Blood and Sand: A Novel

Blood and Sand is one of those books that completely takes you away. It then adds on a heroine who knows how to take care of herself, a hero who doesn’t try to change the heroine for who or what she is, and action that never stops. Yes, there were times when the book could have sped up a little faster—but that can be overlooked where Attia is concerned. The story takes place in Ancient Rome—where fighting to the death was entertainment and sport. Xanthus is the champion of Rome. He fights to survive, but it’s not something he likes or wants to do. I found his character none too complex, simple and intriguing. Attia was the Trace crowned Princess and sword maiden until her village was slaughtered, leaving her to be a slave and sold off to the highest bidder. Which brings me to my favorite part about the whole book, which I’ve already mentioned—Attia, the heroine, is one kick-butt character. Oh man, she can fight! She isn’t afraid to do what she needs to do to survive, even when the situations are tough. The romance was absolutely perfect. I swooned and fell in love. I bit my nails and anticipated every little thing that happened because I didn’t want to miss a single second of the story. Readers who read and loved The Valiant by Lesley Livingston will appreciate the feministic view on events that happened in history. Of course, this is fiction, but it’s still fun all the same.