Rome, 61 BC

RECRUITED as a gladiator, young Marcus Cornelius Primus faces a new life of brutal training, governed by strict rules, as he learns the skills of an elite warrior.

But Marcus cannot simply forget his past. His father lies murdered by soldiers and his mother has been kidnapped and forced into slavery. Marcus is determined to find his father's old commander, Pompeius the Great, to seek justice for his family and set his mother free.

Yet, unbeknown to him, Marcus is hiding a life-threatening secret. And if the Romans discover it, there will be no escape . . .

This book features in the following series: Gladiator, Gladiator Series .

There are 352 pages in this book. This book was published 2011 by Penguin Books Ltd .

Simon Scarrow was born in Africa and lived in a number of countries before settling in Britain. He has always been interested in writing and his love of history began at school. Since then he has travelled all across the world with his wife and children to research his historical novels. Simon was an enthusiastic teacher for a number of years but now writes full time.