This is a fantasy novel that I would recommend for mature
young adults and up.
The poisonous plants are the least of Alden's problems as he
enters the sacred forest to capture the Rageborne Shank, who has committed murder most foul.
What worries Alden is the possibility of encountering a Divergent. Always
female and rumoured to be god-born, they look like small children yet have
exceptional speed and strength and will think nothing of tearing a human apart and eating them.
Alden enters the forest with a tracker, a priest, an assassin and a knight, and
to his horror finds a Divergent ensnared in the trap meant for Shank. Faced
with the decision of freeing her or leaving her there to die, Alden enters into
a conversation with her and instinct tells him that she is not as feral as most
Divergents are reported to be. She might even be one of the chosen ones called
by the god Sitar to work in the Empire. Listening to an inner sense Alden frees
her and takes her back to the Empire. Unfortunately since nothing is meant to
be removed from the sacred forest by man, he is imprisoned and placed on death
row. In order to save him, the Divergent is forced to take command of an army
in order to conquer and annexe a nearby mining town. This leads to an epic
battle and a test of loyalty and bonds.
This is simply an amazing book. The characters are well
fleshed out and their personalities and emotions believable. As a reader you
experience all their ups and downs with them and physically feel the ache of betrayal.
Being the first book in the series it has a complex storyline of its own and is
not merely a set up for the next book. From the first meeting of the Divergent
to the climactic battle and ultimate betrayal, the book kept me enthralled.
A few editing mistakes don't detract from the story, and the
violence, while quite graphic, is not gratuitous and is explained for its place
in the story. A highly recommended book and I'll definitely be reaching for the
next one in the series.
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