Author: C. L. Denault
Series: The Prodigy Chronicles #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Dystopian
Publisher: REUTS Publications
Source: ARC
Pages: 556
// Add to GoodReads //
Series: The Prodigy Chronicles #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Dystopian
Publisher: REUTS Publications
Source: ARC
Pages: 556
// Add to GoodReads //
BLURB: In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.
Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.
Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?
HANNAHCASSIE'S REVIEW
I should have read this book on the day I got an ARC of it. I should but I didn't.
THE WORLD: So first of all...amazing! It is very dystopian but also not what you know as dystopian world. So we have a capital which is a center of technology and science and then it is surrounded by this electric storm as protection. And behind the storm you have the rest of the land which is basically small poor villages. Now what is so special about this world? Well...it is all about science. Everything is affected by gene therapy and manipulation, all technologies and everything are there to improve science. It is all about the science and head scientists are the richest people there that have most power. Basically, the smarter you are the richer you get. Pretty great no? Well for me who is a genetics scientist this sounds like a paradise :D
CHARACTERS: So there are two main characters really: Willow and Reece. Willow is a lost daughter of most richest family in the capital. Basically in order to keep the peace she has to marry the son of other richest family. Politics. Anyways, so Willow was raised as a villager and did not know about who she is till a commander aka Reece comes to bring her back. So let's first talk about Willow. She is actually very appealing, surely wild and stands up for herself but she is not whinny and very very reasonable which is always a great quality in the character. I personally felt very attacked to her and cannot wait to see where her story is going to go. Go Willow! And then we have Reece who is plainly speaking a god in this book. In a way he is a little bit like my all time love Warner from Shatter Me series but Reece takes it even further. He is confident and seems as an ass at first but then we get to see more of his personality and it is just...damn damn damn. He is amazing is all I can tell you, it has been so long since I was so in love with a male character. When you are reading about Reece your body is just shivering...love love love.
LOVE: So as I mentioned already, Willow and Reece are just amazing separately but as a matter of fact they are not even a little bit less amazing together either. I love their romance, it has all I need.
PLUS: I love the world, I love the characters and I love the story. What I also love are Ritters. They are these creatures like a hybrid of human and a dog for protection. They are trained to fight and protect and are normally very scary but somehow I really love them. The scene when Reece sets his Ritter to be a protector of Willow was so cute! Ritters are the best!
PLUS: I love the world, I love the characters and I love the story. What I also love are Ritters. They are these creatures like a hybrid of human and a dog for protection. They are trained to fight and protect and are normally very scary but somehow I really love them. The scene when Reece sets his Ritter to be a protector of Willow was so cute! Ritters are the best!
MINUS: None. This book is just a perfection.
OVERALL: I expected some decent book considering it is the first book of an author but ended up with my mind blown. It was beyond amazing and I am definitely re-reading it before I get my hands on the second book. Just wow.
OVERALL: I expected some decent book considering it is the first book of an author but ended up with my mind blown. It was beyond amazing and I am definitely re-reading it before I get my hands on the second book. Just wow.
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LAURA'S REVIEW
Hannah recommended me this book since she loved it and we're both science nerds. And it really was amazing! I am so looking forward reading the next books!
THE WORLD: It's a futuristic dystopian world and the book takes place around the Core which would be our nowadays London. Technology is really advanced and DNA profiling + genetic manipulation is the key. Why? Because good DNA would equal people with powers! Yes, power like telekinesis or super strengh, etc. You can imagine. Those powers come up at the age of 16 (at the so called Surge) and it's dangerous. Some people die during the Surge but if you survive and have powerful DNA then you come back with powers.
CHARACTERS: The main character is Willow Kent. She is 16 and lives in a tiny village outside the Core (which is the capital and main city where mostly rich people live and it's governed by two families: the Roanoke and the Tiernam) called McKaireth with her family. From the very beginning of the book she states that looks nothing like her parents and siblings so it is no surprise to think she is "adopted". By the way, she's quite a character! She's mostly sassy, sensible, badass... although she has annoying moments but that's only because she's under lots of stress. Her best friend is a boy called Temsik "Tem" Storm. I didn't like him much to be honest, well I mean I didn't care about him at all. Why waste energy on him when I could waste it swooning over Reece? ♥
Reece is the Commandant of the Roanoke family and is sent to the villages in a mission... that's where the book starts really. At first I wanted to hate him but it was impossible. I loved him from the start even though he gives contradictory vibes. We see his Commandant side (rough, tough, bossy) but also his soft side (protective, romantic) and ppfff I wanted to melt. Babe.
Then we also have side characters like Willow's defense instructor Kane Hill, and a guardian called Joshua... oh and also the Tiernam's heir, Thess, among others. I didn't really care that much for the other characters and the MCs are Willow and Reece so I'll leave it like this.
Reece is the Commandant of the Roanoke family and is sent to the villages in a mission... that's where the book starts really. At first I wanted to hate him but it was impossible. I loved him from the start even though he gives contradictory vibes. We see his Commandant side (rough, tough, bossy) but also his soft side (protective, romantic) and ppfff I wanted to melt. Babe.
Then we also have side characters like Willow's defense instructor Kane Hill, and a guardian called Joshua... oh and also the Tiernam's heir, Thess, among others. I didn't really care that much for the other characters and the MCs are Willow and Reece so I'll leave it like this.
LOVE: There is not that much love although there is a very tricky situation going on... but I think I know where feelings are going. I'm not a fan of big age gaps (not that big! that'd be creepy) but I can't help but ship it.
PLUS: To be honest I liked everything. The beginning was predictable but it got better and more complicated towards the end. The series will be 4 books so there is plenty of room for plot and character development!
The characters were good and complex but the best was Reece without a doubt. He was so mysterious and interesting. I want more background because I sense he has quite a few secrets.
Also the biology touches here and there, the genetic manipulation... amazing! Did I mention the Ritters? They're half human hybrids who were developed for protection. They're creepy but super cool and loyal.
PLUS: To be honest I liked everything. The beginning was predictable but it got better and more complicated towards the end. The series will be 4 books so there is plenty of room for plot and character development!
The characters were good and complex but the best was Reece without a doubt. He was so mysterious and interesting. I want more background because I sense he has quite a few secrets.
Also the biology touches here and there, the genetic manipulation... amazing! Did I mention the Ritters? They're half human hybrids who were developed for protection. They're creepy but super cool and loyal.
MINUS: I... guess... none?
OVERALL: 5 stars and goes to favorites. I feel like I've discovered a new planet or something. I thought Dystopian books were on decay lately but this one was amazing. 100% recommended!
What did you think of GAMBIT?OVERALL: 5 stars and goes to favorites. I feel like I've discovered a new planet or something. I thought Dystopian books were on decay lately but this one was amazing. 100% recommended!
