Picked my copy up at a book sale, opened it when I got home and was immediately hooked. You have huge monsters that stir in winter darkness, barely repelled by magical wind-driven light orbs atop castle walls, and twins who are a princess and prince with secrets they've vowed to hide while protecting each other. Add in an older brother who's more like their rigid and brutal father, a mother who may or may not have a soul, romantic interests for both twins, (who may or may not be what they seem), and stir with excess action and intrigue. Leave readers hanging with multiple questions that are to be answered in the sequel. That tome is going to be my next read as soon as my copy arrives. ( )

Comparisons are a popular for describing books right now, it seems. It can be an extraordinarily helpful tool to find interesting books in a genre or to find other stories of a similar style. In Dividing Eden case, I'd perhaps describe it as a more nuanced [b:Red Queen|22328546|Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449778912s/22328546.jpg|25037051] mixed with the spectacular Conquerer's Saga.

Dividing Eden's style is similar to Kiersten White's Conquerer's Saga: dual narratives of a brother and sister in alternating chapters. It's a simple technique but one I find myself enjoying every time it appears. In this book, Andreus and Carys are royal twins in their late teens, each with their own secrets and motivations. I found them both deeply appealing, particularly late in the book as they both start to fracture under the physical and emotional impact of the book's events.

And boy, do the events of the story really pack a punch. Dividing Eden comes at you fast and hard, delivering more than enough information to piece together the complexity of Eden's society on top of obstacles like murder, assassinations, politics, drugs, and (off-page) sex. I found myself able to get a pretty clear picture of what Joelle Charbonneau intended, envisaging a complicated world lit by wind power.

There is very little romance in Dividing Eden - thank goodness, as it would have felt forced and distracted from more important storylines - but what little exists is very straight and very white. In fact, it's unclear if queerness or people of colour even exist in Eden. To others, that might not be a problem or even something they noticed at all, but to me, it's a failure in world-building.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and am eagerly anticipating the next book, even if it's a long ways away. ( )

2.5 Stars ( )

I met Joelle Charbonneau, and she really down played the excitement in this tale. She also didn't give away ANY clues to the shocker of the entire story. I loved this, from the beginning of the book to the high energy of the back and forth of the brother and sister bonds that will stand the test of time, or will it??? Look to the stars, they reveal all. ( )

I'm conflicted about this book. I enjoyed it, I liked the concept, but for some reason it felt flat.
The premise was interesting, twins Carys and Andreus competing for the throne, but I think the book was too slow to get there. I was expecting the competition right away, but first we meet the characters, the King and prince die, the queen doesn't accept to become the ruler and then the seer, Lady Imogen, fiance of the dead prince Micah, says that in a book says the twins have to compete against each other because the Elders want to chose another dude for King. So the competition begins, but as the twins are in good terms with each other it turns out kinda boring.
I had a different idea of where the story would go, in my mind it had fierce competion, great challenges, but nope. I got archery competition, a race and as any fantasy book, a ball.
The first chapter of the book was a boring introduction to be honest, I had a hard time getting into the story because one of the first things they tell you is how Carys is not like other silly girls who want to get married and have children, and Andreus is the typical womanizer who has sex with everything that moves.
I liked their bond at the beginning, they seemed to be there for each other all the time... but then I noticed Andreus says he cares for her sister, but when the time to show it comes, he always lets her down. He's a piece of shit. He literally sleeps with her brother's fiance the day he dies! and the day his sister is punished to protect him.
What I found interesting is that Carys has an addiction, it was something I'd never read about in a fantasy book, and one of the twins is cursed, but it wasn't explained what the curse was.
There are other characters but they didn't leave a strong impression, and there is like magic but I didn't understand what's with that.
It's enjoyable, but not the best fantasy book you'll read. I'm intrigued to read the sequel hoping Andreus dies and to know what's with the magic and the curse. ( )