Fight for Freedom (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Fight for Freedom Elizabeth Bush Scarrow, Simon . Fight for Freedom. Disney Hyperion, 2012. [272p]. (Gladiator) ISBN 978-1-4231-5101-2 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 5-8. Titus Cornelius Pollenius, a centurion retired from the Roman army after crushing the Spartacus slave rebellion, is killed by goons of a moneylender trying to collect on the retired soldier's farm loan. With a personal impetus for revenge, the usurious Decimus enslaves Titus's wife and ten-year-old son, Marcus, and transports them to his own remote farm to toil and die. Marcus escapes, only to be captured by the owner of a prestigious gladiator school. Once the small but scrappy Marcus realizes that a public appearance in the arena might be his one chance to make contact with his father's mentor, General Pompeius, and argue for freedom, he throws himself into training, is chosen for a death match with a fellow student, and catches the attention of an even more august personage: Gaius Julius Caesar, a rising Roman star if ever there was one. This series debut steadily hits all the predictable marks for an ensemble drama—the cunning school bully, the strong but silent protector, the dastardly villain, a matron and a maiden in distress, and, most importantly, a triumph (tempered with an oh-so-ethical refusal to finish off his rival) in the arena. Readers won't find much novelty in this familiar spectacle until the end, when the revelation of Marcus' true identity signals that ensuing series entries will most likely steer him onto a more intriguing path. Action fans, though, will find enough blood and honor here to award a thumbs up and return to watch Marcus take on his next enemy. [End Page 478] Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois