Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh just released this week and both Kelly & I are big fans and also a part of the street team. It has been a really fun campaign and we are thrilled to end the release week with a spoiler-free review for the blog tour! Be sure to check out an excerpt as well as the tour-wide giveaway too!

Crown of Oblivion

by Julie Eshbaugh
Published by: HarperCollins
on November 12, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 480
Bookshop, IndieBound, iTunes, Book Depository, Amazon
Goodreads

Astrid is the surrogate for Princess Renya, which means she bears the physical punishment if Renya steps out of line. Astrid has no choice—she and her family are Outsiders, the lower class of people without magic and without citizenship.

But there is a way out of this life—competing in the deadly Race of Oblivion. To enter the race, an Outsider is administered the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memory clear of their past as they enter a new world with nothing to help them but a slip of paper bearing their name and the first clue. It’s not as simple as solving a puzzle, however—for a majority of the contestants, the race ends in death. But winning would mean not only freedom for Astrid, but citizenship and health care for her entire family. With a dying father to think of, Astrid is desperate to prevail.

From the beginning, the race is filled with twists and turns. One of them is Darius, a fellow racer Astrid meets but isn’t sure she can trust. Though they team up in the race, as Astrid’s memories begin to resurface, she remembers just who he was to her—a scorned foe who may want revenge. Astrid also starts to notice she has powers no Outsider should—which could help her win the race, but also make her a target if anyone finds out. With stakes that couldn’t be higher, Astrid must decide what is more important: risking her life to remember the mysteries of the past, or playing a cutthroat game in order to win her—and her family’s—freedom.

Review & Favorite Quotes

But that wouldn’t remind Outsiders what we’re worth: the strength of our backs. Our resilience. Our ability to survive the hardest struggles, to be hurt, fall down, and still, to get back up again.

So much of this journey is focused on Astrid and the increasing political unrest her community faces. In a world of have and have-nots (but with powers!), the power dynamic is about to go through a shift thanks to one girl’s desire to better the situation her family is in.

Enchanteds popping sweets into their mouths and pinning flowers in each other’s hair, while Outsiders scurry to serve them or struggle under unbelievably heavy loads.

But what happens when the playing field begins to level – and the Outsiders find themselves with powers? What happens when the people without power find it – physically and mentally? The Crown of Oblivion symbolizes so much more than winning a race and citizenship; this round, it will force a rebellion.

Darius shakes his head. “Whatever your life was before this race, it’s made you tough.” “Is that a compliment?” “It is.” “Well, save it. I’m looking for a promise, not a compliment.”

What I loved about Astrid is her no-nonsense attitude. She knows the stakes are high and her chances are low – and she’s not afraid to fight for it. It’s interesting to learn about Astrid and what makes her her as she learns about herself. The dynamic between Darius and Astrid, two racers in the same game, will have you wondering about their past…

If I ever wondered why they say heartbroken to describe grief, I don’t have to wonder anymore.

If you liked the cold, gritty reality of The Hunger Games, you’re going to love Crown of Oblivion. Julie does not shy away from finding increasing ways to remind you of the world Astrid comes from. Nothing and no one is safe…

But the Outsiders who have joined them—how do they live with themselves? How do they look in the mirror? They know their own people are oppressed and slaughtered every day, and yet they mix with their oppressors. Some of them even sleep with them.” He pauses and spits on the ground. “How could any Outsider aspire to coexist with the butchers of their own people?” he asks, and then waits, as if that’s a question I’m supposed to answer.

Crown of Oblivion gets to the core of why rebellion comes slowly, and how the repressed can be socialized into situations that don’t benefit them.

It takes all my strength to lift my head, but I do. Maybe it’s because I can’t accept the loss. Maybe it’s because it hurts just as much to lie here on this jagged and uneven ground as it does to get up.

But you can never give up…

Giveaway

A finished copy of Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh (US only) closes on November 26th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.