Jasper's review
I enjoyed this book because it is a fast paced, dramatic, adventure story.

From this book I have learned that Rome was constructed to imitate Athens.

The plot was exciting as it involved lots of fighting, chasing and kidnapping.

I would recommend it to readers who either like stories about Greek and Roman mythology or any sort of adventure stories.

Nicholas's review
In the Shadow of Heroes is an exciting fantasy journey set in the height of Emperor Nero's Roman Empire, so the locations we are transported to throughout the novel are uniquely fascinating: whether it's Rome, Greece, Britain (or Britannia as it is called in the novel), each setting poses new challenges and are all wonderfully described by Bowling's perceptive and detailed descriptions.

Our main duo are Cadmus, a pale, skinny teenage boy - quite the opposite of the hero he is supposed to be - and Tog, a strong, warrior-like girl from Britannia who takes after Boudicca - quite the stereotype of a hero. Personally I found Tog the most interesting character, as, while Cadmus goes on a journey throughout the novel, Tog is the one to facilitate Cadmus' development, whether it be through her in-depth knowledge of Britannia or her strength and intelligence.

Before reading this book, I hadn't really grasped how much of a metropolis Rome was - it is almost described like London, a melting-pot of culture and art, but also the remnants of the ancient myths and oracles. I found this particularly interesting, as it helped distinguish the mythical times of Rome from the Rome that the book tells of. Also in this book, I learnt that Nero's soldiers claimed to be the descendants of heroes, hence the name heroidai.

The plot was never dull, and was constantly moving forward; there was never a time where the characters were at a loose end or without a goal in mind. However this is also one of my downsides with the book - journeys were often rushed, especially when escaping from Nero: the fact that Cadmus and Tog were able to escape the Emperor multiple times with relative ease makes Nero's heroidai really not seem so fearsome after all.

I would recommend this book to pupils who enjoy action and adventure, but also historical intrigue and myths, as this book excels in all these areas. Overall, I would give this book an 8/10.