Following a successful first semester in my doctoral program, I promised myself that I could read a few novels of a less academic nature than those I had read the previous semester. After a few pleasure reads, I will return to more studious reading. As such, I got two books based on the Starz series Spartacus off Amazon. The first one I read, Spartacus: Swords and Ashes by J. M. Clements, turned out to be a quick and somewhat fun read. The story deals with Batiatus traveling to Neapolis with several gladiators from his ludus in order to mourn the death of a childhood acquaintance. As with the show, the plot revolves around plenty of violence, talk of politics, and personal intrigue in the form of double-crossing.
To some degree, the book captures some of the spirit of the show, as in the aforementioned areas. However, the novel never quite catches the pace of the show and draws the reader in with quite the same sense of urgency as does the narrative on the TV series. However, the book does portray some interesting aspects of life in Roman culture and there are some rather interesting discussions on the nature of slaves and the relationship between slave and master. The book would likely be interesting to anyone who is a fan of the TV series.
Spartacus: Swords and Ashes
To some degree, the book captures some of the spirit of the show, as in the aforementioned areas. However, the novel never quite catches the pace of the show and draws the reader in with quite the same sense of urgency as does the narrative on the TV series. However, the book does portray some interesting aspects of life in Roman culture and there are some rather interesting discussions on the nature of slaves and the relationship between slave and master. The book would likely be interesting to anyone who is a fan of the TV series.
Spartacus: Swords and Ashes
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