Scan barcode
jenny_librarian's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
It's been years since I read These Rebel Waves, so I was a bit out of it coming into this sequel. I didn't want to reread book 1, mostly because I wouldn't have had time to do that and read book 2, therefore not completing one of my 2021 goals. I read the synopsis of TRW, along with my review of it, and jumped right into These Divided Shores.
It was a bit of a scary jump. The same kind I expect whenever I'll pick up Game of Thrones again. Sara Raasch's world is very politic and there's a lot happening in those books. As it stands, I wonder if she should have made it into a trilogy, since those two books are so packed with political turmoil and war that there's little time for the characters - and readers - to catch their breath.
Because it's been so long, I didn't have the emotional connection to the character I would've had if I'd read them back-to-back. I struggled to sense the chemistry between Vex and Lu (doesn't help that they spend 80% of the book apart) and I totally forgot about Ben and Jakes until the 150-something page. However, I have to say thatBen and Gunnar are alright.
The worldbuilding and politics are very realistic, and it made me think of a few real-world examples of ethnic cleansing in the of religion. The whole raiders vs Argrid vs Grace Lorayans was also quite well done. It made sense throughout and I was never thrown away from the story by the decisions made.
It's a very good series, though I would have preferred it be divided (pun intended) in three volumes instead. However, if you want to read this, you should definitely have book 1 fresh in mind.
It was a bit of a scary jump. The same kind I expect whenever I'll pick up Game of Thrones again. Sara Raasch's world is very politic and there's a lot happening in those books. As it stands, I wonder if she should have made it into a trilogy, since those two books are so packed with political turmoil and war that there's little time for the characters - and readers - to catch their breath.
Because it's been so long, I didn't have the emotional connection to the character I would've had if I'd read them back-to-back. I struggled to sense the chemistry between Vex and Lu (doesn't help that they spend 80% of the book apart) and I totally forgot about Ben and Jakes until the 150-something page. However, I have to say that
The worldbuilding and politics are very realistic, and it made me think of a few real-world examples of ethnic cleansing in the of religion. The whole raiders vs Argrid vs Grace Lorayans was also quite well done. It made sense throughout and I was never thrown away from the story by the decisions made.
It's a very good series, though I would have preferred it be divided (pun intended) in three volumes instead. However, if you want to read this, you should definitely have book 1 fresh in mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Infidelity
fool_ofabook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This series was so strong and beautifully written. It wasnt perfect, but it was pretty damn close. I'm in love with these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, and Death
More...