Amazon eBook for Gladius and the Bartlett Trial Goodreads Category:  Young Adult/Teen ISBN-10:  1461008557 Type: Fiction Pages: 296 Copyright: April, 9 2011 ISBN-13: 9781461008552 A teenage boy gets more than he bargained for when his rite of passage pits him against an evil tyrant searching for a source of absolute power. When fifteen year-old Gladius Oldmont is thrust from his peaceful home into the dangerous Longwood Forest he finds himself pitted against a tyrant who has been terrorizing the lands in search of answers to an ancient secret that could unlock absolute power. From the shadows of Longwood Forest to the Hills of the Moon, Gladius must survive encounters with a near extinct scimitar cat, an ornery dragon, a horde of death bats and a tumultuous underground river which leads to a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels. Along the way, he makes new acquaintances and discovers the true meaning of friendship, including Elle – a girl who captivates his heart. Can Gladius and friends solve the riddle of the ancient secret before the evil Mulhurt does? If they can, will they be able to do anything about it? Excerpt Chapter 1 – Longwood Stepping hesitantly up to the daunting pillars of time, Gladius Oldmont remembered the frightening tales told to him in his early years – tales that centered on this stand of mysterious and aged woodland. He smiled fondly at the memory of his father’s words, “that old dragon torched the hair right off my scalp.” He pictured his father massaging his bald dome as if the infliction was only recent. Rubbing a swollen bump on his own head, Gladius now stood at the same point each Oldmont family member had once stood before him – the entrance to Longwood Forest. He studied the mature trees as rays from the warm afternoon sun trickled their way through the shadowy interior illuming the ground of his intended course. Gladius felt his heart racing, as if doing a war dance. He consciously took a deep breath, slowing down the thumping in his chest. He knew he tread upon the threshold of fulfilling a long-awaited dream. An adventure all young Wiggins his age must embark upon. This adventure, called the Bartlett Trial, is a test for all Wiggins when they reach the age of fifteen – a challenge to determine if they are ready to be considered an adult in the village. This journey could catapult him into the old ones’ legends far beyond this 17th century. He had lived for this moment; there would be no more waiting. No turning back. Drawing in another deep breath, he nodded, tugged on the shoulder straps of his leather pack and flexed his fingers tightly around his walking stick. Exhaling, he stabbed the hand-carved stick in the ground and stepped forward into the leafy canvas upon which he would paint his future. Chapter 2 – The Scimitar Cat Gladius passed through the thick leaves, the scent of rich earth and pine invading him as he adjusted to the shadowy environment. Soon, the faint shape of an old worn path, created by others seeking their own rite of passage, led deeper into the uncertainty. Large decaying cedars lay in a maze of angles as if a giant hand reached down and randomly flicked them over with the tip of a finger. He flexed his jaw in determination and slowly walked along the trail, leery of the distant shadows and the ever-present sounds. Never had he been unescorted this far from his rural village in the lowlands. Gladius dared not leave the path. Every few steps it seemed a blurry flash would catch his eye. It’s not just a shadow, he worried, but something possibly alive and following him – something in the dim of the woods – something watching him. A chill racked his body. At first, he thought it was only his imagination, but the more he peered into the confusing array of the dim forest, the more he concentrated on one particular shadow. He stopped and stared at a wickedly bent branch, focusing on it and then through it and beyond. “That can’t be a mere shadow,” he said aloud to reassure himself. Moving on, vigilantly surveying his path, he became aware of the odd silence surrounding him. He walked on faster, and still faster, until he realized he was running. Bounding onto a stump, he balanced for a moment and looked around. Leaping off, he darted again below and through the web of tangled forest. He pressed himself between the “V” of a split tree and squatted low, breathing heavy. Turning to the interior again, he thought he saw another shadow – as if it had suddenly darted between trees like an enemy spy. Was it following his every movement? He wondered. He strained his eyes on the new spot. Is something there? He could see nothing, but definitely heard movement in the underbrush; perhaps it was stalking him, ready to jump him at the first chance, gnaw on one of his limbs? Blurry instances of gloom flashed behind the trees sending shivers down Gladius’ neck. A putrid scent stung his nose. “Who are you?” Gladius called out to the mysterious shadow. Silence was the only response. A gut instinct told him to turn back, to return to the comfort of his warm bed, but he suppressed his inner warning. “Show yourself,” he called out in his most confident voice. Fighting back the increasing tension, Gladius struggled to fill his lungs. His face flushed. His knees weakened. Fear itself was reaching out its cold bony fingers and slowly wrapping his body in a death squeeze. He tightly scrunched his toes. Afraid to die, he felt his nerves tug and rage at each other. He backhanded the sweat from his forehead and inhaled deeply, searching for the shadow again, but it was gone. He sensed something standing behind him. His shoulders tensed. A feeling like that of a dragon's hot breath cascaded down his back. Immediately he withdrew his dagger and spun quickly. Long menacing fangs and yellowed sharp claws appeared between the leaves. Gladius faced the stare of orange-slotted eyes from a large cat-like creature. A spike of dread burned through his heart. Instantly the short pinned ears of the creature flattened and it lunged forward. Gladius threw up his forearm. The beast’s jaw clamped down on Gladius’ arm and he felt the animal’s strength as it punctured its saber teeth deep into his skin. He stabbed at the cat’s throat with his dagger, repeatedly twisting and slicing in an effort to ward off the animal. The beast’s breath felt hot and smelled rancid. Gladius gagged, trying to push away, but the persistent cat was too heavy. It shook its head, hissing an eerie gurgling sound. He could feel the animal pulling and tugging at his body. He stabbed its nose and head. The creature fought on, pawing and digging its claws across Gladius’ chest. Blood poured heavily from the cat’s neck, spattering everywhere, covering his arms, hands and face in a bloody slime. Gladius sliced at the cat’s throat and lost his grip, the dagger slipping from his hand. He swung his free hand up and jammed a thumb into one of its crazed orange eyes. The beast jerked on his arm and then began to relent, pulsing and twitching until it fell limp. Gladius immediately pried his arm from the cat’s fangs and in a violent spasm heaved the animal off his chest, tossing it aside where it lay in a pile of dying, steaming stench. Lying on his back, desperately trying to catch his breath, Gladius stared straight up in shock. A moment of silence passed before he sensed a slight touch on the bottom of his boot. “Be you alive?” came a strange raspy voice. Am I hearing things, he asked himself. He reached for his dagger and pointed it at the shadowy figure. “Don’t be afraid. I'm of no danger unless you are,” said the stranger. Gladius squinted, unsure of what he was seeing. He quickly measured the man to be several inches shorter but 25 pounds heavier than his own 150 pound 5’10” frame. Gladius’ heart thumped rapidly. He dared not move his aching body. The man reached down and touched two fingers to Gladius’ neck. “The name’s Flint. Are you all right?” Gladius tried to shake the fog from his clouded eyes. Dizzy and nauseous, he lifted his head to an upright position and tried to focus. “What was that?” he muttered as his head sank back. Looking at the dead beast, Flint responded: “I can’t believe it myself. That was a scimitar cat. One hasn’t been seen in many a lifetime. You just killed one of the oldest hunters of the forest.” Gladius caught his breath and slowly sat up, holding the wrist of his punctured arm in the palm of his good hand. He looked down at his wounds and couldn’t believe it didn’t hurt more. Blood saturated his arm and chest. Licking his lips, he tasted bitter blood. Gladius marveled at the beauty of the cat. The colors, the powerful muscles, the massive body suited for pouncing. It was as long as he was tall. “You’re lucky. This could have gone much worse,” replied Flint, shaking his head in disbelief and then added, “those teeth are dangerous.” “Its teeth are longer than my fingers,” said Gladius. “We must clean and wrap those cuts,” said Flint, reaching in his pack for water and something to wrap the wounds. “There’s more water not far. Do you think you can walk?” “I think so,” replied Gladius, reaching for the flagon. He took a small swig, rinsed and spit out a mouthful of blood. “What else is out there?” asked Gladius, now able to drink without the coppery taste of foul blood. “Everything,” said Flint, solemnly. “I felt its teeth gnashing against my bone, but I can still move my hand,” said Gladius, flexing his fingers. “Good. How does the rest of you feel?” asked Flint as he worked at cleaning the exposed chest wounds. “These aren’t deep. Your vest protected you. It should heal nicely in a short time. The arm though, that will hurt for a good while.” “I’ll manage, but I’m not sure I’d be able to fend off another attack any time soon.” Flint nudged the body of the dead scimitar with his boot. Feeling no life, he knelt and meticulously cut each of the two saber teeth from the cat’s mouth. “It’s tradition for the hunter to honor his dead prey.” “I was the prey. Not it,” said Gladius. Flint wiped the blood from one of the long sharp teeth he had just removed and held it out for Gladius to see. “What’s that for?” asked Gladius. “You honor a kill like this,” Flint said, fingering the tooth. “This could make a nice talisman.” “What are we going to do with this?” Gladius asked, indicating the carcass of the slain scimitar. Flint paused in thought. “Leave it, I guess. If it lasts the night, the Walkers will likely find it. Or the ravens and once they find it every beast in the area will find it.” “Walkers?” “They patrol the forest reporting anything suspicious to Mulhurt. And this, this is suspicious,” said Flint. “Let’s just hope it ends up as something’s meal before morning.” “Mulhurt?” Gladius murmured, trying to remember if that was the name his father warned him about. “A tyrant. He rules these lands.” Gladius realized it was the same man. There was so much he did not understand about Longwood. He looked down at the dead cat again. “Should we bury it?” “No, we need to get moving before one of us becomes prey again,” said Flint, wiping off Gladius’ dagger and returning it to him. “I was on my way to my shelter for the night when I came upon you.” “Lucky for me,” said Gladius, tugging on the sling that Flint had prepared for him. Flint grabbed Gladius’ haversack and walking stick, looked down at the body of the scimitar and shook his head. “Some would not consider it lucky to be attacked by one of those.” “Lucky to have survived. . .” said Gladius, remembering the menacing look in the creature’s eyes as it tore into his arm. He gave a slight bow of respect.

An Epic Adventure!
Gladius and the Bartlet Trial is the perfect story for middle school aged children through adults who are yearning for a new adventure. The Bartlet Trial is a test of a young Wiggin's ability to survive one full lunar cycle in the dangerous Longwood Forest. The main character, Gladius, sets out on his very first adventure through the forest and, after having been regaled with his father's and brothers' adventures over the years, he sets out with some pretty large shoes to fill. Beyond having to bring home tales of bigger and better adventures, Gladius is also counted on to bring home prize money for his trial that will pay the taxes to help his family keep their farm. Along the way the 15 year old Gladius runs into some pretty strange and dangerous creatures. He also makes some new friends and joins in aiding them against the evil tyrant, Mulhurt.

Gladius and the Bartlet Trial was as charming as it was captivating. As a parent I would have no problem with my nine year old advanced reader picking this book up, which he has already asked to do. I feel I must add here that both of my boys (ages 9 and 12) do tend to judge books by their covers first and they have both ogled the cover in my Kindle selection window and begged to be the first to read it. I believe the exact words were: "Ohhh, that one looks cool, I got dibs!" Luckily for them, there's more to this book than the cover - much more! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was perfectly paced, extremely well written, and had absolutely no bad language in it at all. As a parent to avid readers I can't ask much more than that. I simply can't wait to read more from J.A. Paul!

I'm glad to have read 'Gladius' by RW Bennett
As a pre-teen and teenager I regularly consumed adventure novels. They taught me many life lessons and instilled in me a life-long passion for the written word. I recently came upon 'Gladius and the Bartlett Trial' by J. A. Paul written in the same tradition. The name character, Gladius, is a brash 15 year old living in an ancient land populated by strange people and creatures. The `Bartlett Trial' is a rite of passage ritual where young people spend a month in the forest, surviving by their wits and instincts. Gladius, however, falls in with a revolutionary, Flint, determined to see his lands retaken from the cruel overlord Mulhurt, and Gladius' trial becomes a dangerous quest, full of harrowing escapes and encounters with dragons, as well as giant bats, boars, and tiger cats. J. A. Paul handles the epic climax deftly, and I was surprised to learn it was his first novel.

While I found some of the language in this story a little clunky compared to my usual reading fare, there were none of the sins assumed to be found in the work of the self-published: no misspellings, incorrect grammar or punctuation. More importantly, there is no profanity or off color sexual situations in the story. It is a book appropriate for middle grade to adult readers.

A friend at work shared with me that he had to restrict internet and gaming privileges for his teenage sons, and wished his sons would read more. If there were more stories like Gladius and the Bartlett Trial, fewer dads would have to worry about their sons' and daughters' leisure choices. More stories please, Mr. Paul.

Wonderful Read! by Christine M. Butler
This book is perfect for all age readers -- adventure, mystery, intrigue, suspense -- yet no sex or inappropriate language! If you are having a difficult time getting your middle school son or grandson to read a book, introduce him to Gladius! I think he'll love it. No question that it is also appropriate for young ladies, too! Thanks for such a great read, J.A. Paul. Looking forward to your next adventure!