Gladiatrix

I received a reviewer’s copy of Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield several months ago. The description given before I read it summarized the book as being about a Spartan priestess forced into slavery and a gladiatorial school for women, where she wins glory, earns enemies, and finds love with another gladiatrix. As a former student of Classical subjects, I was highly skeptical.

This is a much better book than I was expecting it to be, largely because the author seems to know what he is writing about. Yes, there are elements to the story that are not true to history, but the author’s note makes it clear that Whitfield knows what is historical and what is just speculation. He knows the rules well enough to break them. The classical view of sexuality was handled well.

The protagonist, Lysandra, would be too arrogant to be likable in a real person, but fictional characters can be judged on a different standard from real people because the reader does not have to interact with them. She is believable, which is more important. If she were universally beloved, her arrogance might be more grating, but since the other characters react to her arrogance as a flaw the reader can accept it.

Some of the sex scenes are rather graphic, as is some of the violence, so those with low tolerance for those elements might want to stay away, but it never veers completely into porn (or torture porn), when it easily could have. All in all, this is simply a good fun read. If you like the idea of a Roman adventure and aren’t turned off by sex (between all combinations of genders) and violence, place your request now and be one of the first library patrons to receive Gladiatrix after it is released.

-- Kristen, Main Library