Asunder (Incarnate Trilogy, #2)

by Jodi Meadows

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

• ISBN10: 0062060805
• ISBN13: 9780062060808
• Publish Date: 29 January 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Chelsea]

Cover

This cover is kind of creepy but pretty at the same time. You know what I mean?

Initial Thoughts

I found the first book in this series ok. It wasn't bad and it wasn't spectacular so my hopes weren't very high going into this one. Especially since almost always the first book is the best. I really enjoy the concept of this series though so I was eager to continue it.

My New BFF

I'm not even sure who to pick here. I had favourites in the previous book but so much happened in this one and so much was revealed about these characters that I'm not sure anymore. Ana isn't bad for a main character. She was a little annoying at times but she stood up for herself more in this book. I was actually pretty proud of her.

My Crush

Dossam, or Sam, is the obvious winner here. I love everything about his character. I like how he treats Ana equally to everyone else. It's very nice of him. Also I like the pace of his and Ana's relationship. It doesn't feel rushed like a lot of other relationships we're reading about. I liked how when Sam said I love you, Ana didn't rush to say it back. That's more realistic to me. There were some silly cheesy moments though, just a warning, but they aren't that bad.

Writing Style

I find that Jodi Meadows hasn't really amazed me yet. This book is really good but I'm always looking for something spectacular. Her writing is clear and to the point. This book was mostly focused on character building which I found she did really well. I just wished we could know more about outside of their little town.

Closing Thoughts

I liked this book more than the first. The main characters grew more and the truth was revealed about a lot of people. I was satisfied after reading it but I wanted to be stunned. I wished it had given us just a little bit more to work with. I wished there was just a little bit more romance though! There was a lot about the relationship itself but the romance was missing. I liked how Ana developed as a character though. I found she was much more involved in the community and she actually worked for what she wanted. I wished we could have gotten to know the new characters she met a little better though. Also I'm a little unsure about the villain in this book. I think I'm going to have to read the last book before fully judging this series.

[Stephanie]

I cannot explain how weird these books are! In a good way. These books remind me of the Beautiful Creatures series, only because they're both somewhat slow paced, but I'm fascinated with the world that they live in, so I'm not completely disliking the book.

This book picks up right where Incarnate left off. Now Ana's mission is to keep all the newsouls safe from all the hostile oldsouls who think the newsouls are the end of the world. But this proves to be rather difficult because people are extremely upset that some of their friends will not be coming back, ever, and now they have to deal with these newsouls.

For most of the book I was trying to wrap my head around what it would be like to live for 5,000 years with the same people, with the comfort of knowing that if you die, you'll just be reincarnated. But then Templedark happened, and now they know that some people will never come back. How do people, who have lived with the same people for 5,000 years, deal with this? They've never dealt with grief before, but now it's a real thing. I feel like Meadows did well with this. Most of the oldsouls holed themselves up for months, while others were sad, but still managed to move on. But then there were some who got mad, and were blaming Ana for the lose of their friends.

There's a lot that happened toward the end of the book that I would love to talk about, but it would kind of spoil the book a little. The thing with Janan really amazes me with how strange the idea is. This thing is living inside the walls that protect Heart? How did this happen? How does one end up like this? Where did this magic come from?

I feel like Asunder raises a lot more questions, and I'm hoping that they all get answered in the next book, Infinite. With the crazy things that happened in Asunder, I will definitely be picking up Infinite.

[ladygrey]

[author:Jodi Meadows] writing style is soft and slow in a delightful sort if way. If I were in an especially literary mood is compare it to the way her characters have lived for five thousand years so there is nothing hurried in there existence. There is very little tension in the novel even as her characters don't know urgency because even death is essentially meaningless.

Except for Ana. In some ways I liked that world explored through Ana's eyes. I liked her better than in [book:Incarnate] because she was strong and decisive even when she was confused. I like that she's determined and she was less afraid to act on that.

Mostly I like her and Sam because he is flawed but he's also patient and protective and tender and playful and their music gives them a depth. I liked the struggles in their relationship and how honest they were with each other.

This is totally a trilogy that could have been done in half as many pages but I like the languid feel of it and that it's still a fast read, enjoyable read.

[Angie]

Asunder is an amazing follow-up to the wonderful Incarnate! The world is easily my favorite thing about this series, as I'm sure I made very clear in my review of the first book. This time the plot demands more world building, so I was hooked from the very beginning! Ana and Sam are working together to understand Menehem's research regarding the sylph, Janan, and the reincarnation process. I found all of this incredibly fascinating!

Just like the first book, Asunder starts with a sylph attack. Well, kind of. Instead of attacking, they actually start to dance. Dancing sylph? Yeah, totally bizarre, but that's just one of the strange things that we learn about these dangerous creatures. They're much more than just shadow and fire. In addition to the sylph, we also return to Janan's temple and find out what sinister things took place there 5,000 long years ago, as well as plans for the near future. I loved all of the history we got about Heart in this book. It just makes everything feel much more real!

Ana is also on a mission for newsoul rights. After the battle Templedark, many souls won't be returning and this has the citizens of Heart on edge. Then when newsouls start being born the tensions and violence escalate, and Ana again becomes the target. People seriously suck! While I enjoyed this plot and wanted to see Ana succeed, it started to feel a little preachy towards the end. Of course, I agree that people shouldn't be tormented for being different, but I also didn't need to be reminded of that fact throughout the entire book.

As for the romance, Ana and Sam are sickeningly adorable. Their relationship is so sweet and innocent. I just want to scoop them both into a big hug! They haven't reached steamy levels yet, but there is talks of going further, even if Ana doesn't fully understand what that entails. She also continues to struggle with whether or not she's able or allowed to love, since she's a "nosoul." Her feelings for Sam are obvious to everyone, so it was sad seeing her question it in that way.

The ending leaves us with a cliffhanger! I was shocked at what Sam reveals, since I wasn't expecting that. It's going to have major consequences in the last book and I can't wait to see how he and Ana deal with it. The people of Heart are definitely going to need her help, whether they want it or not.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Ashley]

Book Nook — Young Adult book reviews

I was a little bit nervous going into Asunder because I had some issues with Incarnate, but I ended up liking Asunder even more!

My biggest gripe in Incarnate was the romance. I didn't feel it at all. To be honest, I still wasn't a huge fan of it in Asunder, but since it was already established, I think it was easier for me to accept. It also felt like it had a smaller role in the story. There were still some awkward moments in the book (for example, when Ana and Sam discuss the inappropriateness of their relationship and the 5,000 year age difference), but overall I just kind of tuned it out and that allowed me to enjoy the fantasy and story elements much more.

Ana was a much stronger character in Asunder. There were still a few times when I didn't like her—mostly when she talked about her "inability to love"—but overall she was much better; she was a character fighting for an important cause. She took action and stood up for herself. She had big dreams and aimed to make monumental changes in the society. She wasn't perfect, but it was nice to see her out there fighting rather than lurking in the shadows.

What I liked most about Asunder was the mystery element. Ana was very clearly working towards a goal: she aimed to make change and uncover truths. Her goal was much more focused in this book than in Incarnate, where she simply wanted to learn about her origins. In Asunder, Ana works towards forming alliances, doing research, gathering information, and uncovering mysteries. This clear focus made the story really intense and quick to read!

I think the pacing was better in this book as well. There weren't any long, drawn out periods if inaction, or long periods where Ana was doing nothing but attending lessons and learning music. There were a few, but they were mostly short and fit in with the story. For most of the book, important things are happening—things that will keep you interested and engaged in the plot! It's really fun to sit there and speculate because Jodi arranges it in a way that you have no idea who to trust. I do have to admit that the end isn't really as big of a twist as I was hoping for. I kind of wanted to be caught off guard with the big reveal of who was behind everything. Normally I expect it to be the unexpected, but in this case it ended up being the expected.. if that makes sense. But even so, the action, mysteries, and reveals are interesting and engaging!

One final complaint: I wanted more dragons! They didn't make an appearance in Asunder, which was kind of a let down for me. I feel like there's an interesting story there (as introduced in Incarnate), but we don't learn anything new about them. Hopefully we'll find out more in the third book!

Asunder wasn't a perfect book, but I do think it was much better than Incarnate. The writing is beautiful, the plot was interesting, and most importantly, this book felt necessary. It wasn't an empty 'filler' book and didn't suffer from the second-book-in-a-series syndrome. The plot develops nicely and Jodi Meadows sets the stage for what will probably be a very interesting third book!