I always enjoy a story told by the villain, or in this case – four villains. High schoolers who have known their grizzly fate from birth but still managed to be mostly normal. When the Blood Moon rises and the Blood Veil drops, and the tournament to the death begins. Seven champions, one from each family, enter the woods to fight over control of a high magick wellspring beneath the city. Armed with spell stones the kids enter the forest around their quiet town, Ilvernath, with plans for murder and domination. They know there won’t be any happy endings. But Briony, her title of champion stolen, dares to suggest there might be a different ending. One where six people didn’t have to die. She leads the rest of the survivors as they race against time to break the curse.
I appreciate that the story didn’t end with a pretty little bow. The champions accepted their fate from the beginning. Even working to break the curse couldn’t, and didn’t, end well for all of them. The story at once feels historically fantastic but is rooted in our contemporary world. Some phrases are active parts of our speech such as “I mean…” and “Right?!” Also, remote learning is an option for students. This is also where I had a problem. The way the media is used to propel the story forward feels a bit clunky. The authors were probably trying to use a modern plot device, but this aspect felt forced. If the answer to breaking the curse could be found by telling each other their family fables, why did it take hundreds of years to figure that out? It’s as if they knew where they wanted the story to end but were having difficulty getting it there. This story may have been better told in one long book instead of two average ones.
Overall, I found this duology had a fun mix of magic and mayhem and worth the read. I recommend it to readers that enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Luminaries.