Sunday, March 26, 2023

*Review* Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau

 

Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: June 6, 2017
Pages: 432


From the author of the New York Times bestselling The Testing trilogy comes a sweeping new fantasy series, perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sarah J. Maas.

Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?



I won a copy of this book through Goodreads. This is my honest review. 

I was so excited when I won this book through Goodreads, and then it sat on my shelf, unread, for years. And I'm a little bit mad at myself for that fact. The story sucked me in, teasing me with the mystery of Andreus' condition (pretty sure it's just asthma, which I can totally relate to but I live in a world where it's not considered a curse) and how that led to Carys acting the way she does. Then there's the mystery of which twin is the light and which is the dark. It seems obvious at first, but then other things happen that really put my assumptions on that score to the test. And that mystery is not fully resolved when the story is over. 

There were a lot of events that happened in this story that really frustrated me on a personal level. I think some of that frustration is because I still don't have a full grasp on the way this society is structured. Like I think I understand the way things work, but I don't really understand why changes couldn't/weren't made to make life happier if that makes sense. 

I'm definitely interested in reading the second book in the duology at some point, so I just gotta' try and catch it on sale on Amazon because that'll probably happen eventually, maybe. Overall I give Dividing Eden 4.38 out of 5 stars. - Katie 




Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical theater productions across Chicagoland. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Testing trilogy as well as two adult mystery series. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, the YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list, and state reading lists across the country. Her newest stand-alone YA thriller, Need, has been optioned for a feature film and is currently in development.

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