**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book of the below in exchange for an honest review as part of a tour hosted by Xpresso Tours via NetGalley.**
Title Beware the Night (The Offering Series #1)
Author Jessika Fleck
Release Date March 12, 2019
Description from Amazon
When her world divides, pitting light against dark, Veda must join a dangerous revolution to save her grandfather and fight against injustice…even if it costs her the boy she loves.
On the island of Bellona, life is peaceful–as long as the citizens dutifully worship the Sun, which protects them from all harm. Seventeen-year-old Veda knows that keeping the Sun happy will protect her and her grandfather from the Night, the dangerous people who snatch innocent citizens from their beds under the cover of darkness, never to be seen again. As long as Veda follows the rules, she will be safe. But when Veda’s grandfather is offered up as the next sacrificial offering to keep the Sun’s favor, she starts to see that the safety she’s been promised comes at a dangerous price. Maybe there is more to fear above than there is below.
With a mysterious young man, Dorian, at her side, Veda has to figure out if the scary bedtime stories she grew up hearing are real–or dangerous lies.
Initial Thoughts
This description gave me the feeling that it was going to be a combination of The Village and The Hunger Games. I was really excited to unravel the lies and mysteries surrounding the mysterious Night.
Some Things I Liked
- World building and political intrigue. I really liked that this story doesn’t utilize any magic. It’s purely a story of revolution set in a really interesting fictional land.
- Undetermined time line. I like that I’m not overthinking the time period of this story. I found that I was constantly trying to pick apart the sci-fi nature of The Hunger Games but I loved that I wasn’t trying to that here. The time frame was completely irrelevant to the story and the setting was well designed.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
- I’m not a big fan of love triangles. There are two main reasons: the first is that I don’t like who the main character ends up with. Don’t give me choices and then make me ship the wrong one! The second is when both love interests are equally good for the main character and I don’t want to see one of them disappointed (or, in extreme cases, die). I didn’t love the love triangle here because of the second reason. I liked Dorian and Nico and Veda is not doing a super job of choosing between the two.
Series Value
Even if I wasn’t scheduled for a tour post on the sequel to this book next month, I’d definitely read the next book. I am totally hooked on this duology and I’m dying to know what happens next.
I also love that this is a duology. I haven’t read a good two-book series in a while and I’m excited to see how this ends.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. It was on my TBR before I was chosen for the tour for Defy the Sun. I am really glad I finally read this book and I am excited to read the sequel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you liked the revolutionary vibes as well as the concept of “the offering” in Beware the Night, definitely check out The Hunger Games trilogy.
- Frostblood by Elly Blake – if you liked the love triangle as well as the idea of a persecuted group of people that leads to the main character smack in the middle of a revolution, try this trilogy by Elly Blake.
- Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan – if you liked the mysterious, revolution vibes as well as the day / night duology, check out this series. The sequel, Ruthless Gods, is coming out in April.
- Defy the Sun by Jessika Fleck – this is the sequel (which I have not read yet, but am starting as soon as I finish writing this post). I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to find out what happens next after reading the end of Beware the Night.
Books Over Everything 