The Circus Maximus books are AMAZING! They have become firm favourites in our house - with complex characters, excellent writing, and a complex family saga immersed in stunningly described Ancient Roman surroundings, they really are hard to beat!

This book was amazing!
It’s a middle grade historical novel which was so well done I was hooked the entire time. I don’t normally like most historical novels but since this is set in the Roman Empire I was interested.

The book follows dido who is the og horse girl and she wants to be a charioteer because her dad is the horse trainer. Obviously everything goes kind of south when she realised the horse had been doped to win the race and she tells her dad. He ends up getting murdered to keep the secret as they’re fixing the races and want the attention of the future emperor.

All the little details are very well researched and accurate without sugar coating things for children. My only thing I thought was missing was any real mention of the pantheon which would have been more prevalent.

Dido has a horse she picked herself and has been training which she gets separated from when she has to run away to avoid being killed as well since she found out about the doping and she ends up meeting her fathers old rival who takes her in and hides her as a boy.

Generally this is action packed, well written and researched, genuinely emotionally destroying at times and sweet. If you’re a horse girl who wanted to do boy sports it’s for you. It doesn’t feel dumbed down at all and I think would appeal to both boys and girls!

I honestly think the publishers are selling themselves short by describing this as a children's book or a middle grade book. As a 34 year old adult, I absolutely adored this book and would put it on par with much of the adult fiction I've read and better than a lot of the young adult stuff. It's got a fantastic plot, characters that leap off the page at you, wonderful descriptions and a vividly imagined setting in Ancient Rome. Marketing it as a middle grade book is frankly a waste, when there is so much here for adults to love.

Dido is a character who absolutely springs off the page; energetic, charismatic and completely obsessed by the horses and chariot races of the time, her love for the horses and as a by product for the sport, shines off the page. When her father is murdered, she is forced to flee the life she knows and loves, finding refuge with an unexpected ally. But the horses are never far from her mind and she her new life offers unexpected opportunities to both follow her dream and put her father's memory to rest.

This is a really strong novel. Gray doesn't shy away from the brutality of the chariot racing scene. The way both horses and riders are treated unfairly isn't glossed over, yet the excitement Dido feels at the race still manages to shine through. The races themselves are nail-biting, the stakes often life and death for both horse and rider. Likewise, the personal struggles of Dido and those she surrounds herself with felt real and drew me into the narrative fully. The novel mixes fiction and fact well, depicting a realistic view of Ancient Rome through the eyes of a teenage girl. And the cut-throat Roman politics also play a part, making for a deeper and well-rounded story.

I also loved the way the horses themselves were depicted; anyone who has spent times with animals knows they all have their own quirks, personalities and idiosyncrasies and this is depicted stunningly well. The horses are just as important as characters as the humans, which isn't an easy thing to write.

All in all, this is a stunning novel. It's well researched, fast paced with a gripping narrative and wonderful character depictions. Don't be put off by the fact that it's officially a 'middle-grade' novel. There is a huge amount here for adults to love.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

A great book for young fans of historical fiction and adventure, which will especially appeal to fans of Caroline Lawrence. Lots of action and mystery as we follow Dido and her dream to become a chariot racer. A gripping read that won’t disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.

I really enjoyed this one. Well researched this captures the feel of ancient Rome and the spectacle that is chariot racing in the Circus Maximus. I liked the fact that this didn't gloss over the harsh brutality of the racing, the often fatal toll on both charioteers and their horses and the ever present dangers experienced which makes for an exciting, fast paced story. Added to this is a well thought out plot involving race fixing and murder that I felt worked particularly well. The characters, both human and horse, were also well rounded and interesting, Dido making a spirited and courageous hero. Overall this is a terrific debut.

This is the story of Dido, a 12-year girl in Ancient Rome, who grows up in the world of the Circus Maximus, where her father trains horses for one of the most popular charioteering factions. Having an incredible way with horses, she is desperate to become a charioteer herself but is forbidden from training as she is a girl. Early on in the story, Dido is forced to flee Rome after the death of her father and finds herself at the home of a famous horse breeder and trainer, who used to ride at the Circus Maximus himself. What follows is the story of Dido’s journey to disguise her true identity and somehow get back to the Circus Maximus and her beloved horse Porcellus.

This was such an engaging, fun read. The author really transports the reader to Ancient Rome and the race scenes at the Circus are absolutely thrilling. Dido and the supporting characters, from servants right the way through to the Emperor Caligula, are well-drawn and the horses are given such wonderful personalities too.

The pacing was really good throughout, and I loved the ending. All in all, I would recommend this book to any fan of historical fiction, and would absolutely read more by this author.

I didn't really know what to expect with this book but once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. This fast paced piece of historical middle-grade fiction is a brilliant read where Ancient Rome is vividly brought to life.

12 year old Dido works with her father, Antonius, taking care of the horses he trains for Rome's favourite chariot racing team, the Greens. She dreams of one day racing in the Circus Maximus herself with her beloved horse, Porcellus, but when she witnesses her father's murder, Dido is forced to leave the city and Porcellus behind to avoid being killed herself. However, her adventure is only just beginning.

Dido is a fantastic heroine and this action-packed tale will keep you gripped to the end. It has a wide appeal and is perfect for fans of historical fiction, horses and anyone who enjoys thrilling adventure stories aged 9+.

For anyone who loves Horses & the Sports that they have been part of Historically & those who have a love of ancient history will thoroughly enjoy reading `Circus Maximus : Race to the Death , because although our heroine Dido is completely fictional many of the others are not, such at the Emperor Tiberius AD37 & his great nephew Caligula & some of those connected to the Praetorian Guard who did much of the Emperor's dirty work .I don't want to put in any spoilers so I highly recommend that you read this Book either by buying it or by borrowing it from your Local Library. #FB,#Instagram,#NetGalley, #Goodreads,#Amazon.co.uk , #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Huge thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for giving me access to the digital ARC of Circus Maximus: Race to the Death.

I was very excited when I read the description to this book, a kids book set in Ancient Rome featuring chariot races!! What more could I possibly want!?

This book follows Dido who dreams of being the first female charioteer at the Circus Maximus. When her father, a trainer of charioteer horses is murdered Dido has to flee Rome for her safety.

Dido is a very fun character. She is so passionate and caring about horses and about her friends. Side note that this book has a lot of good horse content, so if you have any horsey fans, this would be an excellent book for them. Dido is very determined to race, and I really love her stubborn need to race, she wouldn’t let anyone stop her from following her dreams. She is an excellent female character to have in children’s books, and I hope this will be a series so we can get to know Dido more!

This novel is action-packed! From page one the plot doesn’t let up, it flies along. Gray is not afraid to shake things up, and the drama is non-stop. The novel is a really quick read because of this, and it really keeps you reading, you have to find out what happens next!!

Overall I enjoyed this novel, it is a fun read and a really interesting setting for a novel! More children’s novels set in Ancient Rome please!

Loved this title! Unusual for the age range and refreshing because of it. Brilliantly written, gripping and a thrilling journey to go on with Dido.

I read this book in two or three days, but only because I was delayed by the inconvenience of having to attend to everyday life.

Circus Maximus is the story of the daughter of the trainer of one of the Circus Maximus's chariot racing teams. The problem is that Dido, being a girl, can't race, and when her father is caught up in the middle of a plot to fix the races, Dido is forced to flee Rome. She ends up with the man her father used to race against, but the plot goes much higher into the echelons of Roman society than any of them could have imagined and Dido is forced to pretend she is dead and pass herself off as a boy. And being a boy, there's now no reason why she can't return to Rome and have her revenge from the sands of the Circus Maximus. . .

I really enjoyed this book. It's clear that the author took time to research both horses and Roman culture and as a result, the book was believable and satisfying. I appreciated that though Dido is a girl who wants to race horses, this isn't a ragingly feminist book, it's about a girl who loves horses and wants to avenge her father. She's not angsty either, she's capable but feminine and I'd happily read more books with all of these characters in them. Setting it during the time that Caligula became Emperor was a good call too, because it added a lot of tension (for me anyway), knowing how erratic and often brutal he was. It sort of added something of a wildcard to the plot (to my shame, it took me a while to remember who Cassius was in real life -_-). That said, the story was well put together and flowed very naturally. All of the characters were very distinct and engaging and I liked that there were good characters who made poor choices (or chose ignorance) as well as questionable characters who (sometimes) did the right thing. The fact that the bad characters got their comeuppance, but it wasn't Dido that did it was a nice change from having main characters consumed by revenge.

If you enjoyed the Roman mystery books and like horses, then this is a great book for you. If you aren't as bothered by horses, but love Roman history and a good bit of tension and action, then you'll also like this book a lot.

For content, be warned that there is a little violence. The Circus Maximus was no picnic and sometimes drivers in the races where hurt by other drivers or severely injured/killed when their chariots were destroyed. Also, Caligula was a real jerk (to put it mildly). The violence is present in this book, but handled in such a way that a 10+ year old won't be too upset by it. It's clear what is happening without going into too much detail.

I highly recommend this book, but it comes with the warning that you should make sure you have a large block of time to read it in, because it's really not easy to put down.

I give this book six out of seven golden dolphins.

(I received this book as a free ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, regardless of how the Emperor feels about it.)

A thrilling story of the cut and thrust world of chariot racing in Ancient Rome. Dido, daughter of the trainer for the Greens, has lived and breathed racing horses since babyhood, and dreams of being allowed to race herself. However, her father stands firmly in her way!
A night where everything changes sends Dido on a story arc that’s sad, tense, packed with subterfuge, daring and adventure and eventually hurls her back into the world of the Circus Maximus as an experienced and courageous racer- for the Blues. The racing world is full of cheats and schemers, with nasty practices encouraged by an out of control Emperor, Caligula, who must always have his own way. Dido’s path ultimately drags her into direct conflict with him and his favourite charioteer, a man who Dido has thwarted in their past...

Fitting well into a KS2 history theme and with a feisty female protagonist, I imagine this book will be a popular classroom choice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this world and look forward to more books from Annelise Gray. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest views.

with thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus

Circus Maximus is fast paced children's book about Dido who wants to become a chariot race that is only for men. I enjoyed this book and I'm sure that many children will enjoy this book too,

This one took me a little while to get into, but once I did I was hooked. The writing is absolutely fantastic, and the author does a fantastic job of bringing to life the historical period with all the little details that breathed life into the narrative without ever getting overwhelming, and that attention to detail was exactly what I wanted. The characters were well-fleshed out and believable, and the action, especially the racing was so vivid that I was on the edge of my seat for many of them. An absolute joy to read.

Excellent book! So gripping from beginning to end and such a richly imagined setting. I could smell the horses, taste the wine and hear the cheers in the crowd. I will buy this for every niece and nephew who is age appropriate!

Dido has a way with horses and skills to enable her to win chariot races, but chariot racing is dangerous and fraught with dangerous rivalries. Her father is a trainer for the green faction favoured by the people, but when he voices his suspicions about the uncharacteristic behaviour of one of the horses, Dido is the witness to the tragic consequences and is forced to flee Rome. Luck is on her side, and she is taken in by a breeder of chariot horses, where she saves his old favourite horse when it is bitten by a snake, earning herself a place working in the stables. Her dreams of racing are reawakened when the owner of the blue faction arrives seeking a change in his fortunes.
This is an exciting and fast paced story of mystery and adventure in the Rome of the unpredictable emperor Caligula, set against a backdrop of political and sporting rivalry and intrigue and where the roles of men and women are clearly delineated. Dido is a feisty and engaging heroine, uncompromising in her loyalty to family and friends, including the horses that she loves and seeks to protect. The historical setting is vividly evoked in all its simmering heat and latent violence, but the real heart of the novel is the mutual respect and warmth that grows between the principal characters. I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying book.

Thank you Zephyr and Head of Zeus for granting me this ARC! I was really intrigued by the mix of action, mystery and history this novel presented. I was really not disappointed, and every page kept me on the edge of my seat! This review will be crossposted in full on my blog "Bookmarked" (angiesbookmarks.wordpress.com) and partially on Goodreads.

WHAT I LIKED

First of all, this book if chock full of historical details that I absolutely <em>loved</em>. The author did a really good job at picking out tiny facts and building upon them. And as someone born and bred in Rome like me, I could trace Dido's steps from memory. Lots of people will love this meticulous care—I know I did!

The racing scene were gorgeous. They were full of action, movement and adrenaline. I was catapulted right in the moment and they kept me at the edge of my seat! And like with everything else, Annelise Gray managed to keep beautifully true to history. I learnt about chariot racing as I held my breath with each of Dido's chariot's turns.

This book kept surprising me. I really enjoyed how it seamlessly incorporates mystery and intrigue in a story that was predominantly action-based. It added an extra layer to the story, giving it depth and sustaining my interest even when there wasn't as much breakneck racing to be had.

Lastly, Dido is a good heroine and role model. Driven, hardy and patient (and stubborn!), she is sure to inspire younger readers to chase their dreams no matter what! And Caligula is deliciously unsettling, making a great villain.

WHAT I LIKED A LITTLE LESS

I felt that the pacing of the middle chapters was somewhat staggered. Although we get a lot of Dido's personality, we don't get as much in terms of motivations. Does she want to live peacefully, avenge her father, get Porcellus back, race at the Circus? She achieves all of those things by the end, but there wasn't a clear push towards any in the middle, I feel.

On a minor note, I felt that the naming of the horses was inconsistent (and a little weird?). It was strange, if not a little jarring, having a horse called Incitatus, or Perdix, alongside another called Snowy, or Thunder. Perhaps my Latin is failing me, but why would a horse be called "Little Pig" (Porcellus)?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to both older and younger readers!

This is a perfect Roman read for UKS2 classes or children 10+! The ideal blend of historical facts & feisty female hero, Dido, as she chases her dream of chariot racing at the Circus Maximus. Ambition, revenge, redemption, hope & horses, this has it all!

There's a wide cast of characters with authentic Roman names and backgrounds which can be tricky to get familiar with to begin with, however, I was hooked within the first few pages. Gray writes knowledgeably about key Roman figures and customs (making it perfect for literature-led class topics) without losing the human touch of relationships. Beautiful written, with great pace and adventure which will keep young readers enthralled. Packed full of action, this novel has just the right measure of everything - emotion, tension, plot-twists and (MG level) violence.

I can't wait to use it in class, and I also look forward to the next installment of the series.

A brilliant read for middle grade children set in Roman times with a female protagonist. Dido has her heart set on racing in the Circus Maximus, a fearsome chariot race reserved for men only. She has grown up watching it and looking after the horses that are involved, but it is only when her father meets an untimely death that her adventures start and she really understands what it is to become a chariot racer. Addictive adventure from start to finish.

This took a little while to get into, because there were so many characters' names to get to grips with, both people and horses - and when horses seem to have the same names as people, that made it tricky to remember who was who (or what). But, I'm reading this as a senior adult and it could be that the target age group would have no problem remembering all these names!

That said, I did really enjoy this. It was fast paced and the setting so well portrayed, it made for a very interesting as well as a pacy read. I think the horrors of Caligula were very well handled and pitched perfectly for this age group. Very well researched.