{THE COLESSIUM 1} FROM THE ASHES.

 My sincere apologies to author and blog tour host, Rachel Gilbey for the unforeseen circumstances that meant I was unable to post my thoughts on FROM THE ASHES by MELISSA ADDEY until now. 

They called it the Flavian Amphitheatre. We call it the Colosseum. Let the Games begin.

Rome, 80AD. A gigantic new amphitheatre is being built. The Emperor has plans for gladiatorial Games on a scale no-one has ever seen before.

But the Games don’t just happen by themselves. They must be made. And Marcus, the man in charge of creating them, has just lost everything he held dear when Pompeii disappeared under the searing wrath of Vesuvius.

Now it will fall to Althea, the slave woman who serves as his scribe, to ensure the Colosseum is inaugurated on time – and that Marcus makes his way out of the darkness that calls to him.

Can a motley crew comprising a retired centurion, slaves, a prostitute and an ex Vestal Virgin pull off the greatest gladiatorial Games ever seen? Or will they fail and find themselves in the arena as punishment?

Time is running out to deliver an unforgettable spectacle.

From the Ashes is the first, fast-paced novel in the gripping new Colosseum series. Follow the quick- witted and fiercely loyal backstage team of the Colosseum through the devastation of Pompeii, plague and fire. This is historical fiction at its most captivating: both action-packed and tender.

From everything from how much planning went into even the most basic of extravaganzas; the complexities of arranging entertainment for an audience hungry for spectacle whether that be the lewd party in which we are first meet Althea or the inaugural games at the Flavian Amphitheatre that are to last one hundred days to how the population lived; the food they ate, the clothes that they wore; the deities that they worshipped, impeccably researched.

I walk past the brothel SheWolves, though not quickly enough to avoid a few lecherous comments from men nearby, and to notice some of the larger lewd graffiti scrawled on the walls, including, 'Gaaius recommends Cincinnata, she's hairy but you won't be disappointed.' Further down the street are the still decrepit Stabian Baths, as yet unrestored after the earthquake, only the women's section still in use. But I can now see the main theatre with its smaller sister next to it. Gladiators often train there, their most ardent fans watch even the training of their favourites, checking their progress, studying their form for later gambling success. - Pgs 36/37

I could not fail but to find myself totally immersed into the lives of the characters and the unfolding events, both of which are spectacularly brought to life in such a way that, whilst you are left in no doubt as to the realties of life in 80AD Rome, the author does a tremendous job when it comes to treading the line between depicting events realistically and yet not too graphically {or indeed gorily} so as to offend modern sensibilities.  

However, hardly surprisingly given my love of good, strong characters {and good, strong, feisty female characters in particular} for all the wonderful story, it was the cast of memorable characters {amongst which numbered my favourites slave girl come scribe Althea, ex-centurion Marcus and aging Vestral Virgin Julia} and the relationships between them that proved to be making of the book for me. 

Seriously looking forward to the next instalment and what life has in store for Althea and Marcus next, if your looking for a great historical read you could do worse than give this a go.

Melissa Addey writes historical fiction set in Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco and 18th century China. She is a full time self-published author and runs workshops for authors wanting to be entrepreneurial. Her books have been selected for Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society and won the inaugural Novel London award. She has been the Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library, has a PhD in Creative Writing and works with the Alliance of Independent Authors on their campaigns.

If you’d like to try her writing, visit http://www.melissaaddey.com to pick up a free novella, The Cup.

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With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for another well organised Blog Tour. 

Agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own. No financial compensation was asked for nor given. Threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.