Review – City on Fire

Tracy L. Higley in her new book “City On Fire” a Book in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series published by Thomas Nelson takes us into the life of  Ariella.

From the back cover:   As Vesuvius churns, a slave girl-turned-gladiator joins forces with an unlikely source to seek justice.

In the coastal town of Pompeii, a new gladiator prepares to fight. But this gladiator hides a deadly secret: she’s a runaway Jewish slave girl named Ariella, disguised as a young boy. A savvy fighter, Ariella determines to triumph in the arena, knowing her life will be forfeit should anyone uncover the truth.

Cato, a wealthy politician, moved to Pompeii after tiring of the corruption in Rome. But he soon learns that Pompeii is just as corrupt, and if he doesn’t play the game, his family could pay the price. Determined to bring about justice for the citizens of Pompeii, Cato searches for allies. But what he discovers instead is a confounding group of Christians . . . and a young female gladiator whose fame is growing daily.

Political unrest reaches a boiling point as Christians are jailed and executed, and the mountain in the distance threatens to destroy the city with its river of fire. Cato and Ariella must act quickly and courageously to save their loved ones before all is lost.

There are some tragedies that have an epic quality to them.  The story of The Titanic is one and, for me, the story of Pompeii is another.  The volcano, Vesuvius, the city of Pompeii and its people are made for epic stories.  Tracy L. Higley has done exactly that.  Ms. Higley has given us special characters, Cato, the Roman politician who wants to retire and grow a vineyard; Maius, the tyrant who rules Pompeii and fears a rival in Cato and Ariella, a Jewish slave girl posing as a gladiator in the arena to stay alive.   These are the characters who live and breathe on the pages and draw us into their lives so that we root for the good guys and do not want the bad guys to win.  “City On Fire” is great fun.  It is history, a thriller, adventure and a romance all rolled up in an extremely entertaining ball.  Ms. Higley knows how to write characters that come alive off the page.  This is a fast-paced read that will keep you guessing as to what is really going on.  “City On Fire” is a very exciting story and I am looking forward to more from this very talented author.