Short & Sweet Reviews: [Blog Tour] Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk Excerpt + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Blood and Sand Blog Tour! For today's stop, I have a an exclusive excerpt of Chapter One. Don't forget to check out the other tour stops and enter the giveaway below.

In stores and wherever books are sold January 16, 2018

Hardcover|Ebook| 320 Pages

Published by Tor Teen

Pre-Order|B&N|Amazon|

FORGED IN BATTLE...

FROM THE DUST OF THE ARENA...

A LEGEND WILL RISE

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic—and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus...

For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk.

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire—an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor.

Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end—and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus...

Excerpt

Chapter 1

They called them slaves.

In the shadow of the Coliseum, through the paved streets of
Rome, armed guards dragged them by the neck. Rusted iron
shackles cut at their wrists and ankles. Each labored breath was
fouled by the bitter stench of the city. Old and new blood darkened
the rope that bound them together. Clumps of hair, torn
fingernails, and other bits were trapped in the heavy, twisted
strands. It was a rope that had been used many times before.

A crowd of dusty citizenry parted to let them pass, urged
along by the guards and watchmen flanking the slaves on their
walk to the auction block.

Twenty-one women in total, and they all averted their eyes,
trembled with terror. All but one.

At the very end of the line, a slight figure lifted her head and
stared around her, her gaze steady, penetrating. The dirt and
mud that streaked her face wasn’t enough to hide her disgust.

She knew what was going to happen to her and the others. She
knew the warped rules by which the Romans played. Patricians
and plebeians. Masters and slaves. They all filled their roles
without exception. It didn’t matter who she was sold to, just that
she would be sold. She would be bought, and she would be paid
for, and she would be a slave.

She tried to summon calming pictures of her home—the
salty air that drummed against the walls of her father’s tent, the
alternating calm and fury of the Aegean, the stormy gray of
her mother’s eyes. But the pictures quickly turned to images of
carnage and violence.

She’d been a warrior once, and free. Now she was the only
one left, the last Thracian the world would never know. She
wondered if history would remember the genocide of the Maedi,
the annihilation of her people.
Doubtful, she thought. History only serves the winner.
Roma victrix.

She knew she didn’t have the luxury of denial—not if she
was going to survive. So when the bloodstained rope pulled her
forward with a sharp jerk, she focused instead on her training
and her discipline and managed to remain steady.

“Keep moving,” the guard behind her grumbled.

Gripping her rope with bleeding fingers, she spat into the
sand and walked on.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C. V. Wyk was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She has lived in five states in the continental US (and hopes to add a few international locales to that list). Prone to wanderlust and getting lost, Wyk likes to explore local hiking trails, mountain ranges, dark caves where nefarious mythical creatures undoubtedly reside, and libraries. She currently lives in Maryland with a precocious mini poodle and a demanding guinea pig.

In her not-so-spare time, she enjoys playing MMORPGs, kayaking, coding, staring listlessly at blank walls, and nursing a totally healthy coffee addiction.

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GIVEAWAY

Tor Teen has provided 3 Hardcovers to be sent to 3 winners in the US or Canada. You must be 12 years or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule (weekdays Jan 8 – Jan 26)

Jan 8 – Mary Had A Little Book Blog

Jan 9 – Novel Knight

Jan 10 – The Book Nut

Jan 11 – Short & Sweet Reviews

Jan 12 – Rabid Reads

Jan 15 – Brittany’s Book Rambles

Jan 16 – Powder and Page