For today’s Judge a Book by its Cover post I’ve chosen Obedience by Nichole M Willden.

The colour choices make this a very striking cover.

A black cover conveys a message of darkness. Badness and power are two of the first things that come to my mind. The flash of red signifies danger.

The cage suggests prisoners; maybe slavery of some sort. The title adds to my expectation that this might be a thriller.

I like the font used for the title. It matches the tone of the book cover.

The Blurb

No one joins a cult on purpose.

Emma doesn’t remember how she got to the Guild. No one will tell her. The only thing her superiors ever say is “Be Obedient.”

Emma is done with Obedience. She wants a life: friends, a boyfriend, and a family who loves her. But being in the Guild is not a choice. It’s a life sentence. When Emma begins to rebel against the rules, Leader tightens his hold. The Guilded cage he created crashes down, forcing her to make a choice: stay and obey, or fight to get free of his far-reaching authority.

No one joins a cult on purpose, but getting out requires a strategy.

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As I looked through Amazon and Goodreads for more information on this book, I found that the blurbs and book covers are different. The one above is on Amazon.

This following one is on Goodreads: A secret life. A forbidden relationship. Who would you betray to find belonging?

Emma spends her school days pretending to be a normal girl, but her life is anything but normal. With rigid expectations and harsh punishments, Leader rules her Family with an iron fist. He requires secrecy. He demands compliance. He refuses to allow Emma the possibility of friends and romance.

When she meets a bright-eyed boy with a flair for rebellion, Emma begins to question her life and loyalties. She starts to fight against Leader’s expectations, and the dangerous, secretive life he’s grooming her for.

When faced with a choice between freedom and familiarity, will Emma choose a new world of excitement or Leader’s demands of Obedience?

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After reading the Goodreads blurb, I’m not sure what kind of a cult this is. Maybe Leader is her father because she mentions her family. However, in the Amazon blurb; Emma doesn’t remember how she got to the Guild. No one will tell her. The only thing her superiors ever say is “Be Obedient.”

This is the cover that’s displayed on Goodreads.

I’ll be honest – this is not one I’d be drawn to. I much prefer the one with the cage. It’s more striking and would entice me to read further. I wonder which was the original.

Emma is in a cult and although most cults try to brainwash people into thinking they can leave whenever they want, it’s never that simple.

I often listen to true crime podcasts; some about people who have spent years in cults. Either they were abducted or inveigled to join. These kind of stories fascinate me.

The blurb of this book and the striking cover would entice me further.

Here are some reviews that Obedience has gained.

Rockymountainreader on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a wild ride! I had a ton of feelings while reading this and I honestly wasn’t sure if I liked it or not until the last third or so. The excitement and mystery just builds and it went in a different way than I was expecting for sure. Overall a great read!

YA hasn’t been much of my thing lately but this one kept me completely engrossed pretty much the entire time. There were so many wtf moments with The Guild and Leader. I’m still absorbing everything.

One thing I do know for sure is that I’m eagerly awaiting book two. This one definitely leaves you with a cliffhanger.

One last thing, make sure to read the author’s story (you can find it on her page). It’s really interesting to hear her background, and it definitely helped me understand this book a bit better.

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A.J. Larke on Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read Obedience a few weeks ago, and I’m still thinking about it. It’s not my usual fantasy stuff. The basic idea is this: the main character, Emma, is the twelfth-ranked, lowest-ranked member of The Guild, and her task is Obedience. To everyone else in the house, especially Leader. Being a teenager, she struggles with this, fighting back against the rigid control and consequences of going against her orders.

When she meets someone who encourages her to explore what freedom could be like, the pull of having normal life instead of the highly controlled one she’s living is almost too much to bear.

I really liked Emma, and the world-building around The Guild and its hierarchy was clear and interesting. I found myself picking the book back up when I should have been doing other things, because I needed to know what happened next. The struggle between what Emma wants to do and what her “family” is telling her to do, overlaid with the external struggles of the family that we get hints of here and there, is fascinating. And I love how it all came together at the end for a partly expected, partly unexpected ending.

If you’re at all into YA, and/or you like books about intrigue, danger, or teenage rebellion, check out Obedience. 

I notice that there’s a book 2 in the series and the cover is just as striking.

This is very much in line with Book One.

Knowing now what I know about OBEDIENCE, I imagine that diligence is the task of another member in the house, as obedience was Emma’s task (according to a reader’s review).

I’ve just read the blurb and I’m completely wrong! Sounds interesting though.

The Blurb for DILIGENCE

People died.

Emma is dealing with the aftermath of the shootout that changed her life. Yet, Leader expects her to go on living like nothing happened.

In a bout of rebellion, Emma hacks the Guild systems and catches the notice of the CIA. For the first time in her life, Emma has power and possibilities.

But the CIA wants Emma to betray Leader. With Obedience and Diligence at her heels, and freedom ahead, Emma is forced to make a lot of dangerous decisions.

And chances are, more people will die

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Two great covers for what seems like two great books! Top marks from me.

That’s all for today. Thank you for reading!

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