Beneath the Citadel

Starred review from August 1, 2018

Gr 10 Up-In the city of Eldra, the Chancellor rules the city by using the prophecies from the elder seers, but Cassa believes fate isn't set in stone for anyone. With her friends, Cassa leads them all into the Citadel to overthrow the corrupt Chancellor and his councilors. Beneath the citadel, secrets linger beyond the catacombs, and the friends who wanted to rid the city of corruption find themselves questioning their own sins as the fate of Eldra hangs in balance. Readers will witness these characters' growth through their third-person point of view, and may notice the parallels to modern-day life in this fantasy world. Although the time line of the story becomes muddled at points, the dynamics of friendship, nuanced LGBTQIA+ characters, and political story lines will encourage readers to read to the very end. VERDICT Soria's stand-alone fantasy novel will resonate with fans of Mackenzi Lee's The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" series.-Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Library-Reynoldsburg

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2018
Some authors take in medias res very seriously.When this fantasy novel begins, the main characters have already been arrested for capital crimes, some of them have already dated and broken up, and key members of their rebel group have already betrayed each other or died. It makes for a dramatic opening (the first sentence is "Four people were supposed to die at sunrise"), but Soria (Iron Cast, 2016) has to spend the rest of the book filling in the background. Some facts are repeated several times, and one chapter is nothing but plot exposition, which makes it so dense it's nearly unreadable. The story begins to feel like it ought to be the second book in a series, the sequel to a novel that was never written, but it's the rare sequel that's genuinely satisfying. The action is fast-paced, when it isn't being interrupted with flashbacks and exposition. Many of the surprise plot twists are actually surprising. The premise, based around "infallible prophecies," raises interesting questions about free will. (Aging Taylor Dayne fans may find themselves humming "You Can't Fight Fate" after they start reading.) The characters are complex. (They are, however, mostly white, though a few have skin that's ambiguously described as "bronze" or "light tawny brown," and some are bisexual or asexual.)This is a thrilling adventure story. It would be twice as thrilling if it were split in two. (Fantasy. 13-18)

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August 1, 2018
Grades 8-11 Cassa lost her parents during an unsuccessful revolution meant to overthrow the Teruvian High Council, and she is determined to avenge their deaths by finishing the task. Joined by four friends, she manages to infiltrate the Central Keep but is caught and sentenced to death. The group escapes through the lowest part of the castle and stumbles upon one of Teruvia's best-kept and most-dangerous living secrets. Pulled in different directions, with mixed motivations, they must decide if they can trust one another to do what is right. This tale of friendship, political intrigue, power, and love is a delight. Soria (Iron Cast, 2016) gives readers characters to invest in and a situation to trigger conversation without the overblown, overinvolved writing of some fantasies. Chapters are shared among the diverse cast of five main characters?Cassa, Evander, Newt, Alys, and Vesper?and narrated by an omniscient voice, giving insight into these heroes. Power comes from talents (seeing the future, the ability to manipulate memories, even double-jointedness) and truly demonstrates how dedication, agency, and ability can overcome decaying political structures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2018
In a city ruled by despotic elders who can see the future, four teens are condemned to death for breaking into the citadel: snarky Cassa, sixteen, whose firebrand parents were killed fighting in a rebellion; Newt, fifteen, whose abusive father taught him contortionism; charming Evander, sixteen, who has a magical blood-bond to silver; and practical Alys, seventeen, Evander's sister, whose apothecary parents were branded for helping a wounded rebel fighter. Their talents aid them in a bravura escape, but their route takes them into the catacombs where they meet their would-be executioner?who wants their help. Author Soria plays around with prophecies of the future, memory manipulation, and unstable trust, keeping her audience off-balance with revelations of betrayal that include a tricky subplot involving a friend of Cassa's who appears to be playing both sides. The four protagonists are drawn in strong lines, their personalities bold and distinct with some swoony romance between the two boys and welcome diversity regarding body shape and sexuality (e.g., Alys is described as fat and asexual). Although the climax is a little convoluted, readers will be able to follow the twists and turns through to the satisfying conclusion. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2019
In a city ruled by despotic elders who can see the future, four teens are condemned for breaking into the citadel. During an attempted escape, they meet their would-be executioner--who wants their help. Soria plays around with themes of prophecy, memory manipulation, and unstable trust, keeping readers off-balance with revelations of betrayal. The protagonists are bold and distinct, with welcome diversity regarding body shape and sexuality.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)