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neptunenad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more on my blog.
“My sister told me what your Queen Penthesilea once said,” I continued, remembering clear as day the words Sorcha had recited to me when I’d stood beside her looking at the stone carving of the legendary queen and her warriors,
‘Not in strength are we inferior to men...the same our eyes, our limbs the same; one common light we see, one air we breathe. What then denied to us have the gods on man bestowed?’ I looked from face to face.
“Help me prove the truth of her words. Help me see that we are not only the equal of men, we are better.”
3.5 stars
Fallon has become Victrix, favoured by Caesar and the darling of Rome's masses, but her triumph has also earned her many enemies - starting with Nyx, the gladiatrix she defeated and subsequently freed. Set on revenge, a rival school threatens the home Fallon has found in the Ludus Achillea and the new family in her fellow gladiatrices. With Sorcha missing and presumed dead, the gladiatrices are framed as rebels and they go on the run, racing to find Sorcha and reclaim their home and freedom.
Readers who liked The Valiant will definitely enjoy this sequel. This is the first historical fiction series set in Ancient Rome that I have enjoyed since I read Kate Quinn's Empress of Rome series a couple of years ago (and it set my standards really high for this time period). Even though it has been over a year and a half since I read The Valiant, it was very easy to pick up the storyline again. The message of sisterhood, friendship and loyalty that I so appreciated in the first book continued through this one - and the bond between the warriors of the Ludus Achillea remains one of my favourite things about this series.
Fallon is a strong main character and a determined, skilled fighter, but personality wise, she is very different in this book. In The Valiant, she was the fierce Cantii warrior princess determined to win her freedom - but this time around, she seems perfectly content to stay at the ludus and fight in the ring for the entertainment of the masses - a 180 that felt very odd. Side characters like Elka and Quintus played an important part in the story and even Cai (whom I did not like in the first book) has some character development and is more integral to the story. The action scenes are amazing, and more importantly, to my limited knowledge, time-period accurate. I also really enjoyed Cleopatra's cameo appearance and the mock sea battle at the beginning between the two schools. As with the first book, Livingston succeeds in immersing the reader in an era long gone.
Once more however, I felt that the book was too short - partly because there is one single plotline from beginning to end, and it's easy to see exactly where the story is heading. This is a novel you read when you want a book that is good - no more, no less. This is possibly one of the very few YA books I have read in recent years that actually fits into the YA genre exactly instead of walking that fine line. It has its fair share of bloodshed, violence, politics, backstabbing and more, but not in the way that makes one dwell upon it, or really get affected by it. There is nothing complex about this series - and sometimes, that's a good thing! This was the perfect, fast-paced, relaxing and easy read I needed after a string of mammoth sized, extremely deep novels.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading the final installment in the series, The Triumphant, which releases in just over a month!
“My sister told me what your Queen Penthesilea once said,” I continued, remembering clear as day the words Sorcha had recited to me when I’d stood beside her looking at the stone carving of the legendary queen and her warriors,
‘Not in strength are we inferior to men...the same our eyes, our limbs the same; one common light we see, one air we breathe. What then denied to us have the gods on man bestowed?’ I looked from face to face.
“Help me prove the truth of her words. Help me see that we are not only the equal of men, we are better.”
3.5 stars
Fallon has become Victrix, favoured by Caesar and the darling of Rome's masses, but her triumph has also earned her many enemies - starting with Nyx, the gladiatrix she defeated and subsequently freed. Set on revenge, a rival school threatens the home Fallon has found in the Ludus Achillea and the new family in her fellow gladiatrices. With Sorcha missing and presumed dead, the gladiatrices are framed as rebels and they go on the run, racing to find Sorcha and reclaim their home and freedom.
Readers who liked The Valiant will definitely enjoy this sequel. This is the first historical fiction series set in Ancient Rome that I have enjoyed since I read Kate Quinn's Empress of Rome series a couple of years ago (and it set my standards really high for this time period). Even though it has been over a year and a half since I read The Valiant, it was very easy to pick up the storyline again. The message of sisterhood, friendship and loyalty that I so appreciated in the first book continued through this one - and the bond between the warriors of the Ludus Achillea remains one of my favourite things about this series.
Fallon is a strong main character and a determined, skilled fighter, but personality wise, she is very different in this book. In The Valiant, she was the fierce Cantii warrior princess determined to win her freedom - but this time around, she seems perfectly content to stay at the ludus and fight in the ring for the entertainment of the masses - a 180 that felt very odd. Side characters like Elka and Quintus played an important part in the story and even Cai (whom I did not like in the first book) has some character development and is more integral to the story. The action scenes are amazing, and more importantly, to my limited knowledge, time-period accurate. I also really enjoyed Cleopatra's cameo appearance and the mock sea battle at the beginning between the two schools. As with the first book, Livingston succeeds in immersing the reader in an era long gone.
Once more however, I felt that the book was too short - partly because there is one single plotline from beginning to end, and it's easy to see exactly where the story is heading. This is a novel you read when you want a book that is good - no more, no less. This is possibly one of the very few YA books I have read in recent years that actually fits into the YA genre exactly instead of walking that fine line. It has its fair share of bloodshed, violence, politics, backstabbing and more, but not in the way that makes one dwell upon it, or really get affected by it. There is nothing complex about this series - and sometimes, that's a good thing! This was the perfect, fast-paced, relaxing and easy read I needed after a string of mammoth sized, extremely deep novels.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading the final installment in the series, The Triumphant, which releases in just over a month!
sundropreeds's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic! What an adventure. I love the narrator for the audio Fiona Hardingham.
my_life_full_of_stories's review against another edition
4.0
I think it's a good sequel but I still prefer the first book...
I like where it's going and I will read the third book for sure.
I like where it's going and I will read the third book for sure.
nikrodee's review against another edition
4.0
Holy crap.
I had reservations going into this book because the first book tied everything up so nicely I didn't quite know what to expect from this one. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The action in this book was unrivaled even by the first book. The cunning and sheer brilliance shown kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
Fallon is just as bad ass as the first one, maybe even more so! The deceit will piss you off, the strategic plans will amaze you and the brute force and blood will leave you feeling like a Roman bystander at the Colosseum yourself.
I thought the first book was amazing, but this one was even better. Now I don't know what to expect from the third..
I had reservations going into this book because the first book tied everything up so nicely I didn't quite know what to expect from this one. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The action in this book was unrivaled even by the first book. The cunning and sheer brilliance shown kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
Fallon is just as bad ass as the first one, maybe even more so! The deceit will piss you off, the strategic plans will amaze you and the brute force and blood will leave you feeling like a Roman bystander at the Colosseum yourself.
I thought the first book was amazing, but this one was even better. Now I don't know what to expect from the third..
nilla_beanie19's review against another edition
3.0
3.25/3.5 Honestly I’m having a hard time rating this book. I enjoyed it, I liked the valiant and I liked this. It was a good sequel but I wasn’t taken in so much that I couldn’t stop reading. I will continue and read the final book when it comes out.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved returning to this series about tough female gladiators and conspiracies! Fallon and her crew were back and better than ever in this explosively exciting sequel, which was packed with twists and surprising turns and sacrifices I didn't expect. There was a lot more depth to the cult aspect and while I was surprised at how two of the confrontations turned out, it only makes me wonder what will happen in the next book. As always, Fallon and Cai had the sweetest romance and I loved seeing them interact with each other. They're "mostly" stress free relationship is a breath of fresh air for YA. The Amazons were also just as awesome as I hoped they would be, and I hope to see more of them in the future. I honestly don't know where the series can go from here, but I hope to see more of it soon! I love gladiator stories, and this one is a must have for anyone who likes their warriors to be feisty women and their will to be indomitable!
esmeem's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
So I just spend the entire day on a financial report for this crazy project I'm working on for uni, and it was almost fun to do but because I listened to this audiobook. It was so addicting, I read it in one sitting. I've been waiting for this book for a year, and now I'll have to spend another year highly anticipating the next one...
So I just spend the entire day on a financial report for this crazy project I'm working on for uni, and it was almost fun to do but because I listened to this audiobook. It was so addicting, I read it in one sitting. I've been waiting for this book for a year, and now I'll have to spend another year highly anticipating the next one...