By Veronica Roth.
Narrated by Austin Butler and Emily Rankin.
[On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favoured by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not - their gifts make them vulnerable to others' control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?
Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra's currentgift gives her pain and power - something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother's hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.
Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive - no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive - or destroy one another.]
I was intrigued to read this as I enjoyed Roth's Divergent series so much.
I did quite enjoy it as well. It was well written with the chapters jumping between the two protagonist's points of view - Cyra and Akos. They were both equally likeable and flawed characters which made it very easy to root for them.
I particularly liked Akos though with his determination to do anything for a brother that clearly can't be saved. The other characters were pretty interesting too, especially Ryzek - for the ruler of a people he seemed oddly calm but often had great influence over his sister to do his dirty work for him.
Roth's imagery was also so beautifully done that I could picture it all very clearly.
I loved the idea of a number of people having some sort of gift as well as a possible fate. The fates were stated pretty early on so it was a case of wondering how they would come about or what they could mean. I also loved the use and repetition of Akos making potions from all these interesting ingredients - it's the simplest of tasks but fascinated me to no end!
The planet names and some of the character names were quite confusing at times and because I was listening to it rather than reading it, it wasn't clear to me who or where they were some of the time. This may have been different if I'd had a physical copy in front of me though.
The infusion of bloodlines, unique gifts, betrayal, secrets, otherworldly planets and an almost gladiator-style arena was definitely a fantastic mix. And the ending left some questions with a few shocking revelations too!
I can't wait for the next one!
Narrated by Austin Butler and Emily Rankin.
 |
| Image From Goodreads |
[On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favoured by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not - their gifts make them vulnerable to others' control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?
Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra's currentgift gives her pain and power - something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother's hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.
Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive - no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive - or destroy one another.]
I was intrigued to read this as I enjoyed Roth's Divergent series so much.
I did quite enjoy it as well. It was well written with the chapters jumping between the two protagonist's points of view - Cyra and Akos. They were both equally likeable and flawed characters which made it very easy to root for them.
I particularly liked Akos though with his determination to do anything for a brother that clearly can't be saved. The other characters were pretty interesting too, especially Ryzek - for the ruler of a people he seemed oddly calm but often had great influence over his sister to do his dirty work for him.
Roth's imagery was also so beautifully done that I could picture it all very clearly.
I loved the idea of a number of people having some sort of gift as well as a possible fate. The fates were stated pretty early on so it was a case of wondering how they would come about or what they could mean. I also loved the use and repetition of Akos making potions from all these interesting ingredients - it's the simplest of tasks but fascinated me to no end!
The planet names and some of the character names were quite confusing at times and because I was listening to it rather than reading it, it wasn't clear to me who or where they were some of the time. This may have been different if I'd had a physical copy in front of me though.
The infusion of bloodlines, unique gifts, betrayal, secrets, otherworldly planets and an almost gladiator-style arena was definitely a fantastic mix. And the ending left some questions with a few shocking revelations too!
I can't wait for the next one!
