Continuing the adventures of Quintus Honorius Romanus (a.k.a. Taurus)-legendary gladiator of ancient Rome-this second book in the series picks up in AD 68, when the emperor is dead, and the throne is up for grabs. Three contenders square off to take control of the government, and as civil unrest begins to build, Quintus and his friends, the beast hunter Lindani and the gladiatrix Amazonia, are forced to fight with the legionaires of Rome in what will soon become bloody civil war. Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the empire, Quintus' former slave, Lucius Calidius, plots another rise to power-and not even Quintus will stand in his way.

The second in Jim Duffy's "Gladiators of the Empire" series, "The Fight for Rome" picks up with our heroes Quintus, Lindani and Amazonia only a few months after the events in "Sand of the Arena," which gives the sequel a comfortable sense of connection with its predecessor. There is no need for lengthy exposition in Duffy's work - we know these characters and meeting up with them again is like sitting down with old friends.

"The Fight for Rome," however, is a very different beast to its predecessor taking the combat out of the arena and onto the theatre of Roman warfare, which provides Duffy with a huge canvas on which to work. And he fills it very well indeed, painting a bloody mosaic upon which Quintus and his cohorts - drafted in the Roman army - must fight for no less a prize than the future of the empire itself. What Duffy does especially well is convey the confusion of battle - one gets a sense of what it really must have been like for the rankers in the Roman legions facing off against each other in the civil wars of 68AD. Also, the cause for which the majority are fighting is not always clear, and this adds an extra dimension to the rich fabric of this tale.

Duffy's characters are explored in greater depth in this second installment; we experience the duality of Quintus/Taurus - and learn that the skills he relies on in the arena are often at odds with his role as a leader of men (and one woman - Amazonia - who insists at fighting side by side with her gladiator brothers). The gladiatrix herself has a greater role in the sequel, as does Lindani, who, more than any of his compatriots, struggles to deal with the reality of warfare.

But it is with the villains that "The Fight for Rome" really excels. I have to say that as vile as our nemesis Lucius is, I found myself rooting for him almost to the end of the book. Duffy humanises him, making him a believable character. All right, he's paranoid to the point of delusion, but then again, with the run of luck he's had one can hardly blame him. However, the mover and shaker of novel is, without doubt, Julia Melita - sexy, duplicitous, vulnerable…Julia is the lynchpin of the book, a delicious character to be savored and enjoyed.

Once again, Duffy's research is meticulous. Some of the events in the novel seem far-fetched, over the top and a little too convenient - which is more remarkable because the happenings that might cause a raised eyebrow are in fact 100% accurate. It's one of Duffy's great strengths - he knows his stuff and loves his work. His knowledge goes far beyond that of a jobbing writer who's boned on up their Roman history. Clearly, this is Duffy's passion and that comes across in his writing.
"The Fight for Rome" is one of those rare things - a sequel that delivers as much as it's predecessor and then surpasses it - written by a fan for the fans, this book comes highly recommended.

You can read more about the "Gladiators of the Empire" series at www.gladiatorsoftheempire.com

The Fight for Rome is available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com