When your fellow readingwhore, who has yet to let you down, tells you that there is a book you must read because it's amazing, you read the book. It doesn't matter if it's in a genre that you don't typically read (Note: I have not read the Divergent series nor the Hunger Games, though I did see the first movie for HG, but that was it) you go out and buy the damn book and put it towards the top of your very extensive TBR list. And whadda you know? It was pretty damn good. As per a brief conversation with the readingwhore friend who recommended it we agreed that "It is a mix of Greek tragedy (though it does pull the Roman culture/mythology more) meets the movie Gattaca meets Lord of the Flies by William Golding" The world is filled with so many different nuances and underlying threads that even when you believe you have a handle on what is going on, you still have that niggling feeling in your gut that things still aren't what they seem. And the use of the Roman pantheon of Gods and their hierarchy totally appealed to the historical geek in me. 
 As appears to be a theme with me this year, I enjoyed the overall story arc the most, not that I didn't find characters I liked. Matteo, Dancer, Harmony, Mickey, Roque, Mustang, Sevro, Pax and even Fitchner are on the good list, but what I enjoyed the most was observing what each character experienced, what it did to them on an emotional and mental level and then what they in turn did because of it. If you are one who likes to observe human nature, this is the perfect story for you. Some things I saw coming, others not so much and that mix held my interest. 
 Then there is Darrow, our broken reluctant hero, I felt empathy for him and the catalyst that started him on this difficult path and am looking forward to seeing what else he will have to go through to achieve his goal.