"Where No One Can Follow" is the first book in a new series. It is set in a dystopian world that's intense and full of danger. I found the main character Louisa really interesting. She has a tough life, and her fate is decided for her from the start.

What made this book special was the worldbuilding. The Black Hills were grim and creepy, and the military rules Louisa had to follow were strict. Every little detail made the story greater.
Louisa's journey in the Phantom Division, an elite spy group, was thrilling and inspiring.

Quincy's writing style was smooth and kept me hooked. She mixed action with character development in a way that made me care about both the plot and the characters. Louisa's personal struggles and growth added a lot of emotional depth to the story.

One of the best things about this story is how it deals with themes like loyalty, courage, and identity. Louisa's journey isn't just about surviving physically, it is also about figuring out who she really is.

Overall, "Where No One Can Follow" was a fantastic reading experience, and I highly recommend it if you, like me, miss the early 2000 dystopian novels. Grace Quincy has created a memorable world and a heroine who stayed with you long after you finished the book.

This is an intriguing and unique book that I couldn't put down. High stakes and intensity from the start with interesting plot twists. The ending has me anxiously waiting for the next book. I have so many questions and can't wait to see what happens next.

“Where No One Can Follow” is a captivating young adult novel. It caught my attention from the beginning. Grace Quincy’s immersive world-building establishes the setting and atmosphere perfectly. Louisa’s character is extremely relatable. This story is very engaging and fast-paced. The romance seemed a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed it. This novel will appeal to those who are fans of dystopian fiction. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Grace Quincy for providing me with an ARC of Where No One Can Follow in exchange for my honest review.

Where No One Can Follow is a YA dystopian novel set in a country torn apart by civil war. In this world, the firstborn of each family is conscripted to fight in the conflict. Louisa Aldridge, a twin born just before her brother, carries the heavy burden of this conscription. She is assigned to the mysterious Phantom division, where the kingdom’s spies are trained.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dystopian narrative of this story. The world-building, while straightforward, is highly effective in establishing the setting and atmosphere. The story’s tone and themes reminded me of The Hunger Games and Divergent, which made it even more compelling. Fans of those series will likely find much to love in Where No One Can Follow.

One area that I found less satisfying was Louisa’s quick trust in another character, which seemed unearned. This development appeared to set up a potential romance but lacked the slow burn or depth that makes such relationships more impactful. I’m not a fan of the instant love/trust trope, and this element felt a bit rushed. Additionally, while the pacing of the story is steady for the most part, the last 10% is packed with events and ends quite abruptly. Despite these minor critiques, the story left me eager for the sequel.

Overall, Where No One Can Follow was an engaging and enjoyable read, earning a solid 4 stars from me. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds in the next installment.

“From the moment I took the Oath, I knew I’d die bloody.”

What a debut!! I absolutely fell head first into this world, and Louisa was such an enjoyable narrator. Her deep, deep desire to protect family above all conveyed in every emotion and action she took, and I love that she stayed true to who she was through the peril she faced.

I greatly enjoyed reading about the dichotomy between the two worlds she struggles between, and listen, as cool as it would be to become a phantom MAKE ME A RAIDER ALREADY.

The other characters still have so many questions left unanswered, including their motivations and their next steps. I’m truly hoping this is only the start of this story - I want to find out more lore about this world, and I need to see Marcus again!!!

The romance did feel a bit out of place - I wish there had been more between them and more time for it to build in a way that felt real. I can tell that part of the story isn’t over though, so I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from them.

Overall, Where No One Can Follow is a gripping and thrilling ride through a brand new world that you’ll completely fall into head first and enjoy the ride along the way. 4/5 stars for me, and I can’t wait for more!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this story!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this early! Where No One Can Follow surprised me in the best way. It’s an imaginative and emotional read with some great moments, though I think it could’ve used just a little more polish in certain areas.

First off, the world Grace Quincy creates is immersive and fascinating. From the opening chapters, I was hooked on the eerie, atmospheric setting and the tension between characters. The dynamic between Louisa and Lucien is one of the book’s highlights for me. Is Lucien truly deranged, or is his madness just a mask for a tortured king trying to hold his kingdom together? I loved how his layers unfolded, especially in his private conversations with Louisa. It really made me look deeper into Lucien’s character and his actions.

Louisa herself is a strong lead. Her emotions feel raw and authentic, and I could totally relate to the “oldest daughter going through puberty” energy she gives off as she struggles with responsibility, loyalty, and figuring out who she can trust. While I found her immediate trust in Colin/Jack/Marcus a bit surprising, I get that it was necessary to move the story forward.

There is a hint of romance in this book but it comes in late—like, 80% in—but I’ll admit I loved the addition of having some slight flirtation going on, even if I wish there had been just a little more time to explore that connection. By the end, it felt like the romance added another layer to Louisa’s journey rather than overshadowing it, which I really appreciated.

If there’s one thing I wanted more of, it’s Louisa and Oliver’s relationship. As twins, I expected their bond to be more central to the story, but it wasn’t explored as deeply as I would’ve liked. That said, their connection still drives Louisa’s actions, and I appreciated how much she fought for him, even if I didn’t always feel the emotional weight of their dynamic.

The ending came faster than I anticipated—it felt like just when the story hit its peak, it got cut off. But that also left me hungry for more, so if there’s a sequel in the works, I’ll absolutely be looking forward to it.

Overall, Where No One Can Follow is an engaging, dark, and emotional read with some fantastic character moments and plenty of intrigue. While I had a few minor quibbles, they didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the story. It’s a solid 4/5 for me, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique, atmospheric fantasy.

Talk about a cliffhanger!
I'm forever into military schools and training while navigating the politics within the institution and the world outside, so I was drawn into this one from the get-go.
Louisa is not a damsel in distress, I love that about her. She would go to any length to find and protect her brother, even across the border. Her character is a no-nonsense fierce fighter and it's been a while since I have liked an FMC so well.
All other characters are curiously shrouded in their grey motivations and there are so many questions both Louisa and the readers left with.
I would have wanted more world-building and glimpse into the history of how the wars progressed, maybe even dual-pov but this was an entertaining read overall. I'm looking forward to the sequel already.

I can't say that there was any surprising twists, but this was a pretty interesting and fun little book. The writing was great, enough so that I would have liked more to the story, and it felt shorter than it actually was.

Plenty of room for character development, for world building, and some potentially new twists in future installments.

Lousia and Oliver live a mundane life with their uncle. Once Lousia reaches her 18th birthdays she is required by law as the first born child to enlist in the military- a fate that is often a death sentence.

We follow Lousia throughout her training and who to trust becomes more and more unclear. There are several twists, some you see coming others you don't.

I enjoyed this book, I liked Lousia for the most part. I don't this she necessarily goes through much development (so far) as a character but the anger issues she has are believable. Lousia knows she has these issues along with impulse control problems- the way it's written its almost as if she is written with Adhd.
Lousias love for her brother is a defining feature- he is all she really cares about thus he is her constant motivation.

What I was a little confused at was the "love" interest. Jack and Lousia spend virtually no time together, he says he likes her while wasted, but somehow that equals trust? And mutual feelings that lead to heartbreak? I don't get it, she had more chemistry/ conversation with two other raiders over Jack.

I look forward to the next book in the series, hopefully the love angle can be developed a little more there.

Where no one can follow had me hooked from page one! I would give this 4 out of 5 stars & definitely recommended you pick it up!

As someone who is usually quite picky with the fantasy books I read and enjoy, I really enjoyed this book.

While the world building had room for development, the characters, plot and overall writing had me not wanting to put the book down. This book does end with lots of stones left unturned, and character storylines unfinished, however this is definitely a series I will be following and seeing where it goes!

This book gave me dystopian vibes - it was plot driven and I really enjoyed the story. The world was easy to understand and it jumped right in to the action.

It would’ve been nice to have a bit more character development, especially during Louisa’s training. That said, the story is clearly the first in an installment so hopefully there’ll be more in the next book. There are also still parts of the world / backstory that I’m hoping will be developed in future books.

Would recommend for fans of Hunger Games/Divergent style books! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The 2010’s dystopia vibes are back! This book was such a fun read! It gives of vibes of Divergent or Red Queen, while still being original and having an intriguing world! I will warmly recommend it for people who love reading about revolutions and morally grey characters.

This story follows Louisa, and I’ve got to admit, I feel for the girl. She’s grown up knowing she’ll be conscripted to the military, wants to do nothing more but keep her twin brother safe, and is suddenly one of the most important pieces in a war that started before she was born.

I love the revelations coming throughout the story. I like the different parts of the story as well, giving the reader a great scope of the world: from phantom training to the lush lives in Ravenna to the war touched lives in the Black Hills. I loved how Lucien - the king of the revolution - isn’t just misunderstood. He is a grey character, and I’d even say a bad man - though so is the people ruling Verakas. I loved how there is no good and bad, it’s all bad, and Louisa is just trying to get her brother out alive. I’m excited to see if her plan will work out in the next book, because man, she deserves something to go her way.

I also enjoyed the hint of romance we see here. Jack definitely seems the morally grey love interest of most book girls’ dreams, and I’m excited to see how it’ll all play out further down the line. I also hope we get to see some of the other phantoms again - whether on opposite sides from Louisa or the same.

One thing that kept both annoying me and entertaining me was Louisa’s many bad decisions. She probably did everything the exact opposite of what would have been smart, however, you don’t need to get very far into the book to know that that’s exactly her character! She doesn’t care about what others say, she makes her own way. Of course, that is difficult in this world, which leads to a lot of trouble, but I’ve got to admire the way her personality fits perfectly with the story as it plays out!

I would have liked to see more fleshed out side characters. I felt the only character we really got to know was Louisa, as we spent the book following her. But I’d love to see more of the other characters fleshed out as well, from Daria and Roman to Jack, Marcus and Lucien. Hopefully we’ll get that down the line.
Overall, 4/5 . I really enjoyed the book, and I’m excited for the next installment! Really a perfect read for people who love books such as Divergent, Red Queen or even the academic setting in Fourth Wing.

The strength of this book is the writing. Quincy is a strong author and I was generally very interested in the setting and the world building. I would have loved a map. That being said, there is nothing new or groundbreaking with this - you can predict the beats pretty easily. I can see YA readers enjoying this more than adults who read YA.

I’m grateful I’ve been able to read this early, I am intrigued by this story.

This book is fairly short and my only gripe is that I wish it was longer so I could have more questions answered.

The FMC is in a fairly precarious position no matter what she does in this story and there’s no good solution by the looks of it. This world is in a dire political scenario where there is constant battles between black hills and their neighbour, this on going war is causing havoc in everyones lives. All first borns are currently conscripted to fight in this war and this is where the story begins following our FMC who sadly is first born and must begin her required sentence of conscription.

As the story goes on we learn a lot about the warring factions, our FMC and her family background plus what they all seem to be fighting for, BUT I have questions still. At the moment the story feels kind of surface level, it’s not giving up the secrets easily, I think maybe in book 2 we’ll move past the fighting and gore in order to delve into the core of what started this all and what could end it.

I’m rating this 3.5 stars rounded to 4, I’m looking forward to finding out more in the next book.

At first I wasn't sure what to think about this--you get thrown right into it without much world building initially, but after the first few chapters it really picked up and then stayed exciting throughout! I only found the beginning a bit slow because the MC Louisa's personality/ life is mostly told rather than shown, but as the story goes on her personality really comes through and she has a strong voice. In other words, it felt like at the beginning I was told that Louisa was a bit self-destructive and strong-headed, but it took a little bit for me to feel completely convinced of her conviction.

I really appreciated that almost no aspect of this novel was black and white--essentially every character and situation operated in a very grey area which lent itself to a lot of interesting moral issues for Louisa & the reader. I think a lot of what makes dystopian stories interesting was well executed in this novel, so anyone who enjoys the genre should most likely enjoy this!

The only real complaint I have with this was that the romance was so rushed that it almost didn't make sense. The novel wasn't too long so there probably would have been room to add more development to their relationship as well as Louisa's relationships with her peers, but it definitely seems like it'll be further developed in a sequel. However, the romance really is a small part of the novel, so, in my opinion, the fact that it's lacking did not take away much from the story at all.

There's lots of things left unanswered so I'm excited for the sequel and to see where this all goes! I felt like the ending was the right amount of fulfilling and suspenseful, to both warrant a sequel but not leave the reader wanting too too much.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC & congrats to Grace Quincy on your debut novel! :)

I posted very similar feedback on Goodreads today (1/2/25), and that review can be accessed through the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7131293351

"My chances of survival depend on the failure of others."

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

To start I will say that this was a very fun and entertaining read. It is young adult dystopian fantasy story that follows our main character, Louisa, as she navigates the difficulties that come with being conscripted into the Phantom Division as a spy for her kingdom in the middle of a time where they are plagued with war.

This story did not bring any new or genre altering ideas to the reader, but it was an entertaining read that had interesting and enjoyable characters. My biggest wish is that the story were significantly more fleshed out. I was hoping we would get more development from the characters as well as their relationships with one another. The pacing felt rushed and the story premise is interesting enough that I would have gladly and easily sat through a longer story to get more details.

All that to say, this was a promising first book in the series and with how it ended, I am VERY excited to hear more about a potential second book!

4.5
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this book but I ended up really enjoying it!

It began quite typically with some classic dystopian tropes like enforced military survice and a flawed class system, however, it really grew into something more unique. What really stood out to me was the flawed nature of the protagonist and the impossibility of her situation.

Quite often in a Ruling class vs Rebellion set up there is a clear "good" side but both sides in this tale are equally brutal and selfish, making the peril of Louisa's situation captivating.
The protagonist (Louisa) is wreckless, stubborn and brash but also deeply likable. Unlike a lot of female protagonists she doesn't have a temper that leads to charming or sharp witted banter, she is just moody and sarcastic - as I would be in her situation too! It makes her eminently more realistic and relatable... for me anyway.

Definitely something for the Hunger Games/Divergent fans and those that enjoy a tale of espionage. I eagerly and impatiently await the next installment!

Thank you NetGalley and Grace Quincy for this ARC book. 4/5 stars. This book had good pacing, but there were moments that I wished there was more detail. The romance aspect felt very rushed. I wanted more tension and interaction between the two. That being said, this is the first book in a series, and the ending tension promises so much more drama in book 2. I really enjoyed the twists, especially with Louisa’s heritage. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, but felt it needed more to be a five-star read. There were too many times things seemed to be skipped over to get to the next part of the story.

Louisa and her twin are separated by circumstances of their society. Louisa, as the oldest, must serve her country. She’s chosen to become a Phantom (spy) and attends training. Her brother…disappears, and she is desperately trying to find him again.

Louisa experiences so much in her time training to be a spy and then she’s thrown into the deep end of the Black Hills, enemy territory. She’s faces romance, betrayal, and familial drama.

She wavers between her country and the life Black Hills promises, but is abandoning her Phantom role worth the cost her brother might pay?!

I was so obsessed with this book i read it in 4 hours!

This story is largely plot driven, but it is fast and very engaging, once i started reading i couldn’t stop. It follows Louisa, who like all first born children is conscripted upon coming of age. I really enjoyed the internal dilemmas of a girl trying to find out the truth about herself and where she belongs. The story lacks major character developments and backstory for most of the characters, however i believe this is the first book in a series so i am excited to read more and learn about these characters more in future books. There was what i believe to be the start of a found family developing and i’d love to see where it goes!

The ending definitely left me wanting more!!!

4.75 ⭐️