Twisted Blade in the Arena (Boys of Imperial Rome (4))

Product Description

The Roman Empire, AD 108: Rich and poor alike revel in the bloody thrills of gladiatorial combat staged in arenas across the empire. The entertainments are big business―and as ever, money attracts shady operators out for a quick buck. Safely back from emperor Trajan’s tour of his province of Egypt, friends and lovers Rufio and Quintus are plunged into the dangerously murky world of match-fixing when Quintus falls for a young gladiator on the rise, whom he is encouraged to sponsor―for Attilius is not all he seems… Juggling between his ever more complex sex life and his family business duties, Rufio fights to save Quintus, his only love, from the clutches of doomed infatuation, while coping with the fallout of his friend’s arranged marriage and the corrupt machinations within the World Gladiator Federation. Blood in the arena, tested love, naked ambition―all fuse into a twisting, hot, illustrated tale of gay passion amid the splendor and squalor that is Rome at the apex of its power.

Review

“Praise for “”Deadly Circus of Desire: Boys of Imperial Rome #1″”: “It is a joy to read a novel so steeped in history that does not shy away from offering a genuine and unapologetically gay love story. The prose provides an exquisite expertise that informs of daily Roman life―the details of street food vendors, the layouts of and conduct within whorehouses, the interaction of slaves and freemen and the aristocracy, the minutiae that precedes the chariot races, all add scholarly authenticity to the lives of fictional character who interact with historical figures. While all this detail validates the environment, it never once detracts from the story of a budding romance between Rufio and Quintus. This is the pair of young men whose likenesses grace the book’s illustrations. Zack never fails to delight with image after image offering a visual glimpse into the lives of the heroes and the seemingly endless shenanigans they get into, and clothing they get out of.” ― Rick Russell (Goodreads). ” — Rick Russell,
Goodreads

Review

“Praise for “”The Satyr of Capri: Boys of Imperial Rome #2″”: “An epic adventure full of historical detail . . . and sex. If you love Ancient Rome and, well, Ancient Roman men, this book’s for you!” ― Scavola G/G Group moderator, Goodreads; “There is rarely a page that doesn’t include at least innuendoes of erotica if not downright steamy passion. And in addition to this erotica the novel has a fine story based on concepts to which we all can relate to in Roman mythology.” ― Grady Harp, Amazon; “There is a mystery that is so compelling it should be in some dark, hard-boiled crime thriller. There is romance and political intrigue and glimpses of daily life in imperial Rome. Just when you think you’ve got this genre-defying narrative figured out some new element gets added to mix, just to keep your interest peaked. This is non-stop action and adventure as only Zack can deliver and he does so once again.” ― Rick Russell, Amazon ” — Rick Russell,
Amazon

About the Author

Born in Switzerland, Oliver Frey a.k.a. Zack attended the London Film School, supporting himself as a comic-strip illustrator and later plunged into gay art and publishing. Innumerable illustrations poured from his pen and brush for British magazines “HIM International,” “Vulcan,” “Teenage Dreams,” the “HIM Gay Library” series, and “Mister” magazine. For HIM he created the mold-breaking Rogue comic strip and later “The Street,” which was part of the inspiration behind cult TV series “Queer As Folk.” The Internet has spread his reputation to an enormous global fan base through many sites and blogs. Some of his comic-strip work has been published recently by Bruno Gmünder. As Zack, Frey has taken gay erotic art and comics to new dimensions. He lives with life-long partner Roger Kean. British-born author Roger Kean, who met Oliver at the London Film School, has had careers as a movie cameraman, film editor, journalist, and magazine