By Annelise Gray (author) Part of the Circus Maximus series
"Readers will race through this superb historical adventure"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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February 2022 Book of the Month
Dido, the daring charioteer, won readers’ hearts in Race to the Death , in which she defied the rules to compete in the Circus Maximus, though disguised as a boy, escaping the wrath of Caligula to race another day with her horse Porcellus. Their second outing is just as thrilling. Still hiding from the emperor and now with a price on her head, Dido is living with her uncle in Utica, on the coast of North Africa.
She and Porcellus are lying as low as they can to avoid the bounty hunters on their trail, but racing is in their blood and when fate brings her to a brand-new track and a new competition, Dido must take the reins again. With new friends, old enemies and more gorgeous, spirited horses, this is unputdownable stuff!
Annelise Gray steers the plot like one of her expert charioteers, a light hand but fully in control and there’s a perfect balance between character, adventure and history. Readers will gallop through this!
Dido is the only girl ever to have raced to victory at the Circus Maximus, Rome's greatest sporting arena. Now she and her beloved horse, Porcellus, are in hiding, and Emperor Caligula has put a price on their heads. Can she outwit the emperor and his bounty hunters? And will a shocking family secret stop her in her tracks, or spur her on to make a daring return, helped by a one-eyed mare with a heart as brave as her own?
Read the full description
Horses, history, mystery, thrilling entertainment and sensational storytelling race neck and neck through the second pulse-pounding adventure in Annelise Gray's 9 + series set in Ancient Rome.
'I loved this adventure - full of brilliant horses, and a determined heroine following her dreams against all the odds. Looking forward to discovering what's in store for them next' Pippa Funnell, MBE, three-time Equestrian Olympic medalist
‘Rivals on the Track is as heart-poundingly thrilling as the races in its pages. I adored it. Buckle up for the ride of your life…' Lauren St John, author of The One Dollar Horse
Praise for Circus Maximus: Race to the Death:
'This thrilling debut is the first in a new historical series full of dazzling action, rich detail, fabulous horses and an unforgettable heroine' Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
'Fantastic new historical novel that I'm reading to my daughter. She's loving it ... We are hoping there's a sequel!' Dan Snow
'Rich in period detail, with a few real historical characters - its principal invention the idea that a woman might have been a charioteer - this is an involving, well characterised tale that feels original' Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week
'Circus Maximus swept me away to ancient Rome and I didn't want to come back. What a thrilling historical adventure!' A.M. Howell, author of The Garden of Lost Secrets
'Full of great characters - both horses and humans - and Dido is a terrific heroine ... Annelise Gray has written a story that is both historically convincing and heart-stoppingly exciting. I hope there are more to come' -- Gillian Cross
Annelise Gray was born in Bermuda and moved to the UK as a child. She grew up riding horses and dreaming of becoming a writer.
Her series Circus Maximus is partly inspired by her long-held dream of seeing a female jockey win the Grand National, an outcome which exists only in the pages of fiction.
After gaining a PhD in Classics from Cambridge, she worked as a researcher for authors and TV companies. She's previously published a history of the women of the Roman Empire and a crime novel set in the Roman Republic.
Annelise lives with her husband in Dorset where she teaches Latin.
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This heart-pounding, fast paced, historical novel is a brilliant read, who’s story is intertwined with family intrigue and thrilling chariot races. A unique book that is impossible to put down!
This heart-pounding, fast paced, historically accurate novel is a brilliant read, who’s story is intertwined with family intrigue and thrilling chariot races. Beautifully written, it tells the story of a girl called Dido, in the Roman Empire, who’s only dream is to race chariots in the Circus Maximus with her beautiful horse - but girls are strictly forbidden from doing so. Throughout the course of the story Dido must escape from searching bounty hunters, uphold a fake identity, and finally come to terms with her family and its less-than-ideal history…
I loved how detailed and realistic the chariot racing, horses, and communities were - it makes me wish I could do something so exhilarating and fun as the racing sounds!... Read Full Review
This is an amazing story based on a connection between humans and horses, full of wonderful and unexpected twists and turns. Impossible to put down!!
This is a thrilling chariot ride through the bloody and sweaty Circus Maximus. This book is impossible to put down once taken up. If your interested in the Roman times, adventures and the special connection that could be formed between humans and horses, you've come to the right place.
Dido is a young charioteer girl, living with her uncle. One day, when she goes into town, she finds bounty hunter looking for her and 10 million sesterces. From that day onward, her life is never the same. With a dark family secret just waiting to be found and a risk waiting to be done, her life spirals.
In my opinion, I love how strongly Annelise Gray describes the connection between the horses and the main character, Dido, and how she really shows that Dido loves the horses.... Read Full Review
This book is as fast paced and exciting as an actual chariot race. If you've watched Ben-Hur and thought there wasn't enough chariot racing in it, then this is the book for you.
This book is as fast paced and exciting as an actual chariot race. If you've watched Ben-Hur and thought there wasn't enough chariot racing in it, then this is the book for you. It was a real page turner, and we finished it in super-fast time because we couldn't wait to see what happened next. Even though we hadn't read the first book in the series, it was easy to follow what was going on. We're definitely going to go and get the first book now too. The book isn’t full of relationship stuff, and has lots of action and danger in it, with the girl charioteer Dido and her family being really brave and working hard to save their business, despite enemies and rivals trying their best to stop her.... Read Full Review
Ollie and Toby Hopwood
Dido is the only girl ever to have raced to victory at the Circus Maximus, Rome's greatest sporting arena. Now she and her beloved horse, Porcellus, are in hiding, and Emperor Caligula has put a price on their heads.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Historical Fiction, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Star Books, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Animal Stories
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track was written by Annelise Gray and published by Zephyr an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track has 400 pages
Yes it is part of Circus Maximus series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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