Ruth Lauren

This had such an interesting premise...but the execution? By the time I'd read 100 pages in, I still had only the sketchiest sense of the characters, blocked out in generics like "loves their family," "likes books," or "good at archery." I didn't feel remotely invested in the heroine's quest to save her sister...and she was so inept at it that only the greater ineptitude of her prison guards explained her incremental success.

The prison itself, like the world it exists in, seemed only half thought-out. If, for instance, the prisoners are forbidden from speaking to one another, wouldn't some kind of nonverbal communication have arisen in the prison culture? And if the people of this world have technology sufficient to roll the roof of the cellblock back, shouldn't they be able to design a safer means of transporting the prisoners (and their guards) to the prison than a horse-drawn cart through wolf country?

Given the prospect of slogging through the rest of the book and all its attendant headdesk moments, I flipped ahead to see if the characterization or the worldbuilding or the plot, itself, improved. No such luck...and it came as no surprise (alas) that the person I'd pegged on page 70-something as framing the heroine's sister turned out to be the villain. Sigh. Saved me reading the rest, I suppose.… (mehr)

Solid adventure, good for fans of [b: The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775], I think. It reminded me of a mash-up of [b: Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495278054s/7896527.jpg|11138426] and [b: Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1339533695s/10194157.jpg|15093325] but for a younger audience: less blood and no sexytimes, plenty of adventure, high stakes, and betrayals. I saw several of the twists coming, but I think it could be the perfect fit for readers who want a fast paced suspenseful read with clever kids.… (mehr)