It was hard because Axios was so gentle, and held the beliefs that aligned more closely with my own, and for his own safety, Eryx had to encourage him to abandon those ideals, and not speak up. The liberties afforded to men who won battles (wrt the women of a village). The way those boys were beaten and tortured as part of their training was just…sickening. It’s like my delicate 21st Century sensibilities just couldn’t handle the realities of their life. I didn’t want my heroes to be okay with that. And that’s, I believe, realistic of the Spartan boy experience.

This one was tough for me…because it was so violent and brutal. Which makes it great for those who haven’t read the other book, but makes it less likely that I’ll want to go back and read Axios, even just for those few scenes.

From the reviews, it sounds like there’s a LOT of repeat, instead of just a few fill in the gaps scenes from a different POV. It can be read as a complete standalone.* My Review:ģ.5 stars - I have not read the first book, Axios, so I can verify this one can be completely read as a standalone. Although told in an alternate point of view of the events in Axios, it includes extended scenes and more content. *Eryx: A Spartan Tale is a 149k word historical gay fiction featuring a love story between Spartan warriors. So why did I feel stronger with him by my side? But then Axios stood in my way, ever vigilant, never failing to bring me back to myself. There were moments when the brutal training stripped me of my humanity, where it turned me into a mindless beast of flesh and muscle set to destroy everything in my way. These were the things that mattered most.Īnd then Axios came into my life, teaching me other lessons: humility, brotherhood. Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 Monthly Motif Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 Retellings Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Quarantine Edition Potential Triggers: View Spoiler » LOTS of brutal violence/torture allusions to rape « Hide Spoiler If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book.

Galen jaclyn osborn