Great fantasy book with amazing characters. Loved the idea of the plot with this protagonist. Note: I received an ARC in exchange of an honest and unbiased review.

I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!

Ive posted a full review on Goodreads and I look forward to reading more from this author!

This book checked a lot of boxes for me. Science fiction, forced marriage, strong female protagonist. It’s a fun mix of fantasy and sci-fi, and it’s enjoyable to watch Willow try to navigate a way of life she never dreamed of. This is a strong debut in a series and I can’t wait for the sequel.

I recently bought a new kindle after my old one broke. For some reason I was unable to download this title from the cloud onto my kindle, therefore I will be unable to review this title. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused

In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.

Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.

Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?- Goodreads

This novel is the definition of slow burn. It is super involved, very active i.e. I was sucked into this book. However, this was slow and Willow's I want to fight everything attitude and be the princess of everyone attitude didn't help. Willow got extremely frustrated to read really fast. She didn't listen to anyone not even those she says show trusts and loves the most. It made the book drag because while the characters surrounding her were frustrated, so was I.

Despite this, I loved the world building of the novel even though at some points it was muddle. Where Willow lives you picture a tavern in the middle of no where with no technology but in the Core it has the everyday tech that we use in real life (plus more). I see the point of showing the drastic difference between the two but it was as if it was completely two different time frames.

I enjoyed the romance within this novel but with a caveat. Falling in love with someone who destroyed your life is a bit too much. For 70% of the book she hated the man but then it changed. It was a smooth change that didn't happen overnight but still.

Overall, this book was a build up novel. A lot of nothing happens for a really love time but the writing is so fantastic, where I actually overlooked that. I would read book two because now that most of the build up is done, the action should be happening.

2.5 Pickles

Gambit is an underrated gem and it deserves more recognition. It's a mix of sci-fi and apocalyptic type of feel, and it works. It's adventurous and the worldbuilding is vivid without being too info-dumpy. I can't wait to dive into the next book.

Thanks C.L. Denault and REUTS Publications for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.

Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.

Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?

Great YA fantasy book with great characters.

I loved this book so much! I loved the characters and the world! I would and have recommended this book to all my friends.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I hadn't heard anything about it so I started reading with low expectations.

Here are the reasons my expectations were surpassed.

- starts out reading like a fantasy
- MC is spunky and tough but not to an annoying
degree
- no insta-love
- MC and love interest have chemistry
- good mixture of plot and romance

Here are the reasons it didn't get 5 stars

- Inconsistencies: Reese is supposedly honorable
and professional yet doesn't seem to have any
guilt after continually making out with a teenager
who is betrothed to someone else. These rebels
are supposedly so dangerous yet Willow's group
are attacked constantly with little to no injuries or
deaths on their side. Willow let's Reese get away
with a little too much for my liking

- It's formulaic. That's not always bad when done well
but in this case I got annoyed knowing exactly what
was going to happen.

- Some cringe worthy cheesy dialogue that I just
didn't buy. But not too much or this would have
been 3 stars.

- Just a feeling that it was almost really good but couldn't quite get there.

Overall I recommend it as a fun read

I was unable to review this book due to losing my original Amazon account, and the books were archived. So I cannot re-download. I do still think this novel sounds amazing and will do my best to read in the future.
Thank you to netgalley for allowing me the title in the first place.
Apologies to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for not reviewing promptly.

REUTS Publications and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Gambit. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

In a world where society is ruled by those with privilege and magic, is it possible for prodigies to blend in with the normals? The Core governs, making sure that those who have gifts are strictly under their thumb. Willow Kent has always known that she was different but, when the Surge happens, will her gifts have a strength that no one could anticipate? Will Commander Reece, the soldier tasked with the job of bringing Willow to fulfill her birthright, be able to control the unruly teen?

The world within Gambit falls between a medieval fantasy and a dystopian future. With magical creatures, prodigies, and the Core filled with the rich and powerful, Gambit is a YA novel that reminds this reviewer of dystopian novels such as Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

The plot is a little too predictable, especially in regards to the journey to the Core. Gambit is not unlike the pilot episode of a new series, as the author has so much to accomplish to establish the world that the plot suffers. I would be interested in seeing where the author takes Willow into the future, as well as the other principal characters of the series, when the focus can be on the story instead of character development. Readers who like science fiction and fantasy dystopian novels may find Gambit to their liking.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I tried to read this, but my attention just wasn't there. I am not interested in reviewing this.

I'm sad that I waited so long to read this book! It was AH-MAY-ZING! It reminded me a little of Six of Crows, which is one of my favorite books,

Will is an awesome character! I absolutely loved her! I ♥ the tiger references! More below (**contains spoilers**).

Despite how much I absolutely ♥ ♥ ♥ this book, I was really sad after I finished it. Somehow I had slipped over this book on my NetGalley shelf, due to the new-ish format, where all of the books you have requested are not all in the same place and are spread out in several different spots.

By the time I realized that this book had been moved to a different section, it was too late to download it. Thank god it was available to download through the library, because knowing my cheap self, I probably wouldn't have bought it, which would have been a HUGE mistake! I'm so glad that I didn't just delete it from my shelf since I couldn't download it from NetGalley anymore!

However, I am sooo sad that the next books in the series haven't been released yet! When I saw how long Gambit had been on my shelf and looked at the release days, I was so excited, because I thought that I might get to keep reading after I finished it, but there is no release date listed on the second book in the series yet. ☹️

However, I did email the author to see if she would be willing to send me an ARC of the next book, and she was super nice and responded the next day. She said that she is not sure when it will be released yet, but she will put me on a list to be sent an ARC!

**BEWARE: SPOILERS BELOW**

While I do see the appeal, and I do understand it, I was super disappointed with the way Willow submits to Reece. I know she is only 16, but still... However, I am willing to admit that by the end of the book, my mind was starting to change about him too, but I still have my reservations.

Side note: I ♥ ♥ ♥ Tem and hope that we will see more of him in the coming books.

I am super excited to see what happens next and learn more about Joshua and how Kane fits into everything.

I will be (not so) patiently waiting for the next book!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately I am unable to give you a proper review. I apologize for the inconvenience.

I'm mad I waited so long to read this. When I first saw the page count it was a little daunting-but so glad I took a chance! Right when I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I loved it so much- I bought myself a copy.
There were at times I was a little confused-but it had such an amazing story line I kept turning the pages.
Overall, my favorite was the world building and how it was set as a future Earth. I am very curious to see where this series goes.

I would like to sincerely thank C.L. Denault and REUTS Publications for the opportunity to read and review this.

Rate: 3 out of 5 stars

Recommend: Maybe, depending on the person's preference. This isn't a book I would go out of my way to recommend like I would a few choice favorites, but if the person likes this genre or books like this then I might.

Review: So not going to lie, the cover of this book is what originally caught my eye. Yes, I am kind of ashamed to admit that I am a little bit of a cover snob. Like, if the cover or the title does not catch my eye, chances are the only way I'm gonna pick it us is if someone told me about it or I'm forced to read it. Don't hate me, just accept this about me and move on. Anyway, I found the cover to be beautiful and simplistic, so I thought I'd see what it is about. Given that I do enjoy reading YA and dystopian books, I was intrigued and requested a copy.

I like the idea of this book. I mean, it seems really cool that for 16 years you could grow up average and then one day go through this change that might kill you or might give you powers. Well....maybe cool isn't the EXACT right word to use, but it definitely sounds like someone I would like to experience, which does not necessarily make me sound sane. I like how the main character, Willow Kent, is this strong, independent, stubborn woman who is fierce in her loyalty to her family and wanting to be her own person...but that kind of shifts later in the book, so now I'm not quite sure how I feel about her. This book caught my attention from the first sentence and I was hooked, reading almost half of it in one night.

I really liked the plot of this story, the way it has social parallels (unequal classes, social realms, relationships), how Willow seems to be this strong female character, how there was an adequate amount of action, and how there were lots of new information. But, seeing as how it is rated 3 stars, I think it quite obvious that this was not a perfect read.

I did not like Commander Reece, the story's main male, kind of bad boy, but total asshole. Seriously, he swoops into Willow's town, walks into her parent's tavern, has this absolute air of superiority and acts like he owns everyone in it. He then proceeds to beat Willow's friend, kill a man, injure Willow, and decide he is in control of her life forever. I can award him points for the fact that he is employed by her parents to keep her safe, but his way of doing so pisses me off. I also absolutely LOATHE the abusive relationship they develop. This isn't me being sensitive either, they really do have a textbook abusive relationship. The first time he injures Willow I can kind of understand, seeing as she just stabbed him. The next times? Nope, I would have personally found away around his skill and happily slit his pretty boy throat. Let me explain, Willow will say something he doesn't like and his reaction is to hurt her, most of the time physically, and when she responds with tears showing that he is/did hurt her, he then strokes her face, tells her it was her fault, and says if she wouldn't provoke him he wouldn't have to hurt her. This is a legit scene in the book, he really did grip her hair in a fist, shake her and make her cry in pain then proceeded to stroke her face and tell her it was her fault. He is also 7 years older than her, which creeps me out since she is only 16 and has never had an actual relationship with a boy before. Basically, I really don't like Commander Reece. I feel like he's using her and manipulating her and I don't trust him. He's one character I actually wouldn't mind seeing die.

Another thing I don't like is the fact that Willow goes from really caring about her family and the safety of her friends, saying she will be so miserable in her new home, and only wanting to go back, to kind of forgetting. There are moments where she is homesick, but the mentions of wanting to go back become less frequent, a few times she seems to forget about her imprisoned friends, and she does not seem to care at all for Morrigan, the girl who thought she was her for 16 years. I don't know, I hate how she went from being this strong woman to kind of being hypnotized by the shinny city. Also, I really HATE her tantrums. She has quite a few really. And these aren't little disputes over things, she will completely throw a fit over things and it gets annoying fast. I mean, stop saying you can take care of yourself when a few hours later you will throw a fit because someone said you needed to do something in order to be safe...and now I sound like every parent ever who tells their teenagers that they will treat them like ad adult when they start acting like one. OMG, I am getting old.

The shinny city, or the Core, is something that really confuses me. Or, more the fact that the village Willow was raised in is an exact opposite to the city she was supposed to be born and bred into. Like, how can one be super advanced with solar powered vehicles, windows that are also tablets and TVs, genetic manipulation and things and have the other basically be Victorian area without the fun? This is an accurate description by the way, not be exaggerating. The village Willow grows up in is this place where the women wear dresses with long sleeves and high necks, they trade in anything under the Sun, they have to boil water before using it or drinking it, and they have no technology. The Core? They have an engineered super sand storm protecting them, bubbles that can shield you, can engineer super weapons, use lazer guns, basically the future. How can both reside in the same world but be nothing alike. Even their fashion is completely different! Women in the village have to be well covered, in the Core they wear pants and bikinis. This boggles me, you'd think that a little bit of the Core would reach the village.

I'm also not a fan of how long the story took for Willow to meet Thess, a meeting that only lasted a couple pages. Seemed a little odd to me since the fate of Willow's world rests in her future marriage to him and their eventual children, so you'd think that meeting would have been a little more suspenseful and long. I'm not sure how I feel about Joshua, Willow's mysterious Guardian who is sometimes invisible, supposed to be protecting her but let Commander Dumbass get his claws into her, and kind of just stays away. Her parents' reactions to her also intrigue me, but I've yet to decide how exactly I feel about them. The pace also annoys me, since we spend a while in Willow's village, quite a few chapters in the wilderness, a lot of time in the city, and then BOOM! Book is over, leaving me with a weird taste in my mouth. Especially when you consider how much time is devoted to Willow being in the shower and how much she loves it. Yeah, cutting half of those would have freed up more time for the meeting with Thess and an ending that didn't leave me wondering about why Willow is willing to give up everything for a man who will inflict pain on her because he sees himself as above their law.

Basically, I enjoyed this book. I kind of love a few minor characters (Gem, Hart "teddy bear" and my new book boyfriend Aspen, plus a few others), I HATE the abusive relationship between Willow and Commander No, which I really hope the author remedies, and I'm not liking how Willow seems to be losing her spunk because of Commander Asshole. But, I did enjoy this book overall and I am interested in the sequel. This book won't make my Top Reads of 2017 list, but it also won't make my Worst Reads of 2017. This was just a fun, nice read. If you're in the mood for something a little different, can handle the abusive relationship, and don't mind a weird build up to what should be a big moment but isn't, then maybe read this book.

It is quite a long novel for being the first book in the series (more precisely - 556 pages according to GoodReads), however I basically read 85% of the book in one afternoon and I could not stop! There was always something happening, not a single boring page. And that is what we love about books!

One of the main reasons why I love dystopian novels is a new take on our world - be it a natural catastrophe or some other disaster - it seems that the authors will never run out of ideas about how to destroy our world. C.L.Denault’s world is definitely worth reading!

Overall a great and very entertaining read, although there were a few problems that I will address in a more detailed review on my blog this coming week.

Amazing! Utterly loved this read. I couldn't put it down. The chemistry between Willow and Reece felt real, I could relate to Willow so much. I felt like I could feel her emotions through the words. Brilliant. I need the sequel!