Arena cover art

Arena

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Arena

By: Simon Scarrow, T. J. Andrews
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

Arena is a Sunday Times best-selling novel from Simon Scarrow, author of Invictus, Centurion and The Gladiator, and T.J. Andrews. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

It is AD 41. The city of Rome is a dangerous place.

Optio Macro of the Second Legion, recently decorated for courage on the battlefield, can't wait to leave the teeming city behind. He's dismayed when he's compelled to stay in Rome to train Marcus Valerius Pavo, a young gladiatorial recruit.

Though fearless Pavo has fought for his life before, he's a novice in the arenas. But he's a driven man, with a goal dearer than survival - to avenge his father's death at the hands of a champion gladiator. Will he live to face his nemesis?

©2013 Simon Scarrow (P)2013 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction Rome

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Critic reviews

"Ferocious and compelling." ( Daily Express)
All stars
Most relevant
as always a good action packed story with plenty of chuckles. macro is a favourite of mine with or without cato .very good

love it

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Once again Simon Scarrow writes a good story, well worth a listen & he includes some of cast of his other books, in short it's a good side issue one that could be followed on into a whole new collection of stories

Another good one from Scarrow

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Another excellent yarn from Mr Scarrow. The narration is entertaining enough too, despite the fact that in choosing voices for characters, the narrator seems to have drawn heavily from ‘on the buses’, ‘Carry on Cleo’ and the 60’s musical ‘Oliver’.
Leave it Macro - he’s not wurf it!

Cor Blimey - it’s cockney gladiators!

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What did you like most about Arena?

My son thought this was a thrilling and fast moving story. He particularly liked the tricky Greeks called Palllas and Marena(?) who could never be trusted to do what they said.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Macro (of macro and Cato fame) who was always straight to the point and took any disaapointment in his stride.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The best bit was when Marena got his come uppance at the end... In a truly Roman way.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Much better than Gladiator

A devious tale

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It is a very nice side story from the Eagle and Sword epic. What was not so good was the constant changes in volume of the narrative.

Good side book

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