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.

  • The Tropes That Make Beast of Zarall Unforgettable

    The Tropes That Make Beast of Zarall Unforgettable

    I was listening to a podcast where they talked about why we love tropes so much. It just helps our brain process and digest the story a lot easier. If you’re someone who picks up a book based on the tropes alone (guilty), you’re going to want to keep reading. Beast of Zarall leans hard

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  • The Power of a Name – From Lion to Beast

    The Power of a Name – From Lion to Beast

    If you’ve read ATOBAR and LoZ, then you already know that Lion’s character change is deeply internal. It’s about becoming aware of himself, and accepting himself as an individual in a world that has tried to strip him from having an identity. One of the most heartbreaking—and revealing—aspects of his character is that for most

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  • Grab Lion of Zarall while it’s free

    Grab Lion of Zarall while it’s free

    I’m doing a HUGE promotion for Lion of Zarall. It’s free from 21st April to the 25th. Get it while you can. Lion of Zarall is a gritty gladiator book that will rip your heart out and leave you wanting more. Second book Beast of Zarall is coming out mid 2025. Stay tuned for the

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  • Beast of Zarall – Excerpt – Part 2

    Beast of Zarall – Excerpt – Part 2

    This is an unedited excerpt from Beast of Zarall. Find Part 1 of this Chapter here. He recognised the faint shuffle of her feet as she moved quietly down the corridor. A dim light snuck under the door as she passed by, dispersing the darkness in the cupboard. The warm, flickering light of her lantern

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  • The Beginner’s Guide to ARC Reading

    The Beginner’s Guide to ARC Reading

    Have you ever scrolled through Goodreads or Bookstagram and thought, “Wait… how did they read THAT book before it even came out?” Or have you seen the term ARC readers being used on social media, and not sure what it means? Keep on reading and I’ll explain everything you need to know about being an

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