by CJMcCormick
I'll share I rated this 4 off the top.
Pacing for the Spartans invading inside the city and Praxis' return went apace; Damian's and Eulalia's respective shocks painted the painful portrait we would have expected also. Even killing off Theron to save Praxis makes sense.
Several things seemed slightly off: the primary Spartan army invading. The story seemed to signal Praxis returning and managing to dispatch the Spartan contingent--along with killing Xanthos too--as well as Lysander and the Elites managing to accomplish this and flee the city. Problem is the story posits Praxis finally realizing there is nothing for him in Argos, so logic dictates he SHOULD flee; for him to risk death and disobey his mother is doubly foolhardy. We can understand his loss, but he's gravely wounded and needs to think long enough to live to fight another day.
It will prove interesting to see how you resolve this. Really, Praxis should die due to his reopened wound--and if only because of the phrase "his last reserves of strength," implying he'll save Lysandra but buy the farm himself.
I’m a little disappointed that things haven’t worked out better for Praxis. I was expect him to take the city before the Spartans arrived and then ambush them. I’m also disappointed that we didn’t get to see more remorse and recrimination from Damian and his wife.