The hype is 100% worth it! Loved the dynamics, characters, the world, the banter between Kai and Pae. Can’t wait to read the novella and the next book in the series. ( )

With nods toward Hunger Games and more, this tale weaves in dark strings of Elites and power while threading in a dangerous romance and secrets galore.

Paedyn has lived the last years in the slums, surviving with her best friend through thievery, despite her richer origins. As the daughter of a talented healer, who was executed by the king, she's not only in hiding but harbors more than a little enmity toward the crown. Still, to survive, she must remain hidden. Her lack of any special powers marks her as an Ordinary, and those are executed on sight. When she accidentally saves a royal from death, she's thrust into the lime-light and rewarded with the chance to partake in the Trials...a deadly game where those with powers go up against each other where only few survive. Without powers, she barely has a chance against any of the contestants. But then, without powers, she'll end up dead, anyway.

When diving into this tale, the nods to familiar tropes in this genre are clear, but there's an original twist to the world, characters, intentions, and more, which give it a life of its own...and soon have the reader caught up in this plot and realm. The author digs deep into the two main characters, and the switching POV between the two becomes a well-placed dance. Both struggle in their own ways, both are dangerous, both carry tons of baggage, and both are easy to root for. The scenes are rich and make it easy to sink into the slum's streets and the various Trial settings. And the emotions of each of the two characters are built out with tons of depth, making both very understandable as the story progresses. Even the plot holds a few surprising twists and grabs with its wealth of intrigue and secrets, while the characters fight to stay true to themselves and to extreme expectations of those around them. There's hesitation, fear, uncertainty, determination, a desire to do what's right, and the pain of not always knowing who to trust or which path to take. In other words, the story packs tons of goodness with gothic flair, romance, and danger, too.

It was easy to get lost in this novel and look forward to what both characters decided or did next...because the situations were difficult for both. Still, I did find myself skimming through increasingly larger sections, especially in the exchanges between characters. These added lovely character depth, but as an action girl, seemed repetitious. I'm sure romance fans will adore every moment. And there is romance as it teeters between insta-lust, enemies to lovers (maybe?), and a love-triangle-thing (which missed a third POV). While getting lost in the rich world, the reasoning behind the Trials and hate of Originals as well as the rest of the world never filtered in. But I'm assuming this will come with the next book in the series, since there's obviously so much more to come.

It's definitely worth grabbing up and sinking into for those fans, who enjoy this genre and adore strong heroines who do need help, at times, and discover that secrets and intrigue grow deeper and messier with each step they take. ( )

Dnf ch.37 ( )

Young adult fantasy of forbidden love between an ordinary girl with no powers and an elite prince who will be the future enforcer of the kingdom. This book is almost like the hunger games as they will have to go through many trials to survive and take place beside the throne. ( )

The book was amazing in every way. I appreciate the plot and the time spent developing the fantasy world. Every character was thorough and interesting. The chemistry between the main leads is so pure and made me feel butterflies. Even though there were zero to no spicy scenes, it didn't fail to deliver the excitement. It is a book worth reading for fantasy lovers who love romance.