Reigns Of Utopia

𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐔𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚: 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝐈

Author : Elsie Swain

Page count : 424

Book Blurb:

When chaos reduces your world to rubble, how do you find zen? 

Zella Rune, finds herself in a world split down the middle by forced evolution. The CULT in their madness to leave behind Human weaknesses merged Human genomes with animals, giving birth to the anthromorphs. This "superior" species finds itself on the front lines of a battle against humanity, a battle of dominance over earth.But what happens when the marginalised begin to marginalise? 

As Zella treads a dangerous tightrope between the anthromorphs and the humans, she must learn to make peace with her true identity. So when tensions between the two species hit an all-time high. Zella must learn how to trust and begin to pick up the pieces that will help her forge her own Utopia.

My thoughts:

A frightening glimpse of what could happen. Maybe? Or Maybe not?!! 

From the moment I started reading it, I was sitting on the edge of my bed with a pounding heart not wanting to put the book down, I didn't wanna miss anything! I felt so connected to the characters and involved with their lives, as the plot goes on. It's gonna be another best book I've read this year!

I really enjoyed the strong female character, Elsie created Zella as a survivor, but also a compassionate one. Castiel is another powerful character (Touch her I'll kill you kinda man). Both Zella and Castiel had a traumatic childhood, and fought their ways through everything. My heart just breaks for Castiel. Several times throughout the book I would go, "No, don't treat him like that!just tell him that you care for him! Confess!!!!", I'm literally screaming through the book. He can just pop out of the book and be my boyfriend! 

The author developed the side characters really well, I appreciate the banter and conflicts between them! Other than Zella & Castiel, I think I felt something deep for Caledon. I have to say I cared a lot for the romantic element the author worked into the book, which is obviously slow-burn. 

Elsie's world building here is very well done as well, she knows just how much detail to offer to make it fascinating and leave you wanting to know just a little more. Best of all, her details fit together like puzzle pieces as you discover them. The pacing in this was great, it deals with some interesting issues, and of course I'm always a big fan of ya authoritarian-government-dystopias! 

There are gutsy characters who rebel and refuse to be quiet at all.  

𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓵 × 𝓩𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪 💌

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:

🗯 Dystopian World 

🗯 Coming Of Age

🗯 Traumatic past

🗯 Dual Identity

🗯 Sacrifice

🗯 Chosen One

🗯 Ethically ambiguous

🗯 Rebellions

🗯 Technology and Society

🗯 Found family

𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:

"𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅. "

"𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒛𝒐𝒐."

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏."

Character Analysis - Zella Rune❤

Zella is one of the complex characters with both strength and insecurities. She feels a bit insecure trying to compare herself to the twins. She tried to downplay her invitation by claiming that it's not a date but her flushed cheeks suggest otherwise. Throughout the book Zella experienced traumatic symptoms as she constantly scanned her surroundings for potential threats or danger. 

“𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕; 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔, 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔”

Even though she doesn't define her relationship with Castiel, she's truly afraid of losing him, there's always an undeniable tension between them. Zella has a clear goal and is willing to take any risk. She's resilient, values her relationship and is willing to stand by them. My favorite character from Reigns of Utopia.

Character Analysis - Castiel ❤‍🔥

"𝑰𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚."

There are so many different layers to him, and he can't be put into a simple good or bad category. He is much more than that, and Zella has a hard time deciding how she really feels about him, and it's confusing and wonderful and ahhhhh, can't even think about the pain, push and pull, their intense slow burn connection. 

He is one of the best characters in any book I've ever read in this year! I would read anything with him in it. The plot is intense with the preparation for the fight/revolution/uprising/whatever you'd like to call it. 

I love his interaction with Zella's friends. He's your "Touch her and Die" Kinda man, god who doesn't love that. You know that moment when you find yourself smiling for no reason. That smile that just comes out of nowhere because inside you feel this burst of happiness. That's how I felt when I read some pages towards the end (ofc Zella and Castiel scenes).

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 10/10