I found the island's description very well written and evocative, and I really like the concept of the different gates - I would have liked to see them used more strongly in the contests. In my view, such a strong introduction would have deserved a more developed set of trials and mysteries: I would have added at least two more, and developed them a bit further. The characters of Octavian and Natassa are intriguing, but it would have been nice if they had been developed in more detail, especially Natassa (we know she defends the gorgon, but who is she?)