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Slave: Gritty Ancient Rome Historical Fiction and the Gladiator Forged in Capua
This highly-rated and well-researched second book in the Spartacus Rebellion trilogy will grip you and plunge you into the grim and dangerous world of Spartacus as he navigates the violent spectacle of gladiatorial sport.
What glory is there in dying for someone's amusement?
Captured and sold off as a slave, Spartacus is now at Lentulus Vatia's training school in Capua, preparing for a gladiator's harsh and brutal life. The trainers tell him of glory in combat and the chance to earn freedom. They speak of redemption through bravery and adulation through exemplary performance. The men live in perpetual hope built on a house of false promises.
But the winds of gladiatorial sports are shifting, and the signs are ominous. The people demand more, and the powers are only too glad to oblige. The games are now more than a tribute or a show--they are a means to power--and becoming the principal form of cruel and vicious entertainment. And in this relentless evolution, the fighters are just the living dead to be bled on the sands of the arena, and their corpses dragged away.
Even as he masters the sport and survives the bloody fights, Spartacus must find ways to convince his fellow men that there is no honor in dying for someone else's amusement. But his actions are about to pit him against the twisted mind of a vicious master who plots to condemn Spartacus and his wife to a terrible end.
---
The Spartacus Rebellion
Book I - Soldier
Book II - Slave
Book III (final) - Savior
What glory is there in dying for someone's amusement?
Captured and sold off as a slave, Spartacus is now at Lentulus Vatia's training school in Capua, preparing for a gladiator's harsh and brutal life. The trainers tell him of glory in combat and the chance to earn freedom. They speak of redemption through bravery and adulation through exemplary performance. The men live in perpetual hope built on a house of false promises.
But the winds of gladiatorial sports are shifting, and the signs are ominous. The people demand more, and the powers are only too glad to oblige. The games are now more than a tribute or a show--they are a means to power--and becoming the principal form of cruel and vicious entertainment. And in this relentless evolution, the fighters are just the living dead to be bled on the sands of the arena, and their corpses dragged away.
Even as he masters the sport and survives the bloody fights, Spartacus must find ways to convince his fellow men that there is no honor in dying for someone else's amusement. But his actions are about to pit him against the twisted mind of a vicious master who plots to condemn Spartacus and his wife to a terrible end.
---
The Spartacus Rebellion
Book I - Soldier
Book II - Slave
Book III (final) - Savior
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2022
About the author
Jay Penner
28 books35 followersJay Penner writes ancient historical fiction — pulse-pounding novels set in the turbulent worlds of ancient Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia, and India, where kings rise, empires clash, and meticulous research blurs the line between fact and fiction. His books have found readers around the world.
He is the author of four acclaimed ancient historical fiction series:
Whispers of Atlantis Anthology — lost cities, buried armies, resolute warriors, and righteous revenge in a thrilling blend of fact and fiction across the great civilizations of the ancient world
The Last Pharaoh Trilogy — the rise, reign, and fall of Cleopatra, reclaimed from legend
The Spartacus Rebellion Trilogy — the soldier, slave, and gladiator who shook Rome to its foundations, in gritty historical fiction told from the ground up
The Greatest Enemy Trilogy — one man's vendetta forged in the fires of Hannibal's war on Rome, gritty historical fiction at history's bloody edge
He also writes Dark Shadows , a modern conspiracy thriller series where ancient ambition meets cutting-edge terror, and Wait, What? , a myth-busting romp through the most persistent legends of the ancient world.
If you love history where you're left guessing which part is fact and which is fiction, you'll feel right at home.
Discover more at jaypenner.com.
He is the author of four acclaimed ancient historical fiction series:
Whispers of Atlantis Anthology — lost cities, buried armies, resolute warriors, and righteous revenge in a thrilling blend of fact and fiction across the great civilizations of the ancient world
The Last Pharaoh Trilogy — the rise, reign, and fall of Cleopatra, reclaimed from legend
The Spartacus Rebellion Trilogy — the soldier, slave, and gladiator who shook Rome to its foundations, in gritty historical fiction told from the ground up
The Greatest Enemy Trilogy — one man's vendetta forged in the fires of Hannibal's war on Rome, gritty historical fiction at history's bloody edge
He also writes Dark Shadows , a modern conspiracy thriller series where ancient ambition meets cutting-edge terror, and Wait, What? , a myth-busting romp through the most persistent legends of the ancient world.
If you love history where you're left guessing which part is fact and which is fiction, you'll feel right at home.
Discover more at jaypenner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 5, 2025
Another excellent book!
Thank you Mr. Penner for another excellent book! I have not been able to put the Spartacus series down since starting it.... the same way I have loved your other books! I really appreciate all the effort you put into it even adding so many extra resources, maps, etc. I can't wait to read the next one!
Thank you Mr. Penner for another excellent book! I have not been able to put the Spartacus series down since starting it.... the same way I have loved your other books! I really appreciate all the effort you put into it even adding so many extra resources, maps, etc. I can't wait to read the next one!
March 29, 2025
And so the Rebellion Begins
The escape is already teetering in favor of going south and building an army as they go. It appears they started the rebellion without a preliminary plan past wiping out the estate and running for their livrs.
The escape is already teetering in favor of going south and building an army as they go. It appears they started the rebellion without a preliminary plan past wiping out the estate and running for their livrs.
November 17, 2022
nice middle part of the saga.
Easy read and kept the reader engaged. Enjoyed reading. Use of Latin was nice addition to the authentic parts of the story
Easy read and kept the reader engaged. Enjoyed reading. Use of Latin was nice addition to the authentic parts of the story
November 25, 2022
Good story, but...
...the 2nd book is filled with formatting, spelling errors, and words dropped. It is aggravating and very shoddy work. You need to up your game.
...the 2nd book is filled with formatting, spelling errors, and words dropped. It is aggravating and very shoddy work. You need to up your game.
January 3, 2025
Really enjoyed this book and liked it more than the first book. The rebellion at the end of the book is very satisfying, and I can’t wait to start the last book in the series.
April 16, 2025
Great history
Great character development with a lot of detail. Although this is before the worst of the games the story reveals th e horror.
Great character development with a lot of detail. Although this is before the worst of the games the story reveals th e horror.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews