“Maybe honor wasn't always something won by a blade. I thought. And maybe it couldn't be so easily stripped away, even in servitude.”

I know two stars makes it sound like I think this a bad book, but I really don't. I didn't enjoy it, but it was okay. The story flowed well together, and the characters were reasonably distinct, yet there was always something that felt off. I'm not quite sure what it was but I just never felt really engaged. I had no motivation to pick it up after I set it down. (Note: this might very well be a side affect of social distancing. Keep that in mind lol)

I did see someone say this was a better version of "An Ember in the Ashes" and I highly disagree. This book might have done a better job at incorporating the Roman society and way of life, but AEITA is 100% superior in all other aspects.

Also, kind of a content warning: (I'm putting it in a spoiler tag so you can choose whether or not you see it. It's a minor plot point that takes place about 80% of the way through the book but it isn't a plot twist or anything of that sort.)

There is a scene where you know a man's heart is being eaten in the room behind the main character. It's not very descriptive, just a glimpse in the dark at the state of his body and a description of the noises they're making. As well as brief conversations about it as the characters try to comprehend the foulness of what they witnessed. Things like this were practices for vile people, and the author wasn't glorifying it (nor was much time spent on it), but I could still see it potentially bothering someone.

So yes, anyway, this wasn't bad, I just didn't enjoy it.