Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: The Gladiator’s Honour
Author: Michelle Styles
Publisher: Mills & Boon (original in UK) - Harlequin in the US
ISBN: 0-263-84650-4 (UK) – 0-373-29417-4 (US)
Release Date: May 2006 (UK) - September 2006 (US)
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 65 BC, Rome
Overall Rating: 4.0
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle with some sexual (just a couple of scenes)
Language (profanity) Rating: None to Very Mild
Voilent Content Rating: Minimal
Michelle's Website:
www.michellestyles.co.uk
Julia Antonia is the daughter of a nobleman with business with Caesar. This places her in the upper society and adds certain beliefs into how she should conduct herself. In addition, her step mother, Sabina, places even more. While her father loves her and wants her happiness, he is also bound by certain political restrictions and honor.
Julia pushed the limits of those bounds by divorcing her first husband. Her father had arranged a marriage to one of the Senator’s, Lucius. Lucius was cruel and malicious and no one saw that side more than Julia. After being hurt one too many times, Julia left and risked the wrath of everyone but doing so. Her father was able to find the means to create acceptance for her, however, and she was able to continue to live in her father’s home.
Since being home, Julia has tried everything to stay within the bounds of acceptable society and to follow her stepmother’s rules. Now, however, Sabina is pushing for a marriage for her with yet another Roman nobleman – one of whom Julia does not care for. His cruel eyes remind her very much of her first husband. The only way to avoid marriage is to stay on the good side of her father and not get into any trouble.
Trouble comes looking for her, though, in the form of a gladiator. When the newest troupes come to the city for a major event hosted by Caesar, Caesar asks some of his loyal subjects to host a gladiator. Valens the Thracian is assigned to their household and is an incredible man. Not only is he handsome and wonderfully made but he has a heart – one not found in many of the Romans Julia comes in contact with. Despite the efforts on both of their parts, there is a connection being formed which is much stronger than either of them can explain or ignore.
The Gladiator’s Honour is truly a passionate love story. When I refer to that passion, I am thinking of the emotion expressed. Both parties put themselves in a lesser position in order to protect the other. The honor displayed does justice to their characters and their places in society. Julia and Valens both become "real" to the reader. Michelle used techniques and styles which make it quite easy to get into the minds of the characters and subsequently their hearts. There is tremendous growth as they both deal with the "demons" in their lives – external as well as internal.
I enjoyed how Michelle Styles introduced the minor characters and used them to enhance the story and the two main characters. However, the most profound trait evidenced in this work is the knowledge of the author. This is the same place, however, where I faltered. Her use of this time period in Roman history is well researched and quite accurate. I found though there were often times I did not have the same grasp of knowledge and didn’t really understand what was happening. If the reader is an avid historian of Roman history, this book would easily be rated a 5. My husband was quite impressed by the references and a good resource for me as a reviewer. So, even with my limited knowledge of the Roman Empire, I found this an enjoyable love story based on the strength of the two main characters.
Lori
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