Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Former gladiator Saevius is certain Fortune’s smiling on him when a Pompeiian politician buys him to be his bodyguard. That is until his new master, Laurea Calvus, orders Saevius to discover the gladiator with whom his wife is having a sordid affair. In order to do that, Saevius must return to the arena, training alongside the very men on whom he’s spying. Worse, he’s now under the command of Drusus, a notoriously cruel—and yet strangely intriguing—lanista.

But Saevius’s ruse is the least of his worries. There’s more to the affair than a wife humiliating her prominent husband, and now Saevius is part of a dangerous game between dangerous men. He isn’t the only gladiator out to expose the Lady Verina’s transgressions, and her husband wants more than just the guilty man’s name.

When Saevius learns the truth about the affair, he’s left with no choice but to betray a master: one he’s come to fear, one he’s come to respect, and either of whom could have him killed without repercussion.

For the first time in his life, the most dangerous place for this gladiator isn’t the arena.

NOTE: This book was previously released by Riptide Publishing in November 2012.

Book Review

It’s been a while since I read a good gladiator book, except ‘The Left Hand of Calvus’ is that and so much more. It’s intense, suspenseful, has more twists and turns than I was able to keep track of, and it’s full of intrigue, betrayal, and backstabbing. Set in Pompeii around 78 AD (about a year before its destruction), it is the tale of a former gladiator, Saevius, who thinks a powerful politician has hired him as a bodyguard, stopping him from attaining his freedom after years in the area. Saevius faces subterfuge and attempts on his life, the consequences of powerful men’s machinations, and a blossoming romance where he least expected it. It’s a fascinating story that may be set in ancient Europe but shows how little humans have changed in the last two thousand years.

Saevius tells the story, and I was fascinated from the start. He faces challenges both in and outside the arena; in fact the confrontations away from the games are what keep him busy. Yes, there is a lot of training, fighting, and many scenes take place inside the gladiator’s cells and the arena. Since Saevius has been sent to the arena and its cruel master, Drusus, to spy on his fellow gladiators, his life is in danger if they find out. Saevius soon finds himself torn between the master who sent him on this mission and the master who holds power over life and death in the arena – and I didn’t envy him his choice.

Aside from all the political intrigue, Saevius also faces a slowly developing and entirely unexpected romance. It is unusual to say the least, and not at all what I expected – but I can’t say more for fear of spoiling the surprise. It may be quiet and sort of sneaked up on me, but it is one of the most compelling love stories I have ever read. On top of the extremely well-researched setting that contains lots of historical detail, the result makes for formidable reading.

If you like gladiators and their masters, if you want to find out more about a man who sees freedom snatched away from him at the last moment only to find an alternative way to get what he has always wanted, and if you’re looking for an intense, sometimes violent, action-packed, and intriguing read that is cleverly put together and very moving, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It’s an excellent story about characters I won’t soon forget.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 108 pages/52200 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	04-November-2016
Price	$0.99
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Left-Hand-Calvus-Ann-Gallagher-ebook/dp/B01M5L39ET