I can’t speak to the spice (I know people have strong feelings) cause I skipped it, but otherwise, this was a decent read. It was good, just not something I’m going to hype up to everyone or be dying for a sequel. I did find the change up of the MC being the one dealing with the trials and the whole gladiator flavoring, it was a breath of fresh air in a market saturated with 17 year olds fighting for their lives while morally grey men in power stealthily help them….but there’s also a reason that formula works well 🤷🏼‍♀️ another bonus, the book is really pretty!