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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Tres razones para leer este libro:
•Espartanos
•Friends to lovers
•BL (Estre guerreros espartanos, claro
•Espartanos
•Friends to lovers
•BL (Estre guerreros espartanos, claro
It’s really good, but I don’t want to read it with the knowledge that they die in the end.
emotional
sad
Strong character development:
Yes
I'm still crying. I expected to cry. I expected death. I didn't expect what I actually read.
It hurt reading this book.
I loved so much each and every character that's been mentioned for most of the story. Axios had a beautiful mind and his curiosity was refreshing.
Eryx tried his best and did everything he could to keep Axios with him, even after making some mistakes.
King Agesipolis, whom we met for a brief period of time, took a piece of my heart too, as did Quill and Theon.
The harshness of Spartan life is clearly depicted here, as we see how training first, and war later, consume a small part of the souls of the soldiers.
Their love was amazing to read, amazing to experience, and amazing to feel. These two are the type of characters that you will keep in your heart forever.
I really enjoyed the small things about the couple that kept coming back, like their secret place, the storytime, or talk about stars.
This book changed me in so many ways, but surely it will leave me for some time with pain in my heart and mind.
I'm not sure if I'm ready, or if I'll ever be ready, to read the story from Eryx's point of view. I mean, it will definitely be interesting, but I'm not sure I can make myself read this again, knowing how it will make me suffer. Maybe, after time alleviates most of the sufferings left by this book, I will give it a try. I hope I will be able to give it a try.
It hurt reading this book.
I loved so much each and every character that's been mentioned for most of the story. Axios had a beautiful mind and his curiosity was refreshing.
Eryx tried his best and did everything he could to keep Axios with him, even after making some mistakes.
King Agesipolis, whom we met for a brief period of time, took a piece of my heart too, as did Quill and Theon.
The harshness of Spartan life is clearly depicted here, as we see how training first, and war later, consume a small part of the souls of the soldiers.
Their love was amazing to read, amazing to experience, and amazing to feel. These two are the type of characters that you will keep in your heart forever.
I really enjoyed the small things about the couple that kept coming back, like their secret place, the storytime, or talk about stars.
This book changed me in so many ways, but surely it will leave me for some time with pain in my heart and mind.
I'm not sure if I'm ready, or if I'll ever be ready, to read the story from Eryx's point of view. I mean, it will definitely be interesting, but I'm not sure I can make myself read this again, knowing how it will make me suffer. Maybe, after time alleviates most of the sufferings left by this book, I will give it a try. I hope I will be able to give it a try.
I have a lot of feelings about this book, but most of them are bad. It's not that it's necessarily a bad book (lots of other people seem to love it), it just didn't take the angle I expected and wanted, and well... it just didn't work for me in a lot of ways.
First there's the introduction to Spartan society and the surrounding city-states. I totally understand that the author was aiming for a more accurate version than modern readers usually get, and I applaud that. But using a 10-14-year-old Axios for that didn't work very well, in my opinion. Axios had neither the knowledge nor the experience to have such a broad and unbiased view of his own society, and it really spoiled my view of his character. It didn't fit at all.
Then there's the fact that the whole book just... meandered. It felt like it took forever to read. There's not a coherent plot line to follow, just a lot of ancient Greek politics and Spartan training sessions that I'm not really that interested in. Axios and Eryx don't have much interpersonal conflict in their relationship either, and what there is is resolved very quickly. While the years-long look at their relationship could have been a very interesting study, there was nothing else to hold my interest along the way.
Lastly, there's the characters themselves, especially Axios. The outsider is a well-beloved trope in fiction, romantic and otherwise, and Axios certainly starts the book fitting this trope to a T. And then he... caves, breaks, cracks? He becomes just like every other Spartan soldier, and he looks back on his former violence-abhorring, slavery-hating self so clinically and detachedly. It was very disappointing to me. And Eryx encourages him in this. His answer to every problem that young Axios (and even older Axios on occasion) is "Sparta!" as if that can solve every moral dilemma. Watching Axios crack and mold into a true "man" just broke my heart, and Eryx stood aside and let Axios make all the compromises in their relationship.
First there's the introduction to Spartan society and the surrounding city-states. I totally understand that the author was aiming for a more accurate version than modern readers usually get, and I applaud that. But using a 10-14-year-old Axios for that didn't work very well, in my opinion. Axios had neither the knowledge nor the experience to have such a broad and unbiased view of his own society, and it really spoiled my view of his character. It didn't fit at all.
Then there's the fact that the whole book just... meandered. It felt like it took forever to read. There's not a coherent plot line to follow, just a lot of ancient Greek politics and Spartan training sessions that I'm not really that interested in. Axios and Eryx don't have much interpersonal conflict in their relationship either, and what there is is resolved very quickly. While the years-long look at their relationship could have been a very interesting study, there was nothing else to hold my interest along the way.
Lastly, there's the characters themselves, especially Axios. The outsider is a well-beloved trope in fiction, romantic and otherwise, and Axios certainly starts the book fitting this trope to a T. And then he... caves, breaks, cracks? He becomes just like every other Spartan soldier, and he looks back on his former violence-abhorring, slavery-hating self so clinically and detachedly. It was very disappointing to me. And Eryx encourages him in this. His answer to every problem that young Axios (and even older Axios on occasion) is "Sparta!" as if that can solve every moral dilemma. Watching Axios crack and mold into a true "man" just broke my heart, and Eryx stood aside and let Axios make all the compromises in their relationship.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
READ: Jan 2023
FORMAT: Audio
FORMAT: Audio
BRIEF SUMMARY:
This historical fiction takes us to ancient Sparta from 396 to 371 B.C.E. We follow Axios from the age of 10 and on while he, Eryx, and their peers are trained away from their humanity and molded into true Spartan warriors. We see them as they struggle to understand love, friendship, family, loyalty, honor, and more in a world where emotion, pain, and disobedience are weaknesses to be punished and excised from one’s individuality.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4.75 / 5⭐
“Axios” is a fascinating work that I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s not typical for me to search out reads that I know are going to be war- or combat-heavy, but this one brought to mind the experience of playing through “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” something I deeply enjoyed. I was excited to dig into a world and a geography that I felt ready and capable of visualizing.
We see a number of characters that are wonderfully fleshed out and realized, although I feel like more care and attention could have been given to side characters who sparked my interest and are largely just... there. Axios is our main protagonist who experiences more difficulty than most in letting go of his humanity, ideals, and respect for life. Eryx is there every step of the way to push and encourage Axios to become what's expected of him, while at the same time finding the unwanted values that define Axios to be alluring.
Axios and Eryx find balance in one another; Eryx provides Axios with reason to keep pushing through and surviving, while Axios tethers Eryx to his own humanity, grounding him. The two couldn’t be any more unalike in body and mind, but their devotion to one another is unfailing.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4.5 / 5⭐
As mentioned, there were some side characters I felt were owed a bit more thought than they were given. As one example: there are two characters who are romantically involved that are always named in tandem with one another. Their names come up frequently, and they often share knowing glances with our two MC’s, but neither character is given a single speaking line in the entire span of the book. It leaves me wondering what their purpose was, and if they were even necessary – especially since they aren’t the only side characters to form connections with other men. I kept wanting them to be something, to do something, but they never did.
As mentioned, there were some side characters I felt were owed a bit more thought than they were given. As one example: there are two characters who are romantically involved that are always named in tandem with one another. Their names come up frequently, and they often share knowing glances with our two MC’s, but neither character is given a single speaking line in the entire span of the book. It leaves me wondering what their purpose was, and if they were even necessary – especially since they aren’t the only side characters to form connections with other men. I kept wanting them to be something, to do something, but they never did.
Beyond that, Osborn did an excellent job writing in a style that let me escape into the historical setting. I never found myself distracted or yanked out of the moment. I felt present and focused through the war and conflict scenes, and everything else captured my attention very well. I listened to the audiobook version of this work and thought Adam Stubbs did a lovely job with it. This was my first introduction to the author and the narrator, and I am suitably pleased by both.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4.5 / 5⭐
If you, like me, were looking for something similar to “The Song of Achilles,” this isn’t quite it. It holds a similar setting, structure, and series of events, but lacks that ethereal tone that made Miller’s work pure poetry. It will scratch the itch, however, if you’re looking for a historical fiction that also includes romance and a decent amount of spice.
This book doesn’t have much representation in diversity, although that's largely due to the nature of its setting.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Gore
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Death of parent
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3/5 stars
I haven't been so deeply invested in a book for so long. It was kind of sad how hooked I was on this relationship, I just kept reading because I was addicted to their story. It was heart-warming, there were so many sweet moments but it was also quite angsty; the formula for an amazing romance story. I admit, this is also one of the cheesiest and repetitive stories I've ever read (the main reason why I gave it three stars instead of four), but it was like being addicted to a soap opera: you know it's cliche but you can't look away. I'm also a really big fan of history, so this book was right up my ally in that way. Although sometimes it felt a bit like an information dump, I was actually super intrigued by the Spartan history and all the training the boys have to do. It was a fantastic choice of backdrop for the story because it made it so much more emotional and heartbreaking at times.
Axios and Eryx are both Spartan warriors, made to train in the most ruthless conditions once the were young boys. Soldiers of Sparta are trained with pain, starvation and cruelty in order to remove all weakness, vulnerability and traces of pain from their being. But it was in these condition that Axios and Eryx formed an unbelievable bond that extended further than friendship. Through years of training and decades fighting alongside each other, they have grown inseparable. They would protect each other even if it means losing their lives, which may be inevitable as they fight for a nation that is constantly as war. Despite their love for each other, Axios and Eryx have been brought up to believe that Sparta is everything to them, and now it's their turn to decide for themselves if that is really true.
This book immediately caught my attention. The first time I read a review for it, I knew that I had to read it for myself. From the very first chapter I was drawn deeply into the lives of these characters and already began to fall in love with their story. The relationship between Axios and Eryx is unbelievably beautiful, gut-wrenching and emotive. From the very beginning I felt all the emotions for their relationship and my heart fell in love with their relationship even before my head did. It wasn't just their romance, but also their friendship and companionship established from the beginning. The author was so extremely successful in creating a relationship that I could root for and fully believe in its intensity and the connection between the characters.
To be honest, it wants just Axios and Eryx’s relationship that I loved, but also the relationship of all the trainees. The author was able to build their friendship up to unparalleled heights, making every fight scene even more intense for the fear of losing a beloved character. This book was truly character-driven and had very strong relationships. The backdrop of the Spartan wars was perfect in increasing the emotive level of this book. Not only was it really interesting and informative, but it also increased the angst factor tenfold. My heart felt like it stopped beating during some of those fight scenes because I couldn't bare the thought of anyone dying.
From the rest of this review, it would seem that I enjoyed this book enough to give it a four or five stars but instead I'm only giving it three. There are quite a few reasons for this, starting with the actual writing of the book. I found the writing style to be quite basic and overly simplistic and times, which really distracted from the building of a complex novel. I also think there were so many information dumps in the book that really distracted from the story. This just added to the author often telling rather than showing events and experiences, which I think would have been more realistic of Axios just told it how he experienced it, rather than the author using him as our historical informant.
I also think this story was undeniably cheesy and repetitive. Of course, many parts of me absolutely loved the relationship but I couldn't overlook the cheesiness of it. They developed form friends to lovers so quickly and their intense relationship didn't really have much build up, we were meant to believe that from their first encounter they were inseparable. There also wasn't much depth to their relationship, it was great superficially but not realistically. There was a lack of conflict between them and almost everything was solved instantaneously, making it quite unbelievable and less rewarding to read. As their relationship was perfect for most of the book, it was also very repetitive. It was just the same declarations of love, conversations and sex scenes that seemed to be repeated throughout the book. I think this had the making of a phenomenal story, but these aspects really inhibited that for me. Despite this, it was still a good book that I greatly enjoyed for the most part.
“Sparta can have my life, but she cannot take my heart.”
I haven't been so deeply invested in a book for so long. It was kind of sad how hooked I was on this relationship, I just kept reading because I was addicted to their story. It was heart-warming, there were so many sweet moments but it was also quite angsty; the formula for an amazing romance story. I admit, this is also one of the cheesiest and repetitive stories I've ever read (the main reason why I gave it three stars instead of four), but it was like being addicted to a soap opera: you know it's cliche but you can't look away. I'm also a really big fan of history, so this book was right up my ally in that way. Although sometimes it felt a bit like an information dump, I was actually super intrigued by the Spartan history and all the training the boys have to do. It was a fantastic choice of backdrop for the story because it made it so much more emotional and heartbreaking at times.
Axios and Eryx are both Spartan warriors, made to train in the most ruthless conditions once the were young boys. Soldiers of Sparta are trained with pain, starvation and cruelty in order to remove all weakness, vulnerability and traces of pain from their being. But it was in these condition that Axios and Eryx formed an unbelievable bond that extended further than friendship. Through years of training and decades fighting alongside each other, they have grown inseparable. They would protect each other even if it means losing their lives, which may be inevitable as they fight for a nation that is constantly as war. Despite their love for each other, Axios and Eryx have been brought up to believe that Sparta is everything to them, and now it's their turn to decide for themselves if that is really true.
This book immediately caught my attention. The first time I read a review for it, I knew that I had to read it for myself. From the very first chapter I was drawn deeply into the lives of these characters and already began to fall in love with their story. The relationship between Axios and Eryx is unbelievably beautiful, gut-wrenching and emotive. From the very beginning I felt all the emotions for their relationship and my heart fell in love with their relationship even before my head did. It wasn't just their romance, but also their friendship and companionship established from the beginning. The author was so extremely successful in creating a relationship that I could root for and fully believe in its intensity and the connection between the characters.
To be honest, it wants just Axios and Eryx’s relationship that I loved, but also the relationship of all the trainees. The author was able to build their friendship up to unparalleled heights, making every fight scene even more intense for the fear of losing a beloved character. This book was truly character-driven and had very strong relationships. The backdrop of the Spartan wars was perfect in increasing the emotive level of this book. Not only was it really interesting and informative, but it also increased the angst factor tenfold. My heart felt like it stopped beating during some of those fight scenes because I couldn't bare the thought of anyone dying.
"You are my heart. I will kill any man and turn the whole world to ash for you, my warrior. I fear neither battle nor death, but I fear the day you are not by my side.
From the rest of this review, it would seem that I enjoyed this book enough to give it a four or five stars but instead I'm only giving it three. There are quite a few reasons for this, starting with the actual writing of the book. I found the writing style to be quite basic and overly simplistic and times, which really distracted from the building of a complex novel. I also think there were so many information dumps in the book that really distracted from the story. This just added to the author often telling rather than showing events and experiences, which I think would have been more realistic of Axios just told it how he experienced it, rather than the author using him as our historical informant.
I also think this story was undeniably cheesy and repetitive. Of course, many parts of me absolutely loved the relationship but I couldn't overlook the cheesiness of it. They developed form friends to lovers so quickly and their intense relationship didn't really have much build up, we were meant to believe that from their first encounter they were inseparable. There also wasn't much depth to their relationship, it was great superficially but not realistically. There was a lack of conflict between them and almost everything was solved instantaneously, making it quite unbelievable and less rewarding to read. As their relationship was perfect for most of the book, it was also very repetitive. It was just the same declarations of love, conversations and sex scenes that seemed to be repeated throughout the book. I think this had the making of a phenomenal story, but these aspects really inhibited that for me. Despite this, it was still a good book that I greatly enjoyed for the most part.
“Not even death could keep me from you. My soul will forever find yours. In this life and the next.”
I skimmed some of this.
Atmospheric and angsty.
Battle; fuck; repeat.
Atmospheric and angsty.
Battle; fuck; repeat.
A stunning romance and historical brilliance combined
If you decide to step outside your comfort zone and pick up something different it should be this book. It goes beyond words as to what makes it special but special it most definitely is.
I am a bit of a Greek myths and history nerd so I was astonished at the level of research which has gone into anchoring this amazing love story so firmly in factual events.
No Axios and his lover Eryx may not have been historical figures but they were real, as real as the life they lived in Sparta and the battles they fought in the Peloponnesian Wars.
And oh how they loved, with all the passion and fire and devotion of two perfect halves made whole altogether. This may not be a conventional love story but by all the Gods they worshipped, it is as epic as those in Greek legend.
From their first meeting, to the epilogue which brings their story to a close, they were inseparable, friends, warriors, lovers, companions, typifying all that was good about Sparta in her glorious age. But also highlighting the ultimate decline and fall of a once great Nation State as new rulers rose and empires changed.
This is the first book I've read by Jaclyn and I have to commend her for choosing to tackle such a weighty setting, the attention to detail is flawless, the introduction of the Sacred Band of Thebes cleverly mirroring what was happening in Axios and Eryx's own military unit. The setting is flawless, the tiny attentions to detail which bring 4thC BC Sparta to life all just add weight to the inevitability of the love story.
Honestly, don't be put off by the setting, this really is a love story for the ages. Have tissues and a comfort blanket - or a stiff drink - ready when you read the epilogue, it is perfect. This is a book which will stay with me for a very long time and one which I will happily recommend to anyone and everyone.
They're in the stars
I borrowed this on KU and loved it so much that I bought it as soon as I'd sent it back. This is a book which, even if I don't read it again (although I'm sure I will once my bruised and broken heart recovers), I wanted to have my own copy because it just deserves to be at the top of the charts.
If you decide to step outside your comfort zone and pick up something different it should be this book. It goes beyond words as to what makes it special but special it most definitely is.
I am a bit of a Greek myths and history nerd so I was astonished at the level of research which has gone into anchoring this amazing love story so firmly in factual events.
No Axios and his lover Eryx may not have been historical figures but they were real, as real as the life they lived in Sparta and the battles they fought in the Peloponnesian Wars.
And oh how they loved, with all the passion and fire and devotion of two perfect halves made whole altogether. This may not be a conventional love story but by all the Gods they worshipped, it is as epic as those in Greek legend.
From their first meeting, to the epilogue which brings their story to a close, they were inseparable, friends, warriors, lovers, companions, typifying all that was good about Sparta in her glorious age. But also highlighting the ultimate decline and fall of a once great Nation State as new rulers rose and empires changed.
This is the first book I've read by Jaclyn and I have to commend her for choosing to tackle such a weighty setting, the attention to detail is flawless, the introduction of the Sacred Band of Thebes cleverly mirroring what was happening in Axios and Eryx's own military unit. The setting is flawless, the tiny attentions to detail which bring 4thC BC Sparta to life all just add weight to the inevitability of the love story.
Honestly, don't be put off by the setting, this really is a love story for the ages. Have tissues and a comfort blanket - or a stiff drink - ready when you read the epilogue, it is perfect. This is a book which will stay with me for a very long time and one which I will happily recommend to anyone and everyone.
They're in the stars
I borrowed this on KU and loved it so much that I bought it as soon as I'd sent it back. This is a book which, even if I don't read it again (although I'm sure I will once my bruised and broken heart recovers), I wanted to have my own copy because it just deserves to be at the top of the charts.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated