"Protector" by Megan Schaulis

Novalise has grown up separated, an outcast from Susa's society. Her people, known as the Alphanites, have hidden in the mountains since refusing to abide by Susa's registration laws. But when Susa's new king is looking for women to join his elite bodyguards called the Protectors, Novalise is conscripted into the competition, forced to fight against nano-enhanced young women who possess super-human powers.

Zadien feels unready and unworthy to ascend to the throne after his father's murder. As he deals with anxiety, he relies heavily upon his advisors as he begins reigning over his kingdom. He needs new Protectors, and even though he has misgivings about a grand competition to sort through the candidates, he agrees to it.

As Novalise navigates the world of the Citadel and the competition among women who are not like her, she hears the voice of Alpha in her head, guiding her. She comes to surprising realizations about who are friends and who are enemies.

This retelling of the Biblical Esther story mixes a dystopian world with a little bit of American Ninja Warrior and a hint of Hunger Games. It was interesting to see different ways a story I am so familiar with translated into a completely different setting.

For me, the book was slow getting started, and I had trouble with Novalise's attitude at times. The book also used a trope that is a personal pet peeve of mine, which I realize is totally my hang-up and not the fault of the book. However, Novalise grows a lot through the course of the novel and once the story gets going there is much to draw the reader in. Action. Faith. Romance, both requited and unrequited. Though the book does come to a conclusion, there are plenty of threads left hanging for the second book in the series. I can't wait to see how everything comes together!

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.