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Roman Arena #1
Barbarian
The first in an ebook-exclusive series of action-packed novellas set in Ancient Rome introducing Pavo, a novice gladiator, and featuring Simon Scarrow's ongoing soldier character Optio Macro.
It is AD 41. The savage Gaul Britomaris has defeated the best of the Roman gladiators in the arena. Now a young volunteer, Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a murdered general, has been given a month to prepare to face Britomaris in a fight which only one man can survive. He is to be trained by veteran soldier Macro, who fears for his young trainee's chances. But Pavo is motivated by more than a simple desire for victory or survival, and Britomaris may yet be facing his most dangerous opponent...
Simon Scarrow supports the Bansang Hospital Appeal – learn more at www.bansanghospitalappeal.org. He will be donating his earnings from the sale of this book to the Appeal.
It is AD 41. The savage Gaul Britomaris has defeated the best of the Roman gladiators in the arena. Now a young volunteer, Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a murdered general, has been given a month to prepare to face Britomaris in a fight which only one man can survive. He is to be trained by veteran soldier Macro, who fears for his young trainee's chances. But Pavo is motivated by more than a simple desire for victory or survival, and Britomaris may yet be facing his most dangerous opponent...
Simon Scarrow supports the Bansang Hospital Appeal – learn more at www.bansanghospitalappeal.org. He will be donating his earnings from the sale of this book to the Appeal.
92 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2012
54 people are currently reading
444 people want to read
About the author
Simon Scarrow
172 books2,162 followersSimon 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 18, 2018
Awesome. Simon Scarrow delivers yet again. Arena is a prequel to the Macro & Cato series and the story brings us Macro as a veteran Optio. The action is fast, the plot intriguing, and the writing crisp. Excellent stuff. My only gripe is the fear that these Arena short books are in reality one larger volume that the publisher has decided to break into four or five books to charge more for the whole. Regardless, Simon Scarrow is such a good story teller that I simply don't care! Highly recommend.
Down grade to four stars after further thought. I enjoyed it, but compared to my other 5 star books I just couldn't live with the five stars here.
Down grade to four stars after further thought. I enjoyed it, but compared to my other 5 star books I just couldn't live with the five stars here.
November 21, 2017
Viděla jsem ji a musela ji mít.
Přečetla jsem ji rychle a uvědomila si, že je to trochu jiné. Hodně se to blížilo k momentu, kdy jsem si říkala, že tam cpou tolik sprostých slov proto, aby to působilo chlapácky. Škoda.
Jinak nemám co vytknout.
Přečetla jsem ji rychle a uvědomila si, že je to trochu jiné. Hodně se to blížilo k momentu, kdy jsem si říkala, že tam cpou tolik sprostých slov proto, aby to působilo chlapácky. Škoda.
Jinak nemám co vytknout.
December 31, 2018
Light Kindle read on a flight kept my mind off the fog outside
March 11, 2021
Micro Macro fix while you wait
A nice little yarn that helps pass the time between the main Macro & Cato novels. Nothing new or particularly outstanding here. Good dishonest fun
A nice little yarn that helps pass the time between the main Macro & Cato novels. Nothing new or particularly outstanding here. Good dishonest fun
September 4, 2021
"...Scatena la tua rabbia contro di esso e il palus ti ricompenserà dandoti abilità con la spada".
December 28, 2021
Troppo corto e inconcluso.
September 28, 2018
This is not a book, but more like the first few chapters of a book. It is one thing keeping things open for a follow up, but this “book” is not in any way self-contained, and comes over as a blatant device to pressurise readers to purchase follow ups.
Apart from that, it is a decent enough read, but comes over as a low-budget movie script.
Apart from that, it is a decent enough read, but comes over as a low-budget movie script.
November 1, 2012
Review:
Once again pure gold from Simon Scarrow. This is a short story giving Eagles fans a taste of the early life og Macro. Optio Macro is just as charming and affable as ever and has to steer the murky waters of Rome without the aid of his more cerebral sidekick Cato. As usual he lands in hot water (not of his own making) and has to use his own brutal uncompromising skills to get out of it by training Pavo. There are some juicy hints in there that i shall be emailing Simon about to see if I'm right (if he will give away and secrets that is).
The writing as ever is fun fast and well researched with a style that very few can come close too.
Highly recommended
(Parm)
Product Description:
The first in an ebook-exclusive series of action-packed novellas set in Ancient Rome introducing Pavo, a novice gladiator, and featuring Simon Scarrow's ongoing soldier character Optio Macro. It is AD 41. The savage Gaul Britomaris has defeated the best of the Roman gladiators in the arena. Now a young volunteer, Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a murdered general, has been given a month to prepare to face Britomaris in a fight which only one man can survive. He is to be trained by veteran soldier Macro, who fears for his young trainee's chances. But Pavo is motivated by more than a simple desire for victory or survival, and Britomaris may yet be facing his most dangerous opponent...
Once again pure gold from Simon Scarrow. This is a short story giving Eagles fans a taste of the early life og Macro. Optio Macro is just as charming and affable as ever and has to steer the murky waters of Rome without the aid of his more cerebral sidekick Cato. As usual he lands in hot water (not of his own making) and has to use his own brutal uncompromising skills to get out of it by training Pavo. There are some juicy hints in there that i shall be emailing Simon about to see if I'm right (if he will give away and secrets that is).
The writing as ever is fun fast and well researched with a style that very few can come close too.
Highly recommended
(Parm)
Product Description:
The first in an ebook-exclusive series of action-packed novellas set in Ancient Rome introducing Pavo, a novice gladiator, and featuring Simon Scarrow's ongoing soldier character Optio Macro. It is AD 41. The savage Gaul Britomaris has defeated the best of the Roman gladiators in the arena. Now a young volunteer, Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a murdered general, has been given a month to prepare to face Britomaris in a fight which only one man can survive. He is to be trained by veteran soldier Macro, who fears for his young trainee's chances. But Pavo is motivated by more than a simple desire for victory or survival, and Britomaris may yet be facing his most dangerous opponent...
June 19, 2014
Awful, horrid, unrealistic. Need I say more? I will extrapolate.
It is highly unlikely that at any time during the gladiatorial period in Ancient Rome that a soldier ever trained a gladiator.
It is also highly unlikely that at any time during the period of Ancient Rome that anyone within the Roman Empire ever spoke like the characters in this book. Closer to what is spoken in modern day England, you will read Roman characters stating such terms as "bloody ages" and "selfish buggers".
Much of the characterization is nonexistent and reading the action scenes is similar to reading an instruction manual.
Historical accuracy is the sole reason I started reading this series. I thought because the Arena series was by Simon Scarrow that they would be worthwhile to read and use as research. Thus far, I was mistaken, and while I will continue to read this series for anything useful I might gleam, I hold out little hope for the remainder of the series.
It is highly unlikely that at any time during the gladiatorial period in Ancient Rome that a soldier ever trained a gladiator.
It is also highly unlikely that at any time during the period of Ancient Rome that anyone within the Roman Empire ever spoke like the characters in this book. Closer to what is spoken in modern day England, you will read Roman characters stating such terms as "bloody ages" and "selfish buggers".
Much of the characterization is nonexistent and reading the action scenes is similar to reading an instruction manual.
Historical accuracy is the sole reason I started reading this series. I thought because the Arena series was by Simon Scarrow that they would be worthwhile to read and use as research. Thus far, I was mistaken, and while I will continue to read this series for anything useful I might gleam, I hold out little hope for the remainder of the series.
November 15, 2012
Dear Mr. Scarrow,
I had read each and every one of your 'Eagle series starring Cato and Macro.
On being twittered by you that Arena: Barbarian (Book One of the Roman Arena Series) was going to be released in ebook format I hastened now only to buy the eBook, but an eReader too!
Unfortunately, I have watched every episode of Spartacus the tv show. The book could have been any one episode of Season One.
My beloved Marco had no character development at all.
The drill Sargeant is ripped off from Louis Gossett Jr's. character in 'An Officer And A Gentleman'
And the cliff-hanger ending! Really!!
I am definitely not going to invest any more (time & money) in this series.
Please prove me wrong in your next 'Praetorian'.
Yours sincerely
A dedicated fan
I had read each and every one of your 'Eagle series starring Cato and Macro.
On being twittered by you that Arena: Barbarian (Book One of the Roman Arena Series) was going to be released in ebook format I hastened now only to buy the eBook, but an eReader too!
Unfortunately, I have watched every episode of Spartacus the tv show. The book could have been any one episode of Season One.
My beloved Marco had no character development at all.
The drill Sargeant is ripped off from Louis Gossett Jr's. character in 'An Officer And A Gentleman'
And the cliff-hanger ending! Really!!
I am definitely not going to invest any more (time & money) in this series.
Please prove me wrong in your next 'Praetorian'.
Yours sincerely
A dedicated fan
May 7, 2013
The first in an e-book exclusive series of novellas that act as prequels, of a sort, to Simon Scarrow's Roman Macro and Cato series of novels, this is set before the first novel in that series, with Cato yet (to be forced to) join the Roman Legions, and with Macro as an optio.
While it arguably does give a flavour of the fuller novels, the short reading time means there's never any real incentive to invest in any of the characters, with the plot also having to be kept relatively simplistic.
Still, I'll probably more of the series ...
While it arguably does give a flavour of the fuller novels, the short reading time means there's never any real incentive to invest in any of the characters, with the plot also having to be kept relatively simplistic.
Still, I'll probably more of the series ...
May 16, 2013
The story was good and to the point. As a eBook only novel it was the right but the editing was not as good as in Simon's full length print novels. Over all I liked it and will continue reading the series.
March 4, 2013
A nice deviation from Scarrow's main Cato and Macro series, following Macro many years before when he was an Optio.
Scarrow's style works perfectly here, it's got a dash of everything that makes his Roman novels fun and interesting to read!
Scarrow's style works perfectly here, it's got a dash of everything that makes his Roman novels fun and interesting to read!
October 28, 2012
Very enjoyable short story before Macro became a Centurion! Looking forward to the next instalment.
November 13, 2012
Engaging action filled novella of a younger Macro being forced to train a gladiator.
February 5, 2013
Good enjoyable read, it seems poor macro was getting caught up in rimes politics before he even met Cato, is he ever destined to live the simple life he so much desires.
May 19, 2013
Quite enjoyable first in a series.
June 10, 2014
Not a bad little story, but nowhere near as entertaining as the full Macro/Cato novels. Good fun if you have some time to pass.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews