Gladiator Eleanor “Ellie” Skinner triumphs in one more battle to the death in the arena. The reigning powers (called the Thral) of Draconia demand she fight in one grizzly battle a year; her other option is becoming a mother, and Ellie has no interest in raising a child. In Draconia, the men rule—they possess undefined magic powers that are stripped away from baby girls as soon as they’re born. Now, at 35, with a wooden arm to replace the one she lost in battle sometime during her 17 years in the arena, Ellie is the oldest undefeated gladiator in Draconia. Her best friend, Rosalind “Roz” Butcher, is, unwillingly, the second-oldest gladiator (unable to have a baby, Roz was forced into the arena). Ellie is horrified to realize she herself has become pregnant after one night’s indiscretion. Roz has heard rumors of an old woman who lives by the ocean beyond Draconia who still has her magic; perhaps she can help Ellie get rid of the baby. But first, she and Roz must escape from the city. They trek through the grimy sewers of Draconia, where the women pick up a teenager named Sam who has his own reasons for wanting to escape. The narrative combines raw, graphic violence with edgy humor and unexpected poignancy. Composed in contemporary lingo loaded with expletives, the story also throws around occasional antiquated terminology just for fun—Ellie refers to the fetus she’s carrying as the “homunculus.” It won’t take readers long to begin to connect the not-so-subtle similarities between Draconia’s undergirding philosophy with the political and social rhetoric of today. This is not a novel for the squeamish, but readers comfortable with the blood, gore, and rough language have plenty of satisfying adventure in store for them.