I loved the cover and the premise of this novel so I was really hoping I'd like reading it. I mean, that cover is gorgeous! But, it fell flat for me. I love nuanced characters who are more than just one thing, but none of the characters felt well rounded to me. The dialogue was too on-the-nose, a bit cheesy and sappy at times (and I'm not personally a big fan of sap). The magic in the world (not in the labyrinth) didn't seem to have a set purpose for being there, it was just there and it didn't really affect the storyline, which I found rather odd. The ending was predictable, I mean the title gives it away, which is fine, but I didn't particularly enjoy getting to the end. I found myself skimming through a lot of pages. I did, however, enjoy reading about the labyrinth and the challenges therein. But overall, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. Other reviewers seem to like it so definitely give it a try if you're interested.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"To Best the Boys" was everything I hoped it would be and more- I loved it! In this alternate world where ghouls and sirens exist, society is separated into Uppers and Lowers based on socioeconomic status, and all the politicians who make the decisions are, of course, Uppers. Women are also oppressed and cannot go to university but are good for wives/mothers. Rhen is a young woman whose Upper mother married a Lower father, leaving her disowned (the family's status goes with the man's, so an Upper man marrying a Lower woman would have been Upper). However, she has all the love she could ever want and is content with her lot in life.

The main problem plaguing Rhen is that an illness is spreading amongst the Lowers which paralyzes and kills the victims- and her mother has contracted the disease and only has a matter of time left. Rhen and her father are hard at work on a cure, but with their limited resources, it is difficult to develop and test. Rhen would love to be a scientist at the university, but it is not within the realm of possible, as she is a woman. Her cousin and confidante, Seleni, is an Upper and her aunt and uncle frequently invite her (but not her father) to their parties. Rhen finds the opportunities useful to try to convince the people in power to look into the illness, but her pleas are useless as the disease only affects Lowers thus far.

Every year, there is a scholarship contest to allow one "gentleperson" entry into an elite university, and the young men all compete. Holm, the person who runs the contest, is an enigmatic recluse and no one knows much about him, except that he is full of magic or inventions and then contest is unlike anything else. Of all the young men who enter the Labyrinth, only one will emerge the victor, usually an Upper. Occasionally, people will die in the course of the contest. This year, Rhen has decided to dress as a boy and try her luck, the invitation does not specifically exclude her. With Seleni by her side, they enter the contest not knowing what to expect or what will await them.

In a fascinating journey, we follow Rhen and the other characters as they face the mysteries and dangers within Holm's Labyrinth. This was impossible to put down and absolutely engrossing- I was fully enveloped in this world and contest. Rhen was a great character, but so were many of the side characters, including Seleni who is brave and fun and whose greatest desire is to marry Beryll, a young man of character whose parents are very picky. There is also some diversity in the cast, although the labels are not known by the characters, with Rhen being dyslexic and Lute's brother Ben seemingly autistic (I am assuming what the diagnoses would be as they are not named).

Additionally, a love triangle between Rhen and a Lower and an Upper adds an interesting element of romance to the story (though her desires are readily apparent). The romance was really beautiful and I won't give any quotes (though, oh my goodness, the swoon!) or details to avoid spoilers, but I really enjoyed it!

There are also a lot of interesting and relevant themes in the book, including the feeling of "other" in medical care (we don't get that disease so not worth bothering with), decisions made seemingly for good which can destroy livelihoods (restrictions on fishing made by Uppers which impact Lowers), socioeconomic divides, and sexism to name a few.

Overall, this was a really fascinating and wonderful adventure, and I am extremely eager to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend for all lovers of YA fantasy. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To Best the Boys was so freaking good! I honestly couldn't put it down! It definitely reminded me of previous books or movies that I've seen before. Plus, it kind of reminded me of like an escape room? Sort of? Mostly because of the questions/riddles they solve throughout the labyrinth.

In it, you will meet Rhen Tellur. She's a 16 year old who dreams of nothing but becoming a scientist. It took me a while to start to like her.. mostly because the first couple of chapters were a bit boring but once I got to a certain point, I was hooked! I loved her friendship with her cousin Seleni. I also really enjoyed how she had her own voice and how she used it. She, like many women, hate when people talk about them like they aren't there. Also, it doesn't help when they make decisions/assumptions about them either. Boys are stupid.

Besides them, I loved getting to meet Lute. He was just so utterly adorable. He's poor, kind of like Rhen is, and they were kind of made for each other. He was definitely more likable than Vincent.. who honestly sucks at taking hints. Plus, he was so freaking suspicious and evil throughout the book. Also super freaking shallow - which is a complete turn off!

Now this labyrinth had so many twist and turns. I liked the team work that went through the challenge but the thing that got me the most intrigued was Seleni and Rhen going in dressed as dudes. I never understood why girls couldn't/didn't participate.. because it just didn't make sense. I feel like all genders should be given the opportunity to join/participate. So, after the ending.. I'm hopeful that everyone would get the chance and not just tools or self-centered douche bags.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'm very happy that I was given the chance to dive into it and fall in love when Rhen has a character. She's kind of like a little nancy drew, which is a plus in my eyes. I'm also hoping that Rhen and Lute have gone off into a happily ever after kind of moment. I will definitely look forward to another book by this author and I totally recommend this book to anyone who likes a good YA fantasy book.

Too derivative in plot and even the characters failed to genuinely become more than two-dimensional.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What first attracted me to this book was its cover and the title. I knew I was going to like this. Oh boy, I was so wrong. I didn't like it, I "loved" it! The most important factor that makes a book perfect to me is that while reading a book, the words need to turn to images in my mind. From the first line till the last, this book took me to another world, I felt like I was with the characters there in the story. This is my first Mary Weber book and you bet I would read her books again.

It's always an amazing thing when you reach the end of the year and find yourself reading a book that blows all of the previously adored ones completely out of the water. I've found this to be a rather rare occurrence and as such cannot be more grateful for the fact that I found <i>To the Best Boys</i> by Mary Weber. A feminist tale about a girl in a world that favors boys, the novel follows Rhen as she navigates a world filled with social class hardships where the rich devalue, berate, and regularly impair the lives of the poor in a time where an illness is spreading through the lower classes and killing them off one by one. Young Rhen is a scientist, fighting hard to find a cure in order to save her bed ridden mother who is currently dying from the disease while simultaneously trying to find her way in a world of expectations based on her relation to a rather rich family.

And all the while a competition is just beginning, a fight through a labyrinth to earn a scholarship at the most prestigious university in the kingdom. The scholarship contest has primarily been open only to boys in the past, but as Rhen realizes no one with the finances to research and develop a cure for the disease are willing to even bother and as she does not have the materials she believes she needs, her efforts to find a cure would benefit greatly from winning the scholarship and being able to access the labs at the university. And so she takes it upon herself to enter the labyrinth contest disguised as a young man.

The big truth about this novel is that there is a lot to unpack from it. Now, while I deeply enjoyed this aspect of the book and find it was one of the reasons why I loved it so much, I can certainly see it as something that might deter some readers. Weber manages to weave an amazing story with an abundance of multi-faceted pieces that all somehow miraculously work together. I honestly don't think I could have been more impressed with any aspect of the novel than I already am.

And to top it all off, Weber even managed to catch me off guard, surprising me with a twist in the plot I didn't for a second see coming. That alone amazes me since it doesn't actually happen for me often anymore that I'm completely unable to predict a plot twist and so I'm always incredibly impressed when that happens.

I adored each and every single one of the characters, even the villains in their own way. The development was phenomenal and I found myself feeling exceedingly strong emotions for just about every single one. In fact, this strong emotional connection I felt lead to quite a number of 'on the edge of my seat' moments while reading about the adventures of the characters, particularly during the labyrinth portions.

Overall, this story was an amazing read. It's definitely jam-packed with an exceedingly well-built world in a way that can make the synopsis feel a little bit misleading, but I honestly loved every second of it. I wouldn't change a thing about this book and it's basically become one of my all time favorites. Keep an eye out for this one. It's golden.

<i>I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"You are the wild sea and unkempt storms and constellations in a world where I am the anchor for everyone I know."

This is an excellent book for fans of Caraval and Stalking Jack the Ripper. The main character is a strong female who wants to prove that girls aren't just for looking pretty and helping men advance the careers. Determined to prove herself and help her family, Rhen Tellur does the unthinkable in a society made by men for men. She enters into an all-male competition for a scholarship to an all-mens university to help save her mother.

This novel has the game-like feel of Caraval with mystery lurking behind every turn and a mysterious character in Holm whom no one has seen in the flesh. The main character is deeply interested in science and the discoveries she can find in corpses and diseases which sets her apart from her husband-seeking friend/cousin and gives Rhen her own voice.

I absolutely adored this book. It was smart, creative and funny, with an out-of-the-box, forward-thinking lead protagonist and a beautifully descriptive world. I appreciated it for its refreshing representation of women not just through breaking a glass ceiling, but of women who have absolutely everything pitted against them, including enduring societies expectations and breaking boundaries when it hasn’t been done before. To place these characters in this time setting and add a light fantasy element made it a delight to read. At times, it felt poetic and I was mesmerized by some of the characters, in particular, Lute. I loved him so much.

It was easy to follow along with Rhen and the others in the labyrinth and visualize everything that was going on — a little too well sometimes. I enjoyed the magical and fantastic elements that were included with the world-building and appreciated that it wasn’t over-the-top. Rhen bested the boys, and this line — “…… the future societal changes that may result from your female children believing it is within their power and right to become whoever and whatever they desire — and in doing so, to change the course of history.” — totally encompassed and summarized all 300+ pages of this book.

I’ll end this rant with one of my absolute favorite lines from the book, because, *swoon*:

“Because you are the wild sea and unkempt storms and constellations in a world where I am the anchor for everyone I know.”

I guess this just wasn't my cup of tea.
Overall, what bothered me most about this book was the pacing. We spend half of the book leading up to the maze (which was basically the main selling point of this book, a competition that is off-limits to women into which the protagonist Rhen enters into regardless) which is then only spent a fifth of the story at. This reminded me a lot of Eragon where 400 pages are used to build up to an epic fight scene that is over within 20 pages. I think there was a lot of potential here with the maze, but after almost 50% spent on the lead-up to the maze, I just wasn't invested in the outcome anymore.
I understand that the first half of the story is constructed so as to situate the reader in this world and to get to know the characters, but seeing as this was supposed to be about a competition, I don't comprehend how we could spend most of the book nowhere near it.
Hard as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to feel connected to any of the characters. Lute was the stereotypical brooding male love interest with a soft spot, and the other secondary characters didn't have an ounce of personality - they just fell flat for me. Seleni was mostly there to be girly and into high society to set off Rhen's much more profound, and important goals like finding a cure for the plague.
I couldn't even connect with Rhen that much - I know she's supposed to be portrayed as this fierce, strong protagonist, but up until the maze she was just very immature and bland for me.

All Rhen Tellur wants is to find a cure for her dying mother. But two things stand in her way: first, she's a Lower so no one is going to take her seriously as a scientist and second, she's a girl so no one's going to take her seriously as a scientist. There's only one way to get into university--to best the boys in Holm's annual scholarship competition, and then somehow convince the university to let her take the entrance exams.

To Best the Boys has shades of The Hunger Games in it--to win the full scholarship, the boys enter a labyrinth where they must defeat the levels, and each other, to emerge the winner. It's hinted that boys have died before, though only because they didn't play by the rules.

In some ways, the world feels briefly sketched--you don't get a full picture of Caldon, but you know that it's a dangerous place. Sirens and ghouls are bloodthirsty; it's best not to be out in the dark when the mist is about. There's magic in this world, but Weber never really tells us what it is or how it works. Does Holm perform real magic? Or are they just illusions? What truly happens in the Labyrinth? It's masks and illusions, rather like V for Vendetta: what's real and what's not?

Yet at the same time, you also feel that you don't need it fully sketched out--the problems they face seem too real, too much like the real world. There's a stark divide between the Uppers and the Lowers, where the ruling elite make decisions for the working poor without understanding the full impact of what they do. The anger the men of Pinsbury Port feel is all too real--the unthinking anger that fills us when we feel trapped by our circumstances, by the things that those entrusted with our welfare betray us.

Weber is at her best when she's tapping into Rhen's emotions; the awkwardness of youth and young love, anger at the injustice of life and societal expectations, the passion that informs her rash decisions and the strength she gains from true friends. As smart as Rhen is, she has her blind spots, especially when it comes to Lute Wilkes and Victor King.

The Labyrinth reveals the characters of the youth of Caldon, even as it forges them in the fire of its trials. And Holm stands in judgement of their worth.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

Review will post on blog.annatsp.com on 26/12/18

Well that was a thrilling and delightful surprise! I honestly wasn't sure what I was reading during the first couple chapters of this book. There were corpses, ghouls, diseases and a whole lot of sassy humor! I had seen many of my fellow readers picking this one up and wanted to know what it was about. I didn't read the synopsis (does this surprise anyone at this point?) because I've really enjoyed other books by Mary Weber. HUGE thank you to Thomas Nelson and #NetGalley for granting my review request.

TO BEST THE BOYS is a story about defying the odds and taking charge of your own future. Rhen Tellur is headstrong, passionate, and fights for what she believes in. Damn the consequences. All she wants is to find a cure for the disease that's sure to kill her mother. But as a Lower, and a woman, she doesn't have the resources to get her there in time. When the invitation to the annual Festival of the Equinox and Labyrinth competition comes she's struck with an idea. Enter under the guise of a boy and win the scholarship to save her family and her community.

Things really picked up once they entered the Labyrinth and are faced with challenges and puzzles. It reminded me a little of the Triwizard tournament and The Maze Runner, mixed with an escape room! Will Rhen be discovered and kicked out of the competition? Or will she make it though to the end and surprise everyone, including herself? You’ll have to read to find out!

This book was full of mystery, action, suspense, betrayal and whole cast of amazing characters. I found myself hooked to the story immediately and couldn't wait to read more. I think anyone who’s a fan of YA fantasy and magical realism will enjoy it. I loved every minute of it. When I finished reading it I had one of those satisfied but also wishing for more words feeling. Another fantastic read from Mary Weber and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a really good book! The world building was great, the characters were vibrant. I thought it was really nice, highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was GOOD. I was already excited about this book because, I mean, “To Best the Boys”? Sign me up! And I was not disappointed; I read it in one sitting. Rhen is one the most likable characters I’ve ever come across in a very long time. Not only is she exceptionally smart but she’s kind and stands up for herself and others. Though it wasn’t the center of the novel, her romance with Lute was so lovely and I actually LIKED him! Great plot, characters, and writing. Just overall a fantastic novel.

I finished this book and sat back, my mind a tangle of how to review To Best the Boys, and pondering: what exactly did I just spend all these hours reading?

First of all, this is not the kind of story I would expect from Thomas Nelson--a publisher I have always found to be in the past based on a foundation of Christian faith. Then, the author, I had been under the assumption was Christian, and has professed faith in God. Perhaps I misunderstood. This is my first read by this author. Does she always write like this? After To Best the Boys, I'm not so sure I want to read her other books that have been on my TBR for awhile now.

As a headline, I would call this experience: Disturbing, and Grossly Disappointing.

A style and setting with the darker grit of Fable, the author presents a tale set within a fantasy world built upon a foundation of evil--a land plagued by ghouls haunting the fog at night in search of bodies to possess, surrounded by waters teaming with man-devouring sirens, and overshadowed by a mysterious mansion filled with dark magic and unexplained powers.

This is the world our main character challenges, a place where girls' intelligence are overlooked; a world ruled by men. A place where disease is destroying the lives around her--and in her own home, the life of her mother. Scrambling to find a cure, but time is running out and nothing is working.

In this world, there is no light--only darkness. On the spiritual side, there is plenty in the way of darkness and evil, but nothing even mentioned for its opposite. What path is Christian publishing going down, where there is not a single mention of God, not even the existence of God present in its novels?

Mr Kellen (or whatever this person is) creeped me out, Especially toward the end. I wish I could explain this better, but there is no way without making it a spoiler. So I won't. I am not sure if the author meant to present this character in a positive or negative light, but I was left with a sick taste at the back of my throat--disturbed in my spirit most strongly during these scenes.

The focus of this story is clearly driven only toward the high of fantasy action/adventure with hints of horror. A lack of spiritual truth; a lack of Light at all. I cannot recommend this to any reader, and am in serious doubt of both this author and now this publisher. I hate to be so blunt, and I hate for my review to be negative. But that's the truth of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Many thanks of Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary copy of To Best the Boys via NetGalley.  All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In a world where only the men are provided opportunities for higher education and careers of their choosing, Rhen desperately wants to follow in her father's footsteps and become a scientist.  Especially as she is desperate to find a cure for the baffling disease killing her mother and others in her town.  When she realises she isn't going to succeed without access to a proper lab, she decides to enter the yearly contest for a university scholarship.  The contest is no normal contest though, the hopeful candidates must navigate their way through a labyrinth that not everyone survives.

I absolutely loved this book.  I couldn't put it down!  The characters were interesting and there were several twists I didn't see coming.  We often get either a fast paced story, OR great character and world building, but Mary Weber somehow managed to deliver on both accounts.  The storyline was wonderful and I adore anything to do with games and mazes, so this was right up my alley.  I loved the fact that To Best the Boys also mixed science and fantasy so well.  There were ghouls and sirens, but also chemical compounds, microscope and blood work.  You know what else there was in this book? PARENTS.  Like, actual parents.  I know, a YA fantasy book where the main characters aren't orphans for once.  Amazing!  

I can't say too much more without spoilers, but I'd highly recommend this book if you love intense trials, smart women who defy societal norms, magic and a touch of romance that doesn't interfere with or take over the storyline!

What a story. This book is now ranked as my most anticipated book released in 2019! I cannot wait to get my physical copy and force this story upon my friends. Mary crafted a story that showed the strength of women in a way that I've never read before. I really appreciated that she showed how women who want to be wives and mothers are just as strong and just as important as the women who are pursuing a career. Seleni and Rhen were both very strong women and Mary excellenty and artistically portrayed their different strengths as women.
I very much enjoyed the relationship war between Lute, Rhen, and Vincent. And while Beryll often grated on my nerves, I appreciated his and Seleni's relationship and how they would do anything for each other.
At first, I had a difficult time understanding the story world as there were so many fantasy elements tied in and I wasn't sure how they all fit with the characters and the story. But the more I read and the more the characters interacted with the different settings and fantasy elements, the more I understood and loved it!
I also wish that the ending hadn't felt so rushed (especially with Rhen's discovery that Vincent crafted the disease. That felt a little far-fetched in how she discovered that). And also that I would know if Rhen's mother was going to survive or not. I became very invested in Rhen's journey to save her mother and not knowing if she would be healed or not bothered me.
Overall, however, I absolutely loved this book! It was wonderfully written, the characters were very realistic, and the story world was fascinating! Mary Weber is an extremely talented writer!

Girl Power!


I loved this book so much. I literally finished it with the biggest smile on my face.

We’ll talk messaging only for a moment here. Basic message is that girls can do anything – they can be students, warriors, doctors, wives. There’s no wrong answer – and girls are smart and bold and strong enough to do it.

Moving away from messaging, we have an adventure here. There’s romance, betrayal, murder and violence. There are villains to abhor and heroines and heroes to love. There are moments that bring tears of sadness and others that bring tears from laughter.

It’s just everything.

So very happy I read this one!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

I think this one will be easier with a bulleted list.

What I liked:
• Strong, independent female lead. Rhen was always in the thick of things and mostly kept her cool in rough situations.
• Interesting “tasks” in the maze. And also interesting how they were solved by thinking “outside the box”.
• Great world building. I could definitely picture this town, in an alternate world like ours, with a little bit of magic. The plague brought about thoughts of London.
• The mild romance that took a backseat to the main drive of the book.
• The Victorian type setting with grand parties and class systems.

What I didn’t like:
• The flat secondary characters. Vincent and Germaine were cookie cutter blokes. Seleni was a hyper upper who thought of being a good wife and mother. Lute was the brooding male lead with a sensitive side.
• The “magic” beings throughout. I felt that the ghouls, basilisks, and sirens were used to make the land feel magical and really didn’t play a role in the story. They were only briefly seen, if at all, and could have been replaced by something more original.
• The long lead up. The beginning was long. We didn’t go into the maze until about 60% and we were out at 80%. Seeing the state of the city was nice, but there was too much going on that the author wanted to address that it ended up getting in the way of the actual story. There was politics (which was never resolved), social stations (which were never changed), and a love triangle (which kind of sorted itself out).
• The briefness of the tasks. There was not a lot of time spent in the maze and each task was quite short. There was a lot of talk and thinking going on in between.
• No resolutions. As stated before, the political issues never get resolved, Rhen is still separated from the men to take a test, the plague lives on, and, although discussed, the love story is still up in the air. Everything ends almost as it began, while this reader wonder why she wasted her time.

This title was interesting, and that is what kept me reading, but needed a lot of work for me to purchase it for me patrons.

First off i want some of the food mentioned in this book secondly...great book setting...also just yes.. this book was bloody brilliant and I am now enveloped with it and need more! The character development heightens at the right peaks and the action once it started was non stop. It almost reminded me of a Hunger Games style but it was its own book and completely blew me away! Fabulous writing all the way!

Actual rating 3.75

What an important and great story! I really enjoyed it. Our main character Rhen is strong and independent, she reminded me of Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Reaper. She has a passion for science and knowledge. She wants to make everyone's life better. She wants to make the difference. And in the world where girls are not even allowed to attend school, these qualities are very important. Sadly, even nowadays, there is too much discrimination and there are places where girls exist solely to please their husbands. So, I'm really glad that the author brought up that issue.
I liked that this book is not heavy on romance, and the characters don't make stupid decisions, they act their age and all are very well developed. We have a back story and a good character arc. I enjoyed getting to know them all, they felt like real people (even the side characters).
But, I wish there was more world building. I felt like something was missing. I'm still not sure if there is magic in this world and how things work. We learn a lot about the politics but not enough about everything else. I wish there were more details and history of this place, and where exactly is this place, you know?
Also, I found this story a bit slow paced. And we didn't get to the main course until way after the half mark. And the trials in the Labyrinth were very short. I imagined it would take days or even weeks and they would be more complicated.
The ending was a bit too convenient, and once again I felt like something was missing.
I believe this is a stand alone which is sad, it has a of potential for another book. I would like to see more of Rhen and her journey.
I haven't read other books by Mary Weber, but I loved her writing style so I will definitely check out her other works.