Book Review: The Selection (Sapient Salvation Book 1) by Jayne Faith

Title: The Selection
Author: Jayne Faith
Series: Sapient Salvation #1
Pages: 282
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Twice a year, the alien Lord Toric demands a selection of human women between the ages of 18 and 20 to compete for a place in his harem. Maya must get through just one more selection and then she can marry the man of her dreams. She should have been safe, but when a young woman who was supposed to compete dies the day of the selection, Maya is forced into the competition.

Thrown into the fight of her life with no preparation, Maya must shed her innocence and win Lord Toric’s favor. And there is only one winner in the competition. The losers will be sacrificed. Will she survive the first round, or will she pay the ultimate price for her inexperience?

I have previously read The Selection by Kiera Cass and absolutely loved it! I found that both books are extremely similar, except Faith's is geared towards a more mature audience and includes aliens. In addition to Cass' series, this book also tends to incorporate some elements from The Hunger Games. Overall, I would say that Jayne Faith's novel is The Hunger Games meets The Selection (Cass) meets aliens.

It may seem like there is a lot of different elements being thrown into this book, but somehow Faith manages to make it all mesh seamlessly. I really enjoyed how their is a bi-annual culling of both men and women, who then must compete in various survival scenarios. However, the real competition is within both groups, for there can only be one male victor and one female victor. This makes for an interesting dynamic between "obligates."

The story was really enjoyable, but ended too abruptly. I hate when books do that! I felt like after such a slow start (background stuff) that the story was finally getting to some action, and then "wham!" The end. I just wasn't prepared for the story to end, even though the status bar at the bottom of my kindle indicated it's upcoming end.

"May we all find what peace we can, collect as many moments of happiness as possible, and know gratitude in every breath."