Axios

Book excerpt: "My name is Axios Leontius of Sparta, and I was born to kill. At age seven, I was torn from my mothers arms and left home to train with a group of other boys. We were taught obedience, solidarity, military strategy, and how to withstand pain. My harsh upbringing stripped me of my weaknesses and forced me to become strong, ruthless. But I craved something greater-a life I could never have. Against all odds, and the toughest training a warrior could endure, I found an unexpected love in the arms of a fellow spartan. He was the very air I breathed and the water that sustained me. Fighting side by side with him we were invincible. However, there's no place for love in Sparta, especially between two men. In times of war all men are put to the test. But the greast challenge for us was not one of swords and spears, but of all the heart.