The real-world insertion with the Twin Towers and the Middle Eastern terrorists kind of pissed me off, though it is really way more of a pet peeve than a problem with the book. I got lost a lot and had to go back and re-read just to see who was the perspective character at the moment several times. The perspectives were often very confusing because there was little difference in the narrative voices of Finn and Rocío, the two POV characters, and the book was written in first person. Why hasn't the Confed been sued yet? Some of this was kind of explained in the story, but it still kind of took me out of the world and made this whole thing seem really unrealistic. I was pretty confused why the government was even allowing this kind of thing to even happen, especially because people knew that underage minors were dying in this magical government sanctioned competition. The actual conspiracy of magic, though, was a little weird. The first 30% was actually quite dreadful, with confusing motivations, rushed exposition, and confusing worldbuilding-like how the magic system even worked in the first place-but once the Exam really picked up, it was smooth sailing from there on out and I was invested and intrigued.Īlso, this is being compared to The Hunger Games, but honestly, besides that last challenge, it was way more like Ender's Game or Netflix's 3% in every regard. I have to admit, I was considering DNFing this, to the point where it basically convinced me that I don't actually really like urban fantasy all that much. He just saw how warped and wrong his Confed must be to have brought us here with their ruthless, brutal magic.
This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way. I received this eARC from Another World Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win? But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocio and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies - and possibly more. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.
Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Their rejection leaves her reeling - and determined to fight to keep her magic. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages' Exam.ĭisadvantaged by her parents' low standing, Rocio Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die.or kill.Įach year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every 16-year-old novice.
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