Blood and Sand
C.V. Wyk
5/5
Overview
First off, I'd just like to say that I loved this book. I'm a little biased, any kind of gender-bent historical fiction always intrigues me. Add a romance to that and I'm just almost guaranteed to love it. Attia has just had her entire world ripped away from her- her father, who was her only family left, and her entire kingdom on top of that. She is a slave to the Roman Empire, gifted to their favorite champion. Xanthus is different than she expects, and they soon create a relationship that defies the roles which Rome attempted to force them into.
Spartacus... but female!!! I love it, it's like a less intense version of And I Darken, less politically involved. Still great though, but a much smaller commitment to read. Given that the whole synopsis alludes heavily at the romance, I think that Wyk did a beautiful job balancing Attia's commitment to her kingdom versus her commitment to Xanthus. All of the little hints which create the rebellion are so well-placed, the story is just so holistically interesting that I had to give it five stars.
The ending was the worst part for me, but it also created a nice build-up for the next novel. As far as I can tell this is just going to be a duology? Depending on how far into a rebellion Wyk decides to go, I see a lot of potential. No matter the eventual outcome for a certain character, there's the incredible opportunity to create a really intriguing revolution.
Would I Recommend?
Yes. Historical fiction is amazing, I love when authors take real life events and put a nice spin on them, and this was a very nice spin. If you have any love for Spartacus's legend, read it. If you have any love for starcrossed lovers, but like lovers who keep their heads and don't make you want to jump into the pages and strangle them, read it. Super interesting, super historically relevant, and just great all-around. I can't wait for the sequel!
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