<DIV>Eleven-year-old Marcus Cornelius Primus has been torn from his idyllic childhood and recruited as a gladiator, facing a life of intense training governed by strict rules. As he learns what it takes to become an elite warrior, Marcus makes new friends and masters valuable skills, though he also makes a dangerous enemy who will stop at nothing to make Marcus’s life miserable. <BR><BR>But Marcus has no intention of staying in gladiator school forever. He is determined to find his father's old commander to right the wrongs that have been done to Marcus’s family. Escape won’t be easy, with the threat of punishment and battle in the arena looming large. Yet, unbeknownst to Marcus, he carries a secret that might hold the key to his freedom and that of all of the Empire’s slaves. And if the Romans discover it, there will be no escape. <DIV><BR>Internationally bestselling author Simon Scarrow brings his considerable talents to the younger audience in this suspenseful, thrilling, and action-packed journey through Ancient Rome.</DIV></DIV>