July 1, 2015
Gr 5-8-Nicolas Calva is a slave in the mines right outside ancient Rome. One day Nic is ordered by his superior to go down into a cave thought to contain lost treasures belonging to Julius Caesar. As he is contemplating how to avoid his death in the caves, Nic overhears a Roman soldier planning a deadly conspiracy, and although Nic attempts to evade detection, the soldier confronts him. He assigns Nic the task of looking for and recovering an amulet that belonged to Caesar, a bulla. Nic is ambushed by a griffin, a beast of the gods, as he attempts to look for the amulet, which he later learns contains destructive magical powers. His desire to hide the bulla from all Romans, especially the soldier he believes is planning the fall of Rome, generates intrigue and leads to one daring escapade after another. Narrator Macleod Andrews does an excellent job portraying all of the characters, both the major and minor players, and traitors and spies, in this most action-packed, exciting drama. VERDICT Listeners will thoroughly enjoy the fusion of Roman history, fantasy, and fast-paced action.-Sheila Acosta, San Antonio Public Library
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