by Mary Weber
♦publisher: Thomas Nelson Books
♦release date: March 19th, 2019
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand alone, fantasy
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.
In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.
In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.
{My review}
Ah, this book. It easily takes its place among my favorites shelf. And as a longtime fan of author Mary Weber, I can also say it's become my new favorite of her works. It's a feminist tale, for sure, as Rhen fights her way to what she wants and needs in a world that seems only geared toward the success of young men, but the author spins a tale that gracefully shows that feminism doesn't have to be about showing all men as monsters, but about empowering women and putting men who think women deserve to be thought of as powerless in their place. She's created an enchantingly rich fantasy world full of sirens and ghouls and a terrifying and magical labyrinth competition, and a group of fun characters to carry each other through it all.
I loved the lighter and humorous tone at the beginning, drew me right into the story and put even me at ease with the fact that they were, in fact, cutting into corpses in the very first scene. You quickly get to know Rhen through her snarky interactions and inner dialogue. But further in, the story also puts her through quite a heart-wrenching and time-sensitive challenge---one that becomes her motivation and strength behind her brave decision to sneak into the labyrinth competition.
The plot is so engaging, every twist and turn through the labyrinth is sure to keep readers enticed, thinking through mysterious clues right along with the characters and holding your breath as Rhen, Lute and the others face each puzzle and run a treacherous race to the finish. The subtle romance that grows between Rhen and Lute is perfection---and I love that she makes clear from the beginning that she doesn't have time for any drama and nonsense. I also love how she doesn't back down from Vincent, her childhood friend who seemed to think his declaration of courtship meant he owned her. Grrr. Did not like him. The way things ended with Lute and Rhen---wow. I absolutely loved how everything turned out and the direction it was going, the support and assurance that poured from him. Read it, you'll see. :) I know this is a stand-alone, but I would absolutely love more of Rhen and Lute and Seleni and goofy Beryll. Another absolutely stunning story from Mary Weber that just leaves you wondering in awe at what she will come up with next. ♥
{About The Author}
Mary Weber is the bestselling HarperCollins author of six books, including the Storm Siren Trilogy, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow series, and this year’s highly-acclaimed To Best the Boys. When not writing, Mary sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California which is perfect for stalking aging superstars while wearing sweatpants and fannypacks.
Purchase the book: Indiebound • BookDepository • Amazon
source: book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
