Paired with her stunningly developed characters, Denault crafted a story that easily kept me hungry for more. Her plot is novel enough to be enjoyable but familiar enough to keep us comfortable. Denault’s story was refreshingly immersive which only increased its already high level of readability. Combining elements of dystopian fiction and sci-fi/fantasy, Denault made something that still manages to feel unique. As she tries to cling to the tiny bit of freedom she so sorely desires, Willow struggles desperately to take hold of her own future in the face of so much adversity.Īt first glance, the plot of Gambit feels like a cross between The Hunger Games trilogy and the Throne of Glass series. In a strange new world with no one to trust, Willow must attempt to master herself and her powerful new abilities all the while trying to survive the murderous attention of underground rebels who threaten the stability of the entire world. Torn from the only family, friends, and life she has ever known and taken to the Core, Willow must adapt to an entirely new society of which she knows absolutely nothing. When a genetically-enhanced military officer arrives in town and reveals to her that she is the long-lost heir to one of the world’s most powerful industrial families, her life begins to get complicated. Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent has lived in the Outlying Lands her entire life. Those who develop a skill are stolen from their lives and taken to the Core where they can be used in the breeding clinics to yield genetically Surge-prone offspring that will help expand the Core’s power. Some members of the population hold in themselves the genetic potential to undergo what is called the Surge with one of two results: emerge with a brand new genetic code and a remarkable skill, or die from the stress of the scrambling.

In this future, genetic manipulation is normal and has allowed for the rise and development of remarkable skills that allow people to perform incredible feats. “Prodigies” live in splendor in the cities of the Core, metropolitan hot-spots imbued with the technological marvels of the age, while “normals” live in destitute squalor in the Outlying Lands. In Earth’s war-torn future, evolution has bifurcated the population. Personal Context: NetGalley gave me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Published: 30 March 2015 by REUTS Publications

Gambit by C.L. Denault