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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Absolutely loved this book. My only gripe with it is that it ends here! Honestly felt like if this had another book I would happily read it and love it! Even better than the first book and so much story develops and action and it’s just great.
A good wrap-up to the first book in this series. I did enjoy the first book more than the second for its simplicity and for the fact that there was much less (none at all I think?) swearing in the first one. I did enjoy reading two more points of view and the narrators on the audio book were all very good. I really enjoyed Austen Butler as Akos. Overall, this one was more tense and slightly anti-climactic for me, but still a satisfying read.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For more reviews, check out my blog Reading Rad Books!
So we were tangled in a web together, cause and effect and choice and fate all intermingling.
Snapshot:
The Fates Divide, from best-selling author Veronica Roth, is the sequel to Carve the Mark in a galaxy far away. The book picks up the story of Cyra, Akos, and both their twisted families, who once found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, but now nothing is as it first appears. If you enjoy a good space book or movie, or a story with political and internal conflict, this is a great series to read.
Writing: 3.0
Characters: 3.5
Plot: 2.5
Originality: 3.5
All reviews are measured on a scale of 0 to 5.
Deep dive:
Unlike many other reviewers, I actually enjoyed [b:Carve the Mark|30117284|Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462467867s/30117284.jpg|44736077]. The premise and the story were unique, keeping me interested throughout the story. However, I could understand where others had issues with the book. Thankfully, The Fates Divide was a huge improvement, so much so that no one can deny it. The story is told through the eyes of Akos, Cyra, and Akos’ sister Cisi this time, each of them following their own paths. It’s relatively slow-paced in the beginning, but really picks up as you read. Once you pass a certain point in the book, you won’t want to stop. I actually ended up reading this book in a day because I just couldn’t manage to put it down.
There is much more political intrigue this time around, with the ruling council in the galaxy finally taking an interest in the increasing conflict between Thuvhe and the Shotet. Unsurprisingly it’s for their own selfish reasons; turns out that the hushflower that only grows on Thuvhe (or Urek to the Shotet) cannot grow anywhere else in the galaxy, so it’s continued exportation was extremely important to the council. With the conflict between the two peoples, that was unlikely to happen. The council, with the support of Isae Benesit (who is distraught after the death of her sister thanks to the Shotet) decides to take the side of the Thuveheans rather than the side of the seemingly brutal Shotet. The council, and much of the galaxy, views the Shotet as barbaric and as less than human.
Cisi is at the side of Isae as she grows increasingly vengeful towards the Shotet, starting by killing Rysek, Cyra’s evil brother. From there, Isae’s grief begins to overwhelm her, as she takes horrifying steps to subdue the Shotet, including bombing their beloved salvage ship and killing hundreds. With her unique current-gift, Cisi is able to control Isae’s grief and keep her more level-headed. Is this manipulative? A bit, but Cisi feels she has no chance, especially with Isae’s childhood friend, Ast, urging her to violence. Realizing that Cisi is somewhat influencing Isae, Ast attempts to kill her and then blackmails her when he fails. But Cisi is having none of that. She uses her current-gift to force Ast to tell the truth to Isae, and then he is arrested and removed forever. Cisi’s portion of the book was interesting, but it was pretty tame compared to Cyra and Akos.
Turns out that Cyra and Akos were switched at birth, meaning he is a member of the wicked Noavek family and she is actually a Kereseth. I’d just like to say I CALLED IT. If you don’t believe me check out my review for Carve the Mark. When Cyra was born, her birth mother (the oracle) saw some horrible fate for both Akos and Cyra, and she tried to avoid it by switching them when they were young. Maybe it was the right choice, but I will forever dislike that woman. She keeps manipulating fate for her own gain. Cyra, knowing since the last book that she wasn’t actually a Noavek, isn’t all that startled by the news. Akos, on the other hand, is completely thrown.
Akos always thought that he would become a traitor to his family and planet, thanks to his decreed fate, but it turns out that’s not his fate at all. His defeated attitude towards deciding his own fate had actually driven Cyra and Akos further apart, since Cyra just wanted him to choose her rather than surrendering to his fate in anger. With sudden clarity at the news, Akos takes off without telling Cyra where he’s going. Probably for the best since he had decided to take on his birth father, the monstrous Lazmet Noavek, knowing that he is the only one not vulnerable to Lazmet’s controlling current-gift. In the end, to beat Lazmet, Akos must do some horrible things. He has to turn in his friend, almost let Cyra die, and change his very personality to trick Lazmet into letting him close.
Cyra, on the other side of the galaxy, is setting herself the same mission without knowing what Akos is up to. With her team of Shotet refugees she sets out for Thuvhe (Urek) to kill the man she grew up believing was her father. But like I said, Cyra is caught as Lazmet forces her to almost kill herself in front of Akos’ eyes. Without another choice, Cyra retreats as the Shotet and Thuvhean casualties grow. Isae, driven to the edge, releases another bomb headed for the center of the Shotet where thousands of innocents will die. Caught in the middle, Cyra somehow finds the fortitude to use her current-gift, which she believes actually is CURRENT, to deflect the bomb, light against dark. For days afterward, her current marks are gone, giving her hope that her gift of pain is gone forever. I admit I cried a little bit inside when her pain returned along with her gift.
There’s much less fighting this time around and the main characters are pushed farther than they ever have been before. Thankfully, Cyra and Akos are able to overcome their demons and find their way back to each other. I don’t think I could’ve handled it if this didn’t have a happy ending. The author left it a bit open-ended so there might be a possibility of sequels, focusing on the divide of the galaxy between the planets that favor oracles and those who don’t. We’ll have to wait and see!
So we were tangled in a web together, cause and effect and choice and fate all intermingling.
Snapshot:
The Fates Divide, from best-selling author Veronica Roth, is the sequel to Carve the Mark in a galaxy far away. The book picks up the story of Cyra, Akos, and both their twisted families, who once found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, but now nothing is as it first appears. If you enjoy a good space book or movie, or a story with political and internal conflict, this is a great series to read.
Writing: 3.0
Characters: 3.5
Plot: 2.5
Originality: 3.5
All reviews are measured on a scale of 0 to 5.
Deep dive:
Unlike many other reviewers, I actually enjoyed [b:Carve the Mark|30117284|Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462467867s/30117284.jpg|44736077]. The premise and the story were unique, keeping me interested throughout the story. However, I could understand where others had issues with the book. Thankfully, The Fates Divide was a huge improvement, so much so that no one can deny it. The story is told through the eyes of Akos, Cyra, and Akos’ sister Cisi this time, each of them following their own paths. It’s relatively slow-paced in the beginning, but really picks up as you read. Once you pass a certain point in the book, you won’t want to stop. I actually ended up reading this book in a day because I just couldn’t manage to put it down.
There is much more political intrigue this time around, with the ruling council in the galaxy finally taking an interest in the increasing conflict between Thuvhe and the Shotet. Unsurprisingly it’s for their own selfish reasons; turns out that the hushflower that only grows on Thuvhe (or Urek to the Shotet) cannot grow anywhere else in the galaxy, so it’s continued exportation was extremely important to the council. With the conflict between the two peoples, that was unlikely to happen. The council, with the support of Isae Benesit (who is distraught after the death of her sister thanks to the Shotet) decides to take the side of the Thuveheans rather than the side of the seemingly brutal Shotet. The council, and much of the galaxy, views the Shotet as barbaric and as less than human.
Cisi is at the side of Isae as she grows increasingly vengeful towards the Shotet, starting by killing Rysek, Cyra’s evil brother. From there, Isae’s grief begins to overwhelm her, as she takes horrifying steps to subdue the Shotet, including bombing their beloved salvage ship and killing hundreds. With her unique current-gift, Cisi is able to control Isae’s grief and keep her more level-headed. Is this manipulative? A bit, but Cisi feels she has no chance, especially with Isae’s childhood friend, Ast, urging her to violence. Realizing that Cisi is somewhat influencing Isae, Ast attempts to kill her and then blackmails her when he fails. But Cisi is having none of that. She uses her current-gift to force Ast to tell the truth to Isae, and then he is arrested and removed forever. Cisi’s portion of the book was interesting, but it was pretty tame compared to Cyra and Akos.
Turns out that Cyra and Akos were switched at birth, meaning he is a member of the wicked Noavek family and she is actually a Kereseth. I’d just like to say I CALLED IT. If you don’t believe me check out my review for Carve the Mark. When Cyra was born, her birth mother (the oracle) saw some horrible fate for both Akos and Cyra, and she tried to avoid it by switching them when they were young. Maybe it was the right choice, but I will forever dislike that woman. She keeps manipulating fate for her own gain. Cyra, knowing since the last book that she wasn’t actually a Noavek, isn’t all that startled by the news. Akos, on the other hand, is completely thrown.
Akos always thought that he would become a traitor to his family and planet, thanks to his decreed fate, but it turns out that’s not his fate at all. His defeated attitude towards deciding his own fate had actually driven Cyra and Akos further apart, since Cyra just wanted him to choose her rather than surrendering to his fate in anger. With sudden clarity at the news, Akos takes off without telling Cyra where he’s going. Probably for the best since he had decided to take on his birth father, the monstrous Lazmet Noavek, knowing that he is the only one not vulnerable to Lazmet’s controlling current-gift. In the end, to beat Lazmet, Akos must do some horrible things. He has to turn in his friend, almost let Cyra die, and change his very personality to trick Lazmet into letting him close.
Cyra, on the other side of the galaxy, is setting herself the same mission without knowing what Akos is up to. With her team of Shotet refugees she sets out for Thuvhe (Urek) to kill the man she grew up believing was her father. But like I said, Cyra is caught as Lazmet forces her to almost kill herself in front of Akos’ eyes. Without another choice, Cyra retreats as the Shotet and Thuvhean casualties grow. Isae, driven to the edge, releases another bomb headed for the center of the Shotet where thousands of innocents will die. Caught in the middle, Cyra somehow finds the fortitude to use her current-gift, which she believes actually is CURRENT, to deflect the bomb, light against dark. For days afterward, her current marks are gone, giving her hope that her gift of pain is gone forever. I admit I cried a little bit inside when her pain returned along with her gift.
There’s much less fighting this time around and the main characters are pushed farther than they ever have been before. Thankfully, Cyra and Akos are able to overcome their demons and find their way back to each other. I don’t think I could’ve handled it if this didn’t have a happy ending. The author left it a bit open-ended so there might be a possibility of sequels, focusing on the divide of the galaxy between the planets that favor oracles and those who don’t. We’ll have to wait and see!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Technicalities, technicalities! So many times where I could tell that Roth was really trying to not make the same mistakes she made once before with technicalities!
Tally Hall Song: Taken For A Ride
Tally Hall Song: Taken For A Ride
Very anticlimactic. The book was better than the first and I did like how everything was wrapped up.
The Fates Divide is my most anticipated reads of 2018, and trust me it lived it up to what I wanted. One thing I love about Veronica Roth is her ability to write characters and develop them really well, make them feel like real people, even though sometimes it hurts to see them in pain. I think The Fates Divide is one of her best books yet so far, this story had a whole bunch of world building, character development, and the writing style was beautiful!! It's sad to say goodbye to this world and having to let go of this character is tough, but I think a re-read of both books is to come maybe. This series is special to me because one The Carve the Mark duology really got me into Science Fictions books and these books helped me with some of my own personal issues, and if you haven't read this series please do, it's filled with romance, action, shocking plot twist.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced