Hello Readers,
Thank
you, NetGalley for the chance to read this ebook for free in exchange for an honest
review
Release
date: 09 Oct
Spoilers
 |
Beneath the Citadel follows 4 teens who are trying to bring down
the empire that enslaved them. With quick thinking, they manage to escape only
to find themselves forced to choose whether its better the devil you know or
the one you don’t. Narrated by 6 different characters, all keeping
secrets, readers slowly learn of the history of the Citadel, its religious
leadership, and the connections between these characters.
Beneath the Citadel is set in a word where power is derived from
prophecy, these prophecies have kept the powerful council in their positions
for centuries and led to rebellions for equality, the notion of fate dictates
everything about the city of Eldra and how it moves forward in the world.
The main conflict is an age-old tale where those with power have no problem
committing acts of violence or even orchestrating mass murder in order to keep
those dynamics in play and to keep in control. I love that the pace
never really let up and the characters were constantly on their toes, racing
against fate to change their lives for good.
I really enjoyed the main cast of characters, each of the
characters has their own motivations and flaws, which play into the plot and
how things come about and so combining those plus a defined prophecy is very
intriguing. As most of the narrators are teenagers their
interactions are often teasing, witty, and fun. I loved how each character
clearly has their own distinct voice and I made it effortless to tell whose
point of view I was reading without having to check. This allows the plot to
unfold slowly, as this is a very character-driven novel, and so understanding
each of their histories and motivations is key to following the plot. The
character development seemed to evolve in a more realistic way so to speak you
could effortlessly understand how the characters grew over the course of the
story rather than using the cliched 'I'm a child who knows no power' and then
suddenly they are the most powerful mage anyone has ever come across.
This YA fantasy acknowledges character sexuality without making it
a central focus point it is mentioned just as casually as their height or hair
colour. One character is bisexual! Another is gay! And a third is aromantic
asexual. These characters are who they are, and there are no angsty plot points
that revolve around them suffering because they're queer. Even when discussing
intimate relationships, the non-heterosexual pairing felt natural rather than
placed in the book for the “shock factor”.
I felt that Soria really hit the mark in her vision of the city of
Eldra. Although there was no map, I could identify each character’s journey
through the world. I was fascinated by the world Destiny created and revealed
the plot little by little. This book has almost a fairy tale type feel to it
where everything you want comes with a price with the details murky at best up
until it’s time to pay up. Destiny’s approach to ‘magic’ and abilities not
just, prophecies but the kind of magic that can alter memory, unmasks intent,
and bonds blood to pure elements at a cost. It is such a wonderful concept.
The theme of magic is great because for the most part in the book
it’s more the ability to see just enough into the future but not enough to know
that any plans will work out how you expect. A lot of thought went into the
small details in this book. The powers people can possess and where those
powers came from and the government system made sense. I also think the
religion in the book was well explained, it was enjoyable to see how everything
intertwined to make a well-rounded tale.
L x
L x
ps no idea what the white bits on my kindle are only appear on the photo
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