Acadia, the last human city on Earth, surrounds its citizens with the Wall and the Eight Gates, which are steel-reinforced. However, true protection comes from the Validated: warriors enhanced by energy-pulsing, Greek Corinthian-style armor. They fight off Roaches—giant bug-like entities that periodically launch mass attacks. Cojax, like every Acadian at age 16, descends into the Mahghetto, where Disciples train and engage in battles to become the Validated. People expect good things from Cojax, as he’s the son of Titan, one of the Validated’s elite Fifty. Another Disciple, Jessica, is known as “the Aberration,” because she was discovered outside the Wall.Each Disciple needs to keep their “Sacred Score,”shown on a Placard on their chests, as high as possible; this is achieved in various ways, including defeating a fellow Disciple in combat. Many of the teens see Jessica as an outcast, but Cojax comes to see her as a worthy ally who knows a frightening truth about Acadia. Nixon masterfully blends action with suspense; Cojax and Jessica are in perpetual danger, because if their numbers drop too low, they’ll be “Rifted” and simply vanish from Acadia. Battles with Roaches showcase the Validated’s strength as they wield powerful Arc Blades, but also show their vulnerability, as anyone can fall prey to swarms. This book primarily sticks with Cojax and Jessica, but they’re just two members of a sublime cast that also includes Jessica’s guardian, Elena, who spends years preparing her for the Mahghetto, and Cojax’s older brother, Marcus, who’s worried about his upcoming Civil Union with a spouse he’s yet to meet. Pithy descriptions (“Panic built. Not a scream—but a still, clawing kind. The kind that curled inward and tried to make her disappear”) complement the author’s exceptional dialogue. Time in the Mahghetto entails plenty of politicking, especially from Adriana, a manipulative Disciple who seemingly targets Jessica. In the end, this opening installment leaves plenty to explore, including the likelihood that one person is plotting revenge.
