I have to toot my own horn for just a second; The Fates Divide WAS just as captivating as Carve the Mark. I knew it. Although, given Roth’s history with how she treats her main characters, I was nervous to read this sequel.
This continuation focuses on the political issues that needed remedying from Carve the Mark, but it also dives deeper into personal relationships. Not only do we see Cyra and Akos grow, (closer and apart simultaneously) we also see Cyra gain more meaningful friendships. As she’s always been viewed as harmful and rude, and grown accustomed to living that way, she hasn’t had the opportunity to connect to a lot of people. That changes when Teka comes along to help their mission.
There is a moment when Cyra is alone in her room and experiencing much more pain than she has in a while. She involuntarily cries out and the next thing she knows Teka comes bursting through her door, in the middle of the night. Cyra doesn’t even have to say anything, she just makes eye contact with Teka, and she knows exactly what she needs to do in order to comfort Cyra. In this moment, the reader feels as though they are being comforted in the same way. It’s a very moving scene.
This demonstration of strong friendships is important, especially in the young adult world, because it proves that no one can go through everything alone, no matter how much pride someone might take in the fact that they’ve managed to do so up until this point. We need each other, and discovering someone who is willing to be that vulnerable and understanding on a personal level is beautiful.
This book will make anyone who reads it realize that not everything goes as planned, but if you persevere and keep striving toward your goal, what you find might just be better than what you planned on. Even if you lose a few things along the way.
As always, thank you for reading into my thoughts.
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