Let me start off by saying that the first 50-75 pages of this book were a bit of a chore for me to get through but I persevered and I'm glad I did. I can see the author's reasoning for the book to begin the way it did but I wasn't quite sure how this opening would get us to the Rite. Luckily all is explained and it works in the end. This book definitely reminded me of The Hunger Games in parts as well as some other books with games/challenges in them such as the Nyaxia series. I was totally wrong as to who I thought the love interest was going to be so that was an interesting take and I cannot wait to see how this pans out. This book is on the shorter side, so I was able to read it quickly and thank goodness because I needed to find out what happened in the end.

This story will continue in the next book “The Act of Ascension” releasing on 1 July 2025 and I will definitely be checking it out.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my kind of book. Recommend for anyone who loves dystopian adventures! It’s dark with moments of humor. The romance and tension is *chef’s kiss*.