I am really enjoying this series. Even though I found the book really good, I'm going to start out by virtually high-fiving the author for the end of the acknowledgments section. I truly enjoyed reading that.

Back to the story. It almost feels like she wrote it backward from the traditional story arc set up. The ending I somewhat saw coming, but it still made it a tough pill to swallow (in a good way, reader-wise). There were a lot of lines to love in this book. And it really does mirror society and holds a warning. I thought, at the end of Red Queen, that this might be more sci-fi than fantasy, that it might be a book with a future setting. The map at the start of this book, and a reference or two in the story, confirms that. So it is Speculative Fiction, a fantasy set in our possible future, dotted with horror, a splash of romance, and bits of science-fiction all rolled together. Like tossing the Lord of the Rings books and the X-Men graphic novels, and maybe one Star Trek book and a few pages of the CliffsNotes on Diary of Anne Frank, all in a blender together. That's what it feels like to me. And I love it!

There are different heads to be in during different chapters. I'm generally not fond of that approach, but it was well-done and reasonable here. Afterall, the first half of the book has the main character separated from the supporting cast. Evangeline's POV was especially interesting, as her thoughts are so different from the character she portrays herself as.

I love the diversity in the book. I imagine Mare as a teenage Michelle Rodriguez (actor). Universal has been talking about making this series into movies for years. (I wonder what the hold up could be, given that this is perfectly suited to slide in with the Marvel and DC films dominating the box office.)