Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.
This is a fast-paced romantic sci-fi novel with a plot reminiscent of Red Rising.

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Gemma is a naïve teenager living on a harsh and remote planet. She decides to undergo the trials to enter the army with the intention of killing someone important. Along the way, she makes new friends, uncovers hidden agendas, and stumbles upon magical mysteries.
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I found the concept of this book brilliant, but the execution was lacking. I had two main issues that completely ruined the experience for me:

First was the crude writing style. Descriptions of the environment, history, and characters were nearly non-existent. The first few chapters consisted almost entirely of dialogue and inner monologue. Later, this improved considerably—so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if another writer or editor had stepped in.

My second issue was the inconsistency in the stakes, which appeared in multiple ways throughout the story:
— This is the first book in the series, covering roughly three weeks, during which the main character spends ten days in a coma-like state. Despite having spent the last twenty years without any real friendships, Gemma forms deep connections with multiple people based on superficial conversations.
— Gemma’s entire motivation for entering the trials was to kill a specific liaison, yet the book never explains why anyone would believe this act would have any positive impact. The political system is never mentioned, leaving the consequences of the murder entirely unclear.
— The trials themselves were wildly inconsistent. In the first trial, where they had to cross the desert, they had the option to signal supervisors if they were in trouble. In the next trial, however, they had to navigate an obstacle course in which many of them did not survive. Yet, all subsequent trials took place safely in virtual space.
— Additionally, women were looked down upon in the trials due to their supposed lack of physical strength, even though most of the obstacles were not physically demanding. The entire concept of "competing" also felt flawed—there was no limited number of spots. If they had helped one another, more of them could have made it into the army, which would have benefited them all in the long run.

Overall, I loved the concept, but the book would benefit from extensive editing and rewriting.

And if you decide to rewrite this in the future, please consider researching some of these points:
— An 11km hike on flat terrain is relatively easy, even with only starlight or moonlight.
— People don’t usually break every bone in their body every time they fall.
— Upper-body strength isn’t particularly useful for hurdle jumping, but it is essential for pulling oneself up on a rope.
— "AI" and "android" are not interchangeable terms.
— Whispering in cyberspace is no different from speaking out loud—the sound is generated by the computer regardless of the volume.
— A DNA-powered communications device?
— The astronomy and timeline don’t add up—humanity supposedly left the Milky Way and built a civilization in under 500 years?!
— Plot hole: Hawk’s "family tradition" only makes sense for a single generation based on Rami's story.

I had such high expectations, but at the end it was a bit underwelming. Its not too bad, but the pace was maybe too fast and the "plot twists" were not surprising. I knew all of them inmediatly, it was too obvious. You just have too look to the "plot holes" to guess them.

The romance and found family were good, tough. I have a fun time reading the first half of the book.

If you miss your dystopian era then you need this book! I loved the characters and the world. There is plenty of action, intrigue, and spice to keep you turning the pages. If you love a good dystopian scifi with high stakes trials and the promise of revolution add this one to your TBR. Perfect for fans of the 3% and squid games but with a strong romantic sub plot and spice.

I was immediately grabbed with the title and description, I love a hunger games-esque dystopian novel, and this time with a sci-fi space twist! Gemma has grown up in Perileos, a city that is lacking resourced and is overlooked by their government, the United Planetary Systems. Her sister Nadine was killed 3 years ago after finishing the trials, a series of physically and emotionally demanding tests that if survived, grants participants entry into the military and a better life on Ouranos. Gemma joins a rebel group called the Dissent with plans to infiltrate the trials and get to the game master Rami himself, who is responsible for the death of Nadine.

This book was so action packed and exciting. I loved the unique world building of the United Planetary Systems and the dynamic of Perileos versus Ouranos and the concept of the trials to attain a better life. The characters were all so different and it was interesting seeing their different backgrounds and what led them to entering the trials and their different skillsets. The found family trope was also very sweet, it was gratifying seeing Gemma able to experience what it's like to have people unconditionally on her side after all of the hardships she's been through. And let’s not forget about the trials, the stakes were high and the futuristic technology and simulations made it so unique! There were political ruses, betrayals, emotional moments, and scary creatures that kept me on the edge of my seat. Overall, a very fun read!

I do wish certain elements of the story were expanded upon more. Although I did love the characters, I felt if they were more fleshed out and I was able to see how their relationships to each other developed, then the outcomes of certain situations would have had more of an emotional impact on me. I also would have liked to have more background on Gemma and her association with the Dissent, as well as her relationship with her sister Nadine. This is such a big part of the plot and motivation for Gemma, but I feel like I didn’t really get any details. I think a flashback of Gemma and Nadine interacting before the trials, or maybe of Gemma during her training would establish her character more.

The story was very interesting and I did enjoy it, but I do think some things were described in a very vague way which made it hard to get a grasp on the setting and scale of everything. I think this book could have also been split into two, with more background and relationship development and character building to really build tension and emotional investment. And because the first half and second half already feel like two different stories. It was a fun read and I think has a lot of potential and I can definitely see it being the next big dystopian series with more development!

I recommend this to readers who enjoy action packed stories similar to The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, where characters have to overcome physical and emotional challenges where the society they think they knew is not at all as it seems, and who like found family, quirky side characters, and lots of plot twists.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for extending an eARC of this novel.

I was captivated by the cover, and if you follow me, you know that I really adore a romance set in space. I'm unsure why the Space setting is my favorite, but if you give me a Space Opera, I'm going to try it. Overall this really is about 2.5 stars for me, but I rounded it up to 3 rather than down.
In this story the reader follows Gemma, a young woman who's ready to avenge her sister's death and at the same time trip off a revolution. She's going to do that by participating in trials that will give her access to the target of her revenge. As she participates in the trials, she develops relationships and entanglements that are hard for her to shrug off, and when disaster strikes, she finds these new relationships are there for her, even if possibly not everything is as she had believed. This book is full of difficult decisions, hidden motives, found family, romance, and some cool world building. Gemma makes several choices based on her heart, and to find out what happens, you'll want to pick up a copy of this novel.
This is set in a far future space dystopia, and has the feel of a fan-fiction mash up of hunger Games, Squid games and Star Trek. Characters are challenged to question everything they've learned over time, and there is a romance with some quasi-open door scenes. I did find the characters to be a bit flat and underdeveloped and I never developed that attachment that I often do, making the highs and lows an on page experience only, I never felt it in the gut. This was a simple to read novel that will appeal to those looking for a romance set in space.

Mediocre Red Rising knockoff. Which is a knockoff of Hunger Games. Poorly written and thin characters permeate this book. DNF my ARC.

3.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is set in a dystopian future, and follows a young medically trained girl, Gemma. She is a member of the rebel group known as the Dissent who want to improve life on their planet Reva. In order to achieve this, as well as her follow through on her own personal quest of vengeance, she enters a competition (the Oranos Trials). Once she wins, she wants to kill her sister’s murderer, the Game Master himself.

What I Liked
The story itself is intriguing, the characters likeable, and the world building is very strong. I enjoyed getting immersed in this place, it was well thought out and a lot of the problems (poverty and oppression) were realistic and served well to elicit sympathy from the reader.

What I Didn’t Like
First and foremost, the writing. Whilst it was okay, it wasn’t great, and too often (usually every few pages) there would be a sentence that was either completely grammatically incorrect, the tense changed, or it was just jarring enough to bring me out of the story.
For instance: “He was trim and athletic, carved from the very stone they mined on Reva.” (I didn’t know a person could be carved from stone?)
There was then also issues of consistency: for instance, she enters the trials and on the first day gathers the attention of at least 3 different people, but then in Chapter 16 she says “Blending in was what she did best in Perileos; most people didn't even know she existed.”
She begins to fall immediately for the love interest, and I lost count of how many times her stomach ‘somersaulted’. It was a little repetitive.
She spent 3 years training for these trials, but then she says she doesn’t know how to fight and only sparred a handful of times with Dissent members. Then she mentions that she paid attention to the combat instructors? Which was it?
They’re in a technologically advanced society with AI robots, amazing simulations, space travel. They have surveillance throughout the city, they know the name and appearance of the leader of the Dissent, they have him on camera, but they didn’t capture him, there isn’t a standing order to shoot on sight? The suspension of disbelief required of me for certain things in this story was too much.

Overall there’s a lot of promise here. On Goodreads it’s listed only as Science Fiction, but this was definitely more YA than I was expecting. I do believe a younger audience could get a lot of enjoyment from this book as the story itself is interesting-I just couldn’t get past the shallow characters and the inconsistent writing / storytelling.

I will be posting this review on Goodreads from 18/02/2025.