Blurb:
Two women. Two swords. One victor.
An action-packed tale that exposes the brutal underside of Imperial Rome, “Sword of the Gladiatrix” brings to life unforgettable characters and exotic settings. From the far edges of the Empire, two women come to battle on the hot sands of the arena in Nero’s Rome: Afra, scout and beast master to the Queen of Kush; and Cinnia, warrior-bard and companion to Queen Boudica of the British Iceni. Enslaved, forced to fight for their lives and the Romans’ pleasure; they seek to replace lost friendship, love, and family in each other’s arms. But the Roman arena offers only two futures: the Gate of Life for the victors or the Gate of Death for the losers.
Review:
This story was absolutely fascinating. I really enjoyed Afra and Cinnia. They were wonderful characters you truly get to know through the story. You connect with them and want them to make it through everything thrown their way. The adventures they go through were very well described. There were times you’re kept on the edge of your seat wondering if they’re going to make it out alive, let alone together. The pacing, however was slow from time to time, and I had trouble getting into the book at the beginning. There were a few things that happened that I truly didn’t think they would have survived. The biggest being Afra surviving a severe beating, going so far as to come out strong enough to become a successful Gladiatrix. I loved how the fights were described. I felt like I was there watching the fights. The history was very rich and written in a way that didn’t feel cumbersome. You could tell Ms. Justice knows about the time period and did her research.
Stars:
Three and a half
About Faith:
FAITH L. JUSTICE writes award-winning novels, short stories, and articles in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Salon.com, Writer’s Digest, The Copperfield Review, the Circles in the Hair anthology, and many more. She is a frequent contributor to Strange Horizons, Associate Editor for Space and Time Magazine, and co-founded a writer’s workshop many more years ago than she likes to admit. For fun, she digs in the dirt—her garden and various archaeological sites.
Author Contact:
Website || Blog || LinkedIn || Twitter || Facebook
Where To Buy:
Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon Canada || Barnes&Noble || CreateSpace || iBooks || Kobo || Smashwords
Giveaway:
Faith is kind enough to offer a copy of the book for one lucky commenter to win. She is giving away a print copy (US/Canada residents only) or an ebook to international winners. Comment with what you’re looking forward to the most about reading this book. Don’t forget to include your email address so you can be contacted about your prize if you win. Contest ends Sunday August 23 at noon Eastern.
Molly Lolly 