I wasn't sure what to rate this book. There were very obvious similarities to the movie Gladiator, just with more fantasy and violence. The fight scenes were thrilling and nail-bitingly tense, but some felt drawn-out. There were plenty of surprise reveals, suspense, and tension to keep things interesting and engaging, but at one point it felt like Leith was never going to get to his final two fights. I liked Leith and Maeve and they had plenty of chemistry.