Reviews

The Gladiator's Master by Marguerite Labbe, Fae Sutherland

pshelling's review

3.0

The Gladiator's Master is a historical romance that takes place in the Roman town of Fidena. It was well researched, featuring a smattering of Latin words, real events, and a plausibly accurate setting (I'm not a Roman nor an expert so I can not confirm the authenticity of the exposition). Caelius just inherited his uncle's property, along with the handsome but disagreeable slave Argon. The two men have steamy sex and eventually fall in love, but are otherwise kind of flat and one-dimensional. The plot was a little weak, with bad luck and the progression of time being the strongest driving forces of story. The prose also had a very strong "old timey" feel, persistently calling children "little ones" and saying "gratitude" instead of "thanks". This can be a pro or a con depending on what you're looking for. Despite it's flaws, it was a solid read that I have re-read a couple times since I first bought it in 2011.

daydreamer45's review

5.0

Beautifully developed. I love it. Not despite, but because of being a 'love conquers all' story.

Spoiler

Gaidres took a deep breath. “Caelius. Tell me again that you love me.”
Caelius’s eyes widened, then his brows knit in confusion. “What?”
“Tell me again that you love me.”
Pain filled his lover’s eyes and Gaidres memorized the sight of it. He would spend his life making up for having caused such pain with his foolishness and hard-headed fear. He knew what Caelius must be thinking, that Gaidres intended to spurn him again.
Still, Caelius spoke, his voice a bare whisper. “I love you.”
Gaidres’s free hand came up to cup Caelius’s cheek, thumb brushing his bruised cheekbone. His heart pounding.
“I love you, too. My fear ruined that moment and for that I forever beg your forgiveness. I will not allow my fear to ruin any more.” He gave Caelius’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I am yours.”
“Mine?” Caelius repeated in a daze, as if sure he had not heard correctly. “You love me?”
“I love you, Caelius,” he said again with a smile, still holding his hand. “And I’ll spend my life proving it to you.”
He lifted his hand to touch Gaidres’s face. “I knew you cared, no matter how you denied it, but I did not think that I had been so blessed to have won your heart yet. I…I thought…I was so afraid that after this…that after we found each other, you’d never risk…”
Gaidres cut him off with a shake of his head. “I am done being the fool. Just promise me that you will regain your strength quickly and never scare me like this again.”

“Do not mistake gentleness for weakness, or confuse mercy with the inability to take care of my own.”

krakenite's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

bookish_infusion's review

DNF at 60%

Got bored with it, the story was too slow and repetitive

wisecraic's review

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

centurylore's review

i felt absolutely no connection to the characters, and the plot is just too predictable.

the_booklover0605's review

4.0

I'm so weak for stories set in Rome and this didn't disappoint at all. Gaidres's progression from hate to love was so good and also 🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️

poplora's review

4.0

3 stars for the story, 1 star for the research because holy shit that was a LOT of effort.

melreed01's review

5.0

I decided I would step out of my realm and read this. It was worth it.

kaje_harper's review

4.0

This was an engrossing story of Caelius, a Roman politician who inherits his uncle's slaves and finds among them a gorgeous gladiator,Gaidres, whom he brings to his bed (and floor, and walls.) Gaidres was not born a slave but was captured by Caelius' uncle, losing home, lover and freedom. He hates Caelius as a relative of the man who destroyed his past, and while willing to have sex with Caelius, is biding his time with the intent to kill him. The initial heated sex scenes show how these men's physical needs are definitely are a good fit, even while they are strangers to each other. But gradually, over the course of some conversation and (a lot of very hot) sex, they come to see each other as individuals, and forge a very different relationship.

This story is full of details of Roman life, and they are very well placed, giving an authentic feel without appearing to show off the research, as in some historicals. Rehabilitating a slave-owning character to modern readers as a romantic lead is tough, and Caelius almost bends over backwards (and often bends over forwards) to show his egalitarian attitude.

Spoiler

I did wonder about his willingness to let everyone know he was being fucked by his slave, rather than the other way around. The statement is made that if this were known to his rivals it would have very serious, perhaps even fatal, consequences. And yet he makes absolutely no effort to conceal it, sometimes around slaves whom he only recently acquired and does not know well. He was idealistic, but that felt unacceptably careless with his and Gaidres' safety.There are a couple of slightly convenient deaths. It would have been interesting if Caelius' sword stroke at the end was forced to be intentional and not a happy accident. However in general the plot was clear and interesting.

I enjoyed this story, became fond of the MC's and wished them well in their HEA.