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kinsportch's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
graceev's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death and Physical abuse
callistag1's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Maybe I didn't enjoy this book because I had such high hopes for it, seeing that almost every BookTuber and BookTok account I follow has raved about it. But really, there was a lot about this book I didn't like.
The plot was okay. After a plague wipes through the kingdom of Ilya, most of the surivivors are left with powers and are known as Elites. The few who didn't get powers are known as Ordinaries, and the ones who receive powers that are "too dangerous" are called Fatals. Basically, the king is a dick and decides Fatals should die because they can't be controlled, and Ordinaries should die because they apparently are diseased and make the Elites sick by weakening their powers. The fact that everyone is okay with mass genocide because they want to be able to move shit with their mind or control fire or morph into animals baffles me.
Paedyn, our main character, is an Ordinary who passes herself off as a Psychic in order to not be nerfed on sight. She's literally out here just trying not to die and I respect that. When she shows a bit of human decency and accidentally saves the 2nd born son of the king, Prince Kai, she is voted by the slums she lives in to participate in Purging Trials (a.k.a. PG13 Hunger Games basically because people die but it's not a necessity to win) and now she has to fake it til she makes it. Add in rebellion and some romance and a hint (?) of a love triangle but not really, and that's the book.
Now, the plot had potentially, but there were just a couple things about the book I couldn't get into. One being a nitpicky thing that pissed me off so badly that I removed a full star for it: the author's outrageous use of the word "laugh" or "laughing" or an iteration of the word. I've never read two characters laugh more than I've read Paedyn and Kai laugh. Once the word or an iteration of it was used four times on one page, and it was used almost every page they were together. It felt like when Roberts didn't know how to have them react, she'd just convey that they laughed in one way or another, usually with "laugh" or "huff out a laugh." Is it a small thing? Sure. Still pissed me off though.
Another problem I had was with Kitt as a character, specifically with his relationship with Kai and their father. While it is stated that the king was nicer to Kitt than he ever was to Kai, Kitt knows that Kai was strait up tortured by their father to make him enforcer, and is just... okay with it? Or tries to play peace maker but still seems to love their father as if "well he was nice to me" makes it okay to just ignore the fact that his father is an abuser. Considering how the book makes Kitt and Kai seem to be close, you would think Kitt would not have his head up his dad's ass. Also, he said some out of pocket stuff about "sacrifices of the Ordinaries are necessary" and that had me wondering how I was supposed to care about him at all because even later on he didn't really seem to care that much, so he was probably set up to become the next villain since the king is killed near the end of the book. (I will say I liked that scene. There was only two mentions of laughter instead of a dozen!)
Also, there were just a few things that felt a bit cliche and fan-fiction like, and I feel a bit upset because everyone acted like this was going to be that book when it fell kind of flat.
Overall, the plot isn't bad, but there were things like what I mentioned before that just wasn't it for me. Will I continue the series? Maybe. I have it on my to-read list, but if so, it will be on the lower end of my tbr because there are other books I am much more interested in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Torture, Death, Violence, Murder, Grief, and Genocide
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pandemic/Epidemic
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I enjoy fantasy and it kept popping up on my feed and trusting Booktok hits can either be hit or miss and this one was a hit. It was all my favourite fantasy books from when I was younger all wrapped into one.
This book has two points of view. The first is Paedyn Gray, and she has been pretending to be something she has not for her whole life. She has been surviving in the slums as an Ordinary and it’s no simple task, and she knows this. She has been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. When Paedyn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself the own into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers – the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is – completely Ordinary. The second point of view is Kai Azer, he has been trained his whole life to be the Enforcer. His father has been torturing him to “make him stronger” since he has been able to walk. The upcoming trials are going to be fixed so that he looks good for his kingdom, but Kai is sick of these games and sick of putting on a mask and killing people for his father. The one thing he didn’t encounter was Paedyn standing up for him and standing up against him. This book is a young adult fantasy romance.
You couldn’t tell this was a debut at all. This book was brilliantly written, and I enjoyed this book. I loved the characters – Kai and Paedyn were hilarious separately and together and how they were avoiding each other but then they didn’t want to avoid each other and wanted to be around each other. Paedyn could kick my ass and I would thank her for it. I love how blunt she was and how she didn’t give a shit that she was fully surrounded by the rich and powerful and she’s just like see where I live and it’s your fault. Kai was just a golden retriever; man needs to learn to cover his emotions better because she was easy to read as an open book.
My only issue was it was all a bit predictable, just like the Hunger Games and the Purging. The different between the rich and the poor and was just like the districts. Emma being the Cinna and wanting to make sure Paedyn stands out. President Snow looks like Santa Claus compared to the King in this book. You knew the best friend was going to die, like Katniss’s sister did.
The ending was cruel and I'm glad I've read it when I did because I only have to wait 2 or 3 months instead of 7 months. I hope Kitt doesn’t become cruel even though he was betrayed because it will just hurt my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
lizzysk555's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Gore, and Medical content
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Alcohol
becca_wight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Both enthralled by the plot and characters, whilst simultaneously loving the writing style. Incredible read! I cannot wait for the sequel!
(It did also have me screaming and kicking my feet for both positive and negative reasons a fair few times, useful information I know)
(It did also have me screaming and kicking my feet for both positive and negative reasons a fair few times, useful information I know)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
bethy_joy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, War, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual harassment, Torture, Mental illness, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Panic attacks/disorders
izzyreads13's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There are not enough good things to say about this book, so for simplicity I’ll sum it up for everyone interested in my review!
➸ MMC who’s the embodiment of a man written by a women, everything he says about halfway through the book when he comes to terms with his feelings for the FMC are heartwarming and almost poetic, “Her. I only want to be deserving of her”.
➸ Interesting world building, while it’s definitely not the most out there world, the author does a good job at throwing parts of the lore around through out the book when needed, making everything easy to understand while also not feeling like you’re constantly getting information thrown at you left and right. Information comes up when it’s needed.
➸ interesting characters. While some are definitely more loveable then others, all of the characters are written with enough depth and background to at least make you build some sort of connection with them, good or bad
➸ our FMC is strong and despite what I thought at a few points of the book, does not need to and or always rely on our MMC to save her. There are of course a few instances when he does but there are enough scenes throughout the book that reinforce the fact that she can stand her own ground without his assistance which I definitely enjoyed.
The story is a little hard to get into at first, I found myself picking the book up at least once every day for about 50 pages at a time but by the halfway mark I definitely felt more inclined to read more and more each time and by the last 100 pages not only was I devastated but satisfied. Devastated that it was over, yet satisfied as to how the book came together at the end. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in a few months, but the rest of my review will just be some things I noted and felt while reading the book.
➸ definitely a slow burn. While the banter is continuous throughout the book from start to finish, it takes a while to get to a point where the characters verbalize those feelings to one another and by the end of it, only Kai does, our MMC (definitely a “he fell harder” situation). That doesn’t stop the tension between characters however, if anything it elevates it and I loved feeling the love through the words written on the page.
➸ I loved paedyns character as a whole, but through out a lot of the beginning of the book there’s numbers mentions of her deceased father and while it does subside a bit throughout the book, it was definitely very hard to get through for a while and almost made me eye-roll at his mention every time something bad happened. But like I did mention, this does subside mid book and does come back into play at the end.
Overall I truly did enjoy this book, I cried, squealed and everything else you could imagine while getting through this book, it was a fantastic read through and through and I know I’ll be sad when the trilogy ends, even though it has just started. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy and however many novellas Lauren decides to release alongside it in the future. I recommend this read to anyone who loves tension, banter, slow burn, and tropes such as “he fell harder” and the “who did this to you” trope! And please be aware that they are not joking when they market this book as a YA romantasy, because that’s really what it is. If you’re expecting some high end romance that’s more sophisticated, you won’t find it here, but the romance is definitely satisfying, heartfelt and beautifully written. I’d say it’s definitely one you at least have to pick up and try. Happy reading!
➸ MMC who’s the embodiment of a man written by a women, everything he says about halfway through the book when he comes to terms with his feelings for the FMC are heartwarming and almost poetic, “Her. I only want to be deserving of her”.
➸ Interesting world building, while it’s definitely not the most out there world, the author does a good job at throwing parts of the lore around through out the book when needed, making everything easy to understand while also not feeling like you’re constantly getting information thrown at you left and right. Information comes up when it’s needed.
➸ interesting characters. While some are definitely more loveable then others, all of the characters are written with enough depth and background to at least make you build some sort of connection with them, good or bad
➸ our FMC is strong and despite what I thought at a few points of the book, does not need to and or always rely on our MMC to save her. There are of course a few instances when he does but there are enough scenes throughout the book that reinforce the fact that she can stand her own ground without his assistance which I definitely enjoyed.
The story is a little hard to get into at first, I found myself picking the book up at least once every day for about 50 pages at a time but by the halfway mark I definitely felt more inclined to read more and more each time and by the last 100 pages not only was I devastated but satisfied. Devastated that it was over, yet satisfied as to how the book came together at the end. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in a few months, but the rest of my review will just be some things I noted and felt while reading the book.
➸ definitely a slow burn. While the banter is continuous throughout the book from start to finish, it takes a while to get to a point where the characters verbalize those feelings to one another and by the end of it, only Kai does, our MMC (definitely a “he fell harder” situation). That doesn’t stop the tension between characters however, if anything it elevates it and I loved feeling the love through the words written on the page.
➸ I loved paedyns character as a whole, but through out a lot of the beginning of the book there’s numbers mentions of her deceased father and while it does subside a bit throughout the book, it was definitely very hard to get through for a while and almost made me eye-roll at his mention every time something bad happened. But like I did mention, this does subside mid book and does come back into play at the end.
Overall I truly did enjoy this book, I cried, squealed and everything else you could imagine while getting through this book, it was a fantastic read through and through and I know I’ll be sad when the trilogy ends, even though it has just started. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy and however many novellas Lauren decides to release alongside it in the future. I recommend this read to anyone who loves tension, banter, slow burn, and tropes such as “he fell harder” and the “who did this to you” trope! And please be aware that they are not joking when they market this book as a YA romantasy, because that’s really what it is. If you’re expecting some high end romance that’s more sophisticated, you won’t find it here, but the romance is definitely satisfying, heartfelt and beautifully written. I’d say it’s definitely one you at least have to pick up and try. Happy reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, and Violence
Minor: Classism, Alcohol, Death, Blood, and Grief
bluebelle_reads's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Torture
llychu's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
would i recommend this? totallyyyyy
unless you hate trope-heavy throwbacks that are similar to the hunger games and red queen
fun and enjoyable but in hindsight, it lowk had poor writing, too many pages for what its worth, and too much like other dystopia fantasies (e.g. red queen)
pros:
-fun, enjoyable read and super entertaining, i finished it super quickly
-basically the epitome of YA with all its tropes (this can also be a con 💀)
-love the banter
-heartbreaking ending & plot twist
-pretty pages w the flowers 😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️
-dual POV
cons:
-lowk a cornball at times but i ate it up tbh
-might as well be the hunger games + red queen, STRIKINGLY similar and def took heavy inspiration
-writing is veryyy beginner level iykwim
-not anything special (yet enjoyable af for me)
-too long for what its worth 😭
unless you hate trope-heavy throwbacks that are similar to the hunger games and red queen
fun and enjoyable but in hindsight, it lowk had poor writing, too many pages for what its worth, and too much like other dystopia fantasies (e.g. red queen)
pros:
-fun, enjoyable read and super entertaining, i finished it super quickly
-basically the epitome of YA with all its tropes (this can also be a con 💀)
-love the banter
-heartbreaking ending & plot twist
-pretty pages w the flowers 😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️
-dual POV
cons:
-lowk a cornball at times but i ate it up tbh
-might as well be the hunger games + red queen, STRIKINGLY similar and def took heavy inspiration
-writing is veryyy beginner level iykwim
-not anything special (yet enjoyable af for me)
-too long for what its worth 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Grief and Death of parent