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True Gladiator
“The years of battling in the Coliseum had prepared Darius for the acts of a warrior. The council of his brother had taught him to fight only with honor. The love of this woman had given him the heart to accept who he must become. Juliet had called him her gladiator . . . and he was. He would fight for her, not Rome. And if it meant protecting her, Darius would kill without hesitation.”
From the moment Darius Magnus looked upon Juliet, his heart was no longer his own. A criminal in the eyes of Rome, as well as a favored Gladiator, Darius must find a way to free himself from the Coliseum arena and save his Juliet from an army of Celtic warriors and an arranged marriage to a villainous Senator.
From the moment Darius Magnus looked upon Juliet, his heart was no longer his own. A criminal in the eyes of Rome, as well as a favored Gladiator, Darius must find a way to free himself from the Coliseum arena and save his Juliet from an army of Celtic warriors and an arranged marriage to a villainous Senator.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2012
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Grane
8 books73 followersFantasy author for teens and adults. I live with my three children who are absolutely wonderful to let me do what I do. I am the author of the Immortal Wounds & Pinehurst the Pinehurst Series, as well as Tokens from Juliet. All of my stories can be found on Amazon and B&N. Please view my website: nicolegrane.com for more info.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 9, 2012
True Gladiator is a sweet tale of young lovers with surprising tenacity.
Juliet Argos, the only daughter of a Roman senator, lives a sheltered life in ancient Rome. Fed and clothed, she lacks for nothing except her father’s affection. While attending the games, she develops an attraction for one of the doomed men of the arena, a gladiator. Despite the reality of a relationship never working out, her heart refuses to forget him. Meanwhile, her father makes other plans for her. He arranges an alliance with a young senator who is gaining power and status in with the emperor. In disgust and fear, Juliet seeks rescue from an unlikely place, the arms of her gladiator.
Darius Magnus fights for his life almost daily in the arena only to return to his barren cell each night. No matter how his heart is touched by this beautiful woman’s pleas for help, there is nothing he can do to help her. His life belongs to the state until he earns his freedom through victory in the arena. Though his heart demands he do more, he cannot see how he will be able to protect her.
I enjoyed this tale of love against great odds. Juliet is a bit naïve for my tastes in heroines, but that attribute was consistent with her age, background, and social situation. Darius Magnus also come across young, as expected of a man of barely twenty. I expected his time as a gladiator would have aged him more, but that isn’t always the case in real life.
If you are looking for a light romantic read about young love, this might be a good book for you. Clean and sweet, with a dash of adventure, it offers an escape. The book contains some arena and battlefield violence, but the descriptions are not overly detailed.
I received an ARC from the author along with a request for an honest review.
Juliet Argos, the only daughter of a Roman senator, lives a sheltered life in ancient Rome. Fed and clothed, she lacks for nothing except her father’s affection. While attending the games, she develops an attraction for one of the doomed men of the arena, a gladiator. Despite the reality of a relationship never working out, her heart refuses to forget him. Meanwhile, her father makes other plans for her. He arranges an alliance with a young senator who is gaining power and status in with the emperor. In disgust and fear, Juliet seeks rescue from an unlikely place, the arms of her gladiator.
Darius Magnus fights for his life almost daily in the arena only to return to his barren cell each night. No matter how his heart is touched by this beautiful woman’s pleas for help, there is nothing he can do to help her. His life belongs to the state until he earns his freedom through victory in the arena. Though his heart demands he do more, he cannot see how he will be able to protect her.
I enjoyed this tale of love against great odds. Juliet is a bit naïve for my tastes in heroines, but that attribute was consistent with her age, background, and social situation. Darius Magnus also come across young, as expected of a man of barely twenty. I expected his time as a gladiator would have aged him more, but that isn’t always the case in real life.
If you are looking for a light romantic read about young love, this might be a good book for you. Clean and sweet, with a dash of adventure, it offers an escape. The book contains some arena and battlefield violence, but the descriptions are not overly detailed.
I received an ARC from the author along with a request for an honest review.
November 11, 2013
Meh. There were aspects of this book that I liked and parts I didn't. The characters had great motivation and goals. It had a great hook. I have so many books on my TBR list and this is the one that grabbed me and made it to my current reading list. Overall, the writing was juvenile. Of course the target audience is teens so maybe they would really enjoy it. I like YA, but the romance in this one was over the top syrupy to me. I'm not a fan of undying love at first sight. But it was clean, which is a plus.
March 1, 2013
True Gladiator was a delight to read. Nicole has obviously spent some time researching ancient Rome. She shared information I hadn’t heard before. The novel has action, adventure, and romance. This is a story that has broad appeal; it’s a clean book with enough adventure to keep boys interested. Well done!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews