vixenchick's review
5.0
Thanks to Gliterary Girl Media for giving me a chance to participate in this tour.
I can't say enough good things about Sovereign! E.R. Arroyo did an amazing job with this book. I normally only read at night before bed. Since I had started this book, I was looking for reasons to go inside and read or couldn't wait for bedtime. The book and characters in particular, stayed on my mind all day. This being post apocalyptic, I normally have trouble with world building. Sovereign changed all that. I actually felt like I was there. And the characters were amazing! There were times that I actually found myself holding my breath waiting to see what happened next. And yes, I did tear up a couple of times. A few surprises too! I wasn't left guessing about anything. It was all pretty much explained. I do caution you though. There is violence and some graphic scenes. Not too horrible though. Overall this book was phenomenal and I can't wait for the sequel!!
I can't say enough good things about Sovereign! E.R. Arroyo did an amazing job with this book. I normally only read at night before bed. Since I had started this book, I was looking for reasons to go inside and read or couldn't wait for bedtime. The book and characters in particular, stayed on my mind all day. This being post apocalyptic, I normally have trouble with world building. Sovereign changed all that. I actually felt like I was there. And the characters were amazing! There were times that I actually found myself holding my breath waiting to see what happened next. And yes, I did tear up a couple of times. A few surprises too! I wasn't left guessing about anything. It was all pretty much explained. I do caution you though. There is violence and some graphic scenes. Not too horrible though. Overall this book was phenomenal and I can't wait for the sequel!!
tck_carl's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Cori is a believable main character, and there is some depth & growth to her as the plot progresses. Additionally, the world in which she lives is slowly revealed to the reader in an entrancing way. I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
purplcrosswords's review
3.0
This book is definitely beyond your average free ebook. It was compelling to a certain extent, and even though it seemed a little bit lost in the middle, developed towards a satisfying circularity at the end. It presents good values: freedom versus trust and the importance of fighting for justice. This being said, this is more than what anyone hopes for in an easy read. However, some details sort of bothered me throughout:
I did not really like or care for any of the characters. Cori seems to me a bit inconsistent between the I-got-the-girl-power jazz and the I-am-so-fragile-please-save-me-Dylan. The obsession with touch between the two of them didn’t really rub me the right way, I could only imagine two very annoying teenagers stuck inside a world of their own. How they were given any power of decision in making/executing plans is beyond me. Dylan himself is very uninteresting as a love interest. I liked Tyce and his ‘savages’, but hated the implication of sexuality between him and Cori, especially after Cori’s ‘special connection’ with Titus as well. Characters such as Cornellius and Cori’s father should have had me feel a little bit more compassion towards them, but they seemed like they were being told rather than existing. Finally, Nathan was so EVIL that it shouldn’t even be fair. And why? I hope we get more disclosure in the next volume of what were the reasons for his being so &%$ mean.
Strong aspects of this story: the world building, the ‘savages’, the ‘It’s personal’ speech given by Cori (even if a bit over the top), the beginning, the end.
I will probably be reading the second instalment if it comes out while the plot is still clear in my mind.
I did not really like or care for any of the characters. Cori seems to me a bit inconsistent between the I-got-the-girl-power jazz and the I-am-so-fragile-please-save-me-Dylan. The obsession with touch between the two of them didn’t really rub me the right way, I could only imagine two very annoying teenagers stuck inside a world of their own. How they were given any power of decision in making/executing plans is beyond me. Dylan himself is very uninteresting as a love interest. I liked Tyce and his ‘savages’, but hated the implication of sexuality between him and Cori, especially after Cori’s ‘special connection’ with Titus as well. Characters such as Cornellius and Cori’s father should have had me feel a little bit more compassion towards them, but they seemed like they were being told rather than existing. Finally, Nathan was so EVIL that it shouldn’t even be fair. And why? I hope we get more disclosure in the next volume of what were the reasons for his being so &%$ mean.
Strong aspects of this story: the world building, the ‘savages’, the ‘It’s personal’ speech given by Cori (even if a bit over the top), the beginning, the end.
I will probably be reading the second instalment if it comes out while the plot is still clear in my mind.
maggietoussaint55's review
In this first book of the Antius Ascending series, Cori is a fish out of water in post-apocalyptic America. She's an orphan who was brought to the colony of Antius at age seven. No matter how she tries over the next ten years, she doesn't fit in. All she can think about is escaping. But the security to keep the wild things out, keeps her prisoner. So she plans and plots and sneaks out at night with various escape plans, but as bad as it seems, it gets worse when the colony leader dies and his cruel son Nathan takes over.
The conflict between Cori and Nathan is balanced by her friendship with another young adult, Dylan, who is determined to help her escape. Except when Nathan takes over, the rules change. Cori is immediately enrolled in Nathan's militia training, a brutal training camp that's designed to break her. However, as time passes and she out performs her "class" of six, she gets assigned to the trade security line of work. The more she learns about the different layers of society, the more she realizes her chances of escaping are close to zero.
Cori must keep her wits about her to survive in this dystopian world. She's seen firsthand that the smallest of sleights to their Sovereign Nathan is a death sentence. Can she beat this terrible man and save herself?
I admired Cori's character arc, and her unswerving focus. She's gutsy and brave, physically tough and yet emotionally vulnerable, compassionate and resolute - all of this at 17!
ER Arroyo is a fine writer, and this is a story I will read again, which is a high compliment in my world.
Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews
The conflict between Cori and Nathan is balanced by her friendship with another young adult, Dylan, who is determined to help her escape. Except when Nathan takes over, the rules change. Cori is immediately enrolled in Nathan's militia training, a brutal training camp that's designed to break her. However, as time passes and she out performs her "class" of six, she gets assigned to the trade security line of work. The more she learns about the different layers of society, the more she realizes her chances of escaping are close to zero.
Cori must keep her wits about her to survive in this dystopian world. She's seen firsthand that the smallest of sleights to their Sovereign Nathan is a death sentence. Can she beat this terrible man and save herself?
I admired Cori's character arc, and her unswerving focus. She's gutsy and brave, physically tough and yet emotionally vulnerable, compassionate and resolute - all of this at 17!
ER Arroyo is a fine writer, and this is a story I will read again, which is a high compliment in my world.
Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews
nixwolfwood's review
4.0
There is a lot going on in this book, and I needed a moment to sit and reflect on all of it before I could even begin to think about what to say.
This is a dystopian, and so there are some hard topics that are brought up. One example is using certain women is a breeding tool only to help populate a civilization. It is not something I enjoyed reading, but it is necessary for this story.
My biggest issue while reading it was that there were a few times where Cori says things in the story where you're confused as to how she would have any idea about them. That is explained later on, thankfully.
There's one thing, I can't say without spoilers, that happens in this story that I was really excited about. It really helped build this story into what it became.
I can't wait to start book 2, so I can see what's going to happen!
4/5 Platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/sovereign
This is a dystopian, and so there are some hard topics that are brought up. One example is using certain women is a breeding tool only to help populate a civilization. It is not something I enjoyed reading, but it is necessary for this story.
My biggest issue while reading it was that there were a few times where Cori says things in the story where you're confused as to how she would have any idea about them. That is explained later on, thankfully.
There's one thing, I can't say without spoilers, that happens in this story that I was really excited about. It really helped build this story into what it became.
I can't wait to start book 2, so I can see what's going to happen!
4/5 Platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/sovereign
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