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Summary

A "research" project traps participants in an otherworldly arena to battle for their lives. 

Stats

Genre: Adult fantasy/allegory

Series length: Standalone book

Violence: Moderately high

Magic/Supernatural: Moderately high 

Romance/Sex: Moderately high, including a romantic subplot and references to rape.  

Christian/spiritual element: Strong allegorical

Recommendation: While not for more sensitive readers, this is a high-intensity story perfect for fans of portal fantasy or dystopia.

You might like this book if you liked...
Hunger Games or Divergent.

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Opening Lines: 

"They won't be taking blood or anything, will they?" Callie Hayes looked up from the clipboard in her hands to the dimpled youth behind the receptionist's counter. 

"Our physical evaluations are noninvasive," he assured her. "Completely painless." 

"For goodness' sake, Callie," Meg Riley protested beside her. "It's only a psychology experiment. Why are you giving him the third degrees?"

Arena
by Karen Hancock

A journey she did not choose will change her life forever.

Transported surreptitiously to a terrifying alien world, with limited resources and only a few cryptic words to guide her, Callie Hayes finds herself engulfed in a perilous battle for freedom – for her very life. After agreeing to participate in a routine psychology research experiment, she must unravel the mysteries shrouding her only route of escape or risk succumbing to the deadly deception of the Arena.
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A mesmerizing journey through the treacherous terrain of a strange and terrifying world. A powerful allegory that will capture your imagination with its timelessness and aching familiarity.

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