Gladiatrix

Shipwrecked off Asia Minor, Spartan priestess Lysandra survives only to be enslaved in a school for female gladiators. Her training gives her an advantage in the arena, but she refuses to accept that combat skill should make captivity tolerable. Success wins attention from spectators and her owner Lucius Balbus, while her pride creates enemies among fellow fighters and trainers. Love for another gladiatrix, Eirianwen, makes survival more than an individual concern. As an imperial visit approaches, preparations for a major spectacle intensify the danger. Lysandra must navigate rivalries, authority and the demands of the crowd in a world where her value to others depends on her willingness to kill.