Over the past few decades, the existence of female gladiators in ancient Rome has been the subject of much debate among historians. While there is ample evidence of male gladiators, ancient texts and artifacts portraying female fighters in the arenas were sparse. Lost to history, the lives of these exceptional girls and women were shrouded in mystery.
Were female gladiators a gimmick? A fad? Had they really even existed at all? In 2001, archaeologists unearthed an ancient Roman grave site of a 1,900-year-old woman that proved, virtually beyond a doubt, that female gladiators were real. And they’d most likely led lives just as dangerous and dynamic as their male counterparts—and perhaps even more controversial. The lavish contents of the burial mound hinted at the wealth of the occupant, but the grave itself was placed beyond the boundaries of the main cemetery, marking the woman as a likely outcast from society.
Was this the lot of the gladiatrix? To live her life as both revered and reviled by the very people she fought so hard to entertain? These are the questions that inspired me to write about Fallon and her gladiator sisters—and their rivals—and the thrilling, perilous, extraordinary world in which they lived.
Uri, vinciri, verberari, ferroque necari!
Lesley Livingston
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.”
—William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Acknowledgments
WRITING THE VALIANT has been a unique experience for me. For the first time in my career as an author, I consigned myself to writing a story where I could get my characters neither into nor out of trouble with the use of magic! Nope. This time, it was all up to them—their brains, brawn, heart, wits, and swords. Fortunately, they were up to the task. And me? I cheated. I had all the magic.
First of all, I had Jessica Regel, my agent, who—I swear—really is some kind of wizard. She is a constant source of encouragement, inspiration, and enlightenment. To her, and the wonderful crew at Foundry Literary + Media, I owe a deep debt of gratitude.
Next up, I had editrix extraordinaire Tiffany Liao, who wields a red pen like a wand. The book you hold in your hands would not have been conjured into being without her editorial sorcery. She is insightful, passionate, scary-smart, hilarious, and a complete joy to work with. I owe her, along with the marvelous Ben Schrank and the rest of the incredible Razorbill crew, many, many thanks—on behalf of me and my fiesty gladiatrix.
North of the border, that debt of gratitude extends to Hadley Dyer, who was one of the very first people to believe in the idea of this story and who laid the groundwork to make sure that it would happen. Thanks also to Suzanne Sutherland and the wondrous folks at HarperCollins Canada for taking such good care of me and always having my back.
Much appreciation goes out to Elyse Marshall and Melissa Zilberberg, my fantastic publicists, for going out into the world and championing this book in so many wonderful ways.
Love and gratitude to my family, especially my mom and brother—thank you for your enduring patience and unflagging support. Every. Single. Time.
And most of all, to John. You’re my sword and shield. I couldn’t do this without you.
Finally, I want to send up a battle cry to my War Band of book bloggers, a fantastic group of ladies who read an early draft of the manuscript and responded with such fiery enthusiasm for this story and these characters—I would stand together with you all in the arena any day!
Uri, vinciri, verberari, ferroque necari!