The Review that Would Not Come | Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau
I received this book for free from the mentioned source in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau
Series: Dividing Eden #1
Published by: Harper Collins, HarperTeen on June 6th 2017
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: ARC From Publisher, Edelweiss
View on: Goodreads
Grab it: Amazon
Review Score:
About the Book:rom the author of the New York Times bestselling 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?
Okay, before I even begin my review, I will admit I finished Dividing Eden way back in March. Yup, March. Normally after completing my first read through of anything I write a summary of my thoughts or formulate some kind of pre-review before I write my big review. However, after finishing Dividing Eden, and thinking about it, and thinking about it, and well … thinking about it some more, none of this occurred.
Initially, I was on board with the whole novel. Heck, I even posted a status update on Goodreads that I loved it (and I don’t use the big “L” word unless I mean it). Truth be told, I did love it and if asked about it in person, I might have raved about it. But, unfortunately the longer I sat on the review, the more I realized why it was taking me so long to put pen to paper and just whip something up.
I loved the concept of this fantasy: brother against sister, family drama, death, magic, a curse. Who doesn’t love curses, especially the good versus evil ones? It had all the aspects needed to successfully create a wonderful and enjoyable read. And to its credit, I devoured Dividing Eden over the course of two evenings. Why then, dear book gods, can I not simply love it?
Well, it all boils down to one simple thing…
Dividing Eden failed to leave an impression on me. The writing was descent, the plot pretty good; the characters (while I liked them mostly) failed to pull an emotion from me. I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened next. Who would be nearer to the throne at the end. There were several things that weren’t well explained (like the magic) and the quick division between siblings. According to the novel, the twins, Carys and Andreus, are supposed to be extremely close. However, their relationship deteriorated almost immediately. Why? Andreus seemed way too eager just to give up on his sister and easy to manipulate. By the end I just wanted him dead. Lol (sorry)
The good stuff…
The Trial of Succession was pretty dang cool. I also enjoyed some aspects of the world building such as the windmills, the secrecy and manipulations, and how the siblings were so different, Carys the adventurer, and Andreus the scholar. I enjoyed Carys’s protective nature over her brother, even though I did feel she protected him a tad bit too much. To be honest, I think I just wanted more. And while the book is long and the pace is pretty slow and steady, so much more could have happened!
Overall, if you enjoy fantasy novels about siblings and don’t mind stories that are just okay, then give it a try. I didn’t love it but I am interested to see what happens in the next installment.
If you like Dividing Eden and sibling rivalry, then try Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.
My Rating