For decades, the Kingdom of Ilya has been populated by Elites, the lucky few who received supernatural abilities after surviving a devastating plague. In a society in which Ordinaries are systematically exiled by the king, orphan Paedyn Gray, 18, leads a hardscrabble life posing as a Psychic to hide her Ordinary status. After she saves 19-year-old Prince Kai Azer in a chance encounter, Paedyn is selected to compete in the Purging Trials, where she must fight against other Elites in a prestigious tournament meant to showcase Ilya's best and brightest. Kai's participation complicates matters further, especially since he has been trained to hunt and kill Ordinaries. As the Trials become increasingly deadly, Paedyn and Kai must reconcile their burgeoning romantic feelings for each other with their respective places in a brutal and discriminatory society. Roberts unevenly touches on themes of privilege and inequality via sometimes overly descriptive prose, which slows the pace of this titillating debut. Paedyn and Kai's alternating POVs skillfully juxtapose steamy romantic encounters with heart-pounding action and gory violence, delivering a tale of political and personal intrigue that capably kicks off an epic trilogy. Characters cue as white. Ages 14--up. (Nov.)

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries--those who have powers and those who don't; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life. Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she's been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom's Ordinaries. Kai's duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he's internalized his brutal training. But Kai can't help but find Pae's blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they're pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren't bolstered by the original's heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters. A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.