Review: The Scorpion Rules

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

War has ravaged the world and the solution is an exchange of hostages. Every king, queen, president and other rulers must send one of their own children to a school called a Precepture. These Children of Peace stay until they are 18 years old or until their parent commits an act of war. At that time the hostage is sacrificed. Greta is the Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation and is secure in the fact her mother would never jeopardize her life. When Elián is brought to the Precepture in chains, the accepted practices of the school are shaken to the core. Are Greta and Elián’s two countries about to go to war?

The Scorpion Rules is a dystopian novel at its core with a lot of military strategy woven throughout. Most of the military strategy that is included does not add to the primary storyline. I found myself rolling my eyes when another tangent passed across the page. It is currently not listed as part of a series, but the ending gives a definite opening for a sequel or companion. If another book is introduced, I hope it has more about the characters and less about the state the world is in and the actions of world powers from the past. That will make a much more enjoyable read.


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