♡ Thank you for the free book, BookSparks and author Ava Reid. Thank you for the free ARC, Epic Reads | Harper Collins and NetGalley
Synopsis
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.
Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.
Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.
When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.
For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.
As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.
Thoughts
Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of Ava Reid. I love her lyrical prose, gothic vibes, and penchant for evoking emotion. So, when news of a sapphic romance set in a dystopian world hit the streets, I felt a bit skeptical. Indeed, this book is a strong departure from the author’s previous books. But it managed to leave me with what I love most in dystopian stories: a good ponder about society’s morals and values.
The book did leave me wanting just a bit more. I would have liked added world-building in order to gain a better understanding of the society. I also needed more Inesa and Mel, as their attraction was a silver of beauty in a hellish world. In the end, Reid leaned into her knack for body horror and unique storytelling abilities to pull this one off. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
★★★★☆