So this was, um, pretty INCREDIBLE.

The idea that people answer to fate and prophecy and draw power from it was intriguing as hell. It was well executed and it really drew me in. It was so magical and the little details - such as blood bonds and memory - were interesting! The whole magic feature was a beautiful concept, a mix of science and something truly mystical. Which was AWESOME.

There was so much action, and I loved it. It was a high-stakes adventure involving a ragtag band of misfits who set out to defy fate in order to change their lives. It was quick and concise - in a good way, as it kept me on my toes and on the edge in anticipation. It started with a bang and left me needing to keep reading til the end!

The characters!!!!! THE CHARACTERS, I LOVE. I LOVE THE CHARACTERS. They're diverse in so many ways and it was so, so satisfying to read. They were themselves and were positively represented. There was no tragic backstory to one's suffering because of their sexuality or weight. I need more books where diverse characters are just them, you know.

There were a few open strands of plot that left me wanting more of an explanation. But overall, the plot and characters were enjoyable and I really loved the world building and the world itself. I got attached to the plot and the characters, and I definitely need more of this unique addition to YA fiction!

"We are not foretold."

DISCLAIMER: I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes in this review are subject to change before the final release.

EXPECTED OCTOBER 9, 2018

3.5 STARS

TW: implied abuse

It's not a secret that I am absolutely enamored with books that challenge the idea of fate and characters who fight to make their own choices, so I was super, SUPER excited to get a chance to read Beneath the Citadel! It's set in a word that where power is derived from prophecy, and the notion of fate dictates everything about how the city of Eldra moves forward in the world. It also includes magic, not just of the divination variety, but of the kind that alters memory, unmasks intent, and bonds blood to pure elements at a cost.

Plus, it opens with the main characters being sentenced to death, so you know it's going to charge right ahead and get into the big dramatic details, and it's probably not going to slow down. I'm happy to report, too, that "probably" became "definitely," and the characters were constantly on their toes, racing against fate over the course of a single night to change their lives for good. Gotta keep that plot moving at all times, folks!

I was also enamored with the magic, especially the concept of rooks, who can give and take memories at the cost of remembering everything they take for the rest of their lives. The bloodbond showcased by Evander was also really neat because it wasn't hereditary magic, but given magic, created through a painful process that isn't guaranteed to work. It grants the bloodbonded individual control over a pure element, like copper or silver or glass, and even though its applications appear magical, its origins feel experimental or even scientific, which I really appreciated. It's an odd blend, but a really cool one.

Another cool bit about this book? One character is bisexual! Another is gay! And a third is aromantic asexual and fat! Which is all so wonderful to see. These characters are who they are, and there are no angsty plot points that revolve around them suffering because they're queer or fat. I will say, however, that I was really disappointed about how Alys, the aro/ace character, was all about logic and common sense and being sort of the buzzkill friend. I'm ace myself, and aro-spec (though that's a fuzzy part of my identity that's also linked with being biromantic and is therefore COMPLICATED even for me ugh), and I don't think I've read about a single ace character who isn't logic driven and aloof or disconnected, which gets tiring really damn fast. Just because someone is ace or aro or aro/ace doesn't mean they're going to root themselves in logic and be the one friend who doesn't seem capable of loosening up. I ran into this in another book that I'll be reviewing soon and going on at length about, and I really just wish characters on the aro and/or ace spectrums could be depicted with more liveliness and a broader range of personality types. We're not all Type A, by the book people, and I really wish we had more representation that showed that.

My other problem with the book was the characters. Alys and Evander? I loved them (I do love a good sibling duo). Newt? I got attached because he was so shy and likable. Vesper? Caught between a rock and a hard place, and absolutely fascinating as a result. Cassa? Actually...a little boring. Single-minded, a terrible friend, and difficult to sympathize with even when she does make sacrifices. She was set up to be some kind of reckless hero (and we do need more reckless heroines, I love them!), but then all of her choices seemed to hurt the rest of the POV characters deeply, and I couldn't help but be really frustrated and disconnected from her. The book starts out by suggesting Cassa and the others are a team, that Cassa is this leader they'll follow to the ends of the earth, and by the end of it, I couldn't understand why they would follow her if she kept putting them second all the time. It's one thing for a character to be unlikable, which is totally fine. It's another when we're supposed to connect to a character and understand where their choices come from, but only really get to see that character let their friends down for selfish purposes up until a heroic reversal at the last second. The other characters were cool, but Cassa was really a letdown in the end.

Other than that, there were some loose ends (the Blacksmith? the rest of the world beyond Eldra? the consequences of one character being an unregistered rook?) that I wish had been explored more, but on the whole, I loved the concept and most of the characters. If there were to be another book set in the same world after the events of Beneath the Citadel, I think I would probably be happy to come back and watch how they unfold! There's a ton of potential here that I've found myself attached to, as well as a sketchy lake monster I would be very interested in seeing more of (tbh, another loose end, but one that could be amazing to explore), and on the whole, I think I'm pretty satisfied.

If Beneath the Citadel seems like the read for you, make sure you preorder it, or ask your library to get a hold of it! It's slated for publication on October 9 this year, and also? It has a GORGEOUS cover. Gotta get some cover love in there, right? Look at how beautiful that is.

A harrowing adventure deep in the dark catacombs of the citadel sets the stage for showdown where the fight for power comes with a deadly cost.

“Beneath the Citadel” begins on judgement day where the execution of four would be revolutionaries is fast approaching but with quick thinking and varying talents they manage to escape only to find themselves face to face with a creature looking to make a deal and as the stakes get higher they are forced to choose where their loyalties lie, with the devil you know or the one you just met.

This book has almost a fairy tale “Rumplestiltskin” 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. The entire mythology here is great because for the most part it’s not actually magic it’s more of the ability to see just enough into the future to make plans but not enough to know for certain that they’ll work out how you expect and the concept of Gods is something used to justify questionable if not unethical actions.

The main conflict is an age old one that I think will hold more weight since it’s actively playing out in reality 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 it’s interesting how in this there’s a second antagonist who boxes our leads in with his desire to overthrow the government even if it is just to satisfy his own thirst for power.

Anyone who was a fan of the Six of Crows set up of a band of misfits teaming up to do the impossible this book is for you though this book offers something that I've rarely seen in ya fiction these days in that of a self described immortal hero who is more than ready to be proven wrong.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**