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This review might be mildly spoilerish.



I'm sort of sorry because I know if I read this book 5 or 6 years ago I would have loved it. I really wish this was published earlier and I also had time to read it right after it was published. Now? I'm mostly annoyed by it. Maybe because I wish I was stuck in time so I could still enjoy these? But I'm also a bit proud that I finally finished this one.

Also, this book just reminds me of too many other books. Selection (the marry the prince part), Divergent (the having oh-so-secret and so-dangerous powers that will help to tear the system down and also will be the same, I am the only one with these powers, and then you have this power, you have this power, and maybe everyone will have this power. What is this? Oprah?), then I see Hunger Games (the beginning of the book in the arena and Gisa practically being Prim. Also Kilorn really reminds me of Hurricane). And probably more but I think this list is enough to make the image.

EDIT: Okay, I knew I was not done with this review.
- How come that Mare never knew about her (view spoiler)[powers (hide spoiler)] before this? Makes no sense and it's annoying, honestly.
- She says several times how brave Maven is and grate etc. (view spoiler)[So, I really hate that suddenly, since he is the bad guy, she sees him as a coward! (hide spoiler)]
END OF EDIT

So the first thing that is sort of problem is that I did not want to continue with the book once I started reading it. I started it in August 2018!

Main problem? I don't like Mare, at all. I could not get to like her. She just does not have any main character spark for me. And I am really sorry to say this, but pretty often she even came off as absolutely clueless or even dumb. From the start, she hates Silvers because they are just monsters, mean etc. But then she meets Cal, knows nothing about him but tells him everything! She trusts him for no real reason.

“It’s not my fault you were stupid enough to play along,��

I could not describe Mare better than that! And she was warned several times that anyone could betray anyone.


Then she got into the whole mess. She hates the Silvers who are so mean. But suddenly she likes Maven. She trusts him. Like, why? She knows him and Cal for that matter for a couple of days. After a lifetime of hating Silvers or even being afraid of them, she just trusts them. And the horrifying thing is that you cannot really even see her thinking if just maybe they/anyone is trying to use her. Because she is a brand new, technically powerful player in the arena and of course everyone would love to have on their side.
Then she thinks she could just sneak around, using her powers and no one would ever think about it. Like: "You know, all these cameras suddenly turning off, do you maybe think that it could be that girl that can control electricity? Just maybe?"
Why does she think all Silvers are stupid?

Then, I don't like Cal. Because he is just a little mister perfect. There is nothing about him. (view spoiler)[Also, I don't understand the so-called romance between him and Mare. How did it happen? There was nothing. No reason for those two to have feelings for each other. There was almost no interaction between them except for small episodes. (hide spoiler)]

Father - ... There must be another way."

In the end, he was also as naive as Mare was. Same with taunting (view spoiler)[Maven (hide spoiler)] making it like he is weak to refuse to battle with him. There is no weakness in knowing you are weaker and not able to win against someone in fair battle or on their terms. That would not be brave that would be stupid! You fight to win, not to present the best battle possible and let the best fighter win.


I was not sure about Maven. Cause he seemed, boring? And suspicious. (view spoiler)[ Not surprised at all that this was his/his mother's plan all along. However, I wonder. Mare said that he instantly changed, his behaviour, the way he speaks etc. So the question is, did he pretend to be a good guy just for Mare or long before her? Because if A, then his sudden change would have been suspicious to everyone else around. Including Cal. If B then why? (hide spoiler)]

The Sentinels bunch around Maven, still not used to guarding me as well...

That makes no sense! If you're there to guard someone you just don't forget about it cause it's new to you.


It looks like I even have problems writing this review. I have so much to say that I keep forgetting.

Also, it seems to have every trope imaginable.
- She is chosen one, having powers like no one else
- She has powers that the Reds don't have, it should be only for Silvers
- (view spoiler)[The one dead person close to the main character whose death starts the events is actually not so dead (hide spoiler)] <-- I was able to say this was going to happen the moment we learned about it.
- No one dares to fight the regime however suddenly there is a secret rebellion
- The rebellion just needs that person for their rebellion to have a chance
- The sort of chosen one
- The best friend who is close to being a love interest
- He will be still in the game to win the main heroine, but in the end, he will lose
-And I could continue like that for a very long time.
-Person is brave, untill we know they are actually the bad guy. Cause a villain cannot be brave! EVER!


So, what I liked?
I liked Evangeline and Ptolemus. (view spoiler)[Maven in the end. (hide spoiler)]



I sort of wonder what will happen in the rest of the series, but I was really disappointed with this one. So, I am not sure if I will read it.