My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In a world of red blooded commoners and silver blooded elites, Mare Barrow is an anomaly. When an accident at the Royal Court reveals that Mare has an ability of her own, she is thrown into the dangerous world of the Silvers. To survive, she must forge alliances with her most hated enemies and hide her true identity.
Mare’s hometown, an oppressed village called The Stilts, as well as the fight scene in the colosseum at the beginning reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games. The wide-array of powers that the Silvers possess was a Miss Peregrine’s/Grisha trilogy mash-up. But the strongest resemblance was to Kiera Cass’s Selection series, oddly enough. The overall feel of the palace, the fancy dresses and make-up, the guards, and Mare’s relationship with the king and the princes – all reminded me a lot of The Selection. Despite that, all together the story still felt pretty original.
My favorite part was Mare’s relationship between the two brothers. The sibling rivalry and developing love triangle kept me turning pages. Though I would have liked a little more time with the oldest brother, Cal. But, I imagine in future books we get to know him more.
I had a pretty good idea of the ending early on, but it was still enjoyable reading.
Summer Rachel Short 