Continuing my adventures into new to me titles and authors comes The Descendants by Destiny Hawkins. Following a brief chat with Destiny Hawkins via Instagram, she kindly donated an e-copy of her book in exchange for an honest review. I was going into this book pretty blind; all I knew was that there are two novellas and two main titles so far. Here are the details.
Title: The Descendants (The Descendants #1)
Author: Destiny Hawkins
Fluff: To be powerless…
I've always wondered what it would be like to step outside of the walls of Lytonia. They were meant to protect us from the dangers of the Wild Lands, but if anything, we were all being imprisoned. Especially within the heavily guarded walls of Monroe Academy, a school meant to teach us how to develop and improve our powers through severe methods using torture.
Pain is something that I suffer from almost every day, but in the Lighter Nation, I can't show any signs of weakness. Especially not in my condition. I'm surrounded by others with special abilities, none of which I have developed, and as a penalty for my lack of power, I've been branded a Null, a nothing, and at the time, the only one of my kind.
Suicide was becoming the better option next to living more and more each day. Being bullied, tortured, and in constant fear of being made a slave to my very torturer made breathing seem pointless… but then I met Soren…
And found myself fighting for air.
Page Count: 162 pages
Format: Kindle Edition
Review
Now this book ticks a couple of my boxes, fantasy and the dystopian world; one issue I was worried about going into this title was the Young Adult apart. One of two things was bound to happen, I would love it and be on board, or it would miss the mark but be perfect for a teen audience. Let's see which way it goes.
Straight up, the setting is exciting and intriguing. The idea of the elites having a gift is nothing new, but the idea of harnessing and training the young "lighters" through the use of torture is utterly unknown to me. The world itself seems wide open for exploring, while the walls of Monroe Academy seem to hold enough secrets to fill multiple books. The initial chapters are slow-building, getting us used to this new world and the society within. It is also rather tense as Rayah struggles with torture, bullying, stress, and suicidal thoughts. This is some deep, dark reading, but soon the story pacing picks up, our lead discovers a broader world and one that seems to have a role for her to play.
A big downside to this story is the page 162 pages goes too quickly. This is appropriately the point, as it is meant to hold a teenager's attention, not mine. In my opinion, this book is perfect for that demographic, with plenty of teenage issues, drama and some action.
Am I going to rush to get the next title? No, I don't think I will, but I may be tempted enough to purchase if I come across it. What are your thoughts, something you would read or would you give it a miss? Let me know.
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