Month: February 2022

Would you want to live in a world where scientists have conquered death? Well, that’s the world which Citra and Rowan live in. The only way you can die in this world is at the hands of a Scythe, who are the only people who can kill or ‘glean’ as the Scythe’s prefer to call it. Everyone thinks that it is necessary, but that doesn’t stop them from living in fear from the Scythes.

Citra and Rowan both live totally separate lives, but that all changes when a random person invites both Citra and Rowan to an opera. The mystical person turns out to be a Scythe called Scythe Faraday. The reason he invited them to the opera is to ask them to become apprentice Scythes. Citra and Rowan both think that they want nothing to do with Scythes, but they both accept and have to say good bye to their old life and hello to a new life.

Citra and Rowan start to learn the tips and tricks of being a Scythe, but at the first conclave (one of the tests to become a scythe) Citra and Rowan find out that whoever became a Scythe the other would have to glean the other. After that, everything changed…

Scythe is the first book in a trio and would rate it 5 stars. It is by Neal Shusterman and would recommend it for ages 13+ as there are some dark themes in it. If you choose to read this, I hope you enjoy it!

The Princess Trials is set in a dystopian world and it is the first book in a 3 book series. The protagonist of the story is Zea Calico, a sixteen year old girl who was born into the lowest echelon in the walled in City of Phlangloria. The world outside (known as the barrens) has been taken over by deserts and Nuclear War has devastated humanity.

Growing up in the lowest echelon, Zea has gotten to a life full of hunger, thirst and work. The lowest echelon is the harvester region, which means that she has to do work all day. Because of this, Zea joined the Red runners who are a group of people who want to get rid of the echelon system and fight the Royals (the top echelon). The perfect opportunity comes up, the Princess Trials.

Zea thinks of the Princess Trials as just a beauty pageant, but she is soon proved wrong. The trials soon turn deadly as one of Zea’s fellow competitors gets killed. Zea starts to get friendly with Prince Kevin and starts to question whether she really wants to carry on with the mission.

The Princess Trial’s is a fantastic book by Cordelia K Castel which I would recommend to people over the age of 12.