*I received a copy from the publishing house in exchange for an honest review* 
 "This is not where I die. 
 I've far too much killing to do." 
 THE PLOT 
 "Why is everyone still acting like this is a fucking game?" 
 I'll try to keep it simple to avoid spoilers. In the first part of the book we follow Mia in two different adventures. 
 In the "present" chapters she willingly gets captured by slavers to inflitrate a gladiatorial collegium. Yes, you've read that right, GLADIATORS. 
 In the "four months earlier" chapters Mia is working for the Red Church but when she meets an old enemy she starts questioning the Red Church's true motives. 
 There's a lot of blood, death, betrayals, battle scenes, friendship, sex, sassy shadows and breath-taking plot twists. I basically died with a smile on my face. 
 MIA 
 "I'm fucking lovable, I'll have you know." 
 She's like Kaz Brekker and Manon's love child. I love her to pieces. 
 She's an assassin who actually KILLS. And she's so smart and sassy and strong and loyal and awesome and amazing and I just love her a lot ok? 
 Her character arc is perfect and she's now officially one of my all time favorite characters. 
 THE OTHER CHARACTERS 
 "What was more important? 
 Revenge for her family? Or the lives of folks who, try as she might to deny it, had become her friends?" 
 Mister Kindly and Eclipse: they're basically sassy children who fight to get their mom's attention. So yes, they're perfect. 
 The other gladiators: you see, Jay Kristoff is actually one of the few authors who spend time to shape their secondary characters. He gave them depth, complexity. He made me care for them. My favorite was Sidonius but I'm not going to say more because it would get spoilery way too fast. 
 Ashlinn: yes, Ash. She's amazing and if something happens to her in the next book I'm going to riot. 
 Tric: *puts tape over her mouth* 
 THE ROMANCE 
 OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THE ROMANCE AT A L L. 
 It's an enemies-to-lovers (aka my all time favorite trope). It's sweet and hot and I've found a new otp and please don't hurt them Jay please please pls 
 I'm just going to leave this quote here and I'm not gonna tell you from which pov it was written (if you want to know you can dm me!): 
 "She was poison. 
 So why had her lips tasted like honey?" 
 IN CONCLUSION 
 It was amazing, go read it. (yeah I know I'm so eloquent)