“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.” 

   Oh, I very much enjoyed this book. While the main character is 16 years old and the themes are typical of YA fiction, this book feels more like an adult novel. I can see some similarities to the Hunger Games, mainly in terms of themes, but the setting and vibe are unique to this story. The combination of the Roman Empire, medieval survival games, and futuristic Mars really captured my imagination. The characters are interesting, although Darrow's narration is a bit dry and curt, which made it hard to fully understand their depth. Despite this, I still loved the characters, especially Sevro who really grew on me. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in the next books. And I'm certainly glad the author didn't go down the betrayal route with Mustang.
   My main issue with the book is the first-person present-tense narration. It can be impactful in some rage-induced emotional moments, but at times it made it hard to fully understand some deep moments. However, it did give a good impression of Darrow and his personality, not to mention that it actually suits well the sci-fi genre. The world-building was well done, explaining the hierarchy clearly. However, I occasionally forgot that the story was actually set on Mars while they were surviving and fighting to become the Primus.
   I am definitely invested in this series at this point and hope that as this is just an introduction to this world the next books will be even more engaging.

   “Man cannot be freed by the same injustice that enslaved it.”