The Impossible Gladiator: Time Keys, Book 3

by M.G. Leonard, Manuel Sumberac

'A complete triumph of imagination... readers are going to fall in love with this brilliant series.'
A. F. Steadman, bestselling author of Skandar

The action adventure of Gladiator meets the time travel of Doctor Who in the third title of this blockbusting epic series by bestselling award-winner M. G. Leonard. Perfect for fans of Hunt for the Golden Scarab, Beetle Boy and the Adventures on Trains series.

Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson are enjoying an amazing holiday in Rome, until they they are swept up in the mysterious disappearance of world-famous illusionist Kinetic. He vanished during a live, broadcast illusion in Rome's famous Colosseum, but he never reappeared. When Kinetic’s sister finds a strange description of a Roman gladiator in a history book who sounds uncannily like her brother, the friends are determined to help.

They travel through secret time doors to the spectacular – and deadly – Colosseum in 80 CE. Facing fierce gladiators, rhinos, hungry lions, and the ruthless Chairman of the Council of Keys, Kane Wolfe, can the brave trio survive the ancient games and bring Kinetic – and themselves – back to their own time?

The Impossible Gladiator can be listened to as a stand-alone story, or enjoyed as part of the thrilling Time Keys series written by M. G. Leonard. Follow Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson's adventures in the first adventure in the series in Ancient Egypt, Hunt for the Golden Scarab, and the second in Viking Norway, The Legend of Viking Thunder.

Praise for the

'Classic and fresh – a breathtaking adventure.' – Eoin Colfer, bestselling author of Artemis Fowl

'A spellbinding, seat-of-the-pants adventure . . . fabulous, fast-paced and thrilling.' – Jonathan Stroud

'A note-perfect, time-travelling blockbuster.' – Jack Meggitt-Phillips, bestselling author of The Beast and the Bethany

'Fast, dramatic, exciting' – Hannah Gold

Audible Audio

Published February 12, 2026

About the author

M. G. Leonard is a writer of books, poems and screenplays. She has a first-class honours degree in English literature and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. She works as a freelance Digital Media Producer for clients such as the National Theatre, and Harry Potter West End, and previously worked as a Senior Digital Producer at the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe. She spent her early career in the music industry running Setanta Records, an independent record label, and managing bands, most notably The Divine Comedy. After leaving the music industry, she trained as an actor, dabbling in directing and producing as well as performing, before deciding to write her stories down. Maya lives in Brighton with her husband and two sons.
You can visit her online at www.mgleonard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MGLnrd.