Author: Erin Riha
Age: YA
Genres: Fantasy, Dystopian
Publication Date: June 3, 2020
Publisher: REUTS Publications
Source: eBook
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository | iBooks
Synopsis:
Arden Thatcher wasn’t meant to be chosen.But when her name is announced, she’s presented with something she never thought she’d have: a future away from her abuser. Shuttled off to attend the prestigious National Women’s Institute, Arden will receive Nordania’s highest honor, studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage.Only, the institute’s not quite what she expected. Paraded around in gown after gown, the tests seem less about educating and more about a different competition, with a very specific prize at stake—the Nordanian Prime Minister’s son. Despite the dean’s protestations that angling for an engagement leads to expulsion, Arden sees the truth. There’s a secret bubbling beneath the institute’s refined surface, and those who refuse to play along may well wind up dead.With the danger escalating, and the return of her abuser on the horizon, Arden’s shiny future becomes a gilded cage. And this time, she’s going to need powerful allies to escape.Political intrigue, swoon-worthy romance, and a dash of dystopian flare, But for the Mountains begs the question, how do you change the world when you’re not allowed to try?
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
This book is absolutely stunning and dark. This is not for the faint-hearted. This book will make you cry, get angry and laugh (slightly). I was blown away by the writing of Erin and how dynamic this story was. It was such a grim read, but the characters and plot made this so intriguing. I loved the self-identity that takes place in this book. I love the character development for Arden Thatcher.
I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed the story and how things played out. This is not your typical happy-go-lucky YA novel. The main character goes through and some terrible things are done to her, but the way Erin wrote this was gripping.
Would recommend to those who don't mind a darker YA read that deals with abuse but overcomes through bonds (platonic and romantic).
Can we take a minute to simply admire the map that is this world though...
Erin Riha writes young adult fantasy novels about ambitious girls who don’t know they’re not supposed to exceed expectations. She has an undergraduate degree in Political Science, a Law Degree, and a deep reverence for the power of using exactly the right word in exactly the right moment. She lives in wonderfully weird Portland, Oregon, with her super dreamy husband, where they’re raising a future train engineer and a future chicken whisperer. When not writing, she’s a music director for a teen theater company, traveling the world, or dreaming of traveling the world.
Her debut novel, BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS, was published by REUTS Publications June 2, 2020.
Instagram Giveaway
1st Prize: Win (1) of (2) signed copies of BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS by Erin Riha (US Only)
2nd Prize: Win a hardcover copy of BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS by Erin Riha (INT)
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Will you give this epic fantasy a try?!