The first half of this went really slowly for me. It was reminiscent of the hunger games, but with multiple people making it to live in a city of paradise. Except. It's all a lie, isn't it?
Viola has trained her whole life to participate in the Race and reach Ytopie to be with her parents again. The humans and lowlanders fight for their lives while the Dae sit in this city, experiencing and taking for granted every comfort imaginable. Viole dares to hope that she will also find Link upon winning, which she is determined to do. Along the way she loses people, and gains new allies.
Once in Ytopie, Viola is seemingly drawn back and forth between two brothers, Zeph and Mace. She doesn't know who to trust and who to let in, so she continues to keep to and protect herself, along with her companion Tulip. As alliances are formed and revealed, so is information. Her choices are her own, which are pleasant for one brother, but not the other. The one who cannot accept that she is her own person will be a dangerous adversary. But which will it be?
Despite a slow start, I really enjoyed this book! I'll definitely be looking for book 2!