Review of The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Advance Review of Erin Bow's The Scorpion Rules

Release Date: September 22nd, 2015

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

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So... I'm conflicted. I really loved the plot of this book. What would happen if Man-made Artificial Intelligent Computer Programs became sentient and to stop war all over the world, they held hostage the first born child of every world leader? It sounds like an amazing story. And for more than half of the book it was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat. Then it went down hill really fast. By the end of the book, I was over it. I hate when books end so weirdly. I'm distraught, confused, and angry all at once.

Greta is a child of peace. Although she is the crown princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation (we know it as Canada), she has lived in the prefecture since she was 5 years old. She has seen friends be dragged away to be killed and all because their parent's country went to war... because when a country goes to war with another country, both of the first born children for either country are put to death. That is the threat that the AI, Talis has controlled world leaders with for the last 400 years.

When Elian arrives at the prefecture, Greta knows she is in trouble. He is the grandchild of the ruler of the country that is most closely bordering her own. The look in his eyes when he recognizes her tells her all she needs to know. Their countries are about to go to war and if they do, she is going to die.

With a plot like that, you know you are in for a wild ride. Maybe by the time the book comes out, the ending will change?!? I highly doubt it, but I can always dream right? I don't know how the author will be able to continue this into a series. Oh well! I am still rating this book 3 out of 5 stars, because I did enjoy most of it. Let me know what you think of it when it comes out in September!