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mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Alcohol
midnightcomets's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
*review to come, because I love this duology*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Acephobia/Arophobia
wordsareworlds's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
2.75
This book left me with a lot of complicated feelings. There were parts of it I adored and was completely rivited by, and others that left a sour taste in my mouth. Ireland has written an excellent Western tale centering Black Americans, whose history has been all but completely erased in the story of the Old West. It is much darker in tone than Dread Nation, and tells a more complicated story for both Jane and Katherine.
I enjoyed the plot overall. Both the threat of the primary villain and Jane's emotional journey were poignant and moving. I've seen complaints that the book has anti-science or anti-vaccine rhetoric, but completely disagree. There is no separating the events in this book from the horrific history of forced medical experimentation on Black people in America. Ireland gives the villain nuance, but his actions are absolutely inexcusable and I think it is disingenuous to make the comparison to current anti-vaccination rhetoric.
The book alternates PoVs between Jane and Katherine, and it was wonderful to see through Kate's eyes. Her voice is distinct, and she faces her own struggles that are just as compelling as Jane's. They spend the vast majority of the book separated, but they're never far from each other's thoughts or hearts, and their bond is one of the best parts of the book.
Unfortunately, in comparison to Dread Nation, the pacing of this felt off to me. The first part dragged in the reading, even though so much happened. There is a significant time jump just at a major turning point, and while it made sense on one hand to push the characters forward, it also meant almost all of Katherine's growth happened off-page and was recounted in small mentions. The ending felt rushed - there is a large disconnect at the conclusion of the book that I would have loved to get more details about, rather than a couple of pages covering several weeks. There were also a couple of large plot points that were dropped without resolution. I was especially confused about the concern over Lily - neither Jane nor Katherine actually have a conversation with her in part 2, despite the references to her being haunted, "pointed glances" when Jane asks after her, and Jane specifically saying they need to talk
I was excited by the queer rep in the first book, and Ireland stays true to that in the second. In addition to Jane and Kate, there are several queer side characters and it is an easily accepted part of the world that I appreciated very much.
There is a slightly wider range of characters from other non-white races in this book, but most of that representation was poorly handled. Ireland wanted to highlight that anti-Black racism is not a problem confined to white people, and that history is also neglected when discussing white supremacy in America. However, part of how she decided to exemplify those racial tensions is through erasing the history of both Native and Chinese people, and villainizing them without even the nuance offered to the main villain of the duology. Several Native tribes are mentioned in passing, but never seen. Redfern gets more page time here, but with as little characterization as in the first book. The Chinese people in San Francisco are a mafia-style window dressing, with the only speaking character an unnamed immigration official. The Latinx rep seemed better, but we get only the briefest moment with them as well.
I enjoyed the plot overall. Both the threat of the primary villain and Jane's emotional journey were poignant and moving. I've seen complaints that the book has anti-science or anti-vaccine rhetoric, but completely disagree. There is no separating the events in this book from the horrific history of forced medical experimentation on Black people in America. Ireland gives the villain nuance, but his actions are absolutely inexcusable and I think it is disingenuous to make the comparison to current anti-vaccination rhetoric.
The book alternates PoVs between Jane and Katherine, and it was wonderful to see through Kate's eyes. Her voice is distinct, and she faces her own struggles that are just as compelling as Jane's. They spend the vast majority of the book separated, but they're never far from each other's thoughts or hearts, and their bond is one of the best parts of the book.
Unfortunately, in comparison to Dread Nation, the pacing of this felt off to me. The first part dragged in the reading, even though so much happened. There is a significant time jump just at a major turning point, and while it made sense on one hand to push the characters forward, it also meant almost all of Katherine's growth happened off-page and was recounted in small mentions. The ending felt rushed - there is a large disconnect at the conclusion of the book that I would have loved to get more details about, rather than a couple of pages covering several weeks. There were also a couple of large plot points that were dropped without resolution. I was especially confused about
I was excited by the queer rep in the first book, and Ireland stays true to that in the second. In addition to Jane and Kate, there are several queer side characters and it is an easily accepted part of the world that I appreciated very much.
There is a slightly wider range of characters from other non-white races in this book, but most of that representation was poorly handled. Ireland wanted to highlight that anti-Black racism is not a problem confined to white people, and that history is also neglected when discussing white supremacy in America. However, part of how she decided to exemplify those racial tensions is through erasing the history of both Native and Chinese people, and villainizing them without even the nuance offered to the main villain of the duology. Several Native tribes are mentioned in passing, but never seen. Redfern gets more page time here, but with as little characterization as in the first book. The Chinese people in San Francisco are a mafia-style window dressing, with the only speaking character an unnamed immigration official. The Latinx rep seemed better, but we get only the briefest moment with them as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
DEATHLESS DIVIDE is a strong sequel, briefly echoing some of the events of DREAD NATION in a new town before things take a grimly foreseen turn, setting the characters on a new, even bloodier path on their way to California.
The emotional core of the story is the friendship between Katherine and Jane, as this tests how far Jane will go for vengeance and how far Katherine is willing and able to follow her. They began the first book as social rivals and ended it scarred by the same waves of zombies and death, as well as a myriad of more individualized heartaches and wounds. DEATHLESS DIVIDE continues their dangerous trek as they try to keep the other members of their traveling party alive.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the previous book. The main storyline starts here and mostly wasn’t present before, with several big things that are both introduced and resolved within DEATHLESS DIVIDE. This appears to be the end of the duology, and while the world of these stories is grand enough to contain more tales it does feel complete for these particular characters. There was a particular goal expressed early in DREAD NATION which ends up resolved, and that in particular helps this to feel like the end of the story. Jane is a returning narrator and her voice is consistent with the first book. Katherine is a welcome addition as narrator, and her view of herself and of Jane is very different from Jane’s perception of them. They're a fine pair of narrators, seeing each of them through the other one’s eyes is a great way to explore their personalities.
I like a lot of the secondary characters, both the new ones and the returning minor characters who get more of a role this time around. There was a tendency for the book to feel like it picked them up and then just shoved them to the background as they stopped being relevant to some emotional beat in Jane and Katherine's journey. Sue is consistently present, which was nice, and the very dangerous journey meant that the very large cast was necessary as people kept dying and getting replaced by new people to keep safe. Part of that is because the plot isn't about them and it isn't trying to be, but it did make for a strange feeling every time a new person was introduced as I waited to find out whether they were going to get killed or just fade into the background. Lily in particular faded, she was so important as a person to find and keep safe in DREAD NATION and then she just is around but mostly stops being relevant less than halfway through DEATHLESS DIVIDE. I know how she ends up, the story doesn't lose track of her so this isn't a plot hole or something, but it felt odd, and she wasn't the only one this happened to. It might be a reflection of how much Jane and Katherine are surrounded by death and it makes Jane in particular pretty numb to other people's feelings, so anyone that only Jane was keeping track of is prone to fade from the story.
This is a great finish to a solid duology with vibrant main characters and a very memorable setting. I had a great time reading it and I like how it ended, it was open enough to imply possibilities while also addressing the whole reason for their quest for California in the first place.
The emotional core of the story is the friendship between Katherine and Jane, as this tests how far Jane will go for vengeance and how far Katherine is willing and able to follow her. They began the first book as social rivals and ended it scarred by the same waves of zombies and death, as well as a myriad of more individualized heartaches and wounds. DEATHLESS DIVIDE continues their dangerous trek as they try to keep the other members of their traveling party alive.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the previous book. The main storyline starts here and mostly wasn’t present before, with several big things that are both introduced and resolved within DEATHLESS DIVIDE. This appears to be the end of the duology, and while the world of these stories is grand enough to contain more tales it does feel complete for these particular characters. There was a particular goal expressed early in DREAD NATION which ends up resolved, and that in particular helps this to feel like the end of the story. Jane is a returning narrator and her voice is consistent with the first book. Katherine is a welcome addition as narrator, and her view of herself and of Jane is very different from Jane’s perception of them. They're a fine pair of narrators, seeing each of them through the other one’s eyes is a great way to explore their personalities.
I like a lot of the secondary characters, both the new ones and the returning minor characters who get more of a role this time around. There was a tendency for the book to feel like it picked them up and then just shoved them to the background as they stopped being relevant to some emotional beat in Jane and Katherine's journey. Sue is consistently present, which was nice, and the very dangerous journey meant that the very large cast was necessary as people kept dying and getting replaced by new people to keep safe. Part of that is because the plot isn't about them and it isn't trying to be, but it did make for a strange feeling every time a new person was introduced as I waited to find out whether they were going to get killed or just fade into the background. Lily in particular faded, she was so important as a person to find and keep safe in DREAD NATION and then she just is around but mostly stops being relevant less than halfway through DEATHLESS DIVIDE. I know how she ends up, the story doesn't lose track of her so this isn't a plot hole or something, but it felt odd, and she wasn't the only one this happened to. It might be a reflection of how much Jane and Katherine are surrounded by death and it makes Jane in particular pretty numb to other people's feelings, so anyone that only Jane was keeping track of is prone to fade from the story.
This is a great finish to a solid duology with vibrant main characters and a very memorable setting. I had a great time reading it and I like how it ended, it was open enough to imply possibilities while also addressing the whole reason for their quest for California in the first place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Ableism and Child abuse
tieflingkisser's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, and Grief
maggie_atwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
angelbabe_cj's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this might have been even better than the first book in the duology. I really enjoyed it. And the ending was very satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, and Death of parent
The majority of these warnings are covered by the fact the book deals with zombies and primarily black people in the 19th Century. For the most part current racial slurs are used in an historical context, although there are also a fair number of specifically racist uses of these words.booksandcoffeerequired's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Slavery
maryellen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Slavery
ehmannky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fantastic sequel full of all of the witty and endearing characters, zombie horror, and fast-paced action that Dread Nation held, with a lot more western tropes and vengeance sprinkled in. I was impressed that Ireland was so ready to pull the rug out from under the reader with who dies in the story (some of whom I was truly surprised over) and with the double-crosses and betrayals. And yet, despite these twists, I think that nothing felt forced or put in just for the shock value. Every tragedy that befalls our heroes felt like a natural outgrowth of the terrible situations and people that Jane and Katherine find themselves up against. Speaking of Katherine, I loved that we got her perspective, because she's such a rare kind of character and I love her.
I thought that the whole book is an interesting look at the ways that grief can consume us when we're not looked out for and cared for by a community. About the ways in which grief is compounded for those at the bottom of a social hierarchy, while those at the top often get off completely free. I also thought that Ireland made a really great point of highlighting how racial hierarchies are not only upheld by a handful of white people at the top of the social standing, but by people of many races buying into the idea of white supremacy. This comes through in both the theoretically "good" town of Nicodemus and in the "promised land" of California.
Just a wonderfully complex, zombie-filled good time.
I thought that the whole book is an interesting look at the ways that grief can consume us when we're not looked out for and cared for by a community. About the ways in which grief is compounded for those at the bottom of a social hierarchy, while those at the top often get off completely free. I also thought that Ireland made a really great point of highlighting how racial hierarchies are not only upheld by a handful of white people at the top of the social standing, but by people of many races buying into the idea of white supremacy. This comes through in both the theoretically "good" town of Nicodemus and in the "promised land" of California.
Just a wonderfully complex, zombie-filled good time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Animal death and Xenophobia