After the loss of their twelve-year-old daughter, Amora and Leo’s marriage crumbles. Once Amora accepts Christ, Leo becomes irate enough to denounce his wife and send her to the Colosseum.

Leo’s son, Esteban, finds himself alone and lost. Both men will experience hurt and pain beyond belief as they learn to truly accept Christ’s love and forgiveness. And, learn to forgive others.

I tend to forget about this time period in Christian history. As someone who has stood in the Colosseum, I could picture the scene as Christians were sent to their deaths. This book pulls on your heart strings and helps you to remember that no sin is too great for God’s forgiveness.

If you are a fan of Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series, then you will certainly enjoy this book.

Awesomeness:

-The relationships between the character’s are pretty realistic.

-The battle scenes and gladiator training are cool.

-The history at the back really helps to inform the reader.

-The characters grow in their understanding of forgiveness.

Cautions:

This book touches on several difficult topics such as the death of a child, martyrdom, marital discord, and verbal and physical abuse. None of the issues are written in unnecessary detail and they all add to the depth and complexity of the story.