Kitty G Books's Reviews > Court of Fives

This is a book I picked up in order to try out Kate Elliott and Renay recommended this one to me. It's a great start point with Elliott's work, and it's encouraged me to try out more of her books for sure!

The story inside feels a little but like the Hunger Games at times becuase the world we follow revolves largely around two types of people, Patrons (rich, wealthy etc.) and Commoners (poor, mistreated etc.) who are constantly at odds, but all fascinated by the Fives games.
We follow a family through the eyes of one of the daughters, Jes, and Jes is a big fan of running in the Fives which is a tournament frequently put on by the royals and other patrons. The Fives competitors are called Adversaries, and there are four who compete against each other at one time. They have four sections to get through: Rivers, Pillars, Traps and Trees, and they each have their own challenges and play to certain strengths of character. Jes has secretly been running in the Fives and training away from her family whilst her father is off at war, but when he comes back her life and the lives of those she loves are drastically altered...

What I liked most about this book was that it feels very action-packed and yet we still got the chance to enjoy the characters. Jes isn't a total pushover either, she's a really fun character who has a lot of grit and determination (even if she does fall for the first Prince she meets). I definitely liked seeing her stand out and run the fives, and there were many times where she impressed me with her surety and strength of will to defy evil, powerful people.

Overall, it's a really fun read with a lot of good moments and I would certainly like to read the sequel as it seems there's a whole lot more to the politics of this world than first meets the eye! I think the ending definitely leads on to bigger things to come. 4*s from me.