Clearly influenced by The Hunger Games, but also by classical greek and roman motives, this book starts a series that feels like Game of Thrones in a sci-fi setting, both with brutal plot-twists and brutality in general. Morally grey characters and some intrigue add to that feeling. I really enjoyed this book and had a lot of late night reading experiences of "just another chapter"! Also recommended for readers who want to add to their vocabulary as the author clearly likes to flaunt his knowledge of unusual words.