Summary: Rin was a war orphan living in a poor town in Nikan (based on China) when she aced the Keju, the test to find the most talented children across the country to study at the academies. She goes to Sinegard, the most elite school in all of Nikan. There, she is hated by her classmates for her poverty and dark skin. But then she discovers that she has powers that may be able to stop Nikan’s enemy, the Federation of Mugen (based on Japan). Her powers may be the only thing that can save her people, but she fears that she might lose herself in the process.
Opinion: This was a really grim but amazing book. Although war is discussed a lot in this book, most of it until the end is pretty mild. The main character, Rin, is a good role model for the most part, and her friend Kitay is also a good role model. They are both ambitious and strong. The relationships between characters are very interesting, especially with Nezha, Rin’s rival. The plot of this story was pretty good, although no parts really stood out to me. Overall, this book is one of my favorites, purely because of the characters. However, the plot is not the greatest and the book is definitely way too violent at times. The other two books are far more violent, and include mass murder and detailed descriptions of rape. I wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone under fifteen.