Deathball

Deathball #1

by W.H. Lockwood, T.J. Rose

Intimidate. Annihilate. Survive.
Welcome to Deathball

ROBIN

They ripped me from my home.

They put me in these chains.

And now they expect me to fight other men to the death for their entertainment.

Bruised, battered, enslaved, and then I meet him—Marco, the reigning champion with blood on his hands and secrets in his eyes. Terrifying, unpredictable, an impossible beauty in the barren wastelands, Marco's twice as vicious as the sport itself.

So why is he obsessed with me, training me harder than the other men, pushing me to my limits? And why does every brutal lesson only draw me closer to the one man I should fear most of all?

MARCO

Five years I've been their weapon. Five years of victory, of survival, of telling myself one more season, and I'll finally earn my freedom, make it home.

Then they bring me Robin—beautiful, golden-haired, obstinately fierce, and smelling like the sunshine of my homeland—and suddenly I'm fighting a war on two fronts. In the arena, I have to forge him into a killer. In the shadows, I'm falling for the rival who could destroy everything I've worked for.

Because the one man I'm desperate to protect is also the one I'm destined to murder in the arena, in front of thousands of cheering Deathball fans.

When they’ve taken everything, maybe love is the only rebellion left.

Deathball is a high-stakes, life or death, post-apocalyptic MM dark sports romance packed with blood, sweat, spice, and swoony, angsty, heart-wrenching love against all odds.

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Dark Romance, Romance, Sports

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 21, 2026

About the author

Author of the Endymion College series, W. H. Lockwood writes gothic romance, MM action-romance, historical fiction, dark academia and cosy horror.

Raised on a diet of teen horror books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.

Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a masters in publishing and editing, then a masters in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.

These days, W.H. Lockwood can often be found aimlessly wandering the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.

Reviews

[Bee]

pre:read
I was not sure what to pick up next, but then this arc hit my inbox and I AM SO EXCITED FOR IT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND

[Jordy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, these silly little men are *toxicccccccc* and truthfully, I’m here for it. Deathball is •dark• and yes I mean DARK. But this world Lockwood and TJ built makes you forget all the darkness, and where to find the light! The fights in the arena held back nothing, there was plenty of blood, guts, and gore. The fights being themed, added such a great flare to the battles, even if some put em in *silly little costumes.* I ate this book up, I couldn’t put it down. Marco & Robin truly are the definition of toxic, but TRUST they redefine it by •all• means necessary the higher the stakes got. The side characters were so well created and each of them had their own intense personalities that weren’t bland, and just used as filler, and the other fighters were built in such a way that MADE you actually hate them, and I mean hateeeee them -or love em-! You gotta watch out for the ones who’s names start with J (we ignore mine 😉) I truly accepted the fate of how the book was going to end, and it ended up going a different route catching me off guard! (Not in a bad way!) I don’t want to give off too much info or spoilers so I’ll leave it at that! This book was Brutal, Bloody, and built on FAFO.i can’t wait to see the story the next one takes off with a certain *couple* 😬😬 oh, and one last thing, a little *Birdie* says you’ll love this book 1000000%!

[anita]

If goodreads allowed it, I’d give this book a hundred stars... no wait, infinite stars!

T.J. Rose and W. H. Lockwood absolutely delivered something special here. The story was incredibly original and unlike anything I’ve read before, and the vibes were immaculate. Deathball took me on a full emotional rollercoaster—it’s full of action, tension, sharp banter, romance, and yes, plenty of steamy scenes. Their story broke me and then carefully pieced me back together. Robin and Marco are characters I won’t be forgetting anytime soon, they’ve earned a permanent place in my heart. I'm so excited for the next couple 👀

I totally recommend it if you're a fan of:
☠️ gritty, post-apocalyptic setting
🔥 sports romance—fight to the death
🖤 touch h!m and d!e
🥵 hate sex
🌶️ everywhere but the bed
⚔️ counting down until the day they have to kill each other
💔 angst
🥀 pining
📚 series of interconnected standalones

[Cat Face Gargoyle Vesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does it count as forced proximity if they're imprisoned in a terrifying coliseum/prison? (I think so)

This book is vibey as HELL. The authors have created a really alive, interesting, fun world rich with possibilities for future stories, and I was very pleased to have Beta read this start of a new series!

Mad Max meets Hunger Games, but if President Snow/Immortan Joe was like, some smarmy guy with a big ol' hard-on for Roman gladiatorial combat. The fight scenes in this book were absolutely breathtaking - a few times, I forgot I was supposed to be reading a romance, and by far I would consider them the highlight of the book, for me. Marco and Robin battle for their lives through some extremely elaborate and incredibly cool stuff, though I won't cite any specifics so I don't spoil your surprise. ;)

I did think that as a whole, the book ran a bit long, dragging in the middle before the Deathball fights REALLY take off. This is definitely a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, so I did expect that it would take a while for them to get where they were going, but the tension wasn't quite the type I'd been hoping for. These two get in their feelings and then go back and forth quite a bit, so be prepared for a game of emotional tug of war. The authors have done a great job of establishing mood, though, and I'm eager to find out what the next books have in store for us.

I have SO many questions that I'm really hoping will be answered in later books, too! (Mostly about Evander and Cas and their drama and relationship and pasts, and if we don't get to see the inside of that horrific prison, the terrible, sadistic person in me is going to pout.)

A great blend of both WH Lockwood and TJ Rose's respective styles and strengths, so if you like both (or either) author, you won't be disappointed.

If this is your first experience with Dark Romance, definitely know that it felt on the lighter side of "dark", and the boys only get a little toxic... as a treat. It's all better by the end!!

[GiveMeBooksOrGiveMeDeath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Deathball series.

The way this book immediately had me in a chokehold. Robin and Marco had so much chemistry whether they were trying to kill each other or kiss each other. And when they got hot together, it was scorching. To say this book was emotional is an understatement. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I was reading it. You are going to feel all the feels with this one. The arena scenes were incredible, the detail, the emotion, the drama, the graphic violence, everything was just amazing. I did not want to stop reading because I had to know what was gonna happen next, and unlike some books, you will stay guessing the entire time with this one.
But despite all the death and chaos, we get to see the small intimate moments between Robin and Marco. You can truly feel how much they yearn for one another. I felt like my heart was being ripped in half seeing everything they had to go through, everything kept tearing them away from each other but somehow they still managed to be together. If I had to choose a couple to demonstrate what true love is it would be these two. To die for someone is brave, but to live for someone takes true courage. After a lot of blood sweat and tears, Robin and Marco do eventually get a happy ending, but it was very hard won. This has been a truly incredible story and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I want to thank the authors for allowing me to review this book. It is definitely a five star read for me.

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC review✨

This book put me through the wringer, and I loved every fkn second of it. Despite how deranged and chaotic their situation was, Marco and Robin somehow kept finding their way back to each other—though the emotional whiplash was brutal. I’m talking peak emotional damage 🥲. I was stressed, overwhelmed, and completely obsessed the entire time. 10/10 would emotionally spiral over them again 🙂‍↕️🔥 (ps - it’s giving gay Hunger Games and I absolutely love it)

[Ayla Shoulders · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐️ 1000x THANK YOU TO THE AUTHORS FOR THE CHANCE TO READ AN EARLY COPY OF DEATHBALL! This was an EXPERIENCE you will not want to miss.

You guys, picture this:
Brad Pitt from Troy and Kit Harrington from Pompeii, but put them in Russell Crowe’s Gladiator arena and make it a Hunger Games fight to the death with a mother fucking Deathball and a side of 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s super bloody and violent and so goddamn sexy.
Oh, and they fuck, like REALLY GOOD.
Yeah. I want all that. We get it with Deathball, y’all. And it’s sad and beautiful and brutal…
All the tears I shed are not necessarily a part of my Brad Pitt/Kit Harrington wet dream, but they were a reality with Deathball. I cried like a freaking baby. My emotions were all over the place with these two. Our two beautiful, broken boys had me screaming from the moment they meet. I’m pretty sure I highlighted 90% of this book.

Deathball was a journey. You literally never know what’s coming next. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was intense and heartbreaking and exciting! The pain and heartbreak was completely worth it to get to the HEA. The chemistry and love between Robin and Marco was so beautiful. The violence was fucking hardcore SAVAGE. The side characters were FIRE (looking at you Cas & Evander!) The spice was some of the best spice I have EVER read. I LOVE A COUPLE OF VERSE MMC’s 🔥🔥🔥 The Epilogue had me in a chokehold.
Come for the smut stay for the plottttttt 🖤

Deathball. Where ANYTHING goes. And I mean anything…
Cocaine Bears, Cannibal Prisoners, mutant lizards, and mother fucking flamethrowers! I’m hoping in future books we get more of a look into the wastelands and the infected, I know some shit is going down out there!

So, in my best Anthony Hopkins Anaconda voice “Welcome to Deathball little baby bird”

TJ & WH have way outdone themselves with this beautiful masterpiece.
Fingers crossed for Doctor Death and Cas up nexttttt 😍 I just KNOW those two are dying to bang it out!
*I’m also incredibly intrigued by Julius. Anyone else? I feel like he’s gonna have a good story to tell.*

[Kat R · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC
Still processing, aka listening to arcane season 2 soundtrack and being mean to my oc’s.

Characters: Robin is beauty, he is grace, he will smash your head in with the deathball to get home to his sister. Marco is a broken man buried under the ruthless Captain of Deathball. He will absolutely kill you if you touch Robin. Special shoutout to Cas and Evander.

Plot: Gladiator style hunger games. Robin is taken from his home and forced to be a slave to Victoria, to fight games to the death for entertainment. The high stakes fights combined with the character relationships kept me on the edge of my seat.

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️💀 What else is there to say.

Don’t Love:
Jasen, and the emperor.

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin + Marco

-mm romance
-deadly games
-rivals to lovers
-forced proximity
-hate to want you
-roman empire vibes
-hunger games coded
-hurt/comfort

this was really good & i loved how the characters all developed together along the way & the writing style also flowed really well with the timeline & events that took place & i loved that. you could very easily tell that a large part of the inspiration of this story was drawn from the hunger games, if that's you're thing you'll LOVEEEE this whole plot!!

[Brenna Mobley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deathball - TJ Rose & WH Lockwood
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸

Tropes :
💀 dark sports romance
🩸post apocalyptic
💀 rivals to lovers
🩸 lots and lots and LOTS of trauma
💀 forced proximity
🩸 jealousy and angst
💀 touch him and die

🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸💀🩸

Review:
Not gonna lie to yall, I was not prepared for how much I ended up crying in this book. I thought ohhh hot boys in skirts fighting each other to the death yasssss. Enemies to lovers spicy times yasssss. And what I got was TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA….. And I fucking LOOOOOOVED it. First I need to wrap up Marco my precious sweet baby and shield him from anything else happening for the rest of his life. He’s my favorite. What’s that tiktok sound “he’s the best guy around… what about the people he murdered??… WHAT MURDAH???” This is one of the best dystopian romances I think I’ve read, the authors did such an incredible job at building the world without any of the world building being too heavy at times. It was slowly expanded and we got deeper as the story went along. Most of our time in the book is set in the dungeons beneath the arena or in the deathball arena itself. I really loved too that they didn’t remove the fighting from our lens as the reader. We not only get to witness several matches from the MCs POV while they’re observing but whilst they’re in the arena as well. I really enjoyed the like secret past part on Marco’s side of the plot line and it made their progression of their romantic relationship later so so sweet. They try to so hard to deny the attraction and feelings, but once they do my heart was melting for them both. Robin is so stoic and fierce and determined and he was the perfect balance for Marco. I loved his relationship with his sister, some of the scenes with them together had me sobbing. I immediately clocked the teasing of who would be our next couple and I’m so glad that I was right. I will be waiting (somewhat) patiently for book two. Highly recommend this one.

Thank you TJ as always for being a member of your street team and for this early copy!

[Ashley H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to give this book an INFINITY ⭐️ RATING. I got it as an ARC & omg did it put me through it. From the beginning this book was everything promised by tj & lockwood like 😭🥹😡😮‍💨😩🫠🫣🥵 all of it hurt hurt hurt hurt comfort was absolutely serious the anxiety and soul wrenching tears this book pulled from me were everything i needed it too be. Marco & Robin literally are everything.. they have my whole heart and soul & im happily unwell 😂🫶🏼 the HEA is perfect & so hard fought the ROLLER COASTER 😭😭 omg how am i even supposed to read another arc after that?! None will compare.. but i dont wanna give spoilers just buckle up and enjoy this amazing ride that these two AMAZING authors provided 😭😂🫶🏼

[Hayley ❁˛⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰✰✰✰

Absolutely LOVE when you stumble across a gem you impulsively decided to read and it turns out to be GOOD?!?!

Thank you to the authors Lockwood and Rose for the ARC opportunity!

⚠️ possibility of spoilers below ⚠️

This was good, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is intrigued by the synopsis and is a sucker for painful love stories. But good painful. I was engaged and the plot made sense and I actually cared what happened to the protagonists.

Going to outright say it: the violence in this and the level of depravity is one that I don’t have an issue with, so I won’t be commenting on it further. I don’t consider this book particularly dark and honestly didn’t remember to add this comment until pasting my review into Goodreads. However, I have a high tolerance for violence/darkness/themes as such and will ALWAYS advise people to read any and all trigger warnings.

The story definitely has HG vibes with the Deathball matches, but otherwise not really; this book is truly a romance novel set in a dystopian society. I hesitate to compare it at all to HG because it simply was not the same type of story. Have to get that comment out of the way since it’s the most obvious thing to comment on. I did enjoy the arena set ups and thought they were well-thought out and unique. But no one is out here trying to overthrow the “government” (yet). Everyone is literally trying to survive. That’s it.

My favorite part of the book, and the part I felt the authors really nailed, was the emotion. Wow. Just, wow. Marco and Robin’s love felt real. The only change I would really make to that would be having more scenes where they talk about, well, you know, life and Atrea and stuff. I know there’s a whole fighting to the death competition going on and everything, but still. I felt like they loved one another based on the beautiful words the authors wrote, but it would have helped to see some more non-sexual moments with connection. There was not a real lack of such moments, but I would have liked more talking between them. There was a lot of time spent sitting playing with hair (not a bad thing lol).

The world felt less apocalyptic and more pre-industrial. It had the vibes for sure, but there was a lot of missing information. The “infected:” infected with what? It was described a bit but I don’t recall it even being mentioned if it was a virus or what. Just something caused by chemicals? Either way, the world itself was not really part of the story. The story just took place in the world and wasn’t really part of it. Like I said, the vibes were there, but maybe not the immersion. The settings included Atrea, the arena, the dungeon quarters, vague training arenas, and the villa. The city was described, but since we spent time only in these places it felt very non-apocalyptic. I mean, the people were calling for blood for entertainment, so they definitely fit the bill, but other than that. The story was just SO focused on Robin and Marco that we didn’t see much of other things - which is NOT a bad thing, just an observation.

In general, the book felt too long. I cannot pinpoint what would be removed because it seems like a me-problem and maybe not a book-problem.

The ending before the epilogue is kind of iffy for me. Felt really underwhelming but also in-line with the story and the level of the Emperor’s power. It felt more realistic than some grand escape scene.

There was a little too much back and forth with Marco even if I appreciated the realness at first. It got repetitive. So much back and forth in such a short time (reading-wise, not in their timeline). It wasn’t exactly filler because other parts of the plot were advancing, but it felt filler-adjacent. Personally, I would have preferred more of the back and forth happening before there was a sexual relationship. It would have felt more purposeful. However, it was not “bad” by any means. Simply a preference.

I’ve not read either authors’ work before, but definitely enjoyed the writing style. It took me a bit to get into as is always the case with a new book. It didn’t feel like two separate authors. Marco and Robin felt like different people for the most part; there were only a couple times I had to double check whose chapter I was reading. In general, I have high standards for dual or multi-POV books because it is so easy to make them sound the same. I think writing outside of first person of course helps with this. If Deathball was written in first person, I probably wouldn’t have liked it as much. It at least would have changed my perspective some.

It was pretty obvious right away that Cas and Evander are going to be a thing in the next book (I am NOT complaining…pls give me their banter). The next book will definitely be added to my TBR, but I am worried about length, and also how easily repetitive and similar to the first book it could be. We will see. Also the next book seems like it will be a continuation but not really? Since it will likely be about those still in Victora and their survival. Seems more like an interconnected series rather than a “classic dystopian trilogy” series.


༘•*⁀➴ mid-read
217: I appreciate Marco not losing all sense of himself and his family just because he’s falling in love (or being obsessed, as he says). It would be unrealistic for him to throw away 5 years of literally fighting for his life for Robin, even if he feels as strongly as he does for him. I don’t know how it will pan out in practice if they ever are in a situation where they have to fight one another, but at least there’s enough cognitive dissonance happening in Marco’s thoughts.
344: 35% of the book is left, which means so much shit is yet to go wrong.


Started: 5/6/2026
Finished: 5/11/2026

ARC provided by authors for an honest, voluntary review.

[Sable Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Holy Hell, Deathball was one hell of a wild ride!!!
I would give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐x 10000 if I could

________________________________________
🖤 Quick Vibes

A Post apocalyptic powerhouse, that leaves you screaming, crying, begging on your knees for these two broken beautiful men to find happiness. Not to mention the amazing side characters that really helped bring this story to life and make you hurt, and bleed in the most beautifully painful way!
Deathball is a High tension, with heavy themes, with a Grumpy x Cloudy with a chance of sunshine dynamic.

________________________________________
🔥 What You’re Getting
• Tropes:
⚔️ Rivals to Lovers
🔥 I Love Him but I Have to Kill Him
🌶️ Fast Burn
🥵 So. Much. Spice.
🖤 High-Stakes Deathball Matches
☠️ Touch Him and DIE
💔 Angst and Pining
🥀 Fight to the Death
⛓️‍💥 Slutty Chains
Thick Thighs and Tiny Tunics
📚 Series of Interconnected Standalones

• Dynamic: Two messy broken souls who will fight to the death for their love to prevail!
• Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Vers Couple. (need more spice *Teehee*)
• Tone: [Dark / Angsty / Emotional Damage / Brutal / Painful / Perfect]
________________________________________
💭 My Thoughts (No Spoilers)


Deathball worked for me, in a way that was messy and unapologetic, and brutal, yet the was a dark and staggering beauty to it!

• Character dynamics : messy, broken, beautiful.
• Writing/art quality : Fantabulous!
• Pacing : Fantastic, but for me I needed just a little more at the end, I needed at least one or two more chapters of them having their HEA together.

________________________________________
❤️ What I Loved

• I loved how hard fought their HEA was, even though it was left on a bit of a cliff-hanger, and by cliff-hanger I mean yes they got their HEA, but there is still so much I need to know!

• I loved even at the most horrible moment for Marco that his love for Robin still won out!

• I could not pick just one stand out moment, to be honest this book took me longer to read than others. Mainly cause I did not want it to end. But by the time I got to 64% I could not stop! I was dying to know the ending!! But I still feel sad that it is over.

________________________________________
⚠️ What Didn’t Work for me!
(Really nothing did not work, lol. It all worked beautifully, but I need to put on major criticism with out spoilers lol!)

• I needed more of them, more chapters, more Robin and Marco, More of my angsty boys!
________________________________________
😏 Character & Chemistry

• Marco: What can I say about Marco! He was broken, battered, bruised right in to his very soul. It made him harsh, unforgiving, brutal to a fault, unwilling to allow any light in to his world... Until the most glorious little birdie showed up in to his life!

• Robin: Jealous, possessive, almost toxic, a yellow flag, and yet once he lets his guard down he breaks beautifully for Marco, and Marco shattered stunningly for him.

• Their Chemistry: It was slow burn, toxic, molten, heated in the most delicious way, they kept trying to hurt each other and not just physically right through the story. Their story together was messy, and dynamic, and I need more of my broken boys!

Their dynamic leans into: Dark, gritty, brutal, with hints of pining, jealousy, and complete mutual ownership that neither can deny, as hard as they try to!

________________________________________
🎯 Who This Is For

• Read this if you want impossible romance, with an impossible situation, annoying bad guys who really need to d!e repeatedly cause once is never enough, and I really mean that with my whole heart!
• Read this if you want to watch two broken boys put each other back together again with pieces of each other.
• Read this if you want, high action, delicious smut, thick thighs, major angst, with a Spartacus: Blood and Sand / meets Pompeii / meets a post apocalyptic roman style hellhole with zombies!!
________________________________________
⭐ Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a hard book for me to get through quickly because I’m someone who normally reads about 100 pages an hour. The only reason it took me longer was because I didn’t want the story to end too soon. I slow-read this book with the intensity of a thousand suns. Robin and Marco became my entire world for a week, and I already know I’ll be rereading their story again and again and again, just so I can fall in love with them once more!

• MVP: A special shout out to Doctor Death and Cas!!

I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for everything I mentioned above hehe!
________________________________________

I would like to thank TJ Rose and WH Lockwood for allowing me the privilege of receiving this amazing book as an ARC, and I am already frothing at the mouth for season 2. *Makes grabby paws* Gimmie!!!

Also can not wait till hard cover of this book is released with all the beautiful arts! Must has!!!

Well this is it for my first ARC review, I hope you all end up loving Deathball as much as I did!!

[AnnaKitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK people so whatever you imagine or expect - don’t bother because IT IS SO MUCH BETTER 🫨

And I am not even going to calm down, I want to scream about it because good perfect amazing fantastic or 6 stars - none of these does this book justice!
Before I start though - sorry but I couldn’t make myself shut up about it so THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ART PIECE in the beginning 🥵

After Doppelbänger I knew it was going to be interesting at least, but somehow I did not expect to be all over the place the entire time! Anxious, crying and biting my nails 🤯
This book has EVERYTHING. Like the Hunger Games got together with the Gladiator, set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting with some Roman Empire vibe and seasoned with beautiful Spanish language 🥰 I’ve been reading those lines aloud, it made the atmosphere so much rawer..

“Then, with me trembling beneath him, already unraveling from his whispered words alone, he says,
“Y ahora, voy a hacerte mío tan completamente, que seré lo único con lo que sueñes el resto de tu vida.”

It doesn’t feel like 500 pages at all.. Every chapter you have genuinely no idea what to expect. Without exaggeration, beginning with the challenges the characters encounter and ending with the constant emotional turmoil, uncertainty and doubts. And up to the Epilogue I only had some vague assumptions on how it all was going to play out..

Also, I think I’ve highlighted half of the book, and it’s not only because of Spanish!

“I can’t speak. Maybe I’ll never find the words to say.
‘I adore you.’
‘I want you.’
‘I’m not giving up on us.’
I can only hope this kiss says it all.”

So let me say a few words about our MMCs. Marco and Robin will continue to surprise you up till the very end. Big scary asshole captain and the beautiful captive boy? Yes and no. When I say you don’t know what to expect, I mean it literally, and big part of that applies to Marco and Robin. 


There were so many unexpectedly gentle moments, hair combing especially swept me off my feet..😭 Considering the setting, you are not at any time ready for the level of emotional intensity. For the tenderness. For how they adore and cherish each other.
The tension between the two of them will have you in a chokehold the entire time. The level of desperation, of the raw need, of love is so high it makes your chest ache.

“Five years, I’ve killed to survive. But you? I’d die a thousand times before I let them make me your executioner. ... I’d rather burn this whole fucking arena down than hurt you. I love you more than freedom. More than survival. More than anything. I’m sorry.”

The chemistry between these two is off the charts. The spice is one of the best I’ve read recently (I am just trying not to spoil anything here), so you’ll have to believe me here 🫢


So I am not OK right now! I mean - I am so so happy for them, I really am!!
But at the same time, and I think I’ve never said it before upon finishing a book - I am actually sad this is a standalone 🫠 I could be perfectly happy with a few more books of Marco and Robin. They were so perfect, together and individually, inside and out, I loved them both so much ❤‍🔥

Excellent plot, strong setting, consuming atmosphere, breathtaking twists, heartbreaking, brutal but beautiful love story - like I said, everything ❣️

I am so grateful to the authors for the ARC, it was an unforgettable experience 🖤

[Miss Lady Orchid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC read, and thank you so much T.J. Rose and W.H. Lockwood for letting me experience this beforehand.

This book blew my mind and honestly, it’s taken me a few days to come up with words to describe how I feel about it. There were several points in this book where I had to set it down because I felt like I was there, and needed a moment to pull my emotions back. To remind myself it was just a book. The descriptions were so vivid, and I was 100% percent sucked in. This is one of those books that altered my brain chemistry.

I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book, unsure whether someone was going to live or die, and honestly was terrified that Marco or Robin would be the next one to go. I know, “but they have plot armor Trenda!” You never know in this world anymore…

I loved how T.J. And W.H. set up the worldbuilding, the fact that there were actually places worse than the arena that they could be threatened with to make them fight made it easy for you to accept that fighting and death was the better option. I loved how they mingled the old roman coliseum games with a hunger games style broadcasting in a mad max style world. While most of the book is centered in the arena, it would be amazing to see if any of the future books expose the audience to outside that view. I just feel that the world would be so vibrant even in its desolation.

For the characters, well…for the longest time, I wanted to strangle both Marco and Robin for how irritating they were acting. I knew it would completely pay off in the end with how much at stake there was, and I was right. For me, all that friction between them paid off. I felt like there was a perfect balance of hot/cold you get with rivals, angst and pining you get with someone you can’t have, and sweet and spicy once you get to have them and cherish them.

Now let’s talk about Marco. At first, the man was so high up on my shitlist, I wasn’t sure if he’d ever redeem himself for me. But, after digesting the story for a couple days, and even going back and rereading parts, I think Marco is my favorite.

I loved how “in” Marco was once he realized he couldn’t give up on Robin, even if it was going to screw up both their lives. He had given so much of himself away just trying to survive, to see him give away what little he had left felt, made it feel like there were stakes outside of just his life that he was risking. Marco’s character flowed perfectly between being someone who needed to take charge, and someone who was vulnerable and needed to be led. Marco is also a great example of a character who puts their actions where their threats are. Sometimes I feel like you have dark romance characters who are growly and “touch them and die” but don’t carry out those actions so the character falls flat. Marco is not one of those, he follows through on his threats and protects Robin, even to his own detriment.

Robin gets beat out as my second favorite character by Cass, but that’s because Cass is just so real. A true voice of reason in the middle of the shitstorm that is Marco and Robin. I loved how obstinate Robin was, regardless of whether it would make the situation worse or not, he was himself and he refused to change. He knew when to challenge Marco, to push both of them to a better place or position, but I appreciated the fact that he learned when to let Marco take the lead. He knew Marco to the core of who he was so that he could work in sync with him.

I was also rooting for Cas and Evander the whole time, I’m hoping they get a book. Julius as well had me intrigued.

I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys dark mm romance with rivals to lovers who have high angst and pining, and everything to lose.

[Willie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ 3🌶️ 3💀

Very entertaining!!! Gladiator, hunger game, make it passionate M/M. It’s dark but not grim.

During the 1st 50% of the story, i was sure i would rate this 3 stars with a may-be coming back to this series. The last 50% pumped this up to 4 stars and I definitely will come back for more of this world. Although the issues from the first half of the book still there, but the 2nd half is better in terms of characters development (main and side), world building, tension, passion, and spectacle.

- I didn’t like the tone at the start. It all felt like they were at some tough Summer camp environment, instead of the dark grim reality of it.
- It makes no sense to me why Marco should be the trainer! Given the situation, the trainer should be someone else and Marco be the participant, just like anyone else, while he can still be the “favorite/golden child” with special treatments.
- it would make more sense that there should be an announcement for everyone to be training all in their own with all the available top of the line equipments - like in the Hunger Games. And then because of human natures, they start to form groups, that’ll give birth to dramas, alliance, enemies, favors, bully, self proclaimed leader vs nature leader, etc. it would be more realistic like this and much more interesting.
- the setting that the book chose for Marco and the group felt odd…it almost feels as though the authors work backwards. They need certain scenes in there and certain tropes so those must be written regardless of them being realistic or not.
- Connection: Their 1st kiss felt sudden, with little to no build up. I’m not sure why but at the start of their passion, i didn’t feel much of it. Especially with the constant push and pull. This is a slow burn, not too slow, but still slow burn. Strangely enough, their cosmic devotion and connection later on, i feel all of it! Ha! I know it’s weird. Like how could this be if i didn’t buy in at the beginning?! My guess is because of their circumstances: It’s extreme!! and i believe that in some cosmic level, they are soulmates, written in the stars kindda deal, given their origin. So, I bought into it and once i did…oh boy, some of the lines got me tearing up !
- Passion: very hot!!! (No notes)
- the games/the spectacle were also awesome. It’s graphically entertaining.
- Some of the progression didn’t make sense, perhaps it would be explained in the later books? Like once the emperor is irritated or suspicious, why couldn’t he take away his favorite’s privileges immediately? Their final journey (in the epilogue) sounded too easy … i understand that the authors needed to wrap it up, but i thought the court would be smart enough to know where they would be heading, especially after the harm done to their top official.
- While reading, I despise humanity; thinking about how humans are the worst…watching other beings - humans and otherwise - annihilated for sport and entertainment. I felt bad, even for Jason…on the grand scheme of things.

Anyhow, I can’t wait to read Cas and Doctor Death book and perhaps Julius book as well - hope the authors write it.

(Received ARC for my honest review.) the book’s publication date May 21, 2026.

[Belinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely did not expect Deathball to consume me the way it did. 🩸🏟️ This book was brutal, chaotic, emotional, toxic in the absolute best way, and somehow still painfully romantic underneath all the blood and violence. 😭🔥

From the very beginning, the story threw me straight into a merciless post-apocalyptic world where men were ripped from their homes, chained up, and forced to fight to the death for entertainment. The arena scenes were ruthless. The authors held nothing back. Blood, guts, gore, broken bodies—every fight felt viciously real. 🗡️💀 And somehow the themed battles made everything even more unhinged in the best way possible. The contrast between horrifying violence and ridiculous costumes had me obsessed. 😂

Robin’s storyline hit me especially hard. Watching him get dragged into this horrifying system, trying to survive while refusing to completely lose himself, made me so emotional. And then there was Marco… terrifying, unpredictable, deadly Marco. 🖤 The reigning champion who looked like a monster on the outside but carried so much pain and desperation underneath it all. Their relationship was messy, dangerous, possessive, obsessive, and honestly one giant walking red flag 🚩… but the tension between them was INSANE. Every lesson, every fight, every stolen moment somehow made them spiral deeper into each other.

And the thing is… this wasn’t toxicity for shock value. As the stakes got higher, Marco and Robin redefined what survival and love meant in this world. Their connection felt desperate and raw, like two people trying to claw toward something human in a place designed to destroy them. 🥀

The side characters also absolutely carried this book. Nobody felt bland or thrown in as filler. Every fighter had their own personality, motives, and intensity. Some of them made me furious. Some of them completely broke my heart. 😭😂

What surprised me most was how invested I became in the plot itself. Beneath all the violence and spice was this constant tension of survival, rebellion, freedom, and sacrifice. Every match felt high stakes because losing didn’t just mean death—it meant losing yourself. The authors built the arena culture so vividly that I felt trapped there alongside the characters, desperately searching for some kind of light in all the darkness. ⚔️🔥

And THAT ENDING??? I fully accepted one fate for these characters and prepared myself emotionally for it… only for the story to completely pivot and catch me off guard. Not in a bad way either. It genuinely shocked me and left me needing the next book immediately. 👏

This book was brutal, bloody, emotionally destructive, and fully built on FAFO energy. 🩸😂 I could not put it down. And honestly? A little Birdie told me people are going to become OBSESSED with this series. I already am. 🐦✨

📚 Perfect for readers who love:
⚔️ Toxic MM romance
🩸 Brutal gladiator-style death games
🔥 Morally grey love interests
🏟️ High-stakes arena fights
💀 Blood, gore, and survival themes
🥀 Obsessive/protective relationships
❤️‍🔥 Angst-filled romance
⛓️ Forced proximity
🌍 Post-apocalyptic worlds
👀 “I should hate him but I want him anyway” energy
🖤 Touch-her-and-die vibes but make it MM
🔥 Love as rebellion

Thank you so much to W.H. Lockwood and T.J. Rose for the ARC opportunity!

[Lauren Makepeace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so let's all just take a deep breath and try to stay calm-

AARRRGGGGHHHHHJFKDLGLGKDKFDJD!

Well. Now I've got that out of my system, I'll attempt to stop fangirling like the 14yo that clearly lives on inside me, and get on with the review.

(This is probably a little bit spoiler-y)

The premise of this book is totally my jam, and, oh boy, it lived up to my expectations. Let me just tell you a few of the reasons I couldn't put this down:
1. It's over 500 pages long - and when something is this good, you get excited that it keeps going.
2. One of the main characters gets the nickname 'Birdie' from his lover boy - and it's literally the sweetest.
3. It has Hunger Games vibes, and who isn't down for that? It was cool to see the different arenas.
4. It keeps you guessing - you can't really be sure where things are headed.
5. It has some totally awful bad guys that you love to hate (I'm looking at you, Jason, ya big twerp).
6. It fully summed up the story of the protagonists, while leaving plenty of things open for book 2 (which features a different couple). Like seriously, what's up with Julius? Why does he hate Marco so much?
7. The spice is great, beginning with a delightful love-to-hate-you fuck, and then becoming sweeter (without losing the heat).
8. Dual POV.
9. They both have cute (and annoying) best friends.
10. There's some fun training and fight scenes, and people getting their skull caved in with a really big, really spiky ball.

There were a couple of things I could've done with more of:
- more Marco backstory - I was a little confused by the references to him going to taverns and talking to sponsors, so how much freedom did he really have, what other subversive things did he have the opportunity for?
- more Deathball matches - the arenas were fun, and it would be cool to watch some others (the costume part was so fun, I think some amazing fanart will come from this book!) - I'm sure we'll get that in book 2!
- a little more interaction between the various Deathball participants - we only really got to know a few key players (I know most of them died anyway, but that would've increased the tension for me).

The premise of the story (highly simplified) is:
An island is invaded, and a young man, Robin, is kidnapped. He is taken, along with others from elsewhere, to the rich, capital city of the post-apocalyptic world, and forced to participate in Deathball. Deathball involves being dressed up, thrown into an ever-changing arena, and fighting your opponent to the death - oh, and you only win if you kill them with the Deathball. Thousands of people watch. The 'Captain', Marco, is another man who was taken from the same island, who has managed to survive to be competing in his 5th season. He's basically the emperor's sex slave. There's instant tension between Robin and Marco, and of course this causes a variety of challenges. Everyone knows they'll end up facing each other in the arena, and what then?

It's queer, and mm relationships are clearly seen as normal.

I'll be back for number two! I can't wait to bear witness to more of Cas and Evander's bickering.

[Natalie Jardin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you TJ Rose and WH Lockwood for a copy of the ARC for the honest review.

2.75, 4/5 spice

I probably should have wrote this review when I finished it at 1am. Now that I have slept on it my view has slightly changed. First off I went into this thinking it was a Dark Romantasy with an HEA, however after reading it I would say this is more Dystopian Romance with a Roman theme. Dual POV with dark themes and spicy scenes.

The world building is confusing as its both modern with technology and medieval with the limits to the technology. We have Robin that came from a rural island that had no technology besides flashlights that they have had found on raids. The island has a Spanish theme to it and when they get attacked by the main city-state of Victora, the governor of the island is taken out and most of the citizens are taken. Robin is one of these islanders taken (as a slave!) to the mainland. He is then inspected and chosen to play Deathball. This is a gladiator style fight club with (I think) 20 other guys. Once the season starts they participate in weekly fights until they are down to 4 overall winners. One of the vets is Marco who is also from the same island as Robin but was taken over 5 years before Robin. He is the head champion and if he wins this season then he's "free".

I liked the book up to 40% but by then I started not caring about the two main characters relationship as they were very hot and cold with each other. There was a bully aspect that seemed unnecessary and they keep saying that their relationship was taboo but never specified why. They would have sex at the weirdest times just to cause tense for the plot. By 55% I didn't care about them due to lack of relationship and chemistry. For the sports aspect I did wish there was more mention or time spent on the fights. It did alot of time jumps and the only time we focused on the fights was when the main characters were in the arena and the first fight with Robin's friend Caspian, who I loved and wish we got more time with.

Now for the confusion. There is a lot of inconsistencies with how much technology they have access to. They are supposedly slaves and stuck in the dungeon, they even mention that they can't leave but then in the later half of the book they go out on trips to parties, taverns and other field trips. Also the two main characters speak Spanish to each other but there are times when the text says they are speaking in this language but the words are written in English and other times there is written Spanish with English translation. Also there is a weird slave/lover relationship between Marco and the Emperor but there are times where the characters defy the Emperor without much consequences and it seems like there is a known "tradition" of Marco sleeping with players and the players sleeping with each other but it only becomes a problem when he starts liking Robin. Also since I knew that it was a HEA there isn't any danger or worry that these two wouldn't make it to the end.

[Elemental Dragon]

I was given the privilege to ARC read Death Ball.
Just WOW.
I'll definitely be reading this again!

Honestly, I could not put it down! I went through so many emotions during this book. The ride is worth every minute.

There are some trigger warnings I recommend reading in case this type of novel is not your cup of tea. I'll go over a few during the small spoiler section of my review.

It immediately dives into the deep end revealing the type of world you're about to be emerged in and does not hold back. I became incredibly invested in the characters, and their story.

No joke this will pull at your heart strings.

The story flow is amazing. You'll definitely lose track of time diving into this book. The dual perspectives work incredibly well. It really allows you to gain insight into the two main characters and get to know them.

Possibilities of spoilers ahead:

This is for Adults only and does have dark themes. It does have enemy to lovers story with MM romance involved. There is slaves, death, violence, gore, explicit scenes with so much spice, and much more. That being said, everything is understandable and fitting for the world

I highly recommend giving this a read if you like extra spicy MM romance and action packed pages in a dark dystopia world. Touch him and die scenes included!

You're thrown into a world with slaves being forced to fight to the death for the amusement of others. It has action intense scenes with some rather brutal fighting leaving you wondering who will be next.

The nickname birdie for the sun kissed Robin is absolutely perfect in so many ways.
I utterly adore him.

Marco's struggles really make sense with everything he's been through. His back and fourth battle with himself about Robin is explained by how long he's been there and what he's been through. Trust me when I say give his character a chance!

The pull between Marco and Robin is really intense but fits the story with everything they are facing.

I love reading both their perspectives. It really gives extra flavor to what's happening. I love how it flows and it propels the story forward no matter the perspective you're on. You do not back track or repeat when the perspective changes and I admire this. The dual perspectives really help round the story. I feel so sorry for many of the characters that were ripped from their home and forced to fight in this arena.

I adore the fact the MCs speak in their home language together. It's a sweet touch that brings them closer together and I appreciate the translations for us.

Really if this genre is your cup of tea I highly recommend setting some time aside and diving into this world. You will not regret it.

I'd love to own this in a physical bound deluxe edition with art!

I hope I get the privilege to ARC read their work again.

Regardless, I absolutely cannot wait to read more from WH and TJ! I cannot wait to see what's next....

5 stars!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deathball is an M/M dark romance, set in a post-apocalyptic world of danger and heartache. Read the content warnings and proceed with care.

Marco, a champion in Victora's corps of death match gladiators, meets new recruit Robin and senses something familiar about him. When I say Robin is a "recruit", what I mean of course is, "attacked and abducted, taken far from home, and enslaved". There are no volunteers in the game of Deathball, Marco included. The two of them size each other up, dance around their mutual attraction, and spend a full Deathball season trying and failing to stay apart. After all, they're both prisoners in a cycle of death where they have to kill their closest friends and allies to survive. There's an interesting cast of side characters, running the gamut from lovable to loathsome, and Marco and Robin both have some good people to lean on aside from each other.

At 514 pages, Deathball is definitely a long read. If a lengthy push and pull of I need you, but I can't, but I need you, but... etc, is something you find frustrating, this book is not for you.

I loved it. Constantly drawn together like magnets, then shoved apart again by cruel reality, Marco and Robin had me rooting for them so desperately that I almost had to check the ending for the happily-ever-after. Events up to the very last few pages keep the suspense going, and I was beginning to doubt that it was possible. However, Lockwood and Rose keep the faith of the romance genre covenant, and, well. Life finds a way. Or love. Or both.

Content Warnings:

Violence, gore, murder, slavery, sexual slavery (off-page), explicit on-page intimacy, dystopian themes, very short skirts, and a very, very spiky ball.

Favorite Quotes:

Silence engulfs us. I watch the muscle in his jaw twitch, see how his shoulders hold all that tension. He's not the untouchable god everyone thinks he is. He's just a man who's survived too much, lost too much.

"And this?" One hand fists his shirt, and with the other I reach up, touch his face with trembling fingers. "Am I a tiny pleasure?"
His breath catches. For a long moment he just stares at me, something blazing in his eyes.
"No," he whispers finally. "You're a wildfire."

The warmth of his skin bleeds through the thin fabric of his shirt. For a moment, the world shrinks to just this—his heartbeat under my hand, his breath on my face, the promise in his eyes.

"You didn't," she breathes.
"We fucking did," Marco replies.

"Wherever you are, that's where I'm going to be. You're home, Marco. You have been since the first time we kissed."

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

4.99⭐/5 (that 0.01 is for the cliffhanger)

"I know this will destroy you," he whispers, trembling fingers running over my lips — lips that he drinks in as if he's savoring all the lost kisses from all the years we're losing."

I don't give five stars easily. But this book did something I genuinely didn't expect. It made me care so much about two people trapped in a system designed to destroy them that by the final chapters I could barely breathe.

The premise is brutal: post-apocalyptic dystopia, one city-state called Victora that keeps its power through raids and slavery, and a death sport called Deathball where two men enter an arena and only one walks out alive. Robin gets ripped from his island home, watches people he loves die on a beach, and ends up collared and forced into the game. Marco is the captain who chose him. Cold, ruthless, five years deep into a system that's hollowed him out. And from the first moment these two are in a room together, something electric and deeply uncomfortable starts building.

I am a massive history and mythology nerd, and this book spoke directly to that part of me. That is honestly a big reason why I fell so hard for it. It is not just romance. It is worldbuilding with real historical DNA. What makes this book extraordinary isn't the spice, though yes, the spice is there and it earns every moment. It's the fact that the authors built a world with actual bones. The arena, the sponsorship system, the Emperor's court. It all feels thought through, not decorative. The whole thing is rooted in Roman history: the quote at the very beginning is Tacitus. The character names, the structure of the games, the dynamic between wealthy patrons and enslaved fighters. It's all intentional, and it gives the story a weight that most MM romance simply doesn't bother with.

Marco is one of the best-written morally grey characters I've come across. His brutality makes sense. His choices make sense. And when he finally cracks, when Robin says the right words in the right language at the right moment, it destroys you completely.

The only reason I'm docking that 0.01 is the cliffhanger. This is Season One and it absolutely reads that way. Threads left deliberately hanging, the world expanding right as the story closes. If you hate open endings, be warned. But if you're like me and you just want more of this world, more of these two men finding each other across impossible odds, it's not a flaw. It's an invitation.

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dearest Gentle Reader,

While I did start and finish this book in a single day, I can not make claim to reading it in a single sitting. Despite the fact that Deathball had me hooked from page one, several breaks were required.

I was on the edge of my seat nearly the entire time reading this book. I can’t recall the last time a book had me biting my nails in anticipation, covering the next paragraph with my hand so I didn’t spoil myself; or taking multiple breaks to rehydrate from all the tears I’ve cried over two fictional boys.

I had such high expectations for this book, and my expectations were far exceeded! The premise for this series is wonderfully intriguing, so I was quite thrilled with the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Who doesn’t love a good rivals to lovers in their romantasy? It’s giving Hunger Games meets Captive Prince in the BEST way possible. Readers will find it irresistible not to love and root for both Robin and Marco. They’re both equally compelling characters. We’re spoiled with a power bottom and verse coupling. And it’s not just our tragic heroes readers will be won over by. There’s genuinely no shortage of intriguing characters in this book. Even very minor characters are well developed. Caspian has my heart and I arguably would have been more upset had he perished than either Robin or Marco.

I’m familiar with both Lockwood and Rose’s individual works. This was such a treat getting to read a collaborative piece. Dearest reader, this is a winning collab. Their characters are captivating, the action sequences are spectacular, the spice is extra spicy, and the political intrigue is… well… intriguing.

The use of Spanish being somewhat of a “dead” language in this universe, or only used by those of Atrea; was clever. It’s clear these authors consulted both cultural experts and sensitivity readers for this story. It’s refreshing and appreciated, as a reader.

This book has so many wonderful qualities, it’s hard to pinpoint anything I wasn’t quite pleased with. It was, perhaps, a bit lengthier than it needed to be? That could also be due to how this book makes readers feel utterly helpless and hopeless at times. I often reminded myself that Deathball is book one of an interconnected standalone series. There IS a hard won happily ever after. And it is HARD won. Literally and figuratively.

Readers will absolutely want to consult the trigger warnings prior to reading this one. It IS rather graphic and some off page content may be upsetting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and only wish I could go back and read it again for the first time.

Deathball is the thrilling start to what will undoubtedly be a terrific MM series!

Your Esteemed Reviewer, Lady M

[S. Shybrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dangerous, because he feels like home. Like safety. Dangerous, because he makes me feel like the man I used to be…”

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5 (rounded up)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75 / 5

Y’all, this was a ride! It was like The Hunger Games mashed up with Gladiator-era Rome, but make it spicy. The authors drop us straight into the tension and the darkness–and make no mistake, this is a dark one. It’s in the violence and gore of the story (no punches pulled there) but also in the romance. These two are very much enemies, for real, with all the angst that comes with it. Throw in a stark power imbalance and they have quite the battle to face, in every way possible.

The world Rose and Lockwood have woven is complex, which is both advantageous (so many evils, so many threads to tug in future books) and a bit of a challenge. We’re left to assume a lot of what may have happened in this universe, which has enough references to put it solidly in “dystopian” and not “fantasy” as a genre. But it’s still unclear what exactly happened, how Victora and its Emperor rose to power, and where the obsession with Rome (and therefore the style of the Deathball matches) came from.

And, the hot and cold swings between the leads are…extreme. Sometimes, it felt like the motivation for those swings wasn’t entirely clear, particularly in the first half or so of the story. It got a little slow in the middle.

That said, the last third of this book was wonderful. The pace, the action–and, to be fair, every adventurous scene featuring a Deathball match is incredibly well-done–and the development of the romance were all strong.

Oh! And I can’t forget Cas or Evander, both brilliant side characters I can’t wait to read more about in the next book. And I will be grabbing that volume with enthusiasm because I have no doubt it’ll be well worth the read. These authors have me in a death grip already...

Definitely recommended for fans of The Hunger Games (but make it spicy, MM, and way bloodier), darker-themed Courtney W. Dixon, Lily James, and similar.

Little tip for those who like to skip epilogues…don’t miss this one!

📚Fast facts📚
✨ Dark dystopian romance
✨ Enemies-to-lovers
✨ High angst
✨ Borderline CNC
✨ Gladiator-style games
✨ Slowish burn
✨ OTT/possessive
✨ Forbidden/power imbalance
✨ Open door
✨ MM
✨ First person, dual POV, present tense
✨ First standalone in a trilogy

I am so grateful to the authors to have received an advanced copy of this story! This is my honest and unbiased review.

[Bruno Britos · Rating 3 out of 5]

more like 2,5

Ok, lets go, deathball talks about a game of life or death where men has to fight each other but can only kill with a deathball (metal ball full of spikes) and while this is happening 2 men fall in love.
I liked the book but sadlly had more problems than things i loved about it.

What i loved:
I love men in togas amd mini skirts, give me ten. Loved the friendship between Robin and Cas, it was amazing seeing they conect so much.
As always i love the blood and fight scenes, it has a vibe very Gladiator but gay, so alwayws with points hehehhe also reminds of Hunger games because we have parties, sponsors etc.

I liked the idea and the series bunisses about the whole Deathball world, will read the second book because i loved Cas.

What i was not a fan:

Took a while to understand the world, it has raids with horses but guns, togas and coliseum fights but tecnology with eletricity and cars/buses. It has zombies (infected) mutant lizards and bears. They are slaves to fight but eat what they want, has water all they want, go to parties and other places. At the same time it looks kinda medievel its so modern.
Also how this people are having their bones and ribs broken but still cant talk and scream normally. You should not even be breathing normal. He has his tongue sliced but soon after hes talking normally.
"he wraps his arms around me" How if his shoulder is broken? both sides of his ribs are broken, how hes sitting down. And 5 days later hes walking, HOW?

Marco knowing that Atrea was raid and taken and burned but still believes that his family (the governor) its alive sound a little naive for him.

Sadly if we know that its a MM romance with HEA i dont feel danger in the fights because i know that they gonna live. Knowing that its gonna have a book 2 also makes me not be worried about Cas, because its cleary the next story its gonna be Cas and Dr.

Because of that i dont feel danger, i loved the fight scenes and found very interesting but it wasnt a lot and got a little confusing about what was happening and the size of things, especially the fight with the lizzard.

Also there were a few slow moments and for a book about fighting to the death it think that maybe we should remove some slow moments and make the book shorter.

Also this ending like driving to the horizon....what?

Thanks for W H lockwood and TJ Rose for the Arc in exchange for the honest review.

[Ashley -Goldstarreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has quickly become my favorite read of the year. It packs a serious punch. I love a good gladiator type story and this one definitely delivered on the viciousness of that life. Robin’s home is attacked and invaded and he is captured and brought to the capital city to be a player in a game called Deathball. He is forced to train to fight to the death. Marco, a player that is in his fifth and final season, his freedom promises to him if he can survive the season, is captain of the team of 20 men, he trains them and gets them ready for the grueling season that will lead to the death of 16 players and only 4 champions. Their every move is a balance on a tightrope above the fiery pits of a hellscape of the game architects making. In a world where you can trust no one, care of no one, and definitely not love anyone, Robin and Marco find it hard not to fall for one another. They have a connection that spans more than fighting in an arena for the rich, but it’s a mistake that Marco can’t make. That he shouldn’t make. He longs to be free, to go home to his family and at the end of the day, Robin will be the price he has to pay to get there. Man, I didn’t know how this was going to end, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire second half of the book, I devoured it wanting to see how it ends. I cried for Marco and Robin, I hurt for them. I was angry with them and murderous on their behalf. The Emperor and the rich are truly lacking humanity. This book is so well written by the authors, they evoke emotion like it’s as easy as drawing air. They paint these pictures of these battles, of these costumes and pageantry and this amazing love like they put a paint brush to canvas for us to see. The words dance on the page like poetry these two men whisper to one another in the dark under their diamond filled sky. It’s as beautiful as it is vicious. This story bounces from one touching and tender moment to a bloody and terrible one. The tender moments, the love, they are true diamonds in this world of pain and darkness they are forced to survive in. And surviving is all they can do. They must survive by any means necessary. I cannot wait for season 2 of Deathball, I want to see what comes next, where this story will take us.

[Eiji Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

In exchange for an honest review i got to read the Advance Readers Copy of Deathball by the authors and I first of want to thank both the authors for letting me read this brilliant story and recreation of the roman story about the gladiator battles just in a gay version that just were addictive and so painful to read that it was not easy to stop reading this book before I got to the ending.
Everything from the chemistry of the characters and the worldbuilding of this story were so realistic in writing, every details from the epic battles to the extremely sad moments of this book to the forbidden love story that unfolded in such a twisted way with twist that the reader will not see coming before they are right in the scene of the story. This is probably one of this year’s read for me, this is a dark tragic story about the brutality of humans about the rich versus the poor and how slaves were sometimes treated as just theatre for play and show in the most brutal way man kind had before we had technology as we have today.
The story about Robin that gets taken from his homeland and brought into slavery for the death-games of the Deathball were everyone that gets killed is by the ball of spikes a brutal and swift kill but the nightmare of killing people and the psychological impact that have on a person and the nightmare of re-living daily knowing you only have so much time left before you might end up being killed as well. And that leads to Marco the only person that has managed to survive for 5 years, and have been living the nightmare of brutally killing but also forced to serve the emperor that only think profit and power over the pain he brings the slave of the Deathball game and the suffering they have to live trough every day. This is a story that bring a brutal story that will keep you on the edge of the seat to the very end of the book, with epic story telling and some great side characters that will make you cry and laugh but also make you question the brutality of human being’s. You don’t want to miss out on this epic love story from a touch of forbidden love mixed in.

[emillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is why you smell like sunshine. This is why you feel like the warmth of the ocean at sunset. You're the best thing that's happened to me in so long. You are everything I want."

"And now it's yours. It's just one more, I'm the final stepping stone."

"It's you, Birdie. For now and forever, it's you. I'll love you until all the stars go out, all the seas dry up, and all the worlds burn. You're my soul. My life. My home. You saved me."

I highlighted all the quotes that left me tearing up and even bawling in some sections, and I will tell you there were many. This is my first 5-star of 2026. I would read it again even though I just finished it.

In Deathball, Robin is ripped from his home and taken with others to fight to the death in a Roman Galtator meets Hunger Games type sport for the enjoyment of the city. From the first day, our MC meets Marco, who, after hearing Robin speak, knows that he is from his homeland, which he was taken from 5 years earlier. Marco is in his final season of the sport before he earns his freedom & is tasked with training the other players to unalive each other and himself.

Robin and Marco are bonded by their shared homeland and trauma. I would have loved more connection, but I did not mind it because of the amount of character growth each MC has; they develop in their own right, so it's okay that their relationship is mostly based on attraction and a trauma bond.

The writing definitely drew me the most. I thought it was going to be too hard to get into because, with many post-apocalyptic novels (I had a YA Dystopia phase), the story drags from non-organic explanations of the world, but I felt that only small bits of world-building were included alongside the character development. I much prefer character development entertainment-wise, so this made it an easy read to get sucked into because I still had world-building, but it wasn't the main focus.

If you are anything like me, you're gonna fall in love with the side characters and almost forget the main couple :)
I have a few of their other books in my TBR, now, after reading Deathball, I will absolutely be starting those next.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this 5 stars until the end, which left me wanting, so I'd say 4.5. While there is an epilogue, it was mostly exposition for what could be an entire book of its own. And the main story cuts off immediately after the climax. There seems to be a modern trend of no falling action which I really need in a romance. This was a character driven romance so to have the plot resolve and get no more of the characters and their relationship that were built up throughout is unsatisfying. I want to see them celebrate their victory, not just a HEA stamp that sends me on my way.

Enough about the end. I really enjoyed this book. It immediately set the stage for how dark and gruesome the setting is. Really threw it in your face how little life matters to these people.

They don't get into the first Deathball matches until halfway through, but I felt it was perfect to set up Marco and Robin's sexual tension and build the foundation for their relationship before the stakes are really raised and those baby foundations shaken.

Deathball itself is very hunger games and sports MM. They train between games, they get sponsors, and there are architects that build elaborate arenas. Marco and Robin are both teammates and enemies, creating a back and forth in accepting their attraction since most likely at least one of them will die, and worst case at the hand of the other.

The smut carries the themes of the rest of the book. It can be dark and is rarely soft. I thought it was 100% perfect for the characters, the plot, and the setting but I understand if that's not your thing, here's the heads up.

There were a lot of good twists towards the end but as the pages left were dwindling and dwindling I still didn't have any idea how it would resolve and the ups and downs were feeling more dragged out. It made sense in the end that there was no lead up to how they get their HEA, but at the time it was testing my patience a little lol.

I'm looking forward to book two! Cas and Evander are adorable. How will all these characters keep surviving Deathball? And will the whole system be brought down in the end? Or just our favorites getting their HEAs?

[Baz◇ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to TJ Rose & WH Lockwood for the ARC, because I genuinely don't think I could have waited until the end of the month to read this masterpiece.
Deathball is a high tension, angsty, m/m work of art that is kind of like if the Hunger Games was a) gay and b) gritty instead of glitzy. Obviously that's an oversimplification (of both Deathball and the Hunger Games), but I genuinely think that's a good summary to give you a sense of whether or not you'll enjoy this... and frankly, you will.
This novel is dark, which is expected with the premise - you should go into this expecting a lot of violence and brutality, even between the two leads, though I don't think their relationship is honestly that toxic considering the circumstances they're in. Marco and Robin are fantastic leads - my heart bled for both of them for different reasons, and the further along the more you feel desperate just for them to win, which is what makes a book like this so engaging. Not only that, but the side characters are also genuinely so good - good to hate, good to love, just good. Reading their fights was so brutal, even the fights that didn't involve Marco or Robin.
The romance between Robin and Marco was genuinely one of the best I've read. The way the realize they have more in common than they think and slowly accept that it's not worth it to fight their attraction to one another, especially since one of them might just die in the games... *chef's kiss* I could not put this book down, constantly stressing about their star-crossed romance and wondering who was going to make it out. Even on a writing level, Rose & Lockwood did a fantastic job building the narrative in a way that made it impossible to step away from. The pacing is perfect, the back and forth between the characters is excellently done, and I WOULD JUST ABOUT DIE FOR ROBIN, OKAY. This novel was just so excellent on all fronts, and I am going to be on book 2 like white on rice the second I can get my hands on it. Do yourself a favor. Pick up Deathball.