Arena

By: Simon Scarrow, T. J. Andrews

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Arena is a Sunday Times best-selling novel from Simon Scarrow, author of Invictus, Centurion and The Gladiator, and T.J. Andrews. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

It is AD 41. The city of Rome is a dangerous place.

Optio Macro of the Second Legion, recently decorated for courage on the battlefield, can't wait to leave the teeming city behind. He's dismayed when he's compelled to stay in Rome to train Marcus Valerius Pavo, a young gladiatorial recruit.

Though fearless Pavo has fought for his life before, he's a novice in the arenas. But he's a driven man, with a goal dearer than survival - to avenge his father's death at the hands of a champion gladiator. Will he live to face his nemesis?

©2013 Simon Scarrow (P)2013 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critic reviews

"Ferocious and compelling." ( Daily Express)

A re-listen worthy of a re-listen

As an amateur historian, I appreciated the political intrigues. It felt authentic. The film 'gladiator' tried to convey the same sentiment but failed. It wouldn't surprise me that the screenplay of 'gladiator' was based on this book.

another great Simon Scarrow book

Would you listen to Arena again? Why?

great book about Rome and the gladiatorial events and the things that could have happened under the reign of Cladius with his use of vindictive freedmen that he did use as advisors

What other book might you compare Arena to and why?

other simon scarrow book you should read all of the they are very good

What does David Thorpe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

his voice is wonderful for the book

Story read like it was on repeat

Would you try another book from Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews and/or David Thorpe?

Yes, I would still listen to David Thorpe's narrations, and I'd be willing to read another Scarrow

Any additional comments?

This book seemed like a never ended repeat of events. Main character gets into a tight spot due to the nasty Grecian. He is forced to fight. He whines about the injustice of it. He trains. He wins. He is still subject the the Grecian's plots. Plot escalates (barely). Repeat.

I was not satisfied with the end. I did not like the characters, and an overuse of the f word made me feel like the characters were adolescents.

Dont waste your time or money

What disappointed you about Arena?

Sub plots that make no sense - characters devoid of personality - You actually find yourself rooting for the bad guys - Whiny self absorbed 2 dimensional hero then suddenly he finds the heroism to save the world. Vomit.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Anything but this

How could the performance have been better?

white noise

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I want my money back

Badly Written and Badly Read.

What disappointed you about Arena?

I have to say I loved Simon Scarrow's Cato and Macro characters, and I enjoyed Scarrow's writing - it got the story done with enough embellishment to entrance and transport to a relatively authentic impression of the time. So I bought this book, (not realising he wrote it with someone else) expecting the same. Anyway, for whatever reason, this book is as bad as his other books were good - the plot plods along a linear timeline from one uninteresting turn of events to another, stumbling over laughable cliches and repetitive character reactions, made all the worse by the histrionic reading of David Thorpe. I won't go on, because enough is said. All I can say is, stick to writing on your own Simon, because it seems the other bloke just dragged you down on this one.

Would you ever listen to anything by Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews again?

One more chance to Simon Scarrow, but definitely never T.J. Andrews.

What didn’t you like about David Thorpe’s performance?

Disliked it intensely. Histrionic, badly interpreted and misphrased.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom and mirth

Any additional comments?

Nope.