Review: Win the Rings

Title: Win the Rings
Author: KD Van Brunt
Page Count: 360
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Description:
Jace has been the property of the U.S. Army since they found out about her when she was five, and now she has become one of its most valuable weapons. But Jace is not the only one of her kind. Gray is one too, but with the help of his sister, he has spent most of his sixteen years hiding from the Army. Now, the Army has found out about Gray and they cannot allow him to roam free. Operating on the theory that it takes one to catch one, Jace is send out with a special ops squad to hunt Gray down. But Jace is not the only one pursuing Gray, and the competition is after her too. What ensues is a desperate chase through city after city as duty and honor collide with love and sacrifice.


Review:
First of all, I'd like to thank the author, KD Van Brunt, for sending me my review copy in exchange for an honest review. Win the Rings is a gripping Science Fiction Thriller sure to enthrall readers of all ages, but is perfect for the Young Adult range. It was a page-turning opener to what I am sure will be a gripping series.

Win the Rings is told through the alternating POV's of Gray Price and Jace Moray. I thought these two perspectives each added a really interesting element to the novel, seeing what each side knew, and what remained a mystery to both parties. In some ways Gray and Jace are so different, but they have more in common than they realized. I also really loved how action-packed the story was! There was not much twiddling of thumbs going on, there was constant moving, each thing piling on top of the next. I thought Van Brunt did a really good job setting up this novel as a first book in a series. There was great world-building - setting up a world very similar to ours, but with some very drastic differences - as well as a great story arc while setting up for the main conflict of the series. I also really appreciated that she ended at a place where the book felt complete, yet left me wanting more. She did not rely on some giant cliff-hanger to get me to read the sequel, she wrote a compelling story that left me coming back for seconds.

One things that bugged me a bit was Jace's lack of character development. She is tough, one of the government's best fighters, but wants out, and that is about all that we get to know of her. Perhaps her reluctance to kill Gray was progress, but at the same time it seemed like it could have been in her character all along. I'm betting and hoping that Jace will go through more of a transformation in the following books. I think I got a hint of that towards the end, but I would have liked to see more.

If you are looking for a thrilling next read in the science fiction and or YA genres, I would highly recommend Win the Rings. It had a great premise, an exciting plot, and the beginning of an action-packed new series to burn the midnight oil for!

Check out Win the Rings on Amazon