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wardenred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Welcome to being friends with Jane McKeene, the hardest job in the world.
I really wish I liked this book more than I actually did. Because there was so much cool stuff here! The setting itself is beatuifully executed: all the historical details merged seamlessly with the added element of zombies, and all that light shed on the kind of people history loves to forget. The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse and pretty much everyone gets a moment to shine. There are plenty of little scenes that absolutely beg to play out on a tv screen. I loved the inclusion of Katherine as a narrator in her own right; I feel her chapters added a lot to the story, especially in the first part when Jane is largely out of action and mostly gets to be heartbroken over at least two different people. I liked every single action sequence.
But at the same time, all this awesomeness just never clicked into a solid story for me. The pacing is super rocky. There's that entire first half where nothing much happens until the plot twist in the middle. There are two absolutely beautiful chapters at the beginning of the first half (seriously, my favorite in the whole book and possibly the whole series) that carry such promise about all the change that happened to the characters, and then the story starts to meander again. A lot of the really important events happen either entirely off-screen or are jumbled into something very short; meanwhile, what feels like merely connective tissue drags on for pages and pages. There are numerous plot threads, including some coming all the way from the first book, that are underdeveloped or left hanging.
I frequently react to novellas with, "I wish this was a full-scale novel." With this book, my reaction is the opposite: I wish this was a novella. Or a string of short stories. Maybe all those meaningful parts would shine brighter if they weren't bogged down in all the rockiness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Violence, Animal death, and Confinement
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the first book. Jane had such an engaging, funny voice, and she was really a character to root for. It is an intriguing alternate history, where zombies (called shamblers) rise from the dead on the battlefields of Gettysburg, and kill and bite/turn people. Black people are used as cannon fodder in the war against the dead, and young Black women can be trained to fight the dead and protect white women. In the sequel, after the town of Summerland falls to shamblers, Jane and her friends escape, but there is an immediate death that sends Jane into depression and on a quest for revenge (over a character that I did not think was remotely worth it, but love is weird). While the change in her character makes sense due to the plot, I really missed the old Jane's voice, and consequently didn't enjoy this book nearly as much. It didn't feel like there was a lot to this book, if that makes sense. On the plus side, we now have Katherine as a narrator, in addition to Jane, and I liked seeing her POV (and her ace rep). Katherine, and her loyalty to her best friend Jane, is the saving grace of this story. Ireland shows multiple races in the 1800s Western US and handles well the explanations of racism against Black people, and the stress that puts on them, just to survive. On the negative side, story lines feel half-fleshed out, characters that should interact don't, the pacing was uneven, and I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Ireland handled the discussion of the Chinese immigrants or the Native Americans. The book felt way too long for the amount of plot that actually happens. I was looking forward to this one, and unfortunately, I was disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Child death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Blood, Colonisation, Racism, Violence, and Abandonment
breesbookmark's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Gore, Police brutality, Sexism, Gun violence, Violence, Misogyny, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Murder, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Slavery, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Child death and Abandonment
lizabethstucker's review
4.5
4.5 out of 5
After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene and Katherine Deveraux escort a wagon of survivors to Nicodemus, Kansas. They and Jackson Keats fight off shamblers during the trip to the black-run town, observing how the undead appear to be getting larger and smarter with their tactics.
Jane has no intentions of staying in Kansas, her plans to continue to California to search for her mother and Aunt Aggie, the woman who essentially raised her, is still her primary focus. But events interfere with her plans, from survival to revenge to dealing with grief and guilt.
Starts immediately after the end of "Dread Nation". Immediately engrossing, with the added benefit of alternating chapters giving us more insight into Katherine. I was iffy about her in the first book, but this time I find myself enjoying her more and more. We're given a much better look at her backstory and her methods of dealing with anxiety and self-doubt with the use of her corset.
Jane is still as prickly as ever, certain events that happen in the story making her try desperately to harden her heart to protect herself. She believes she is alone, friendless, but Jane has more friends and allies than even she can imagine.
Prepare to have your heart twisted and broken, patched and twisted again. Ireland has given us strong black characters, inclusivity, bisexual characters such as Jane, and a chunky read. Comparing it to the first book? Not quite as strong, but that might be due to the size. It literally could've been divided into two books, considering how the different sections were separated by over a year. Just my opinion. Still a great read.
CONTENT WARNING: child endangerment, child death, zombies, violence, and brutality.
After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene and Katherine Deveraux escort a wagon of survivors to Nicodemus, Kansas. They and Jackson Keats fight off shamblers during the trip to the black-run town, observing how the undead appear to be getting larger and smarter with their tactics.
Jane has no intentions of staying in Kansas, her plans to continue to California to search for her mother and Aunt Aggie, the woman who essentially raised her, is still her primary focus. But events interfere with her plans, from survival to revenge to dealing with grief and guilt.
Starts immediately after the end of "Dread Nation". Immediately engrossing, with the added benefit of alternating chapters giving us more insight into Katherine. I was iffy about her in the first book, but this time I find myself enjoying her more and more. We're given a much better look at her backstory and her methods of dealing with anxiety and self-doubt with the use of her corset.
Jane is still as prickly as ever, certain events that happen in the story making her try desperately to harden her heart to protect herself. She believes she is alone, friendless, but Jane has more friends and allies than even she can imagine.
Prepare to have your heart twisted and broken, patched and twisted again. Ireland has given us strong black characters, inclusivity, bisexual characters such as Jane, and a chunky read. Comparing it to the first book? Not quite as strong, but that might be due to the size. It literally could've been divided into two books, considering how the different sections were separated by over a year. Just my opinion. Still a great read.
CONTENT WARNING: child endangerment, child death, zombies, violence, and brutality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Child abuse
honuzbubbles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Racism
fyarae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Really fantastic characters and a rich world that makes you really question the prejudices in today's society. Fantastic world building, a wonderful read. I just wish there was a coupling up at the end with two characters but I will survive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gore
Moderate: Death
sshabein's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Just as good as the first book. I listened to the audiobook version, and this time we get half the chapters from the point of view of Katherine, and both narrators do a good job. If it continues on after this, great, and if not, it ends in a satisfying way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism
literarymoodz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Child death
ericadawson's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I ended up enjoying Deathless Divide more than I expected, especially considering my steadily decreasing hopes for the book during the first part.
Jane's constant romantic troubles bogged down the beginning of the book, to the point where even after the Big Reveal for one of her (several) romantic infatuations, I stopped feeling bad for her because like, girl, he cheated. Twice. This man was the definition of a lightskin loser and I could not understand the level of devastation Jane was feeling. Even the reveal of this man's secret seemed out of left field. Not only that, but Jane had a tendency to start making eyes at nearly every man she came across, up to and including a definitely racist insane white man. Please.
(I noticed an annoying pattern of Jane's crushes tending toward being mixed or non-Black people exclusively. I think we have one non-mixed Black woman who's a prominent character. Otherwise, your chances of finding someone who's fully Black and fully significant are slim.)
I will say, though, that this was really my only issue with this book. I loved Katherine's character, the way she developed into a very sure-footed person and insightful person. Her introspections contrasted nicely with Jane's. I liked Jane's corruption arc, and I loved their friendship and Katherine's unwavering loyalty to Jane.
I enjoyed the voice and the prose, as well as the distinction between Katherine and Jane's POVs. Tension was well maintained, although I began to much prefer the post-time skip portion of the book over what was going on beforehand. Again, the romance(s), often times seemingly nonsensical, got on my nerves enough to knock down the star rating for this book.
It's rare that I enjoy sequels as much as I did this one--but if there happens to be a third installment, I'll be tuning in.
Jane's constant romantic troubles bogged down the beginning of the book, to the point where even after the Big Reveal for one of her (several) romantic infatuations, I stopped feeling bad for her because like, girl, he cheated. Twice. This man was the definition of a lightskin loser and I could not understand the level of devastation Jane was feeling. Even the reveal of this man's secret seemed out of left field. Not only that, but Jane had a tendency to start making eyes at nearly every man she came across, up to and including a definitely racist insane white man. Please.
(I noticed an annoying pattern of Jane's crushes tending toward being mixed or non-Black people exclusively. I think we have one non-mixed Black woman who's a prominent character. Otherwise, your chances of finding someone who's fully Black and fully significant are slim.)
I will say, though, that this was really my only issue with this book. I loved Katherine's character, the way she developed into a very sure-footed person and insightful person. Her introspections contrasted nicely with Jane's. I liked Jane's corruption arc, and I loved their friendship and Katherine's unwavering loyalty to Jane.
I enjoyed the voice and the prose, as well as the distinction between Katherine and Jane's POVs. Tension was well maintained, although I began to much prefer the post-time skip portion of the book over what was going on beforehand. Again, the romance(s), often times seemingly nonsensical, got on my nerves enough to knock down the star rating for this book.
It's rare that I enjoy sequels as much as I did this one--but if there happens to be a third installment, I'll be tuning in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Child death, Murder, Blood, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, and Vomit