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Gladiatrix #1
Gladiatrix
The Ancient Roman public's hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian's passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of the Gladiatrix.
Sole survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor, Lysandra finds herself the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the foremost Ludus for female gladiators in the Eastern Empire. Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, refuses to accept her new status as a slave. Forced to fight for survival, her deadly combat skills win the adoration of the crowds, the respect of Balbus.
But Lysandra's Spartan pride also earns her powerful Sorina, Gladiatrix Prima and leader of the Barbarian faction, and the sadistic Numidian trainer, Nastasen. When plans are laid for the ultimate combat spectacle to honor the visit of the emperor's powerful new emissary, Lysandra must face her greatest and deadliest trial.
This is a thrilling first novel that combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action.
Sole survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor, Lysandra finds herself the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the foremost Ludus for female gladiators in the Eastern Empire. Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, refuses to accept her new status as a slave. Forced to fight for survival, her deadly combat skills win the adoration of the crowds, the respect of Balbus.
But Lysandra's Spartan pride also earns her powerful Sorina, Gladiatrix Prima and leader of the Barbarian faction, and the sadistic Numidian trainer, Nastasen. When plans are laid for the ultimate combat spectacle to honor the visit of the emperor's powerful new emissary, Lysandra must face her greatest and deadliest trial.
This is a thrilling first novel that combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action.
449 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 13, 2015
A story about half-naked women oiled up and forced to fight in the arena for the entertainment of the masses. Throw in some 'close' relationships between the women and you have yourself the recipe for a solid B-movie. Heck, I'm not sure why I even picked up the thing. (Maybe a bourbon soaked bad decision?)
Talk about exceeding expectations. I was ready for something else entirely. This book delivered. Gladiatrix is the story of a young Spartan woman, Lysandra, who is the only survivor of a shipwreck. Rather than being sold as a common slave or, worse, to a brothel, she is sold to a gladiator training school specializing in the exotic market of the gladiatrix. After initial despair, she comes to accept her place and indeed thrive in her role. Her Spartan upbringing make her stand out.
In the gladiator school, she comes to find friendship and even love; however, her rise to prominence also brings other, unwanted attention. Sorena, the fierce Dacian, the Gladiatrix-prima and leader of the tribal peoples, takes an instant dislike to the talented Spartan. This enmity is not-only fueled by the hostility of the non-Mediterranean peoples towards the Hellenes and Romans. It is also strengthened by the unexpected relationship between Lysandra and Sorena's second. Throw in the Roman Governor's desire to throw magnificent spectacles, the greed of the ludus owner, the lust of Nastasen, a Numidian trainer, and you have yourself a seething cauldron of turmoil. The whole mix comes to head with a climactic (and somewhat predictable) struggle between Lysandra and Sorena in the arena. Again, half-naked, the two women go at it with calculated savagery before tens of thousands and an Imperial envoy.
Reading over the other reviews of this book, I noted that some felt that Lysandra showed no growth or development. She was always an arrogant Spartan. I disagree. I think she showed considerable growth. Yes, she is arrogant, but she is also self-sacraficing. She is kind to Veria, the little slave girl. She is meek when she needs to - begging the ludus owner. She even goes to a dinner with the Roman Governor knowing full well what might be expected of her. She does this for her fellow gladiators. There is even growth and change with her rival, Sorena, who truly feels remorseful and tries to bury the hatchet. It is only Lysandra's grief driven rage that continues the feud.
In a book with lots of good stuff, there are some troubling parts. I think the book is needlessly titillating. Yes, I get it. The women are all hot and sweaty, in ridiculously good shape and close to death. At times, I thought it was overplayed. Next, the violation of Lysandra was pretty bad and, again, needlessly graphic. Sex in a book generally = fun. Rape = not fun. Yes, it does happen and may be necessary for the story, but please keep it as sketchy as possible. And, to be clear I'm not sure the Spartan's violation was completely necessary to drive the story. We could've just stopped at abuse, thank you very much. (This doesn't even touch on what happened to the unfortunate brothel worker that Nastasen brutalized).
IV stars out of V. Well worth the read if you enjoy your historical fiction set in Pax Romana.
Talk about exceeding expectations. I was ready for something else entirely. This book delivered. Gladiatrix is the story of a young Spartan woman, Lysandra, who is the only survivor of a shipwreck. Rather than being sold as a common slave or, worse, to a brothel, she is sold to a gladiator training school specializing in the exotic market of the gladiatrix. After initial despair, she comes to accept her place and indeed thrive in her role. Her Spartan upbringing make her stand out.
In the gladiator school, she comes to find friendship and even love; however, her rise to prominence also brings other, unwanted attention. Sorena, the fierce Dacian, the Gladiatrix-prima and leader of the tribal peoples, takes an instant dislike to the talented Spartan. This enmity is not-only fueled by the hostility of the non-Mediterranean peoples towards the Hellenes and Romans. It is also strengthened by the unexpected relationship between Lysandra and Sorena's second. Throw in the Roman Governor's desire to throw magnificent spectacles, the greed of the ludus owner, the lust of Nastasen, a Numidian trainer, and you have yourself a seething cauldron of turmoil. The whole mix comes to head with a climactic (and somewhat predictable) struggle between Lysandra and Sorena in the arena. Again, half-naked, the two women go at it with calculated savagery before tens of thousands and an Imperial envoy.
Reading over the other reviews of this book, I noted that some felt that Lysandra showed no growth or development. She was always an arrogant Spartan. I disagree. I think she showed considerable growth. Yes, she is arrogant, but she is also self-sacraficing. She is kind to Veria, the little slave girl. She is meek when she needs to - begging the ludus owner. She even goes to a dinner with the Roman Governor knowing full well what might be expected of her. She does this for her fellow gladiators. There is even growth and change with her rival, Sorena, who truly feels remorseful and tries to bury the hatchet. It is only Lysandra's grief driven rage that continues the feud.
In a book with lots of good stuff, there are some troubling parts. I think the book is needlessly titillating. Yes, I get it. The women are all hot and sweaty, in ridiculously good shape and close to death. At times, I thought it was overplayed. Next, the violation of Lysandra was pretty bad and, again, needlessly graphic. Sex in a book generally = fun. Rape = not fun. Yes, it does happen and may be necessary for the story, but please keep it as sketchy as possible. And, to be clear I'm not sure the Spartan's violation was completely necessary to drive the story. We could've just stopped at abuse, thank you very much. (This doesn't even touch on what happened to the unfortunate brothel worker that Nastasen brutalized).
IV stars out of V. Well worth the read if you enjoy your historical fiction set in Pax Romana.
January 4, 2009
First of all, the book was well written.
I still didn't like it overly much. It had a good story, it had a catching plot and most of the characters were well defined and had a believable motivation.
Unfortunately, to the last page, I hated the main character.
I loathed her. She had a strong character story, but I did not like her. It spoiled my enjoyment of the story. I couldn't fall into the book like I like to do, and it was distracting.
Still, I would rate the book better if it had been only that, but there was one other flaw I rarely forgive a writer.
I hated the ending.
Ultimately, it is a good ending for the book, but in no way is it a satisfying one. Also, he didn't follow the main character after the ending - which I had expected and, yes, demanded in my state of a reader - but another character who, too, I didn't like.
It is a good story, with a sound historical backing but enough leeway to historical facts to make it pure fiction. It's a good plot, with interesting characters, but those flaws make it impossible for me to enjoy it as much as I would have liked.
I still didn't like it overly much. It had a good story, it had a catching plot and most of the characters were well defined and had a believable motivation.
Unfortunately, to the last page, I hated the main character.
I loathed her. She had a strong character story, but I did not like her. It spoiled my enjoyment of the story. I couldn't fall into the book like I like to do, and it was distracting.
Still, I would rate the book better if it had been only that, but there was one other flaw I rarely forgive a writer.
I hated the ending.
Ultimately, it is a good ending for the book, but in no way is it a satisfying one. Also, he didn't follow the main character after the ending - which I had expected and, yes, demanded in my state of a reader - but another character who, too, I didn't like.
It is a good story, with a sound historical backing but enough leeway to historical facts to make it pure fiction. It's a good plot, with interesting characters, but those flaws make it impossible for me to enjoy it as much as I would have liked.
December 3, 2010
Gladiatrix is a fantastic story!! It offers an incredible look at what life may have been like for gladiatrices in early Rome, but amidst the details is a story. An intriguing one at that, full of drama, love, revenge, and war. The reader gets to know Lysandra, a shipwrecked priestess now a gladiatrix slave and her friends as well as enemies thoughout the novel and there is a suspensful build up to a battle to beat all battles, keeping the reader literally on the edge of their seat....
Check out my blog for full review and sneak peak at sequel: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
Check out my blog for full review and sneak peak at sequel: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
August 26, 2011
Action-packed and hot!
This is the story of a Spartan priestess called Lysandra, who, as the only survivor of a shipwreck is captured by the Romans, enslaved, and trained as a gladiatrix. However, her previous training in combat techniques, physical fitness and power, mind and spirit, put her way ahead of many of her rivals.
Lysandra is a strong and insular woman, but anyone who is lucky enough to become her friend can be sure to count on her loyalty. The opposite, of course, can be expected by her enemies.
As you would expect, there is a lot of violence and passion littered throughout the book. It is very well researched, and ties in with what is known of the history of the region. I was impressed by the description of the combat, whether in training or in the arena, because it is so aptly short and punchy which really grips my attention as a reader. There is no flannel to distract me from the action.
The characters are all brilliantly developed, and they interact so well too. It is easy to feel the heat and the emotions that the author has so enthusiastically penned for our delight. It is not just the interactions between individual characters which stirred me, there are also fierce interactions between the races too.
I would warn prospective readers against getting too attached to any particular characters. Just when you feel as if one of them has been you life-long friend, you are likely to find them lying, hacked to death, in a pool of blood on the floor!
The only slight negative comment that I have about Gladiatrix is that there were a lot of small errors which should have been picked up by the proof reader(s). However, although this usually irritates the hell out of me, the story-telling swept me along at such a pace that I became much more forgiving than usual.
Finally, it is impossible for me to conclude this review without mentioning that, about a third of the way through, you will read one of the most sexually arousing lesbian scenes that you could ever come across. Whatever your gender or sexuality, I would challenge you to read this passage without becoming so turned on that you will have to stop and pause for breath. I won’t tell you which page to turn to, as you will easily recognise the piece when you get to it.
Gldiatrix is the way that historical fiction should be; for me, anyway.
This is the story of a Spartan priestess called Lysandra, who, as the only survivor of a shipwreck is captured by the Romans, enslaved, and trained as a gladiatrix. However, her previous training in combat techniques, physical fitness and power, mind and spirit, put her way ahead of many of her rivals.
Lysandra is a strong and insular woman, but anyone who is lucky enough to become her friend can be sure to count on her loyalty. The opposite, of course, can be expected by her enemies.
As you would expect, there is a lot of violence and passion littered throughout the book. It is very well researched, and ties in with what is known of the history of the region. I was impressed by the description of the combat, whether in training or in the arena, because it is so aptly short and punchy which really grips my attention as a reader. There is no flannel to distract me from the action.
The characters are all brilliantly developed, and they interact so well too. It is easy to feel the heat and the emotions that the author has so enthusiastically penned for our delight. It is not just the interactions between individual characters which stirred me, there are also fierce interactions between the races too.
I would warn prospective readers against getting too attached to any particular characters. Just when you feel as if one of them has been you life-long friend, you are likely to find them lying, hacked to death, in a pool of blood on the floor!
The only slight negative comment that I have about Gladiatrix is that there were a lot of small errors which should have been picked up by the proof reader(s). However, although this usually irritates the hell out of me, the story-telling swept me along at such a pace that I became much more forgiving than usual.
Finally, it is impossible for me to conclude this review without mentioning that, about a third of the way through, you will read one of the most sexually arousing lesbian scenes that you could ever come across. Whatever your gender or sexuality, I would challenge you to read this passage without becoming so turned on that you will have to stop and pause for breath. I won’t tell you which page to turn to, as you will easily recognise the piece when you get to it.
Gldiatrix is the way that historical fiction should be; for me, anyway.
April 3, 2009
So this was a hard book to stomach through, but I was determined to finish it. I just didn't enjoy the story. It's based on a Spartan Priestess who becomes enslaved and forced to become a Gladiatrix. Because of her history, she is already a great fighter, very knowledgeable, and therefore absurdly arrogant. There is very little change in her character throughout the book. She starts out arrogant and ends up arrogant. The little change has to do with her faith and she is no longer the priestess she used to be. The author doesn't go into detail on specifically how she is no longer a priestess.
There is hardly any plot in the story. The basic conflict is seeking freedom and to do that she must be the best fighter. No one, understandably, likes her (save for a few characters for unknown reasons) and this causes her problems. The problems are absurd and has a lot to do with petty arguments reminiscent of high school drama ie. "You said what to me?! I so hate you and want to make your life a living hell!"
I also didn't appreciate how almost all (there was one exception) of the gladiatrixes were lesbians in the story. I don't have a problem with lesbians, but it just seems to me that the author is trying to say that women can't be strong without being lesbians. As a woman, I find that a bit insulting.
This book has been compared to the movie Gladiator and I can assure you that it was considerable worse than the the movie. I was not at all compelled to cheer for the lead character and couldn't care less if she survived or not.
However, I feel like the author writes his conversations and descriptions well, and he does a lot of background research that I appreciate. I loved the fact how the last fight scene was based on an actual stele. I just wished he wrote a more compelling plot with character development.
There is hardly any plot in the story. The basic conflict is seeking freedom and to do that she must be the best fighter. No one, understandably, likes her (save for a few characters for unknown reasons) and this causes her problems. The problems are absurd and has a lot to do with petty arguments reminiscent of high school drama ie. "You said what to me?! I so hate you and want to make your life a living hell!"
I also didn't appreciate how almost all (there was one exception) of the gladiatrixes were lesbians in the story. I don't have a problem with lesbians, but it just seems to me that the author is trying to say that women can't be strong without being lesbians. As a woman, I find that a bit insulting.
This book has been compared to the movie Gladiator and I can assure you that it was considerable worse than the the movie. I was not at all compelled to cheer for the lead character and couldn't care less if she survived or not.
However, I feel like the author writes his conversations and descriptions well, and he does a lot of background research that I appreciate. I loved the fact how the last fight scene was based on an actual stele. I just wished he wrote a more compelling plot with character development.
December 9, 2012
I hated this book. Actually, I'm really surprised that so many other people gave such positive reviews! (No judgement, just very different from my own experience).
I found the book to be poorly written, the author told the reader what was happening rather than showed through dialogue and action. I found the characters to be stilted, unlikable, and unbelievable.
What most disturbed me was the detailed and graphic nature of several scenes of sexual violence and assault, none of which I found necessary to the overall plot or character developments. I feel that, if the author truly found it necessary for these events to occur, that he could have conveyed them without such detail, which I believe truly unnecessary.
Along with that, I found the other, non-violent sexual scenes to be unbelievable and more akin to some sexual fantasy than actual female experience.
All in all, this book left me with a very bad taste in my mouth and a desire to remove my copy from my house. I do not recommend it at all.
I found the book to be poorly written, the author told the reader what was happening rather than showed through dialogue and action. I found the characters to be stilted, unlikable, and unbelievable.
What most disturbed me was the detailed and graphic nature of several scenes of sexual violence and assault, none of which I found necessary to the overall plot or character developments. I feel that, if the author truly found it necessary for these events to occur, that he could have conveyed them without such detail, which I believe truly unnecessary.
Along with that, I found the other, non-violent sexual scenes to be unbelievable and more akin to some sexual fantasy than actual female experience.
All in all, this book left me with a very bad taste in my mouth and a desire to remove my copy from my house. I do not recommend it at all.
March 5, 2018
Un romanzo storico come questo non l'avevo mai letto. Nessun avvenimento scivola nella banalità, ricco di colpi di scena e soprattutto d'azione, con una protagonista tosta e di carattere! Ritrovare termini sia dalla lingua latina sia greca è stata una piacevolissima sorpresa; è tangibile quanto l'autore si sia prodigato a studiare approfonditamente il mondo del "ludus" e l'epoca storica in cui si muovono i vari personaggi.
Vengono affrontate diverse tematiche si passa: dagli stili di combattimento, alla schiavitù, alla condizione di asservimento della donna; all'interazione tra le diverse etnie dell'epoca per arrivare, addirittura, all'amore saffico. Tutti elementi sapientemente amalgamati.
Consigliato a pieni voti.
Vengono affrontate diverse tematiche si passa: dagli stili di combattimento, alla schiavitù, alla condizione di asservimento della donna; all'interazione tra le diverse etnie dell'epoca per arrivare, addirittura, all'amore saffico. Tutti elementi sapientemente amalgamati.
Consigliato a pieni voti.
December 20, 2019
When I found this book and read the plot summary, my first thought was “Holy crap! It’s like Spartacus/Gladiator for girls!” Awesome! Since Spartacus is one of my favourite TV shows and Gladiator is an epic film, I had high hopes for this book. But despite my high hopes, I was not prepared for how much I would absolutely love this book!
When going into this book, I expected the violence, the fame, and the bloodlust — all expected when you’re reading a gladiator book.. But I didn’t expect this book to be so full of emotion. Love, lust, rage, loss, suffering, revenge. I found myself hoping, praying, crying, and sympathizing. This book seriously yanked at my emotions! Gladiatrix is so much more than just a bloody life of a gladiator. It follows the life of a slave — with all the hurts, dreams, and losses that that entails.
I felt every betrayal, every pain, and every loss so much more potently through the words of a book. I’ve seen them on screen in Spartacus and Gladiator, but Russell Whitfield magnificently weaved the story to tug at my emotions and really make me feel for the main character — even if I was annoyed with her. I felt like everything that happened to her was happening to me.
At the beginning, I fell in love with the main character, Lysandra. I completely sympathized with her situation. She was once an honoured Spartan warrior priestess but was captured and thrown into a world of gladitorial arts and slavery. That’s obviously a huge change and something that would be extremely difficult to adapt to. So I completely understood when Lysandra lost her will to fight and felt as if she shamed her people and her priesthood.
From there, I constantly flipflopped between being annoyed with her and admiring her and sympathizing with her. She proved to be arrogant and self important. It was an interesting form of arrogance though. It’s not like she ignored everyone because she thought she was better than them. She thought she was better than them so she felt obligated to walk around saying, “I’m more knowledgeable than you so it’s my duty to help you.” So I guess it was a bit of a double edged sword. She was a little annoying, but at least she was trying to be helpful.
But on the other hand, she is incredibly knowledgeable and strong, and I LOVE that in a character. And throughout all her hardships, I found myself wanting to reach out and hug her or something.
As a bit of a warning, this book is very sexual and very violent. That could turn people away from it. As for me, I love a good sex book and I like action movies so violence doesn’t bother me. But in addition to just having sex, Gladiatrix does have some pretty vulgar scenes (rape). So keep that in mind if you’re thinking about reading the book.
But back to the subject.. I thought the romance in the book was brilliantly crafted. I fell in love with Lysandra’s relationship with her lover and every word felt so genuine and real. At first I was kind of put off by the lesbian relationship, only because I can’t really relate and I thought I’d prefer something that catered more toward my own sexual orientation.. but after a while, I didn’t care any more. I loved the relationship and I could relate to their feelings completely.
My biggest gripe with this book was the ending. There was a huge build up but I kind of felt unsatisfied and let down, though it was obvious that the main character felt the same way — she didn’t like how things ended. Now the second book, Roma Victrix, takes place four years later, so I’m concerned that I may not get the satisfying ending I wanted from Gladiatrix. But I guess I’ll just have to read the next book and find out!
Thanks for a great read, Russell Whitfield!
When going into this book, I expected the violence, the fame, and the bloodlust — all expected when you’re reading a gladiator book.. But I didn’t expect this book to be so full of emotion. Love, lust, rage, loss, suffering, revenge. I found myself hoping, praying, crying, and sympathizing. This book seriously yanked at my emotions! Gladiatrix is so much more than just a bloody life of a gladiator. It follows the life of a slave — with all the hurts, dreams, and losses that that entails.
I felt every betrayal, every pain, and every loss so much more potently through the words of a book. I’ve seen them on screen in Spartacus and Gladiator, but Russell Whitfield magnificently weaved the story to tug at my emotions and really make me feel for the main character — even if I was annoyed with her. I felt like everything that happened to her was happening to me.
At the beginning, I fell in love with the main character, Lysandra. I completely sympathized with her situation. She was once an honoured Spartan warrior priestess but was captured and thrown into a world of gladitorial arts and slavery. That’s obviously a huge change and something that would be extremely difficult to adapt to. So I completely understood when Lysandra lost her will to fight and felt as if she shamed her people and her priesthood.
From there, I constantly flipflopped between being annoyed with her and admiring her and sympathizing with her. She proved to be arrogant and self important. It was an interesting form of arrogance though. It’s not like she ignored everyone because she thought she was better than them. She thought she was better than them so she felt obligated to walk around saying, “I’m more knowledgeable than you so it’s my duty to help you.” So I guess it was a bit of a double edged sword. She was a little annoying, but at least she was trying to be helpful.
But on the other hand, she is incredibly knowledgeable and strong, and I LOVE that in a character. And throughout all her hardships, I found myself wanting to reach out and hug her or something.
As a bit of a warning, this book is very sexual and very violent. That could turn people away from it. As for me, I love a good sex book and I like action movies so violence doesn’t bother me. But in addition to just having sex, Gladiatrix does have some pretty vulgar scenes (rape). So keep that in mind if you’re thinking about reading the book.
But back to the subject.. I thought the romance in the book was brilliantly crafted. I fell in love with Lysandra’s relationship with her lover and every word felt so genuine and real. At first I was kind of put off by the lesbian relationship, only because I can’t really relate and I thought I’d prefer something that catered more toward my own sexual orientation.. but after a while, I didn’t care any more. I loved the relationship and I could relate to their feelings completely.
My biggest gripe with this book was the ending. There was a huge build up but I kind of felt unsatisfied and let down, though it was obvious that the main character felt the same way — she didn’t like how things ended. Now the second book, Roma Victrix, takes place four years later, so I’m concerned that I may not get the satisfying ending I wanted from Gladiatrix. But I guess I’ll just have to read the next book and find out!
Thanks for a great read, Russell Whitfield!
January 25, 2009
Gladiatrix, by Russell Whitfield.
Lysandra is, or was, a mission Priestess of Athena from the fallen city-state of Sparta, in the reign of Domitian in the Roman Empire. Now, after a shipwreck, she is not only a slave, but is being trained as a female gladiator. Thus, she embodies eponymous title of the novel, along with a group of other women also condemned to the same fate.
Gladiatrix shows us her story, starting in medias res, revealing how she was captured, and follows her story as she rises in the stable, develops relationships with her fellow gladiatrices, and finally has a knock down, drag out final combat with her greatest rival, after the love of her life dies.
On the surface, the novel is well paced, exciting, the clash of blades, the savagery and power of life in the Roman world on display and seen through the eyes of an outsider who is now the lowest of the low. Casual readers will likely enjoy it for exactly those reasons.
For me, however, I found it wanting. I know too much.
I may not be a Classical scholar (and the author doesn't profess to be one either, just an interested amateur), but I found the novel and the heroine's actions and life highly improbable and worse, "written to cinema". Some of the pattern of the story follows, to an extent, part of the arc of the movie Gladiator, and not to its credit. I just couldn't buy, even with the fig leaf of an Athene priest hired and brought in to convince Lysandra, that a female spartan would ever, in the end, accept her fate enough to actually embrace her role as a gladiatrix. It broke the character that had been building--even if, I recognize, it was the only way to get the story forward. I think that the author simply wanted a female Spartan gladiator, even if large implausibilities were the only way to get there.
An additional cinematic and not-very-realistic addition in the plot is the love affair between Lysandra and Eirinawen. I never really bought it as more than the author wishing for Lysandra to have a homoerotic relationship with one of her fellow gladiatrices. It never felt natural to me to her character, or Eirinawen's, for that matter. Now, the consequences of the pursuit of that relationship, as it ties into Lysandra's rival Sorina, that I admit was handled much better. But I never really bought the creation of the relationship in the first place.
I almost wish that Whitfield had decided to write this novel in an invented world of his own. Perhaps with the freedom to make a Roman-like, rather than a strictly Roman Empire world, I would have been far more forgiving of the implausibilities of the characters and simply went along for the ride. As it was, I was in the end, underwhelmed.
Lysandra is, or was, a mission Priestess of Athena from the fallen city-state of Sparta, in the reign of Domitian in the Roman Empire. Now, after a shipwreck, she is not only a slave, but is being trained as a female gladiator. Thus, she embodies eponymous title of the novel, along with a group of other women also condemned to the same fate.
Gladiatrix shows us her story, starting in medias res, revealing how she was captured, and follows her story as she rises in the stable, develops relationships with her fellow gladiatrices, and finally has a knock down, drag out final combat with her greatest rival, after the love of her life dies.
On the surface, the novel is well paced, exciting, the clash of blades, the savagery and power of life in the Roman world on display and seen through the eyes of an outsider who is now the lowest of the low. Casual readers will likely enjoy it for exactly those reasons.
For me, however, I found it wanting. I know too much.
I may not be a Classical scholar (and the author doesn't profess to be one either, just an interested amateur), but I found the novel and the heroine's actions and life highly improbable and worse, "written to cinema". Some of the pattern of the story follows, to an extent, part of the arc of the movie Gladiator, and not to its credit. I just couldn't buy, even with the fig leaf of an Athene priest hired and brought in to convince Lysandra, that a female spartan would ever, in the end, accept her fate enough to actually embrace her role as a gladiatrix. It broke the character that had been building--even if, I recognize, it was the only way to get the story forward. I think that the author simply wanted a female Spartan gladiator, even if large implausibilities were the only way to get there.
An additional cinematic and not-very-realistic addition in the plot is the love affair between Lysandra and Eirinawen. I never really bought it as more than the author wishing for Lysandra to have a homoerotic relationship with one of her fellow gladiatrices. It never felt natural to me to her character, or Eirinawen's, for that matter. Now, the consequences of the pursuit of that relationship, as it ties into Lysandra's rival Sorina, that I admit was handled much better. But I never really bought the creation of the relationship in the first place.
I almost wish that Whitfield had decided to write this novel in an invented world of his own. Perhaps with the freedom to make a Roman-like, rather than a strictly Roman Empire world, I would have been far more forgiving of the implausibilities of the characters and simply went along for the ride. As it was, I was in the end, underwhelmed.
March 9, 2009
Gladiatrix was an enjoyable, distracting read. Russell Whitfield is well versed in Roman combat, but seems to stumble in the execution of the story of Lysandra, the Spartan gladiatrix. The purple prose was distracting at first: there was no noun or verb left un-adjectivized. The love story between the two gladiatrices was at best contrived and at worst purely written for the author's own entertainment. The characters, while entertaining in their idiosyncrasies, are slightly two-dimensional and at times, inconsistent. Finally, it is difficult to shake the feeling that Mr. Whitfield was writing a novel designed to transfer beautifully to the screen. And perhaps he is not wrong. Lysandra's story is appealingly gory, full of revenge and rape. And Mr. Whitfield's montage sequences would perhaps translate better on the screen than on the page.
Overall, Gladiatrix was entertaining but not absorbing. I will wait for the movie.
Overall, Gladiatrix was entertaining but not absorbing. I will wait for the movie.
January 10, 2009
Fans of Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" and/or Frank Miller's "300" will find much to admire in Russell Whitfield's debut novel, "Gladiatrix."
Whitfield's protagonist, Lysandra, is a Spartan priestess captured in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) after she is the sole survivor of a shipwreck in the Hellespont. She is sold into slavery and becomes the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the first all-female ludus (gladiatorial school) in the region. Along with Lysandra, readers are introduced to women from many cultures subdued by Roman conquest.
Whitfield pulls no punches when he writes about either the Spartan agoge or the Roman ludus, detailing the brutal training regimes of both. To do so, he draws upon not only historical documentation but also his experience as a gladiatorial reenactor/cultural interpreter.
This book is gritty, realistic, passionate and gripping. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the descriptions of scenery, battles and culture are brilliant. I recommend this novel without reservation.
(Review based on advance readers' edition.)
Whitfield's protagonist, Lysandra, is a Spartan priestess captured in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) after she is the sole survivor of a shipwreck in the Hellespont. She is sold into slavery and becomes the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the first all-female ludus (gladiatorial school) in the region. Along with Lysandra, readers are introduced to women from many cultures subdued by Roman conquest.
Whitfield pulls no punches when he writes about either the Spartan agoge or the Roman ludus, detailing the brutal training regimes of both. To do so, he draws upon not only historical documentation but also his experience as a gladiatorial reenactor/cultural interpreter.
This book is gritty, realistic, passionate and gripping. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the descriptions of scenery, battles and culture are brilliant. I recommend this novel without reservation.
(Review based on advance readers' edition.)
February 18, 2011
I loved it. Historical fiction with strong women, bloody battles, sapphic love, sex, the works. Whitfield does a great job taking broad historical facts and little gems of untold stories and fleshing them out in fiction. Almost a 5, but I have a hard time with sexual violence, and there are a couple of scenes that were pretty hard for me to handle. Otherwise a fantastic read!
February 4, 2021
Sheepishly I admit what little I know of ancient Greece or Rome is from the big screen, ie. Gladiator, Alexander and Troy. So I began Gladiatrix, somewhat sceptical of what the title was trying to convey. Because really, with a title like Gladiatrix, whose to say if this would be little more than erotica fantasy playing with the word Dominatrix? Fortunately, that is NOT the case and from the first pages, I was captivated. (Yes, there were real female gladiator slaves!) This tale is about Lysandra, a Greek warrior priestess who after being shipwrecked, becomes enslaved as a female gladiator novice. Initially, as a matter of survival & her Spartan pride, she hones her fighting skills, learning to become one of the most masterful fighters of her kind. Lysandra surprises herself by falling in-love with another gladiatrice, Eirianwen -- but their love & passion unwittingly becomes a catalyst that inspires rage, danger and hate... turning Lysandra's entirity upside down from what she believed of herself & her place in the world. Surprisingly, like so many of the characters in this book, the unlikeable arrogant & strong persona of Lysandra, charmed me and I found myself on the edge of my seat through all her battles, in and out of the arena. In fact, Russel Whitfield writes such vivid, epic fight scenes, I found myself re-reading entire battle passages to better follow the choreography. This novel will rip your heart out while you continue turning pages for more. A must read!
May 28, 2012
I started this, and made it 45% of the way through, before I just couldn't take any more of it. The protagonist Lysandra does not engage or connect with me, and the repetition of other characters' observations about how beautiful she is, "but not yet out of her teens", how skilled a warrior she is, etc. means there's a lot of telling going on, and not enough showing. Additionally, the character is difficult to empathise with: she is a one-trick pony with her character depth. "I am a priestess of Sparta, this is all terrible and my goddess has abandoned me. Oh wait! Maybe not. Now I shall fight for her." The stone-cold attitude may be authentically Spartan -- but it does not make for a good empathetic character. The only other fully-developed characters are Lysandra's two love interests, making for a very flat tale.
August 13, 2010
Some of the other reviewers hit this spot-on: reads like it was written by a guy who thought "girl gladiators! boobs! lesbians! blood! violence!"
Could have been good - but it wasn't. Read Last of the Amazons if you want a really great book about female warriors.
Could have been good - but it wasn't. Read Last of the Amazons if you want a really great book about female warriors.
October 3, 2025
The plot: Lysandra is a Spartan priestess who is the only survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor. Captured as a slave, she demonstrates her fighting skills and is taken as a gladiatrix - a female gladiator. The standard things happen: she falls in love, gains enemies and friends and proves herself to be one of the best gladiatrices. Basically, a darker version of the main character being the super student at a special school beloved of fiction.
I was hoping I would like this book, but I didn't. I found the story incredibly basic (see the summary of the plot above); the plot was shallow, and the writing was equally basic. There was very little description in the novel; you'd think Lysandra, being from an old fashioned Greek city-state, would be staring wide-eyed at the marvels of the international, cosmopolitan Roman Empire all around her, but apparently not.
The author should also have been told 'show, don't tell'; he frequently tells us exactly what's characters are thinking or feeling instead of showing us. For example, here's a couple of paragraphs from the beginning of the novel, when the main character is travelling in a prison cart with a group of barbarian Germans and decides to teach them basic Latin:
Soon, however, the prison cart was alive with the sound of harshly accented Latin cries such as 'sky!' 'tree!' and 'stone!' which quickly graduated to such statements as 'I-do-not-speak-Latin-can-you-speak-German?'
It was all good fun at first, but inevitability the hilarity that the lessons produced amongst the tribeswomen attracted the attentions of Balbus's guards, who admonished them to keep the noise down with much threatening and brandishing of stout clubs to ensure the message got across.
This could've been made into a scene (or series of scenes) showing Lysandra gradually bonding with the girls and realising that perhaps they weren't the idiot barbarians she always thought (just to let you know, she doesn't ever realise that and constantly dismisses them as inferior morons). But never mind.
And finally I really disliked the main character. Lysandra starts off as an arrogant, rude character confident of her own superiority because she's a Spartan. Throughout the novel, she becomes an arrogant, rude character confident of her own racial superiority, and finally ends as a rude, arrogant character confident of her own racial superiority. There is no character growth at all; everything just seems to confirm her smug superiority. Lysandra was a character I felt absolutely no empathy for her, despite everything she goes through. I was honestly hoping that she and her main enemy would both die at the end.
So yeah, I didn't like this book. It's a shame, because a book with this basic story with more depth and detail could've been a five star read for me. Oh well, I'm sure some people will love it. If you want to read about lesbian gladiatrices and don't care about depth and liking the main character, you may enjoy it.
I was hoping I would like this book, but I didn't. I found the story incredibly basic (see the summary of the plot above); the plot was shallow, and the writing was equally basic. There was very little description in the novel; you'd think Lysandra, being from an old fashioned Greek city-state, would be staring wide-eyed at the marvels of the international, cosmopolitan Roman Empire all around her, but apparently not.
The author should also have been told 'show, don't tell'; he frequently tells us exactly what's characters are thinking or feeling instead of showing us. For example, here's a couple of paragraphs from the beginning of the novel, when the main character is travelling in a prison cart with a group of barbarian Germans and decides to teach them basic Latin:
Soon, however, the prison cart was alive with the sound of harshly accented Latin cries such as 'sky!' 'tree!' and 'stone!' which quickly graduated to such statements as 'I-do-not-speak-Latin-can-you-speak-German?'
It was all good fun at first, but inevitability the hilarity that the lessons produced amongst the tribeswomen attracted the attentions of Balbus's guards, who admonished them to keep the noise down with much threatening and brandishing of stout clubs to ensure the message got across.
This could've been made into a scene (or series of scenes) showing Lysandra gradually bonding with the girls and realising that perhaps they weren't the idiot barbarians she always thought (just to let you know, she doesn't ever realise that and constantly dismisses them as inferior morons). But never mind.
And finally I really disliked the main character. Lysandra starts off as an arrogant, rude character confident of her own superiority because she's a Spartan. Throughout the novel, she becomes an arrogant, rude character confident of her own racial superiority, and finally ends as a rude, arrogant character confident of her own racial superiority. There is no character growth at all; everything just seems to confirm her smug superiority. Lysandra was a character I felt absolutely no empathy for her, despite everything she goes through. I was honestly hoping that she and her main enemy would both die at the end.
So yeah, I didn't like this book. It's a shame, because a book with this basic story with more depth and detail could've been a five star read for me. Oh well, I'm sure some people will love it. If you want to read about lesbian gladiatrices and don't care about depth and liking the main character, you may enjoy it.
February 20, 2022
What a read!
Women, skillfull and dangerous.... it's like having a complete femme fantasy package and this story did such fantasy justice.
Story is about a woman in particular who unfortunately finds herself enslaved. However she wasn't an ordinary woman in the first place and the story proceeds to her trials,growth and development. The setup is Roman gladiator era so lots of fights of that sort should be expected.
Her arrogance is to the roof and as irritating as that is to the other characters, I had some good laughs on them alone.
Women, skillfull and dangerous.... it's like having a complete femme fantasy package and this story did such fantasy justice.
Story is about a woman in particular who unfortunately finds herself enslaved. However she wasn't an ordinary woman in the first place and the story proceeds to her trials,growth and development. The setup is Roman gladiator era so lots of fights of that sort should be expected.
Her arrogance is to the roof and as irritating as that is to the other characters, I had some good laughs on them alone.
September 25, 2015
exciting, entertaining and dramatic... full review shortly
Well it took a while, nearly two years, from the time I decided I wanted to read this series to the actual reading thereof. My only regret in waiting so long is that by now I probably would have finished all three books but that is tempered by the fact that I still have two more to go. The author has created a very entertaining tale, one that grabs you on page one and doesn't let go. The subject concerns a gladiatorial school that specializes in female arena fighters, Gladiatrices, and the struggle to survive in a harsh environment, one in which there is very little hope for a long and prosperous life. Enter the protagonist, Lysandra, a Spartan Priestess of Athene and a trained warrior. She is arrogant and is condescending to anyone not from Hellas, to her they are all barbarians. The tension and drama that emanates from her abilities and her mindset fuels this tale of survival, hate, revenge and even love. I like the way she is characterized, from the depths of her despondent moods to the heights of her triumphs. A wonderful tale indeed. 5 stars.
About the author:
I've had an (almost) life long fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, sparked by seeing the The Three Hundred Spartans on ITV in the seventies.
I was educated to A-Level, but did not complete college, preferring instead to seek fame and fortune in a heavy metal band.
Sadly, fame and fortune were not forthcoming and a career in telesales beckoned. A series of jobs followed culminating in the heady heights of 'content editor' for a large multi-national. Its not brilliant, but it'll pay the bills until I get that call from Angelina Jolie demanding to option my books.
Gladiatrix is my first novel, but the sequel, Roma Victrix is due out in March 2011 and at the time of writing, I'm at work on a threequel.
I'm a bit of a geek (all right, a lot of a geek), I love watching DVD's, reading comic books and historical fiction novels. And I used to play Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons...but that was a very long time ago.
In an attempt to stave off an ever increasing beer-gut, I've taken up Silat - a Malaysian martial art, but in all honesty, I'm rubbish.
Still, in a strange quirk of fate, I'm actually training with the person who inspired me to write the Gladiatrix novel! A few years ago, I saw a documentary on the telly called "Gladiator Girl" which was about "Great Dover Street Woman" - purportedly the only physical remains of gladiator uncovered at the time, a "fact" (its contended) made more unusual because the fighter was a woman. Anyway, the lead actress in that is also a Silat Guru - Cecily Fay is her name - and now, years later, I'm training with the Gladiatrix herself.
I love Heavy Metal. As a child of the 80s, I'm into all the old stuff, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Manowar, Judas Priest et al. However, these days my favourite band are called Hysterica - Gladiatrix Metal, believe it or not (I didn't till I went to their website, but the proof in in the pictures.An all-female five piece, they sound great, look great...And they have swords - what's not to love).
Thanks for looking at my page - I should add that its a privilege to be in a position to have one of these sections on Amazon. If you're reader AND a writer, don't give up! Believe me when I say that despite all the knocks and rejection letters, if you keep at it you'll get there in the end
For Hooverbookreviews:
On Twitter @hooverbkreview
On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clash-...
Well it took a while, nearly two years, from the time I decided I wanted to read this series to the actual reading thereof. My only regret in waiting so long is that by now I probably would have finished all three books but that is tempered by the fact that I still have two more to go. The author has created a very entertaining tale, one that grabs you on page one and doesn't let go. The subject concerns a gladiatorial school that specializes in female arena fighters, Gladiatrices, and the struggle to survive in a harsh environment, one in which there is very little hope for a long and prosperous life. Enter the protagonist, Lysandra, a Spartan Priestess of Athene and a trained warrior. She is arrogant and is condescending to anyone not from Hellas, to her they are all barbarians. The tension and drama that emanates from her abilities and her mindset fuels this tale of survival, hate, revenge and even love. I like the way she is characterized, from the depths of her despondent moods to the heights of her triumphs. A wonderful tale indeed. 5 stars.
About the author:
I've had an (almost) life long fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, sparked by seeing the The Three Hundred Spartans on ITV in the seventies.
I was educated to A-Level, but did not complete college, preferring instead to seek fame and fortune in a heavy metal band.
Sadly, fame and fortune were not forthcoming and a career in telesales beckoned. A series of jobs followed culminating in the heady heights of 'content editor' for a large multi-national. Its not brilliant, but it'll pay the bills until I get that call from Angelina Jolie demanding to option my books.
Gladiatrix is my first novel, but the sequel, Roma Victrix is due out in March 2011 and at the time of writing, I'm at work on a threequel.
I'm a bit of a geek (all right, a lot of a geek), I love watching DVD's, reading comic books and historical fiction novels. And I used to play Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons...but that was a very long time ago.
In an attempt to stave off an ever increasing beer-gut, I've taken up Silat - a Malaysian martial art, but in all honesty, I'm rubbish.
Still, in a strange quirk of fate, I'm actually training with the person who inspired me to write the Gladiatrix novel! A few years ago, I saw a documentary on the telly called "Gladiator Girl" which was about "Great Dover Street Woman" - purportedly the only physical remains of gladiator uncovered at the time, a "fact" (its contended) made more unusual because the fighter was a woman. Anyway, the lead actress in that is also a Silat Guru - Cecily Fay is her name - and now, years later, I'm training with the Gladiatrix herself.
I love Heavy Metal. As a child of the 80s, I'm into all the old stuff, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Manowar, Judas Priest et al. However, these days my favourite band are called Hysterica - Gladiatrix Metal, believe it or not (I didn't till I went to their website, but the proof in in the pictures.An all-female five piece, they sound great, look great...And they have swords - what's not to love).
Thanks for looking at my page - I should add that its a privilege to be in a position to have one of these sections on Amazon. If you're reader AND a writer, don't give up! Believe me when I say that despite all the knocks and rejection letters, if you keep at it you'll get there in the end
For Hooverbookreviews:
On Twitter @hooverbkreview
On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clash-...
June 11, 2010
Ok so this is an exciting enough story. However, at times it was stereotypical to the point of being annoying. Sure, it is likely that some of the women would be lesbian or bi. However, to make the main characters in a story about female gladiators lesbian seemed to be saying that the author didn't even buy the pretext for his own story. Its as if he thought- female gladiators would make a good book...but wait, I don't think women wouldn't really be out there fighting like men, why don't I come up with a way to make this female-fighter idea more believable by finding a way to masculinize them and tie in a realistic love affair in one fell swoop? Oh why thank you Whitfield. As a female, I thought reading a book about a female gladiator would be exciting...instead, I picked it up to find that you presented it so that women can be believable as fighters, as long as they're not straight.Wow. If that weren't condescending enough, he then has to give the main character(portrayed as a fierce Spartan with a stiff, unflinching and sometimes arrogant or hostile mentality)a description of appearing tall, dark-haired, thin and small-breasted, while her love interest is portrayed as kind, understanding, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, large-breasted and petite, clearly attatching stereotypical looks to their respective personalities. To add to this, I found the characters personalities to be somewhat one-dimensional anyway. The main character's way of answering everything with a quote involving the word Spartan or Sparta seemed rather unbelievably single-minded, as well as somewhat annoying after a while.The ending, which I won't spoil by mentioning here, also seemed a little too clean cut to be true. Luckily however, the setting and most other details in the novel all seemed believable enough to be absorbing- and the female gladiator idea could likely have carried a lesser-written story at any rate.
Read
December 6, 2011Blood. Gore. Sex. And tragedy. As a highly anticipated release of 2008, it didn't disappoint (personally, I didn't like the ending but we'll get into that later). There's enough nudity for it to be rated NC17, leaves you wondering if a movie or tv series is in the works for this one, it'll be worthwhile.
Any self-respecting Gemmell reader would counter there's not enough description in action, thumbing through chapter I. Phrases like "spun about", page 4, could've been better. But if you think it's dumbed down for women readers then you deceive yourself. The story pulls you in and stays true to some historical facts.
Here's what I don't get: it builds up to the inevitable fight between Nastasen as well as Sorina, however there's neither vengeance nor justice. At least give her Nastasen (ok, admittedly it would only satisfy myself) then Sorina wouldn't matter as much. Adding to that, if "sir Celt" was truly the man then he'd wait and y'know forgo the lookalike. Such unfairness(!!!), albeit reminiscent of life itself, just begs for more liberties with fiction. Other bits like Balbus, no mention of thoughts being in the country etc etc were brought up and then he suddenly ups and leaves -everything- seemed abrupt. The Dacian being at the helm of rebel force against Trajanus though was pure irony and superb. The humour throughout... the arrogance, the kid, negotiations in speech and sparring... all were enjoyable.
The end just seemed unresolved. So there's got to be a sequel, Mr Whitfield, with an epic battle - Achillia and Amazona finally meet again on the field and one dies.
Any self-respecting Gemmell reader would counter there's not enough description in action, thumbing through chapter I. Phrases like "spun about", page 4, could've been better. But if you think it's dumbed down for women readers then you deceive yourself. The story pulls you in and stays true to some historical facts.
Here's what I don't get: it builds up to the inevitable fight between Nastasen as well as Sorina, however there's neither vengeance nor justice. At least give her Nastasen (ok, admittedly it would only satisfy myself) then Sorina wouldn't matter as much. Adding to that, if "sir Celt" was truly the man then he'd wait and y'know forgo the lookalike. Such unfairness(!!!), albeit reminiscent of life itself, just begs for more liberties with fiction. Other bits like Balbus, no mention of thoughts being in the country etc etc were brought up and then he suddenly ups and leaves -everything- seemed abrupt. The Dacian being at the helm of rebel force against Trajanus though was pure irony and superb. The humour throughout... the arrogance, the kid, negotiations in speech and sparring... all were enjoyable.
The end just seemed unresolved. So there's got to be a sequel, Mr Whitfield, with an epic battle - Achillia and Amazona finally meet again on the field and one dies.
February 15, 2011
The book Gladiatrix was not what I expected it to be. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this book because I had high hopes for it. Perhaps to high. It was a pretty graphic book involving violence, language, sex and rape. I can handle the violence and language but I don't like to read graphic stories on rape. It's just not my cup of tea. I would have also preferred a better story that revolved more around the life of a gladiatrix and not just this one person. Also this book comes to assume that if you put a bunch of women together without the company of men then they start to become lesbians. This book gets pretty graphic and I won't share the specific details, but again, it wasn't my cup of tea.
"Lysandra would never forget her first time.Alone, she walked through the darkness of the passageway towards the sun-filled amphitheatre. As she drew closer to the arena, she became aware of the sound from above- a rhythmic, thrumming cadence that began at the periphery of her consciousness. Distant at first, it became hypnotic as a siren's song, permeating the stone around her, penetrating her to the very bone."
I chose this quote because it makes the reader understand that the gladiatorial games is ancient Rome's football. Its what they do to entertain themselves. And that every gladiator who fights in the arena accepts or comes to accept that they must fight and also that they come to like the games, even though they could be killed.
"Lysandra would never forget her first time.Alone, she walked through the darkness of the passageway towards the sun-filled amphitheatre. As she drew closer to the arena, she became aware of the sound from above- a rhythmic, thrumming cadence that began at the periphery of her consciousness. Distant at first, it became hypnotic as a siren's song, permeating the stone around her, penetrating her to the very bone."
I chose this quote because it makes the reader understand that the gladiatorial games is ancient Rome's football. Its what they do to entertain themselves. And that every gladiator who fights in the arena accepts or comes to accept that they must fight and also that they come to like the games, even though they could be killed.
December 6, 2020
Gladiatrix è il primo volume di una trilogia, dell'autore emergente inglese Russell Whitfield. La storia è ispirata al famoso bassorilievo trovato nei pressi di Halicarnassus (odierna Bodrum, Turchia) nel XIX secolo.
Buon libro d'esordio dell'autore. Il soggetto della storia è originale, e ben costruito, lineare, non si perde in dettagli solo per il piacere di virtuosismi stilistici e narrativi. L'autore ci regala uno studiato affresco storico, per quello che è possibile dal momento che ci sono rinvenute assai poche fonti storiche riguardanti le donne lottatrici nell'antico Impero Romano.
Questo romanzo storico narra le vicende di una sacerdotessa spartana dedita al culto della Dea Atena. Sopravvissuta ad naufragio, viene catturata dagli uomini del Lanista Lucio Balbo e resa schiava. Il libro scorre via rapido, tra esercitazioni, risse, combattimenti e amori passionali. La narrazione non è noiosa, e sebbene la protagonista sia Lysandra, l'autore ci propone diversi punti di vista. . questo ci permette di conoscere meglio la psicologia dei vari personaggi.
Interessante la multietnia presente del ludus che ci mette a confronto culture diverse, ideologie e il senso di appartenenza che si fà sempre più marcato nel mondo dell'arena, fino a raggiungere livelli drammatici.
Veramente un buon libro, che consiglio. Un fregio di una realtà, che sebbena romanzata, sconosciuta alla maggioranza delle persone.
Buon libro d'esordio dell'autore. Il soggetto della storia è originale, e ben costruito, lineare, non si perde in dettagli solo per il piacere di virtuosismi stilistici e narrativi. L'autore ci regala uno studiato affresco storico, per quello che è possibile dal momento che ci sono rinvenute assai poche fonti storiche riguardanti le donne lottatrici nell'antico Impero Romano.
Questo romanzo storico narra le vicende di una sacerdotessa spartana dedita al culto della Dea Atena. Sopravvissuta ad naufragio, viene catturata dagli uomini del Lanista Lucio Balbo e resa schiava. Il libro scorre via rapido, tra esercitazioni, risse, combattimenti e amori passionali. La narrazione non è noiosa, e sebbene la protagonista sia Lysandra, l'autore ci propone diversi punti di vista. . questo ci permette di conoscere meglio la psicologia dei vari personaggi.
Interessante la multietnia presente del ludus che ci mette a confronto culture diverse, ideologie e il senso di appartenenza che si fà sempre più marcato nel mondo dell'arena, fino a raggiungere livelli drammatici.
Veramente un buon libro, che consiglio. Un fregio di una realtà, che sebbena romanzata, sconosciuta alla maggioranza delle persone.
March 19, 2009
Overall, Gladiatrix is a quick and entertaining read. Though there is lots of action, as promised, there are also several meaningful and touching relationships.
The author has spun a good yarn, but the novel does not have the nuance of greater works. When a character feels an emotion or has a realization, it is spelled out in so many words when a more subtle treatment would add more depth. Lysandra, in particular, can entertain nothing beyond obvious black or white outcomes, and her repeated (ad nauseam) statements of obvious superiority due to her Spartan heritage get quite tiresome, though the author pokes fun at her for this towards the end of the book.
In many regards, the plot of the book seems to develop according to the rules of writing a novel - the layers of conflict are revealed one at a time according to some formula, and all forms are represented as taught in grammar school (man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. himself - or herself as the case may be). However, beginning about halfway through, the book deviates from the formula I expected, and there are several surprises.
In the end, I cared about the characters and was interested in the development of the plot and the historical period. It was better than I expected!
(Advanced Readers' Edition, March 2009)
The author has spun a good yarn, but the novel does not have the nuance of greater works. When a character feels an emotion or has a realization, it is spelled out in so many words when a more subtle treatment would add more depth. Lysandra, in particular, can entertain nothing beyond obvious black or white outcomes, and her repeated (ad nauseam) statements of obvious superiority due to her Spartan heritage get quite tiresome, though the author pokes fun at her for this towards the end of the book.
In many regards, the plot of the book seems to develop according to the rules of writing a novel - the layers of conflict are revealed one at a time according to some formula, and all forms are represented as taught in grammar school (man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. himself - or herself as the case may be). However, beginning about halfway through, the book deviates from the formula I expected, and there are several surprises.
In the end, I cared about the characters and was interested in the development of the plot and the historical period. It was better than I expected!
(Advanced Readers' Edition, March 2009)
June 7, 2009
This book centers around a Spartan named Lysandra, and how she is forced into slavery to fight for her life in the gladiatrix games. Personally, I could not STAND the extra verbage the author uses. He had the ability to stretch one sentence into an entire paragraph to explain one simple thing. He must have an enormous thesaurus.
I had THOUGHT that I got this book in the YA section of Barnes & Noble, but apparently not. The book has A LOT of graphic violence and sex scenes. The main character is VERY unlikeable, which makes it difficult to get into the book. Even towards the end, I never found myself liking her. The author writes in an a lesbian romance between Lysandra and another gladiatrix, that seems very contrived and unrealistic. Its apparently there only to set up other events.
The ending was a total cop-out and left me very unsatisfied, after I struggled through keeping interest in reading the entire thing. I give it two stars because of the concept of the story, which kept me reading to the end. Would definitely NOT read this book again.
I had THOUGHT that I got this book in the YA section of Barnes & Noble, but apparently not. The book has A LOT of graphic violence and sex scenes. The main character is VERY unlikeable, which makes it difficult to get into the book. Even towards the end, I never found myself liking her. The author writes in an a lesbian romance between Lysandra and another gladiatrix, that seems very contrived and unrealistic. Its apparently there only to set up other events.
The ending was a total cop-out and left me very unsatisfied, after I struggled through keeping interest in reading the entire thing. I give it two stars because of the concept of the story, which kept me reading to the end. Would definitely NOT read this book again.
November 10, 2010
I enjoyed the historical and technical detail, but the ending left me scratching my head. That was IT?
I found the eventual resolution totally out of character and in fact, most of the characters actions at the end to be unbelievable.
But, it was a nice change of pace from the usual chick-lit out there and it left me wondering who the intended audience was. It didn't surprise me to see that the author is a man, I didn't think his characterizations of women rang true, but rather as a male fantasy.
It was an entertaining read until the end which left me pretty cold.
I found the eventual resolution totally out of character and in fact, most of the characters actions at the end to be unbelievable.
But, it was a nice change of pace from the usual chick-lit out there and it left me wondering who the intended audience was. It didn't surprise me to see that the author is a man, I didn't think his characterizations of women rang true, but rather as a male fantasy.
It was an entertaining read until the end which left me pretty cold.
April 28, 2015
I liked that this could have possibly happened. A good example of historical fiction. Albiet, there were some parts I found gruesome and made me a little sick to my stomach. But I really liked it, glad my friend recommended it to me.
February 21, 2016
Na nekoj ploci isklesanoj u doba rimljana nalaze se dve sukobljene gladijatorke Amazona i Ahileja. Pisac je ispirisan time 'isklesao' potresnu pricu o zivotima i borbi ove dve mocne i hrabre zene. Jedna je bila varvarka iz Dakije - Amazona, a druga je bila spartanka - Ahileja.
June 1, 2012
A book written about a women's perspective, by a man. And not in a good way.
March 25, 2013
Awesome book. <3
July 3, 2016
Enjoyable. Graphic violence, including graphic sexual assault, some of which feels gratuitous. Main character isn't very likable--though I was eventually rooting for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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