy to understand. She did a good job with the narration. Looking forward to listen to the next book in the Series, White Wolf of Avalon, Werewolf Knight. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. #StoryOrigin

[Barbara Brostek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Lycan Adventure in Ancient Rome!
The tumultuous romance between Ulric, a gladiator slave, and Cassia, his wolf maiden, kept me thoroughly intrigued. The unique combination of a Lycan society inside the ancient Roman culture had me fascinated. I was drawn in by the complex characters and the historical setting. Their forbidden love was so full of suspense, intrigue, and twists that I couldn’t put it down.

I really enjoyed listening to the Lycan Gladiator and hope there are more Wolf Maiden stories in the future. I loved it!

I received an advance audio copy and am happy to leave my honest review. Enjoy!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy when a author can take a story into areas we can associate with.
The roman empire is something we learned about in school and in movies.
The story entwined the culture and time period, added a bit of paranormal twist with it.
The story and main characters was very likable yet the author gave us what I imagined a lot of roman characters to be like in a few of her characters. They were cruel and loved to demean others.
This book was put together well and I will gladly recommend this to other readers of like mind.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story had a lot of action and character development which I enjoyed. The main characters definitely draw you in from the beginning and demand you take notice and care about what will happen to them throughout the story. This was a good second story in this series and we get to learn more about Lycan society and their culture. Though some of their ideas do drive me a little bit crazy but overall I enjoyed this story.

[D Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyline

The main characters grew as the plot developed. The bad guys were well done and believable. It was a well crafted story, making me curious about Roman history.

2 steamy scenes. No swear words (other than Nemesis and son of a sow). I didn't find the violence gory, but rather it made me sad for the perpetrators and the victims.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this was an interesting storyline
that had a lot of drama action little suspense
and romance.
The main character had obstacles that they had to overcome .
The narrator did a good job of bringing the characters alive
also easy on the ears.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this audio book.

[Vickie Raynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action and suspense throughout. The pull between Ulric and Cassia was off the charts good and had me enthralled throughout. One of the best wolf books ever! Incorporating history, the gladiators and Roman emperors was just icing on the cake. Book gifted to me.

[Diana Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fight For The Right Of Love

This was the best of the series so far. I had trouble putting it down, even stayed up late some nights. Hope the next story of this series is just as good.

[Stephanie Sides]

I have to say that this book was really hard to get into right off.. It took awhile for me to get interested in it.. but in the end it turned out pretty good..

[Jennine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good long strong story sure to please. l really enjoyed both the talented narrator and the gladiator wolfs story.
Well written and heartwarming. Recommended listening/reading

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lycan Gladiator (Wolf Maiden Saga) SOURCE: Author in exchange for a honest review.
 
My Review was 0riginally posted at
http://satinsheetsromance.blogspot.co...
The first thing that captured my attention was the cover, which I thought was totally hot. The next thing that totally had me intrigued was the blurb and as such when I was granted the opportunity to read and review this title I was delighted.Lycan Gladiator is set in ancient Rome, in a time when slaves that had a warrior spirit were trained as gladiators and were forced to fight to the death to appease their masters. Ms. Gordon added an extra flavor by mixing historical, romantic and paranormal events. This story is about lycans dwelling among humans who were unaware that such a species actually existed. The male protagonist, Ulric is the kind of hero that most females dream about. He is strong, compassionate and is not afraid to sacrifice all for those he loved. He was forcefully taken from his people and forced into slavery and was ultimately trained to be a gladiator. He is a fierce fighter and this was compounded by the fact that he was not human but a lycan. The people of Rome actually believed he was the only one of his kind.Cassia, the female protagonist, is a gifted healer. She is a werewolf maiden which made her revered among the werewolf nation. She however was forced to keep her true nature hidden as if it were revealed it would mean a life of abuse and slavery. She was orphaned at the age of five and was raised by Gaius who was a doctor for both humans and lycans. Gaius helped her to hone her gift and also helped in keeping her secret. Cassia’s secret came under threat when she met Ulric, who also happened to be her life mate. The romance between these two was quite intense. I believed that this intensity was increased due to the fact that a romance between a slave and a free woman was forbidden in those times. The villains of the story were definitely not likable. Ulric’s master and mistress were the epitome of evil and I was glad when they received their comeuppance. Ms. Gordon’s writing style is quite descriptive and this added a touch of realism to the story. Lycan Gladiator is an exciting story of love, jealousy, the quest for power and greed. There are moments of laughter, there are moments of sadness and there will be moments of anger especially when reading about the injustice that was being meted out to the slaves. When you have a story that can bring out all those emotions then you definitely have a winner.If you are looking for a unique story which combines romance with historical and paranormal events then look no further. If you like the thrills that come with reading stories about fights to the death then this book is for you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this title and I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncaged Book Reviews:

Lycan Gladiator is a book worth reading, and a successful hook for a new universe. It displays an artful combination of fiction and history, and has thought-out characters that fit seamlessly into their world.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more reviews like this at http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com!

After completely loving Apocalyptic Moon by Eva Gordon I was thrilled to start another novel by the same author! Even though I didn’t end up liking this one as much as I liked the first novel I read by her, this novel turned out to be a super fun and sizzling read. With an ancient Roman setting, passionate characters, and plenty of sexual tension this novel had all the things that make romance novels so much fun to read.

The number one thing I liked about this novel was the sexual tension between Cassia and Ulric. From their first meeting I could feel the chemistry between them and I loved reading each of their interactions. Toward the end of the novel I was so eager for them to finally be together I was on the edge of my seat. Gordon created just enough sexual tension to make the moment when they finally came together all the better and leave me completely engrossed in the novel.

Cassia’s gift for healing lycan’s was an interesting one and I really enjoyed the twist Gordon put on werewolves. The ancient Roman setting added an interesting angle to the story and I really enjoyed the gladiator aspect to the novel. I really loved the detail Gordon put into world building and creating a Roman atmosphere, I felt as though I was right there beside Cassia and Ulric throughout the novel and though the historical aspect was exaggerated for the sake of the story I always enjoy a novel with a historical setting.

One of the only things holding this book back from getting a higher rating was the slow plot. Even though I was fascinated by Cassia’s gift I felt like a huge amount of the novel was spent talking rather than taking action. There were quite a few moments when I found myself struggling to get through parts of the novel just because there wasn’t enough happening to hold my interest. However the moments there was some action almost made up for the moments when there wasn’t, so overall the novel wasn’t painful or difficult to read. I just wish there had been a little bit more to the plot to hold my interest.

I would recommend Lycan Gladiator to fans of indie romance/paranormal novels. Despite the slower plot this novel had quite a few things going for it and I’ll be excited to read more novels by Gordon in the future.

[Llaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassia is a rare wolf maiden, born with the gift to heal all lycan wounds. Her true identity is kept a secret—for everyone else she is just a slave and an apprentice for a Master healer, Gaius. When she goes to market she meets Ulric, who makes her wolf maiden’s mark tingle, heralding that he might be her mate. Except Ulric is a slave, just one of many obstacles in the way of their love.
Ulric is an alpha lycan, forced to fight as a gladiator to keep the remnants of his pack safe. At first he believes his fierce growing attraction to Cassia is doomed since he can only mate with a wolf maiden. Once he learns the truth though, nothing will keep him from claiming her. Not his status as a slave, the unwanted attention of his owner’s dangerous wife, or the growing civil strife of Rome.
After a chariot accident, Macula, Ulric’s owner, brings his severely injured son, Lucius, to her to heal. If she fails her life will be forfeit and Ulric is left to kill her. Chancing exposure, she uses her power to heal Lucius’s grave wounds, furthering Ulric’s suspicions that she is more than just human. Regardless of having so many things in the way they are strongly drawn to each other, but will love be enough to overcome them?
Despite the well known werewolf myth, Gordon succeeds on putting her own unique twist. Employing this along with using a rarely used time period—ancient Rome--makes this a great read. She has a gift of using the right words and creating a story and characters that you love to love and hate. I would recommend this read to someone who enjoys a good romance, with the right amount of angst who wants a unique setting with the touch of paranormal. I definitely look forward to reading the other books in this series

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lycan Gladiator can be termed a historical romance and a paranormal romance seeing as to how the book takes place in ancient Rome during a time where people were brutalized regularly for sport in the arena either by other people or beasts. This time period never was a favorite of mine due to the blood shed that happened and because of the cruelty people endured. Certain groups such as Christians were especially targeted for the arena or some other type of execution. This book brings that world to life while adding shifters to the mix, making it an even more volatile combination. The story of two people who fall in love even through their difficult circumstances is a good summing up of Lycan Gladiator. Cassia and Ulric are both slaves but to two very different masters. Ulric was meant to be an alpha with a pack of his own. He is a good man who is surrounded by the worst of circumstances as he is forced to fight in the arena for his master so as to keep those he cares about from harm. His master's wife constantly tries to take him to bed, but he refuses. The master's son was quite the spoiled brat until an unfortunate accident almost killed him, bringing him and Ulric into close contact with Cassia since she is a physician of sorts and a very special woman. She has power like no other and has worked hard to keep who she is a secret. Well that secret will be revealed, but not before Ulric has fallen for her. A great and entertaining read, there were still some areas left rather vague and as always, there are questions left unanswered.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Werewolves and gladiators oh my!

Lycan Gladiator is a wonderful mix of history and the paranormal. This is a unique tale filled with intrigue, action, danger, and a forbidden romance. I couldn't put it down! The story was well thought out and beautifully executed. It was plain to see there was a lot of thought put into this world of gladiator werewolves.

The romance was perfectly paced and the chemistry between the two characters was palpable. I loved the way these two interacted. Even when they were fighting it was plain to see they belonged together. If only they weren't slaves and bound by the rules of their society. Can even there love survive such turmoil?

Ulric was handsome, sweet, and dangerous. He was a fun character to get to know and the perfect match for the stubborn Cassie.

Cassie is a strong willed young woman who knows how to hold her own. I really admired her and couldn't help but root for her and Ulric's love in the end. She didn’t meet Ulric under the best of circumstances, but even so it was hard to fight the attraction that was so strong between them. She is smart, caring, and fought hard for her own happy ending.

This is an exciting and sweet love story that you won't want to put down!

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient Rome is one of my favorite time periods to read about. The culture was rich and the people seemed to have such interesting lives. Eva Gordon captured this perfectly in Lycan Gladiator, but added her own little werewolf twist. Her werewolf society pulled in a lot of the traditional lore, but she gave them a fantastic twist. Lycans were mated to wolf maidens, humans that were born with a special mark, and once in a very great while a special wolf maiden was born with the power to heal. Cassia is one of the very special women and her protector is determined that she will be safe and find her true mate.

But Rome is dangerous already, when you throw in an evil werewolf overlord type of character. A wolf that isn't afraid to just take whatever he wants, Cassia's situation becomes much more difficult. When she realizes her true mate is actually his slave - forced to fight as a gladiator things get super interesting.

This book balanced the history and paranormal aspects beautifully, tying in real events to make the story more believable. With characters that came to life and stayed with you long after the final page. I hope Eva continues the series because I know it will be a hit.

[Karen ~ Divhine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read many historical romance books for a long time and therefore was glad to read such a rich and vibrant story. Ms. Gordon weaves a beautiful story of ancient Rome and adds lycans, with a wonderful werewolf society. The coliseum games were written realistic, believable, bloody and exciting.

Cassia was a very special person as she has the ability to heal lycans and would be very valuable if her abilities fall into the wrong hands, especially the Emperor. Ulric is a lycan that has been enslaved to fight as a gladiator. His family and his pack are held captive to ensure he keeps fighting as a gladiator for the enjoyment of the Romans.

Cassia and Ulric meet by accident and they both know they are meant for each other, but it seems impossible as Ulric is a slave and if they were to mate, Cassia could be claimed by the Emperor. The romance between Cassia and Ulric grew steadily and was very painful and emotional.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves historical romances and shifters. A wonderful story that kept me interested to the very end.

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

You can read this review at http://bestsellersandbeststellars.com...

[Tracy Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now if you thought being a Gladiator was tough try being a Lycan Gladiator. Russell Crowe has nothing on this guy.

Lycan Gladiator is a great mix of history and paranormal. I particularly liked the mix of romance, danger and intrigue. the chemistry between the 2 main characters is believable and particularly enjoyed the way that even when they were fighting they were "together" in a "you and me against the rest" kind of way. Ulric is the perfect hero (you can tell that by the cover - always a great draw of me) and Cassia is a strong-willed young woman who isn't overshadowed by the hero of the story. She may be caring but she's a fighter.

The author has spun a tale of paranormal with the ancient brutual sport of being Gladiators and the whipping, blood and attitude of some characters will leave you wanting more, but dreading what will happen next to our heroes. All historical parts are interesting to read, well-written and not boring. You can almost imagine being in the audience and hearing the crowd braying for blood,