Name: Blood and Sand
ISBN: 9780765380098

C. V. Wyk

The legendary Spartacus is recast as a fierce female warrior in this action-packed tale of a 17-year-old princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic.

A Novel

Blood and Sand

FORGED IN BATTLE... FROM THE DUST OF THE ARENA... A LEGEND WILL RISE The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic—and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus... For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk. Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire—an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves. 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 soon from Tor Teen. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Caitlin bell

I really enjoyed it, lots of tension in places.

Megan Williams

Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk tells the story of a girl who has literally lost everything because of the Republic of Rome but doesn’t give up. You see, Attia was the warrior princess of Thrace, one of the greatest warrior kingdoms at the time, and she was determined to not let her new situation beat her down into the slavery she was entrapped in.

There were a lot of things that I really liked about this novel and a couple things I am still confused on…

Things That I Liked:
Attia
Attia was one of those characters that you immediately believe in. She is obviously a warrior who is willing to take every opportunity she can to save herself and also get revenge at those who led her to this place in life. To go from a literal princess to a slave who has lost everything, is definitely a life-changing experience and yet Attia has a grace and strength that could overcome any experience. If you like a book with a kick-butt female lead character, then this is the book for you because Attia is the ultimate strong female. 

Xanthus
Xanthus is a character who at first is an enigma, and then slowly develops into someone who readers will root for. I really liked that some of the chapters were from Xanthus’ perspective because it created a depth to his relationships and character. There’s a lot to be had with Xanthus’ character and I really, really hope that we see more of Xanthus in the next book. We will see where this character goes…

The Passion
There is a lot of things in this book that characters are passionate about… their families, their relationships, and their freedom. So many of the characters in this book are in probably the worst situation, yet they still hold hope of a better future where they aren’t shackled to the Roman masters. And there are also the relationships that are built within this novel. Friendships form and relationships develop that will change the course of this novel. I fell in love with these relationships because they were born in pain, and love, and discovery. 

Things That Confused Me:
The Blurb
I don’t know why but I really thought that this book would turn out different than it did. And sometimes I say this in my reviews because I do try and guess where the book is going but I was actually confused in this novel. And unfortunately I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers… so if you want to know just why I was so darn confused, leave a comment! But I really did think that the book and characters would be left a certain way because of how the blurb was phrased, and I just didn’t see that come to pass. Maybe the next book will explain everything and expand on the concept more. 

The Cliffhanger
Yah, there’s a cliffhanger. You have officially been warned so you can’t complain when you get to the cliffhanger! And the cliffhanger is so terrible because I needed the second book immediately. I felt like this book was really just the build up to the real plot and that was a little frustrating. I kept waiting for the action to hit and it just felt super drawn out and stagnated. It just felt like I was hanging on the edge of my seat waiting for the novel to climax and it just didn’t seem to happen until the very end. 

Overall
Blood and Sand was a novel that will have you holding your breath waiting for the other shoe to drop. It has danger, intrigue, and romance that kept me interested and engaged from start to end. I enjoyed the characters and the plot but I did keep waiting for the book to really get going. I’m looking forward to the next novel and will definitely be pre-ordering myself a copy!

Lauren Sullivan

Trigger warnings: physical & sexual abuse, suicidal ideation

I loved the premise of this - warrior princess Spartacus, heck yes!  There's a definite lack of historical YA, and I was super thrilled to read one set in Ancient Rome.  However, the author notes in the beginning that she's taken some liberties with historical accuracy, and actually lays a few out in detail in another note at the end of the book.  Originally, I thought the warning was odd and unnecessary (well, yeah, I mean, Spartacus wasn't a woman), but one inaccuracy in particular turned out to be the big sticking points for me.  It is worth a warning that this is the first in a series, which I didn't realize when I started reading this, so the abrupt cliffhanger ending and unfinished plot threads surprised and disappointed me.

I liked Attia, though at times I'm not sure why the other characters did!  She's brave, strong, and fierce, a kickass warrior princess,  though it seemed like she was missing the other leadership skills she'd need to lead the Thracians.  She does protect those she considers friends, though it took her time to come to trust pretty much anyone.  I also liked Xanthus, also, though I had problems believing his tragic backstory would have led to him being so kind-hearted and gentle.  He is, at heart, a good guy, and he treats Attia with respect, even when she's basically treating him like he's a monster.  He's also the de facto leader of Timeus' gladiators, who have trained together since they were first purchased as slaves.  He's kind even to Timeus' nephew, Lucius, who will, in all likelihood, be his next master, helping train him in sword fighting.  Xanthus seems to be a born leader, and he and Attia together seem to have all the skills to lead a slave rebellion!

Unfortunately, the romance between Xanthus and Attia didn't work for me.  I didn't feel the chemistry, and it all seemed to happen so fast.  I wish it would've been more of a slow-burn, because Ms. Wyk did such a good job of showing how alone and suspicious Attia was, that having her fall for Xanthus so quickly didn't jive.  It would've been nice to see them settle in to their friendship before going straight to deeply in love.  Besides Attia and Xanthus, the other characters very one-dimensional.  There's the darling little poppet who brings out Attia's maternal instincts, the aloof concubine, the slave woman who takes Attia under her wing, and the teen heir who hates his life.  I wish we'd gotten more about Xanthus' fellow gladiators.  They're not particularly well sketched out, but what was there was interesting, and I would've liked to read more about their backstories and early training together.

Unfortunately, I also found the plot predictable and a bit tortuous.  For instance, I found it very strange that Attia, who beat up her master, his bodyguard, and a slew of city guards shortly after she was bought at a slave auction, would then be given the job of being nursemaid to the master's young invalid niece.  It sometimes felt like people did things out of character just so a certain situation could be created for Attia or Xanthus.  Besides the predictable plot, the grand finale was the aforementioned historical inaccuracy that was just... strange.  To try to explain without giving away any spoilers, first off, we know from the historical record that basically anything that happened in that last bit would've been scientifically and geographically impossible.  I'm willing to suspend disbelief for a lot of things, and I'm certainly not expecting 100% historical accuracy, but it seemed like it was there just to make a big grand finale, and I would've preferred a more character-driven final climax.  There were plenty of other shocking things that happened at the end of the book that felt overshadowed by the event.

OK, so it sounds like I didn't like anything about the book, but in all honesty, it was entertaining and I did enjoy it while reading it.  I loved the action scenes.  There's one particular one mid-way through the book that I thought was particularly wonderful (you'll know what I mean when you get there!).   I also think it did a good job setting up the atmosphere of the Roman empire, the politics, and the oppression of anyone who wasn't Roman, and how it affected Romans and non-Romans alike.

Overall, if you're hungry for a YA historical with a smart and fierce heroine, and don't mind some historical inaccuracy, you will love this book!

Sheila

3.5 stars. This was a fun and fresh take on the Spartacus legend that played it a little fast and loose with the historical elements (and the speech was a bit modern for my taste). It's bittersweet that I finally got around to reading this book now as I only recently found out that the projected sequels were dropped by Tor back in February. :( Such a shame, especially considering that this book ends on quite a cliffhanger! I hope this author is able to publish again in the future.

Kathleen Boyle

Goodness this book took me for a ride but not in all the good ways.

I was left feeling frustrated for a good part of this book. The first reason behind that is the insta-love: there is no reason whatsover for these characters to fall for each other in the first 100 pages of this book. I honestly feel like the bok would have been stronger without out. It would have made more sense to have a slow-burn romance as both characters have issues that needed to work through. I feel like their romance hindered the overall pacing of the book because both characters spent most of their time thinking about the other or walloing in the their own misery. I just wanted something to happen!
However, the last 50 pages of the book had me hooked. The plot finally seemed to make sense and develop. Something actually happened! This saved the book in my opinion.
Also, I'd like to point out that slavery is over simplified in this book. I mean, Roman slavery was brutal and our main character got away with so much that made zero sense. She would have been beaten bloody in the real Rome, just saying.

Faith

I feel like the setup for this story in the first few chapters was sooo good and had so much potential and then literally everything fell flat. The characters were all cardboard cutouts, the romance had no chemistry, the so-called badass mc only had like 3 action scenes in the whole book. I was really looking forward to reading a book about a vengeful, fearless female Spartacus (like omg come on) but this book was....definitely not that. If you want a run of the mill ya fantasy, go for it! At least the setting was kinda interesting.

celeste

3.5 stars. i have mixed feelings because i'm always a slut for anything spartacus and roman related content, so of course i enjoyed reading this, but throughout the book i couldn't shake the feeling that everything was kind of underdeveloped? i couldn't fully see layered characters nor see the author taking the time to develop characters' relationships. everything was sort of rushed and because of that, i feel like the whole book lacked complexity in its storytelling.

also, am i the only one who thinks (view spoiler)[that rory is actually a part of the flavius house? it would explain why they've always kept her hidden from everyone since we well know she never had any illness and how the flavius house gets 'rid of' every female member of the family. (hide spoiler)]

and lastly, (view spoiler)[xanthus is not dead, i'm speaking it into existence. no body? no death. can't wait to see his comeback in book 2 and finally get his revenge against decimus and help attia bring down rome to its knees (hide spoiler)] *laughs in denial*

Lisa van der Heijden 

*4.5 
I loved the story. The characters where very likeable. Attia is a stromg female without being annoying or arrogant. I loved reading about her. Her relationship with Xanthus was very precious and tender. It was refreshing after reading many romance heavy plots. The world was very interesting to read about and fitted with my view of ancient Rome. I really liked the writing style. It had a nice rhythm to it. I give it 4.5 stars because the ending was too fast and I didn’t appreciate everything that happened.

Manon van Heumen

I really enjoyed this. The main reason I'm giving this four stars is because I really missed the in-depth of characters, and the way they thought, what led them to making a certain decision. But the storyline was really cool :)

Lisa Beasley

I went into this without knowing much beyond 'female Spartacus' and ended up really loving it. Attia is such a good character, well developed and fierce but with a big heart. There is a great overall plot as well as smaller interwoven ones which leads to a gripping enjoyable read. 

I recommend this to anybody who wants a good romp with a clever story and interesting characters.

Lauren James

(Got a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review!)

*Insert photo of me crying in the fetal position on the floor*

*spoiler free*

What?!?! What just happened?!?! 

Okay, now that I've calmed down (let's be real, no I didn't calm down) let's talk about this adventure!

I LOVED the main character Attia! She was sooooo BA!!! She was a super fun heroine to read about. She was feisty, sarcastic, and so lovable! And she fit so well with Xanthus' calmer personality. They balanced each other out well.

 I love how the story was inspired by Spartacus! It was a very intriguing plot that hasn't been done before. I was all over it, like butter on a hot cake! 

Okay, the reason I gave it four stars. I felt as though Attia and Xanthus' relationship progressed really fast. It felt as though they didn't trust each other but then the very next day they loved each other. It didn't transition smoothly. I only 5 star a book if I will want to re-read it again and I'm not getting that vibe from this book. However, I really, really liked it and would highly recommend to anyone! And I need the second book now!!!!

Blood and Sand A Novel