I have read the first two books in this series and while I enjoyed them, I see a difference in this book.  Whether it is the seasoning of the author or just that I enjoy the character Thom more than his brother or Kitty, this book was a step above the first two.

This series/author does a great job of giving the reader some closure with each book but at the same time leaves the door slightly open for the next episode.

I really enjoyed the linking of character and various points of view to show the different experiences of characters going through the same scenes.

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SUMMARY

When Thom Anteros is arrested after breaking into the Building of Historical Records, he demands to be taken before the King. A laughable demand for anyone else, Thom’s request is granted and the King spares his life. Yet what’s to become of him is left in the hands of the one person Thom truly fears – Mickey Taenia, the King’s Hangman.

Infuriated by Thom’s refusal to reveal the whereabouts of Nate and Catherine, the Hangman sends Thom to one of the worst places in the Kingdom – the slave markets of Muntenia. It is there that Thom is bought for the Red Arena: a barbaric, gladiator-type competition where the children of convicts and other unlucky souls are forced to fight to the death.

Twenty wins is release. One loss is death.

With the help of Charles Thoreau, a fellow captive, Thom begins not only to survive, but to thrive. A master of words becomes a master of death, and Thom’s prowess in the arena frightens even him.

But death isn’t the only thing haunting Thom. As the days go by, he dreams of his brother, and the promise he cannot forget.

I will return.