"Deadly dilemmas amidst Star Wars-esque intergalactic enmity"
First book in an ambitiously epic sci-fi duology from the author of the Divergent series.
Akos lives in the peaceful nation of Thuvhe, part of a galaxy in which some inhabitants are “fate-favored”, and everyone has a “currentgift”, a unique and (usually) beneficial power. Shortly after attending the Blooming Ritual at which his oracle mother addresses an admiring audience in the temple, Akos and his brother are captured by Shotet soldiers. Intensely loyal, Akos is determined to liberate his brother from this enemy world when he encounters smart, sassy Cyra, whose currentgift is being relentlessly exploited by her Shotet ruler brother for his own tyrannical ends. Then, as the nations’ enmity intensifies, the very survival of the two young protagonists hangs in the balance as they’re forced to decide whether they can put their differences aside and work as one.
This may be set in a distant fantasy galaxy but it’s abundant in down-to-earth humour (“I don't want to get stuck staring at people's butts like last year”) and distinctly human dilemmas that have universal resonance. Roth’s world-building is astoundingly grand, her characters compellingly complex, and how refreshing it is to see such a strong female heroine in a work of sci-fi.