And... plot twist! No spoilers here, but wow. I am pretty good at spotting twists coming up but Roth really surprised me on this one. But let's back up a minute. I had this book on hold at the library, but was number 8 on the list. The day it was released, I just couldn't wait, so I bought and devoured it. The action picks right up where Carve the Mark left off, we get to follow the story of the fated ones and learn how it all goes down.
I like that this wasn't dragged out to 3, 4, or more books. There are certain aspects that could have been fleshed out more, such as how the assembly works, which planets have the most political sway, the conflict between the cultures that revere the oracles and the ones who want to control them. Leaving these details to the imagination of the reader was a smart move, the narrative wasn't bogged down with too many details. There is plenty of action here, and the love story is as bumpy and fractious as you'd expect. There are no easy relationships here, each character has a defining flaw and Roth doesn't write them for us to love. But I do.