When Power Is Thicker than Blood

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead

She needed him now. She’d trusted he would be here for her so they could grieve together and so he could help her as she had just helped him. And he had chosen to be with someone else.

As someone who has two brothers, I believe that having siblings can be such a blessing in life. I honestly have a very small circle of friends, but it doesn’t matter because I always have my big bros to keep me company. Yes, we sometimes have disagreements. Still, reconciliation is practically inevitable since we’re family. Brotherly love always subdues anger, resentment, and even pride. Gleaning upon my latter thoughts, this book sadly shows that I can’t speak for everyone.

Dividing Eden is the first book in a fantasy duology about Carys and Andreus, royal twins who supposedly know each other better than they know themselves. Initially, they are as thick as thieves. They watch each other’s backs with a devotion that could rival that between couples. Unfortunately, their relationship is destroyed when the King and Crown Prince are assassinated. The Queen suddenly becomes too crazy to ascend the throne, and the serpentine Elders in court force Carys and Andreus to compete for the crown.

I finished this book a few days ago, but I still feel both sad and indignant. I really did not expect Andreus to be so coldhearted after all the sacrifices Carys made for him. I was so invested in their relationship as siblings to the point that I didn’t even care about their respective love interests.

I yearned for Andreus and Carys to be reconciled, but any hope of that was thwarted by a vile priestess named Imogen. It wouldn’t be enough to say that I disliked her because I FREAKIN LOATHED HER AND WISHED FOR HER DEMISE. I nearly clapped and laughed in hysterics when Carys finally vanquished that insufferable *****!

However, my satisfaction was short-lived. Andreus, in his brainwashed state, tried to kill Carys, and I was like…WHAT THE HECK?!!! I just couldn’t accept that his love (it was more like lust) for Imogen turned him into an despicable anti-hero. I already didn’t like him from the very beginning because of his playboy attitude, so reading about his murderous intentions towards his own flesh and blood pushed me over the edge. Thank God Carys unknowingly used her wind magic to save herself.

Speaking of magic, I was surprised that this book had a magic system at all. I knew that the setting was fantastical, but the characters generally didn’t exhibit any sign of supernatural abilities. Imogen supposedly could see the future, but it was also hinted that she was a fraud. So when Carys suddenly controlled the wind, it felt like something snapped in my brain. I just couldn’t process the revelation that she was set apart from Andreus and the rest of “ordinary” Eden. Come to think of it, Andreus’s strange sickness might be a sign of his own kind of magic.

Obviously (if not logically), Carys was my favorite character. It would be unfair to end this review without giving her an affectionate shout out. She was smart, strong, and loving. I particularly admired her for her unswerving loyalty for Andreus, her traitorous twin. If I were in her shoes (if my brothers wanted me dead), I’m not sure I would handle it as well as she did. Sometimes, forgiving others is easier said than done. I fervently hope that Carys will have a happy ending. I have three wishes for her:

1. I wish that she would be reunited with Andreus (after knocking some sense into him)
2. I wish that she would overcome her drug addiction
3. I wish that she would end up with Errik (the mysterious dignitary aka Trade Master)

Overall, this book has so many secrets. I have so many unanswered questions. Hence, I feel so frustrated. Still, I cannot deny that I enjoyed this book. The author clearly made the antagonists unlikable. Loathsome, even. The good news is, Dividing Eden is only a duology. I look forward to a very enlightening conclusion.