Highland Gladiator

Kathryn Le Veque

Aug 2020 · Scots and Swords Book 1 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

Gladiator meets Fight Club in the Scottish Highlands in a new romance from USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Le Veque

"The epic Medieval Romance is back—thanks to Kathryn Le Veque!"—Claire Delacroix, New York Times Bestselling author

When Lor Careston's quiet Highland village was attacked and burned, he felt helpless against the raiders who destroyed his home. Seeking revenge, but lacking the fighting skills needed to execute his mission, he sets out to find the Ludus Caledonia—a mysterious fight guild that turns men into warriors.

Lor trains hard, proves himself in the ring, and earns a place within the very clan that decimated his home. He knows he can set his plan for revenge in motion from the inside. But his plan didn't include Isabail Keith, a beautiful warrior lass who prefers broadswords to embroidery. Lor thought the Keiths were his enemies, but when Isabail is threatened, he'll have to decide what he's willing to risk for the woman who has captured his heart and the clan that has become his home.

Truth. Justice. Revenge. Behind these stands the Scotsman's sword.

Scots and Swords series:

Highland Gladiator (Book 1)

Praise for Kathryn Le Veque:

"Vivid world-building, pitch-perfect prose... Kathryn Le Veque has made a fan of me."—TopShelf Reviews

"Medieval Romance just doesn't get any better than this."—Uncaged Book Reviews

"Le Veque writes winning epics."—Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this story, though it took me a few chapters to really get into the characters. It seemed rushed for the romance right off, but once the story got past the burning of Lor Caresten’s village, and you have him traveling to the fight guild known as Ludus Caledonia, his character becomes much more rounded, and you feel his pain, his motivation, and his love for the woman from the Kieth Clan that his clan has been rivals with generations. Isabail Keith is a character that is a strong female who is believable to have existed in the time period, though she would have been atypical of most women. Though I feel the story was focused more on the story of Lor and his revenge, I loved it when the point of view was more from Isabail’s perspective. I would have loved to have had more scenes with her, including the gap years from when the two first meet as children, and when they meet again as adults. I also felt the background stories of some of the minor characters were well done, and could have had their own stories. Which, since this is first in the series, might actually happen. It would be fun to explore them further. Especially those from the Ludus Caledonia. Overall, this was a well done romance with enjoyable characters, and a well told narrative. If one is reading this, and feels like I did in the first couple chapters, hang on, the ride gets way better. It is worth sticking with the story. I have not read from this author before, but this first in series whets my appetite for others by her. I highly recommend this book as a nice romantic getaway.

Highland Gladiator (Scots and Swords Book 1) by Kathryn Le Veque is a new and exciting series. A romance with, revenge, justice, a demented sociopath, familiar ties, great fight scenes, and an epic love story. Take a trip to Medieval Scotland to meet, Lor Careston and Isabail Keith on an epic Medieval Scottish Romance. A gripping love story, that's sure to capture a reader's heart. Filled with dramatic fight scenes, passion, greed, love, and romance. The ending is emotional and compelling. Another well written and well crafted story, with characters that have depth and strength to endure all that's thrown their way. MAGNIFICENT read! I can't wait for Book 2 of this exciting and intriguing new series. Well done, Kathryn Le Veque!! #NetGalley,#HighlandGadiator, #KathrynLeVeque,#SourcebooksCasablanca "I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review." Rating: 5 Heat rating: Mild

Loved this first book in a new series! A story of true love, destiny and revenge, Isabail and Lor were meant to be together, overcoming numerous before getting their HEA. The story is fast-paced, action-packed, with a few unexpected twists. Great read - hard to put down! Looking forward to the next in this series.

About the author

With over 100 published novels, Kathryn Le Veque is a critically acclaimed USA Today bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance. Kathryn is a multiple award nominee and winner, including the winner of Uncaged Book Reviews Magazine "Raven Award" for Favorite Medieval Romance and Favorite Cover. Kathryn is also a multiple RONE nominee for InD’Tale Magazine, holding the record for the number of nominations. In 2018, her novel WARWOLFE was the winner in the Romance category of the Book Excellence Award and was also a finalist for several other awards. Kathryn has also hit the USA Today Bestseller list more than 15 times. In addition to her own published works, Kathryn is also the President/CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, a boutique publishing house specializing in Historical Romance, and the President/CEO of DragonMedia Publishing, a publishing house that publishes the Pirates of Britannia Connected World series. In July 2018, Kathryn launched yet another publishing house, WolfeBane Publishing, which publishes the World of de Wolfe Pack Connected series (formerly Kindle Worlds). Kathryn is considered one of the top Indie authors in the world with over 2M copies in circulation, and her novels have been translated into several languages.