by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Scholastic Press, 2018, YA Fiction, 2018
Kestra has been banished from her father's home until she agrees to an arranged marriage. Her father is a top official of the corrupt regime of the evil Lord Endrick. Banishment, away from the expectations and restrictions of the court, suits Kestra, so it is with reluctance that she finds that she has been called home. On the way her carriage is attacked by rebels who want to overthrow Endrick. Holding her beloved mentor captive, they force her to join their quest to find the magical blade that has the power to kill the evil king. As their plan to find the knife proceeds, and Kestra gets to know her captors, especially one named Simon, better, her eyes are opened to how her own family has participated in crushing the citizens of the kingdom. She ultimately must decide whose side she is on and where her loyalties lie.
Nielsen has created a very complicated plot with many twists and turns. There is intrigue and counter intrigue and you never know who is going to betray whom. The characters are also complicated, each with their secret motives and personality flaws. I appreciated that Neilsen keeps it quite clean; although there was some violence, there was no sex, and very little bad language. Fans of Nielsen's other teen books will certainly enjoy this one.
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