* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Based on the other reviews for this book and the synopses for the original Ascenders series, I have an inkling that I would have enjoyed this read, and certainly the ending, more if I had read the other books first. So...I would advise any potential readers to consider doing so.

As it was, there were several times I nearly DNF'd this book and more than one occasion where I considered throwing it across the room out of frustration. The premise was good and had so much promise, but I felt that it was weakly executed. The plot was fragmented -- with random offshoots to the story that felt awkward and an oddly constructed timeline.

The writing was decent and so the pages moved quickly, but it definitely needed additional editing and polish. There were a LOT of structural, grammatical, and other errors--including blatant historical inaccuracies. (The Grapes of Wrath was written by John Steinbeck, NOT F. Scott Fitzgerald. This bothered me for HOURS after reading it...and still does.) I'm hoping that these inaccuracies would've made sense had I read the other novels first (perhaps an alternate history??), but as I read it these things simply caused me grief.

Perhaps the most jarring portion of the novel (and the thing that made consider DNF on multiple occasions) was the existence of the "incest" plotline between Cass and V. Though he is "technically" not her brother, this portion of the story did not feel necessary and I found it incredibly revolting.

As mentioned earlier, the ending was not helpful either. After reading the synopses for the other books this makes a bit more sense, but without that information the conclusion was simply confusing and left me frustrated. I'm highly disappointed since I really had high hopes for such an interesting premise.