The world is divided into three continents and people into blood types where A-class are the workers in The Way. A place where labour is what counts and where you are eliminated once life expectancy has been reached. On the opposite side are the B-bloods – the Vemreaux - who are granted extra life years after being dipped in the Fountain but then need O-blood to keep them going. The B-bloods are being killed by something called the Predator, but there is a prophecy that someone called “The Light” will be the one to bring it down.
Blue Anders and her brothers, Baird and
Griffin, work in The Way and Blue has a secret. She has a destiny to fulfil and
Baird is going to make sure she succeeds no matter what. No matter how much brutal
physical training he puts her through. No matter how much mental anguish he
heaps on her. No matter how much love he withholds from her. When Baird and
Blue are bought and manage to leave The Way, they come across some influential
people who may be able to help them in their quest. But since this might mean a
profound death, will it solve the problem?
This idea was something I’d not come across
before and the way Baird treated Blue in a place I couldn’t quite get my head
around drew me in to try to understand why. This then led to wanting to know
more about the prophecy, so I soldiered on. The POV jumps didn’t really bother
me, and yes, this is definitely YA because some of the characters were so stereotypical
it was laughable. Yet when I really looked at how Liam, for example, spoke and
viewed the world, it was through the lens of royalty and showed how out of
touch he really was.
The book is longish and many places feel
drawn out and rather a setup for later things. I kept looking at the pages left
and thinking that there would be some sort of climax even if it did lead into
the next one but when the end came all too quickly, it was as though the whole
first book just got Blue ready to head off. While that in itself is not a bad
thing, it leaves me feeling like the idea was unfilled and something needed to
be “finished” in this book.
Many of the characters I “got”. I understood
their motivations and frustrations. Apart from Grettel. And don’t say she came
into herself when Stephanie allowed her to see the possibilities. Nope. Just a crier
who I was getting so annoyed at reading when the tears rolled down her cheeks
or sat on her eyelashes or whatever. As for Blue being able to get around and
waitress with “a curtain of hair covering her face as she looked down
subserviently at her feet”. Hmm.
The book had some proofing issues but
nothing that was too jarring. The biggest thing was probably questions left
open. Not necessarily about the lead into the next book, but the bits of info
missing like other blood types, or more about WW3. And I want to know what goes
into Baird’s drinks to make them so successful.
It’s a good book with an intriguing premise
and the cover on Amazon is beautiful. I’d recommend it just because of Blue’s
journey and the fact that she is able to be a badass while still embracing her
vulnerability. I do want to find out what happens to her!
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