The author offered me an audible code to give this a listen, and I’m so glad he did. The narration by Jamie Treselyan was fantastic work.
This book is honestly a wild ride. It’s long, but it doesn’t end up feeling long enough. It starts in a somewhat grounded fantasy world. There is magic, but it comes with the landscape of the world. Then however, it turns into a full on science fiction / fantasy mix as the mystery opens up. I won’t spoil anything, but it does end up coming together and making sense.
Darius, a boy with visions and unbelievable strength, receives an invite to the Training Grounds. It is a prestigious school, so he isn’t sure why he’s been accepted, but he agrees to go. With that comes the general growing pains of new places, new faces, and learning new things. In my opinion, these are some of the most unique classes and school backdrop since the Boy Who Lived. Each class gives background on the world, as well as helping us to understand that the students are progressing, and I didn’t feel bored for a single minute.
The school does feature a tournament that feels very Triwizard Tournament meets The Hunger Games, as unexpected deaths are almost expected as kids battle for the cash prize. This did feel a little underwhelming to me, as it got a bit washed out by everything else going on, but it was cool to see the kids compete. Also it wasn’t the climax, so it ended up holding its own.
The novel comes to a pinnacle with the most scifi/fantasy blend for one hell of a climax. I do wish it had a less cliffhanger ending, but it did make me want even more! Personally a 5/5*, another great.