FROM THE PUBLISHER

Two tiger cub brothers are torn from the jungle and taken to Rome. The stronger cub is trained as a killer at the Coliseum. Emperor Caesar makes a gift of the smaller cub to his beautiful daughter, Aurelia. She adores her cub, Boots. Julius, a young animal keeper, teaches Aurelia how to earn Boots's trust. Boots is pampered while his brother, known as Brute, lives in the cold and darkness, let out only to kill. Caesar trusts Julius to watch Aurelia and her prized pet. But when a prank backfires, Boots temporarily escapes and Julius must pay with his life. Thousands watch as Julius is sent unarmed into the arena to face the killer Brute.

FROM THE CRITICS

Pat Trattles

Two tiger cubs are happily frolicking in the forest when they are captured and sent to Rome. The older and stronger cub is sent to the cellars beneath the Roman Coliseum. There, he is fed just enough to keep him strong, yet hungry. He must rely on his innate killer instincts to fully satisfy his appetite. Aptly named "Brute," he learns his lessons well and soon becomes a vicious killer of gladiators, Christians, and slaves in Caesar's circuses. The fate of the younger and smaller cub is much different. He is given to Caesar's twelve-year-old daughter, Aurelia, as a special gift. Aurelia is fascinated with the idea of a tiger cub pet. She names him "Boots," because of the leather pouches he must wear on his feet, and soon falls in love with him. She also develops a forbidden fondness for his keeper, the slave boy, Julius. And it is apparent that Julius' feelings toward Aurelia mirror hers. Enter Marcus, Aurelia's mean-spirited cousin. Jealous of Julius, Marcus concocts a prank that goes hopelessly awry, forever changing the lives of all involved. Although the story drags in places and the ending is a bit too neatly tied up, the intriguing plot lines, and mixing of romance, and animal stories, set in a period in ancient history often ignored in historical fiction, makes this a good addition to the teen reading list. 2004, Delacorte Press/Random House, and Ages 12 up.

Publishers Weekly

British actress Francis gives a crisp and skillfully shaded reading of this thought-provoking story about love, political intrigue and nature vs. nurture set in ancient Rome. Her accent and generally bright delivery help balance the accessible themes and exotic background. Two lion cubs snatched from the jungle are taken to Rome where one becomes a brutal fighter in the Colosseum and the other becomes the pampered pet (called Boots) of Aurelia, daughter of Caesar. As Aurelia's 12th year progresses she explores her feelings for Julius, the slave and keeper of Boots, and comes to understand the mighty power her father holds. When Boots escapes and Julius is falsely blamed, Aurelia must face some awful truths-about humans and lions, too. Francis gives Aurelia the kind of authentic emotional depth that will keep listeners hooked on this exciting drama. Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT - Janis Flint-Ferguson

Aurelia is the 12-year-old daughter of Caesar in ancient Rome. She lives a privileged life and is on the verge of adulthood, when she will marry and take her place in Roman aristocracy. But for the moment, she is still a child and her father sends her a special gift—a tiger cub. The cub is trained and watched by a servant named Julius, a young man to whom Aurelia is quietly attracted. The tiger cub, Boots, has a twin, Brute, who is trained to fight gladiators in the Coliseum—a blood sport for the amusement of Caesar and the crowd. Although kept from that world, Aurelia and her cousin Marcus are aware of it. Marcus longs to be old enough to enjoy the spectacle, but the first time he is there, he becomes violently ill. While spending time with his cousin, he also realizes Aurelia's feelings for the tiger's servant. Soon the chance comes when Marcus can show Julius to be a fool. The trick goes terribly awry and the tiger escapes, bringing down the wrath of Caesar on Julius. Despite the recapture of Boots, both tigers and Julius are sentenced to the arena where only well-trained gladiators survive. Aurelia pleads with her father but learns firsthand the ruthlessness of Caesar. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Random House, 256p., Ages 12 to 18.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Despite its mundane title, Banks's novel succeeds fairly well at being exotic and original. Two tiger cubs are captured and brought to ancient Rome. Brute is trained to be an aggressive killer of slaves, criminals, and Christians in the Colosseum; Boots is gentled into a pet for Caesar's beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Aurelia, and cared for by the slave Julius, who loves Aurelia from afar. When a prank goes awry and Julius is wrongly blamed for Boots's escape, Aurelia must decide where her loyalties lie. A vibrant setting and strong sense of place bring this often-neglected time period to life. Aurelia and Julius are three-dimensional, though the other characters (including the big cats themselves) are less believable and vivid. The conflict between the Roman pantheon of gods and Christianity lacks clear delineation and comes across as superficial. While not an essential purchase, this provocative title will appeal to fans of historical fiction, romance, and animal stories.-Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A melodramatic foray into an extremely fictional ancient Rome. Twelve-year-old Aurelia is the daughter of Caesar, ruler of Rome around the third century. He presents her with a tiger cub, defanged and with claws trimmed, and Julius, the slave who trains and cares for him. She doesn't know that the cub has a littermate, kept bullied and hungry for the games at the Colosseum. Although the details of Roman life seem to be historically accurate, the tone is completely wrong. The animals are anthropomorphized to a fare-thee-well (think the recent movie novelization Two Brothers); Aurelia's distaste for the bloodshed of the games, both animal and human, and her interest in the persecuted Christians seem forced; and the actions of the slave Julius, who loves Aurelia, are simply not believable for that place and time. The climax finds Julius facing both the tame and wild tiger brothers in the Colosseum-and everyone lives. A much better journey into this era would be Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mysteries series. (Historical fiction. 10-14)