Level: Adult
Recommended Age: 18+
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Tags: Crime, Diversity, Romance, Magic
Mature Content:

  - Moderate violence: Physical attacks resulting in maiming and death, descriptions of torture and injury.

  - Moderate language: Some swearing, including multiple F bombs.

  - Moderate sexuality: Multiple kissing scenes and allusions to sex.

“Nobody ever prepared me for what came after. They just assumed I would never find out.”

Most stories begin when the hero is set on his/her path towards defeating the villain and saving the world, but this book begins 10 years after the battle and roughly 17 years after the heroes are chosen. After five young teens are plucked from their normal lives, they must accept a prophecy claiming one of them will save the world from great evil. They train, hunting magical artifacts in a world primarily ignorant of magical use, and soon encounter the uncontrollable power they must face.

Almost two decades later, the five heroes are still haunted by the Dark One and the terror he reigned on their world. But after you save the world and celebrate, what comes next? They all approach their new danger-free life differently, whether it’s becoming social media gurus, writing an autobiography, filming commercials, or in Sloane’s case: ignoring everything and everyone.

But after one of the five chosen dies, they stumble on an unwelcoming revelation: the Dark One’s reign isn’t over and they are once again caught in between the forces of good and evil.

Review:

The book mostly focuses on Sloane, though her relationships with the other four chosen show the depth of her character, as well as the history and bond between people who can only understand each other. She is introduced both as unlikable, unwilling to make herself likable, and inexplicably obsessed over by the Dark One. Out of all the chosen, Sloane is the one who stays out of the public eye, refusing to offer any information on her experience with the Dark One or his capture of her so many years ago.

I like how prickly Sloane is, she’s done her part and given years of her life to saving the world, now she feels no need to smile for pictures and apologize for making people uncomfortable. She’s had her hero experience and now she just wants to be normal. But after so much death and terror, how can anyone be normal? We see her with each of her friends and fellow heroes, all of them knowing and understanding her trauma but pushing he to move past it. The only one in the group who doesn’t push her is Albie, who was kidnapped along with her but who suffered physical torture at the hands of their enemy. Sloane can’t move past her memories, and each secret comes out gradually throughout the novel, piecing together the full experience.

This is a fascinating idea, with a darker approach to a hero’s journey and tackling to after effects of so much violence. This author loves meandering through her world building and having fun with side stories and details in a way that focuses more on characterization than plot. Much like Tris in Divergent, Sloane is a survivor with a bone deep need to use all of her resources to stay alive. The way she absorbs information to solve all problems is impressive, and makes her the key to the chosen ones’ triumph. She doesn’t shy away from anything, whether it’s the world’s problems or her own. She’s honest with herself, facing her mental health issues and uncompromising personality with a tired grit that leaves no room for fluff.

Urban fantasy, especially on an adult level, explores magic and human nature in such fascinating ways. As adults, we move past the need to find the possible in the impossible, but delving into scenarios that combines the stress of adulting with the joy of discovery is a fun way to bring in both twisty plots and deeper characterization.