Astrid is Princess Renya's surrogate, so if the Princess does anything wrong Astrid gets punished. She's from a class of people who are normally inoculated against magic at birth but she wasn't and when she takes part in the annual oblivion race to save her father and brother she discovers that all is not as it seems and that winning could break her heart.
It's not bad but at the same time there were moments where I felt that I was dropped into a mid-series story. I did like the characters but the romance felt a little empty to me.
It's another dystopian slave rebellion story that seem to crop up with regularity. ( )

A dandy fantasy adventure with a solid cast of characters. I particularly like how the returning memories add to the intrigue and suspense as the competitors get closer to the final stop. Great world building and classes. Definitely a good choice for any library where teens like edgy fantasy. ( )

Another stand-alone young adult novel! Although this may be one story where I did want more because I love Astrid and how flawed she is. She is not that intelligent. She is not the most powerful character. But what she lacks in either she makes up for with grit and determination and sheer stubbornness. The idea of punishing a surrogate is horrifying, but the idea of losing all your memories with the chance to relearn about your life is fascinating. I found the whole thing well-written and exciting, giving you another way to look at the haves and the have-nots and the biases that are in every one of us.