[A Quick Note: This was a buddy read with a group of instagram friends. So it was really fun getting to share our thoughts as we moved through the story. We did 5 chapters a day, which was good because this story was so intense, taking it in bite sized chunks made it less anxiety-inducing.]
โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐, ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก.โ โSabaa Tahir
Laia is a Scholar, oppressed by the Marshals when her people were defeated. Sheโs lost half her family. When her brother attracts the attention of the marshals, heโs captured and taken to prison, while the rest of her family is executed. Laiaโs only hope to save her brother is turning to the Resistance. In exchange, she must pose as a slave, placing herself at the mercy of the most vicious person in the empire: the commandant of the Masks. If she canโt survive her task, her brotherโs death will be on her hands.
Hooollyyyyyy wowwww. This book had no chill. Every chapter was edge-of-your-seat anxiety inducing craziness. But it was SO GOOD. This is one of those books where Iโm kicking myself for taking so long to read it. The hype is real and warranted.
The story follows two POVs, switching between them chapter by chapter, which was often times infuriating and frustrating, but helped make the story super addictive. Both story lines, that of Laia and Elias are excellent. So, technically, you donโt mind the switch, itโs just a bit of whiplash.
The Empire is a harsh and hostile place for all those who arenโt the nobility. The life of a Mask-in-training is BRUTAL. There were moments when my stomach churned. Moments when I asked myself, โIs this really YA?โ But fortunately the descriptions arenโt super graphic. Still, this was a lot darker than I expected.
I was intrigued by the world building. Weโve got a scenario where an oppressive government is ripe for revolution. There is a little bit of unique magic, but itโs subtle. There are middle-eastern inspired creatures like djinn and ghouls, efrits, etc. One dark creature, in particular, is pulling many strings, and itโs clear that the story will really be a fight between humanity and otherworldly beings, under the ruse of a revolution. I love that! I also loved learning the back story behind the Marshal invasion of the Scholars.
The characters are FABULOUS. They each have prominent character arcs. Laia must learn to rely more on herself and become brave. Elias must learn to make better choices between โright and wrongโ and discover where he draws the line. Even Helene, who is more of a side character in the first book, must start to question what side she really fights for. I am soooo pumped to see how these characters grow and change.
This story was an excellent start for what is sure to be an amazing series. While it is a bit anxiety-inducing, itโs just so so good. I even cried towards the end. Itโs so rare that a book makes me cry. Thatโs how I know that it got me to FEEL something deep. Highly, highly recommend!
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