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walford's review
2.0
DNF 50%
Oh how I wanted to like this one; started out well, good characters and period, hot sex, etc. What you want from a gladiator story, right?
Well, I got bogged down in the authors' attempt to make a true-love story happen where such a huge power imbalance was built into the premise. Could no longer suspend disbelief.
Maybe they succeeded and maybe it's worth your while to find out, if you really like this kind of thing.
Oh how I wanted to like this one; started out well, good characters and period, hot sex, etc. What you want from a gladiator story, right?
Well, I got bogged down in the authors' attempt to make a true-love story happen where such a huge power imbalance was built into the premise. Could no longer suspend disbelief.
Maybe they succeeded and maybe it's worth your while to find out, if you really like this kind of thing.
idleton's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The good:
Sizzling hot romance, and I mean it. Caelius is a very loveable ‘wicked bitch’.
Works in the Roman m/m list on goodreads are so bad that this is almost a piece of art. That’s why it gets 4 stars. Also because I have a weakness for the bottom lord/master trope...
Historical inaccuracies are forgivable, eg How did Gaidres speak such good Latin? Oh well.
The bad:
This is basically an isekai. Caelius is 100% a modern transplant who stuck out from his surroundings like a photoshopped image. He carried 21st century ideals into an Augustan setting, all well and good, but... how? Of course you could think different and be ahead of your time, but there isn’t even an effort of making it believable.
The duo is your exactly typical liberal-minded, likeable, intelligent, sweet gay couple from Portland Oregon somehow transplanted to the past. You will like them but you’re not gonna be able to suspend your disbelief at any point.
Sizzling hot romance, and I mean it. Caelius is a very loveable ‘wicked bitch’.
Works in the Roman m/m list on goodreads are so bad that this is almost a piece of art. That’s why it gets 4 stars. Also because I have a weakness for the bottom lord/master trope...
Historical inaccuracies are forgivable, eg How did Gaidres speak such good Latin? Oh well.
The bad:
This is basically an isekai. Caelius is 100% a modern transplant who stuck out from his surroundings like a photoshopped image. He carried 21st century ideals into an Augustan setting, all well and good, but... how? Of course you could think different and be ahead of your time, but there isn’t even an effort of making it believable.
The duo is your exactly typical liberal-minded, likeable, intelligent, sweet gay couple from Portland Oregon somehow transplanted to the past. You will like them but you’re not gonna be able to suspend your disbelief at any point.
lillian_francis's review
5.0
Nothing less than the full 5 stars for this story. It was one of those books I wanted to devour in one sitting but kept putting down because I wanted to stretch it out and savour each moment of it.
My own plans for a Roman slave story are now firmly on the back burner, since anything I attempt will surely pale into insignificance by comparison.
Beautifully evocative details, characters you care about and obviously bags and bags of research to back it all up (although it never feels like it is forced into the story).
My own plans for a Roman slave story are now firmly on the back burner, since anything I attempt will surely pale into insignificance by comparison.
Beautifully evocative details, characters you care about and obviously bags and bags of research to back it all up (although it never feels like it is forced into the story).
lauraadriana78's review
4.0
This book was HOT...This bears repeating THIS.BOOK.WAS.HOOOTTTT!
So like I mentioned this book was hella sexy...But not only that I really loved the story.Argon or Gaidres is a slave, he was captured when his village was raided by Romans and now he is a Gladiator for the ludus of the House of Lariiana. Gaidres LIVES to avenge what was done to him and those he loved. The only thing that keeps him breathing is the desire to kill the people who enslave him.
After his Master Craxus dies, his nephew Caelius his only heir, comes to take over the estate. Caelius is completely different from Craxus, he is kind. Kind? Really can Romans even be kind? It seems that this man might really be interested in seeing that the people under him are well cared for. He especially takes an interest to Gaidres, he wants to hear Gaidres opinions...Gaidres also realizes that his interests extend to more than Gaidres thoughts...Caelius brings him into his bed too.
Gaidres sees this new development as an opportunity to continue on his plans for revenge, but little by little he realizes that the closer he gets to Caelius the less he wants to harm the man. Caelius slowly weakens the hardness in Gaidres, and once Faustus, Caelius' little son comes into their world, it becomes even harder for Gaidres to continue on the path he was in.
This book was not perfect, there were many liberties taken with the vernacular and the Deus ex Dachina as always for me felt a little shallow...But in the end I still really enjoyed it. The erotica was QUALITY, very well done. The chemistry between these two men was nuclear. I loved Caelius and his patience with Gaidres. Gaidres was SO FUCKING STUBBORN, but I really loved him too. Other than the vernacular being a bit iffy the setting itself felt accurate though. All in all very enjoyable romance, the last bit was kind of a jumble, but no so all over the place it killed it for me. I knew there was something coming, so it didn't throw me for a loop or anything.
Good romance, hot Gladiator with hot Roman Master heating up the sheets, the walls, the floor, the pool, yeah the EVERYWHERE, AND a cute little baby to boot!
So like I mentioned this book was hella sexy...But not only that I really loved the story.Argon or Gaidres is a slave, he was captured when his village was raided by Romans and now he is a Gladiator for the ludus of the House of Lariiana. Gaidres LIVES to avenge what was done to him and those he loved. The only thing that keeps him breathing is the desire to kill the people who enslave him.
After his Master Craxus dies, his nephew Caelius his only heir, comes to take over the estate. Caelius is completely different from Craxus, he is kind. Kind? Really can Romans even be kind? It seems that this man might really be interested in seeing that the people under him are well cared for. He especially takes an interest to Gaidres, he wants to hear Gaidres opinions...Gaidres also realizes that his interests extend to more than Gaidres thoughts...Caelius brings him into his bed too.
Gaidres sees this new development as an opportunity to continue on his plans for revenge, but little by little he realizes that the closer he gets to Caelius the less he wants to harm the man. Caelius slowly weakens the hardness in Gaidres, and once Faustus, Caelius' little son comes into their world, it becomes even harder for Gaidres to continue on the path he was in.
This book was not perfect, there were many liberties taken with the vernacular and the Deus ex Dachina as always for me felt a little shallow...But in the end I still really enjoyed it. The erotica was QUALITY, very well done. The chemistry between these two men was nuclear. I loved Caelius and his patience with Gaidres. Gaidres was SO FUCKING STUBBORN, but I really loved him too. Other than the vernacular being a bit iffy the setting itself felt accurate though. All in all very enjoyable romance, the last bit was kind of a jumble, but no so all over the place it killed it for me. I knew there was something coming, so it didn't throw me for a loop or anything.
Good romance, hot Gladiator with hot Roman Master heating up the sheets, the walls, the floor, the pool, yeah the EVERYWHERE, AND a cute little baby to boot!
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