The Impossible Gladiator

Author:   M. G. Leonard ,  Manuel Sumberac
Publisher:   Pan Macmillan
ISBN:  

9781035024377


Pages:   272
Publication Date:   12 February 2026
Recommended Age:   From 9 to 11 years
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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The Impossible Gladiator


Overview

'A complete triumph of imagination . . . readers are going to fall in love with this brilliant series' - A. F. Steadman, bestselling author of Skandar The action adventure of Gladiator meets the time travel of Doctor Who in the third title of this epic series by bestselling award-winner M. G. Leonard. Perfect for 8 to 12-year-old fans of Adventures on Trains. Supports the key stage 2 curriculum. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Manuel Sumberac. Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson are enjoying an amazing holiday in Rome, until they they are swept up in the mysterious disappearance of world-famous illusionist Kinetic. He vanished during a live broadcast from the Colosseum, but he never reappeared. When Kinetic's sister finds a strange description in a history book of a gladiator who sounds uncannily like her brother, the friends are determined to help. They travel through secret time doors to the spectacular - and deadly - Colosseum in Ancient Rome, but can the brave trio survive long enough to find Kinetic and bring him home? The Impossible Gladiator can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the thrilling Time Keys series written by M. G. Leonard. Follow Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson's adventures in Ancient Egypt, Hunt for the Golden Scarab, and Viking Norway in The Legend of Viking Thunder. Praise for the Time Keys series: 'Classic and fresh - a breathtaking adventure' - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl 'Fabulous, fast-paced and thrilling' - Jonathan Stroud, author of the Lockwood & Co. series 'A thrilling time-travel adventure' - The Guardian 'Fast, dramatic, exciting' - Hannah Gold 'Thrilling adventure packed with history, mystery and action' - The Week Junior

Full Product Details

Author:   M. G. Leonard ,  Manuel Sumberac
Publisher:   Pan Macmillan
Imprint:   Macmillan Children's Books
Dimensions:   Width: 13.20cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 19.80cm
Weight:   0.224kg
ISBN:  

9781035024377


ISBN 10:   1035024373
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   12 February 2026
Recommended Age:   From 9 to 11 years
Audience:   Children/juvenile ,  Children's (6-12)
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Reviews

A thrilling time-travel adventure for 8+ -- Imogen Russell Williams on Hunt for the Golden Scarab * The Guardian * A note-perfect, time-travelling blockbuster - richly imagined, genuinely fresh . . . A perfect book to open doors for reluctant readers. -- Jack Meggitt-Phillips, author of The Beast and the Bethany on Hunt for the Golden Scarab A beautiful concept and a spellbinding, seat-of-the-pants adventure, Hunt for the Golden Scarab is fabulous, fast paced and thrilling. More please! -- Jonathan Stroud Classic and fresh - a breathtaking adventure -- Eoin Colfer on Hunt for the Golden Scarab Fast, dramatic, exciting -- Hannah Gold on Hunt for the Golden Scarab Utterly transporting, meticulously researched and a complete triumph of imagination. History, time travel and mystery combine in this epic new adventure from one of our best writers . . . I know so many readers are going to fall in love with this new brilliant series. -- A. F. Steadman, bestselling author of the Skandar series on Hunt for the Golden Scarab It’s a total belter! Loads of action… I absolutely loved it. -- Rob Biddulph M.G. Leonard’s epic new Time Keys series is a time-travelling wonder! Leonard was inspired to write this breathtaking series from her own lifelong passion for music and she certainly hits all the right notes with this all-action opener, fabulously illustrated by Croatian artist Manuel Sumberac. -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Post * Tremendous fun! A gripping and rollicking adventure -- Liz Hyder, author of The Twelve on Hunt for the Golden Scarab A captivating time travel adventure – music, magic, martial arts and Ancient Egypt -- Rashmi Sirdeshpande on Hunt for the Golden Scarab Absolutely brilliant page-turner. Atmospheric, entertaining and packed to the brim with fascinating facts . . . Loved it -- Lauren St John on Hunt for the Golden Scarab A swashbuckling tale of time travel and derring-do * Daily Telegraph * This thrilling adventure is packed with history, mystery and action * The Week Junior - Book of the Week on Hunt for the Golden Scarab * An absolutely incredible story -- Natasha Harding on Hunt for the Golden Scarab * The Sun * Leonard never fails to provide engaging adventures with just the right level of peril; and well-drawn bad guys * Irish Examiner *


Author Information

M.G. Leonard has made up stories since she was a little girl but back then people called them fibs or tall tales, so she didn't think to write them down. After a successful career in the music industry and the arts, she finally dared to put pen to paper. Her inventive stories about beetles, birds, and trains are hugely popular. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and won many awards. In this, her most ambitious series yet, M. G. Leonard combines her passion for music, love of history, and instinct for adventure, to bring readers the Time Keys books. Manuel Sumberac is a Croatian based illustrator and animator. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb where he was drawn towards the fascinating world of illustration. His work has been published and recognized in numerous book illustrations and covers, including The Dalemark Quartet, Orphans of the Tide, The Night Before Christmas and Steampunk Frankenstein, among many others. Manuel creates his illustrations using digital techniques combined with traditional media.

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Latest Reading Guide

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