Monday, September 07, 2009

The Charioteer of Delphi by Caroline Lawrence

Nubia, Flavia, Lupus, and Jonathon have returned to Rome to visit Flavia's uncle, Senator Cornix, and to watch the racing at the celebration of the Festival of Jupiter. Just days before leaving for Rome they meet a strange young boy named Scopus. Scopus becomes a stable hand in the stable of the Greens and invites his new friends to Rome. A famous racehorse has suddenly gone missing just days before the races begin and the four friends set out to find him. No sooner have they found the first horse than another one goes missing. Superstitions and other accidents take their tole on the racers and the horses. One disaster follows another and one of the four friends must make a life changing decision.

THE CHARIOTEER OF DELPHI is the twelve story in THE ROMAN MYSTERIES series by CAROLINE LAWRENCE. I really enjoyed reading this book and it has piked my interest in the rest of the series. The plot line is relatively simple in my opinion, but there are some unique twists that you would not have expected. The characters are well-described and easy to relate to. I find Nubia to be my favorite. She's honest, hard-working, brave, and does what's best for those she loves. I think that this story is more suitable to 9-12 year old children, but that's just me. It just seemed a little too simple and straightforward for my taste.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States