Review: Veronica Roth has outdone herself with the continuation to Carve the Mark. I was one of the few that actually loved the first book and I ended up enjoying The Fates Divide more than the first!

What Worked:
01. The new perspectives. In this novel, we were introduced to not one, but two additional perspectives (Cisi and Eijeh Kereseth). I was immediately concerned because in Roth’s book Allegiant, the additional perspective of Four was included for a very tragic reason. I won’t reveal why Roth included Cisi and Eijeh’s perspectives, but I did think that they contributed a lot to the story by filling in some of the plot holes from the first book.

02. The plot twist. I was absolutely shocked by what was revealed in the middle of the second book. It was very well set up, the roots tracing back to the first book and I was surprised that I didn’t catch on to what Roth was doing earlier. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that you will not be disappointed by the surprises Roth has in store. I’m still in disbelief! The impact was incredible!

03. Different planets. What differed in this book from Carve the Mark is that we were transported to the planets that Roth spent time developing from afar in the first novel. I felt immersed in the culture she created and it was nice to see how the main characters reacted to their change in environment. As a reader, I was exposed to new plant life, creatures, weather, clothing, architecture, languages, and more. The additional perspective from Cisi Kereseth also helped me to further picture her home planet of Thuvhe. I will say that the universe Roth created is very similar to that of Star Wars, but it wasn’t something that I minded.

What Didn’t Work:
01. Pacing. Once again, my only complaint is the pacing with this book. The story started where the first book left off and it took a while before it began to pick up. I had to be very patient as I made my way through the first few chapters.

Jess Approved?: ✓