In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.
In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.
Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.
***
I like this book, but I don't understand the hype for this book. There are some people who fall in love with it and there are some who just downright hate it. I'm sort of in-between. It has got some really good things, but there are problems as well.
Good stuff:
1) Immortals. It seems like the trend rewinds back to the immortals. And they have evolved. I like that the immortals are playing cruel games that affect the public because it creates a lot of spark. I like how cunningly cruel they are and they make great villains (or allies, depending on the situation). Those guys give me chills ans sometimes make me want to shove their heads through a wall just so I can get rid some of the feeling of disgust towards them. See, great villains.
2) I love the chemistry between Kai and Reev, and Kai and Avan. It's obvious that they care for each other deeply, and will do anything to save them from their inevitable... fate? They give me a lot of heartache in this book, and as much as I want to curse for being such an emotional wrecker, it kind of feels good to feel something so strongly.
Problems:
1) The background story is very confusing. The whole thing is like, boom, something bad happen, and those immortals have a chance to rise. Some refuses to and run away. No more explanation given. I'm extremely confused here. Like how does this bad event eventually lead to the situation in Gates of Thread and Stone? It lacks the information that I seek, which leaves a big hole in the story.
2) It lacks surprises here. The chemistry between Kai and Reev, and Kai and Avan is supposed to ignite something unimaginable. But their almost-self-destructive behavior is way too obvious that it's not hard to predict they will eventually do stupid things that can forever change them (and not in a good way). The first half of the story is way too easy on the characters. Being a straight-forward story is just another name for a predictable story.
The story makes me curious though, and I believe I will read the sequel. But I don't think it's worth all that hype.
Rating: 6/10
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