Spthifius

Gladiators of Krix #3

by Miranda Martin, James D. Horton

Savannah

I was kidnapped by alien space pirates and sold to the highest bidder. Forced into slavery along with the other Human refugees.

Life on Krix is dangerous and hard. Our Krix masters see us as pawns at best. Using or abusing us to fit their whims. They only really care about their gladiators. The alien warriors that will bring House Batius glory in the arena.

I thought I would do anything to be free. At least I did until one of the other survivors, Kiara who was a space marine on the ship, came to me with her idea.

She pushes me to cozy up to one of the gladiators. He claims he knows how to contact the Free Movement but he has a price. Kiara wants me to get close to this massive, green warrior but he’s the worst of them. Loud, arrogant, full of himself, and demanding. Grade A alpha-hole.

He’s the stereotypical bad boy but with green skin and tusks thrown in for weird measure. I should hate him. So why does my heart speed up and butterflies dance in my stomach when he looks at me?

Spthifius

I live my life by two rules.

One: Take what you want or have it taken from you.

Two: Don’t let anyone close. You let them in, then they can hurt you.

Simple rules that make my life work. They’ve kept me alive for years. But then Savannah arrived.

I want her from the very moment I lay eyes on her. I know I can’t let myself have her though. I know that one night with the lush human beauty and both my rules will be broken. One night and I’ll lose everything.

But when Dominus offers Savannah as a prize for any of the Gladiators to win and use… I’ll break every rule in the galaxy to make sure she’s no one else's but mine.

Spinning off from best-selling series the Red Planet Dragons of Tajss comes a new set of books, the Gladiators of Krix. From USA Today Bestselling Author Miranda Martin and her soulmate James D Horton, Spthifius is a full length, standalone SFR novel with a happily ever after ending, plenty of steam, thrilling arena competitions and house politics.

Genres: Romance, Aliens

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2021

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Miranda Martin writes fantasy and scifi romance featuring heroes with out-of-this-world anatomy that readers call 'larger than life' and smart heroines destined to save the world. As a little girl, she would sneak off with her nose in a book, dreaming of magical realms. Today she brings those fantasies to life and adores every fan who chooses to live in them for a while.

Though born and raised in southern Virginia, Miranda Martin is a veteran who's traveled to places like Korea, Hawaii, and good 'ole Texas. She's since settled in Kansas, the heart of America, with her husband and daughters, a cat, and wishes for a pet dragon or unicorn. When she's not writing, you can still find her tucked away somewhere with a warm blanket and her nose in a book.

Visit her website http://mirandamartinromance.com and subscribe to her newsletter for new releases, special sales, and a FREE ebook!

Reviews

[Rosebud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abducted. Sold into slavery. Forced to live in harsh conditions with the ongoing threat that things could get worse, Savannah has learned to keep her head down and do what she's told to avoid being singled out for punishment or worse. Working long hours with minimal creature comforts in a kitchen for House Batiu is better than being a sex slave in an alien brothel so better to keep things status quo.

When one of her fellow slaves approach her to get close to one of House Batiu's worst of the worst assh*le gladiators for the purposes of finding out if information he claims to have is true, Savannah balks at the idea as she's not Mata Hari material. Yet, the other Earth fellow survivors are counting on her.

What's a girl to do when potential freedom rests on seducing an Incredible Hulk type alien with fangs who she may or may not be sexually compatible with.

* * *

3rd in the "Gadiators Of Krix" series that can be read as a stand alone. The premise is a core of Earth women were abducted by space pirates (the bad kind) and sold into slavery. They land up on a planet that promotes gladiator death fights as a major sport attraction event. On a planet that has advanced technology and ability for space travel though the planet follows rustic lifestyle elements. That's the basic set up premise.

Spthifius & Savannah. Both slaves under the ownership of a cruel master who delights in owning the best gladiators, thus he provides incentives and privileges to those gladiators who earn it. Enter Savannah being offered up as a prize. The winning gladiator gets an entire night with her (ok, any of the females but she's pretty much the one everyone wants) to do whatever, however, with no restrictions or limitations. Turns out Spthifius has a thing for Savannah so, and, Savannah needs to seduce him anyway but also has a thing for him so. Including for those who are on a need to know basis that yes adult content is featured but not to any degree ice and/or battery operated devices are needed.

Secondary characters. The main couples from previous installments in the series are cameoed but otherwise it's a superficial cast of characters who support the story but have little other independent role. Well, except for Antrius and the unnamed twins who I'm sure will be featured in the future.

Overall, the story itself was ok and I appreciated the enemies to lovers trope. A bit of a head scratcher that an advanced civilization utilized archaic technology. By that I mean using water and labor for basic household chores (example washing dishes and cooking pans, etc). I would have thought high tech equipment would be cheaper and more efficient than slave labor. Also, IF gladiators were so prized (not forgetting they are slaves) that medical skills and technology weren't state of the art high tech didn't make sense. I mean, space travel is part of this planet's abilities so thinking medics in that environment couldn't do more than basic medical procedures is just not feasible in my mind.

Basically it's an individual choice to grab this book to read or not. I can't say I didn't appreciate the overall story but can't say that it's drawn me in to read more in the series. Totally love the cover though.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda Martin and James Horton come together to write a new series spin-off from The Red Planet Dragons and it is a winning collaboration! The story retains the classic mark of Miranda Martin with steamy scenes, well developed characters and detailed world building. James Horton’s contribution can be found in the danger, intrigue and many obstacles this couple must face in their quest for freedom and a happily ever after. The writing styles of two amazing authors came together seamlessly in a book that kept you on the edge of your seat and was very hard to put down until the end. I can not wait to get my hands on the next books in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KittyLuvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human women are kidnapped by aliens & find themselves slaves on an alien planet with a culture & society that heavily mimics Ancient Rome. Complete with gladiators, slavery, slave owners & gladiatorial combat.
This is an incredibly sloooooow burn romance; there are a couple scenes of imagined lust but the Hero & heroine only engage in physical congress once at the very end of the book. Though they're attracted to each other, due to their pasts & natures they constantly reject, frustrate & lash out at the other making this an angst filled, rocky road, constantly back & forth journey to love.
I found this one to be well written, but to me, their relationship was just too slow in developing & too filled with H/h contention & I found myself skimming several parts of it. Although this is not one I'll reread, I liked the world building enough to want to read others in the series.

[Corda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Raven61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars! From the universe’s biggest jerk to a hero??!

This is a series that features a new couple with each story. I do NOT consider this to be a STAND-ALONE. For maximum reader satisfaction and to prevent spoilers, I HIGHLY recommend these be read in series order, as there are multiple reoccurring characters, consecutive timelines and overarching themes that connect them together. Skipping a story, reading them out of order, etc. will not provide the details of what occurred previously or provide HFNs/ HEAs for the couple(s).

The stories don’t end on a cliffhanger per say, more of a HFN with more to come in the next story to advance the series.

** This is an alien abduction series that centers around a planet that is governed by corrupt politicians and ‘owners’ that run gladiator arenas. It features scenes and themes of rape and enslavement that may be difficult for sensitive readers. **

If you have not read this story, the following may contain spoilers!

INFO NEEDED:
Need to add some type of glossary or scene to cover some of the background of the planet and religion (I.e. Grey Widow and quite a few pretty innovative / descriptive cursing). Plus it would be helpful to understand more about the ‘war’ that occurred previously that enabled this planet and their current political climate and behaviors. Also need to include a section on James if he is going to be credited as a co-author.

Still not sure how to say his name, Spthifius doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Regardless this is a decent story. I wasn’t sure how Miranda and James were going to redeem his character, but they did. Love Savannah!

If you are looking for romance, or a lot of intimate scenes, you will not find it within this series, or at least not so far. The story is more focused on building the universe and characters. Normally I don’t pay too close of attention to the quantity of these scenes, just that they fit within the concepts of the story laid out by the author(s). I think this parameter stuck out to me because it seems that Miranda and James went so far in the other direction to try, imo, to demonstrate how different the heroes thought of the heroines, that it undermined the heroines’ character and the authors’ intent.

There are a couple of grammatical errors in the story, but nothing difficult to interpret. There is also a bit of inconsistent data that needs to be corrected as it relates to the generational ship that the humans were traveling on before being abducted and enslaved. Some of the text indicates that they were the first generation, but more passages discuss that they were never to have touched down on a planet or soil. I didn’t note any specifics relating to the ship, but I uploaded my other notes to Goodreads for anyone interested. I mention these for readers such as myself that visualize the story as it is read, because errors interrupt the flow.

⛔️ Contains references to, or scenes detailing, subject matter that may be a trigger or offensive to some, including, but not limited to: adult language; derogatory terms; mental health challenges; steamy adult intimate scene between the H/h with elements of dominance, etc.; violence such as kidnapping / abduction, several scenes with rape, murder, death, torture, assault, fighting, blackmail, betrayal, coercion, threats, enslavement of males, females and children, etc.

Savannah:
I was kidnapped by alien space pirates and sold to the highest bidder. Forced into slavery along with the other Human refugees.

Life on Krix is dangerous and hard. Our Krix masters see us as pawns at best. Using or abusing us to fit their whims. They only really care about their gladiators. The alien warriors that will bring House Batius glory in the arena.

I thought I would do anything to be free. At least I did until one of the other survivors, Kiara who was a space marine on the ship, came to me with her idea. She pushes me to cozy up to one of the gladiators. He claims he knows how to contact the Free Movement but he has a price. Kiara wants me to get close to this massive, green warrior but he’s the worst of them. Loud, arrogant, full of himself, and demanding. Grade A alpha-hole. He’s the stereotypical bad boy but with green skin and tusks thrown in for weird measure. I should hate him. So why does my heart speed up and butterflies dance in my stomach when he looks at me?

Spthifius:
I live my life by two rules. One: Take what you want or have it taken from you. Two: Don’t let anyone close. You let them in, then they can hurt you.

Simple rules that make my life work. They’ve kept me alive for years. But then Savannah arrived.

I want her from the very moment I lay eyes on her. I know I can’t let myself have her though. I know that one night with the lush human beauty and both my rules will be broken. One night and I’ll lose everything.

But when Dominus offers Savannah as a prize for any of the Gladiators to win and use… I’ll break every rule in the galaxy to make sure she’s no one else's but mine.

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good addition to the Gladiators of Krix series, and the series is a good spin-off of the Red Planet Dragons of Tajss series -- but the gladiator scenes were a bit too violent for my taste. It also bothered me that the lives of the slaves seemed so hopeless, and that getting their freedom seemed nearly impossible. It gets 3.5 stars from me, rounded down to 3 stars.

Just an FYI -- You can read this book standalone, but it will be much better if you read the series in order. The plot in this book continues from the 1st two books, and could be confusing if you started with this one.

I didn't like Spthifius at all at first -- he was a total jerk to everyone. He did get a lot better later, but it took him a while. It helped when the explanation for his terrible attitude was provided, but I still didn't think it excused how badly he treated everyone. I did like that he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect Savannah and the other human women from a terrible fate, though.

Savannah was likable enough, but I really didn't get why she was attracted to Spthifius at first. He was awful to her, and all she could think was that she liked "bad boys"? I understood her attraction once he stopped being such a jerk, but not at first.

I will continue the series, as I am interested to see what happens with the other slaves, and their hopes to find their freedom.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah was kidnapped by alien space pirates and sold to the highest bidder as a slave. Life on Krix is dangerous and hard and the only people the owners care about are their alien gladiators who will bring glory to House Batius. She thought she would do anything to be free but when she is asked to cosy up to one of the gladiators in order to be sure he is telling the truth when he says he knows how to contact the Free Movement she baulks. He is loud, arrogant, full of himself and a grade Alpha-hole - the stereotypical bad boy but with green skin and tusks. She should hate him but instead her heart speeds up and butterflies dance in her stomach when he looks at her. Spthifius lives by two rules - take what you want or have it taken from you and don't let anyone close because if you let them in they can hurt you. He wants Savannah from the moment he lays eyes on her but he knows he can't let himself have those thoughts - he knows one night with her and both those rules will be broken. However, when Dominus offers Savannah as a prize for any of the Gladiators to win and use, he’ll break every rule in the galaxy to make sure she’s no one else's but his.

I really enjoyed this story - it was a mutual lust while disliking followed by a misunderstanding that needed intervention to sort out. I loved the way he did everything to protect the woman he loved as well as all the other women from someone who would have seriously injured them. It seems that all he needed was to find the right woman and them he would love totally and completely. An addictive story that I really enjoyed. Easy to read and understand. Contains some sexual content.

[Emily Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, just a little heavy on the love-scary theme, I have always enjoyed reading this author's work, and this one is no different. Savannah and Spthifius each have a ton of emotional baggage and I felt like it dragged the story down a little bit. There is a plan afoot and the humans need an in. Spiffy is that guy, but he's a giant jerk, at best. The whole gladiator thing was well done, the fighting scenes were intense and well written. I think the meshing of the two sets of slaves was a little awkward, some of the dialogue was stilted, and the four-armed fighter just disappeared, like, does he die? I don't know, but I felt that that was a detail that should have been worked out. Then there's the scene where Dominus is getting a blowy from a slave during the battle but it's never clear which slave? That bothered me some, as well as the human that needed help standing during the gathering of slaves makes me think I need to go back and read the previous books in this series to find out her story, unless it's a red herring? Regardless of all of my questions, I did enjoy this story, for the most part, I just like those literary Irish pennants burned off before I read a book, you know?

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spthifius and Savannah. Alien and human. Gladiator and slave.
Kidnapped by alien pirates and sold as a slave, Savannah is a house slave but some of the women are forced into performing sexual acts. He also owns gladiators who are slaves also. Savannah and the other human women want to be free and they have heard of a group called the Free Movement, that is getting slaves to freedom. Spthifius, one of the gladiators knows how to contact the movement and Savannah has been tasked with seducing him for the information.n. But Spthifius is rude, angry, and a loner. Getting close to him will be hard as he rejects any acts of kindness. But when a new game is announced that allows the winning gladiator of a competition to have one night with any of the slave women, Spthifius knows he must win so that Savannah will be safe from another gladiator. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right woman for the mission...

This story does a good job of standing alone, but is also clearly part of the overarching arc. The gladiators, and human slaves, have heard of the free movement, what they don't know is if they can trust the being who claims to know how to make contact with the free movement.

Spthifius is a gladiator who lives his life by some simple rules. Take what you want. Anything you car about is a weakness, so care about nothing. Savannah is new to life as a slave, can't imagine anyone living the way Spthifius is, and is grateful the human woman are banded together as a team to survive their traumatic experience.

This is a stand alone done in one Kindle Unlimited quick read, but I think I enjoyed it so much because I have read the previous stories, which gave context to the need to trust someone, the determination to get free, and also gave weight to things that this story alluded to.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 to 3 stars

I love Miranda Martin's book and this is the first book in one of her series that I've read out of order. Usually, even after reading her books, I can confirm that if I had read it out of order that I would have still enjoyed it. That was not the case for this one.
It is best to read Spthifius in the series order of the Gladiators of Krix.
Even though I was a bit lost when reading the book, it helped that each book is centered on a specific "couple" in this case Savannah and Spthifius. It is the back story that is needed to fully understand what is going on. Beyond that, they have been kidnapped and sold into slavery on the planet Krix.
I am going to go back and read the first two books of the series:
Xyron: A SciFi Alien Romance (Gladiators of Krix Book 1)
Anzil: A SciFi Alien Romance (Gladiators of Krix Book 2)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars This book in this series is about Savannah, kitchen worker/slave, and Spthifius, gladiator, of the House of Batius was a enjoyable read but I loved the other previous books better. The wishy-washy of the characters was what brought this down a little for me in this story. Granted, Spthifius was used and betrayed by his previous master so his reluctance to get involved is understood, so he comes off ruff and gruff and unfeeling though he's very attracted to Savannah and Savannah who is asked by her friend Kiara to get close to Spthifius to find out what information he knows about the Free Movement is also hot and cold in her feelings toward Spthifus. When Dominus calls a meeting announcing a contest to determined the four spots for the regional games and that the prize is a one night with a human female of their choice, Spthifius is determined that no warrior will have Savannah but himself. What occurs between them in this third story was enjoyable to read and we learn more about the world and more characters within this story that reminds me of a Roman, Sci-Fi, Alien Romance I volunteer to review via Booksprout.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been yet another wonderful addition to this series
This is the third book in this series and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one and this was no different. This is the story of Savannah and Spthifius, it was interesting that one of the things was having to do the Mata Hari and be able to confirm that the information given had been genuine.
Once they knew that he was a man that could be trusted the things started to move and there were more humans and gladiators that inhabit this universe and I assume can appear more in later books.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and await the next publication.
I voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.

[Kristine L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this new world that Miranda Martin and James Horton have created. Life on Krix is brutal. The masters are cruel and heartless. The gladiators might be the only aliens to save Savannah. The alien that Kiara wants her with is a real arrogant, demanding A alpha hole. Spthifius knows what he wants and it's the human Savannah who's just arrived. There is action, drama, danger, arena play, house politics and plenty of hot steam. Can't wait for the next story to come out. I have to say that I have all Miranda's "Red Planet Dragons of Tajss" and I now have the first three books of the "Gladiators of Krix." Highly recommend both series. I received an ARC copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christina Standridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story and series. If you haven't read any of these fantastic stories by this author then you are missing out. Spthifius is a gladiator. He is a loner and doesn't encourage anyone to get to know him. He has been betrayed over and over and doesn't want to be hurt again. He can't stop thinking about Savannah though and when her and the other human slaves are offered up as a prize to the gladiators, he will stop at nothing to win her. Savannah and other human women have been kidnapped from Earth and sold as slaves. She is asked by a fellow human to get close to Spthifius to see if he can be trusted. How will this end. Must read to find out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of the dragon books and now all of the gladiator books. This gladiator book possibly sets up for the next story but I hate to say I truly could not get into this one much. The heroine is asked to get info from the gladiator. She reluctantly agreed. She fearfully goes to him and once she is away from him she wonders why he didn’t take advantage of her. She goes to him again, afraid he will hurt her but again she isn’t and he doesn’t even try. Then she is upset when he doesn’t do anything. I just couldn’t get into this story. Maybe someone else will see it differently.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Spacey sci-fi type romance anyone? Yup here you go. The main female lead in this book is strong in her own ways and she's torn between helping her people who are slaves like her vs cozing up to a green tusked alien gladiator beast call Spthifius wasn't in her plans now or even in the future. Until she is asked. Our male lead is a Grade A @sshole at the most and very brutal on the gladiator field when he needs to be. Where he likes the soft looking little human female. He can't be distracted by her and her curves, if he is to win any battles. But something keeps tugging him in her direction. Is it the will of the Widow? Or is it something else?

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah and a group of other humans had been kidnapped by alien space pirates and sold into slavery. Kiara, a space marine on the ship, approached Savannah with a plan to perhaps help them escape. She wants Savannah to get friendly with one of the gladiators, the most aggressive, loud, and mean warrior of them all -- Spthifius! But he doesn’t grab her or flirt with her and she’s confused. (Apparently he needs to stay focused on his arena battles and cannot let himself be distracted by a female, even if she is the one he wants for himself!) Will he help them escape? Is he her mate? When will he tell her that he wants her for his own?

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I highly recommend you read the previous books before reading this book.

I didn't really like either Spthifius or Savannah. I'm not sure I really got a connection between the two of them, other than being thrown into very unfortunate circumstances. I get that Spthifius has a rather horrible background, but he seemed so hot and cold that he was hard to read. Savannah was okay but just a bit too bland overall.

I am interested to see how the overall story arc progresses and how the free movement will playout in future stories.

[Lizette Novotasky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book of this series and the first one that ended kind of like a cliff hanger, This is the story of Savannah and Spthifius. Savannah have to do a Mata Hari and confirm that the information that spthifius give was real and that they could trust him. We have more world build and get to meet more of the Humans and gladiators that inhabit this universe ! Great story, with lots of action and spice! I will give it 2 and half peppers in spiciness!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shelley G · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great book in this series this plot is very well done, characters are well rounded well described and believable. lots of drama, excitement, suspense and many other emotions to take u on a roller coaster ride of interest to the very end. love the way the two main characters have both learned tough lessons about never opening yourself up to love but find it impossible to resist in the end and get a happy ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Athena Diven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah has felt rejected all her life, so when Spthifius keeps burning hot and cold to her all she can do is feel rejected. Spthifius has learned that the only person you can count on is yourself. So when he finds himself obsessing over Savannah he keeps pushing her away to protect himself. Is there any way they can trust each other and be together? Touching and endearing as well as continuing the story in their endeavors to escape. Each story builds on the next. A really great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mumto2girls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series reminds me so much of the tv show Spartacus. I just hope it has a happier ending! This installment featured two people with tortured souls -Spithifuis and Savannah - who are slaves with heartbreaking pasts. They have great turmoil to overcome but they eventually find each other. On the way, there is action, fighting, suspense and a hint of a hopeful future. This wasn”t my favourite book by Ms. Martin but I did enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a long fan of Miranda Martin, and like what she is doing with this series. A gladiator gets the Earth girl, with a continuous story of slaves working together to escape. In the setting, there is a mix of Alpha male gladiators and females from Earth, who got captured and sold as slaves. Each book is different. This book I must admit, I did not like the fact that the male was an absolute grinch and wondered if and how this would come right. In the end I am glad I kept on reading and loved the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This world is brutal!
Spthifius is a gladiator slave. He keeps everyone pushed away so he's never hurt again. He doesn't want to care.
Savannah is a human kitchen slave. She is sent to get information from him. She wasn't supposed to care. She becomes a competition prize.
When he's badly injured, can they admit what's going on? Will they find freedom?
This is a continuing storyline and you must read the books about the other couples to get the whole story. It is worth it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah was one of the humans on the Earth generational ship that was attacked by space pirates and she some others ended up as slaves on an estate. The ruling class own gladiator slaves also and Savannah is asked to make friends with Spthifius, a gladiator who is repudiated to know how to contact the free movement. Spthifius has vowed never to care for anyone again after his painful past and acts like a jerk to everyone. Unexpectedly, very real emotions grow between Spthifius and Savannah and they fight to be together. I received an advance copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An alien romance on a planet of gladiators. Spthifius is a slave and gladiator. He is also big, green, has tusks and if hot as hell if you ask Savannah. Savannah is trapped with several other human females. They could of decided to be selfish and think of only themselves, but instead they became a type of family. Even two of them have found males to love. But freedom is what they want and Savannah may be the key to helping. The story centers around the life of the gladiators and the slaves. So expect quite a bit of fighting between the males.

[Melanie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beat down for love

Kinda like a mini- movie - lots of angsty romance, tears and fears punctuated by some intense fighting. Not to worry - the Martin/Horton writing duo does a stellar job with the backstory, so the emotional see-saw makes perfect sense, the angst and anger are justified, and the HFN ending is truly the best of all possible sequel set-ups. I wouldn’t miss the next book for anything. This is a SUPERIOR SERIES.

[Vivian Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gladiator...

Another gladiator finds his true love in this newest addition to the series. Savannah is a slave like all the humans on the planet. When she is tasked with gathering information from a gladiator she is scared. Will he hurt her? Spthifius finds Savannah fascinating but ignores it so he can continue winning. These two are about to find that when a gladiator falls he falls hard.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, But I am glad the gladiator’s nickname is Spiffy, because I cant pronounce his name even in my head. Great spinoff from the Red dragons series, I like the characters and the story was gripping. The ending is good, but definitely is a ‘to be continued’ but I didn’t really mind this, as the individual story is complete.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.