The book follows the story of the people that love on the island of Bellona. Bellona is home to the rich Dogio and the poor, oppressed, Basso all who worship the Sun. The Dogio and the Basso live in fear of the Night, evil beings who steal people away and leave desecrated shrines and homes in their wake. In order to maintain peace and keep the Night at bay, Bellona must offer a sacrifice to the Sun.

Veda, our heroine, lives among the Basso class with her grandfather and is best friends with a young Dogio boy named Nico. While fishing one day, Veda meets a Basso boy named Dorian who begins to remove her rose-tinted glasses. When her grandfather is chosen to become Bellona's next sacrifice, Veda's world comes crashing down. She begins to realize that Bellona and the Dogio are not all they seem.

Throughout the novel, there is a constant tension between the classes. The Basso are the ones being terrorized by the Night while the Dogio celebrate the sanctity of the Sun safely in their homes. I expected this book to be more paranormal/supernatural with these mythical Night beings and the stories about the Sun and the Moon, but it's not. It's about rebellion. It's about fighting against repression and injustice. It focuses on the balances of power and what happens when that power is abused and exploited. Beware the Night reminded me a lot of The Hungers Games. Not so much the bloodshed and brutality of the games, but more like the stuff going behind the scenes. Like Katniss, Veda becomes the figurehead of a movement.

Even though I liked the book overall, it did begin to feel a bit repetitive like much of the fantasy books in the YA genre. I kept getting flashbacks to The Hunger Games, especially towards the end. However, you better believe I'm gonna be reading the next one. I mean come on, a CLIFF HANGER?! Why do you have to do this to me???

If you are a big fan of The Hunger Games and Divergent, definitely check this one out.

Beware the Night tells the tale of when the Night and Sun were at war. When the fate of the world rests in between the hands of a girl with a jagged star shaped bite on her chest. A girl raised in the slums but with a greater destiny. Feeling a sense of deja vu? Beware the Night follows the same trope so many young adult fantasy follows with the whole, poor-girl-turns-out-to-be-really-important. I do not mind the repeated use of concept in the story, I just wished there was more to it. Something that added spice. But, alas no this was just a bland mixture of love triangles and an overused trope.

Though the story should have been more, I was instantaneously intrigued by the concept of the oldage concept of the light versus dark in the story. And the fact that the light is the ENEMY. A simple yet in depth theme that Fleck twisted into her own imaginative tale.

Fair warning for those who do not like love triangles, there is a love triangle between the female mc and two other boys and it is a doozy.

Beware the Night is a fun fantasy adventure filled with tons of plot twists, adventure, and lies (or are they?). Fleck gives us an unique portrayal of the Sun and Moon, as in Bellona, the Sun is the protector figure, and the Moon (and Night) are portrayed as evil. The pacing was solid up until the end, but I understand Fleck's approach in wanting you to want more.

This is reminiscent of the Hunger Games trilogy, and is a great entrance title for young readers wanting to dip into the fantasy realm.

Island legends, secrets, and deception…

The story starts right away, and early on the plot picks up and shows you everything you would like to know about the world without giving you too much. The opening scenes made me want to know more about the world, and I had a few questions about Bellona which were solved later on in a satisfying way.

I felt like the beginning of Beware the Night did everything right – it pulled me in, and made me want to know and care about the main characters. It reminded me a little of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. So if you like the Grisha series, you should give Beware the Night a try!

I like the main character, Veda, because she’s relatable to me. When she finds out secrets about her people which could change her world forever, she doesn’t just accept it right away. She goes through several emotions about her new decisions, and that’s so like me. She has trouble making up her mind sometimes, but don’t we all?

There were also a few actions scenes relating to the plot of the story, but there was a good balance between action and plot development (meaning there was more plot development than action, because that’s how I like it! 😉 )

One of my favorite characters was Dorian! He was a great additional character, and I can’t say much because it could be a spoiler… but he’s just so great, so sweet, definitely my fave!

Other things you might like:
Revolution!
Legends!
Imperfect characters!
A little bit of romance in the air!
Fishing!

My Rating:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
3.5 out of 5 Stars, because I liked it and I’m excited to read the next one!

There were a few parts in the middle which were a bit slow, but other than that, I liked the overall story, and I will be reading the next installment when it releases

I have to say I was so looking forward to reading this one, the blurb had me hooked in an instant and that cover too. I did have high hopes and it maybe didn’t fill them quite as I had expected but I wasn’t disappointed.

Beware The Night starts off slow but since it is a fantasy book and I know that there is a whole world needing to be built I’m never put off by that, I actually enjoy it because it gives me time to get to grips with everything. I love the whole concept of Bellona, the Sun and the Moon as deities, the clear class division between the Basso and Dogio, the Night who live underground and terrorise the Basso, the strict Imperi soldiers who are supposed to protect, the Island of Sol and the Offerings.

At its heart, this is a story about power, the ruling force trying to keep people in line through fear and by keeping them poor and the resistance that is trying to rise up and beat them back. I have to admit it is at points fairly predictable, it draws a lot of parallels with The Hunger Games, which isn’t a bad thing but it does mean that you kind of have an inkling of how certain things are going to end up.

There was one thing that did make me pause a little, there is a definite ‘chosen one’ trope and I have to admit that it did kind of disappoint me, it’s not that I don’t like that aspect but I just felt like what I’d learned of Veda up to that point was that she wasn’t one to fit that kind of bill. Also the background for that particular part of the story didn’t feel very strong.

I also had a few moments where I was questioning Veda. For the most part I liked her, she’s a grafter, doesn’t mind breaking the rules to survive, and she’s starting to question things for herself, especially because her relationship with Nico is bringing them up. I loved her relationship with Poppy, her grandfather, it was great to see how they got on together, and relied on each other.

However when the action starts kicking off she does get a little too preoccupied with her feelings towards Nico and Dorian. There is so much happening and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and wonder why she wasn’t worrying about the other slightly more important things.

Now I know this is a topic of very divided opinion so I’ll make it clearer, there is the beginnings of a love triangle. I actually quite enjoy a triangle so for me it worked, especially because Nico and Dorian are both lovely. Nico has the history with Veda but because they are different classes they can’t be together, which gives it that nice forbidden element; Dorian is a Basso too and has the new and mysterious factor.

I have to say after the slower pace at the beginning I raced through the rest of the book. I feel like I went through every emotion possible, there are so many secrets and betrayals. I was truly so invested in this book as the pages were counting down I was getting panicky because I wasn’t sure how it was going to end.

Whilst there were a few things that I feel let the book down and in retrospect there are a few things that don’t quite add up, I have still given this a 4/5 rating because of my sheer enjoyment in reading the book. That feeling of not wanting it to end and getting so immersed that I’m getting emotional alongside the characters I feel was the most important aspect during my reading experience. Can’t wait for book two!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

YOU NEED THIS ON YOUR TBR, I SWEAR TO GOD. Normally, I wouldn’t start my review with such aggression but, goddamn, this book is fantastic. AND LOOK AT THAT COVER! It’s so stunning!

Let me start with Veda, our main character, since I loved her so much. She’s a badass and she’s clearly my type of a main character: strong and hard-willed. Unlike others, she does not want to just be a symbol for the people in a raging war; she wants to actually fight with her people. Although she’s scared and admittedly not very equipped for the role, she does not cower. Also, from the first mention of whatever Veda is, it all seemed so flaky for me as well so I know where she is coming from with her doubts.

Nico, Veda’s best friend, was a well-written character as well. His personality resonates true depth and his genuine love for his friend seeps through this book’s pages. I feel every ounce of happiness, hurt, sadness, or whatever emotions he may feel and I’ve come to love him until the end of the book.

Although I’m really not one for love triangles, this one is an exception. It has been executed really well as I can understand and sympathize with each one of them. Despite the tropes, I really enjoyed this book’s plot and the concept about the Sun and Moon being worshiped by the people is something I haven’t read before. I vaguely remember that with every turn of the page, this book kept me wanting more and more!

If you haven’t yet, go get this book for yourself. I was delighted that I thoroughly enjoyed this one. And with the cliffhanger at the end, I refuse to believe that Beware the Night is a standalone. *huffs indignantly* I’m really looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

This was a fun fantasy read that left me wanting more! I really love the writing style. I was hooked from the first page! I loved all the twists and turns. They keep me wanting to devour more and more pages! The characters are well written. Plenty of adventure and some swoony romance. I really enjoyed Beware the night and I can't wait to read book two!

With this book, I enjoyed the dark, fantasy feel . If you are a reader who loves to explore a sort of mystical, earthy tone to a whole new society, this book would be a great read to pick up. 

We follow the main character who is a part of a split society between those who follow the Sun or the Moon. Throughout reading the story, I kept getting a lunar, almost astrological vibe to the world building, and it was honestly one of my favorite parts. 

But then there is also a tragic moment when the main character's family member is taken as the next sacrifice, and that is when the world comes crumbling down on her. Rebellion takes form, and dire moments leave you flying through the pages. 

There are also a ton of romantic moments as she finds herself stuck between two male characters. Yes, this means there was a love triangle in the mix, which I wasn't a huge fan of reading and at times seemed to take over the story. 

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. There is danger, love, and drive all packed into this book. The ending leaves an open gate for book 2 that would be interesting to see play out. I think if you are looking for a fantastic new world to explore or you just want to get all the feels with the characters, this book should be next on your TBR!

I Bought this book by accident, don't ask me how,
I thought it was a free book, but I'm so glad I did, It turned out to be great and I'm so glad I will have it forever now.
If you haven't purchased yours you should!

Note: I started skim-reading at the 24% mark.
- The beginning was dull and slow, events became marginally interesting at around the 21 to 24% mark, only to quickly regress into an unenjoyable mess.
- This is definitely NOT a quickly paced fantasy adventure.
- From the synopsis, the mythology sounded fascinating, but throughout the story itself, I remained skeptical of its believability. I just could not imagine people having faith in these stories, much less willingly losing their lives for the fulfillment of a half-baked prophecy (as spoken of by these stories).
- The world-building as a whole was one of the weakest points of Beware the Night, which is primarily why the story fell apart for me. In fact, I won't go into details, but I spotted a few gaping plot holes.
- Veda, as a heroine and as the Chosen One, failed to be a compelling lead. Instead, she got on my nerves a lot because she was driven by her self-interests, was illogically impulsive and reckless, and defied authority for the sake of defying authority (even to the point of abandoning common sense). I also really hated that she (view spoiler)
- ALSO, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW SHE WENT FROM KISSING ONE GUY TO KISSING ANOTHER GUY WITHIN - WHAT - 3 TO 5 CHAPTERS??? And that she kept going back and forth between the two of them, instead of focusing on the larger picture??? The love triangle was just unnecessary.
- The characters generally fell flat and felt underdeveloped, but nonetheless, I did develop a liking towards both the love interests: Nico and Dorian. If it were up to me, I'd throw Veda into the sea and make it my mission for these boys to fall in love with each other.
- The "plot twists" were hastily explained and poorly executed, diminishing their impact.
- The storytelling was really incohesive, and consistently throughout the story, I had a difficult time believing what was happening. Everything just seemed... dumb to me. And not well thought of.
- I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Ever. And I definitely won't stick around for the sequel.

Plot: 3/5 Characters: 3/5 Writing: 4/5

Beware the Night was an interesting read about a people fighting for their rights and a girl figuring out her place in the world.

On the island of Bellona their were three groups of people: the Dogio who ruled and lived lavish lives in luxury; the Basso who were oppressed by the Dogio and the Night- a secret organisation who supposedly reaped terror and stole away Basso people to the depths of darkness. As you can tell, the Basso were the worst off in this situation.

The main character, Veda, was a Basso girl who lived with her grandfather (her parents were killed by the Night) and who's best friend was a high ranking Dogio boy called Nico. She also knew another Basso boy called Dorian. She was slowly drawn into joining the Night and realised that all the things she had thought to be true were lies and she had to relearn everything she thought she knew.

Veda was an alright character, I could tell she still wasn't sure of herself and was figuring her life out. Gradually through the book she grew in character and became capable of making her own decisions.

There was a love triangle! *eye roll* I'm not a big fan of those. However, whilst I was reading I just thought that Veda must be lucky that two extremely nice guys were madly in love with her and it was way too good to be true. I really wanted her to make up her mind because it felt like she was stringing them both Nico and Dorian along.

I did like this book and there were some good ideas in it. I think the main reason it was a three star read was because it was incredibly slow paced and at some times the plot twists weren't believable for me. I got lots of Red Queen and The Hunger Games vibes from it so I think people who are big fans of those books would really enjoy Beware the Night.

Thank you to Swoon Reads and Jessika Fleck for providing me with an e-arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

When I saw the cover to Beware the Night by Jessika Fleck, I was drawn to the cover. There is something so beautiful about the contrast about of light and dark. But the cover isn’t the only reason why I wanted to read the book, so let me tell you why.

Beware the Night is about Veda, a young girl who lives in the Sun. Each society at war with each other, one deemed evil and dangerous. But an exploration of another world opens eyes, and an injustice needs to be corrected in a form of a revolution.

I enjoyed Veda and her story. I think for everything that has happened to her, and all that she has had to face, she reacted a bit better than other heroines in this position. And of course, there are romance interests, one always preferred at a specific time. I don’t want to spoil much, but I think Nico and Dorian is a classic triangle. One swoony guy over the other, each with their own set of good and bad traits. I won’t spoil who I prefer, but wow this story gave my feelings a run for its money.

I loved how this story came to life. The contrast between the two societies, with the clear similarities between the two. There were so many note-worthy details put into this world, including the lush imagery.

I enjoyed Fleck’s writing style. The words flowed so easily, and I would always just get lost into the story and just lost time. It has been an enjoyable read, and I think you’d love this also!

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a very fast paced fantasy novel with a great cast of characters that many challenges throughout the story. Unlike anything I have read before, I think high school students would really enjoy this read!

Overall, I liked this book. The beautiful and vivid writing pulled me in and kept me intrigued but it did make for heavier reading. The plot was interesting and had a lot of depth to it. The plot helped to pull me further into the book. However, whilst Veda contributed to the authenticity of the book, the other characters seemed to fade into the background in this book. I am excited to see what happens next! Thank you so much to Xpresso Tours for a copy of this book!

Beware the Night is a fun adventure filled with numerous plot twists, harrowing adventures, and countless truths and lies that are uncovered. This was a fantasy book that was unlike any other, with gorgeous prose and

What I liked about the book was the unique portrayal of Sun and Night. The Sun is viewed as a protector, similar to a god. And so is the Night, but the Night has a different view of the world and a prophecy that they believe will come to light.

Veda has been raised one way her whole life: the people of the Night are murderers, people who killed her parents. But what if that wasn’t the full truth? What if there was an important piece missing from the puzzle? At the beginning of the story, it becomes apparent that there are certain aspects of Veda’s life that are missing pieces. She wants them either to stay buried or to be filled in. But some secrets are better left unsaid. And soon enough Veda realizes that not everything in her life is what it seems.

Veda’s character development was interesting, as her character was constantly developing, like it should be for any main character. She comes to understand the realness of her world and the lies mixed in that cloud her judgment. The journey she goes on is not just to see the world differently but for her to discover exactly who she is and what she is made of.

When it comes to the two main men in Veda’s life (besides Poppy), Dorian and Nico, I couldn’t have picked two better people to fight for Veda. Though if I’m being honest, I absolutely adored Dorian and mainly just tolerated Nico. Dorian was easy to relate to and he felt like the type of friend Veda needed at certain times. Then there’s Nico, her best friend and the person she is in love with. However, Nico has no idea what goes on in Veda’s life and the hardships she has to face as a Basso. As Nico is a Bagio, he doesn’t have to worry about food on the table or safety from the Night. But Veda does, and she wants that to change. And yet, Nico seemed to be the type of character that said he would try but wouldn’t follow through and that just made him very bland to me. I’m not saying I didn’t like his character, I just didn’t like the type of person he became.

As Beware the Night was the first book, I look forward to reading the next book and seeing where Veda’s journey goes.

**3.5 Stars**

Beware the Night was an enjoyable fantasy slash dystopia novel with a lot of potential. While the trope it sets its plot on has been done many times before, there were still plenty of unique pieces to make it feel more of its own as it delved into the separation of classes on a small island. Fleck did a wonderful job at creating the backstory and history for a nation that has been isolated and fighting against itself for decades. With that and Fleck’s easy storytelling, I found myself engaged and turning the pages.

I adore a heroine that can do the job that’s needed while having the emotion expected and being able to deal with the job at hand, and Veda was that. She was strong and resilient with the perfect amount of underlying sadness or anger to fuel her. The set-up for the plot was wonderfully done and really set the scene for the entire story. I could feel her environment and how it pressed on her, and also see the inner struggle she had to battle to find herself through her unknown past. I think this novel is a great starter into the genre and a worthwhile opener to its series, but there were a few issues throughout. The pacing involved around Veda’s decision-making or her learning of new information was very slow and tiresome, as it sometimes went pages of her going back-and-forth with the other character in the scene when everything could have been said in a few short paragraphs. This bogged down the story in pointless rambling and always pulled me from the scene. And while I love a good love triangle, this one felt too convenient and it didn’t earn any sort of great contention or slow-burn that’s needed with this kind of trope in order for me to feel for either choice. All of that said, there was enough skill in the writing and build of action to have me wanting to continue on in the series.

Beware the Night was a fun read with great bones and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment.

Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: gorgeous, atmospheric writing; intriguing characters and backstory; I was hoping for a bit...MORE...from this; mildly disappointed overall; there's a love triangle, y'all--a bad one; this might have been a bit too predictable for me

HUGE thanks to Jessika Fleck, Swoon Reads Publishing, Netgalley, and Fantastic Flying Book Club for sending a free egalley of this title my way! This in no way altered my review of or opinions on this book.

This read is gorgeously atmospheric, I'll be honest, though I had some trouble actually connecting to the world that Jessika Fleck was trying to create. While I adored the writing and LOVED the way she describes things, I had a hard time putting myself INTO this world in my mind's eye--I had a hard time envisioning, imagining, seeing things as they were described. I think a big part of this was just that...I felt as if I'd read this story before.

"Thanks for tonight," I say when we reach my cave, stop outside the arched doorway.

"I'm glad I ran into you," he says.

"You were following me!"

"Details..." He flashes a crooked grin, waving my comment off with a flourish of his hand.


Don't get me wrong, there are some new and different things throughout this that made me catch my breath, that made me WANT more of this world. But overall, I felt as if I'd walked these same miles in these same shoes a time or two too many. And I don't think that falls on the story itself, or the author, or anyone really... I just felt that overall, this story was a bit too predictable for me to fully immerse myself in it. And while I appreciate a great love triangle, I felt this one was overplayed. Veda was very wishy-washy on what she wanted--and while I TOTALLY understand why, I also felt like she flip-flopped enough to give me whiplash in the end. There's a very fine line between "struggling to decide" and "changing your mind TOO much"...and I feel like Veda came very very close to crossing that line. Of course, this could just be my own personal opinion. And like I said, I do get it...I have been in similar situations, myself, and therefore know that it is possible to change your mind as rapidly about things as Veda does throughout this novel. I just felt as if, even at the end, she wasn't fully committed to her decision. (Of course, there's meant to be at the very least a sequel, so...it makes sense she might not be.)

Overall, I went into this read SUPER excited...and wound up mildly disappointed. While I really enjoyed some of the darker, more gritty atmospheric details of the world and these characters, I felt like it was really hard for me to connect to the story--and I had an even harder time not feeling as if I'd walked these trails already, in a myriad of other novels. I'd recommend this to lovers of dark world-building, fascinating characters, and motivations/worlds that are left a bit mysterious even at the end. Heed the title's warning, Penguins...and Beware the Night!

It’s rare for me to finish a book & feel a sense of sorrow, because there are no more pages left to turn. Yet, Beware the Night had me wishing that it would never end — especially as I neared the final pages & came to the realization that there would be a cliff-hanger.

Right away, Beware the Night starts off with a bang & a flash of what’s to come. It’s in these opening pages that I just knew I’d become way too emotionally invested in this story.

I’ve always been a sucker for this concept of THE RICH VS. THE POOR in books, especially YA. Y’all, I wrote an entire paper for a class on The Hunger Games & how there are so many callbacks to reality. Beware the Night reminded me so strongly of this paper & The Hunger Games, in general. Random fact: I think the first entry of The Hunger Games series is one of the best pieces of literature I’ve ever read, don’t @ me. So for me to even be reminded of the Suzanne Collins’ book while reading Beware the Night is such high praise. In Beware the Night, we witness the injustice against the Basso, due to their lack of wealth. I swear, I will not turn this review into a thesis — but!! It’s such an important concept to the story.

Jessika Fleck does such an amazing job at characterization, relationship development, etc. etc. Right off the bat, I had an inkling as to who Veda, Nico & Dorian all are & found myself attached to all three characters. Especially Dorian, I am Dorian trash. There’s also a love triangle aspect to the situation, but as with many other books, this did not deter me away at all. Veda & Nico’s relationship has similarities to Romeo & Juliet, as they’re two kids who stay on complete opposite sides of the social class wall. Whereas, Veda & Dorian feels more like the safer and softer relationship. Honestly, I’m 100% here for both.

AND THAT SEXUAL TENSION. Holy cow.

Sheesh, and if that wasn’t enough — let’s talk about the action, shall we? So much tense, so much stress, so much good. Veda’s life ends up being so topsy-turvy & filled with so many lies & deceit, you’ll start questioning who you can actually trust on page (& in real life, let’s be honest). Our main character finds herself in so many dangerous predicaments, it’ll leave you on the edge of your seat (or bed — if you’re a comfort reader, like me). Plus, there’s a scene that you will have you wanting to drown your feelings in strawberry shortcake (– which I totally did), but listen, if I had to suffer — so do you.

I can go on & on as to the many beautiful things in Beware the Night & all of the reasons as to why this book is definitely one of my favorites of 2019, but #spoilers. Beware the Night is a definite must-read & I’m truly jealous of anyone who gets to experience this fantasy adventure for the first time. & as much as I keep rambling, I still feel like I’m not doing Beware the Night as much justice as it deserves.

Beware the Night is a perfect dose of fantastic plot, a thrilling adventure & some romance that will make you scream: KISS THE GIRL, ALREADY. For someone who doesn’t enjoy fantasy that much (it’s me, ya girl), I absolutely loved this. I caught myself staying up late to devour Beware the Night & letting out a few audible gasps throughout. I strongly recommend adding Beware the Night to your TBRs & even more so strongly recommend that you scream at me about it while you read!

I was let down by this book. It started out so interesting and cool, but it ended up being a bit predictable and cliched. I so, so wish it lacked the love-triangle and that the world building was stronger. I think this book is on the edge of being really good, it just took too many wrong turns for me. Some of the things I disliked might not bother other readers, but having read many fantasy YA novels, I feel this one just isn't a strong example of one. Not to mention the overall lack of a whole story, the cliff-hanger ending, which leaves the reader with lots of questions and no answers. The resolution isn't there and that, really, is my main issue with this book. I think if it had taken a few further steps, there could be a more cohesive ending. It just felt like the author had a complete story idea that was too long to fit one book, so she just picked a place to end in the story. It feels half-finished.

"Ad astra, to the stars, no trouble, be well. "

I was so excited for this book, it sounds like something that I would love. While I did really enjoy it, it didn't live up to my expectations exactly.

Beware The Night focuses around a clash of classes at it's core. We have the powerful Imperial /Doggio, the oppressed Basso that must follow all rules or suffer dire consequences and, of course, the rebels known as The Night. This is a pretty common set up for many dystopian novels, but I enjoy that trope so I was on board. Our main protaganist is Veda, a Basso who is lives with her grandfather in poverty and her main job to keep them for starving is fishing. She also happens to be best friends with a Doggio, Nico. Obviously, there friendship is more than frowned up and so they sneak around to spend time with each other. We also have another boy that enters the picture early on, Dorian and he's about to upend Veda's world as she knows it.

I'll start with the positive. The various classes all worship either the Sun or the Moon, I know we've seen this all before but this author does it right. We get the history and stories about both the Sun and the Moon. It's well done and beautiful and I was really happy for its inclusion. I also really liked the setting and the fishing elements. It felt authentic and I just liked the idea of all the Basso getting up in the morning and heading to the large fishing spot. It was quite different and really cool. Learning about the rebels aka The Night was also really fun and I'm always a sucker for some good rebel tropes. The spot they call home is also completely badass and even though we do get a good look at where they live - I could've used even more. It was just cool as hell.

The character and world development is quite good, even though it's not a long book. I didn't feel particularly confused at anything that was presented. I liked our leads for the most part and rooted for all three of them. I would've liked a little more development with Dorian but I think we'll get more of that in the second book. I also loved all the betrayal in this book and it doesn't hold back. This book is betrayal, betrayal and then more betrayal. I loved it! Some I saw coming, some I didn't. Either way, good stuff. I also adored the relationship between Veda and her grandfather.

I have to be careful because I really don't want to give anything away. The stuff that didn't work for me so much is some of the reasoning behind decisions didn't always make sense or add up. We also enter love triangle hell - I'm really not one for love triangles very often and I can tell this one is going to drive me completely mad. I get that Veda has had her life turned upside down so I can give some slack to her being confused about people and making choices but she spends WAYYYY too much time thinking about boys. She is constantly thinking about her feelings and changing them in a moment's notice and it was just too much of it. It took away from the fairly large story going around them and it was frustrating. I very much doubt Veda's biggest concern would be who she had real feelings for, instead of the chaos that is happening and finding out about her past. I didn't like it and I didn't buy it and I know we are in for a ton more of it in the second book.

Overall, I think this was an enjoyable and fast read. I do think it probably could've been another 150 pages and finished out the story honestly, but I'm sure I'll give the next book a try. This book is probably going to be a little more for people who haven't read as much fantasy, so aren't used the tropes as much then people who have a lot of experience in the genre. I'd check it out for yourself and see what you think.