Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end―and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus…

The story continues in Fire and Ash, coming in 2019 from Tor Teen.

I don’t know much about Spartacus, or the history of the Roman Empire outside of what I’ve seen on television or the movies, but I highly enjoyed this take on history.

Attia is a strong willed warrior princess that saw her people killed first hand and was taken away and sold off in a slave auction. Right from the start she is a fighter, her will to survive is no joke. Attia is”gifted” to Xanthus, the gladiator champion.

Xanthus is a battle worn gladiator that just wants to die and he’s tired of the battles. He is tired of being a prized possession. He feels he has nothing to live for until he meets Attia, then his will to live and to survive return.

The action in the book was at a very good pace, it didn’t feel forced or rushed, and it was easy for me to visualize everything going on. It was a bit bloody, but it’s Roman Gladiators so that was somewhat expected.

I don’t normally care much for the “side characters” but in this book it was different, the other gladiators that fought and trained with Xanthus were his bothers in arms and you can tell that they all have been through hell before becoming slaves, and even after, but their bonds never wavered throughout the entire story. There were so many characters that Attia seems to have touched with her views and her spirit of not giving up and caving to being a slave.

The ending of the book was more of a surprise to me, the mercenaries that were hired turned out to be something more than what they appeared to be, and it was such a great setting to lead into the next book.

I was worried that this was going to be a standalone at first, but when I saw that there will be a second book I was thrilled, now just to wait for it.

This seems to be the sleeper book for the start of the year and more people need to add this to their TBR list and pick it up when it’s out.

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C.V. Wyk is the author of BLOOD AND SAND, debuting from Tor Teen January 16, 2018. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Wyk has lived in five states in the continental US (and hopes to add a few international locales to that list). Prone to wanderlust and getting lost, Wyk likes to explore local hiking trails, mountain ranges, dark caves where nefarious mythical creatures undoubtedly reside, and libraries. She currently lives in Maryland with a precocious mini poodle and a demanding guinea pig. In her not-so-spare time, she enjoys playing MMORPGs, kayaking, coding, staring listlessly at blank walls, and nursing a totally healthy coffee addiction.

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