by Lorelei R Jensen

YA Fantasy, 2022 by Eve Griego, 224 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

Some typographical errors that are easy to figure out, they don’t really distract from the story.
The characters are a little flat, lacking a depth to make their motivations make sense. We’re told their motivations but we don’t necessarily see the support for those. I suspected it was, maybe, part of a series and other development would come in other books, but this appears to be a stand alone.
The ending felt anticlimactic. You felt like you were building toward something bigger than you got. Again, it felt like a series starter.

There’s an undercurrent here about trusting people that’s really intriguing. There are characters who trust even though they shouldn’t and characters who are wary when they don’t need to be. It’s a solid lesson in trust and cooperation.
The trials themselves are interesting. Small secrets or tricks are revealed slowly, heightening the suspense.
The found family aspect is fun. This is always my favorite thing to read and it does come into play here, not just in the trial runners but in the family you start the story with.

Fantasy fans who want a quick fantasy read. This reads like a short story but has a lot of interesting elements that will please readers looking for that!