Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A princess and a gladiator join forces amidst political intrigue and bloody carnage in Robson’s fantasy novel. For the citizens of the wealthy kingdom of Arrow, the most exciting entertainment can be found in the arena—for the gladiators from the surrounding kingdoms, it’s a relentlessly brutal series of fights to the death. The combatants hope to win enough matches to earn the royal title of “Bloodguard,” which will allow their families to immigrate to Arrow. Leith, a gladiator in his mid-20s, is a skilled fighter driven by his desperation to support his mother and two younger sisters (and by the rage built from years of killing his peers for an audience’s delectation). After killing the arrogant Lord Filip (who challenged him to an impromptu duel) and subsequently emerging victorious in a surprise melee with a group of his peers and a dragon, Leith is getting closer to becoming a Bloodguard. He attracts the attention of Princess Maeve, a 20-year-old healer. Now that her fiance, Lord Filip, is dead, she’s in dire need of a noble spouse so that she can claim the throne when she turns 21. Maeve proposes a deal: She’ll help Leith achieve the Bloodguard status in exchange for his hand in marriage. But as their relationship blossoms, problems arise when royal secrets are revealed and government corruption is exposed. Soon, they’re not just vying for a title and a crown—they’re fighting for their lives. Robson’s novel is an exciting blend of action, palace intrigue, and romance in a high fantasy setting. The story unfolds through the perspectives of Maeve and Leith, who are both compelling and well developed, with flaws, foibles, and distinctive voices. The supporting characters are equally intriguing. Readers will love the richly detailed worldbuilding and combat sequences, as well as the use of snarky, modern language (“Of course the only royal offering me help is one who’s clawing her way to the throne, not already sitting pretty on one. That tracks,” Leith gripes). The book’s thoughtful queer representation and exploration of oppression and exploitation are also noteworthy. An expertly crafted page-turner with unpredictable twists, steamy romance, and magical creatures. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Human gladiator Leith has just four more bouts to survive before he attains the level of Bloodguard, which comes with a royal title and enough money to bring his family to the prosperous kingdom of Arrow. When Leith ruthlessly kills her fiancé, elven princess Maeve hatches a plan to help Leith earn the title so they can marry, and she can reclaim the throne from her uncle Vitor and his odious son, Soro. Their attraction is immediate, but both are scarred—literally and figuratively—and slow to trust. Meanwhile, Soro is developing more sinister challenges for the gladiators, from dragons to river sharks to even deadlier creatures. As Maeve learns more about what's behind Arrow's prosperity, she also discovers some difficult truths about her late grandmother, Queen Avianna of Iamond, who captured the phoenix that terrorized the land. Paranormal romance veteran Robson's first foray into romantasy is violent and gory, full of bloody fight scenes both in the gladiator ring and outside of it. It's also a tender love story that will appeal to readers of Milla Vane and Jennifer Armentrout.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a 750k print run, expect this latest in the viral romantasy genre to make waves with patrons.

Publishers Weekly
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Robson (Weird Girls) sets up the power structures and politics of her Old Erth romantasy series with this epically gory and tense love story. In the wealthy kingdom of Arrow, gladiators fight for the entertainment of the populace and the nobility, suffering inhuman conditions and risking their lives for pittances of cash. Elf princess and healer Maeve, whose father rots in prison for allegedly killing her grandmother the Queen, must marry to take the throne when she comes of age. Her hatred of her most likely match, General Soro, leads her to instead champion Leith of Grey, the gladiator with the best chance of winning enough contests to become a Bloodguard, an honorary noble whom it would then be allowable for her to wed. Robson loads the story with deadly monsters, elaborate battles, evil machinations, personal secrets, and unsavory power grabs while keeping hero Leith sympathetic and easy to root for. As his politically motivated relationship with Maeve becomes a real love match, Robson alternates between the leads’ perspectives to showcase the differences in their worlds. The sheer amount of death and dismemberment can be overwhelming, but Robson still manages to make the reader feel the significant losses and provides satisfaction in both the romantic and the battle scenes. This is a promising start. (Oct.)