I haven't read a book that I couldn't put down in a while, so this was not only refreshing in that way but also another. It's a dystopian fantasy set in an isolated Ireland, and it's a stark reminder for us fantasy readers in this day and age that the fair folk are not your friends, not your lovers, and certainly not your confidants.

The basic premise without being spoiler-y: the youth of Ireland are being "Called" for three minutes (and four seconds) to the Grey Land, where the Sídhe (Gaelic for faeries, and pronounced 'Shee') have been banished by human kind. As penance our young children are being hunted. Some survive, and some do not. Whether they come back how they went in is another story.

They begin training for survival at the age of ten and most barely survive until the age of fifteen. The main characters are in their fifth year, having reached the ripe age of fourteen before they start being Called. And the Call is random, a ten year old can be Called one moment and the next it could be a fifteen year old. Their lives are a gamble in survival. But, once Called, they cannot be transported again so if they do survive, their lives are theirs (mostly).

The writing style feels a bit odd at first, but it's just a third-person pov. After I got used to it, the story spoke for itself. So I give this four stars. I understand why some readers felt disconnected to the characters but I do think it's meant to be that way. We only get them for a short time.

I do however think some characters (*cough* Anto) got off incredibly easy where others were more horrific. The ending felt extremely unfinished for a book with so many points of view and such a huge build up. I will continue with the series because I am invested and really hope those loose ends get tied together.