Free (Cage of Lies #5) by Susanne Valenti (2017)

YA Fiction | Dystopia
Blurb:

“Alone and surrounded by the enemy, Maya doesn’t know which way to turn. In a prison built of corruption and blind faith, does the truth even stand a chance? All paths lead to this and finding a way through will be the toughest test yet. The might of the city stands against her and she must remain defiant in the face of it. Presented with challenges she never thought possible and changes she couldn’t have imagined, she will need to be stronger than ever before. The fight of her life is coming to an end but will she survive to see her dreams become reality?”
–Goodreads 

Book One: CHAINED

pooled ink Review:

What a conclusion! The whole last third of this book had me seriously stressing out about who might live, who might die, and just overall how it would all end.

This is a series that I’ve had the honor of receiving ARCs for since book one and it has been a stellar ride. I had zero idea of what to expect but the first book drew me in, the second book blew me away, and this book has wrapped up the journey with satisfaction amidst the swirling slow-settling dust. I feel extremely lucky for having received the chance to read this series and for having it become a part of my long list of books that I’ve read. For the most part I have departed from dystopian stories heading more for the fantasy genre but this book is one of the few that have stood out and kept the genre interesting and fun for me to explore.

The world building has been so different and constantly evolving as well as the wide cast of characters. Fast paced and exciting we finally come full circle as Maya returns to the city behind The Wall and undergoes her quest to unleash the truth upon the people.

One of the things I definitely appreciated about the goals in this book was that no one wanted the whole city to suddenly leave and live in the wilds. Because honestly most of the population would die, not to mention that the outside world isn’t ready to host that many people at once and no one can deny that the city simply has far more advanced systems with regards to power, food, and medicine. All Maya and her team want is to tell the people the truth and give them a choice and to hopefully spur the city into changing its unjust policies and sectionalism.

But yeah, this was a fun series to read. Every time I got my hands on another book in the series it went by quickly with no shortage of action and obstacles with an undercurrent of heart igniting the characters. Thank you Susanne Valenti for sending me that first ARC and tossing me down the breath-taking path of Cage of Lies.

If you’re a fan of YA Dystopian books then you might want to consider giving the Cage of Lies saga a try (plus it’ll help support an indie author #bonus 😉). And Valenti has just released the first book in a prequel series called Tainted Earth which shows the world at ground zero filled with all the chaos and confusion that shattered the world to begin with.

 Purchase here: Free

Read the rest of the series: Chained (book 1), Linked (book 2), Broken (book 3), Embers (novella/book 3.5), Bound (book 4)