3.5Stars!
I just finished The Rite of Radnick by Tara O’Toole (Thank you to NetGalley for the free Arc!).
I loved the premise...Handmaid’s Tale dystopian mixed with Hunger Games. It absolutely delivered on that!

I adore strong female characters and stories about breaking down patriarchal systems and/or oppressive theocracies. That’s basically my catnip, and this book was giving.

The world building was rich and tense, the monsters were genuinely creepy, and the found family vibe was great. That said, some parts felt rushed and incomplete, especially the romance. I also wanted more character development...a few characters stayed too surface level. I struggled with the writing style at first, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

The ending was awesome and completely shocked me, which is hard to do nowadays! Well done! I’m ready for book two.

Firstly would like to thank the author and netgalley for this e-arc.

I had a good time reading this book, going into it unsure what to expect but i was pleasantly surprised.

The world is interesting, and i really did enjoy the character Braya.

The ending had me a bit shook as there was alot of information that was revealed and i was like damn.

Off i go to the next book

This book was... fine.
I didn't find anything extremely original or interesting about it. I also struggled to like or really care about the characters for most of the book. Yes, what Braya and her peers are forced to under go is terrible, but Braya is an intensely unlikable character who does a lot of selfish acts under the guise of helping her sister and friends.

The writing was also clunky, and several parts felt over-written. There are a lot of background characters that felt cliche, there's the obligatory female background/side character who hates the female MC, for basically no reason. They meet and this character is instantly belittling and insulting her, and then tries to kill her. It was very out of left field.

The world building was lacking in many areas, a lot of telling. The exposition was not integrated in a way that helped the story flow, and it made the conversations feel forced and stilted. This book tries at religious indoctrination, but as somebody who has deconstructed from that, it takes more work than this book implies it does.

I think this book was also trying to have a romantic subplot, but I didn't feel like there was any chemistry between the characters for me to want to root for the relationship.

I also feel that this book was too long. There are parts of this book that are dragged out, it took to nearly 30% into the book for the inciting incident to happen, that is too far in for that.

"I barely hear her over the sound of my own thoughts. What would it feel like to be that free?"

In the same vein as Red Queen, this dark academia dystopia is difficult for the ones who are different.

Somehow, this story felt fresh though there are similar stories. Braya is the heroine we all need, pink dress and all.

Unfortunately this really didn’t do it for me, which is sad because the premise sounded intriguing and right up my alley. I would have DNF’d if not for it being an arc. There are somewhat good bones under it all, but overall everything came off as under-developed, from the flat characters to the rushed plot. Scenes sometimes lacked logic and consistency. Dialogue was a lot of thinly-disguised exposition, often feeling stilted, and the romantic banter felt very forced. The romance arc itself was shallow and head-spinning quick given the timeframe, without the excuse of it being clear insta-lust. Setting aside some grammatical issues as this is an arc, the writing was not my cup of tea at all, full of sentence fragments. These can be used for effect, but here simply made the flow very disjointed.

The very end had an interesting revelation that could’ve made a nice twist had the rest of the book been given more space to breathe and develop.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the arc.

The Rite of Radnick is a gripping, high-stakes dystopian fantasy that blends the intensity of The Hunger Games with the haunting control of The Handmaid’s Tale, all wrapped in a lush, romantasy package.

The story follows Braya Farroe, a young woman forced to choose between self-sacrifice and banishment. When two mysterious members of the feared Mollakai arrive to perform a sacrificial rite, Braya’s fate takes a turn. Offered a chance at freedom, she must pose as an Apexer and enter the Rite of Radnick, to determine the next ruler of Argacia.

Tara O’Toole delivers an exciting and emotionally engaging debut packed with surprising twists, strong heroines, and a deeply immersive, dark world.

THE RITE OF RADNICK BY TARA O'TOOLE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Full of interesting characters, a tense, death filled world and backstabbing. Very fun to read, very good to see that every character is a massive flawed liar and its very debatable whether or not to support them individually, though their motives are (somewhat) justified.

This book was soooo good! I definitely did not expect that ending! Thank you so much to the author for this book! I will definitely be posting a full review on my bookstagram within the next week! This one shocked me by how much I enjoyed it!

Okay, WOW, I was not expecting the twist at the end. I don't want to reveal it to those who haven't read the book yet. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?? It's worth your time, I promise you!

I will admit, though, that I wasn't a fan of Tara's writing style at first and it took me some time to get into it. Once I started pushing myself past the writing style, I was able to dive into the book more easily.

I do agree with the marketing that says this book is "The Hunger Games" x "The Handmaid's Tale" because that's what we got. This is one time when the marketing lives up to the hype that this book delivers. And, boy, does this book deliver!

I feel bad for Braya due to the place she is put in throughout the book. She is continuously placed between a rock and a hard place, sometimes literally, and it hurts to see people using that to their advantage, time and again.

I wasn't a fan of one of the male leads being so manipulative toward her so many times, especially during the trial itself. I can't stand it when people do that to me and it hurts more than I see it happening to other people.

I definitely will be reading the sequel right after this book because the compulsion to do so is way too high for me to ignore. I can't wait to see how this duology ends, that's for sure! I hope the second book lives up to the hype this first book delivers on.

And, yes, I do recommend this book. Just be warned beforehand: there are a lot of incomplete sentences that tore me out of the story as I tried to comprehend how the sentence structure is supposed to be or what my mind wanted it to be. Eek!

I really enjoyed this book! I had never heard of it but appreciated the opportunity to review the ARC on NetGalley. It took me a couple of pages to orient myself to the writing style which is in 1st person, but after that, the story/plot takes off and definitely doesn't slow down. It starts off as medium paced but definitely moves into a fast pace as the story progresses.

Really enjoyed the development of the main character, Braya, and the plot was stellar. I was really glad to learn that I could pick up the sequel right away! This author's novels should definitely be read by those who love fantasy! Definitely stands up to the likes of Fourth Wing, S Maas, Broadbent, and others!

An epic saga of beginnings and family/friendship, corrupt government, and a romance among rebels. Beautiful.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 is the first book in a dark romantic fantasy duology by Tara O’Toole described as A Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games, as Braya fights against strict societal traditions that demand ritual sacrifice for the greater good in favor of freedom and the pursuit of truth. At first I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters with unusual names, but once I settled into the complex storyline a bit, I was thoroughly entertained by the high stakes drama, emotional moments, deadly competition, fantasy-inspired world building, and twists and turns that left me surprised and intrigued. The romance aspect was a conundrum for sure. I couldn’t tell who the love interest was going to be for awhile, and there was some odd timing, but it was interesting!😅 I’m so glad I don’t have to wait for the second book!😂

I received an review copy for free, and am leaving a review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book draws you in immediately with a chilling premise: a girl raised to be sacrificed by a theocratic regime, who dares to want more than the role she’s been given. The world is richly imagined, with religious control, resistance movements, and a magic system full of potential. The eerie opening, the intense competition of the Rite, and a final act full of twists and revelations.
I found myself wanting deeper development and emotional grounding, especially in the romance. Some character decisions lacked clarity, and Braya’s sudden combat proficiency stretched believability. That said, the themes of defiance, identity, and control are powerful, and Braya’s arc is one I rooted for. A bold and imaginative start to the series.
3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Tara O'Toole for the chance to read this book!

The description of the this book was "Princess Mononoke meets Hunger Games meets The Handmaid's Tale" and I was sold. After reading the book, Princess Mononoke and Handmaid's are accurate. I would say it's less Hunger Games and more Battle Royale. The first half of the book was all Handmaid's Tale religious oppression. We don't get to the titular Rite of Radnick until the halfway mark and then it is all violence and everyone for themselves.

I enjoyed the story. It took a little bit for the wheels to really start turning, but once the story got momentum there was no stopping it. It was a nonstop train to betrayal, pain, and heartbreak. You don't just get double crossings, oh no. There are quadruple crosses. More twists than a pretzel stand! TRUST NO ONE!

I look forward to the next part of the duology.

It's a great book that once started I have to finish and find out how it's going to end.It's a dystopia and fantasy at it best,and I don't say that lightly because it's rare for me to give high rating.It's start with the world that is so different,so unfair for FMC Braya,that you can't but root for her to run away and be free.I love her,she's brave and tough,the choices she make are not the easy one.The trials she need survive it keept me reading ,and boy what a suprises and betrayals come along the way.

If you want something different with trials,romance ,betrayal, grab your copy,you won't be disappointed.Moving on to book two.
Thank you Netgally and Autor for the complimentary copy.

I actually really enjoyed this. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because it feels more like a rough draft of something that could be something truly amazing. There was a lot of telling the reader rather than showing. I would have liked to see Sayleth turn angry in the competition rather than being told since it seemed like a major part of his character development. Also the love connection happened abruptly. The writing seemed to start to improve more towards the final chapters and everything started to fall into place more seamlessly. It really started to grab my attention and now the ending has me wanting to jump into book 2.

This book pleasantly surprised me. Not knowing anything about it, I went in with a completely blank slate and was immediately excited by the premise: an oppressive government and a girl who wants to escape it. Reading further, I was excited by the original and very creative magic system and a strong supporting cast.

There are three distinct parts to this book, all bringing their own mood and flair to the overall story. For me, the first part was definitely the strongest and what I'm going to remember the most. The second part, the Rite, brought the Hunger Games vibe that was mentioned in the book's description. This part felt a bit formulaic to me; a little more development or explanation would have really gone a long way. The last part, where we start getting into the plot twists, had me locked back in. I saw another review mention that the transitions between each part feel a bit abrupt and I completely agree - having a smoother transition between each section would have definitely helped fill out the story. Throughout the book tensions are high and that can been seen in the characters, but I'm not sure that I fully felt the gravity of the situation through their eyes.

The romance in this book was my one big issue. There was definitely chemistry between the two characters but the emotional moments and romantic build-up were missing. The spice felt sudden and a little unearned, like it was something that needed to be checked off of the to-do list. Because of how dark this book is, I think some emotional moments between the two characters would have made their relationship/physical moments feel a lot more natural.

While there is a lot to like about this book, I think that it could have done with being just a bit longer to smooth out all of the edges. If you're reading this for the promised "Princess Mononoke/Hunger Games/Handmaid's Tale" vibes, all were definitely present.