***
3/5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Annelise has a knack for hard-hitting, brutal description that fits beautifully with the gritty and bloody world she has created.
The first thing that came to mind as I learned of this colour-coded society was Red Rising. I couldn’t help it – Pierce Brown’s series took over my life and will never leave my brain. So when I read about a society that has organized its population into colour castes, I think of Darrow and his bloody journey.
Moving on from that, Annelise really knows how to peel back the darkness that coils within society. She is a frank writer who does not shy from things that a lot of other writers would balk from. I know I couldn’t write about the ins and outs of a life of forced prostitution.
The book was fast-paced and very interesting. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
However, I only gave this book 3 stars for a few reasons.
First, I felt like the first half of the book was rushed. It took me far too long to feel any sort of connection to the characters and the world. I was too busy trying to grasp things, and the world building wasn’t as strong as it could have been. I mean, Annelise created a powerfully confident dystopian setting, and it’s clear that she knows it intimately…she just didn’t paint it clearly enough for her readers.
The plot itself felt rushed in the beginning. I’m all for action, but there weren’t enough drawn out moments for me to sink my teeth into. I found myself not caring at all about Grey for far too long
Lastly, there was a scattering of small editing errors (namely spelling mistakes) that had me wincing, although I’m empathetic. It’s tough to find all mistakes in a manuscript – most best-sellers have mistakes throughout them, too.
Overall, this was a fun read with strength behind its writing. I think, in time, Annelise could be a force in fiction.
