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Fate's Inmate #1
Victor-27
Everyone you trust to watch your back will eventually stab it.
Twenty years ago, the frigid Khizmit Enclave had two problems: too much crime and not enough coal. Their solution was The Preemptive Initiative—kill all the criminals and incarcerate their children—the vanguard of future threats to their peace and prosperity.
Victor-27 doesn’t know what his parents did. All he cares about is that although he’s spent his whole life in prison cells and rat holes, he isn’t ready to stand before The Judgment Board in six months. There, they’ll decide if it’s worth the risk to let him keep living and working, or if his eighteenth birthday present will be capital punishment.
While the threat of his execution draws nearer, Victor discovers that he's capable of much more than the violent disposition associated with his prison tag.
Victor begins to suspect someone on the outside might be rooting for him, but hope and fear are equally dangerous as guards and inmates make and break alliances faster than the snow falls.
In prison, there are many rules, but first and foremost is this:
Everyone you trust to watch your back will eventually stab it.
Twenty years ago, the frigid Khizmit Enclave had two problems: too much crime and not enough coal. Their solution was The Preemptive Initiative—kill all the criminals and incarcerate their children—the vanguard of future threats to their peace and prosperity.
Victor-27 doesn’t know what his parents did. All he cares about is that although he’s spent his whole life in prison cells and rat holes, he isn’t ready to stand before The Judgment Board in six months. There, they’ll decide if it’s worth the risk to let him keep living and working, or if his eighteenth birthday present will be capital punishment.
While the threat of his execution draws nearer, Victor discovers that he's capable of much more than the violent disposition associated with his prison tag.
Victor begins to suspect someone on the outside might be rooting for him, but hope and fear are equally dangerous as guards and inmates make and break alliances faster than the snow falls.
In prison, there are many rules, but first and foremost is this:
Everyone you trust to watch your back will eventually stab it.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2023
4 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 11, 2023
**ARC Review** Opinions are my own.
Holy smokes folks. If you like YA Dystopian/SciFi or enjoyed The Maze Runner - definitely pick this book up.
L. Blaise Hues has written a smart and chilling tale, expertly immersing us in a world where children are paying for the crimes of their parents, being held in prisons for simply having the wrong genes.
Or to some cases - the right ones.
The story follows Victor-27 on his journey to discover not only who he is, but what he is capable of, in a system that believes he is no more than the sum of his parts.
This book perfectly rode the line for me of gritty and impactful without veering into explicit gore or horror. The pacing was on-point, gripping you early and pulling you forward, reveal after reveal.
Excellent read from beginning to thrilling end.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Holy smokes folks. If you like YA Dystopian/SciFi or enjoyed The Maze Runner - definitely pick this book up.
L. Blaise Hues has written a smart and chilling tale, expertly immersing us in a world where children are paying for the crimes of their parents, being held in prisons for simply having the wrong genes.
Or to some cases - the right ones.
The story follows Victor-27 on his journey to discover not only who he is, but what he is capable of, in a system that believes he is no more than the sum of his parts.
This book perfectly rode the line for me of gritty and impactful without veering into explicit gore or horror. The pacing was on-point, gripping you early and pulling you forward, reveal after reveal.
Excellent read from beginning to thrilling end.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
May 26, 2023
I’m skudging bias, but I think this is my best work yet.
Victor-27 is a gritty YA dystopian very much along the same vein as Red Rising, but it’s not all doom and gloom: it’s a story about finding and appreciating hope even in the darkest corners of the world. It’s a story abt adhering to your own moral compass, maintaining compassion in a world that wants to numb you to loss, and learning to trust despite past betrayals.
It’s the story of a boy in a horrible place, tasked with gruesome work, labeled as dangerous, and his journey finding friends and discovering that he’s so much more than his prison tag. That he’s capable of so much more than the prison guards could ever imagine.
Victor-27 is a gritty YA dystopian very much along the same vein as Red Rising, but it’s not all doom and gloom: it’s a story about finding and appreciating hope even in the darkest corners of the world. It’s a story abt adhering to your own moral compass, maintaining compassion in a world that wants to numb you to loss, and learning to trust despite past betrayals.
It’s the story of a boy in a horrible place, tasked with gruesome work, labeled as dangerous, and his journey finding friends and discovering that he’s so much more than his prison tag. That he’s capable of so much more than the prison guards could ever imagine.
May 11, 2024
I really, really loved this book! If you like YA/ Dystopia, this book is surely the book for you. I don't like to write spoilers in my reviews, so feel free to continue reading. I loved the characters and how they are described. I completely and utterly loved the whole story, honestly! Victor's story was very compelling, and it quickly gasped my attention. Every part of this story was explained in great detail, allowing the reader to fully understand in great detail how the characters felt and explained exactly what they were going through. This book was a fantastic story with a lot of lessons. It also had loss, friendship, and many other things that the characters had to learn in life and even tea h themselves to relearn.
Absolutely Amazing Writing L. Hues
I love this book so much ❤️
Absolutely Amazing Writing L. Hues
I love this book so much ❤️
December 27, 2023
This is a great YA dystopian book written in a compelling way focused on the main character and relationships.
It explores themes of trust, friendships in an unlikely place, hope, perseverance etc. This book raises important questions like: Do our parents define us? Can you find a friend when everyone is scared of you? How do you know who to trust? How is living a life trying to convince people you're not a blood thirsty killer?
Lara B. Hues is a very talented author who writes so that you are completely emerged in the story. The descriptions are written brilliantly making it is easy to imagine the cold Predvoi prison or the scary Warden Velky. The suspense of the story kept me at the edge of my seat, when I didn't know what was going to happen. The fight scenes are described in a great detail, making us really see and understand how the fight unfolded.
Victor grabbed my heart right from the beginning and for the rest of the book, I just wanted to give him a hug. This poor boy didn’t deserve so many bad things to happen to him. We can understand his motivations and opinions throughout the story, making him a relatable character.
Overall, I give Victor-27 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
I recommend this book not only for the fans of dystopian, but also for people who wouldn’t usually read this.
It explores themes of trust, friendships in an unlikely place, hope, perseverance etc. This book raises important questions like: Do our parents define us? Can you find a friend when everyone is scared of you? How do you know who to trust? How is living a life trying to convince people you're not a blood thirsty killer?
Lara B. Hues is a very talented author who writes so that you are completely emerged in the story. The descriptions are written brilliantly making it is easy to imagine the cold Predvoi prison or the scary Warden Velky. The suspense of the story kept me at the edge of my seat, when I didn't know what was going to happen. The fight scenes are described in a great detail, making us really see and understand how the fight unfolded.
Victor grabbed my heart right from the beginning and for the rest of the book, I just wanted to give him a hug. This poor boy didn’t deserve so many bad things to happen to him. We can understand his motivations and opinions throughout the story, making him a relatable character.
Overall, I give Victor-27 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
I recommend this book not only for the fans of dystopian, but also for people who wouldn’t usually read this.
June 14, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The farther I got into the story, the harder it was for me to stop reading. This book made me consider the concept of Nature vs. Nurture. Is Victor genetically pre-dispositioned to be a criminal like his parents or is he simply formulating a self-concept based on the beliefs of others? I think if anyone was told every day of their lives that they were a stone cold killer, eventually they might believe it’s true. I really liked that Victor engages on a journey of self-discovery and holds onto hope even though he believes that hope is a lie. It became apparent that friendships can be formed even in the most dismal of places. The descriptions and attention to detail made it easy to picture the various settings throughout the book. I also appreciated that vulgar language was withheld from the story and the violence in the book was detailed without being overly gory or bloody. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, I need to know what happened to a certain inmate with glasses!
August 29, 2023
This was such a fantastic read! I don't give five stars often, but this story was incredibly well thought out. Although there were not many side characters to support the story, the ones there had a tremendously strong role and formed the main character. They had their mysterious sides and I found them absolutely intriguing. I also really liked the main character himself, he was strong and holding on to hope so desperately... His emotions were depicted very convincingly. The world-building was also good, as were the pacing and the gripping writing style... I loved every bit of it and I'm looking forward to the sequel!
June 5, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to L. Blaise Hues and Stag Beetle Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy.
Victor-27 is the first book in the Fate’s Inmate Trilogy and is scheduled to be released on the 5th of June, 2023.
Victor-27 is a young adult dystopian fiction, set in a world where offspring of criminals – referred to as lurpers – are captured and killed not for the crimes they have committed, but for the crimes they are yet to commit. The idea being that their parent/s were criminals, therefore they have a higher proclivity for crime. These offspring are named based on the NATO spelling alphabet - alpha, bravo, charlie, delta .. etc .. based on a scale of most compliant (alpha) to most violent (zulu). That is how we get to our MC – Victor-27 – who is in jail and under constant watch with little to no privileges because he is a Victor and supposedly has a high proclivity for violence.
I quite enjoyed my read of Victor-27 and am looking forward to the sequel. I often find with dystopian fiction that a lot of the story is spent on describing the world. This was not the case with Victor-27. It was very much character-focused and we get to learn a lot about Victor-27 himself as the story is from his POV. Some information about Khizmit –where the story is set – is given but I think we will learn more about the world in the next books in the series based on how the first book ended.
There are many characters that I am curious about. Victor-27 as he grows and learns more about himself. Lockbox, who is Victor-27’s cell mate at Predvoi Prison and an Oscar. Roman, a captain of the guards personally in charge of Victor-27. And also High Warden/Commander Pedrick Markos - I’d definitely like to know a bit more about him.
Victor-27 is an easy and engaging read and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light dystopian read. I think the premise - offspring of criminals will also be criminals - is explored well. I don’t want to reveal spoilers but it does come down to genetics. The question being - is it genetics that define who you are? Or do you have ability to choose to define who you are?
Thank you again to L. Blaise Hues for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Victor-27. This is an honest review on my part and not a paid review.
Thank you to L. Blaise Hues and Stag Beetle Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy.
Victor-27 is the first book in the Fate’s Inmate Trilogy and is scheduled to be released on the 5th of June, 2023.
Victor-27 is a young adult dystopian fiction, set in a world where offspring of criminals – referred to as lurpers – are captured and killed not for the crimes they have committed, but for the crimes they are yet to commit. The idea being that their parent/s were criminals, therefore they have a higher proclivity for crime. These offspring are named based on the NATO spelling alphabet - alpha, bravo, charlie, delta .. etc .. based on a scale of most compliant (alpha) to most violent (zulu). That is how we get to our MC – Victor-27 – who is in jail and under constant watch with little to no privileges because he is a Victor and supposedly has a high proclivity for violence.
I quite enjoyed my read of Victor-27 and am looking forward to the sequel. I often find with dystopian fiction that a lot of the story is spent on describing the world. This was not the case with Victor-27. It was very much character-focused and we get to learn a lot about Victor-27 himself as the story is from his POV. Some information about Khizmit –where the story is set – is given but I think we will learn more about the world in the next books in the series based on how the first book ended.
There are many characters that I am curious about. Victor-27 as he grows and learns more about himself. Lockbox, who is Victor-27’s cell mate at Predvoi Prison and an Oscar. Roman, a captain of the guards personally in charge of Victor-27. And also High Warden/Commander Pedrick Markos - I’d definitely like to know a bit more about him.
Victor-27 is an easy and engaging read and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light dystopian read. I think the premise - offspring of criminals will also be criminals - is explored well. I don’t want to reveal spoilers but it does come down to genetics. The question being - is it genetics that define who you are? Or do you have ability to choose to define who you are?
Thank you again to L. Blaise Hues for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Victor-27. This is an honest review on my part and not a paid review.
May 25, 2023
I was told this book was Maze Runner meets Red Rising, and holy smokes is that comparison on the money. This is dystopian, character driven YA. The writing is so descriptive and captivating that I sat reading for very long periods of time because I needed just one more chapter to see where things go. You know the kind of dystopian story where you’re wondering what comes after captivity? Is it death? Is it worse than death? Was captivity something else entirely, and when you leave you find the truth? Stories like this are why I absolutely freaking love dystopian.
Huge thanks to the author for an eArc. It will be published June 5th.
Huge thanks to the author for an eArc. It will be published June 5th.
June 4, 2023
Victor-27 is one of my favorite books of the year. This dystopian set in a gritty prison with no hopes of escape, could be depressing. But the main character never falls into despair. He never loses his sense of hope and compassion. The themes and messages in this book were raw and beautiful. The pacing and reveals and the intensity of the setting and side characters had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I didn’t know who to trust, or how this book would end up until the last page. And it was skudging brilliant writing. High marks. I received an ARC but I’m buying a physical copy to read again! Can’t wait for book 2 😍
June 5, 2023
Overall, this book was a fantastic read! The first chapter or so was slower, but after that, I was hooked. Listened to the audiobook version. The narrator did a great job. The Russian accents were spot on. I really appreciated the relationship dynamics. It has been a long time since I read a book with a male lead character. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to feel connected to him. Luckily, L. Blaise Hues is a very talented writer. I felt empathy for the main character and for his situation. There is violence in the book, so be aware of that going in.
May 24, 2023
WOW! I loved the Shattered State series and Victor 27 is just as good. I can’t wait for the next book. The story is compelling and a bit edgy for YA, but I love the elements and how it all fits together foreshadowing a much bigger picture. The MC feels like he just needs to do something to survive when there is so much more at work which the author orchestrates beautifully. I HIGHLY recommend!
June 4, 2023
She did it again!! Another great book!!! This book gives you all the emotions!! I loved this book! However, it had me in tears reading Victors struggles. This was a book that was hard to put down! One I will want to read again! Can’t wait to read the next one!!
June 6, 2023
L.Blaise - this was amazing! Learning about Victor 27 and all his amazing talents was great! This was quick read with lots of details, you felt like you were Victor 27. I couldn't put it down, had to know what happened next.That ending though! I cannot wait to get the 2nd book, thank you L.Blaise for such a great read!
May 30, 2025
This is a well written dystopian. The main character has to decide who he is, who he can trust, and what he can do about his government controlled future. I was intrigued by the main character and hope that some of the side characters get some more development in the second book of the series.
April 21, 2024
A wonderfully gripping read. So much so I read both books in the same day. Of course it is a bit far fetched but the story line is good. Enforced prison camps for the children of 'criminals' who were experimented upon by feeding them some genetic code changes. These changes meant that the children had different capabilities. All the children inmates aspire to their release on their 17th birthday and all of them have Code names from the NATO alphabet Alpha, Bravo, Charlie………… This is the story of Victor 27.
Victor 27 is soon to reach graduation age - which he hopes may free him to work in the community. The story is intriguing how Victor goes from one camp to the next and the mysteries surrounding him - the people who fear him, hate him, or covertly protect him
I really enjoyed this read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Victor 27 is soon to reach graduation age - which he hopes may free him to work in the community. The story is intriguing how Victor goes from one camp to the next and the mysteries surrounding him - the people who fear him, hate him, or covertly protect him
I really enjoyed this read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 17, 2023
*4.5
Disclaimer: L. Blaise Hues sent me an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions on this are entirely my own.
Victor-27 is about Victor, a child in prison not just for the crimes of his parents, but for the crimes he *could* commit. It's set in a Dystopian feeling world, where thousands of children are alphabetised and locked in prisons, treated awfully, because of who their parents were. It's a fascinating depiction of prison treatment, and it's dark and brutal. I found myself both having to look away and unable to stop reading.
This follows Victor, a V, meaning he's seen as incredibly dangerous. The alphabet system for the children was very unique and I enjoyed finding out more about it. It was one of my favourite aspects of this book.
There were plenty of really gory scenes, so I will try and note some trigger warnings at the end of my review. Some of these caused me to have visceral reaction, due to the nature of how they were described.
I thought that the characters were well written, and I liked that they all had individual motives and desires. I was interested in the relationship dynamics between Victor and some of the side characters, and how they varied between his fellow prisoners and the staff at the prison. I found myself getting quite attached to some of the side characters, but won't spoil anything by saying who! There is also no romance in this, with more of an emphasis on friendships.
I was very invested in this story, finding it difficult to stop reading. I loved theorising and there were many opportunities to do so! I thought the plot twists were good, with one being a little predictable to an extent.
I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!
Many thanks to the author for the eArc.
Trigger warnings:
- death (through fights or through shooting)
- prison descriptions
- fights, beatings
- graphic descriptions of injuries
- blood draining
- stabbing
- animal death and description of such
Disclaimer: L. Blaise Hues sent me an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions on this are entirely my own.
Victor-27 is about Victor, a child in prison not just for the crimes of his parents, but for the crimes he *could* commit. It's set in a Dystopian feeling world, where thousands of children are alphabetised and locked in prisons, treated awfully, because of who their parents were. It's a fascinating depiction of prison treatment, and it's dark and brutal. I found myself both having to look away and unable to stop reading.
This follows Victor, a V, meaning he's seen as incredibly dangerous. The alphabet system for the children was very unique and I enjoyed finding out more about it. It was one of my favourite aspects of this book.
There were plenty of really gory scenes, so I will try and note some trigger warnings at the end of my review. Some of these caused me to have visceral reaction, due to the nature of how they were described.
I thought that the characters were well written, and I liked that they all had individual motives and desires. I was interested in the relationship dynamics between Victor and some of the side characters, and how they varied between his fellow prisoners and the staff at the prison. I found myself getting quite attached to some of the side characters, but won't spoil anything by saying who! There is also no romance in this, with more of an emphasis on friendships.
I was very invested in this story, finding it difficult to stop reading. I loved theorising and there were many opportunities to do so! I thought the plot twists were good, with one being a little predictable to an extent.
I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!
Many thanks to the author for the eArc.
Trigger warnings:
- death (through fights or through shooting)
- prison descriptions
- fights, beatings
- graphic descriptions of injuries
- blood draining
- stabbing
- animal death and description of such
July 12, 2023
Opinion only. I didn’t finish this book. Not because it wasn’t good, or well worth the read. The opposite in fact. It is both. It is heartbreaking from the start and I couldn’t keep reading this because of that.
Do read this, or listen to it, if you get the chance. Perhaps your heart is braver than mine.
Do read this, or listen to it, if you get the chance. Perhaps your heart is braver than mine.
June 30, 2023
“My fate had followed me like a shadow, my constant cellmate since the day I’d been born.” ~ Victor-27 by L. Blaise Hues
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has so totally captivated and drawn me into its angst. Victor-27: Fate’s Inmate Book 1 by L. Blaise Hues did just this.
We find ourselves in a dystopian society ruled by fear … fear of lurpers like Victor. It’s the story of Victor, a boy that is imprisoned in a life of subjugation, all because of the expectation of his future crimes and dangerous intents as denoted by his heritage. This book takes paying for the sins of your father (or mother) to new heights.
And the bunnies. Dear goodness, the bunnies! Can we have a moment of silence for the bunnies?
Chapter after chapter of slow reveals and cliffhangers, with a massive cliffhanger at the end.
I’m eagerly awaiting Book 2 in this series!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has so totally captivated and drawn me into its angst. Victor-27: Fate’s Inmate Book 1 by L. Blaise Hues did just this.
We find ourselves in a dystopian society ruled by fear … fear of lurpers like Victor. It’s the story of Victor, a boy that is imprisoned in a life of subjugation, all because of the expectation of his future crimes and dangerous intents as denoted by his heritage. This book takes paying for the sins of your father (or mother) to new heights.
And the bunnies. Dear goodness, the bunnies! Can we have a moment of silence for the bunnies?
Chapter after chapter of slow reveals and cliffhangers, with a massive cliffhanger at the end.
I’m eagerly awaiting Book 2 in this series!
April 12, 2024
I don’t usually swear, but skudge it, this was amazing. The world building, character development, insane plot twists, and everything about it was just amazing. The trepidation was pulling me deeper and deeper into the book, until I finished in the blink of an eye!
June 15, 2023
eARC reader, I got a copy of the book against my honest review. Spoilers free. TLDR: do yourself a favor and buy it NOW. You won't regret it.
-
First of all, I am a really really busy person with a lot of stuff to do and with such an incredibly long TBR that I would need 20 years or so to finish everything I want to read now. I read simultaneously 3 to 5 books all the time, in all formats (audio, ebook, paper) and I would renounce to sleep anytime for a good book, no matter if it is YA/SF/ history, politology, art, be it a thriller or about insanity, a classical novel or a book about Freddie Mercury. The only genre I am avoiding is smut because ...well, it makes me cringe in horror. And my sexual life is good enough so I do not need such weirdo stuff.
So, a couple of months ago, I was discussing on IG my huge disappointment in SJM series "ACOTAR" and the incredible and useless ( from my point of view) huge amount of endless smut when L. Blaise Hues asked me if I am willing to read her soon to appear book - "Victor -27" which it was presented as a dystopian universe with no smut :)). I have to admit that my first reaction (in my head) was to refuse because as mentioned before, I have a huge TBR, a lot of other stuff to do/see/hear, not to mention my job and she was an unknown author to me asking me for the most precious thing I own and the one I am the least willing to give: my time against her book. I was afraid that it will be a bad book, I will waste my time and I will end up trashing it without mercy because when I hate a book, I hate it to the guts because it wasted my time and I have no problem destroying it in my reviews. Reluctantly I agreed but took my time before reading it and one day I became aware that I agreed to read it and make an honest review about it, even if I will totally despise it.
And I start reading it and soon pages started to fly, in a very furious rhythm. Because the book was dark, was grim, the world imagined by Miss Blaise Hues was a credible one, an organic one: you don't need actually too much stuff to create a viable dystopian world, but what you need is a good idea and oh boy, the idea was not good, it was brilliant!
What started as an "ok, damn me, I need to read this book so let's give it a try before bed" suddenly became a " damn me, is 03:30 AM, and I need to stop now because I have a job tomo..in less than 5 hours" otherwise I would have finished it that night, no doubt about it because I was way past the middle of the book. After I finished the stuff at the job, I did nothing but read it to the end and felt happy that I agreed to read it.
Why? I became attached to Victor and his story, I pictured him in my mind and I have to say that this book feels cinematic and I won't be surprised at all if there will be a movie based on this book because it's actually screaming for the silver screen. So it was easy to picture, to imagine, to see everything in my mind as in an actual movie, considering that everything felt right in place, the pacing of the action enough to keep you entertained and hooked, but not feeling as being rushed, no unnecessary details but all you need to actually feel the oppressing atmosphere of the book. As I said, the idea is brilliant and original enough and it felt to me like a fresh breath of air, something new, something intriguing, something which made me say at the end of it "bloody hell, this is one of the best books in the genre I've ever read". Because in my honest opinion, is one of the best dystopian books I've ever read and I can barely wait for the second novel to appear and, if it will be at least as good as this one is, then I know for sure that the Victor trilogy has all the needed premises to become one of the best works in this genre.
And the last time when I considered a night off for a book was "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir which I totally loved as I am totally loving this book (yeah, this is a hint for how good I consider this book to be).
Considering that I wanted this review to be spoiler free, I won't say anything about the action, characters, or whatever because I am sure you will want to discover it on your own but in the end, I think that Dante's Inferno quote "abandon all hope, you who enter here" might be a very good motto to this book. I can't recommend it enough and all I can say is go buy it, buy it now, and read it as soon as you can because it is totally worth your time.
Huge thanks to Miss L. Blaise Hues for giving me this copy, I am really happy to be inspired on that day and accepting it, I am sorry for messing with your feelings when I gave you my first reaction :))) and I hope that this book will be not successful, but a huge smashing hit because it totally deserves it.
-
First of all, I am a really really busy person with a lot of stuff to do and with such an incredibly long TBR that I would need 20 years or so to finish everything I want to read now. I read simultaneously 3 to 5 books all the time, in all formats (audio, ebook, paper) and I would renounce to sleep anytime for a good book, no matter if it is YA/SF/ history, politology, art, be it a thriller or about insanity, a classical novel or a book about Freddie Mercury. The only genre I am avoiding is smut because ...well, it makes me cringe in horror. And my sexual life is good enough so I do not need such weirdo stuff.
So, a couple of months ago, I was discussing on IG my huge disappointment in SJM series "ACOTAR" and the incredible and useless ( from my point of view) huge amount of endless smut when L. Blaise Hues asked me if I am willing to read her soon to appear book - "Victor -27" which it was presented as a dystopian universe with no smut :)). I have to admit that my first reaction (in my head) was to refuse because as mentioned before, I have a huge TBR, a lot of other stuff to do/see/hear, not to mention my job and she was an unknown author to me asking me for the most precious thing I own and the one I am the least willing to give: my time against her book. I was afraid that it will be a bad book, I will waste my time and I will end up trashing it without mercy because when I hate a book, I hate it to the guts because it wasted my time and I have no problem destroying it in my reviews. Reluctantly I agreed but took my time before reading it and one day I became aware that I agreed to read it and make an honest review about it, even if I will totally despise it.
And I start reading it and soon pages started to fly, in a very furious rhythm. Because the book was dark, was grim, the world imagined by Miss Blaise Hues was a credible one, an organic one: you don't need actually too much stuff to create a viable dystopian world, but what you need is a good idea and oh boy, the idea was not good, it was brilliant!
What started as an "ok, damn me, I need to read this book so let's give it a try before bed" suddenly became a " damn me, is 03:30 AM, and I need to stop now because I have a job tomo..in less than 5 hours" otherwise I would have finished it that night, no doubt about it because I was way past the middle of the book. After I finished the stuff at the job, I did nothing but read it to the end and felt happy that I agreed to read it.
Why? I became attached to Victor and his story, I pictured him in my mind and I have to say that this book feels cinematic and I won't be surprised at all if there will be a movie based on this book because it's actually screaming for the silver screen. So it was easy to picture, to imagine, to see everything in my mind as in an actual movie, considering that everything felt right in place, the pacing of the action enough to keep you entertained and hooked, but not feeling as being rushed, no unnecessary details but all you need to actually feel the oppressing atmosphere of the book. As I said, the idea is brilliant and original enough and it felt to me like a fresh breath of air, something new, something intriguing, something which made me say at the end of it "bloody hell, this is one of the best books in the genre I've ever read". Because in my honest opinion, is one of the best dystopian books I've ever read and I can barely wait for the second novel to appear and, if it will be at least as good as this one is, then I know for sure that the Victor trilogy has all the needed premises to become one of the best works in this genre.
And the last time when I considered a night off for a book was "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir which I totally loved as I am totally loving this book (yeah, this is a hint for how good I consider this book to be).
Considering that I wanted this review to be spoiler free, I won't say anything about the action, characters, or whatever because I am sure you will want to discover it on your own but in the end, I think that Dante's Inferno quote "abandon all hope, you who enter here" might be a very good motto to this book. I can't recommend it enough and all I can say is go buy it, buy it now, and read it as soon as you can because it is totally worth your time.
Huge thanks to Miss L. Blaise Hues for giving me this copy, I am really happy to be inspired on that day and accepting it, I am sorry for messing with your feelings when I gave you my first reaction :))) and I hope that this book will be not successful, but a huge smashing hit because it totally deserves it.
June 5, 2023
*Warning Contains Spoilers*
I was gifted an Advanced Listener Copy of the audiobook for Victor-27, and I loved every second of it. I could not listen fast enough. The writing is a piece of art, and the narrator chosen for the audiobook brought it to life. I’ve seen great books get destroyed by the person narrating it, but that was not the case here. I could picture every scene played out before me as if I was there watching everything happen in real time. The writing was so graphically descriptive that at times I caught myself holding my breath for Victor or wincing at the beatings he was taking.
Victor is determined to live past the age of 18 and to make it outside the walls that have kept him a prisoner for so many years. He has allies that seem like enemies and enemies that seem like allies. You experience this emotional roller coaster of believing people you shouldn’t and questioning the motives of the ones you should trust.
I love the characters in this book. Victor’s determination, quick wit and sarcasm makes you root for him every step of the way. You meet Lockbox, Victor’s cellmate and the only person who can see right through Victor’s front of being dangerous. Lockbox’s riddles can be annoying, yet you find him charming.
This brings me to an unlikely friendship that quickly became my favorite, between Victor and a Captain named Roman. Roman states he is there to protect others from Victor and to kill him if he makes one wrong move. At first you are very skeptical of Roman, but you soon see there is a side to him that only Victor picks up on. Victor insists that Roman doesn’t want to kill him and that he can trust him.… That is until Roman blames Victor for the murder of his only friend, Lockbox. As I approached the final pages in the book, I found myself craving more and once it was finished, I immediately wanted to listen to it again.
Overall, this book has earned 5 stars from me, and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel. If you’re into audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to the audio version
I was gifted an Advanced Listener Copy of the audiobook for Victor-27, and I loved every second of it. I could not listen fast enough. The writing is a piece of art, and the narrator chosen for the audiobook brought it to life. I’ve seen great books get destroyed by the person narrating it, but that was not the case here. I could picture every scene played out before me as if I was there watching everything happen in real time. The writing was so graphically descriptive that at times I caught myself holding my breath for Victor or wincing at the beatings he was taking.
Victor is determined to live past the age of 18 and to make it outside the walls that have kept him a prisoner for so many years. He has allies that seem like enemies and enemies that seem like allies. You experience this emotional roller coaster of believing people you shouldn’t and questioning the motives of the ones you should trust.
I love the characters in this book. Victor’s determination, quick wit and sarcasm makes you root for him every step of the way. You meet Lockbox, Victor’s cellmate and the only person who can see right through Victor’s front of being dangerous. Lockbox’s riddles can be annoying, yet you find him charming.
This brings me to an unlikely friendship that quickly became my favorite, between Victor and a Captain named Roman. Roman states he is there to protect others from Victor and to kill him if he makes one wrong move. At first you are very skeptical of Roman, but you soon see there is a side to him that only Victor picks up on. Victor insists that Roman doesn’t want to kill him and that he can trust him.… That is until Roman blames Victor for the murder of his only friend, Lockbox. As I approached the final pages in the book, I found myself craving more and once it was finished, I immediately wanted to listen to it again.
Overall, this book has earned 5 stars from me, and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel. If you’re into audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to the audio version
May 7, 2024
I listened to the audio book version of “Victor 27” and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator does a fabulous job portraying the various characters with their different voices. **There is only one negative (in my opinion; obviously not everyone would agree) thing I can say about them but which I feel that parents should be aware of for their kids, and that is that there is some use of the A word in this series. That aside, I understand why it was used, given the nature of the characters’ backgrounds and the storyline, so its use is fitting and makes sense. It did not keep me from immersing myself into the story completely, as the author did a fantastic job of keeping me involved.
The author has created characters that draw you into their story, and the storyline is interesting, engaging, and entertaining. The book is action-packed, and the author’s writing causes readers to visualize events very well. Fabulous characters are portrayed such that you feel like you know them. This is not my typical genre of choice, but I found myself completely engrossed in the story and not wanting to stop listening (having to force myself to pause and go to bed at 3 am). This first book left me anxious for more!
The author has created characters that draw you into their story, and the storyline is interesting, engaging, and entertaining. The book is action-packed, and the author’s writing causes readers to visualize events very well. Fabulous characters are portrayed such that you feel like you know them. This is not my typical genre of choice, but I found myself completely engrossed in the story and not wanting to stop listening (having to force myself to pause and go to bed at 3 am). This first book left me anxious for more!
August 30, 2025
A Dystopian Ride I Couldn’t Put Down!
I picked up Victor-27, the first book in L. Blaise Hues’ Fate’s Inmate trilogy, expecting a solid dystopian story, but wow, it completely blew me away! The world Hues built pulled me in instantly—gritty, immersive, and so vivid I could almost see the coal on the prisoners’ faces. I loved how the author swapped modern curse words for unique, invented expletives, which made the dialogue feel fresh and true to the setting.
The characters? Each one is so well-crafted with layers that kept me invested in their struggles and triumphs. The plot was a rollercoaster, steady enough to follow but with surprises that had me flipping pages late into the night. I couldn’t stop reading, and when I finished, I was already itching for book 2.
I picked up Victor-27, the first book in L. Blaise Hues’ Fate’s Inmate trilogy, expecting a solid dystopian story, but wow, it completely blew me away! The world Hues built pulled me in instantly—gritty, immersive, and so vivid I could almost see the coal on the prisoners’ faces. I loved how the author swapped modern curse words for unique, invented expletives, which made the dialogue feel fresh and true to the setting.
The characters? Each one is so well-crafted with layers that kept me invested in their struggles and triumphs. The plot was a rollercoaster, steady enough to follow but with surprises that had me flipping pages late into the night. I couldn’t stop reading, and when I finished, I was already itching for book 2.
May 12, 2024
Can I feel as sorry for a fictional character as I do for Victor? My poor boy has gone through so much. L. Blaise Hues wrote him with such care and crafted a truly relatable and remarkable young man. The pacing and storytelling made me wanna read this in one sitting, but unfortunately I had to go to work lol. I hadn’t even finished this book and I already bought the next one, because IT IS AMAZING!!!
June 1, 2023
I finished this book a few days ago and I cannot get it out of my head. The characters will stick with me for quite some time. This story was ominous and kept me on the edge of my seat always making me need to read just one more chapter. Victor 27 and Lockbox felt so real to me that I need book 2 ASAP because I miss them and am worried about them! An absolutely all-consuming read!
May 12, 2024
This is a brilliantly written book!!! The setting is great and the character development is amazing… L. Blaise Hues crafted a world full of suspense and grit. Can’t wait to read the next book!
P.S.: Victor really grew on me. He has a hard life but nevertheless sets a great example for the readers
P.S.: Victor really grew on me. He has a hard life but nevertheless sets a great example for the readers
June 12, 2023
**I will post an updated review comment when time allows!*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2023
It did take just a little bit of time to get into the book, but it was 100% worth it when I did. This book gave me all the best YA Dystopian vibes (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.) but from a really intriguing perspective. By the time I got to the end, I was left wanting more. Can't wait for the next book!
January 16, 2024
Strong premise and very descriptive writing. After reading, I had two dreams in the same night that I was the protagonist--it felt very real, without giving away spoilers, because the dream followed the storyline. Well, if that isn't convincing enough to read it, I don't know what is because I haven't had dreams where I'm the protagonist of any other books. Great writing, strong dialogue, good sensory detail, overall very powerful.
October 30, 2024
Okay, talk about intrigue.
I need to know Mr. Victor here.
I need to know why he is 27, and who his parents were.... And and and, ALL OF IT.
I need to know Mr. Victor here.
I need to know why he is 27, and who his parents were.... And and and, ALL OF IT.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews