The Gilded King

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Sovereign opens up right in the middle of the action and keeps the pace balanced throughout, but it still somehow managed to constantly take me by surprise.

The world-building was cruel and dark, but so horrifyingly real. Antius is not a place I would like to live in. Adults are drugged into submission and women are penetrated by high-ranked officials and are forced to bear children out of duty. The colony was strict before Nathan succeeded his father, but it's even more ruthless ever since. Cori is sick of Antius' corrupt hierarchy, and her friend Dylan convinces her that the only way out is to gain trust on the inside. Cori agrees to train under Nathan and become a soldier, quickly becoming the best of her group and instantly impresses Titus, a well-respected instructor. Being a soldier brings the perks of mush labeled ‘chicken' and hot showers, but Cori soon understands that life is even harder on the inside, and the things she sees will change her forever. Sovereign is filled with chapters with graphic violence and the excitement kept me on my toes.

Cori reminded me of a tougher Katniss Everdeen, if that's even possible. She's been trained to fight by the most ruthless person in Antius, and her own enemy, Nathan through sickening exercises that endangered her life every day. A lot of people have died for her sake and her own childhood was a dark one, making her shudder away from the slightest amount of human touch. Cori isn't just tough, she's also fairly smart and knows how to assess her surroundings and situations properly, and I admire her for that. And if that's not enough, there's also something about her that stops Nathan from killing her at first sight. E.R. Arroyo really created a strong and fierce heroine that everyone could easily look up to.

The world that Cori lives in sounds so cold, but as she goes through hell and back, she manages to find warmth in her best friend and in the people she meets throughout the course of the book. Cori's companions were interesting to read about- there was always something lingering behind the words and they each had a definite purpose. That's the problem I had with Sovereign- the lack of character development. Everyone, even Cori, had their own definite and predetermined purpose and it was like they were pidgeonholed into it. I couldn't sense much of a growth in Cori, either. Another thing was the romance. It was sweet and tender, but I felt like some of the romantic scenes were unnecessary and too convenient considering their situation.

Sovereign is kind of like Hunger Games crossed with Divergent, but it still has it's won unique mark. The characters could use a bit more authenticity, but the world-building is absolute perfection. E.R. Arroyo's writing was beautiful, although I spotted a few typographical errors that could use some editing. The story was thrown to the readers punch-by-punch and I was just as surprised as Cori when some unexpected events took place. Fast-paced and filled with terrifying chaos narrated by Cori's strong yet fragile voice, Sovereign is a young adult dystopian novel worth reading.

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