They stood amid the bones of an ancient arena, owner and gladiator, striking a deal where death was the prize.

The Black Hearth by Eddy Rose is a dark fantasy romance that blends the brutal spectacle of Gladiator with the grimdark mystery of The Witcher—then sets it on fire with a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers arc. If you crave a mature, ruthless heroine, a quiet, haunted gladiator, and a world dripping with blood and ruin, don’t wait—join my newsletter to get early access to news, updates, and ARC opportunities.

Meet the Author

Eddy Rose

Eddy Rose writes grimdark fantasy filled with gladiators, grit, and romance. Her characters are morally grey, complex humans with emotional depth, strong character development, and often a fatal lack of social skills.

A psychologist by day and author by night, she builds brutal worlds filled with deadly arenas, rich lore, and her own hand-drawn maps.

Based on the Gold Coast, Queensland (at least in theory), Eddy is famously hard to find unless you’re her husband or son, but she’s deeply fond of her reader community and will shamelessly spoil them with free short stories and maps through her newsletter.

Follow Eddy on social media

In a place of blood and sand, the arena offers what he never sought.

A Taste of Blade and Roar, a Twilight of Blood short story, is out now. Grab your free copy here.


In the blood-soaked pit of the Switchblade Arena, survival is a spectacle, and death is entertainment.

The King’s newest gladiator, a young purebred beast raised for the arenas, must earn his place in the merciless head trainer’s team by surviving an impossible fight—a Slayer’s Pit. But as he steps onto the shifting sands, he discovers the arena offers far more than blood and death. What he finds there will shape the beast destined to become the Lion of Zarall.

A Taste of Blood and Roar is a Twilight of Blood short story and a prequel to Lion of Zarall.

  • May Updates and Wrap Up

    May Updates and Wrap Up

    I don’t even know where May went. I had to actually sit down and dig through my brain to remember everything that happened, because somehow, it’s been a lot. At the start of the month, I joined another writing bootcamp. I only managed 6,396 words. Not exactly impressive, but you know what? It’s fine. Progress

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  • This Grimdark Fantasy Short Story Will Drag You Into the Arena and Leave Scars

    This Grimdark Fantasy Short Story Will Drag You Into the Arena and Leave Scars

    If you like your fantasy bloody and grimdark, and if you like gladiators, this short story is for you. A Taste of Blade and Roar has been out for a few months—and completely free to download. It follows Mutt, a young gladiator who’s just joined the King’s elite team of beasts—gladiators. He’s quick, brutal, and

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  • Going Wide

    Going Wide

    I’ve got some news—Lion of Zarall is going wide. This has been a long time coming, and trust me, it hasn’t been a quick or easy decision. There are good reasons for authors to stay in Kindle Unlimited (KU), and there are also very good reasons to get the hell out and spread your book

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  • 5 Secrets for Building an Immersive Fantasy World

    5 Secrets for Building an Immersive Fantasy World

    One of the most consistent comments I get from readers of Lion of Zarall is about the world, and how it feels immersive and layered, without overwhelming or confusing. A few people have even said they felt like they were dropped into the story without needing to study a map. It took a lot of

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  • April Updates and Wrap Up

    April Updates and Wrap Up

    How does an author celebrate finishing off a 160k word long manuscript and sending it to her editor? Now that Beast of Zarall is complete and with my editor, I can finally set a release date. 22nd July 2025 Only a few months away! ARCs will be ready in June, and preorder will start soon. You can find

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