Let’s start with the with the good. The concept of this book was amazing! Loved it. I loved that the race wasn’t the only thing going on and the royal politics and the unintentional bond with Darius. And that’s about it. 

Oh where to start with the bad? The pacing in this book was atrocious! The first couple chapters before the race started were really good and then the race started and it went down hill. The language changed and it felt was the writing was downgraded from young adult to middle grade. There was no details it was just the action of moving from one plot point to the next. And it was so CONFUSING! I don’t know if this was the intention but it made it so unenjoyable. The rest of this is spoilers!

The progression of her powers was also bad, there was no progression really she was just able to do it. And there was no internal monologue about it, no revisiting it. And there was the question of if she could do all three and then never brought up again. There was also a very quick transition in Jayden’s attitude towards Astrid and their brother, from “I don’t care about you because you won’t help me” to “I love you and don’t want to lose you” in like minutes. Then the last six chapters at least, when the race ended and they won could have been a whole other book, and IT SHOULD’VE BEEN! You are just bombarded with information chapter after chapter and the rushing of it left plot holes. As well as the drug trade. The king’s death was entirely glossed over. The Journalists? And that the queen was alive this entire time, I thought for sure she had died. That Lars also liked Astrid? Was that a lie or truth? I guess we’ll never know. And I hated the insta love at the end with Astrid and Darius, they showed no romantic feelings towards each other the entire race, they became friends that’s it, and should’ve been as Astrid did not even have time to process what Darius did and did for her at all. The rebellion with the OLA and the Third Way were so interesting and could have had a proper telling in a second book post-race. As well as in the race if the race was a book alone. It could’ve been so much better if it was on it own, as the pages taken up by the post-race chapters could’ve been used to give the race proper detail and more internal monologue from Astrid.

Also a map would’ve been so nice since they travelled all over, and then we would’ve had a outline of the race.