The sun gleams hot over the muscular build of the Champion of Capua as he watches his assailants. To his side is his friend, Varro, a Roman trying to pay off his gambling debt, but he hears not the crowd as they urge him to shed blood. No, Spartacus is completely focused, his gladiator skills is a part of him now… a part of his survival and although Lucretia, Batiatus’ wife – his owner – feels that Spartacus does not deserve the title of Champion, her fate is more often than not in his hands. In Spartacus: Morituri, a wealthy Greek merchant settles in Capua to open his own ludus and compete with the more established ludus owners’ gladiators in the arena, but when Batiatus and Solonius’ gladiators doesn’t perform and their houses are in ruin, the only viable explanation is sorcery… But will this sorcery be the downfall of Spartacus?
Spartacus: Morituri by Mark Morris is a book that will stretch your imagination and help you to travel back to a time when gladiators were fighting for their lives, the gore, the crowd of thousands chanting for more bloodshed and the luxury that Romans enjoyed during that time. It’s an alternate history of sorts, fictitious and yet, quite imaginable of the Romans at the time. Fighting, mystery, sexy and crude, this is the way many people would see the first “civilised” nation behaving and exactly how Mark Morris had captured the Romans in his novel. Furthermore, it’s fun to exercise your imagination from time to time, especially into that line of thinking. However, it should be duly noted that some seasoned readers may have trouble reading some of the dialogue, considering that it was written with a dialect in mind, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll see it’s smooth sailing…
It’s a good read, but definitely not for a younger audience. The language use is on the edgier side of things, there’s a lot of gory elements thrown into the mix, not to mention some sexual conduct that may not sit well with some audiences. However, for those who are into those things or fans of the show, you’re in for a treat. Personally I’ve never watched the show, but it’s definitely sparked something in me to get my hands on it. That being said, make sure the kids don’t get their hands on it if you don’t approve…
Click on the image to buy your copy of Spartacus: Morituri by Mark Morris. You won’t be disappointed.
