Synopsis: Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole? -Goodreads

Review: Even after just reading the second book, I’m already sad that the third book will be out soon and this series is almost at an end. Prized, like the first book in the Birthmarked trilogy offers a slightly new take on dystopian societies and I love every page of it.

Unlike a lot of dystopian heroines, Gaia is mild mannered and nurturing (which makes a lot of sense as she is a midwife) so while she still has a strong will and quick wit, her first instinct is never to fight her way out of a corner. In prized Gaia finds herself in an entirely new society far away from The Enclave she left behind, where women rule but there are also extremely strict rules that have to be followed. Both for Gaia and as a reader it was extremely frustrating to make heads or tails of all the restrictions that are in place. On more than one occasion you’re going to want to shake these people, but it makes for an emotional read. I always get a little frustrated with books that seem to have an entirely different premise for the second book, but it all worked out for the best here.

One thing I wasn’t completely satisfied with was the love triangle (okay, love square). These things never play out as I want them to, but how Gaia handled everything was still a bit on the predictable side. That being said, I really did like most of the new characters that were introduced, even the obscenely frustrating ones. Everyone had their parts to play and they were written beautifully.

There’s no question that the last book of this series will attempt to merge the two different societies that we’ve been introduced to and I’m curious to see how that will play out. Will everything end in disaster, total revolution or a happy middle? I’m excited to find out. Stay tuned for my review of Promised, the third and final book in this great series.

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Second Opinions:
@Carina’s Books
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