When We Were Kings by A.H. Hadley

Title: When We Were Kings

Author: A.H. Hadley

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Wolf of Oberhame # 1

Paperback, 312 pages 

Publication: September 23, 2015

Source: Personal Library
Buy|AMAZON|

When tossed into the gladiator arena, the delicate girl in the fancy pink dress should be the first to die. She has other plans. Surviving is at the top of Leyli's list. Revenge is a close second.

Having grown up behind the sheltered walls of the Oberhame Palace, she knows what the crowd wants. Her country was built from the scraps of their neighbors. Gladiators are just one part. Evidently, political coups are another, and she's just become a pawn in the games of men. But why is she still alive? They've killed the heir to the throne. Have they gotten to her father? Is the king dead?

In the cell beside her, the man known as the Lion is impressed. The first day, they all cry. Men, women, it doesn't matter. But this one is different. Her tears don't slow her down. They make her stronger, and when he looks in her eyes, he sees it. Her desperation is feral. It means she won't hesitate to do what she has to. She might be cornered, but this bitch is the kind who'll bite.

When he offers advice, she takes it. When she manages to survive, he's pleasantly surprised. Little does he know, he's about to become her best weapon. Leyli isn't merely trying to live through the games. She also wants to protect her father's throne - but to do that, she needs to become someone else. She can no longer be the Princess.

The Lion has to forge the Wolf.

MY THOUGHTS

I was in the middle of a reading slump when I came across When We Were Kings by A.H. (Auryn) Hadley. The cover caught my attention but the synopsis piqued my curiosity further. A sheltered princess gets thrown into the Gladiator rings and teams up with the strongest, scariest player in the entire game...say less! 

I was enthralled within the first chapter and connected with the characters immediately. I loved the dynamic relationship between The Lion and, Leyli a.k.a. The Wolf of Oberhame. It was so satisfying seeing Leyli's growth from a novice to pro gladiator, bringing down men twice her size. The stakes were high as Leyli and The Wolf try to stay alive all while keeping her identity a secret. There were some quiet moments in the book where it's just the two of them training and talking to each other, and I don't know why but those were probably my most favorite scenes. The Wolf, Tristan was also a great MC and I know this may sound cliché, but he really wasn't like the other men in the ring. But I never once got that stereotypical snowflake; I'm special vibe from either Tristan or Leyli, which was a nice change for once.

I absolutely loved When We Were Kings from start to finish. The ending tied up everything nicely to lead into the next book and I can't wait to start it! This book has been out since 2015, the trilogy complete. I'm surprised that this book isn't more well-known or popular because it should be! It's better than most books right now in the market in terms of Romantasy (hate this new word the Pub made-up) or just Fantasy. I've read a couple of Gladiator related books in the past, but nothing was ever written this well or this engaging. If you haven't read this series yet, i highly recommend it! This series is definitely going on my "Forever Shelf".