kwhitern's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
vibecalledjess's review
4.0
I love this world that Justina Ireland has created. The world building is incredible and it inspires me to learn more about the gritty details of the life of the formerly enslaved on the West Coast. Although fictional, the societal and cultural experiences (outside of zombies lol) are rooted in facts. Jane is a flawed but likable survivor and protector. I really enjoyed this 2nd book of her continued journey.
thebakersbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lizshayne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the first book in this series, enjoyed the first half of this one, and then basically fell off as soon as it became the story of a lost person trying to find themselves again.
I'm just not...interested in this story. Also
And that just really made it meh.
I'm just not...interested in this story. Also
Spoiler
either the person who is single-minded about murder is wrong in their murder and so the redemption is about learning to kill, or they're RIGHT about this particular murder but we think it's somehow BAD for them to do the murdering and that's just...so uninteresting to me.And that just really made it meh.
thatbookishwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
sunny_afternoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kaydanai's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
bobbysays's review
3.0
I just wasn’t as impressed as some have claimed. The characters never fully developed for me. I didn’t truly feel anything for any of them and was more annoyed that anything. Romance isn’t necessary, but in both the first book and this second one, there were promises of romanced that never came to fruition and that was frustrating. The hint of romance could have been left out altogether and I think it would have made for a better book. The end seemed hurried as well and was definitely anti-climactic with some mysterious left unresolved - perhaps to leave room for another book. It would definitely make for a good movie though and I love that the slavery trope was exchanged for free black people navigating a territory that was new in more ways than one.
dragoninwinterfell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Deathless Divide had so much potential to be as amazing as its predecessor, Dread Nation. Justina Ireland's skill in writing characters and developing a gritty world is still very strong. There's so much about this novel that I love. But that only made the parts of the book that weren't so great feel that much worse. Alongside strong characters and solid world-building, the story felt incredibly disjointed and the overall message seemed unrealistically preachy.
The Good: Again, the characters were very well-written. Jane continued to be a deeply complex and loveable heroine. The choice to make Katherine a co-lead alongside Jane was an excellent one. They're both unique and fascinating characters who can stand independently and complement each other well. Both narrators, Bahni Turpin and Jordan Cobb, brought each character to life beautifully. The supporting characters, especially Sue, were intriguing as well. Unfortunately...
The Bad: The story didn't hold up to the quality of the characters. The plot felt weirdly disjointed. The beginning of this book was very strong, but once a monumental incident happens, there is a year-and-a-half time jump that requires periodic info dumps that hint at stories much more interesting than the one told in the second portion of the novel. Both Jane and Katherine are forced to grow in different ways that would have benefited from being told through the actual narrative rather than just summarized here and there. The info dumps removed any emotional resonance that should have resulted from all that character and relationship development they went through. For instance, Jane has a romance during that year and a half that ends immediately after the jump. The ending of this relationship should be tragic. Rather than tragic, the situation is just incidental since we never got to see that relationship play out other than the ending of it.
The story also became very strangely preachy. Mild spoilers, but Jane becomes a bounty hunter while also hunting down the main villain of the series. This job involves killing terrible people who have done terrible things to others while forcing information out of them that will help her stop a man who is responsible for killing thousands if not millions of people. Somehow, Jane doing this is treated as her supposedly becoming as bad as the people she is executing. While she becomes a folk heroine who is seen as administering justice (which is what's happening), Jane and those around her are judging her to a very bizarre degree. I can't comprehend the idea that there's something wrong with her killing terrible people who will continue to do terrible things to others if they aren't stopped.
As amazing as Ireland's characters were, the story and the preachiness that seemed to support villainy continuing made this sequel fall flat for me, which is a real shame given the strength of the first novel.
The Good: Again, the characters were very well-written. Jane continued to be a deeply complex and loveable heroine. The choice to make Katherine a co-lead alongside Jane was an excellent one. They're both unique and fascinating characters who can stand independently and complement each other well. Both narrators, Bahni Turpin and Jordan Cobb, brought each character to life beautifully. The supporting characters, especially Sue, were intriguing as well. Unfortunately...
The Bad: The story didn't hold up to the quality of the characters. The plot felt weirdly disjointed. The beginning of this book was very strong, but once a monumental incident happens, there is a year-and-a-half time jump that requires periodic info dumps that hint at stories much more interesting than the one told in the second portion of the novel. Both Jane and Katherine are forced to grow in different ways that would have benefited from being told through the actual narrative rather than just summarized here and there. The info dumps removed any emotional resonance that should have resulted from all that character and relationship development they went through. For instance, Jane has a romance during that year and a half that ends immediately after the jump. The ending of this relationship should be tragic. Rather than tragic, the situation is just incidental since we never got to see that relationship play out other than the ending of it.
The story also became very strangely preachy. Mild spoilers, but Jane becomes a bounty hunter while also hunting down the main villain of the series. This job involves killing terrible people who have done terrible things to others while forcing information out of them that will help her stop a man who is responsible for killing thousands if not millions of people. Somehow, Jane doing this is treated as her supposedly becoming as bad as the people she is executing. While she becomes a folk heroine who is seen as administering justice (which is what's happening), Jane and those around her are judging her to a very bizarre degree. I can't comprehend the idea that there's something wrong with her killing terrible people who will continue to do terrible things to others if they aren't stopped.
As amazing as Ireland's characters were, the story and the preachiness that seemed to support villainy continuing made this sequel fall flat for me, which is a real shame given the strength of the first novel.
tangiblereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Great sequel. It is not as funny/sarcastic but still highly entertaining. You get to hear about Katherine’s background amid all the devastation these girls continue to experience. So much trauma and heartbreak that I wanted to cry at times, and kill at others. Although this world is different from our actual history, it is sad the injustices that befall brown/black skin folk are just transformed into a new terror. I am in awe of this book and the world Justina Ireland has created. Unlikely allies bound together by a common enemy in a world that was never safe and has always been cruel. All they can do is try to survive by whatever means. That changes people, and you are left questioning if you are a survivalist or a killer. There is morally gray or black and then there is wrong. Some folk will never get it. Who’s gonna do something about it.