A review by books_over_everything
Between Burning Worlds by Jessica Brody, Joanne Rendell
5.0
**Disclaimer: I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. Please also note, the below post contains spoilers for the first book in this series, Sky Without Stars.**
Title Between Burning Worlds (System Divine II)
Author Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
Release Date March 24, 2020
Publisher Simon Pulse
Description from Amazon
A thief.
An officer.
A guardian.
All from different backgrounds, but sharing one same destiny…
The planet Laterre is in turmoil. A new militant revolutionary group has emerged calling themselves “The Red Scar” and claiming responsibility for a spate of recent bombings. The infamous rebels known as the Vangarde believe that in order to bring about a peaceful revolution, their charismatic leader, Citizen Rousseau must be freed from prison right away. Otherwise the bloodshed will only escalate.
Soon Marcellus, Chatine, and Alouette all find themselves pulled into battle with extreme consequences.
Marcellus is determined to uncover his corrupt grandfather’s plan to seize Laterre—even if that means joining the Vangarde.
Aloutte, trying to unearth the truth about her past, becomes a captive of Marcellus’s grandfather, the general.
Chatine, who is serving time on Bastille, hopes to escape the brutal and horrifying reality of the prison moon.
But the failed attempt to break Citizen Rousseau out of prison launches Aloutte, Chatine, and Marecellus into the middle of a dangerous war for control of Laterre. And in the midst of it all is the legend of a secret and dangerous weapon that could mean complete and absolute power to any that wields it.
Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to be part of this tour. I pre-ordered a copy of Sky Without Stars last year but didn’t end up reading it (a total mistake, as I realize now). Signing up for this tour was my reason for finally diving in and I’m so glad I did!
Some Things I Liked
French history retold. This is by no means historical fiction, but I absolutely love the way elements of the French revolution are woven into this story. The character names are perfect and I especially loved the introduction of Maximillienne Robespierre.
I had so many theories going into this book and I just loved that I was correct on most of them. Joanne Rendell and Jessica Brody are excellent at crafting their plots with subtle clues are hinted at and then returned to later. I was so happy that I picked up on most of these. Please note, these are not obvious hints but the writing style is filled with subtlety and I just loved it.
#teamChatine. I have written about this many times, I don’t like love triangles. And, I especially don’t like it when the pair that I don’t ship makes any progress. I’m so glad that Marcellus really only felt any romantic feelings toward Chatine in this book. His relationship with Alouette is still there, but I was glad to see it take more of a backseat in this book. It’s not that I don’t like Alouette, I just liked Chatine and Marcellus better. I hope Alouette finds someone nice in the next book (not Marcellus, he’s Chatine’s).
Star Wars vibes. I loved that this story felt like Star Wars. From the setting in outer space to the intricate political plot, I was all about those Galaxy Far Far Away vibes.
Series Value
I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Sadly, nothing has been announced yet about it. But, when it is, I’ll be there! Because of the amazing foreshadowing and subtle language used, this series also has very high re-read value. I would definitely, happily, re-read the first two books before starting book 3.
Final Thoughts
I loved this book. I liked Sky Without Stars a lot, but I loved Between Burning Worlds. It had everything I wanted in a sequel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
Scythe by Neal Shusterman – if you liked the idea of society after a “great change” – and you like sci-fi, try this series.
Untitled System Divine Book III by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell – if you liked this series, definitely add the next book to your TBR.
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant – if you liked the Les Mis vibes from this story, definitely check out this May 2020 release – it’s another Les Mis retelling filled with historical fiction, assassins, and more.
Title Between Burning Worlds (System Divine II)
Author Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
Release Date March 24, 2020
Publisher Simon Pulse
Description from Amazon
A thief.
An officer.
A guardian.
All from different backgrounds, but sharing one same destiny…
The planet Laterre is in turmoil. A new militant revolutionary group has emerged calling themselves “The Red Scar” and claiming responsibility for a spate of recent bombings. The infamous rebels known as the Vangarde believe that in order to bring about a peaceful revolution, their charismatic leader, Citizen Rousseau must be freed from prison right away. Otherwise the bloodshed will only escalate.
Soon Marcellus, Chatine, and Alouette all find themselves pulled into battle with extreme consequences.
Marcellus is determined to uncover his corrupt grandfather’s plan to seize Laterre—even if that means joining the Vangarde.
Aloutte, trying to unearth the truth about her past, becomes a captive of Marcellus’s grandfather, the general.
Chatine, who is serving time on Bastille, hopes to escape the brutal and horrifying reality of the prison moon.
But the failed attempt to break Citizen Rousseau out of prison launches Aloutte, Chatine, and Marecellus into the middle of a dangerous war for control of Laterre. And in the midst of it all is the legend of a secret and dangerous weapon that could mean complete and absolute power to any that wields it.
Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to be part of this tour. I pre-ordered a copy of Sky Without Stars last year but didn’t end up reading it (a total mistake, as I realize now). Signing up for this tour was my reason for finally diving in and I’m so glad I did!
Some Things I Liked
French history retold. This is by no means historical fiction, but I absolutely love the way elements of the French revolution are woven into this story. The character names are perfect and I especially loved the introduction of Maximillienne Robespierre.
I had so many theories going into this book and I just loved that I was correct on most of them. Joanne Rendell and Jessica Brody are excellent at crafting their plots with subtle clues are hinted at and then returned to later. I was so happy that I picked up on most of these. Please note, these are not obvious hints but the writing style is filled with subtlety and I just loved it.
#teamChatine. I have written about this many times, I don’t like love triangles. And, I especially don’t like it when the pair that I don’t ship makes any progress. I’m so glad that Marcellus really only felt any romantic feelings toward Chatine in this book. His relationship with Alouette is still there, but I was glad to see it take more of a backseat in this book. It’s not that I don’t like Alouette, I just liked Chatine and Marcellus better. I hope Alouette finds someone nice in the next book (not Marcellus, he’s Chatine’s).
Star Wars vibes. I loved that this story felt like Star Wars. From the setting in outer space to the intricate political plot, I was all about those Galaxy Far Far Away vibes.
Series Value
I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Sadly, nothing has been announced yet about it. But, when it is, I’ll be there! Because of the amazing foreshadowing and subtle language used, this series also has very high re-read value. I would definitely, happily, re-read the first two books before starting book 3.
Final Thoughts
I loved this book. I liked Sky Without Stars a lot, but I loved Between Burning Worlds. It had everything I wanted in a sequel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
Scythe by Neal Shusterman – if you liked the idea of society after a “great change” – and you like sci-fi, try this series.
Untitled System Divine Book III by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell – if you liked this series, definitely add the next book to your TBR.
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant – if you liked the Les Mis vibes from this story, definitely check out this May 2020 release – it’s another Les Mis retelling filled with historical fiction, assassins, and more.