Gladiatrix

by Russell Whitfield

Book Overview

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 warrior: 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312534884
• ISBN13: 9780312534882
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A fun read with an interesting history

The idea behind this book is very interesting. An ancient sculpture of 2 female gladiators served as the basis for building this novel. The author admits there isn't much fact to build on, so he has quite a degree of latitude. You will need to suspend belief for some of the story, for example many of the gladiatrixes are supposedly gorgeous women. I would find it hard to believe that if that were the case they would be thrown into the arena. Recovering from the injuries described also seems to be a bit beyond what I have read of medicine in ancient times. With that said, this is a fun, fast paced read. The characters are generally interesting, if not particularly likable. I enjoyed how the author had the slaves retain their heritage. Indeed some of the funniest parts were how the characters took advantage of the Spartan gullibility. My only complaint is that the author would tend to repeat himself on occasion, summarizing the same topics several times. One warning I would give is that this book is definitely for adults only. The violence is graphic, and non-stop, as is the sex, which is often deviant and brutal.

A Rich, Engaging Story - This is GOOD!

I had no idea that this book is so thick - 440 pages! Yummy! On a cold winter's day this book must be accompanied with a good bottle of red wine, some olives, a Greek salad and good cheese! On a summer's day the reader will smell the scent of battle and see the sand fly up in the arena - the details are just that vivid. Mr. Whitfield delivers a powerful, engaging story of FEMALE gladiators that is thrilling from beginning to end. The authenticity of this story is wonderful. Move over 300, Spartacus and Gladiator - these female warriors are not found in the kitchen! This story does contain female and female sex scenes, a very brutal rape, prostitution, drugs and TONS of VIOLENCE in the arena and out! I cheered for Lysandra and after awhile she became known only as Achillia - Lysandra's fighting name. Mis -directed love, jealousy, treachery and a battle of wills all are found in this story. These women who fight on the whim of royalty pull at your heart for their indominatable will to survive in a striated society. I would LOVE to see this story become a movie. Mr. Whitfield does an excellent job with support of history so that this story is vivid and not campy. This book is for the history lovers and warriors alike. Beauties, fierceness, strength, emotions, societal influence, are all found here - I did not want this story to end. You will not forget the women in this story - Achillia became a leader and a hero for many.

Outstanding debut novel

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.)

A very nice suprise that pulls no punches

I just finished reading this and must say it's a wonderful book. I'm a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy and this fits my taste. The content is graphic, but not gratuitous like one would expect from some dreadful barbarian hack-about - there's a point to it. The part that impressed me best was the author's subtle use of characterization. There are no stereotypes here. Each character behaves independently, which I find an issue with a lot of fantasy fiction. Each person is thoughtfully portrayed. Whoever edited this did a brilliant job - the plot is very fast-moving. I read the whole thing in three days at 8 hour intervals. The plot-twists and turns are delightfully un-predictable. I ended up having a great deal of empathy for the characters. This is not a bright tale of valor, but rather, something more real; how people deal with a reality not of their own choosing and make the best of it. In the author's notes, Russel Whitfield admits to playing fast and loose with history, but that doesn't seem to matter. His characterizations are what drives the plot, although his use of detail and reasoning against the wonderfully fleshed out Hellenic/Roman world are masterfully engaging. You get a strong sense of what life was like for entertainers, merchants, priests and leaders in an era where human rights were a concept lacking reality. Everyone in this book struggles to shape their own identity against a backdrop that is continuously changing, and over which they have little control. There are no Kings and Queens here - just people struggling to cope with relationships and cultures far outside their chosen existences. The character's insights help them to determine their own identities. This was quite a complex read set against an outrageous and frequently depressing backdrop. It is also a tale of perseverance. I really did enjoy this for the honesty of the characters, and the honesty of their circumstances. A really brilliant addition to modern fantasy where choices matter and identities are constantly changing.

Russell Whitfield is now one of my favorite authors!

This book will make you feel as though you are walking side by side with Lysandra (the Heroine in the story). It is well written and it pulls you into the story and is a thrill to turn the pages to read what is happening next! That is so rare today! If you are a history buff, and like stories like "The 300", "Persepolis" etc then this book is for you!