Chosen Ones

So... when I got sent the latest book by VERONICA freaking ROTH I kind of really completely lost my cool. I was beyond excited, but also a little apprehensive... not going to lie, after Allegiant I was, well, scared - Roth has burned me before. But I am so happy to report that my expectations were beyond exceeded and you should seriously drop everything to read this when it comes out because holy cow. 

Plot-wise, the book took me places I seriously did not expect. I knew that there was magic involved and still sort of set in the modern world, but that was kind of the extent of my knowledge. And I feel like that is perhaps all you really should know going into the book. There were so many twists and turns and although I could guess a few of the things that would happen, the book then totally flips this in its head and everything just twists about 10 times more than you were expecting. Overall, seriously impressed by the overall story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Roth also created this very fascinating world, and had a way of incorporating magic into our world in a totally unique way that I have never seen done before - and I read a LOT of fantasy, so that is saying something. It is really hard to describe without giving too much away, but I loved reading about magic from, like, a governmental perspective, and it was really interesting to think about how the actual world would react if magic was discovered 'for real.' MASSIVE SPOILER YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH TO AVOID. Overall, the world(s) that Roth creates were incredibly dynamic, and the parallels between this world and the alternate one made for such a fascinating read. Like, Roth really has taken the time to do some seriously world building, and not only was it sooo good, but the fact that it was so unexpected was also class. END OF SPOILER IT IS NOW SAFE TO READ.

Language-wise, this book can definitely be seen as a departure from Roth’s previous YA-appropriate language, but it fits in so well with the actual book and the characters. The story is grittier, the actions of the characters are tougher, the characters themselves are more complex and not necessarily all that good. A few expletives not only make sense in terms of the characters themselves, but fit and make the world seem more real. 

Now, getting into the characters... I’m not entirely sure I could say that I loved them all, but they were very multifaceted and different. In no way shape or form cookie-cutter material, they actually felt like real people with real motivations. Sloane, the main character, is so many things, but she isn’t exactly likeable - which I feel is kind of the point of her whole persona. Moreover, Sloane and her ‘vibe’ as a protagonist is mimicked throughout the book, and the two complement each other exceptionally well. Sloane is tough and hard, but guess what, so is the world. And Roth was somehow able to achieve this without making me dislike Sloane, if that makes sense (yeah, she’s not a likeable person, but I didn’t NOT like her).

Tough, gritty, magical, and new, I adored this latest book by Veronica Roth, and even though I got sent an eBook, I will for sure be buying the hardback when it comes out so that’s I can reread it. Easy 5/5, this book should definitely land itself onto your TBR pile.

A fantastic read. I enjoyed the divergent series and was looking forward to an adult series. Well written and engaging characters fully recommend and would love a sequel

This took me a while to get into because it felt like Id started with the second book in the series. We jump into the world after our new heroes/heroines have fought their big fight. I felt like I missed something. But I really liked Sloane - the combination of her attitude desciption and being called the Chosen one had me picturing her like Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In this story Sloane, Matt and their fellow chosen ones have fought the dark one and now just want to get on with life, then they find themselves right back in another save the world scenario, but evil has a different name and face. Thy dont want the fight but with no choice Matt decides to play ball while Sloane is a little more cautious and questioning. She cant control her magic like the others and she doesnt understand why its always her.

By part two I was completely absorbed with the story and the characters and I cant wait to see what happens next

What happens to the Chosen Ones after the battle is won? Roth tackles this question skillfully and weaves an immersive tale throughout this book. The twists are well executed and the world is well built

I loved this! What happens to the ones who save the world afterwards? It's been ten years since Sloane, Matt, Esther, Ines and Albie defeated the Dark One, and they've all adjusted in their own ways. Despite her relationship with Matt, Sloane hates much about her life - it's not just the PTSD they all have, but she has secrets about the past she can't share with the others but she can't forget either. And then one of them dies, and they find themselves fighting a whole new battle. They don't want to be Chosen all over again, but it's not clear exactly what's happening and Sloane is determined to fight the right enemy.

Sloane's not the most likeable character, deliberately so, but you're still on her side throughout the book. The other Chosen Ones are less well-drawn, Matt especially seems just a bit generically pleasant and I'd have liked to see more of Ines. The flip half way through was brilliant, and it was also good to see some thoughts on what it meant to be Chosen - how they reached that path and how they worked together, as well as how patterns established in a traumatic time were still working themselves out ten years later.

Great concept, worth reading!

I was hooked from the first page, and the rest of the book did not disappoint! A wonderful twist on the "chosen one" trope of fantasy.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this, but as the story got going I became more and more gripped by it. I loved Sloane in all her flawed beauty, if ever there was a kick ass heroine this is it!

The story was beautifully written, with it all coming together at the end in a way that was totally unexpected. It was a good ending and one that didn’t disappoint.

You really must read Chosen Ones, it was a pretty spectacular read.

I really struggled with how to write a description of this without giving any massive spoilers away and I simply couldn't, so i'm going to dive right into the characters. The story is told from the perspective of Sloane, one of the 5 Chosen Ones prophesized to save the world from the Dark One. Sloane was a character that I bonded with almost immediately, she is still suffering trauma 10 years on, she is sick of trying to hide her true self from the public, her friends and loved ones and has this niggling feeling in the back of her mind that something just isn't right. Her relationships with the other chosen ones were beautifully written, you see each characters personality come through in their interactions; Albie, he and Sloane were held captive by the Dark One and thus have formed a crucial bond, one knows what the other needs and is unafraid of their darkness; Esther, the socialite of the group, with her huge Instagram following curated from her childhood home where she spends her days looking after her terminally ill mother, Esther and Sloane are probably the most similar and their clashes can be enormous, but that also leads to a greater understanding of each other; Ines, is a character you learn little about and yet her trauma from the times of the Dark One are obvious through booby trapping her room to her constant knee tapping when in stressful situations, and finally Matt, the Chosen One of chosen one's, he's the golden boy, the one every wants to kiss their baby and speak at official occasions, considering that Matt and Sloane have been together the past 10 years, he's the one she feels she has to put on a front for, the one she feels never truly understands what she is going through. There are other characters in the books who become more prevalent in part two but I can't really mention them without giving away spoilers.

This was my first time reading a mixed media style book, the majority of the book is set in the present and from Sloane's perspective but interweaving all the chapters are snippets from history books, books of poetry, scientific journals, newspaper articles and pages from diaries. These added a whole other dimension to the story, it enabled us to be almost ahead of the characters, you got insights into the history of this Earth, where the Dark One came from, how we first discovered magic as well as part events that created a world so wholly encompassing you could almost step off the pages and into the streets of Sloane's Chicago. Every single scrap of information you learn in this book is relevant, and when it all ties together at the end you get almost mixed feelings of satisfaction and annoyance, satisfaction that the author managed to bring the amazing story to a close and annoyance that you didn't see how it would end sooner.

While there are romantic relationships in this book, for me, the relationships that really stuck out were the ones between our chosen ones. They all have their own little quirks, tells and traits that set them apart and make for an intriguing group, a group that need each of it's separate parts to perform as a whole. I got wholly invested in one character, loved them with all my heart and then the author went and did the inevitable and killed them (no spoilers it's in the premise.) I was devastated, and it took me a little while to recover. The romance itself is written well, we see the progression of Matt and Sloane's relationship, see them realise exactly who the other is and that sometime the face they put on for the public doesn't necessarily show whats going on inside.

One of the things that stood out for me was how this book focused on the aftermath of the event. It's such a rarity for people to talk about the trauma, how saving the world isnt all it's cracked up to be. It is, I imagine a lot easier to write about the hero's saving the world from the big bad villain, that actually admitting that the hero's are just normal people, people who have major issues from something that was out of their control, that they might not fit into the 'ideal' of a traditional hero, and that some things stay with you... long after the fight happened. She deals with the trauma beautifully, never throwing it in your face, but giving you little snippets, just enough to whet your appetite and give you a better understanding of the characters and their motives and behaviours.

This book has the plot twists of plot twists... you will never see it coming I promise you. The premise gives us no indication of where the story is going and I was thrown for a millisecond and then things started to come together. The foresight that Roth uses in this book is tremendous, and has you literally slapping yourself wondering how you didn't see it coming.

I hadn't read anything by Roth before, and though her Divergent series isn't one I am eager to pick up I will certainly be buying an of her new works after this. With one book she has cemented herself amongst some of my favourite authors and I am eager to see where she plan's on taking this story. An easy 5/5.

Within 9 pages I had a strong suspicion that I was going to be all in on Sloane, and I was absolutely right. She’s the very definition of unlikable, but that just made me love her. Sloane is harsh with absolutely no soft edges, and no interest in having any soft edges. She’s exactly as traumatised as you’d expect from someone given up by their family as a teenager to be thrown into battle against an otherworldy and terrifying evil. She’s jaded, distrustful, and suffering PTSD and insomnia like you wouldn’t believe. It’s totally realistic for the aftermath of a YA story. Sloane’s harsh attitude matches the narrative perfectly. It’s not written in first person but still it feels very much like it’s Sloane’s story, and we’re with her all the way. I just. Love her. The idea that her victory was just followed by dissatisfaction and misery, and a listless sense of not-belonging is what I’d expect from a Chosen One, not a happily ever after. It’s also clear from the start that she’s hiding something, but Veronica Roth does a good job of keeping that to herself until the critical moment without it feeling like we’re being cheated out of knowing.

The world-building is so interesting. There’s some things I can’t really talk about without spoilers, but everything is very carefully crafted. It’s our world, post-disaster. The Chosen Ones are celebrities now more than heroes, and people have forgotten what the terror and fear felt like. There are people who celebrate the Dark One, and people who believe that the Chosen Ones were overrated, and all of it feels like it makes perfect sense. I wish it didn’t, but we’ve got people waving Nazi flags these days, so I can see how it would happen. Slightly spoilery world-building discussion between the lines:

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The parallel universe was a twist I didn’t even remotely see coming, but the way that it was created meant that it truly felt like a mirror image of our world. The differences made sense, were justified, while still having a fantasy air to them. Somehow realistic fantasy? I love it. The siphons were a brilliant magic system, and channelling magic through noise created a really vivid mental picture. I would love to see that on the screen to see huge fight scenes rippling with whistles and songs.


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The premise itself is something I didn’t know I’d been looking for. I love Chosen One stories, and I love even more the After-The-Chosen-One stories. Trust me, my fanfiction history in the early 2010s would definitely show how much I love After-The-Chosen-One stories. (Harry would not have been an auror and I will die on this hill ffs) I haven’t seen a lot of After-The-Chosen-One books done really well, but this was the best of the bunch. It had hopelessness and depression and PTSD but it still carried an interesting plot with enough threat and mystery to keep me fascinated. It also handled the trauma and PTSD well. It never undermined how heavy the topics were, but it had a deft touch. There were moments of positivity, and funny moments, and even just moments where the weight was shared, and that stopped it from getting so dark that it was difficult to read.

The entire way through I kept loudly guessing at plot twists, and being almost right. It was impressive, the way that Veronica Roth gave us so many clues and so many opportunities to put the pieces together and I still jumped to several wrong conclusions before hitting the truth. It was so much fun to read. I got rug-pulled by about four different big reveals, and I loved every single one of them. Apparently there’s a sequel coming to this – I haven’t seen any announcements but it’s listed as ‘The Chosen Ones #1’ on Goodreads but honestly this can be read as a standalone but I would love to see more of this universe and these characters.

A fast paced and stunning adult debut from Veronica Roth.
From the first page you are pulled in to a beautifully crafted and thought provoking world, that shows just how skilled Veronica Roth is at creating visuals. The characters in the book all have their own quirks and are easy to connect with.

An extremely enjoyable read.

Highly enjoyed this very well written book and look forward to reading more from this writer in the future !!

It took me a while to get in to this book, but that's probably because it's like nothing I've ever read. All of the details form an intricate web of information and as the story progresses, you really start to understand what exactly is going on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it. I could happily read more about any of the characters involved; but especially Sloane. She is bold and entirely herself and that is so refreshing to read.

Veronica Roth is one of my favourite authors and her books always evoke nostalgia and sentimentality in me. Divergent was one of the first YA books I read and also one of the first books I received to review. It came out the year I started blogging and the love, enthusiasm, and support for the trilogy saturated the blogging community when I first started. When Allegiant came out, my best friend slept over and we both read the final book together. Carve the Mark came out when I finished my A-level exams and my dad bought it for me, as we both love Veronica Roth's books. I've never been disappointed by a Veronica Roth book, so my expectations were sky high.

Were those expectations met?
Yes, but at first I thought they wouldn't be.
Me and Chosen Ones had a rough start. In fact, I almost DNFed it but by the time I had turned the last page...I knew I was completely in love with the story I had just read.

This is Veronica Roth's first adult book and from the first few pages she firmly establishes that. There's swearing and adult themes...and more swearing. As someone who hates swearing, I was quite put off initially, and it had a heavy impact on my enjoyment of the novel, or lack thereof. The second reason I almost DNFed it was because Chosen Ones started out quite dark, darker than I was expecting. As someone who is quite a sensitive reader and shies away from heavy topics, it threw me slightly. However, as the book continued and I began to fall deeper into the story...I also began to fall more in love with it.

What first drew me to Chosen Ones (besides the fact that it was written by Veronica Roth) was the concept. I've grown up on a steady diet of "chosen one" stories, as I'm sure most readers have. Veronica Roth takes that concept and asks the question of what comes after. Once the villain has been defeated and the world continues in it's new normal, how do the heroes of the stories continue with their lives? How are they affected, physically and mentally? How do they try to live a normal life after all they've been through? How does the world view them? We are all familiar with the journey and the victory...but what happens once the dust is settled? It was such an intriguing, refreshing idea, and I think Veronica Roth showcased what a talented writer she is through exploration of the "chosen one" trope.

Chosen Ones is essentially about five characters who, in their, teens were chosen by a prophecy to defeat the Dark One. Ten years later, the toll it has taken is showing more severely. Sloane, the narrator of the story, has an uneasy feeling that things aren't what they seem. When something happens that splits her world in two, she realises that the reign of the Dark One had never ended.

Chosen Ones is split into three parts. Part one is heavy and Veronica Roth delves deep into the psychological impacts the past has had on the characters. I wasn't expecting there to be such heavy emphasis on the characters' mental state. It's uncomfortable, it's frustrating, and it's quite simply heartbreaking. The characters are suffering with PTSD, depression, and substance abuse issues. A decade later and they're still trying to find their feet and trying to deal with demons of their past. The first part is very character-driven and although I LOVE an in-depth analysis of characters, I wasn't expecting it.

Chosen Ones is narrated by Sloane. I think that's one of the reasons why I struggled to connect to this book initially too. Sloane isn't a very likable character. She's bitter, acerbic, authentic to the point of being considered rude...I think the way to describe Sloane would be prickly. HOWEVER, due to Veronica Roth's incredible characterisation and exploration of the impact Sloane's past has had on her, I could completely understand Sloane. I understood her thirst for privacy and normality, her exhaustion and her fear...by the end of the book, I deeply respected Sloane. She's battling every day with PTSD, unwanted fame, guilt, and the feeling of disappointing everyone...yet she soldiers on, all the while remaining true to herself.

The other characters were brilliant too. There's Esther, who is confident and sassy. On the outside, she seems to have it all together. She loves Instagram, fashion, and make-up but on the inside she's scared and hurting. There's Matt who, even though I understood Sloane's frustration with him, I appreciated how selfless and optimistic he was. He was always trying to find the good in people, and I really liked that about him. There was also Ines, who I can't say much about, as she didn't feature that heavily. Then there was Albie, dear, sweet Albie who sneaked into my heart. I absolutely adored his and Sloane's friendship. They had experienced personal torture at the hands of the Dark One so together they alone understood each other's pain and turmoil. I loved how different each of the characters were.

I loved the way Veronica Roth depicted the strength of their friendship. They had saved the world together and although they each frustrated each other at times, they knew each other so well, sometimes better than they knew themselves. Their friendship was so special - complicated, flawed, loyal and loving. Together, despite all their jagged pieces.

Another character that featured heavily was Mox. Man, I loved Mox. He was also incredibly complex and felt so real. He was powerful and strong yet vulnerable and desperately lonely. The depth of his loneliness and the subtlety of his inner turmoil made my heart break for him.

The villains were masterfully created too. Veronica Roth fully fleshed them out. They weren't 100% bad in being but were the result of consequences and choices. Their motives and actions were explained which made me, the reader, understand the reasoning behind their choices.

I am so incredibly impressed with Veronica Roth's characterisation. Books that delve deep into the characters and reveal their layers, not merely focusing on the surface, but laying bear the core of who they are, generally becomes one of my favourites - as was the case here. Sometimes it's shocking and unpleasant and uncomfortable, but it makes it worthwhile.

I feel like I could write a whole essay analysing the complexities of their characters, but I'll spare you.

Another thing I loved about Chosen Ones was the romance. I can't say too much because I'm trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible. The romance in the latter half of this book has me sighing and saying "I love this book". They complemented one another so well and understood the complicated, difficult parts of each other that everyone else tried to pretend wasn't there. They understood the loneliness and the burdens they carried. This was profound as the one character had lost the only other person who she felt could share in her pain. It was vulnerable and intimate. It was simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming to see people so marred with mental and physical scars who were drowning in loneliness and guilt finding each other. It made me feel ALL THE FEELS.

I've never been someone who focuses heavily on plot, so as long as the story is going somewhere, then I'm happy. The pacing is quite slow in the beginning and the plot is lacking due to the focus on familiarising ourselves with the characters. The first part also explores the affect the media, fame, and popularity can have on someone who never asked for it. However, something happens at the end of part one that thrusts the reader into a fantastically built setting, where the fantasy and science fiction elements have an explosive beginning. I LOVED the plot. It was incredibly well-structured, layered with foreshadowing and depth, and featured well-placed plot twists that had me gasping out loud. It went in directions I wasn't expecting and had me reading at a feverish pace as I needed to know more.

I also loved the mixed media included, ranging from newspaper articles to government documents that added further layers and depth to the story. It gave me more insight into the world and sucked me further into the story.

I found the world fascinating too. It was mainly set in Chicago but an alternate version of Chicago where some people had developed magical abilities. It's not often that I'm so immersed in a fantasy book that I find myself actively trying to understand the world, but I did here. There was a wealth of articles and passages that enlightens the reader on how the magic functions and I loved reading it. Also, Veronica Roth balanced it very well; it was never an info-dump.

I loved the writing too. It was gripping, compelling, witty, and so raw. I've read all of Veronica Roth's books except The Fates Divide, and to me, she truly showcased her exceptional talent as a writer in this book. The intensity and vulnerability of the characters, the shock of the plot twists, the genius behind the foreshadowing...it blew me away,

One last thing I want to mention is how I felt so many things whilst reading this book. It evoked so many emotions in me from shock, sadness, relief, and everything in between. I read the majority of this book with a knot of dread in my stomach and anxiety in my throat - which I believe Veronica Roth intended. I read an interview she did for the release of Chosen Ones and she mentioned how she's interested in the sensation of dread whilst reading, dread instead of surprise. She accomplished that in this book. The entire time I was reading this I knew something bad was going to happen. I was on the edge of my seat and waiting with baited breath for the unsettling calm to be shattered. I would've read this book a lot quicker but due to the unsettling atmosphere I had to take breaks. This book completely sucks you in. I was right there with the characters.

Chosen Ones, mainly during the first part, was sometimes an uncomfortable reading experience. There's a constant feeling of unease and suspicion that danger is lurking around the corner. Veronica Roth also doesn't shy away from detailing the grittier aspects of being a chosen one - the effects of after, the fame and popularity and speculation, the trauma they have to deal with, and the devastating consequences as a result.

Although this book is set in an alternate Chicago to the one we know, Veronica Roth deals with issues that are prevalent in today's culture: mental health, race, fame and the consequences. However, as it's incorporated in a sci-fi/fantasy setting, it makes it more palatable.

Chosen Ones blew me away. I fell in love with this book slowly but deeply. I was blown away by Veronica's incredible characterisation - the characters were so complex, vivid, and multilayered. Veronica Roth didn't shy away from exploring the darker aspects of the characters; she delved into the core of who they were to produce a deeply moving, spectacularly written novel. The plot was incredible and filled with twists and foreshadowing that had me reeling. I loved the writing - the dialogue, the banter, the way the characters were detailed subtly and explicitly. The romance was intimate and vulnerable and moving.

I felt everything in this book keenly. The loss of certain characters, the mental turmoil and complex, messy emotions were palpable. It was riveting and shocking, devastating and brutal, yet pierced with moments of hope and promise. Veronica Roth's adult fiction debut started slowly but built to an explosive climax that had me experiencing a myriad of emotions. The writing was beautiful and poignant and had me drinking in the stunning quotes. I absolutely loved this book - another winner by Veronica Roth.

Chosen Ones marks the debut adult fantasy from one of the masters of this genre albeit the young adult version of it, and although this has been a long time coming I was more than a little apprehensive as to whether it would live up to expectations but I needn't have worried at all; this is a richly imagined and compelling novel and will no doubt swiftly join her other books on the bestsellers lists. It plays with the classic "Chosen One” trope and perfectly bridges the gap between YA and Adult fiction genres in telling the story of five friends who as teens saved the world from a destructive figure known as the Dark One, and must now navigate adult life as celebrities. The plot for the book takes off on the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat when something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones does. Those who remain must reconsider what it means to be heroes – by destiny or by choice. It explores the question: what happens when the heroes who shoulder our burdens try to move on?

This is a dark, original and absolutely absorbing novel and the most gripping fantasy I can remember reading in at least the last couple of years. The worldbuilding is full of imagination and intricate detail and although this is much more of a character-driven story that by no means leads to a neglected plotline as it is well-executed, action-packed and tense from beginning to end. This is an intense and high stakes yarn and as it starts to unravel it’s difficult to resist racing through and feverishly turning the pages. I was also pleasantly surprised at the amount of emotion infused throughout the narrative. One aspect that unsurprisingly differs somewhat markedly from her YA novels is the willingness to explore important and prevalent real-world issues which I felt was done superbly well. This is certainly a defining moment for Ms Roth, and I suspect this will appeal to both her long-time fans but also to many new readers too. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

‘Sometimes Sloan wondered if the world had been worth saving’

10 years after a band of five teenagers saved the word from the evil of the Dark One, they are struggling to live in the real world without the threat of death lurking behind every corner. But have they eradicated the threat completely?

Chosen Ones is Veronica Roth’s adult debut and after the popularity of her best-selling Divergent Series, I was excited to see her take on something new and wasn’t left disappointed. The events of Chosen Ones occur 10 years after The Dark One has been defeated and as such makes you feel a little bit like you’ve dived into a fantasy series half-way through. You have to trust that Roth will keep you up to date with the important aspects of what has happened although there’s always an unsettling feeling that you still might not have a full or truthful picture. It’s a really interesting premise and one that although is initially confusing, is a unique and interesting take on the fantasy genre. The book is mainly told through the perspective of main character Sloan, but also has snippets of books, newspapers and mission reports as well which integrate well into the story. The world-building in particular is first rate and we really get submerged into a new fantasy world in a detailed and interesting way.

Sloan is a somewhat grumpy Saviour with an attitude problem, and she comes across as a bit of spoilt teenager in some ways which isn’t as much of a split from the Young Adult genre as Roth was perhaps hoping for. There’s nothing really in this book that screams ‘adult’ except the amount of deaths to be honest. Sloan is an interesting and well-rounded character although I did feel her fellow Chosen Ones weren’t as fleshed out as I had perhaps wanted for an introduction to a series. There was also a bit of an information/exposition dump towards the end that tried to give the villain their motivation in a way that could have been done with a little more subtlety and finesse. I’m not really sure on this as a series as a whole – the first book could have even been a standalone in some ways. There is no real cliff-hanger or thread left majorly unresolved to make me desperate to pick up the next one but I would like to see what is next for the characters and the new world they now have before them.

Overall Chosen Ones is a great start to a new fantasy series from Veronica Roth and I’m excited to see where it goes next. Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Veronica Roth book and I loved it. Chosen Ones is an adult fantasy rather than the author’s usual YA fare so it deals with more mature themes. Exploring the trope of the chosen one, the author asks what happens after the chosen one has fulfilled their destiny and completed the task allotted to them? Ten years ago, five chosen teenagers defeated the Dark One. Now Sloane, Matthew, Esther, Albie, and Ines must live their lives in the shadow of this huge event. All of them suffer from PTSD and have developed several coping mechanisms to help them endure daily life. My favourite element in the first part was the unique bond between these five people. I loved their understanding, banter, and family dynamic.

The story is told via Sloane’s POV, a woman with sharp edges and a rather detached personality. Sloane is often dismissed by the media as hostile because she subverts the ideal of the dutiful female but I appreciated how complex she was. I especially liked her friendship with Albie (who I probably identified with the most). Interspersed with Sloane’s chapters is a history of events told via media articles, debriefings, official documents etc. The magic system is treated as an unknown phenomenon and little is understood about it. The chosen ones were each able to wield magic and I enjoyed the incorporation of folklore and myth regarding the instruments of magic.

I was surprised by the direction part two took as the action moved to a parallel earth, and Sloane, Matthew and Esther find themselves summoned to defeat another Dark One. It’s hard to talk about much from this point on without revealing spoilers but I loved Sloane’s character development on this earth and her newly formed relationships. The ending leaves some room for a sequel but this felt like a standalone to me. Hopefully, it will all make sense when the next book is released. Chosen Ones is an engrossing fantasy with one of my new favourite main characters, a fast-paced plot, and engaging prose.