Rome, AD 80. A gigantic new amphitheater 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. 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. First in a new series.

If you loved Pompeii by Robert Harris and enjoy books by Kate Quinn, Lindsey Davis, and Colleen McCullough, then the Colosseum series is for you. Following the backstage team of the Colosseum through the risks and rewards of fire, water, earth, and air, this is historical fiction at its most captivating, both action-packed and tender.

About Author Melissa Addey

You can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com.

I mainly write historical fiction, focusing on the Forbidden City in China’s 18th century, Morocco in the 11th century, and now Ancient Rome in the first century.

I have a PhD in creative writing and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019, I won the Novel London award as well as the Page to Podcast competition. I live in London with my husband and two children.