The Apotheon Awakening (The Apotheon Trials Book 1) By Arya White

A Young Adult Dystopian Novel published by Swift Readers Publishing (01/29/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC

Summary:

“I know and understand these rules far better than I understand the chaos inside my own mind.” (Kindle Edition, 16%).

Debrael can’t wait to get her Powers and live peacefully as a Beastsoother in the outer ring of society. But her Powers just don’t come and the Trial at the end of training looms closer. Without her Power, she will be Banished. The Powerless have no voice and are of no worth to society. Deb will uncover a great secret about the society and the Powers, but will it be enough to pass her Trial?

Keywords:

Dystopian, Power, Faction, Friendship, Suppressed, Control, Secrets, Dictatorship, Betrayal, Caste Society, Worth, Powerless, Survival, Rebellion

My Review:

When I pick up a YA dystopian, I want it to be different. With so many good books out there, it’s difficult to stand out. The Apotheon Awakening was a slight twist of the YA dystopian chosen one trope and I was there for it. I liked the characters, I rooted for the underdog main character Debrael, and I enjoyed the overall writing style in this book.

Debrael is Powerless in a society that places the highest importance on power (and is prejudiced against level and type of power). Without Power, Deb will be cast out of society because the society is built on the ironclad rules and notions that without order and power, the society could and would fall. I loved the character development that took place with Deb over the course of the novel. She wasn’t the only character that grew and changed though. Both Ela and Mosiah also went through transformations of their own.

For teens that are going through puberty and their own changes, reading a book where the main character is struggling with her development and her place in society is the best kind of comfort. For readers who get a thrill reading teen dystopians like Divergent, this book will satisfy that craving.

While the book is slow to start, the anxiety Deb feels for the Trials and the increasing inevitability of Banishment looming closer upstages most of the action scenes. The plot is formulaic for a YA dystopian and the pacing is slow and measured. I had a good guess as to what would happen in the end but was still pleasantly surprised by the ending. I really enjoyed reading Deb’s story and can’t wait to read the rest of the series and to find out what happens to the Five Rings and the rest of the Powerless.

I really liked the integration of the aspect of magic in this book and the world-building in general. I loved the premise for the dystopic event and how it ties into the genetics and the strength of Powers.

I thought the author did a great job at balancing the element of survival of the fittest with genetic evolution and Powers as well as the subconscious and conscious prejudices towards certain Powers. There are definitely parallels the reader can draw between Powers and human characteristics like IQ in our own society.

This novel was published by Swift Readers Publishing on 01/29/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.5

Links for more information:

Goodreads