The Raging Ones takes place on a frozen planet where everyone knows their deathday. Three teens—Court, Mykal, and Franny— dodge their deathday and work together to get on a one-way mission away from their planet. Full of heartfelt, tender moments interspersed with tense situations which highlight the special bond these three have, I'm so glad I got to go on this rage-filled ride with these three.

One of the things I really enjoyed which should not feel like a breath of fresh air was the amount of casual queerness. Not only were Court and Mykal very obviously into each other, but mentioning same-gender partners and non-straight relationships in side conversations made the world feel welcome. I got the vibe that Franny was also bisexual, at least in the way she relates to her female classmates.

Speaking of, the book took a weird downturn for me when they got to the Saga trials. It felt jarring, as if the narrative needed to fit a certain mold. It wasn't expected, per se, after that opening immersed you in the inequality between the Influentials and the Fast-Trackers. That climax and cliffhanger, however, made it somewhat worth it.

Other than that, if you want an angry sci-fi with angry teens helping each other out towards a common goal, give this one a shot.

Not exactly what I was expecting, or my usual. The cover caught my eye and the idea of dodging your death day sounded insanely cool! The romance was not for me, but others will love it.

Another reviewer said it perfectly, "In all the YA books I've ever read, I can't say I've ever seen an M/M/F relationship between protagonists where the two males are the ones romantically involved and the female is perfectly content with being their friend...The romance isn't the driving force of the story though...But yes, to reiterate in case any of you were still unsure, this book is 100% GAY. No room for doubts, the main romance is M/M."

The Raging Ones is set on a freezing planet where everyone knows the day they will die. Separated in three class based on their life span. We have babes, fast trackers and influentials. Babes are seen as the people who will take a give nothing in return. The fast trackers will be given the easy to learn but laborous jobs while the influentials will live in luxuary and be given the highest education in the hopes that they will be able to change the world for the better with the time they have. I found the prejudices this divide caused had some interesting parallels to our world.

We follow three characters mentally bound together after dodging their death day. They can feel each others emotions and some senses like touch and taste. After being raised in an orphanage as a fast tracker and working hard all her life Franny was ready to die and join her mother in the afterlife. Her memories with her mom made me emotional. Disapointed when those plans were thrown out the window Franny had to find something else to live for. Her bond and friendship with the two other characters gave her the support needed to adjust to this new reality. Not having a death day and being able to die at any moment can be stressing.

Mykal was a babe from a remote village who was forced to strick out on his own at only eight years old to avoid the problems that would arise after he avoided his death. Mykal was just the sweetest thing. Probably my favorite character out of the three he was always ready to share a smile. While Court on the other hand was his complete opposite. He was closed off with a negative attitude. His intelligence and crazy plans reminded me a bit of Kaz Brekker. Court was a fast tracker raised as an influential because of his brillant mind. His traumatic backstory was touching, but I didnt really start to warm up to him until he opened up to Franny towards the end.

As for the writing, I would have liked for the characters voices to be more distinct since they are so different. For example, the words used to describe a room from Mykals perspective was just as articulate as Courts who's had an extensive education. It just didnt feel authentic to the characters, but the story redeemed itself a bit with the way the author explored their link which did feel authentic. I loved how their relationship with one another developped into a heartwarming friendship. The complexe romance between the two boys was wonderful and I really liked how supportive Franny was.

The world and characters were well thought out, but I was expecting more excitement from the space competition. The concept was interesting, but the pace just didnt grip me. There was a lot of waiting around for the space competition to start and once it did the actual competition was lack luster and mostly skimmed over. The plot did get a bit more exciting when Courts past came back to haunt him, but that was only a small part of the book. Despite my issues, there was a cliff hanger at the end that has me itching for the sequel. If the plot keeps going in this direction Im expecting a more thrilling sequel. We just need a better balance between plot and characters. I can overlook a lot if I get a compelling plot.

I am usually not a fan of Sci-Fi stories, but after hearing such amazing things about The Raging Ones, I decided to give this one a chance and I am SO glad I did. Krista and Becca have created one heck of a world and characters that are real and complex. I adored seeing the interactions between Franny, Court, and Mykal with their link and distinctly different personalities. The story was perfectly paced and written in a way that had me attached to my Kindle for hours. 

I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a truly unique book that left me waiting for book two! The author does a wonderful job taking the idea that everyone knows the day they will die and using it to build a society and world around the idea. It is fascinating how much the knowledge of the day someone will die alters behavior. I loved how the author took that idea and ran with it. I enjoyed the main characters and I liked all three of them. I loved that the author took the idea of a love triangle and completely flipped it on its head. The main relationship is between two males and the female is strictly there as a friend. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the second book!

The Raging Ones is the exciting first book in a new science fiction/fantasy series from authors Krista and Becca Ritchie. The world this series is set in fascinated me from the moment I started reading. The landscape itself is cold, and the way of life is equally cold and impersonal. Saltere-3 is a world where everyone knows the exact day they’re going to die and so their entire existence is basically structured around that knowledge. There are Influentials, who have the longest life expectancies and are given the best educational opportunities and a higher social standing as they are expected to, as their name indicates, have a major impact on the world they live in. Beneath the Influentials on the social scale are the Fast Trackers, who are expected to live between 13-29 years. As their name indicates, they live hard and fast, trying to squeeze as much life as possible into the short lifetime they have. Lastly on the social scale are the Babes, whose life expectancy is no more than 12 years. What little time they have is spent living an innocent existence with their families. Everyone accepts this as the normal way of life because no one can escape their death day.

Or can they? Enter our main characters, Franny Bluecastle, Court Icecastle, and Mykal Kickfall. On the surface these three characters have absolutely nothing in common – Franny is a poor but street smart Fast Tracker who is preparing for her death day, which is imminent. Court is a wealthy and educated young man who has done time in prison and now just wants to start a new life somewhere other than this world that he feels has wronged him. Mykal Kickfall is a Hinterlander who is super protective of those he loves and who also happens to have an unbreakable bond with Court. Wherever Court goes, Mykal is going with him.

So, what do these three characters have in common? All three miraculously manage to dodge their death days. How? No one knows. It’s problematic for them, however, for two reasons: 1) they now have no idea when they’re going to die. It could happen any minute or it may not happen for years. What was utterly predictable is now the unknown. And 2) because no one is supposed to be able to escape their death day, they fear what the government will do to them if they were to find out. So Franny, Court, and Mykal all end up on the run trying to make sure no one finds out that they’ve somehow done the impossible. Their only hope to avoid detection is to get off Saltare-3 and so they decide to hide their identities and participate in a rigorous competition for highly sought after spots in a new mission to space. If they can get off the planet, they’ll be safe. The only catch? They’ll be competing against the elites of society – people who are better educated, have had far more advantages throughout their lives, and who know (because they know when their death days are) there’s no way they can possibly die no matter how intense and dangerous the competition gets.

What I Loved:

I was hooked on Franny, Court, and Mykal right away since I always love to root for underdogs and they are immediately cast into that role as soon as they enter the space mission competition. They are up against nearly impossible odds and the Ritchies do a wonderful job of using that competition and its elimination rounds to build up suspense and convey just how high the stakes are for Franny, Court, and Mykal. I found myself unable to put the book down once I started reading about the competition because I just had to know if all three of them were going to advance or be eliminated.

Franny was the easiest character for me to relate to, mainly because of the three, she is the last to dodge her death day so all of this is new to her, whereas Mykal and Court dodged theirs years before and so have had time to adjust to the idea that they are different from everyone else. She’s in the same boat the reader is as far as trying to understand and make sense of a world she thought she understood. I also loved what a scrappy character she is.

Mykal was also a favorite, mainly just because he’s big and burly but gives off this teddy bear vibe at the same time. I adored his immediate bond with Franny. They had this brother/sister thing going on that was just so sweet.

Court was a little harder to get to know because he seems to have put up a lot of emotional walls around him, but I enjoyed watching Franny chip away at those walls and eventually strengthen her bond with Court.

So, what are these bonds I keep speaking of? This is actually my absolute favorite part of the book. How did Franny, Court, and Mykal even find each other in the first place? Because they are empaths! They share an actual bond where they can basically sense anything and everything about each other. They sense each other’s emotions as well as physical pain and pleasure. This sharing can get awkward at times, particularly if either of them becomes physically intimate with someone, because the other two can sense what they are experiencing. There’s a lot more to the bond, but you get the general idea. Anyway, by the time the book opens, Court and Mykal have been hanging out together for a while so they’re pretty used to it, but it’s fascinating to watch Franny try to adjust to life where she’s suddenly connected to two people she doesn’t even know. At times it’s funny and at other times, it can be flat out awkward, but it’s always entertaining regardless.

I also loved the intricate world building with the death days and the social hierarchy of babes, fast trackers, and influentials. It was all so utterly unique. What I thought was particularly interesting about the worldbuilding is that the Ritchies do not do a huge info dump at the beginning like some books do. Instead I had to exercise some patience while I was reading and watch the details of this world gradually unfold. Again, like Franny, I had to learn as I went. That might bother some readers but I quite enjoyed the journey.

Lastly, there’s also a plot twist/cliffhanger ending that had me wishing I could immediately get my hands on the next book in the series, so if you like a jaw-dropping ending, this might be the book for you!

Issues:

There were a few times along the way where I had a little trouble distinguishing between the points of view of Court and Mykal. I don’t know if it was because their bond was so intense or if it was something else altogether, but sometimes I found myself flipping back to the beginning of a chapter to remind myself whose point of view I was getting. This was mostly at the beginning though and it got much easier to distinguish between them as I got further along in the book and got to know Court and Mykal better.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re looking for a unique sci-fi fantasy read with compelling characters and a riveting element of competition, I’d highly recommend giving The Raging Ones a try. I personally think it’s worth a read just for the experience of following three empaths and exploring their bonds, but the rest of the story is equally riveting as well.

I actually picked this book up and put it down for a week. I didn’t realize it was a m/m book and I tend to shy away from those. I’ve read them before and they weren’t done tastefully so it put me off. I’m so happy I picked it back up. This book was incredible and had me tearing up throughout. I won’t be hesitant to read m/m books in my future.

Court, Mykal and Franny are my own personal heroes. I loved their friendship. Their kindness. Their love and their bond. Court and Mykal opened my eyes to a relationship that was so real and touching. I felt all their pain and accomplishments. They became my friends. I laughed with them and cried with them. I fell in love with each character individually and whole.

The side characters made the book even better and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. My lesson of the day is don’t judge a book by its relationships. You might find that you’ll actually love it and it’ll quickly become one of your favorites. I’ve never read Krista or Becca before but I’ll definitely be reading more of their books now.

The only thing that sucked in this book was the ending. That ending killed me.

I was excited to see this book pop up on NetGalley since I’ve heard so many good things about the Ritchie sisters’ romance books. I love love love sci-fi, so seeing this YA debut from them, set on a distant, frozen planet with three troubled teens made me so happy! And let me tell you, although this was my first read from the Ritchie sisters, it will not be my last! Of course I will be finishing this series (preferably tomorrow, can we make that happen??), but I also went and bought their first ever book, figuring I’ll read my way from 2013 to present day :)

I was absolutely immersed in this story and the world from the second I met Court in the prologue. I have to say, this is one of the most expertly paced novels I have had the pleasure of reading, whether sci-fi or some other genre, whether YA or adult. Holy cow, it was like the slowest, most exquisite torture the way you learned more information about the world, the characters, the link, the deathdays, all of it. Absolute perfection. If you’re not a fan of info-dumps (who is, really?), have no fear!! There is absolutely none of that here. Seriously, you were given more information at the exact time you needed it, and not a minute before.

The characters were exceptionally written, as well. Again, I fell in love with each of them the second their voice came on the page. I just…my heart *hurt* at times, for each of these characters, for different reasons. I felt everything they felt, I had this urge to help them somehow (ha!), and I was rooting for each of them SO. DAMN. HARD! My goodness… Just reading the excerpt from the beginning of chapter one above, I literally felt my heartbeat kick up a notch, and I actally thought to myself how much I would (1) love to read it over again, and (2) wish I could read it again *for the first time*. There is just so much to love here. I guess this is where I should admit that, while I was eager to finally read a book from the Ritchies, I was a little wary of their ability to write a solid sci-fi / speculative fiction book. BUT NO MORE!

Seriously, if you enjoy sci-fi at all, you have got to pick this one up. And even if you think you’re not a big sci-fi fan, if you love character-driven books, pick this one up. Oh, and if you aren’t a huge sci-fi fan and are meh on character-driven books, but you love expertly plotted books with heart-wrenching action and twists you won’t see coming, pick this one up! Basically, if you’re a human who enjoys reading a novel, PICK THIS ONE UP. It’s so dang good, I keep thinking about it here 2 or 3 days after finishing it, and it’s one I truly wish I could read again for the very first time.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books, especially Brittani Hilles :), for allowing me to read an early e-copy and take part in this tour. Thanks also, of course, to the Ritchie sisters for the incredible story, world, and characters they have given us with this series. I am absolutely dying to have the next book in my hands, which just…waaaahhhhhhh, it’s only release day for book one! Sigh…I shall be waiting on pins and needles, ladies!

RATING: ALL OF THE STARS!! Seriously, this is a definite 5-star read, and I would give it even more if I could. Highly recommend!

The Raging Ones by Krista and Becca Ritchie is an interesting alternate future novel. When everyone knows when they will die it effects how they live. Those who will have long lives are considered influential, while those who won't be around long are the dregs of society. But what happens when the ultimate impossibility happens? What happens when death doesn't come on the scheduled date?

Franny Bluecastle's plans for her last goodbye get messed up when she can't get he deathday funds. Then to top things off she wakes up the day after. Which is not supposed to happen and that is just the beginning of how crazy her life, which was supposed to be over, is becoming. Court Icecastle was not the kind of person who was supposed to die young, but his fate said he would, until he didn't and when he finds himself bonded somehow to Mykal Kickfall who wasn't supposed to make it past childhood he starts to plan an escape from those who object to those who dodge the plan. Escape to space.

When Franny gets connected to Court and Mykal's bond things get even more complicated. They want to get off the planet, but leaving one of their trio behind is just not possible. As Franny comes to grips with her new reality and the quest that Court and Mykal have set, the adventure they undertake is one of finding who she really is and what she really could become.

Krista and Becca Ritchie have created an intriguing world with fascinating characters to match. The vivid descriptions are counter point to the harsh reality all around. Franny, Court and Mykal are all unique characters who add to the whole of their bond. Overall I very much enjoyed The Raging Ones and recommend this book as a fascinating and complex read.

(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

3.5 Stars rounded up. I’m definitely intrigued by this series and invested enough to continue. But I found this beginning a little clunky at times. The Ritchie sisters excel so well at crafting messy, real casts of characters you can’t help but fall for. But I felt like we only scratched the surface here on Court, Mykal and Franny - and even less of the extended cast that’s introduced. Part of the reason I hate love triangles was at play here too. Although this is NOT a triangle and feelings are very clear and reciprocated in one direction, I did feel a little pulled in 3 directions with 3 first person narrators. Because of that and all the story material to cover, I didn’t feel like I got to know Court, Mykal and Franny as well as I wanted to, and need to in order to feel truly invested in this series. The romance is clear here and sweet, but I definitely want to see more of it too!

These authors move these characters a good distance (figuratively) from the start of the book to the end, and I wasn’t always invested in all of that. There were also some side plots that, while they created drama and momentum, just didn’t have the emotional impact on me that they were meant to have. This book ends on a huge cliffy, which is clearly the big event these authors were working towards, but getting there did seem cumbersome at times. Sci-fi isn’t always my favorite genre and that might have come into play for me here. But I just wasn’t that invested in the whole StarDust trial plot in the second half. It all felt mostly a device to get the characters to where the were at the end. I also found the whole history of these Saltare planets (spoiler) >> and the impending war with Andola << (end spoiler)] to be fairly boring and convoluted, tho I can see that it will be more important later.

The underlying plot of knowing your death day and how that affects the entire society, and how people are treated - and what happens if you don’t know it - was interesting. And I really like the moments of discussion and deep inner turmoil that causes, especially in Franny. My favorite moments of this book were seeing the connection between these 3 and their deepening friendship. I’m also interested in some of the added cast that will play a role in the future. And I’m curious where this story is going with the big revelation/cliffhanger at the end. I definitely think this book is worth reading, and I’ll be continuing with the series, but I’m hoping for a tighter plot and even more focus on characters in the future. (spoiler) >> Plus a romance for Franny! << (end spoiler)

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: High - danger + a big revelation that sets up events for the next book!

NOTE: I've also reviewed this on amazon, and will be putting it on my blog http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com at the end of the week.

What a fantastic story! The Raging Ones is a uniquely captivating tale that kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. Krista and Becca Ritchie have created a world I loved getting lost in and I cannot wait to go back!

But it just wasn't just the world I loved, it was the characters most of all! Court, Mykal, and Franny were such compelling personalities, I have a soft spot for each of them. Each so strong in their own ways, yet deeply vulnerable as well.

Court and Mykal thought it was them against the world, the only 2 people with a soul deep connection and an unbreakable bond, until they cross paths with Franny and realize she's one of them, in more ways than one. Having "dodged" their death days, the three must now figure out how to survive in an unforgiving world, without giving away their secrets. With a plan in mind, Court is determined to save the three of them so that they can live life free and safe. And this is where the story really shines. The world building was incredible and I felt like I was right there with Court, Mykal, and Franny as they fought so desperately to escape the life they were previously destined to live.

I really was completely enchanted by this story and the characters. It was a slow-burn, yet action packed fascinating tale. I loved the subtle undercurrent of the romance between Court and Mykal, you could feel it there, simmering just below the surface. But what was most important in this story was the friendship and trust they all had to have for one another. They needed that connection in order to survive.

I'm so anxious for book two, as the Ritchie sisters really know how to pull off a cliffhanger! Well done ladies, well done. This is definitely a favorite of 2018.

This book is about three characters who live in a world where everyone knows their deathday, except oops!---these three outlive their respective deathdays and end up empathically linked to each other.

The main characters' empathic connection was my favorite thing about the book. Not only did they feel each others' emotions, they also shared taste, smell, and touch, which made things especially interesting. I love reading about empaths, and this was like reading about empaths x10. It was written really well and brought a lot to the story.

The characters themselves were all unique with their own strengths and weaknesses. I'll admit Franny wasn't my favorite, and she seemed oddly naive considering her background, but she was determined and compassionate. Court had a lot of walls built-up to push people away and was bad at showing that he cared, but he was intelligent, and he did care. Mykal was not book-smart or great in social situations, but he was passionate and loyal and optimistic and hardworking. Mykal was precious. He was one of those characters you just want to squish and hold like a big teddy bear. He was big and tough, but he was such a sweetheart and always had an easy smile for Court and Franny. And I felt bad for him when he kept feeling like he was useless and a failure. There were also side characters I ended up caring about, like Zimmer and Kinden.

The relationships were interesting as well. Between Court and Mykal, there was longing and feeling that went beyond their connection because they were there for each other when they had no one else. I wouldn't have minded more angst, but I enjoyed their simmering feelings and the "will they, won't they" tension. Between Mykal and Franny, there was friendship and inside jokes and loyalty. Between Franny and Court, there was frustration and a figurative wall because of how he kept pushing her away. And I can't even tell you about my favorite relationship in the book, the one that gave me the most feels, since it would be a spoiler. (Ok, fine, I can't help myself! But I highly recommend not reading this spoiler if you haven't read the book yet. *SPOILER* Brothers! I'm so glad Kinden was so stubborn and perceptive and didn't give up on his suspicion even when all odds and reasoning were against him. The scene when he finally found out was the most emotional for me. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of that relationship. *END SPOILER*)

I had to suspend a lot of disbelief for this book though, and that's my main complaint. Things like... Certain children having the jobs of adults. Mykal being isolated for so many years but being largely unaffected mentally/emotionally. Court getting such an extreme punishment for his crime (which was kept from the reader for a frustratingly long amount of time). The slightly overdramatized feel to a lot of things. A hotel owner automatically believing Court and co. were paying guests, despite his trusted bellhop telling him otherwise, without even checking the hotel log. Franny knowing how to fight perfectly just because Court once told her the weak places on the body to hit.

The parts of the plot that were believable, however, were slow-paced but good. And there were some twists, especially near the end.

So overall, while I did have a few issues, they were outweighed by the positives. I liked the characters, the relationships, and the connection between the three MCs, and I do want to continue the series!

In The Raging Ones, everyone knows the day they’re going to die, no one can avoid it, and they don’t try. But then Franny wakes up the day after her deathdate and she’s…alive and connected to two other boys who escaped their deathdates, as well. Told through the alternating perspectives of Court, a boy who grew up “Influential” and then escaped from jail; Mykal, a warrior that lived alone for years in the arctic cold; and Franny, a girl who lived fast and was meant to die young. Together they plot to be accepted into the Star Dust project, a way to escape the planet and go on a secret mission into the stars.

The Ritchie sisters really hit it out of the park on this one. The world is constructed so that most every detail is accounted for. There weren’t many moments I was scratching my head and trying to figure out if I was missing something, and with science fiction world-building, that’s a big must for me. I will admit it was a little slow going to begin with, but I appreciated it because it meant we were getting to know the characters and the world they lived in.

And the characters! The intrigue of each character and their development was phenomenal. Each one was unique and dimensional. They were equal parts infuriating and lovable, and in the end, I was even rooting for some of the secondary characters and eager to see how it would all work out.

While the story was very character driven, the plot wasn’t stagnant or pushed to the side. It’s not a space adventure novel, by any means, so don’t expect that. There’s a little mystery, a lot of morally grey areas, and just a dash of romance (m/m romance, to be specific). For those that don’t like young adult novels that center around love stories, this book is for you.

I’d definitely recommend this book to people that like the morally-grey characters and friendships in Six of Crows, but it’s not a heist tale. I’m anxiously awaiting book two and can’t wait.

I'm so confused as to how I really feel about this one. I wasn't at all a fan of the writing style. But, gosh darn it if I wasn't a fan of these characters! I don't even know how to describe what I felt while reading. On the one hand, the writing could have used some work, in my opinion, the world could have been better explained, and the pace could be better. On the other, I was so invested in what was going to happen to these people!I've said this before on several occasions, but I tend to forgive a lot of things in books when I'm invested in its charcters. I think that's the reason I ended up enjoying this book as much as I did.

All the early reviews I've seen so far have been really positive and everyone has been praising it, which is great. But, to be honest, for the first 50 or so pages I was convinced that this just wasn't going to be for me. And then, we got to know the main charcters, Franny, Mykal, and Court. And after I got over the fact that one of them is actually named Court, of all things, I started really getting into the story.

While the synopsis looks like it promises a love triangle, I promise you, there is nothing of the sort in this story. Instead, we get a complicated friendship between three people that are now emotionally bonded. With this bond, they can feel each other's feelings, both emotional and physical, and I love where the authors went with it and all the cool little things they added to it. For example, the fact that Franny is lactose intolerant but Mykal eats cheese so she can taste it without having any of the side effects. 

In fact, the whole concept of this novel is quite interesting. Not only does it the idea of a deathday (the day you're going to die), but it clearly shows the consequences of it. Babes (death day from birth to 12) aren't cared for as much and not many resources are given to them because everyone knows they're going to die soon. Fast-Trackers (death day from 13-29) spend most of their time partying and doing simple things because their deaths are coming soon, so they don't even bother getting educated. And Influentials (Deathday 30 and beyond) who are considered upper-class citizens because their lives will have the most impact on mankind.
 The plot itself is pretty typical, nothing mind-blowing and new, but I also didn't mind that. What I did mind was that there were a lot of things in the world that didn't make sense to me until later on. I would have liked more explanations and worldbuilding. for example, I was so confused that a ten-year-old was a doctor and that teenagers were engineers in college. Is everyone in this world just more intelligent than we are?

This leads me to the writing. I wasn't a fan of this style. It was too...blunt? Not as fluid as I would have liked? I don't know how to express it if I'm honest. Although, there were moments when the authors would write a paragraph here and there that would leave me actually impressed and yet didn't match up. But, I guess it's bound to happen when there are two authors.

"I'm not special because I'm dying. Everyone dies, and everyone knows when."

In a world where everyone knows the day they will die, we follow three teenagers on a journey to defy all odds.

I found it a little funny that the countdown to death hovered above the peoples' heads for everyone to see. This reminds me of the video for "Remind Me" by Nickelback if anyone has seen that (and you're old like me)?

"I feel them. For the first time, I realize they've been my strength, my hope, and they can be my peace. I just have to let them help me."

Franny, Court, and Mykal have a grave secret. By sharing this secret, they become close friends, willing to die for one another. Instead of living a life hidden from the rest of the world, they decide to embark on a journey called the Saga 5 Mission. Five lucky Influentials will be launched into space to convey peace between the other planets. However, Franny, Court, and Mykal aren't your typical Influentials. Competing against a thousand other applicants, will they make it abroad the ship and leave all of their worries behind?

"It means my life. If I fail, I could die. Altia Law: people caught passing as Influentials will be sent to Vorkter Prison until their deathdays arrive."

But Court has a secret. Will Franny and Mykal ever find out the truth behind his past? If they do, does that also put them into danger? 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It was fast-paced, action-packed, and sucked the reader into the plot. There were a couple unexpected twists and there was never a dull moment!  My only complaint is I'm still slightly confused by the love triangle, but I'm excited to see how that develops in the next novel. I honestly have been waiting to be able to give a 5-star rating to something again for a while now, and this novel more than deserved it! Having never read a book by the twins before, this was a great experience, especially since their previous novels were of a different genre entirely. By their answers from the Q&A, it was nice to have a picture of who they describe the characters, as well as, a playlist to go along with the novel while reading!

*3.75*

"The Raging Ones" is the first one in a new science fiction/dystopic series set in a world that's freezing cold and where everydoby knows their deathday. Scary am I right?
But, as in all good YA, there are three people who were able to dodge their deathday. How? Why? We aren't supposed to know, at least for now.
I entered this book TOTALLY expecting a love triangle, given the fact that the main characters are two boys and one girl, but I WAS BLESSED, I've got NO love triangle whatsoever.
My favourite character was definitely Court, he was moody, intelligent beyond measure (we'll discover later why), and ehm he had daddy issues. If you follow me for a while you know, I don't know why but I tend to want to save guys who had problems with their dad. It's a weird psychological condition, please don't judge.
I loved loved loved the friendship that unite all of the three mains, they loved each other so much.The only thing I was a bit disappointed was the final part, some things were thrown at us without a particular reason and.... why?
Beside that I totally enjoyed this ride, looking forward to book two.
Thanks again to NetGalley and the publishing house for the opportunity.

This is really awkward… I was not feeling this at all.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Krista & Becca’s romance books. Their Aerial Ethereal books, the Addicted books, and the Calloway Sisters series are some of my favorite books ever. I’ve reread them a million times, and I was so excited for this book!

Krista & Becca have always been upfront about the fact that they struggle the most with plot. Their characters are always great, but sometimes their pacing and plot lines can be a bit slow. This is fine for a romance book, I mean it’s the characters that make a romance great, but it doesn’t really translate when you’re reading a fantasy/sci-fi book. Knowing that I was a bit nervous to get into this. A good fantasy requires a lot of world-building and an exciting plot.

There are so many questions that are left unanswered. Yes, I know there’s a second book, but most of these were very basic. The world building was really underdeveloped and then eventually just… stops. Like, they talk about the history a little bit at the beginning, but it just fades after a bit. It was just really messy. The main question I had when I first read the synopsis was “how did the deathday even start?”, one of the main characters addresses it but just says it’s a very complicated story and she doesn’t know enough of their history to tell us. It was just kind of lazy.

We have three POVs in this story. Mykal, Court, and Franny are all trying to figure out why they cheated their deathday and why they’re emotionally linked. I liked Mykal and Court enough, like I said Krista & Becca always make their characters three-dimensional. Though I do wish Franny was a bit more developed, it felt like she was always on the outside looking in. I do wish there was some more personality when it came to POVs. Sometimes I’d have to check who was narrating because the POVs sounded similar some of the time. I know this is a dumb point, but their last names are ridiculous. Bluecastle, Icecastle, Kickfall *sighs*

The writing was okay. There was some repetitiveness when it came to how they described certain feelings or people that I could have gone without. It felt very telling versus showing. The beginning of this book had a rough start. I wanted to put it down a few times but kept going because I saw people say it got better, and it does. But it was just so rushed. Everything interesting happens at the end and then the book is over.

I don’t think I’ll pick up the second book, it’s just nothing really worked for me here.

The premise was great- I always find the whole "know what day you'll die" thing fascinating. And really, quite a mindf*ck. And I enjoy the way it is explored in this story, too. People who know they'll die at certain ages have fully different life experiences, which... wow. I imagine it would make sense! But... what happens when someone misses their deathdate in a world in which that is not a thing that happens?

Well, of course the book explores all of that via three main character/death dodgers, Franny, Court, and Mykal. Here's another fun fact: these three are somehow "connected" in a weird, even creepy kind of bond (we'll get to that.) The beginning (solidly the first half, really) explored this bond, the relationships among the characters, and the world in general. It was a bit boring, basically.

The second half of the book did pick up, as the three tried to secure themselves a spot on a mission into space. Figuring that if they could get off-planet, no one would care that they didn't die when they were supposed to. So it's a competition (a bit akin to Dare Mighty Things , actually) in which a select few will earn this opportunity during a rigorous trial. That part was pretty decent, and the end was actually quite good- some big twists that I definitely did not see coming! There were a few other bits that bugged me during the book:

I was hoping for way more space antics. There were not many space antics. (This will probably be remedied in future books, however.)

I honestly felt like not much even happened for most of the book. There was so, so much setup, and like, five minutes of action. I didn't feel like there was enough conflict, and when there was, it was a bit predictable.

The "bond" started to freak me out. Like- they could ummm "feel" each other while they were bathing, and being intimate and such, and... I won't lie, it grossed me out. Can you imagine? You're in the shower and some dude you just met can feel you washing yourself? Hard pass on that.

But there were good things!

I did like the characters, in general. While I felt they probably could have been a bit more distinguishable and fleshed out, I liked them.

The ending was honestly so good it kind of makes me want to read the next one? Even though I was sure up until about 90% that I wouldn't be?

Will I Read the Next Book: I'm going to wait and see. If I hear good things, I presume I will be tempted enough by the ending to go for it.

Bottom Line: Awesome premise, kind of mundane execution. The great last quarter really couldn't fully make up for the first three, but it helped.

The synopsis definitely sounded interesting. Putting together three main characters and knowing when you are supposed to die? Plus, that death day doesn’t even happen like it’s supposed to!

This book definitely surprised me and I want to reiterate that with the fact that there is NOT a love triangle with the three main characters. It turns out that this is a M/M/F story! 100% GAY!

That has to be the biggest aspect of this story for me. I’m all for that.

The bonds that are established with these characters is pretty immediate, but it’s not without tension. If there is no tension, it turns out to be a blah story. Regardless of the tension, these three characters seem to really connect. It’s not all the time that authors get that connection right with a limited amount of characters.

The details of the setting in this story were pretty abstract. It had the elements of being set in the real world, but it was set in its own fantasy world. Sometimes, I’m not a big fan of those settings, but it all seemed to click for me. The images in my head really helped me love the world-building that the authors created.

There is a lot of class mentioned. We have “Babes” that die as children, “Fast-trackers” die early into adulthood, and “Influentials” have the long lives. These different classes have different assignments in society. It’s pretty simple if you think about it. It’s like the real world, especially back in the past when life was a lot more complicated and class was a major thing.

I only gave this book four stars, but some things just bothered me a bit. The terminology was weird. For instance, a curse word was literally “mayday”. Like…okay? I feel like that word must have been pulled out of a hat. Some things weren’t explained well and, to me, it felt like there were little holes here in there. Needless to say, the first book just felt incomplete, but not too drastically.

If you know me at all, you know that I am sucker for cliffhangers. The cliffhanger in this book has me eager to read the second book, so let’s pray the release date is closer than the next life.

The most crucial aspect to any fantasy or sci-fi novel is building the world in order to support the premise, plot, and characters, and what was written in THE RAGING ONES was minimal and mostly confusing—causing some of the issues to cross over onto the characters and plot, leaving them underdeveloped as well. The two male characters had very similar voices and any secondary character outside of the main three were barely delved into, not allowing them enough depth or form to add anything to the story. Without the proper setup to a world it can lead to a plot feeling thin and unfortunately that was the case here. It was an ambitious premise that could have used more exploring not just in the beginning to place readers into the story, but a deeper digging into it as the story went along. The writing style of telling everything rather than showing or illustrating further dragged down the storytelling. There were some good aspects—the three being linked and beating their deathday, along with Franny's character who wasn't as complex as she could've been, but was enjoyable nonetheless—but they weren't enough to carry the story on its own, especially with the other issues mentioned.

I haven't had a chance to read any of these author's prior works in the NA/Romance field so I can't speak to if this is a one-off issue or not, but I can't find myself recommending THE RAGING ONES or carrying on to the next novel because of the issues outlined above. Many other early readers, however, are already loving this story so maybe give it a chance and hopefully it works for you more than it did me.