*Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.*
There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.
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### From Booklist
Renee de Winter is fighting the fact that, as a senior cadet at the Academy of Tildor, she has a distinct disadvantage when it comes to combat; she’ll never be as strong as the men in her class, and so her opportunity to escape her father’s household and make a life as an elite Servant of the Crown is slipping through her fingers. Her best friend, Alec, is concealing a devastating secret that puts Renee in an impossible situation, caught between loyalty to her friend and betrayal of her sworn duty to the Crown. Lidell’s debut novel is full of action and intrigue, kidnapping and heroism, spiced with a touch of fantasy and romance. This is a fully realized, highly detailed medieval world with a surprisingly nuanced and balanced cast of characters. Although Renee makes several questionable decisions, and struggles with her conscience and loyalty, she is a strong female character determined to do what’s right in a world where no one is completely black or white. Grades 7-10, --Charli Osborne
### About the Author
Alex Lidell was a finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novelist Award competition. She lives in New Jersey and this is her first novel.
Description:
*Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.* There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right. ** ### From Booklist Renee de Winter is fighting the fact that, as a senior cadet at the Academy of Tildor, she has a distinct disadvantage when it comes to combat; she’ll never be as strong as the men in her class, and so her opportunity to escape her father’s household and make a life as an elite Servant of the Crown is slipping through her fingers. Her best friend, Alec, is concealing a devastating secret that puts Renee in an impossible situation, caught between loyalty to her friend and betrayal of her sworn duty to the Crown. Lidell’s debut novel is full of action and intrigue, kidnapping and heroism, spiced with a touch of fantasy and romance. This is a fully realized, highly detailed medieval world with a surprisingly nuanced and balanced cast of characters. Although Renee makes several questionable decisions, and struggles with her conscience and loyalty, she is a strong female character determined to do what’s right in a world where no one is completely black or white. Grades 7-10, --Charli Osborne ### About the Author Alex Lidell was a finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novelist Award competition. She lives in New Jersey and this is her first novel.