Zane, an underground fighting sensation in Los Angeles, California, had been craving recognition in the professional combat sports realm for years. After one of his random street fights goes viral, Zane gains instant global fame and grabs the attention of news outlets, MMA fans, and stakeholders. An Arab prince approaches him with an irresistible offer. He is to fight a former multiple lightweight champion, and, if he wins, he will walk away with over four hundred million dollars. The fight is to be hosted in Houston, Texas. The Duke, Houston’s most ruthless and feared crime lord, sees this as an opportunity to make money from what he considers his turf. The Duke lures the unsuspecting Zane into his scheme, trapping him with a contract. Concerned for Zane’s fate, the prince hires ex-special ops soldier, Mason, to help save Zane from The Duke. Find out how it all goes down in Rex Holloway’s Gladiator Farm.

You will only put down this page-turner after you’ve read from cover to cover. Rex Holloway’s Gladiator Farm is a must-read for lovers of high-octane, action-packed, fast-paced action and crime thrillers. Running the plot on a multi-perspective timeline, Holloway weaves an ingenious plot featuring an exciting, dynamic cast. The edge-of-your-seat suspense and spell-binding plot twists hooked me. The cinematic depictions of the scenes plunged me into the grimy world of crime, riddled with deception, murder, extortion, power struggles, greed, drugs, and more. It felt like watching a Hollywood crime thriller movie. The conversations were intense, filled with gritty prison dialogue, streetwise banter, and high-stakes negotiations. Holloway depicts the cast’s emotions, juxtaposing their complex traits. All this made it easy to connect with them. This stand-alone read is an incredible second installment in the Mason Series. I loved it. I can’t wait to get to read more.

Gladiator Farm is the second book in The Mason Series by Rex Holloway. Zane, a promising young fighter, has made a name for himself in the amateur fighting scene of Los Angeles, with a large following on social media. It prompts Saudi Prince Omar bin Talal al-Mansour to offer him a chance at an exhibition fight with a veteran professional fighter for a whopping prize money of $450 million. However, Zane soon finds himself in the clutches of a ruthless Houston mob boss, The Duke, who manipulates him into signing a management contract with his agency. Meanwhile, Prince Omar hires former Delta Force operative Mason Travis and his security firm to protect Zane. The Duke's calculating son Michael targets Zane's girlfriend to pressure him into signing a terrible contract. Now, Mason and his team must find a way to save Zane and his career.

Gladiator Farm is an action-packed belter of a novel. Fast-paced and full of twists and turns, this book is an absolute page-turner, keeping you hooked with non-stop thrills, suspense, and nail-biting action sequences. Author Rex Holloway has created an absorbing narrative that plays out like a hit action blockbuster movie, where you're rooting for your favorite characters to take out the bad guys. Holloway does an incredible job of making you care for the characters. Mason is, of course, the main action hero, but even secondary characters, like Zane, have well-crafted story arcs that make you sympathize with their plight. The Duke is a formidable villain whose introduction at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the book. The action scenes are described in vivid detail, and they make you truly feel the stakes. Action aficionados will have a blast with this one!

Zane is a social media sensation known for his low-level, back-alley-fighting reputation. His popularity skyrockets due to an unusual incident. Eager to capitalize on the young fighter's rising fame, a mysterious Arab prince sponsors him for a unique celebrity match. The Duke, a shady character with a criminal background, attempts to hijack the event by coercing Zane to join his stable. The prince enlists Mason's security team to monitor Zane's activities and ensure his safety, aiming to prevent an impending disaster. Only time will tell if Mason can keep Zane out of trouble long enough to fulfill his part of a particularly complex contract in Rex Holloway's Gladiator Farm.

Gladiator Farm is the second book in The Mason Series. It features a few references to the events in the previous installment, making it easy to enjoy as a standalone while introducing new readers to the close-quarters combat skills and protection services of the main character, Mason. Mason's flashbacks, conversations with his father, and subtle references to his childhood create a rich origin story. Rex Holloway takes a similar approach with Zane and the Duke, adding introductory vignettes to their activities to help readers better understand their motivations. A highlight of Holloway's distinctive storytelling style is his attention to detail, emphasizing every step of the military operations and boxing bouts. This level of detailing is even more pronounced during the fight scenes where multiple events unfold simultaneously at a rapid pace. The simmering tensions between Zane and his love interest will catch the eyes of romance fans. I enjoyed Gladiator Farm, a must-read for action enthusiasts.

Gladiator Farm, the second book in Rex Holloway's Mason Series, tells the story of Zane, a "backyard" fighter who, after a video of one of his fights goes viral, receives an offer from an Arab prince. This could lead to him achieving his dream of becoming a professional combat fighter, including a four-million-dollar paycheck for victory over a multiple Lightweight Champion in the game. Complications stemming from the Duke, a noted crime lord and sponsor for the fight, prompt the prince to hire protection for his fighter. Mason, an ex-special forces soldier, arrives and quickly finds himself and his client submerged in the world of illegal fight rings from Houston to the jungles of Belize.

As I began reading Gladiator Farm, my first impression was how easily I could slip into the story and instantly connect with Mason, the lead character throughout the series, without reading the introductory book. The story is action-packed, fast-paced, and full of verisimilitude in all aspects, highlighting Rex Holloway's skill in creating a realistic environment and extending that realism into the details of living and surviving in a dark and deadly environment. Another writing skill that warrants notice is the smooth transitions from one character's point of view to another, and, in several cases, doing so while jumping from one time frame to another. True-to-life characters mixed into and within realistic scenarios, wrapped in action-packed, page-turning prose, make Gladiator Farm by Rex Holloway a winner. I am certainly looking forward to more work from this outstanding writer.