Title: To Cage a Wild BirdAuthor: Brooke Fast
Series: Divided Fates #1
Pages: 384
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Publisher: AVON BOOKS
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Dystopia
Synopsis:
Enter the brutal world of Endlock, a prison where the wealthy hunt the inmates for sport. The first novel in an electrifying dystopian romance series, this high-octane debut about forbidden love, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you breathless.
In the city of Dividium, the law is simple: commit a crime, and your punishment is a life sentence in Endlock.
Raven Thorne is Dividium’s most notorious bounty hunter, living on the edge of society. But when her younger brother, Jed, is sentenced to Endlock, Raven will do anything to save him—even if it means getting herself arrested.
Now trapped in a prison where danger lurks around every corner, Raven must use all her cunning and strength to protect Jed—and herself if she is to complete her perilous mission. But there’s one obstacle she never expected: the prison guard who stirs something deep inside her. The man she should hate. The man whose true motives seem impossible to pin down.
In a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, Raven must decide if she will risk everything to tear down a vicious system.
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This was such a good read! I’ve been loving the dystopias lately, and this one feels like a cross between The Hunger Games and The Most Dangerous Game.
The dystopian elements were equally intriguing and horrifying. This is a society run on fear and persecution, where loyalty and deference to one’s government and leaders are deemed more important than anything else. Much of the story takes place at the brutal and unforgiving prison, but this is no ordinary prison. Here, Raven and the other inmates are monitored and maltreated while waiting to be hunted by society’s elite. The waiting for the hunts, the actual hunts, and the things they learn about the prison, society’s leaders, and the corruption in both made for a super intense read.
The desensitized hunters, their superior attitudes, and their enthusiasm for the hunt are as deplorable as the crooked guards and others who manipulate the system and situations to their advantage. There are definitely some strong messages about the abuse of power, class inequality, the dehumanization of marginalized people, systemic corruption, and how fear is used as a tool to control society.
The story follows Raven, a bounty hunter who purposely gets thrown in prison to rescue her younger brother. She’s determined to get him out and feels a lot of responsibility for him ever since their parents were arrested and died in the same brutal prison. I loved her character. She’s fierce and brave and intelligent, and even though this world is stacked against her, she never gives up. Oof does she go through it! Luckily, she gets some help from some unlikely allies.
I also loved the found family elements, which I think felt even more poignant considering they all have a finite amount of life left. It’s both wonderful and heartbreaking to see Raven gain such a wonderful group of friends in the midst of all this cruelty and death. I think Raven learns a lot about herself through these connections and slowly opens herself up to trusting others.
Of course, one of my favorite characters is the mysterious Vale, who Raven meets before going to prison and then again while imprisoned. He’s a man with power and secrets, yet there’s something about him that makes Raven want to put her trust in him. I absolutely loved him. He’s morally gray in the best way—protective, intense, and willing to do whatever it takes to help those he cares for.
And the romance between Vale and Raven is fabulous. They have so much chemistry, and the yearning and sexual tension between them is just perfect. Vale falls for Raven fast and hard, and I just love that. The way he gets frantic when he thinks she’s in danger and the way he risks everything for her is fantabulous. He’s definitely got that whole “I’ll burn the world down to protect her “ vibe going on, and I was there for it. lol
I thought this was a great start to the series. It was intense and intriguing, the characters, world, and plot are layered and compelling, and there are a couple of surprise twists and heartbreaking moments that I totally didn’t expect. And that ending!? My word! I can’t wait for the next book!
“Anyone foolish enough to cage a wild bird shouldn’t expect them to sing for their captor,”
“I think you’re worth saving, Little Bird.”
- found family
- forbidden romance
- prisoner x guard
- prison escape
Brooke Fast is a lover of dystopian, fantasy, and all things romance. When she’s not writing new worlds, you can find her curled up on the couch with her husband and their pups in their self-built tiny house in the mountains of Maine. She’ll either be consuming copious amounts of coffee and thumbing through the latest romantasy release or sharing book reviews and writing snippets under her alter-ego, @librarybrookes. To Cage a Wild Bird is her first novel.
