Bumpy Oak Books

4 stars

**I was provided an electronic ARC of this novel post-publication from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Veronica Roth makes her adult debut with Chosen Ones, a modern fantasy that upends a lot of common tropes and puts a solid spin on them. Readers follow a group of individuals who, as children, were identified in accordance to a prophecy as potential Chosen Ones capable of defeating the Dark One. It has been years since their defeat of the Dark One, it turns out that spending childhood training to defeat the world’s greatest known threat produces adults with quite a bit of trauma. When it turns out there are parallel universes and the Dark One may not be as dead as he was intended, these same individuals are called on again to save the world.

I really liked the way that Roth explored these tropes in a way that was accessible and fun for those who might be branching from young adult to adult novels, but also enjoyable for those accustomed to adult fantasy. The pacing in this book was really interesting to me. Typically, when I am enjoying a book, I speed through it. At no point was I bored or did I lose interest, but I wasn’t particularly motivated to hastily finish the book. This isn’t a complaint, but an out-of-the-ordinary experience I felt was notable for this book.

Each character seemed to have a solid foundation and unique personalities. I was surprised to see that this work is the start of a series, as everything wrapped up well as a standalone novel also.

I am eager to see more of Roth’s work in the adult arena in the future.