Gladiator: Vengeance

Book excerpt: The fourth thrilling title in Simon Scarrow's epic, bestselling Gladiator series Marcus may be free from the brutal training regime of the gladiators but he will not rest until he finds his mother. With his old friends Festus and Lupus at his side, and a letter from Caesar instructing all who cross his path to help him, he begins his journey. He is going back to the lands where he lived as a slave boy: the remote farming estate of the savage Decimus. Yet Ancient Greece is ruled by deceit and corruption. Many do not want to see Marcus succeed. Many more would rather see him dead. As the most powerful men in the country plot against him, is it finally over for the son of Spartacus? Simon Scarrow will do for boy gladiators what J. K. Rowling did for boy wizards - Waterstones.com The perfect introduction to Roman history and gladiators for young readers - great for fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Simon Scarrow was born in Africa and lived in a number of countries, including Hong Kong and the Bahamas before settling in Britain. He has always been interested in writing and his love of history began at school, in particular when he was being taught about the ancient world by his Latin and History teachers. Since then he has travelled with his wife and children across the world to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Egypt to research his historical novels. Simon was an enthusiastic teacher for a number of years. He now writes full time, but does intend to return to teaching when he can find the time.