School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 10 Up-In the city of Eldra, the Chancellor rules the city by using the prophecies from the elder seers, but Cassa believes fate isn't set in stone for anyone. With her friends, Cassa leads them all into the Citadel to overthrow the corrupt Chancellor and his councilors. Beneath the citadel, secrets linger beyond the catacombs, and the friends who wanted to rid the city of corruption find themselves questioning their own sins as the fate of Eldra hangs in balance. Readers will witness these characters' growth through their third-person point of view, and may notice the parallels to modern-day life in this fantasy world. Although the time line of the story becomes muddled at points, the dynamics of friendship, nuanced LGBTQIA+ characters, and political story lines will encourage readers to read to the very end. VERDICT Soria's stand-alone fantasy novel will resonate with fans of Mackenzi Lee's The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" series. Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Library-Reynoldsburg

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

In a city ruled by despotic elders who can see the future, four teens are condemned for breaking into the citadel. During an attempted escape, they meet their would-be executioner--who wants their help. Soria plays around with themes of prophecy, memory manipulation, and unstable trust, keeping readers off-balance with revelations of betrayal. The protagonists are bold and distinct, with welcome diversity regarding body shape and sexuality.

Kirkus Reviews

Some authors take in medias res very seriously.When this fantasy novel begins, the main characters have already been arrested for capital crimes, some of them have already dated and broken up, and key members of their rebel group have already betrayed each other or died. It makes for a dramatic opening (the first sentence is "Four people were supposed to die at sunrise"), but Soria (Iron Cast, 2016) has to spend the rest of the book filling in the background. Some facts are repeated several times, and one chapter is nothing but plot exposition, which makes it so dense it's nearly unreadable. The story begins to feel like it ought to be the second book in a series, the sequel to a novel that was never written, but it's the rare sequel that's genuinely satisfying. The action is fast-paced, when it isn't being interrupted with flashbacks and exposition. Many of the surprise plot twists are actually surprising. The premise, based around "infallible prophecies," raises interesting questions about free will. (Aging Taylor Dayne fans may find themselves humming "You Can't Fight Fate" after they start reading.) The characters are complex. (They are, however, mostly white, though a few have skin that's ambiguously described as "bronze" or "light tawny brown," and some are bisexual or asexual.)This is a thrilling adventure story. It would be twice as thrilling if it were split in two. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In a walled city ruled by prophecy, where dreams and memories can be stolen, a group of friends works to expose the ruling council-s involvement in mysterious disappearances that are gripping the city. As the story opens, four teens are sentenced to death for high treason after infiltrating the catacombs under the Citadel: rebel-born Cassa; apothecary Alys; Evander, whose blood bond with silver enables him to manipulate the element; and Newt, able to contort his body to escape tight spots. After a daring escape, they regroup to plan their next move, but they must again venture beneath the Citadel, where an immortal man may hold the key to their futures or their downfall. Told via alternating viewpoints and flashbacks, the generally fast-paced tale is at times bogged down by exposition. However, the diverse characters-including those who are bisexual, asexual, and gay-have rich backgrounds; many scenes, especially those set on and around a creepy underground lake, are harrowing; and the emotional finale is truly shocking. Fans of dark, character-driven fantasy will find much to enjoy in this novel by Soria (Iron Cast), which raises interesting questions about fate, free will, and sacrifice. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)