Review Detail

Nic is a slave working in a mine near Rome circa 275 a.d. His father was killed by a lightning strike, his mother was sold off, and his sister, Livia, works around the mines and may have to marry the evil overseer Sal. When Nic is sent deep into the mine to try to retrieve a golden treasure rumored to be Julius Caesar's, he has a very strange experience. He manages to get a golden bulla, but is attacked and scratched by a griffin, who then helps him escape the mine before it collapses. He is recaptured, but hides the bulla from Radulf, a commander who really wants it, and is sold with the griffin to Felix, who manages the venation in Rome. Right before this, Nic had met the senator Valerius and his son Crispus, who tell Nic that the griffin has left a very dangerous mark on his back, and he must hide it, as well as the bulla. In Rome, the griffin is supposed to fight in the Colosseum, but Nic manifests significant magic and has to go on the run. He is helped by Artemis, a high born girl who was exposed at birth who is now living the life of a slave, helping Felix. She is instrumental in helping Nic survive several harrowing events, since Radulf is bound and determined to get him, as well as the bulla, back. There's lots of adventures, good details about life in Rome, and a lot of twists involving high levels of Roman government, which I don't want to give away!

There are never enough books about ancient Rome, since it is a topic that really interests middle grade readers. This book has plenty of action and intrigue, and I think this is supposed to be a trilogy. Readers who enjoyed Michael Ford's Spartan Warrior series or Scarrow's Gladiator will love this one.

The details of Romance life are fairly well done, and the addition of magic will appeal to many fantasy fans.