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The Scorpion Rules
The Scorpion Rules
The Scorpion Rules
Audiobook10 hours

The Scorpion Rules

Written by Erin Bow

Narrated by Madeleine Maby

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

The children of world leaders are held hostage in an attempt to keep the peace in this “slyly humorous, starkly thought-provoking” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel.

Greta is a Duchess and a Crown Princess. She is also a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. This is how the game is played: if you want to rule, you must give one of your children as a hostage. Start a war and your hostage dies.

The system has worked for centuries. Parents don’t want to see their children murdered.

Greta will be free if she can make it to her eighteenth birthday. Until then she is prepared to die with dignity, if necessary. But everything changes when Elian arrives at the Precepture. He’s a hostage from a new American alliance, and he defies the machines that control every part of their lives—and is severely punished for it. His rebellion opens Greta’s eyes to the brutality of the rules they live under, and to the subtle resistance of her companions. And Greta discovers her own quiet power.

Then Elian’s country declares war on Greta’s and invades the prefecture, taking the hostages hostage. Now the great Talis is furious, and coming himself to deliver punishment. Which surely means that Greta and Elian will be killed...unless Greta can think of a way to break all the rules.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 22, 2015
ISBN9781442391611
Author

Erin Bow

Erin Bow was trained as a physicist, though she now spends her days writing poetry and fiction in a tiny (though heated) garden shed in Ontario, Canada.  Her books—which include fairy tale Plain Kate, the thoughtful horror Sorrow's Knot, and science fiction duology The Scorpion Rules and The Swan Riders—have won a fistful of awards. ErinBow.com. @erinbowbooks. 

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Reviews for The Scorpion Rules

Rating: 3.673913033333333 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

138 ratings27 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have mixed feelings about this book. There were things that I liked and some that didn’t do a whole lot for me. I thought that the world that this was set in and the premise was incredibly interesting and well-done. I do wonder why there was such a big focus on goats during parts of the story. I like goats but it was weird how much there were talked about in this book. I was not a fan of some of the decisions the characters made which took me out of the story a bit.Greta lives with other kids like her at the Precepture school. In a world controlled by Artificial Intelligence, each of the world leaders must send their children to this school. All is well if there is peace but if war breaks out the children of the leaders involved are killed. I thought that this was a pretty original set-up and was curious how things might change when a new student, Elián, arrives. As it looks like Greta and Elián may be at risk, they have some big decisions to make.Madeleine Maby did a wonderful job with this book. I thought that she did a great job bringing this group of characters to life. She added enough emotion to her voice to really take the story to the next level. I have not listened to her work before but hope to again in the future.I have a feeling that many readers will enjoy this one quite a bit. It didn’t completely click with me but I still found a lot to appreciate in the story. I don’t think that I will continue with this series but am glad that I gave this one a try.I received a review copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book started out interesting, then just got really weird and kind of boring.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I ended up liking this book a whole lot more than I thought I would. The world building was great and the characters were fantastically complicated and realistic. I loved how the book turned everything upside down. What is good? What is evil? Are we ever really sure? Nothing is ever black and white and The Scorpion Rules makes you question everything about right and wrong. I can't wait till the next book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dear Simon & Schuster, who sent me this advance copy: thank you for nothing. Now I have to endure what will be at least a year (probably two) before I can get my grimy hands on the sequel to this. Yes, I entered the giveaway so I brought this on myself but some sort of warning label (especially for those with heart conditions who could die from the anticipaction) should have plastered the cover...

    On a painfully realized dystopian earth, nations submit to control by UN robots who were formerly human and each country's leader sends thier children to be raised in a robot-monitored boarding school-cum-hippie farming commune, where they serve as hostages against the possibility of more wars. Princess Greta lives in one of these prefectures in the wilds of Saskatchewan with her cohort of six, plus the younger children of other world leaders, some comic livestock and plenty of disciplinarian spider bots. This is the set up for the most amazingly marvelous sci-fi tale I have read in years. By turns horrifying and hysterically absurd, Greta's journey of self-realization is twined with the arrival of reality in a very tangible way for the whole class.

    I already started to read it again. Erin Bow needs to be my new best friend immediately so I can steal a draft of the next volume when she isn't looking.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This book was a fascinating twist on the YA dystopia novels, I loved the idea of a third party hostage center as a means to keep warring countries at peace. Or trying to. I wasn't as keen on her choices in the end, but it would be interesting to hear more about Talis's story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Post-apocalypse, an AI has decided to discourage nation states from war by taking all heirs hostage. Greta, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a seventh-generation hostage, knows she will be killed if the confederacy ever breaks the peace.There’s a lot I could talk about: the terrifyingly yet believable future of fighting over resources; the darkly-humorous AI overlord; the cutting commentary on power and politics; the delicate bonds between the hostages. But what I came away pondering was why I found the first half slightly more compelling than the second, even though the stakes kept getting higher.Greta and her friends live in a world governed by strict rules with harsh consequences. As a reader, I knew the worst is unlikely to happen, but Greta’s fears felt visceral and totally understandable because there were lots of things which could still go wrong. Once survival became the most pressing matter -- and not all the rules applied any more -- I felt sure there had to be some sort of way out, if only because it’s a much more interesting story if everyone doesn’t die. An insight into how, sometimes, smaller stakes can make for a more gripping story, just because they’re more imaginable, more comprehensible, and feel less like a bluff on the author’s part.I’m not sure if I liked the ending -- it depends on where the sequel takes it.All of a sudden there were whole populations under water. Which meant that whole populations moved. Borders strained, checkpoints broke, and of course people started shooting, because that’s what passes for problem-solving among humans. See, guys, this is why you can’t have nice things.—Holy Utterances of Talis, Book One, Chapter One: “Being a meditation on the creation of the Preceptures and the mandate of the Children of Peace”
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book was interesting to say the least. I enjoyed the overall plot dynamic. The writing style was great.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Verdict: not enough goats. I was sold on this as a goat book. Anyway, interesting world and characters. Covering the always fascinating questions of what is consciousness, what is a person. Very lovingly queer, as well. A bit ploddy and the relationships a tad unearned, but I enjoyed and will probably continue the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This books makes every other book that I have given five stars to pale in comparison. I author has a way with words that I cannot express how wonderful it is. I never wanted this book to end. I love the pacing and how the story seemed to race ahead and then crawl at the same time. I really don't think I'm doing it justice in this review either. All I have to say is you need to read it. Right now.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Greta is a princess, and a hostage: the AI ruling the post-global warming, water-scarce world has declared that any leader of a country must have a child-hostage under the AI’s control. The leader can choose to fight a war, whether offensively or defensively, but will have their hostage killed as a result. After a revolution, Greta, who represents the entity that occupies what’s now Canada, gets a new counterpart from what used to be a big chunk of the US; they’re very likely to go to war over water access soon, and the new hostage isn’t at all reconciled to the way things are, as Greta is. Bow explores the various ways that a person can be tortured, in terrifying detail both physical and psychological, and the ways in which people survive, and deform, under such circumstances. It’s a thought-provoking and entertaining read, if you can deal with the torture (which is never presented as anything but horrifying).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fiercely Canadian dystopian setting. A smart, royal, bisexual protagonist. A snarky AI overlord. A thought-provoking and heartbreaking plot. Goats.

    Come on, what more could you want out of a book?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an incredible book - heartbreaking and brutal, not gratuitously, but as much as it needed to be. Greta is one of the Children of Peace, hostages of the world's leaders who live in the Precepture in Saskatchewan. If their country goes to war, they die. It's one of the Utterances of Talis, the AI who rules the world - "Make it personal." Talis's scheme works to keep wars rare, but in a world where water grows scarcer by the day, Greta knows that, sooner or later, her mother's kingdom will go to war to defend Lake Huron, and she is going to die. The arrival of Elián, the hostage from the newly-formed Cumberland Alliance, shakes the Precepture and Greta's perception of the world - and her willingness to go peacefully to her doom.There are a lot of ideas in this book: AI threat, water wars, population devastation, extreme solutions to the age-old problem of war. And they're all secondary to Greta, who is an amazing character, someone who's walked blindly for most of her life through a horrible, unfair, heartless system that she grows to believe is *not* the inevitable way the world has to work. It's gorgeously written (the last couple of chapters in particular) and the characterization is impeccable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Four centuries after an artificial intelligence named Talis conquered the world, the United Nations keeps the peace by holding the world leaders' children hostage. If war breaks out, the children die. Talis's hostage, Crown Princess Greta, is resigned to the death that will claim her if she fails to reach her 18th birthday. But a hostage boy from a new American alliance stirs rebellion in Greta when he takes a stand.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    great, just what I needed: Michael Talis joining Anaander Mianaai and Ardmagar Comonot in the back of my head.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story is told by Greta, also known as Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy. She has been a hostage - a Child of Peace - since she was five years old. Now sixteen, she knows that if she can survive until she is eighteen, she will be sent back to rule her country. But if war breaks out between her country and any other, she will be killed by the AI that controls everyone. And her country is on the brink of war...In this world, the polar ice caps melted suddenly and wars broke out when people from the newly drowned areas moved to higher ground. Then the plagues came and reduced the population by half and half again. To control the constant warfare the UN appointed an artificial intelligence named Talis to restore the peace. He did so by instituting the whole hostage taking thing. A ruler couldn't rule unless he or she sent their child to one of the Prefectures. Four hundred years have passed and the system has mostly worked. But it has taken quite a toll on the children who are hostages and who know that they could be killed at any time.What surprised me most was that so many of the characters managed to show strength and not turn into quivering heaps. Greta watches the news and studies the ancient thinkers. She's particularly fond of the Stoics. But her precariously balanced world is shaken when a new hostage arrives. Elian is from the country that neighbors hers and he wasn't raised to be a hostage. His grandmother has recently taken charge of the military of her country. Elian's struggles to fit in and the torture that is used to make him comply, open Greta's eyes to the undercurrents of the life she has been living.When Elian's grandmother's forces take over the Prefecture, they draw the attention of Talis and lead Greta to make a life-changing decision.The characters were richly drawn and well-rounded. The world building made complete sense to me. Perhaps the most interesting character beyond Greta was Talis. He was once human but now he is a self-confessed monster. He is willing to do quite horrible things to stop the world from sliding back into a time of constant wars. At the same time, he is a man out of his time who has almost forgotten what it was like being human. He is so focused on the big picture that he doesn't really see what effect his actions have on individuals. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the sequel to find out the results of Greta's choice.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The full review at more at Southern Bred, Southern Read!

    Greta Gustasfen Stuart is the Duchess of Hallifax and the Crown Princess of PanPolar Confederacy. She is also a Child of Peace living in a Precepture until her eighteenth birthday when she will finally be free to return to her kingdom and take her place on the throne. Since she was five years old, she has been living in a Precepture with other Children of Peace, kids of world leaders who ship off their children to live in these schools as hostages to guarantee world peace. You see, if they start a war, their child dies, so in order to keep their heir alive, they must uphold peace. Greta is the shining star of the group. She is very book smart and the one that everyone looks to to make decisions. Everything changes when Elian arrives. He is the grandson of the ruler of the Cumberland Alliance, the newest threat to the PanPolar Confederacy. His arrival means that Greta will die soon, as their countries share borders and are destined for war. Elian is not like any Child of Peace that has come before him. He questions everything around him and gets himself and the others in immense trouble every day by challenging everything they have learned to just accept as a way of life.

    There is pretty much zero romance in this one. There is a romantic moment or two between Elian and Greta (and even Greta and her bestie Xie), but overall it is like .00001% of the book. I kept yearning for more because of this. Elian and Greta obviously develop feelings for each other, but because they really don't build a relationship with each other, it was hard for me to connect. Hell, I can't even tell you what Elian looks like other than his "peaches in syrup" southern drawl. The sacrifices each makes seems strange since they really don't spend any time together aside from a few stolen moments and time in group settings. It just didn't feel genuine and was very disappointing. Even with Greta's best friend, Xie, we don't get to find out a lot of their thirteen year friendship. Little tidbits here and there, but it is mostly very jaded since Greta has not really seen the world for what it really is (which is pretty much the premise of the book). I wanted more intimate friendship moments between Xie and Greta. I wanted to feel their bond and know they would do anything for each other.

    I've read a lot of reviews that like the book because of the villain, Talis. Talis is the AI and ruler of the world. Despite being controller of everything, when chaos breaks out and things come to a head at the Precepture, Talis doesn't really do anything. Ok, he does stuff (won't say too much because spoilers), but given how much power he claims to have over everything, he doesn't do what I thought he would be capable of. When big things start happening, I was just like "Ok.. so why doesn't Talis use all this power he supposedly has??" It's just weird. I will say he is very witty and I loved the things that he says, though.

    This book is VERY info-heavy. Seriously, a large part of the book focuses on the goats that are living on the farm with the children. I felt more connected to the goats than I did the characters! The writing style reminds me a lot of Red Rising with how much Sci-Fi is in it and how complex the world is. I felt mislead because based on the synopsis, I was expecting a love affair between this mysterious boy and a Princess. Instead I got a book that mostly dealt with man versus Artificial Intelligence and man becoming machine. If I would have known this from the beginning, I probably wouldn't have read it. A Princess trying to overthrow society and save the world? Yes, sign me up! A group of children trying to outsmart machines while building little to no relationships, yeah not for me. I spent most of the book trying to figure out WTF was going on because there is SO much information but very little action.



    This book just wasn't my cuppa. If you are very into Sci-Fi and books like Red Rising then you may want to give it a shot. The book releases on September 22, so you might as well give it a shot!

    2/5 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While The Scorpion Rules is a mixed bag, it’s ultimately one of the better YA dystopians I’ve come across.Four hundred years ago, the humanity was on the edge of destruction when an AI named Talis decided to take control. After destroying a few cities, Talis instituted some rules for his new world order. All countries’s rulers must give up their own children as hostages. If a country goes to war, the hostage dies. Greta is a crown princess and one of the Children of Peace who live in the remote Precepture school. Her country is on the edge of war and so Greta lives on the edge of death. Greta doesn’t question the inevitable path of her life until a new boy is brought to school, one who refuses to accept the rules Greta’s been living with her entire life.If you’re anything like me, your eyes probably would have started rolling at some point in that blurb, likely when I mentioned the “new boy” who “refuses to play by the rules” and “makes Greta question the system.” Basically the only reason I ended up reading it was because I’d heard the protagonist was bisexual. Luckily, I enjoyed The Scorpion Rules much more than I was expecting.The stand out element of The Scorpion Rules was Greta, our princess narrator. Greta is quite and restrained, subtle and stoic. She knows she will die, and she’s accepted it. The most she hopes for is that she will find the strength to die with dignity and not shame her country. She’s entirely internalized the idea that she does not have any control or choice in her life, and it was a delight to see her begin to reclaim her right to choice.Aside from Greta, I never cared much for any of the characters, except possibly Talis, the egotistical AI overlord. On one hand he fascinates me and his voice tends to be hilariously casual and breezy, but on the other hand I sort of want to punch him in the face.I’m glad that Greta is bisexual and that her female love interest doesn’t get pushed aside to focus on the male love interest, but I still didn’t care much about the love triangle. This is a likely causality of me not having much investment in the supporting cast. Besides from one of the love interests being a girl, it was a fairly typical formula. One of them is the best friend who’s always been there for her. The other is the New Guy who’s opened her eyes to the dangers of the system. Those two lines could describe a plethora of YA dystopian novels. Thankfully, this one at least didn’t actively annoy me.The pacing was probably slower than is the norm for the genre, and there’s generally far less action, since the focus is more on Greta’s characterization. I did find the pacing all right for the first half of the novel, but it seemed to slaw to a crawl near the end. However, I do love that The Scorpion Rules went in a direction I genuinely would not have predicted.The world building felt very sketchy. The whole future prediction is dubious and seems to rest on some very shaky foundations – the water table started rising just like that? For the most part I was able to raise an eyebrow and move on, but don’t expect any great feats of world building here.The Scorpion Rules is a book that seems to garner a lot of love/hate reactions. Some reviews will ask “Why are there so many goats in this book?” while others will exclaim, “I loved the goats!” (personally, I really liked the goats). My own feelings seem to fall in between the extremes. I liked The Scorpion Rules enough to read the sequel, but I’m still glad that I got this one from the library.Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is another book that when I saw it I was thrilled to pick up a copy and start reading it. While I did find the concept of this book very engaging, that was not the case then I actually opened the book and started reading it I got have way into the book and put it down. I kept reading this far because I liked the world but I really did not find either Greta or Elian to share a strong connection with me. Greta came off annoying some with her naïve attitude. Then there is Elian, who I felt was too much of a know it all. I was so turned off by them both that I could barely remember details of what happened in the first half of the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This post-apocalyptic tale focuses on Greta, a teenager growing up in a world that's hurting for water and run by AIs. The AI in charge, Talis, decreed that to prevent war he would take all the children of rulers and keep them in a Panopticon. Greta is one of those Children of Peace, as are her friends Thandi, Xie, Grego, Han and others; they understand the way the world works, and why they have to exist - and die, if their parents become involved in a war. Then a new Child, Elian, shows up and shakes up her ordered existence.The main reason I really enjoyed this book is because it was very hard for me to predict what would happen next. There were a few twists that took me completely by surprise. Greta and her friends are wonderful, complex characters trying to figure out the right thing to do in a world that may seem different from our own but is just as complicated; there are few black or white choices between good and evil, just the best decision she could make. The level of violence is the only reason my rating is a little low - at times, it was a little too much for me, but it's about on par with The Hunger Games. The story could stand on its own, but if there is a sequel I will definitely be interested in reading more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In a system set up by an artificial intelligence, in order to keep the peace among the nations, the children of world leaders are held hostage. If a war starts, then these "children of peace" are killed. For the most part, the system has worked and has prevented wide-scale global conflict. Greta, a princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, is willing to go to her fate calmly and peacefully. However, when a new boy, Elian, is brought in kicking and screaming, everything seems to change. When Elian's country invades the compound, they formally declare war on Greta's country, hoping that torturing her on camera will cause her parents to concede to their demands. However, they didn't count on Talis, the ai, to come rushing in and save the day.Overall, this was a pretty interesting premise. The children of peace seemed a little lackluster at times and could have used more personality. Throughout the book it seemed as if the author forgot the younger children held at the compound and only periodically brought them up. Not a bad book, it could have used more personality. I would be interested to read a sequel or another book set in this universe.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was glad to get this in the mail because the idea of holding royalty/leadership's kids hostage to prevent war is a pretty compelling premise. I wanted to find out the general of how a society could end up there, and how this group of up and coming leaders bonded, but also were always on the brink of death. I liked Greta, the main character. She is a good blend of smart, cautious, funny, sympathetic and tough. She's accepted the way of life, caring for animals and basically farm work along with lessons, all controlled by robots/AI (artificial intelligence). She has bonded with the group of royalty that is at the school/Precepture with her, but she's never gotten too close or involved with the guys. But when spirited, defiant, and different Elian shows up, things begin to change, and she begins listening and pondering some of the issues he talks about and how he bucks the authority of the AI even when it causes him physical harm. I was so immersed in the story. Even though it dealt a lot with politics which usually goes right over my head, it mostly was a lot of character development. Greta realized so much about herself and the others she grew up with. She has really hard choices to make as well, dealing with the AI, the things she knows, and whether to help and protect Elian. I was shocked more than once at the plot twists. There was one thing that I didn't really see coming, and I am not sure how I feel about it. Things were wrapped up with the immediate plot but I hope that there is another one, because I am not sure what the choices mean for the future, and for her as a person who meant so much to the others. The things that I have read though indicate it is a stand alone so that takes my rating down because I was left confused about a few things, like the layers, as well as what peace might exist or not. The romance also surprised me, I thought that it was going one way but went another, so it wasn't precisely a triangle, it just wasn't going with the obvious at first option at least to me. There were some humorous moments, and I liked the theme of loyalty, friendship and duty. Talis, the writer of the prologue and the one who set up the current political situation with the hostages, actually amused me rather than feeling villianesque. I understand why could be hated, but its an AI, and he accomplished his purpose. Bottom Line: Liked the characters and friendship the ending wasn't the best for me though,
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Scorpion Rules was my second Erin Bow novel—and is easily my favourite. It is a dystopian and sci-fi hybrid, set in a world where AIs rule over humanity, and where the children of world leaders are used as pawns in the game of maintaining world peace. Gripping dystopian story? Check. Beautifully written? Check. Hooks the reader? Check—my subway rides were painfully short. I love Erin Bow's writing. From the nail-biting drama to the beautiful and sometimes haunting imagery, her stories and characters have a habit of sticking with you long after you turn the final page. The Scorpion Rules is a perfect balance of [believable] sci-fi and dystopian society. This is a YA novel, aimed at readers ages 14 & up. Parents and educators should be aware of on-page sex, violence, possibly disturbing scenes, and mature language (ranging from "hell" to the f-bomb). Most dystopian novels follow this formula: the corrupt "system" emerges after a long war and is maintained with violence. The protagonist has never felt loyal to the system and spends the book trying to hide his/her differences, while rebelling against it. While this is happening, there is a love triangle. Sounds like 95% of dystopian novels today, right? So I was surprised when The Scorpion Rules suddenly diverged from the formula that I was positive it was following. Surprised, but pleased, I should note. [[spoiler ahead]] The protagonist, who I was sure was going to fall for the "new boy," actually ends up in a sexual and romantic relationship with her best female friend. A break from the love triangle at last!The Scorpion Rules finally gives the tired dystopian genre a story that is both fresh and that has real substance and merit to young adult readers. It is a beautiful love story, a tale of friendships and alliances, of murder and violence, of humanity vs. technology, of power and peace, and ultimately, good vs. evil. Erin Bow's writing, as always, is powerful and poetic. The Scorpion Rules is perfect for teen readers looking for their next dystopian/thriller fix. 4 StarsThis novel has a pub date of September 22, 2015.Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC for review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think this is a young adult book, but I enjoyed it too. And I'm an adult. What a different take on a world to try and prevent wars. I will be recommending this book to others.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Erin Bow’s The Scorpion Rules tells the story of what happens after the singularity. Sometime presumably in the near future, increasingly horrific natural disasters and a series of gruesome wars swiftly reduce the human population at an incredible rate. In order to save humanity from itself, the UN turns to artificial intelligence for a solution. Talis - the AI entrusted to help end the wars - goes about this in an unexpected way. In short order, he destroys several cities and brings the world’s political figures to their knees, installing himself as the leader of the world. Under Talis’ rule, the world returns to a hostage system of ensuring peace. All world leaders must offer up their children to serve as a Child of Peace until the age of 18. If their country goes to war, the child dies. Against this backdrop, we move forward 400 years and pick up the story of Greta Gustafsen Stuart - the destined Queen of the PanPolar Confederation and its current Child of Peace. Greta’s life and future are hurtling toward uncertainty as her country moves toward war.This had all the trappings of a book I would really enjoy reading. It’s such a solid concept for a good sci fi novel. It just never got there for me, though. I didn’t feel anything for the human characters, not even sympathy and only a tiny bit of interest in what happened to them. I certainly didn’t feel anything for the AI’s - and I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to feel. Scared? Awed? Humored? Not sure. The world building wasn’t there for me either - I couldn’t visualize the prefecture or the new structure of the world, I couldn’t really even picture the characters other than one was Asian and one was farm-boy big. And finally, the plot - for all its promise - fell totally flat. By the end I just wanted to be done. There were so many smaller conflicts that rose and fell with so little importance that by the end I just didn’t care anymore. One or two of those things is forgivable when it comes to sci fi, in my opinion, because I’m reading it for pleasure. But when all of them fail to get off the ground, it’s not fun anymore.One thing I’ll give it kudos for is a lesbian relationship! That was a surprise, especially given that it’s not so much as hinted at in the book synopsis (hmm...marketing bias?). I thought that was great, we need more diversity in the relationships in YA novels. I went back and forth on how I felt about the Xie-Greta-Elian love triangle because a) I was like wtf Greta stop leading them both on, and b) it was clear that the real fire was with Xie so I was confused by why Elian was even in the mix. But I’ll chalk it up to an exercise in how sexuality is confusing, especially when you’re just coming into your own and trying to figure out what you like.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    So not my thing. If you like Mad Max and depressing sci-fi, you'll like this novel.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I originally stalled out on this book but returned to it after some encouraging by a friend. Although this person is still my friend, I should have stuck by the original decision to stop reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We may be likened to two scorpions in a bottle, each capable of killing the other, but only at the risk of his own life. -J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Scientific Director of the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb The quote above marks the beginning of The Scorpion Rules and is the inspiration for its title.The idea of holding children hostage to their parents' good behavior in order to prevent war or revolution is not new -- Erin Bow has created a world where the different nations have grown accustomed to the idea that a princess or prince can be sacrificed. The Children of Peace are raised and educated together in the Preceptures where they learn to farm and live off of what they're able to produce from the land. The old national, political and geographic boundaries have been replaced with new ones, even the Earth's surface has changed dramatically. We decipher the changes from the hostages that we encounter:Gregori Kalvelis ("Grego"), son of the one of the grand dukes of the Baltic Alliance;Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a 7th generation hostage and future ruler of a superpower;Li Da-Xia, Daughter of the Heavenly Throne, the Beloved of the Mountains, the Pure Soul of Snow, a goddess in the Mountain Glacial States and most of Central Asia;Thandi, heir to one of the great thrones of Africa;Sidney, son of the governor of Mississippi Delta Confederacy; and the more mysterious Children of the Peace Han and Atta.The world is fascinated by these princes and princesses, but it's only those who are familiar with the Preceptures who know how the children are taught to work together, work hard and to sacrifice. Their teachers are carefully selected to be neutral and free from biases or corruption - they're different forms of Artificial Intelligence. The Abbot who is in charge of the Precepture and the Children's eduction had been human once and more than the others he is able to sympathize and give the children balance in their lives. They follow the Utterances, which is a book of quotations from the AI which has been assembled like a holy text; as a Child of Peace, it's critically important to know the Utterances. While the Children form close friendships and alliances, they never forget the reason for their being held at the Precepture. Certainly, the many robots that listen and punish for dangerous behavior and talk are quick to remind them of their lack of power and of their obligations as Children of Peace.Greta and her cohorts take instruction well and they prove strong despite the pressures that they face. It's Greta's stoicism (and her fondness for Marcus Aurelius) that stand out. She's willing to accept that the growing political disputes for water make her country a likely target and put her life at risk, but she responds with calm and by keeping the Precepture running efficiently. Though she's not one of the more vocal Children, she's the center of the group. Her friendship with Li Da-Xia is more than a bond of princesses who have shared the same space for years, they have their own shortcuts to remind themselves and each other of the roles that they must play and their friendship gives you hope that with leaders who see each other like sisters there can be little chance of war. "A hostage, yes. But a princess, a duchess. The daughter of a queen." The ties that the children can make one hope that in this fictional future war will be displaced, but The Scorpion Rules isn't so idealistic that one forgets that war comes from conflicting interests which can override the strength of diplomacy and friendship. Overall, an imaginative and deeply satisfying read.