Capture The Flag: The Flag That Has Never Been Found

by M.L. Williams, Carol Thompson (editor)

Juno is fifteen, a fighter by blood, and she's just been chosen to die. Every month, on Capturer Day, twelve unlucky names from each of the four districts—Hopkins, Aster, Clexa, and Zenith—are pulled from the lottery. And once your name is called, there’s no turning back.

The chosen ones, called Capturers, are thrown into the Ring to battle for the Flag of Uda. Legend says whoever claims it will unlock the power to free their district from the ruins that have trapped them for 208 years. But nobody’s ever found the flag.

Juno watched her mother fight in the Ring—and die—when she was just a little girl. Her brother Leo was only two. Now, six years later, Juno’s name has been called, and she and eleven other Capturers will represent the district of Hopkins in the fight. She’s about to enter a blood-soaked arena where survival is a miracle, and the only thing harder than winning… is coming back alive.

The Flag of Uda is the key to everything. But it’s never been found. And Juno’s never been one to back down from a fight.

186 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2024

Reviews

[Ivy Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Add Royals

Add Hunger Games Vibes

Add Enemies to Friends

Add SciFi

A recipe for total success. I started this book and I could not put it down. The biggest crime this book committed was it not being long enough.

I couldn't get enough of Athena and Juno. Their dynamic had me squealing in my seat as they battled their way to an unlikely friendship.

Juno Believed that capturing the flag was a fool's errand. She knew once she went into the arena she wouldn't come out.

She played anyway.

I repeat

She played anyway.

If that isn't the type of energy that I wish to carry in my day-to-day life?

I am honestly not sure what is.

Juno is a character who shows that even though death is a 99% guarantee, you owe it to yourself to believe in the 1% anyway.

Capture the Flag was the best way to spend an afternoon, and I cannot wait to read more work written by M. L. Williams in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marypat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and was pleasantly surprised. Loved the storyline and characters. When the underdog can take down the elite that gets a big thumbs up from me. The story moved along at a quick pace with some intense moments. Got a bit of the Hunger Games vibe in the beginning but quickly developed its own vibe and message. My favorite quote: “Humans were evil. Humans were greedy. Not all humans, of course, but those in power always seemed to embody these traits for some reason.” This resonates so loudly with the current state of today’s society.
Great easy, quick, entertaining read. Beware it is a cliffhanger. You’ll love and become invested in Juno & Athena too!

Excerpt From
Capture the Flag
ML Williams
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Dulaine Roode · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the storyline as well as the characters.

Juno a fifteen-year-old has been called up as a capturer and it is basically a death sentence, leaving her heartbroken because she has to leave her brother behind.

Athena was sold out vy her parents because of her believes. When both are capturers together in the ring, trying to survive.

They make it over the wall out of the pod. I hope there is a sequel because it kind of ended on a cliffhanger. Not knowing if Athena is alive or dead and what about Leo and the rest of the pod people.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced, immersive and enjoyable dystopian science fiction story (which gave me strong divergent vibes as well as a bit of Maze runner to a certain extent).

The story focused on four very different civilizations with varying classes and positions in society and their fight to escape through means of "capturing the flag". It was a strong adventure from start to finish and had an unexpected twist towards the crux of the story.

I am looking forward to reading more books and hopefully a continuum to this story in the future.

[Nichole Montanez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well well well. If you are a fan of the Hunger Games, Maze Runner or Divergent this is a book for you. Capture the flag is about a 15 year old girl thrown into the Ring to find a flag or die.

The writing was captivating, fast paced and entertaining. I would have scored it a 5 star but the relationship sub plot wasn’t needed and didn’t add much to the story.

The ending leaves you wanting more. There better be a sequel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sam Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a throwback to the dystopian hero era of Hunger Games and Divergent with a twist. It subverts the typical heroine expectations in a pleasant way and has great character interactions that doesn’t feel forced. The backstory revelations feel clunky and the end is a bit rushed, but it was an enjoyable read that I do recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Manon Tesche · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I received this book as an e-ARC and I was very impressed how much was packed into this short read. I am a big fan of dystopian and this definitely had Maze Runner meets Hunger Games vibes. I liked the concept of a Capture The Flag objective and how the story played out with the main character. Juno is challenged at evey step and I had no idea where the story was taking me.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I thought this was going to be more like the game, capture the flag. I’m not saying it was a bad book. It was well written and it was full of action. My biggest problem with this book is that it is essentially a copy of The Hunger Games. So much of the plot mimics what happens in HG. Many terms are the same. The way they are picked is the same. Even Juno leaving behind a younger sibling is the same. I guess, if you haven’t read HG, it won’t be a big deal. But, since I did, I kept comparing the two.

Now, aside from that, the book is pretty good. It is full of action and you do want to find out what is going to happen and how it is going to end. You cheer for Juno and you hope the alliance she makes is a good one. I assume, by the way the book ended, there will be a sequel. -

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Radka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this one purely based on the name which was also a task in Divergent. Major Divergent/Hunger Games vibes but I liked it and I definitely want to read a sequel to this book. It took me a while to get into the plot but I'm really glad I didn't dnf it. Good job!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anita Hofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was good. It was fast paced. Had a lot of sad moments about the characters lives. The cliff hanger ending left you wanting more.

[Rayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of the interesting concept, but overall it was not for me.

The concept is really neat. Very typical for a dystopian YA novel, with similar vibes to the Hunger Games and Divergent. I love the concept of having to find something that no one has found before.

Personally though, I found the pacing was very rushed and the characters and plot were underdeveloped. The story moves very very quickly, and I felt like there wasn't enough time to get to know the characters and get drawn into the plot. We barely get any time with the protagonist's brother, Leo, before Juno is being taken. Then, she barely gets a chance to settle in before she's meeting Jecob, who gives her maps and information almost immediately. It just lacks a lot of nuance and build-up.

I also feel that the author could have done a lot more with the worldbuilding. The book would have benefited from more small details about this world to make it feel more real. It only really focused on the plot-relevant details.

When it gets to the reveal that the search is rigged and the purpose of the capturers is as a distraction, I would have liked to see more foreshadowing to get to that point. It just felt very rushed that Juno immediately figured that out.

Overall, I think the story and concept had a lot of promise, but I found it difficult to connect to the characters, and the plot felt very rushed.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.