Pleasure-seeking Romans find the seaside town of Pompeii the perfect gateway. But when the rich patrician Cato escapes Rome, intent on a life of leisure, he is unprepared for the hostility he encounters. In the same place, but at the opposite end of society, Ariella has disguised herself as a young boy to be sold into a gladiator troupe. Survival is her only ambition.
But evil creeps through the streets of Pompeii, and neither Ariella's secret nor Cato's evasion is immune to it. Political corruption, religious persecution, and family peril threaten to destroy them, even before an ominous mountain in the distance spews its fire.
As Vesuvius churns with deadly intent, Cato and Ariella must bridge their differences to save the lives of those they love--before the fiery ash buries Pompeii, leaving the city lost to the world.
My Thoughts...
What a story about courage, faith, and of course, love! The plot starts right from the first page, describing the Israelites fleeing from the invading Romans, emotions seeping from the very pages. Loss, triumph, doubt, and terror are the strong emotions that the reader experiences in the first few chapters. Following a strong willed and likable character on her journey, readers get a sense of what it was like in Pompeii during that time of sin and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Even though the antagonist was clearly identified and was showed as a tyrant who believed in a polytheistic religion, it was still thrilling as the evil character revealed yet another level of his powers over the citizens and those whom he had targeted.
At times, one would question if there would be any inappropriate scenes because of the vocabulary used. But if any true history fanatic knew anything about Pompeii, it would have been about the evil sins the citizens committed, careless people who did whatever they pleased. The main character, Ariella, was quite the gladiator. She had extreme levels of courage and both physical and mental stamina. She did not seem at all immature like many protagonists many readers encounter, but instead, is very mature for her age. I love how she has trouble trusting anyone, let alone a Roman politician because of the many problems plaguing the characters one after another. This book is not a light read with a spark of casual events but rather a dramatic take of learning to trust after negative experiences and leaning on God instead of holding your ground. The book was well written overall and the character development that takes place is phenomenal. Ariella goes through many good changes throughout the novel which is always fun to look at at the end. Overall, one of the best books I have recently read with a beautiful plot that takes each reader on a winding journey to read about faith and courage like they have never before.
-ShewolfLia17
What a story about courage, faith, and of course, love! The plot starts right from the first page, describing the Israelites fleeing from the invading Romans, emotions seeping from the very pages. Loss, triumph, doubt, and terror are the strong emotions that the reader experiences in the first few chapters. Following a strong willed and likable character on her journey, readers get a sense of what it was like in Pompeii during that time of sin and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Even though the antagonist was clearly identified and was showed as a tyrant who believed in a polytheistic religion, it was still thrilling as the evil character revealed yet another level of his powers over the citizens and those whom he had targeted.
At times, one would question if there would be any inappropriate scenes because of the vocabulary used. But if any true history fanatic knew anything about Pompeii, it would have been about the evil sins the citizens committed, careless people who did whatever they pleased. The main character, Ariella, was quite the gladiator. She had extreme levels of courage and both physical and mental stamina. She did not seem at all immature like many protagonists many readers encounter, but instead, is very mature for her age. I love how she has trouble trusting anyone, let alone a Roman politician because of the many problems plaguing the characters one after another. This book is not a light read with a spark of casual events but rather a dramatic take of learning to trust after negative experiences and leaning on God instead of holding your ground. The book was well written overall and the character development that takes place is phenomenal. Ariella goes through many good changes throughout the novel which is always fun to look at at the end. Overall, one of the best books I have recently read with a beautiful plot that takes each reader on a winding journey to read about faith and courage like they have never before.
-ShewolfLia17
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