Review:
After a tell-all book is released, the world flocks to a remote city to witness a tradition that has been happening for generations.
Each prestigious family names a champion to compete for the chance to win the tournament and control the powerful high magick supply.
This book is a multi-POV that bounces between the various participants in the tournament. At the core of this story are the characters and they are well done. Most of the chapters are fairly short and we keep getting just enough to be satisfied before being shuttled off to the next POV.
If I would nitpick at this, I would say the villains are not overly villainous and the gore/horror is underutilized. When this story does get graphic, I enjoyed it but I was hoping for much more than the occasional tease we get. Also, there are multiple spots where a few chapters will pass without anything that would resemble horror or over-the-top villainy.
Something I did like a ton. Part of the tournament magic is the sky turns red and stays red for the duration of the events. This was a moody atmospheric touch that fit the concept amazingly!
The story does cliffhanger pretty hard. There is more to be told for sure and as you start to wind down the page count you are left with multiple questions unresolved. I wouldn’t say this is a positive or a negative. The writing is solid so you won’t feel like you were short-changed.
Overall I enjoyed the moments of horror and gore we did get, as well as the characters and the moody atmosphere. This loses the star for not embracing the villainy in the title of the book. This is worth checking out and was a fun read. Anyone who liked The Hunger Games needs to give this a chance.
4 Stars.
Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for providing the free ARC. Here are links to the authors. This book releases in Novmeber and you can find all the links you will need from Amanda’s website.
Amanda Foody: https://linktr.ee/amandafoody
Christine Lynn Herman: https://www.christinelynnherman.com/
B.A. Bellec 