LindaLeest

The book was really good, and after finishing it I kept thinking what a great movie it would make.

This book has two POV's.
One from Laia, a scholar girl, that wants to free her brother, who has been taken by the masks.
The other is from Elias, a mask trying to desert.
Laia is not your typical YA heroine. She is a scared, a lot. Which makes her more relatable, and more credible as a character. What I enjoyed about her POV is the character development she goes through, to really trust herself, and be brave.
Elias his POV is more action packed. His chapters kept me on the edge of my seat.

I enjoyed the side characters a lot too, especially Izzi, though i'm also really curious about Cook's story.
And then the villain.... A female villain, yes! So well done, because she was brutal, awful, and like all other bad words you can think of.

The book takes place in an ancient Rome kind of setting, and in the desert.
There's a scene in a arena and I kept picturing the colosseum in Rome, and it was just looked so cool in my head, which is why i thought this would make a great movie.
The action, the setting, the characters, the trials, it would look so good on screen.

I couldn't give it 5 stars, because what minor problems:
- The rebellion that acted so surprised when Laia was cut, our when she was full of bruises. i mean, you send her to the most evil bitch out there, what did you think was going to happen?
- Mazen kept screwing with Laia, and even though there were people out there saying he's manipulating her and that he gives her wrong information, she keeps trusting him.
And the worst:
- The love triangle/square?
This book didn't need that at all, it would have been just as exciting without.
Or do just one love triangle. The other one with Laia - Elias -Helene, I hated so much. Why can't a guy and a girl just be best friends?! Are there even YA books out there with boy-girl friendships, where one doesn't fall for the other?!
But 4 stars is still a great book for me, and i'm looking forward to the next book.