So many books come out each week that it makes it hard to decide what to read. We want to make that a little bit easier on you by sharing our favorite releases from the week and telling you our top 3 reasons why we think you’ll love them too!
This week our selection is Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh. Are you ready to hear more about this book and its author? Here we go…
Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh Also by this author: Ivory and Bone
Published by HarperTeen on November 12, 2019
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy
Pages: 480
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Astrid is the surrogate for Princess Renya, which means she bears the physical punishment if Renya steps out of line. Astrid has no choice—she and her family are Outsiders, the lower class of people without magic and without citizenship.
But there is a way out of this life—competing in the deadly Race of Oblivion. To enter the race, an Outsider is administered the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memory clear of their past as they enter a new world with nothing to help them but a slip of paper bearing their name and the first clue. It’s not as simple as solving a puzzle, however—for a majority of the contestants, the race ends in death. But winning would mean not only freedom for Astrid, but citizenship and health care for her entire family. With a dying father to think of, Astrid is desperate to prevail.
From the beginning, the race is filled with twists and turns. One of them is Darius, a fellow racer Astrid meets but isn’t sure she can trust. Though they team up in the race, as Astrid’s memories begin to resurface, she remembers just who he was to her—a scorned foe who may want revenge. Astrid also starts to notice she has powers no Outsider should—which could help her win the race, but also make her a target if anyone finds out. With stakes that couldn’t be higher, Astrid must decide what is more important: risking her life to remember the mysteries of the past, or playing a cutthroat game in order to win her—and her family’s—freedom.
3 Reasons You Should Read…
Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh
- Did you read the summary? What isn’t exciting about this? Honestly, we don’t know where to begin, so we’ll start with the world. The world-building Eshbaugh portrays is so interesting. We need more.
- You know we love a kickass heroine, especially when she’s got a real reason to fight. Astrid has every reason to win this race, and we were rooting for her every step of the way.
- This one is all about the action. It just doesn’t stop. If that’s your jam, don’t miss out on reading this one.
