Belvedor and the Four Corners by Ashleigh Bello

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reviewed by Maureen Dangarembizi for Readers' Favorite

Belvedor and the Four Corners (Belvedor Saga, #1) by Ashleigh Bello is a fantasy novel which begins in The Four Corners of the once magical land of Olleb-Yelfra. The Four Corners is a prison for those who are slaves, with only one way in and one way out. Arianna Belvedor is number 22 in the Warrior district and is set to win her freedom on Free Fall day when she turns 18. But all her well-laid plans go awry when she takes up an ill-advised challenge. Death doesn’t take her, but it strips away everything she ever believed. The world that she thought she knew is a lie and the freedom she’s worked for is false. With the help of her friends, Arianna must escape The Four Corners and restore the Golden Age.

I absolutely loved Ashleigh Bello’s blending of fantasy, a Hunger Games like scenario and adventure. This is a well-written book that is literally 'unputdownable.' There was so much action and unexpected twists in this story that I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time. There is nothing predictable about the sequence of events that leads Arianna to her friends and their dangerous trip to freedom. Ashleigh Bello knows how to set up a mystery. It was so much fun discovering things that had been laid out for future revelation from the beginning. The world of Olleb-Yelfra is a well-developed and fascinating place, at least the little I’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to read the next two books in this series. One of the things I loved about Belvedor and the Four Corners is the inner strength of those who were viewed as weak slaves. It made the main character's victory so much sweeter in the end. An awesome book by a truly talented writer. Great work!



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Book Summary

Belvedor and the Four Corners is a recipient of the 2017 Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Award. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games or Divergent with all the charms only a true fantasy can provide, you can't go wrong with this bewitching new saga!

A slave city.
A tyrannical king.
A spellbinding secret.
A warrior with a dormant gift.
One girl to change the course of history.

Seventeen-year-old Arianna Belvedor has only ever dreamed of winning her freedom from the Four Corners - a cold and cruel city where all the children of the world are locked away until getting the chance to earn their rights to citizenship at eighteen.

Arianna is just months away from having her turn, and her skills as a warrior will surely give her an edge during the final battle at the annual Free Falls Festivals - 'Free for the slaves who earn their citizenship. Falls for the ones who die.' But her talent with a sword doesn't outmaneuver the burning curiosities of her heart, leading her to unearth a shocking yet spectacular secret about the King and his tyranny.

The world as she knows it is a lie. And the King that she serves didn't earn his crown... he stole it.

Immerse yourself in this addictive new fantasy series as Arianna Belvedor takes on her dark and dangerous world to uncover its magic and more than earn her rights to freedom.

Don't miss the next books in Ashleigh Bello's enchanting saga, including Belvedor and the King's Curse and Belvedor and the Desert of Secrets.