This book was absolutely fantastic! Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. Aveyard takes the familiar territory of a Tolkien-style fantasy epic and completely flips it and revamps it for the modern day, creating a story and characters that I immediately fell in love with. Of everything that I loved about this story, one of my favorite parts was the bits of realism that grounded the characters. Our ageless, powerful Elder is every bit as out-of-touch as someone who barely interacts with the modern world should be, and our protagonist, who's never held a sword before, is practically dwarfed by the blade she inherited from her father. Everyone feels real in a way that is often overlooked in fantasy. Even with these bits of reality though, we are still treated to a fantasy epic, one that I cannot wait to read more of.

Pirates, assassins, and an unlikely group of rag-tag allies.
This book took me awhile to get into. The world building felt loose for awhile and many things were left unexplained for a bit. Eventually I felt Aveyard hit her stride in telling this story, and I was hooked after that. I enjoyed watching these characters grow over the course of this book, as they got to know each other and worked towards a common goal.

As a fan of Red Queen, I was looking forward to a new series by Victoria Aveyard. Have your pen and paper ready when you begin this book. You will need to take notes because character names will be dropped faster than you can follow. As a librarian, I’m concerned students won’t stick with this because of the set up. Overall, I enjoyed the quest these characters are on, but the plot itself was slow. The middle of the book picks up with an Aveyard twist, and then the book progresses even slower.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

It took a while for me to get into this book. The story took a long time to set up and nothing really exciting happened until about halfway through. I don't really see how this is going to be a trilogy.

A group of heroes is assembled to defeat an evil, but they fail and all but two are killed. The squire Andry Trelland returns to his queen to report the defeat and takes the important Spindleblade with him. The immortal Domacridhan returns to his queen to beg for more assistance, but is turned down. He and his cousin, the princess Ridha, ride out seeking help to defeat the evil.

Dom seeks one of Corblood (a descendant of Old Cor). He enlists the help of an assassin Sorasa Sarn who knows where to find one. Her name is Corayne. Her mother is a pirate who refuses to let Corayne join her crew or tell her about her father. When Dom begs her to help him save the world, Corayne thinks he's crazy, but soon realizes that he isn't. They go to find Andry so they can retrieve the Spindleblade.

When they go to retrieve the sword, they ask Erida, Queen of Galland, for assistance at her wedding feast only to find out that she has agreed to marry the evil who happens to be Corayne's uncle. Andry, Dom, and Corayne flee with Sorasa's help. Dom is badly injured, but it takes a lot to kill an immortal.

They escape to the countryside where they find a witch named Valtik who tells them, in riddles, that they need a party of seven. Sorasa knows where to find the other two. Sorasa leads Corayne, Dom, Andry, and Valtik to a city of thieves. There they are joined by Charlon, a talented forger and former priest. When they exit the city, they are joined by Sigil, a bounty hunter who has been hunting Charlon.

The companions board a ship so they may cross the sea to close a Spindle that is spewing water and sea monsters from another realm. They barely manage to close the Spindle. Corayne's uncle Taristan now knows she is actively working against him.

An (expectedly) excellent start to a new series. Fans will clamor for this one. A recommended first purchase for YA and HS collections

Amazing. Adventurous. I couldn’t put this one down. It had a Lord of the Rings quest vibe and I loved every word.

I read this book too fast. I am always hesitant about a book that has multiple view points and lots of characters, but Victoria Aveyard has done an amazing job. From the first page of each character you are engrossed and invested in each person. The way these characters then come together makes it all the better. Victoria Aveyard has also created a world that feels large and real with diverse landscapes and people. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

An imaginative story line that brings diverse characters to life. Brings together an unlikely group of heroes that have to work together to try to save their world. Aveyard is great at bringing whole new worlds to life.