Liberty
Kimberly Iverson
HQN, Oct 2006, $13.95
ISBN: 0373771347

Just turned eighteen, Rhyddes ferch Rudd realizes that her father loathes her though she has always been obedient and hard working. When raiders arrive, he calls the names of seven of his children to help him defend their home; he leaves out only Rhyddes. Not longer after successfully defeating the Picts, her dad sells Rhyddes into slavery where eventually Gladiator Master Jamal buys her and renames her Liberty.

She proves to be one of the best gladiators inside the ring as no one matches her ferocity and prowess. However, she remains a slave craving freedom and the love of the son of the Roman Governor of Britannia Marcus Calpurnius Aquila. They met because he also fights inside the ring as a gladiator though he volunteers unlike the woman he loves, a taboo for a Roman politician.

LIBERTY is a more a historical tale than a romance as the deep tidbits bring to life the ancient Roman occupation of Britain. The storyline focuses on the forbidden love between the female Celt and the male Roman, but that takes a back seat to the era. Based on a real archeological find, Kimberly Iverson provides an intriguing tale starring a woman warrior (now if Hollywood can find a female to Crowe about).

Harriet Klausner