It's rare to find a stand alone fantasy in YA these days so Beneath the Citadel makes a refreshing change. As much as I love a good series it's just so nice to pick up a book and know that you're going to get a full story with no irritating cliffhanger. What you're also going to get is a story full of diverse characters, a good amount of action (it opens with the main characters imprisoned and sentenced to death!), and a really sweet slow build romance.

This is the story of five teenagers who are working together to continue a rebellion against the city council that has subjugated their people for years. This is a world where the rich hog the resources while the poor suffer daily and they use prophecies to justify their actions. Cassa is the leader of the group, her parents were rebels who died for the cause and she is determined to live up to their legacy. Then you have her ex boyfriend Evander, who has a magical talent for manipulating silver, and his sister Alys who is a diviner who can see glimpses of the future. The final member of the group (and probably my favourite) is Newt, a contortionist and escape artist who is just looking for acceptance after being raised by an abusive father. There is also Vesper, someone who used to be Cassa's best friend but who betrayed them and is the reason they were captured in the first place.

The story is told from multiple points of view but I had no problem keeping their identities separate and enjoyed getting the chance to get to know all of the characters a bit better. The world building was good but there was a lot to learn about which did slow down the pace of the story a little in the middle but, after the explosive start, and in the build up to an action packed ending, I didn't mind the slower middle. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting and the story was enjoyable throughout. I'll definitely be watching out for more from Destiny Soria in the future.

I was really excited for Beneath the Citadel, but I started to read and then couldn't get into to it so i decided to put it a side for another time. I did this several times though and I think it is safe to say that this one really wasn't for me. No matter how much I was looking forward to it.

In the city of Eldra, the high council have ruled for centuries. Their power comes from the prophecies of the elder seers and their descendants.
Cassa's rebel parents were killed during the uprising several years ago. Cassa is determined to bring down the high council and get revenge for her parents' murders with help from her friends - there's Evander who is easy going and can control silver, his sister Alys who is logical and no-nonsense, and quiet Newt, the son of a traitor of the rebellion.
Can Cassa and her friends defeat the high council?

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into Beneath the Citadel. I certainly wasn't expecting it to start the way it did with the characters being sentenced to death!
There was a lot of diversity - an asexual character with anxiety, a bisexual character, and a gay character.
The characters were a good mix and worked well together. I liked some more than others but they were all interesting.
The plot was good but I was only shocked by one thing that happened.
The setting was interesting. I liked the idea of a city being ruled by prophecies.
The writing was easy to follow but I wasn't gripped.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

I ended up DNFing this book, which was a shame as I was really looking forward to it but I couldn’t get into the story unfortunately. I felt like there was a lot of information and too many POVs, but I like the fact the characters were diverse with there being bisexual, gay and asexual characters. Unfortunately this book didn’t turn out to be for me, but it might be for someone else.

I am such a sucker for a good fantasy read. And this one did not disappoint.

It had me sucked in right from the start.
It was face paced and left me turning the pages as fast as I could.

I loved the characters and the storyline in general.

It was a great read of your a fan of high fantasy

I had heard SO MUCH HYPE surrounding this book so as soon as I saw that it was available to request off NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. I didn't start reading it til a few months later though because well... That TBR was CRAZY OUT OF CONTROL.

In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. After the last infallible prophecy came to pass, growing unrest led to murders and an eventual rebellion that raged for more than a decade.
 


In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council, which governs Eldra from behind the walls of the citadel. Her only allies are no-nonsense Alys, easygoing Evander, and perpetually underestimated Newt, and Cassa struggles to come to terms with the legacy of rebellion her dead parents have left her — and the fear that she may be inadequate to shoulder the burden. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city — or themselves.

I read this book within a few days and one of the things that really helped me get through this novel was that I can do chaperone my sister to a concert, so I just stayed outside all night reading.



"Evander hated the dark. He wasn't scared of it, exactly. He just hated the uncertainty it brought. the fumbling blindness. The chaos of his other senses trying to compensate."

- Destiny Soria, Beneath the Citadel




The beginning of the novel didn't really capture my attention which was a shame. I was so ready for an action packed story from beginning to end. However, after you get the whole walking-and-talking to get from A to B part out of the way, the story starts to pick up it's pace and you also start learning more about the characters and their relationships with each other.

The characters were one of the things that I loved the most about this book. There was so much diversity AND I WAS SO HERE FOR IT! One of our main protagonists was Cassa, who was a woman of colour, Alys was plus-sized and suffered from sever anxiety, Evander was bisexual and Newt was gay. I can go only talk about how the representation of the anxiety and being plus-sized was portrayed, and I have to say, Soria conveyed this reps in such a great way. It didn't feel like she was just giving character labels to say 'oh hey, look me at including diverse characters.' It didn't feel forced. The characters felt so natural, and they weren't their labels. Those elements of their person were just there. They didn't define them at all. I just loved it. And from the other reviews that I've read, the representation for the other characters are really good as well.



"Nightmares were the mind's way of exploring subconscious fears."

- Destiny Soria, Beneath the Citadel




I think that another element of this book that I really enjoyed was that ONLY SOME PEOPLE were born with magical abilities, To be bloodhound to an element, you had to undergo a transformation with surgery. Having this mix of being born with power and being able to gain a power through transformation made a refreshing change from the norm that you would see in fantasy. From what I can remember as well, there wasn't any disagreements between people who had natural power and those who had the artificial power.

A few other extra positives of this novel were that the world-building was fantastic. The way that Soria explained the streets and alleyways of the citadel were so clear that I could see them in my mind.

I think one of the elements of the novel that worked really well was not knowing who was a villain. I mean, of course there were some characters who you knew were evil, but there were a handful where you were like 'ok... so what's their deal...?' which made the reading experience very interesting and definitely kept you on your toes.

Overall, Beneath the Citadel was a slow-starting book that definitely packed its punches in the right places.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: panic attacks/anxiety, PTSD, death of parents.

sadly, i am marking this one as dnf. not because it's a bad book, by no means is it that. i simply am not in the mood for this story, i have tried to get myself into it for months but it is just not working. as cliche as it is, it's very much a case of 'it's not you, it's me.' i hope one day to return to the world, because it is really unique and captivating, we been knew destiny soria can write paranormal like the best of them. but i just couldn't get fully into it at this point, much to my dismay.

❝ "If they own your future, they own you," her mother had murmured into her ear while the chancellor went on and one. Her lithe fingers brushed through Cassa's hair softly, a wordless sort of lullaby. "Never let that happen." ❞

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This book managed to wow me with its beautiful cover design and captured me with a story full of twists and turns that would be right at home within the Six of Crows universe. Cassa's crew of rebels was colorful and well-developed, each with their own quirks and demons to face. The story took me on a ride; every time I felt I had all the pieces the author revealed a new piece of information that changed things. I was impressed with this standalone and how well the story was executed.

As I said, the characters were well put together, especially when you throw in the fact that were about 5 key characters whose point of view we explored in depth. It's always challenging to make multiple characters feel real and made them stand out from one another, but Soria does a great job. Each character felt unique and had their own struggles to ace throughout the story.

Cassa, the leader of the crew/main character, was definitely a favorite. She was fearless, confident, bold, and fiercely loyal, but she lived in the shadow of her parents (legendary firebrand rebels) and their legacy. She felt lost and craved more than anything to be able to carve a destiny for herself that was not foretold; she wanted to matter. Those rare glimpses of self-doubt made her more likable and endeared me to her.

Another favorite of mine was Alys. I loved that she struggled with her anxiety/panic attacks but still managed to be the calm, level-headed one of the group. Alys had a hard time recognizing her own strength and idolized Cassa and Evander, but I loved how Alys was her own shade of bravery.

The plot was another strong element of the book. I loved that there was always more to the story than was let on. The flashbacks and memories always made the story more complex and interesting. They not only added to the plot but tended to change the way you looked at a certain character or situation.

❝ The four of them might not be remembered in story and song, but maybe there was still something they could do to honor all that sacrifice. ❞

Despite having strong characters and a gripping story, I think there were still ways this book could have been stronger, namely two: its world building and pacing.

We got a general sense of the history of Eldra and the Slain God, but I was still left feeling like I needed more. It felt like the Citadel was in its own little world and the rest of the world outside didn't exist. In a way, it made sense; the Citadel used the infallible prophecies to remain relevant and in power while the rest of the world moved on, but I still felt like we needed more information about the setting that wasn't centered on the Slain God. I will say, however, that Soria did a good job of feeding us the information in bursts rather than info dumps.

The other issue was the pacing. Overall, the pacing felt steady and there was a decent balance between plot and character development. However, there was still this sense of the story being dragged on. The book felt just a little too long and not all the flashbacks necessarily seemed indispensable.

And as a final note, I wanted to quickly cover the ending. I think in a way I could sense it coming. Cassa had always struggled with making her actions meaningful and in the end, she seemed to understand that being a hero didn't always go with recognition or fame. Sometimes heroics are peaceful and quiet or mean putting others above your own goals. The ending, along with how each character dealt with it felt... good. I liked that we were able to see the beginning of their healing and the aftermath of Cassa and the Chancellor's actions. It was a perfect ending.

Overall, I was impressed by this standalone and how well it was executed. This is definitely a YA fantasy you'll want to check out!

Beneath the Citadel was released on October 9th 2018, it's a book that's worth checking out!

Beneath the Citadel had a great plot and a fascinating cast of characters. The one downside is that, with so many POVs, I found it hard to form any real connection with any of the main characters. By the time it got to just over halfway through the book, I found myself struggling to be invested in the emotional journey that there were each going on.
I loved the easy diversity in the story, and the plot had real meat to it. The events had the right pacing to them, and character decisions made sense.

Overall, a good book. Could have been much better if there was less jumping around in narrative perspectives, though. The random flashbacks sprinkled in didn't really help either (but then, I'm biased because I'm not the biggest fan of flashbacks to begin with).

An exciting novel, Beneath the Citadel follows a young cast of characters as they rebel against the government for a change in the institution. It's incredibly riveting and has such a strong powerful and energetic opening that introduced the reader to the world of the characters. What's great about the opening is how focused it is in capturing the individual attitudes of the characters. They are relatable and different while having such a dynamic chemistry with one another that allows them to sync together. Each character is vibrant in their own way, whether it be their rebelliousness or their seriousness. These characters are what make the novel compelling because again and again they are given the short end of the stick but they rise to the occasion. They use the fact that they are being used as pawns by multiple people to give themselves the edge and turn it to their advantage. They are the kind of unlikely heroes that young readers love to read about because they are snarky and because they take what they get and turn it to their whims.

There is also the fact that the characters grow together. They are very different than they were at the beginning of the novel, rising to the occasion and making change where they can. These characters grow through their flaws and through their differences that force them to occasionally butt heads with one another. That's real friendship and why it resonates so strongly with the reader, pulling them into the narrative and making the reader care about what happens to the characters.

As for the story, after the opening segment, the story slows down drastically. It focuses on world building and history and while the history parts of the novel are interesting, allowing for a break in the overall narrative, everything around them could have been condensed just a tad. This is a novel that installs small chapters of the characters and their history into the story to give the reader something to base their history off of. Those segments are short and sweet and don't take away from the novel. But the rest of the story, the rising tension, it lags to much as it tries to play off the characters. The pace slows down for about a quarter of the book until the tension and pace pick up again, forcing the tension to take over the story. The pace eventually quickens, of that there is no doubt, forcing the story to take unpredictable and compelling turns.

Beneath the Citadel is, ultimately, an unpredictable read. Some of the world building and the narrative does slow down the pace but the compelling characters and twists and turns make the story well worth the read.

I thought this one was pretty good. I liked how it had great world-building and had so much action and adventure.

Destiny Soria does it again. After having loved her debut book Iron Cast, I knew that this book would be good! Boy did it not disappoint. I believe that this is at the top of the heist fantasy genre that has been popular of late.

I absolutely loved this book and the rich world Soria create was just amazing. The characters were complicated and relateable.

The cover for Beneath the Citadel is one of the reasons why I picked this book up. (I know we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but we all do it.) The gold skull leading down a staircase against a black background looks so bad ass. And I am so glad the cover did not disappoint. This book was chocked full of amazing representations, P.O.C , LGBTQ and plus sized MC fantasy. Loved, loved, loved the rep in this book. The book starts off with our protagonists all being thrown into jail to be executed only to realize they did it all on purpose. They are given a choice be executed for trying to help the world above or go down to the world below and face different kind of monsters. The book has multiple POV’s and this totally had Six of Crows vibes all over it. The bickering and banter, friendship I love how the teens are all there for each other. Even when they a come from different backgrounds who have different situations and the underlying story its all about new family and friendships. Now don’t get me wrong the action is pretty awesome and help the plot move forward which it kind of has to be since this all takes place within 5 days of them being captured. I also really enjoyed the world building Ms. Soria built. She definitely did her research and took her time to make such a remarkable world. My only complaint which is probably pretty selfish is that the book is a stand-alone. I want more of the characters and world dang it. Overall this is a great fantasy novel with amazing representation.

The representation in this book is amazing! The plot and characters are so unique and riveting, I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend reading it.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. Heist books are in the new in thing and when I first saw this book I was sad that there was yet another one out there. Thankfully, this book was a fun, fast-paced read that kept me racing on until the end. Oh, what an ending that was. I didn't expect it and yet I loved it so much. All the characters either made me love them right away or created a reason for me to love them over time. I enjoy it when an author can defy my expectations making me fall for a character I thought I was going to hate the whole book. Soria has created a world that I would love to come back to with characters that jump off the pages and into my heart.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the "found family" feeling I got from the group of characters. I would have liked a little *more* though. I just didn't feel very close or a connection to any of the characters.
Overall a very fun read!

My Review: I really wanted to smash that like button with this one but with so many POVs it just didn't work out. Multi POVs for me are hit and miss and this one I am sad to say was a full-on miss. Although each POV was its own voice I just felt like changing POV so many times just took me out of the main story. My other issue with this one was that there was a lot of info dumping once it started. The ending was just weird and I wish the author would have done something else with it. For me, this one could have been amazing but it just didn't work.

This is one I had been excited for, I loved Destiny Soria’s debut, Iron Cast, and so when I saw she had a new fantasy novel coming out I most definitely wanted to read. think my expectations had been a touch high because although I enjoyed it, it didn’t compare to that debut for me. That being said, I don’t really think a novel set in alternate history Boston in 1919 can really be compared to a full fantasy novel set in its own world where there is a city controlled by a government who uses prophecies to stay in power. They're not really comparable so if you loved Iron Cast then be prepared for a different kind of book in this one (which I thought I was but I still something didn’t work for me).

I will say, though, I wasn’t in a fantasy mood when I started this so even I knew it would be a struggle for it to click into place and work for me so the poor book started on the backfoot. It also had multiple POV, not loads, but more than I like in my books and that put me off it a little too. The characters were all interesting and I loved seeing the dynamics between each of them, from Cassa and her back and forth with Evander, to Evander interacting with his sister, Alys. Each character has a distinct personality so even if it hadn’t said at the start of a chapter, you knew whose POV you were reading from. Sadly, I think the multiple POV meant I didn’t connect quick enough with the characters. For the first quarter of the book at least I couldn’t figure why I should care about these characters and even them investigating the corruption of the government did nothing for me.

Maybe if I’d begin this book at another time I’d be raving about. I will say no one can complain about a book which has so much diversity within its pages, from racial diversity to sexual with gay and bi characters. I do appreciate when fantasy novels make the effort because there has been too little diversity in them for too long. I just wish I’d been in a fantasy reading mood for this one as my rating is very much influenced by that.

I was so excited to pick up this ARC because the premise sounded incredible and right up my alley, and somehow after reading the synopsis I had a lot of Six of Crows vibes, so I went with such high hopes and expecting something amazing. And I would say I was pretty impressed with the outcome, because even though I had a few issues with the ending, it was still a very entertaining book and I had such a great time reading it.

This was more a character and plot driven story. The world building itself, though it was very complex and we had a lot of information when it came to the Citadel itself and its insides, was barely there when it came to its outsides and the cities, which was a bit of a let down, because I would have loved to know more about that world and not only the Citadel.

However, the plot was quite complex and had a lot of layers. It kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and how everything was going to end, because I feel there were a lot of subplots and interesting elements that kept me wanting to kept reading until I finished the book, and being that it was a very easy book to get into and so fast paced I found that so easy.

The characters were the strongest part of the book, and one of my favorites as well. Though it was a standalone novel, we still got a fair picture of each character's back story and relationship with the others, which was so good. I loved the dynamics between them, more as I kept reading the story rather than in the very beginning, because at first the interactions seemed a bit forced and I was a bit confused about their friendship.

The only problem I had was with the ending. I was a bit disappointed with it and with the tone the story ended, and though I understand it was one of the only ways the book could have ended, I feel that everything that happened in the last 40 pages made the whole story seemed a bit pointless.

Overall, it was a very quick and fun story with interesting characters that had a strong and solid evolution, not only as a group but as individuals as well. Though the world building was a bit lacking and the ending was a bit anticlimactic, I still really enjoyed the writing style and the book.