I liked this one a little better than Carve the Mark. I think maybe because the world was more established and the complicated relationship between each character was more set. Also opening up the universe to new planets made and introducing more characters with darker skin as more than just warriors or brutal dictators also helped. That doesn’t make some of the character development any less problematic but I do think that Veronica Roth listened to the criticism of the first one and took that into account while writing this one. I’m also grateful that this is only a duology and not a trilogy. Knowing that this was the last book, I felt the pacing was better, the story more concise loose ends tied up. That being said, she did leave an opening to return to this world if she wanted to but I’m happy with how it ended.
The Fates Divide picks up right after the end of Carve the Mark. Cyra and Akos, along with Ryzek, Cisi and Isea and Eijeh have fled the arena and leaving the Shotet in chaos. With Ryzek presumed dead and Cyra leaving their is a power vacuum in Shotet that unfortunately gets filled by her once presumed dead Dad, who makes Ryzek look tame. If that wasn’t enough, Isea is grieving for her lost sister and using her Chancellor position to take revenge with the help of the Assembly. They also have those pesky little fates to contend with. They must all overcome all these obstacles and succumb to their fates but at the same time create their own. It’s tug of war. Cyra really comes into her own in this one. She has been told her whole life that she wasn’t worth it. She had a gift that could only bring pain and for that reason she pushed people away and expected people to disappoint her. Akos is rattled with guilt because he promised his dad to save his brother and that is almost impossible now. They both are way to earnest and way to self-sacrificing for my liking but it is who they are. In this one, we also get the point of view of Akos’ sister, Cisi and Eijeh. Eijeh who is destined to be an oracle but after years of torture by Ryzek has changed him but through him we see how the oracles work and how unreliable they can be. Cisi’s point of view gives us a glimpse of the other side of the Thuve and Shotet fight. The first book was only of Cyra and Akos and the Shotet. The Shotet are not well liked by and seen as pest because of their militaristic ways and constant scavenging. We can see how quickly things can escalate when you stop looking at the other side as less then they are. Our own hurt and pain blinds us to the hurt and pain of others and forces us to make rash decisions. Cisi tries to be that moderating voice before real a catastrophe happens.
Overall it was a good series that I enjoyed. I’m glad that the problems of the first book didn’t carry over to this one.
The kingdom of of Orleans is obsessed with beauty because their people were cursed with grey skin and brittle straw hair. The Belles are the blessed few who were born with color and the ability to make others beautiful too. They can change a person’s skin color, bone structure, hair and make-up and because of this they have a privileged place in the kingdom. Camille is one of six new Belles and she wants to be the Favorite. The Favorite lives in the Palace with the Queen and the Royal family. She gets to help create the laws of beauty and sets the standard. She will do anything to be the favorite even if it means getting it over her best friend. However Palace life isn’t what she imagined. For one thing, the Princess is a nightmare and a psycho. She’s the technically the second in line for the throne but her older sister has been in a coma so she’s about to named regent. Camille is smart and ambitions but at times she is so slow I want to scream at her to pay more attention to wants going on! She at times is so wrapped up in being the best Belle and impressing others that she fails to see that she is falling right into their trap. It was a good set up to an intriguing series. It had a lot of world building in the this one so now that is out of the way, I think the rest of series will move at a better pace.
This novel had a lot of hype around it and I’m glad to say it was justified. From the very beginning I was hooked. With the exception of one section, it was fast paced and gripping. I immediately liked Zelie and was rooting for her to succeed. I was drawn to Amari and struggle to right the wrongs of her family and battling her own fears. Both of these women are strong and brave. They have their own flaws but when it came to helping those in need they didn’t hesitate to step in. It’s beautifully written and full of lush imagery that I felt I was taken to an Orisha just as I was taken to Wakanda in Black Panther. There is so much potential in how this series will unfold that I really can not wait to read the next book. Like I want it right now!
The final book in the Front Lines trilogy was fitting ending for all three of our heroines. The alternate history re-imagined World War Two if women had been allowed to serve and be drafted into the Military. Rio, Frangie and Rainey all enlisted as the US was on the brink of joining the war. Throughout the trilogy we have followed Frangie, Rio and Rainey through basic training, northern Africa and Italy all while trying to figure out who they are how they fit in in this new world. Does being a soldier make them any less feminine? And what future do they have to look forward to after the war is over. At the end of the last book, they were all awarded Silver Stars for their bravery in Italy. If they thought winning a Silver Star would make their lives as soldiers, they were mistaken. In some cases it only made their mostly male soldiers resent them even more. Rio’s hometown sweetheart, struggles to deal with the fact he had to be rescued by his girl and she gets rewarded for it. The gender roles have been reversed and he can’t deal with it. Our Soldier Girls are preparing for the D-Day invasion to open the final book. With it comes all the blood and carnage that we come to expect from years of seeing this battle depicted on the big screen. As the girls progress from Normandy to Paris to Battle of the Bulge in Belgium to finally Germany. They are faced with hardships and hard decisions as they continue to face the cruel reality of war. They are fighting a war against the Nazis about also about the sexism and racism in the Military. It truly speaks to what women face today. I have to wonder what our country would be like if women had been able to serve in World War Two. How would our world be different and how much would it be the same? It sort of get the sense that Michael Grant doesn’t seem to think that history would have changed all that much but also could be my own cynicism. Anyway, it was a good series full of great characters and an interesting ideas. I’m glad I read it but I can’t help but wonder what if there were stories of real soldier girls that could be told.
2 Women, So Many Books 