I love reading fiction/sci-fi and this checked all the boxes for me! This book was high intensity, well-paced, with family history, political revolutions, and all the *drama*. I found myself being transported to a far off place- that somehow didn't seem so far off with all its logic and world-building. The characters were relatable & I found the story emotionally invigorating. The author does a great job introducing the players with distinct voices, and despite the challenges facing them at full steam, senses of humor as well.Each sequel pulls you in each time, and raises the stakes.I LOVE that the author put the Omnibus out, it makes a great gift with 3 books wrapped in one!!

In Bear: Two brothers are pitted against each other in a battle for the Crown and their lives. Neither one knows who the other one is under their mask. Well, that it is in the beginning but then one of the brothers learns that he will be fighting his brother. He must find a way to let his brother know who he is. They are fighting to save their parents. They have been working toward this goal for many years.In Rat: Benji and Soren have escaped the Fall Gauntlet. Their parents are still being held by the Crown. The brothers are making plans for their escape. But in the meantime, Soren wants to go back for his girlfriend but Benji says no, now is not the time. Soren is upset with Benji and blames him for leaving him behind all those years ago.While the brothers are trying to make their escape the city holds even more danger for them. As they try to make their way out of the city they have to go through the circus people who are very a dangerous bunch indeed. They have to make their escape through the sewers below with the help of the RAT people.In CHRYSIX: Benji and Soren are still trying to save their family. They are on the run barely escaping the Rat with their lives. The brothers go in hiding at a spy run by sisters, Lyaza and Miki.Someone has tampered with Soren’s mask. He is getting weaker and weaker. Benji must find a way to save his brother before it is too late for him. Something dark and sinister is going on and Benji must find out what it is and stop it if he wants to save Soren.The Fall Gauntlet stories may be short but they do pack a big punch with so much action that keeps the pages turning. The suspense alone is enough to keep me racing to the end rooting for the brothers the whole way. The world-building is brilliant, to say the least. The action just keeps on ramping up page after page.I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end wondering and hoping that Benji would save Soren. It was intense as I waited to see what Soren’s outcome was going to be. Oh, man, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter in Benji and Soren’s world is going to be.I would highly recommend The Fall Gauntlet to all fans of dystopia and post-apocalyptic books with lots of action. Grab a copy of The Fall Gauntlet today!One person found this helpful

The Fall Gauntlet series hits the ground running with a fast paced plot and complex characters. Estranged brothers Benji and Soren are three dimensional characters whose relationship anchors the story’s more fantastical elements. The action is exciting, clear and well-written. Also, Merkel’s world is so fully realized and only getting bigger that it’s soon to be grand in scope.Book 1, BEAR, introduces the post-apocalyptic city of New Phasia that hosts the fall gauntlet tournament, a gladiator-like fight-to-the-death championship where each contestant wears a technologically advanced animal mask that gives them advanced fighting abilities. Also, the tournament has an entire mythology behind it that the public worships and even the masked (and therefore anonymous) contestants are praised as religious figures based on the animal spirits called the Dei, complete with a pagan scripture called The Book of Totems. All this is hosted by the Crown, a mysterious omnipotent figure who has separated Benji and Soren’s family, and is now forcing them to fight to the death. It’s a lot to take in, but the best part of the series is simply its characters. Benji is a resourceful and clever main character, constantly calculating his next move but always worried for the ones he loves. His brother Soren is a bit of a hothead who has been manipulated by the Crown and Benji isn’t sure how to convince him that they should free themselves. Whether their bond is strong enough to overcome the Crown and escape with their lives is what drives all three entries.Book 2, RAT, continues with the brothers against foe after foe and friends who may or may not be foes. This entry is an experiment in paranoia as the brothers navigate the fittingly symbolic new setting of the dark underworld of New Phasia, while learning more about what their masks can do and as well as the society of the Rat People. More backstory is explained about the brothers’ family life before they were separated from their parents and each other but always in between action sequences and intense interactions with ominous new characters. This entry tests their relationship, where unresolved resentment threatens to destroy them.Book 3, CHRYSIX, finds the brothers in their latest life or death situation where Soren is poisoned and Benji must find a way to get him better while pretending to be someone else and navigating around new characters, sisters Lyaza and Miki, to escape to safety. This is by far the entry that delves the most into the world and mythology of the tournament’s Dei figures and even provides a huge revelation about the masks themselves. The brothers hear news of a revolution against the Crown, Benji worries about a voice only he can hear and they learn of another mask nearby. The story filled with elements that all builds up to an explosive finale that pushes Benji to his limits as a character and leaves the reader wanting more. Unfortunately, Chrysix is not the finale of a trilogy but the third of more soon to be released entries that complete the story of Benji and Soren and their quest to find and reunite their family as they revolt against the Crown.

This is an incredible series that bears an uncanny resemblance to novels such as Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. It is a captivating read that will have you coming back for more. It captures brotherly love, a complex family past, and immense world building - all while incorporating action and mystery for what the future holds. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi, and even if you don't, it's a great read for a Sunday afternoon.