This is a hard one to review simply because I both liked and disliked aspects of it. On one hand, the read is compelling in that there are many mysteries and Roth knows how to dole out information sparingly and intriguingly for the world building. But on the other hand, there are no likable characters, everyone is morose and depressed (every single character has PTSD of some sort), and the book is one thing for the first half then something completely different in the second. The pacing was odd and there was a lot of extraneous details that weren't needed to further the story or for characterization. It fell apart for me at the end but I also stayed with it long enough to get to the end. This first book has a clear arc and felt like a stand alone; I am curious where she will take it from here (likely to explain the origins of the magic and to fix/remove it from the world). And like Divergent, it is post apocalyptic (though it isn't set in the same world or have any relation to that series other than also using Chicago).

Story: Sloane is one of 5 'chosen ones' - individuals prophesied to save the world after magic suddenly appears earlier in the twentieth century and causes catastrophic chaos. After many personal sacrifices, they defeated the "Dark Lord" who was causing terrifying devastation and death. Now ten years later, battle scarred and bearing internal wounds from torture and deprivation from the fights, Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther cling to each other. Famous and unable to form relationships or live normal lives, they walk around the world in a bubble of misery. That is, until one of them dies suddenly and the rest discover that their fight with the Dark Lord was only beginning - and they have to do it all again.

There is a lot in this first book. Alternate universes, magical weapons, City-wide destruction through magical elements, new worlds, psychological warfare, torture and PTSD, and gruesome deaths. Add in anti-heroes who don't want to fight any more, who hurt each other as easily as they support each other, and a main character who is selfish, annoying, and feels more like an angsty 16 year old than an adult - and you have an idea of what to expect here. Protagonist Sloane (who, like her dead brother Cameron, is named after Ferris Bueller's Day Off characters (another Chicago reference)) is defeatist, bitter, a lone wolf, and pretty much fighting all the healing that her fellow chosen are trying to accomplish. As with Tris in Divergent, she will start off wishy-washy but find her strength later in the novel. But I didn't really see the connection between the first half of the book Sloane and the second half of the book Sloane. It's as if she shook off the past suddenly and felt jarring - this aspect of her character needed more development.

As noted earlier, this is a book in two halves. So as not to reveal plot points, I won't go into too much detail. But most of the action takes place in the second half and most of the first half is about PTSD and trauma. As soon as we meet the characters of the second half, it's very easy to discern where the plot was going and who is the secret evil and who will be the love interest. The romance at the end was nearly insta-luv trope worthy and I can't say I really believed it or saw the interest from either side. Especially after Sloane fighting her attraction to fellow chosen Matt for most of the book, this 'jumping into the bed of the enemy' was abrupt. I imagine we will get more character development for him in the sequel but in terms of just this book, the romance was incredibly underwhelming. But those who loved Bardugo's Grisha series will see parallels here.

I felt that there were a lot of things in this first book described but not utilized. I imagine they will come to the fore in the sequel but things like the magic artifacts were randomly discussed and not in any way that was useful or compelling. Likely the sequel will explore them more and they will play a bigger part. But also, Sloane's uber importance throughout the plot in terms of prophecy and why she could do what the other chosens could not is also frustrating as a reader. It felt like she was a 'speshul snowflake' by virtue of being the protagonist rather than by virtue of being unique or distinct in her power or character. Thus, everyone's single minded fascination and attention on her remains inexplicable - there's all tell and no show as to why she garners the attention she does or why she is more effective than the others.

For me, the weakest aspect was definitely the unbelievable nature of the last 1/4 of the book - which had the twists, romance, big battles, and some 'twists' that were highly telegraphed. It fell apart for me then, especially since Roth had spent so much time with the build up to that point. That said, I did read it through to the end and it kept me interested enough to want to find out the answers to the mysteries laid out so sparingly in the beginning. I just wish she had waited until the second book for the bland and sudden insta-luv romance. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I had been really looking forward to this book. But unfortunately it's just OK. I liked the writing style, but it just felt like it could have just been a short story. It was very stretched out and didn't hold my attention

This book is absolutely fantastic.After harry potter this book has a dark lord and chosen ones. The book was page turning and i absolutely loved it.

I’m a huuuge, huge, Veronica Roth fan because none one rips my heart from my chest and walks all over it like she does.

That did not quite happen here. Honestly, the entire story seemed to me like a less gay, more adult version of the Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell but if there was something I liked more in this book than in any of the author's previous ones, were the characters.

Sloane, baby, I love you! And her guy wasn’t too bad either. I really loved the romance and the way all the characters interacted with each other but the absolute icing on the cake was that no single character in this book was one single thing! Veronica wrote about men that want committed relationships, friends that accept each other's flaws and different places in each other lives, girls that like makeup and are still brave in the face of evil, women that are tough and both give and accept comfort, ...I really, really loved all these characters. I just wish that the author had written them younger because despite or maybe because of all that they had gone through, they didn’t always act their age.

Also, extra points for the fashion and architecture that Roth came up with because it added so much to the story.

It wasn’t my most emotional read, but I liked it regardless.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Hodder & Soughton for this DRC.

On the surface, we have a story about a group of men and women years after they defeated The Dark One. Under the waves and way below into the deep dark depths is another story of a woman plagued by PTSD who, along with her best friend and fiancee are suddenly transported to an alternate Chicago where The Dark One still exists but under a different guise. In this new world, magic exists in a strange and unique way. All three "Chosen Ones" must train to help defeat this evil once and for all.

The first quarter of this book seemed normal. We have Sloane who is still reeling from her encounters with the Dark One and the death of her ally, Albie. She has no clue if she really wants to marry her fellow Chosen One, Matt and life just seems to get away from her. I had no idea that they'd be transported to an alternate world and that threw me for a loop. The story does a 360 that took me a while to settle into. The three friends start a training montage reminiscent of Roth's Divergent, and although this new Chicago is intriguing, things got as slow as when I tell my son to get dressed for school. In all honesty, the beginning was almost enough for me to put the book down, but I am glad I finished. This book was weird and upside down and back around.
The last half of the book was a whirlwind that I liked. The new Chicago with its use of science and magic reminded me a lot of Divergent and I was there for it.

BUT there was a big problem in this book for me and that was Sloane. And most of the characters in general. The dialogue of these "adults" and the introspection felt very YA. They acted and spoke like teenagers. I have read some of the recent adult books that YA authors have released and this is the first that truly felt as though it should have been YA through and through. Sloane was immature and I found it hard to care about what happened to her. The other characters fell flat, with no real deep connection. The only one I felt for was Mox, and he doesn't show up until later in the book.

Overall, I did enjoy the premise of the book, but the pacing and the characters made it hard to give it a higher rating. I will read book two and hope the characters are better developed. I'd love to see where it goes.
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The Chosen Ones are a group of teenagers fitting a certain description in a prophecy about a chosen one that would defeat the Dark One, a magical entity terrorizing the world. Now, ten years after his defeat, the group continues to struggle with ptsd and never left alone by the media due to their celebrity status. Then, one of the group dies. While attending the funeral, they are transported to an alternate universe where everyone is able to work magic, and the Dark One still exists. Will they be able to defeat him again?
I really liked Sloane, the main character of the book. She seems to struggle the most with the unwanted celebrity, and her impulsive and snide attitude kept me guessing on what crazy thing she'd do next. The parallel universe world building was interesting and a different twist I wasn't expecting. Overall, great story. I look forward to the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Yes, wow, this book was so fantastic and unexpected! I never knew where it would go, and I just had to keep reading it! This is Veronica Roth's first adult book, and besides the sequels which I need, I can't wait to see where she goes next!

So the whole concept of the YA chosen one, it's a very popular trope. That this book deals with the afterwards, dealing with the fame of something that pretty severely traumatized you, well, it's not a pleasant situation. Sloane is prickly and generally unliked by the general population because of her well deserved and understood by the reader, but not them, attitude.

It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling it. The world is so interesting, and there's some mysteries that we maybe solved in this book, I'll have to read the sequel, I think, to be sure that they've been solved. Of course, there's going to be new ones, and I can't wait!

That ending, yeah, it's changed things, and we saw the tip of the fallout. I can't wait to see the rest, because what happened was a pretty significant event. I also need to know what's going to happen next, because I have no clue!

This book was so fantastic, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!

"Nobody ever prepared me for what came after. They just assumed I would never find out."

The Chosen Ones is Veronica Roth’s first novel that targets an adult audience, as it digs deep into themes that her Divergent series of novels casually explored. It is a Chicago-based urban portal fantasy novel, with a neat twist on the ‘chosen ones versus the Dark One’ trope. The story begins ten years after a group of five teenagers defeated the murdering and destructive Dark One. For better or for worse (it’s the latter) they are now world-famous celebrities with non-existent private lives, which makes it even more difficult for these ex-heroes to cope with the devastating traumas they endured. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed by The Dark One before these Chosen Ones were able to defeat him, not to mention the personal horrors each teenager had to endure along the way. Some long-term effects of physical and mental abuse are examined through the narrative of Sloan, one of the Chosen Ones who serves as the reader’s single point-of-view throughout the story.

Roth steadily unwraps the history behind why she and her friends became The Chosen Ones, and how they obtained magical abilities that were used to defeat their enemy. All the while, the Dark One summons Drains, which are magic-fueled natural disasters that appear without warning and kill off tens of thousands of bystanders at once. Sloan and her team attempt to stem these violent events at ground zero, and memories of the terrors they endured are relived through nightmares and visions. The narrative of Sloan’s past is intercut with the ten-year anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat in present day, and her disgust at celebrity, fake selfie smiles, and utter loneliness has reached a breaking point. But then, a major event occurs that might force her to reconcile her past and face an even more horrifying challenge ahead.

“You can’t force someone to want something,” he said. “And knowing what you want—not just vaguely but really specifically what you want—is a big part of magic. You don’t pick the act and then force the desire. You know the desire—the exact shade of it—and then choose the act accordingly.”

The book features an excellent balance of character exploration, world-building, and a twisty plot that maintains a high level of engagement throughout the story. There are some major plot reveals that pave the way for many new exciting themes to explore, but spoilers prevent further discussion. One standout feature is Roth’s development of the world's soft magic system. Magic is influenced by desire and intent, and its level of access is deeply tied into the mental acuity of its caster. There’s an extensive and well-developed set of ideas that support this magic system, and Roth ensures that its impact in society is reflected in its culture, architecture, history, and means of communication. Roth deftly ties these ideas into the greater themes of responsibility and post-traumatic recovery. When factoring in Sloan’s sharp determination and hard-edged personality with a fast-moving series of world-changing events, it all results in an engrossing story that offers plenty of rich areas to traverse.

There were a few aspects to the story that fell a bit short. While the world-building in the first third of the book is fascinating, the plot took a while to establish its direction. Some of the bigger reveals were projected far in advance, and some of the symbolism were more overt than subtle. Although it poses a fantastic set up for the next book in the series, the conclusion felt somewhat rushed after such a long buildup. But none of these complaints detracted from the enjoyment of the novel, and the thrill of what’s to come next.

The Chosen Ones is a fresh and mature twist on some familiar hero tropes, taking aim at difficult themes without sacrificing its tendency toward mystery and adventure. It is an easy recommendation for fans of Roth, offering an impressive introduction into an ambitious and exciting new universe.

8.0 / 10

Have you ever wondered what happens to your favourite heroes after they've defeated the big bad and can get on with their lives? ME TOO.

Well, now we have it! The story of 5 "Chosen Ones" who saved the world as teenagers from an evil magical force, now 10 years on and just trying to get by.

The characters in this book are phenomenal - fully realised and fleshed out. Although I would have loved the original adventure to be a book of its own, I don't think it's necessary since Roth does a brilliant job of making you care about the characters - especially Sloane, our protagonist.

The plot is well paced and kept me engaged throughout, although I did get a little confused part way through and managed to guess the twist at the end. However, neither experience stopped me from very much enjoying the story.

This book deals with a lot of the things you don't really think about - like the lasting trauma that would come from that kind of experience at such a young age. It's beautifully well written and I loved it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon

I tried not to look into the synopsis of this one too much before starting but the general premise really appealed to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from the very beginning. The world was super interesting and the premise went places I never could've predicted

We follow Sloane, one of five chosen ones who defeated the Dark One 10 years ago when they were all teenagers. Since then, the five of them have had to deal with unwanted fame and criticism, while also dealing with the psychological traumas suffered while being heroes. When tragedy strikes again, the heroes have to face their demons and figure out if they can survive the trauma all over again

I've often wondered what happens after the end of the action or superhero film and this book explores that so interestingly. I thought the trauma and PTSD of the five chosen ones was presented well, as we see them 10 years after they've defeated the Dark One

This book reminded me a little of Vicious, which is one of my all-time favourite books, and also a little of Ninth House, I think primarily because of Sloane's perspective and ways of viewing the world

I think I would've preferred this had we had multiple POVs, but that's just a personal preference. I did like Sloane as a protagonist but think the story would have felt more balanced with other POVs thrown in

I'd never read anything by Roth before but this was a great introduction to her work. I might pick up the Carve the Mark duology in the future, I've heard great things about it

I realized somewhere in the last seventy or so pages of Chosen Ones that I could very easily turn this into a positive review. Threads were coming together, showcasing Roth's clever plotting, just as the action picked up and secrets came to light. There's sprinkles of humour:

“Please, for the love of God, don’t be one of those villains who waxes poetic about existentialist nonsense, because if you are, I really will have to cut you,” she said.


And all of this adds up to a book that, looking back, makes me understand why the critics (and probably a lot of other readers) will love it. But I just found it so so slow and boring. How much slog makes the goods worth it? I think your answer to that may decide whether you will enjoy this book or not.

For me, it was a real struggle to push through. I genuinely only made myself finish this book because it is the third book I've read in the last six months that is a popular YA author's adult debut - the others being Ninth House and House of Earth and Blood, respectively - and I DNFed the first two. I figured conspiracy theorists might think I was a book-hating bot working for the dark side if I DNFed yet another. And if you're thinking after three books, maybe it's YOU, then don't worry, I have already had that thought myself.

This one is almost like a sequel to any YA fantasy novel where the chosen ones have saved the world. It looks at what happens ten years later when they're all grown up, miserable and traumatized, dealing with depression, addiction and PTSD. 'Part One' of this book is all about their adult lives now-- the daily struggle post world-saving. The world-saving itself is mentioned only vaguely in these first 120 pages.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise, but it very quickly became dull when so little was happening. Then 'Part Two' gets a little wild at first so I was thinking "Right, yes, now we're getting to the good stuff!" But then that, too, dampens and seems to consist of the characters wandering around or having training sessions (a mind-numbing part of Roth's Carve the Mark, I seem to recall) where the characters "modulate the strength of [their] magical breath".

I also think a major factor that didn't help with the slowness was the third person narrative. I don't know if it is supposed to make the book seem more serious and grown up, but a book like this, with an MC like Sloane - a complex, difficult person dealing with a lot of trauma - would really benefit from being written in first person. I think the third person narrative unnecessarily keeps us at a distance that makes the narrative cold and unengaging.

Aside from being slower and more convoluted, there's still a strong YA vibe running through Chosen Ones. The characters may be older, but they certainly feel stuck in their teenage heads. The conversations seemed like ones that would happen in any YA fantasy. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, though, just not what I was expecting from an adult fantasy debut.

The ending does make me want to know what happens next, but I don’t know if I can sit through another slow novel of this size. I may need someone to spoil the sequel for me.

The toll of a happily ever after for chosen ones- those heroes and heroines fate chooses to save the world – is not normally something readers get to see; Mockingjay is the only book that comes to mind, and most people vilified the epilogue for this very reason. Yet, to assume that such chosen ones get a happily ever after is dangerous given what authors put such characters through. For this reason, Veronica Roth’s new novel, Chosen Ones, is a thoughtful look at what the lives of certain chosen ones would be like after they save the world.

For one thing, Ms. Roth does not shy away from the severe mental and physical trauma chosen ones incur in their battles to save the world. Ten years later, Sloane still struggles with severe PTSD to the point where it continues to impact her relationships and her ability to function. In addition, there are allusions to her fellow chosen ones’ suffering, the intense therapy they sought to recover, the drugs they used to blur their memories, and their many other coping mechanisms used to be able to deal with or forget everything they saw and did while saving the world. It is a brutal portrayal of a hero, but one that fits with everything we know about psychiatry and long-term exposure to traumatic stress. Such chosen ones may provide the world with a happily ever after ending, but they certainly struggle to obtain the same type of ending themselves.

To counteract the damage, Ms. Roth also highlights the bonds forged through such combat. The five chosen ones are legitimately friends for life. They alone know what each other suffered and experienced. They alone can relate to each other. No one else has their memories or their experiences, and these are the ties that bind them together forever. Plus, even if they wanted to drift apart, they cannot do so because the world will always see them as a group. Every memorial, every anniversary will force them to come together again as the united front that defeated evil.

Ms. Roth immediately draws you into this dark story with its unusual combination of magic, astrophysics, and psychology. Sloane is one of the prickliest heroines you will meet, but she is honest in her ongoing suffering. Sloane is the type of character you want to heal because she is so broken and fragile no matter the solid facade she portrays to those closest to her. In spite of her ongoing issues though, she is one of the first ones to step up when it appears that they might not have saved the world after all. You can’t help but admire someone like her, right on the edge of breaking into a million pieces but not afraid to do her duty when called to do so.

As always, Ms. Roth knows how to write and write well. From the very first page, she hooked me into the story. Chosen Ones suffers slightly from a tendency towards redundancy, especially about Sloane’s height, which gets mentioned almost every chapter. Yet, it was not enough to stop me from devouring every page and wanting more. In fact, I loved it so much that I am willing to say I think it is Ms. Roth’s best novel to date, and I look forward to seeing what else she has in store for Sloane and her friends in future novels.

Chosen Ones is an excellent adult fantasy debut from one of my favorite authors, Veronica Roth. I was beyond thrilled when granted access to this title. Chosen Ones is a unique concept. It asks the question of what happens to the chosen heroes in the stories we love once the villain is vanquished and the world is saved. What is that aftermath like? Roth chooses to illustrate this with the character of Sloane, one of five "chosen ones" who took down an evil villian known as The Dark One.
10 years after she saved the world, Sloane Andrews still bears the scars from her encounter with the Dark One beneath the media scrutiny that comes with being a hero who saved the world. To outsiders, she seems to live a picture perfect life, but no one sees the toll her heroic exploits take even so long after it occurred. When a friend dies, Sloane and two of her fellow chosen ones, Matt and Esther, are pulled to an alternate dimension of Earth called Genetrix in order to defeat a new villain who threatens both universes known as the Ressurectionist. Soon, however, Sloane learns that the leaders in Genetrix are hiding secrets of their own, and that the ghosts of her past are much closer than she thinks.
I really enjoyed Chosen Ones a lot. It is a really unique story that focuses on a part of the hero's journey that tends to get overlooked. While heroes are celebrated in both the real and fictional worlds, they tend to get overlooked in the aftermath. I really liked Sloane's character very much and liked how her experience with trauma was handled and portrayed. She was an imperfect character, but memorable and fiery enough for you to root for her. This book has quite a few delicious twists in it when it comes to the Resurrectionist and the Dark One that I won't spoil, but I loved those. They really enticed me to go deeper in this book. Chosen Ones is an exciting and twisty contemporary fantasy about healing from trauma and what it really means to be chosen. My only complaint about this book was that I felt a little lost in the scientific speak when it comes to the universes, but other than that I was hooked on this book and highly recommend it.

3.75 stars. This went in a much different direction than I was expecting. Also marketed as "adult" but I'm not sure the voice is really much different than her "YA" stuff (besides the one sexy scene, I guess?)

Let me begin by noting that I was a huge fan of the first two installments of the Divergent series, which as you can imagine, added to my excitement upon receiving to Veronica Roth's "first novel for adults".

To begin with, the best I can come up with as to why this is considered an "adult novel" is because of the pervasive crude language. Other than that, I really felt as though the characters were very juvenile, so much so that I had to continually remind myself throughout the novel that they were adults! It honestly read like a Young Adult Dystopian novel, which I generally enjoy when well-written.

I'll also admit that the novel didn't pick up speed until the second half, at which point it became increasingly more disjointed, confusing readers as to the time period and reality they were in. The articles/letters placed in between each chapter only add to the juxtaposed timeline.

On a positive note, Roth's imagination certainly shone through in the second half of the novel. The ride became more exciting and jarring, and hints of the author's ingenuity were apparent. It was Roth's creativity that made the novel a somewhat fun, albeit confusing, adventure.

However, if I'm honest, I do believe that this story would've been more well-received had it been written in the first person. While the story focused on Sloane (nice Ferris Bueller reference, btw), I didn't feel fully invested in her plight because I wasn't completely absorbed in her story, despite the writing having some omniscient characteristics.

So, while <i>Chosen Ones</i> didn't fall as flat as the 3rd novel in the Divergent series, it also wasn't my favorite of her novels. I will admit though, that an intriguing Dystopian will generally lure me in regardless.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews at mamasgottaread.blogspot.com.

Tens years after the defeat of the Dark One, the five Chosen Ones fated by prophecy to defeat him are constantly in the limelight. Sloane seems to be the only one of them that hasn't settled into a place of her own, preferring to stay in the shadows, anonymous in the crowd. But that's not an option when you save the world. Her fellow Chosen Ones are finding their places but the facade Sloane forces when out in public is starting to wear on her. When the government once again asks them to help test magical objects, her closet friend and fellow Chosen One, Albie, can't handle the repercussions and now they're are together again to honor his final wishes and spread his ashes when something else goes wrong.

Sucked into an alternate dimension, Chosen Ones, Sloane, Matt and Inez have been forcibly recruited to defeat this world's evil villain. But things are not as they seem and Sloane's determination to buck the norm leads her down a path that may set her against her closest friends. Set in two dimensions where magic is real, but discovered at different points in their history, the children so attuned to using this magic become the heroes of prophecy that somehow have to figure out how to live after their catastrophes are over.

This was a super interesting read. With high expectations from the author of the Divergent series, Veronica Roth created a unique world and wonderful characters that sparked your emotions and rallied your loyalties. Sloane is a great character that carries all of her scars hidden behind her anger and straight-forwardness. Broken by her experiences, finding herself in a new dimension expected to save the day is a familiarity she doesn't want but an environment she thrives in. Discovering the truth behind the Dark One of her dimension was unfulfilled want and an unexpected result of dimensional travel no one expected.

I went into Chosen Ones knowing I enjoyed Roth's divergent series and basically no other knowledge. Even so Chosen Ones completely blew me away!

This is the darker side of what happens when you're burdened with saving the world. The ramifications of your actions and how your life is completely changed afterwards.

It's beautiful actually. I found myself completely enamored with the protagonist Sloane. Roth has written a compelling character that is complex and interesting and still strong despite her struggles with mental health. It's truly refreshing to read an accurate and empowering description of PTSD.

Even more interesting is how differently each character is written despite the same situations and life being thrown at them.

Chosen Ones is not only a magnificent piece of dark, dystopian, science fiction but also a thrilling exploration of humanity and our perceived reality. Easiest five star rating I've given in a long time.

Review will be live on all socials by first week of June.

I had high hopes for this one! I am a huge fan of the Divergent series, and I’m honestly not sure this lived up to the hype. I think that if Roth had written this as more of a “Young Adult” book, it might have come out better. Regardless, it was a decent read, and I will probably read the sequel when it’s released.

The book Chosen Ones deals with an intriguing theme of how to feel after you´ve defeated a great evil. Imagine that everything is over, everyone is happy, the whole world went back to normal but cannot go on with your life because you are still hunted by the horrors of it. You feel like you´ve never left the lair of the Dark One. Well, I have to say, it was interesting to read about what's going on after the fight with the dark forces.

In the first part of the book, we get to know the heroes, and through various documents, extra materials, and the government agency records inserted between Sloane´s chapters and clues from the Chosen we slowly find out what happened 10 years ago. The tempo of the book is very slow and there is not a lot of action. The author takes her time to explain what has happened and to describe the characters and their relationships. I was not sure I am gonna like this book at first because I wanted to cut to the chase, which did not happen for approximately 150 pages (15 chapters)

“Just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's worth doing.”

Anyway, It was interesting to read about how the characters deal with the horrors of their experience. The main protagonist Sloane is not exactly a ray of sunshine, she is moody, she has a temper and her personality did not seem likable at the beginning and she definitely does not feel like a perfect Chosen One herself. After the traumatic experiences of defeating The Dark One, Sloane is a mess. She does not feel okay at all. Another fight against evil forces is the last think she needs and wants. She definitely does not want to go through it AGAIN. She has PTSD, has nightmares and tries to stay out of spotlight. Albie became addicted and struggles too. Then there's the golden boy / poster boy and hilanthropic crusader Matthew, who did not interest me at all. Esther adores fame and the millions of her Instagram fans... and finally, Ines who keeps to herself.

I really appreciated how the author connected everyday life (because it takes place in our reality) and important issues such as the experiences of war and its aftermath with magical elements. It's clear that someone who was fighting great evil, was kidnapped, tortured etc, would not be able to go back to his/her everyday life. It definitely affects the human psyche and the character has to find some coping strategy to get through it. Unfortunately, they do not always choose the best way how to deal with trauma. I think that Veronica Roth dealt with it in a good way, but I am not a psychologist after all.

I was really interested in The Dark One. He reminded me of villains from superhero movies. I wondered if he used to be human, what can he do, how he got his powers etc. because the Chosen Ones either don't know much about him, or they won't say it all right away. We know that the Dark creates so-called Drains, which are magically powered natural disasters ... kind of tornadoes that appear without warning and kill tens of thousands of passers-by at once ... they tear them apart. By the way, the Chosen Ones used artifacts to defeat The Dark One ... such as Kostya's needle (it's the immortal Kostya from Russian fairy tales) and I found it very interesting.

Interesting fact is that The Dark One had and still has his worshipers. I just wish I understood why he had followers. Maybe I missed something in the explanation at the end.

“Nature is bloody, and as a whole, it favors strength over compassion.”

In the second part, our Chosen Ones will fall into another dimension ... and I didn't expect it at all. The city (Chicago) looks almost the same and everything has two names ... Chicago & Cordus, planet Earth and Genetrix. We find out that they have their version of The Dark One, who revives corpses, and they also had The Chosen One, but he died. Oops. Well, so they solved it by summoning The Chosen One from another dimension and they got 3 of them. There they have Siphons which that allow them to use powers... magic. It´s up to our Chosen Ones to learn how it works and defeat The Dark One. Again!

I thought that not everything will be as it seems at first glance. I had a few theories and I was sure about two things 100%. Well, I was right so I was not surprised. The ending was quite interesting. Everything fit together nicely.

In the final phase, it occurred to me that in a way, fans of the Renegades or A Thousand Pieces of You might like it. There is a modern city - Chicago, a mysterious villain, basically superheroes (of whom they are celebrities by the way), there is traveling through dimensions, an interesting system of magic ...

By the way, this book is targeted at adults and the five protagonists are in their late twenties, almost thirty in some cases I think, however, the sex is not explicit, it is mentioned but not described in great detail. I´ve seen more detailed sex scenes that were in books promoted as YA. The book contains a certain portion of violence, but it is also not described in detail. I feel like I´ve read darker books marked as YA. I guess the reason for labeling it as adult fantasy is the depiction of characters´ internal conflicts, their age and the writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chosen Ones was an interesting book. Veronica Roth’s first adult novel is about what happens after a group of teens saves the world from evil. Ten years have passed and Sloane and her friends have each dealt with the trauma and fame differently, some in healthier ways than others. Stark struggles with PTSD and addiction are shown, and the beginning of the book is kind of a rough time for that reason. But then things go in an unexpected direction. I ended up liking the story, though it was a bit slow in the middle it picks back up and I am glad I stuck with it. I loved the complex characters and while I was very sad that my favorite was only in the first part, new characters are introduced who I grew to love as well. The ending was also satisfying and I’m looking forward to the sequel.