I loved exploring this fantastical world and monsters. It was a bit difficult to follow at times, but I ultimately enjoyed the premise.

An intriguing first chapter in a compelling new fantasy world. Berwah crafts a complex, beautiful, and terrifying ocean planet, on which small islands cower against raging seas full of unthinkable monsters. Her main character is fierce, smart, resourceful-- and full of rage. She is rendered with depth as she suffers the trials of the Glory Race. I look forward to seeing where this goes.

dnf @ 60%

this book is described as perfect for the fans of the hunger games and fable, and a few readers have drawn some comparisons to the scorpio races and the tri wizard tournament. i read the description and thought that i would fall in love with this book but... i didn't.

the main character makes a lot of impulsive and questionable decisions that i would describe as out of character if i even had the slightest grasp on what her character was supposed to be. i’m not clear on what her intentions are—protecting her sister? having power? inflicting pain on people?

the world building felt two dimensional and the only thing i can tell you about it is that some of the people live underground. why? not sure, there are mentions of needing sun protection but it’s not very consistent. the descriptions don’t really hint at where in the world or when in history this book is supposed to take place (the book description says south asian inspired) but there are rewritten greek myths that feel out of place and characters named after greek figures.

the pace feels incredibly slow to the point where i was skim reading to catch a glimpse of action or just straight up closing the book and reading something more captivating after each page. when there is action, it feels low stakes and insignificant.

This was a very interesting read. Throw in a bit of Hunger Games, as others have said, but in that, the similarities are there. The plot and story line are very similar. I did enjoy the oceanic vibe of the world and felt that this was a good world idea.

I did have some small issues with the pacing.

I do love the cover of the book and think that this will be a great read for the young adults.

Amazing fantasy book, great story and characters, totally enjoy this read, is exiting, and different , has a feel like the hunger game, totally loved that. Will 100% recommend

Starting out reading this book, the first impression that hit me (strongly) is that it reads like a herd of rampaging cattle attempting to funnel through a chute . . . the words and ideas race madly along, backing up and falling over one another willy-nilly. There are some casualites.

That's not to intimate it's not a good book, it's just not an easy read. This hurriedness carries thru the entire book. The reader is thrown from one moment to the next. White water rafting begins to look easy . . .

Koral Hunter is a victim of class boundaries. Her family hunt the maristags inhabiting the wild waters around their barren hostile island, then breed them to raise the offspring for the Great Race, held every 4 years. This was not a chosen profession, it was assigned to them. On the few islands capable of supporting human life there are 3 distinct classes. The ruling class Landers, the lower class Renters and then the out-caste Hunters. Shunned by Renters who feel they air above their station. Looked down upon by the Landers.

Koral rails against her circumstances. The only things she cares about, her primary driving motivation, is to take care of, protect and support her family. Even this is fraught. Her elder brother is careless and throws himself into harms way, her baby sister is ailing and all the families meager earnings are going to expensive medicines to keep her alive. Her father is distant and abusive to her passive mother.

The concepts are very much a mixture of 'The Scorpio Races' & 'The Hunger Games" This a novel about love, rebellion and class warfare. Nothing is as it seems, nothing should be taken at face value. The entirety of humanity on this poor world seems like nothing more than a trapped cage of rats eating each other alive. The denizens of the sea are monstrous and intriguing. I'd have liked a better description of them than what is mentioned off hand in passing.

It's a harrowing look at a class system that 'has/still' exists in our world and needs to be eliminated for the betterment of all. Not just the enrichment of the few. I fear this future becoming a reality, where the 'have's oppress and play games with the lives of the 'have-nots'.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have some serious mixed feelings about this one. Let’s look at what we’ve got:

• A wildly unique fantasy world based on South Asian mythology
• a high stakes tournament that our MC sneaks into despite her status as low-caste
• an MC who is fiercely unapologetic about her willingness to cast everyone aside for her baby sister, brother and mother. An MC who viscerally understands that she has to do so what is necessary for her loved ones to survive, even if she doesn’t agree with the system that binds her
• a (past tense) friends to lovers story that ended in betrayal and started an enemies story
• fast paced action, sea monsters, & corrupt government with a frighteningly cunning leader
• a beautiful, poignant style of writing that makes you question what you know about privilege, rebellion & survival

Needless to say, there is so, SO much to love here. Everything I’ve noted above is a high point, and it’s hard to find anything to complain about at it’s bare bones.

Unfortunately, this for sloppy pretty fast. This seems like the type of story where the rush to squeeze in action and rebellion drowned out the explanation that could have been made of it if we had built the world more clearly. I still have SO many questions about this world, and it seemed at first like they wo up d be answered in time, only for a bazillion threats to fly to the forefront and leave no space to slow down and answer questions.

The character and relationship development suffered this problem as well. I want to know SO much more about Koral, Emrik, Crane & Dorian. But it just never gets there? And it’s disappointing, because the potential is very obvious.

All of this said, I am giving this 3.5/5 stars. I think a lot of my problems here can be attributed to your classic debut growing pains. The last 20% of this story had me in a chokehold, and brought me back to some high-school era hunger games feels in a very good way. As long as the sequel doesn’t take ages to release, I think I will probably pick it up.

Thank you to Sourcebooks fire & NetGalley for the eArc of this title!

Koral is a hunter, catching, breeding and training Maristags for the Lander elite.

When the last Maistag of the season escapes and Koral needs money for medicine for her sick sister she decides to enter the Glory Race in an attempt to win gold and security for her family.

This story was gripping from the outset as there was always something happening with the main character.

I was really rooting for her throughout despite the fact that I sometimes wanted to shout at her decisions.

An enjoyable read.

I love creative fantasy settings, especially when magical animals are the main focus of world building. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders has long been a favorite, and the standard by which I seem to judge everything since.

I honestly liked the main character, Koral. Though definitely an antihero, her character arc is interesting enough, but I also felt she was a bit of an unreliable narrator. I could sympathize with her family's need of the maristags, and the money from the races. But overall, I missed any real gravitas to the plot, which made the story drag, especially in the middle.

I saw this compared to Maggie Steifvater's Scorpio Races. Perhaps this book is trying too hard to be that story, instead of forging its own path. I was underwhelmed. But I think my students would probably like the story.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an e arc

Dnf at 25%
I just don’t like the writing much at all and it wasn’t what I was expecting. i was looking forward to reading this but it did not live up to my expectations at all. i went in hoping for hunger games-esque excitement and stakes but I didn’t get that. Also the world building fell really flat and I was just not hooked

Tanvi weaves an action-packed story filled with monsters and scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. Koral is not a reliable narrator or a likeable protagonist but oh, you're gonna journey with her in the land of Ophir along with her maristag. The nuances and prejudice about the caste was the best, I can't begin to describe in words how great it was.

The only issue I have with this book is the writing. It reads...slow. And sometimes, I had to read some lines over again to actually grasp the meaning of it. But other than that, I have no issues with the book, and I think it's a debut worth checking out!

Sort of Hunger Game like vibe but with magic. Great world building and it want hard to follow. I did find myself getting bored at times but I prefer romances.

I received an ARC of the book for reviewing purposes.

A fantastic debut novel that delves into a new world, established after the fall of civilization as we know it, with its own hierarchy, dangerous creatures and untold mysteries. I loved the main characters and the multiple twists to the story. My only complaint was that I found it hard to picture the maristags. I’d love to see this adapted into a graphic novel!

This was a fast paced fantasy novel that put a new spin on a traditional Idea.. I enjoyed the creatures— Maristag— and the creativity the author uses. The broad idea is reminiscent of The Hunger Games but with a lot of creativity for the
magical world thrown in. The pace of the book was brisk but not difficult to follow. A must read for all the fantasy lovers out there. Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an original story!! It feels like Hunger Games meets monsters. There is a LOT going on with the story, and it can be hard to follow at times, but it’s worth it! Push through! I loved the ending.

I didn’t always love our FMC, but I think that’s what makes her so lovable. She’s not Katniss like, and I loved that!

This is an easy to follow story I’d recommend for any age 12+

2.5/5

Koral lives on an island where the society is divided to Landers, privileged people with all the resources and protection, and to Renters, the poor people who are at mercy of natural disasters and monsters who live in the ocean. Koral is a Hunter which means that her Renter family hunts, breeds and sells maristags Landers for the purposes of the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament in which only Landers participate.
A series of unfortunate events and the lack of support from fellow Renters, who hate Hunters for their miniscule privileges, leads Koral to participate in this year's Glory Race with a maristag that no Lander wanted to buy. Of course, she is unwelcomed there plus her ex-boyfriend, Dorian, is the poster-boy of this tournament and her main competition.
I really appreciate that we got a book about caste system from a South-Asian author, and the overall message of the book came strongly across, especially, in the last couple of chapters. The take on rebellion in the context of this kind of society makes sense.
My issue with the book is that it felt so half-baked that it was pretty distracting. For example, the part where Koral got herself in this competition wasn't written well, and it seemed too easy. Also, the relationship between Koral and Dorian lacked chemistry and, honestly, I couldn't root for them.
Generally speaking, the important parts of the story were glossed over and, at the same time, we spent too many pages on parts that could have been said with less words. The story had a great potential, it just needed more time to mature, in my opinion.






**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

I was hopeful this book was going to be amazing, but it fell short of my expectations. The writing style was sluggish and I couldn’t get myself into the story line of connect in any way with the characters.

The story follows Koral and her brother Emrik. They hunt creatures named maristags in order to trade them in, mostly importantly for medication for their sister. When their family hits dire straights, Koral takes their fate into her own hands and decides she must find a way to get into the Glory Race - which is a chariot tournament only for the upper class citizens.

This has plot lines/characters that were literal clones of The Hunger Games. The world building was confusing at times and left a lot to be desired. Overall, it’s a miss for me.

It wasn’t a terrible book and I liked the plot, but I just didn’t really care that much about most of the characters.

The beast on the cover really grasped my attention. While reading, it helped me me be able to visual the beasts that were mentioned and painted a better picture in my head. Also, there are capricorns in the book and that definitely spoke to me since it is my sign haha. Although there were some great things included in the book, I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped for.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Koral. She is a Renter and her family’s job is to hunt down maristags to breed and sell for the Landers wanting to enter the Glory Race. It is a very dangerous job and one that could easily take their lives. Koral will do anything for her family, even break the rules that society has put in place. It’s a quality I always like to see. She did remind me of Katniss from The Hunger Games.

For the other characters in the book, some were better than others. I felt that some were one dimensional and only had one purpose for the plot. Others, like her friend and one of the racers, added more and I liked seeing their interactions with Koral.

The writing is reminiscent of 2000’s teen books. I also think the plot had similarities to The Hunger Games, as others have mentioned, but does have a uniqueness to it as well. Since I wasn’t a fan of the trilogy, this book lacked an appeal for me but that is not the problem of the book. Some of the things mentioned about Renters/Landers or the beasts could feel repetitive at times while I do wish there was more written for a better understanding of other parts of the world-building.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. It’s not due to the book in anyways but due to my taste. If you like The Hunger Games or unique beasts, I would give this one a go!

Did you love Hunger Games? Do you root for the underdog each time you flip open a book? Were you slightly obsessed with the practice of Gladiators when you study ancient history? Do blood-thirsty creatures and class wars in young adult make your knees weak? ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR TBR RIGHT NOW.

This novel has everything. Adventure, risk, the constant threat of death, familial bonds, friendship and heartbreak, civil unrest, dangerous creatures and love, a little bit of enemies to lovers.

Koral and her family struggle to survive and provide deadly maristags to the upper-class. When the end of the maristag season arrives and her family is left with just one female - Koral must take action. She doesn't wish to be sold into marriage, so instead she decides to enter the Glory Race. The Glory Race is a deadly chariot competition that only the upper class participate in, a competition similar to the Gladiator's of ancient Greece. But Koral isn't from the upper class and so when her name is selected as a participant, there are riots in the street.

This doesn't dissuade her from her mission though. Her little sister is ill, her brother is recovering from their botched attempt at capturing a maristag, and her family faces starvation if they can't make money. Koral takes beating after beating, both physically and emotionally through her path to reach the end of the Glory Race. She is faced with potential rebellion, death at the claws of sea-creatures attacking en masse, and heartbreak.

I wanted to see a bit more background between Koral and Dorian, but I was satisfied with the little glimpses that the narrator shared. I found that I didn't understand the hatred between Dorian and Koral's best friend... I'm blanking on her name... And finally, I wanted more about the maristags. Why did the Hunters go after them and breed them for this race? How did the Landers manage to tame and use the giant lizard creatures? I'm hoping the next book goes into a little more detail about the maristags and even the Hunters. I was curious why only ONE family was named Hunters when there seems to be a mass shortage of maristags in their stables... how will they be able to continue in four years if all the maristags competing die in the Glory Race?

Final Note: I devoured this book like a raging maristag—blood, guts, and glory. I loved the world and the risks it posed. Koral was such a badass character that I immediately connected with her. I am now ferociously pacing the sand waiting for the next book.