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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Honestly this was a great duology. Powers, twins competing for the crown, betrayal on all sides, we love it all
Better than the first and yet...I started to skim read by the end. I'm not entirely sure what happened to the Council or Garret. I feel like Larkin didn't have to die. The end is not what I expected or wanted. Plot twists concerning Oben and Betrice's children was expected but still good - if I hadn't read the novella I might have been more surprised.
This is not a love story, don't expect too much from the romance (the romance would have saved it for me if it had been expanded on). It portrays the relationship between siblings wonderfully. It's a well plotted story.
Overall a decent way to end the duology.
This is not a love story, don't expect too much from the romance (the romance would have saved it for me if it had been expanded on). It portrays the relationship between siblings wonderfully. It's a well plotted story.
Overall a decent way to end the duology.
This book definitely moved a lot faster then the previous book. It was action packed and full of political intrigue as well as some major twists I did not see coming. It is amazing what can happen when the two characters actually talk to each other. The ending to this duology was somewhat bittersweet but the author left groundwork for future installments if she ever decides to go back to this world (although I don't believe she does).
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really liked this one. Gave new life to characters and there was a good twist at towards the end.
I don’t know how I didn’t realize the same person who authored The Testing (which I really didn’t like) authored these, and I still managed to buy them. Just yikes. I’ve read a lot of good writing and unfortunately, this just ain’t it y’all. It KILLED me to finish this book. The first one was slightly better but barely. The only actual good piece of writing in this series is the Into The Garden novella. Other than that, this is all choppy- to the point there were a few times I had to go back and reread because I thought my book was missing pages. There is barely any character development, and it’s a constant game that the author plays of “I know this secret thing that you’re going to find out soon” and it’s just straight up annoying. EVERY TINY LITTLE DETAIL can’t be a secret, and then the secrets turn out to be super disappointing! It’s a hot mess.
My most major annoyance was also that she tells you that the twins are super close, (and this is integral to the entire plot of the story) but there’s absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever except for on Cary’s side, kind of. She is pretty annoying just in general, and Dreus is the worst character I’ve ever read and not even in a good way. Everything is just so middle of the road. There’s no exceptionally good qualities in any of them, or exceptionally evil ones. Everyone and everything is just BLAH and boring and irritating. Literally the only reason I finished this book was because I paid for it. So, so disappointed. There was so much potential in the storyline but it fell WAY beyond short.
My most major annoyance was also that she tells you that the twins are super close, (and this is integral to the entire plot of the story) but there’s absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever except for on Cary’s side, kind of. She is pretty annoying just in general, and Dreus is the worst character I’ve ever read and not even in a good way. Everything is just so middle of the road. There’s no exceptionally good qualities in any of them, or exceptionally evil ones. Everyone and everything is just BLAH and boring and irritating. Literally the only reason I finished this book was because I paid for it. So, so disappointed. There was so much potential in the storyline but it fell WAY beyond short.
Plot:
Even though he was king, Andreus never felt more like a prince. He won the Trials of Virtuous Succession, lose the love of his life, Imogen, and his twin, Carys, in the process, and felt their deaths heavily on his heart. Once on the throne, problems in the kingdom started to arise. The lack of wind causes the lights to flicker, and with the colder months upon them, the Xhelozi are ready to attack any person left in the dark. When a hooded figure tries to murder Max, Andreus knew one of The Elders was behind the attack. But which one? Andreus, Max, and a guard that was loyal to his sister, Graylen, ban together to find out what future The Elders had for the kingdom of Eden.
Carys were very much alive. Traveling the outside of the kingdom, her team consists of Garret, Larkin and Errik; in which it was only Larkin who Carys truly trusted. Garret’s uncle was trying to set him up on the throne; Errik’s family was the family that Carys’s great-grandfather killed to become king. Imogen was also Errik’s cousin, whom Carys blame for turning her brother on her during the trials. Yet the both told Carys to trust them, and not the other. Separated from her twin, Carys angry towards him grows, as Andreus betrayal was something Carys never thought she had to face. Traveling to the seers’ village, Carys wanted to know how Imogen was selected as the kingdom’s seer. After that, Carys was out for blood, wanting to reclaim her throne, she was willing to kill her twin, no matter what.
Thoughts:
The saying that the sequel will never be good as the original falls true to this Joelle Charbonneau story. The final book in the duology, this book did not have the same spark that Dividing Eden had, that made it such an amazing book. With the writing style the same, Charhonneau mad, no development of the Carys character, and little, if any, to Andreus. Still taking on the point of view of Carys and Andreus, it was easy to tell which character was talking, as the switch from chapter to chapter. Charbonneau never really got into the fact that Imogen betrayed Andreus, as it was mentioned that once on throne, Imogen was going to kill Andreus, as she did Micah. Andreus was more upset that Imogen made him turn on Carys, than the fact the girl he loved, never loved him. With somewhat of a slow start, Charbonneau wrote the book as twist after twist, making the plot pretty inconsistent. With shocks coming until the end, the book is not bad, just a letdown after the amazingness that was Dividing Eden.
Even though he was king, Andreus never felt more like a prince. He won the Trials of Virtuous Succession, lose the love of his life, Imogen, and his twin, Carys, in the process, and felt their deaths heavily on his heart. Once on the throne, problems in the kingdom started to arise. The lack of wind causes the lights to flicker, and with the colder months upon them, the Xhelozi are ready to attack any person left in the dark. When a hooded figure tries to murder Max, Andreus knew one of The Elders was behind the attack. But which one? Andreus, Max, and a guard that was loyal to his sister, Graylen, ban together to find out what future The Elders had for the kingdom of Eden.
Carys were very much alive. Traveling the outside of the kingdom, her team consists of Garret, Larkin and Errik; in which it was only Larkin who Carys truly trusted. Garret’s uncle was trying to set him up on the throne; Errik’s family was the family that Carys’s great-grandfather killed to become king. Imogen was also Errik’s cousin, whom Carys blame for turning her brother on her during the trials. Yet the both told Carys to trust them, and not the other. Separated from her twin, Carys angry towards him grows, as Andreus betrayal was something Carys never thought she had to face. Traveling to the seers’ village, Carys wanted to know how Imogen was selected as the kingdom’s seer. After that, Carys was out for blood, wanting to reclaim her throne, she was willing to kill her twin, no matter what.
Thoughts:
The saying that the sequel will never be good as the original falls true to this Joelle Charbonneau story. The final book in the duology, this book did not have the same spark that Dividing Eden had, that made it such an amazing book. With the writing style the same, Charhonneau mad, no development of the Carys character, and little, if any, to Andreus. Still taking on the point of view of Carys and Andreus, it was easy to tell which character was talking, as the switch from chapter to chapter. Charbonneau never really got into the fact that Imogen betrayed Andreus, as it was mentioned that once on throne, Imogen was going to kill Andreus, as she did Micah. Andreus was more upset that Imogen made him turn on Carys, than the fact the girl he loved, never loved him. With somewhat of a slow start, Charbonneau wrote the book as twist after twist, making the plot pretty inconsistent. With shocks coming until the end, the book is not bad, just a letdown after the amazingness that was Dividing Eden.
The characters kept me guessing until the very end. I didn’t see the ending coming! I can’t believe the series was only two books, I would’ve liked to read them reunite.