This is the second book in a trilogy. The first book is called Gilded Cage. I highly recommend reading book one because, if you don't, you won't know what the heck is going on. This book is Science Fiction and it takes place in England. It's kind of a parallel world type of book. What would today be like if magic was real and only certain people had it? This book also changes history as we know it. The monarchy in England ends with Charles I and from then on a Parliament of Elite (or people who have Skill/magic) begins to rule the country. The series begins in the twenty-first century and starts at the beginning of a revolution to over throw the Elite from power because of the way they have treated non-magical people.
Be aware that this review will have spoilers!
This second books picks up almost exactly where book one leaves off, which means I had to go back and skim through book one to remember what was going on because it was a year ago. So we have four main characters that the reader follows throughout the book. Abi, Luke, Gavar, and Bouda. Jenner is also thrown in there at the very beginning, but you only see him once or twice before he disappears from the book until the end. I do have to say that the narrative switches didn't bother me in the book. It is not first person narration, which I think is why I'm okay with it. Switching from person to person in a book can sometime be confusing, but in the case it worked. Abi is in the heart of the revolution. Luke is being held captive because of crimes he kind of committed but at the same time it wasn't his fault. Gavar is on the side of the Elite, but he doesn't understand or agree with them. and Bouda, Gavar's wife, is with the Elite but is working to keep Elite power and get the ultimate spot of power for herself.
So a few things that I didn't see coming... Jenner is an Elite who doesn't have magic. He somehow lost it as a child. He is in love with Abi. In the beginning when we see him we see him with Abi and the revolution. Then he drops out of the book. We see him through Abi's eyes once or twice, but after that he's really not in it much until the end. And at the end, WHOOO, there is a big twist. Jenner, who has always hated his father and the Elite, is suddenly on their side!! I couldn't believe it when he turned Abi over to his father! All because of a little title.
The other twist was Gavar saving Abi at the end. I always viewed Gavar the way many of the other characters in the book did, as a drunken wastrel. He cared little for anyone and the only person who truly mattered to him, besides himself, is his daughter and maybe Daisy his daughters young nanny. Other than that he really didn't care about anything. He does show a couple of heroic instances that leading up to his saving Abi may have been some foreshadowing into what was to come, but because of his character I only saw them as isolated events at the time.
The twist that I did see coming... was Lord Crovan has a daughter. He has taken her memories, much like he does from those who are being held prisoner by him, and uses her as a servant in his household. From the way this character was treated, it was pretty obvious.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It started with action pretty much from the get-go. I felt that at times in the first book it dragged a little bit, but this book did not drag and I had fun reading it.
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