Chayse H.
Paedyn Gray lives in a world where the Ordinaries are struggling to survive. She and her best friend Adena live a life of stealing in order to provide for themselves in the slums. After the great Plague, those without magical abilities were blamed for the transmission of the disease and ordered to be cast out of the Kingdom of Ilya. Only the Elites remain, ruling the kingdom and enforcing the banishment of any Ordinary found among them.
When Prince Kai, the Enforcer of these rules, finds himself in danger with a rebellious Elite, Paedyn comes to his rescue. The Kingdom takes note of her craftiness, voting for her to enter the Purging Trials. Yet when the competition known as the Purging Trials begins among the Elites, Kai fails to recognize Paedyn as an Ordinary. She must survive the competition against all the other Elites demonstrating their powers – as someone completely powerless.
I loved this book and found it to be a riveting new dystopian tale. I was impressed by the connections drawn between the characters, especially since I was expecting a typical enemies-to-lovers trope. I also appreciated the amount of detail included in the story to make it come alive. Overall, my only criticism is that the second book needs to come out sooner!