Spartan Warrior #2: Birth of a Warrior by Michael Ford

My name is Lysander, and I should have been honored when I was one of the first two Spartan trainees chosen to complete the Ordeal. However, I couldn't get excited about the prospect of surviving for five days in the mountains with Demaratos, my worst enemy, and an ephehos whose main purpose was to make sure things weren't too easy. We couldn't carry weapons, food, or blankets, but we could bring a canteen of water. The only way we could survive was by working together. However, the ephehos ordered us to complete life-threatening challenges, and he seemed to be especially hard on me. During the quiet times, I couldn't forget the memory of being forced to whip my best friend, Timeon, but I couldn't imagine how much worse things in Sparta would get.

The essence of this story was Lysander's difficult position of being a former Spartan slave learning to become a Spartan warrior. He managed to survive and made a couple of friends in the first book, but he antagonized others. This created conflict with Diokles, the Spartan in charge of his training, and the bully Demaratos. Demaratos was an intriguing character, as he held animosity toward Lysander but realized he needed to work with his rival. The injustice shown toward Timeon lingered throughout the book, as Lysander continued to keep his friend in his thoughts. Timeon's demise represented the epitome of the relationship between arrogant, entitled Spartans and all non-Spartans in the world. This series was full of fighting, complete with blood and gore, so you should be forewarned. The prejudice and violence seemed to represent the culture of ancient Sparta, as they felt superior to everyone else. Their attitude was to force others into submission and resolve conflicts by fighting. The plot of this book was much different from The Fire of Ares, as most of the events occurred outside of Sparta. The first half described the Ordeal, while the second half dealt with an imminent threat to the city. Lots of fighting and death. Overall, I'm enjoying the series but realize it won't appeal to everyone. Give it a shot?