To Cage a Wild Bird, Brooke Fast (Review by Darlene Smoliak)

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

To Cage a Wild Bird is the debut novel from Brooke Fast, and what a fantastic debut it is! Fast-paced and exciting, I could not put it down. Combining a dystopian world with a prison setting where the wealthy are allowed to hunt prisoners had me hooked from the very first page.

Raven Thorne is a notorious bounty hunter living in the city of Dividium. The rules there are simple: break the law and you receive a life sentence in Endlock. It’s definitely not a prison you ever want to end up in. It’s rough, dangerous, and the wealthy make a sport of hunting the inmates. The chances of Raven landing there are slim — after all, she’s the one bringing criminals in. But when her brother Jed is sentenced to life in Endlock, she deliberately gets herself arrested so she can go inside and protect him. She would die for him if she had to.

Daily life in Endlock is as dangerous as expected, but Raven is tough and always on alert. She doesn’t trust easily — if at all. Still, she slowly begins to form connections with a few other inmates as they look for a way to survive… and possibly escape. It doesn’t hurt that Vale, a prison guard she met on the outside, seems to be quietly helping her and her new friends. The connection between Raven and Vale is fierce and intense. Even though Raven fights against being vulnerable, Vale has a way of stirring feelings she thought were long buried.

I loved Raven. She’s strong, independent, and fiercely protective of the people she loves. Watching her grow from someone who trusts no one to someone willing to open her heart was one of my favorite parts of the story. The romance between her and Vale felt just right.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Nikki Massoud, and it was amazing. She’s so easy to listen to and really brought the story to life. I felt like I was right there with Raven, fighting to survive inside the prison.

To Cage a Wild Bird is the first book in the Divided Fates series, and I’m already anxiously waiting for the next one. A strong debut and a fantastic audiobook experience!