Asunder (Incarnate)

I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, Incarnate, even though I was a bit surprised to find that it was 80% romance and 20% plot. It had a tone and style very reminiscent of Sharon Shinn, and that's a big compliment as Shinn is pretty unique.Asunder is a different type of book. There are plenty of references to Ana and Sam's relationship but it is oddly dysfunctional, as they seem to have gone backwards since their mutual understanding and chemistry in Incarnate, for no apparent reason. It was also rather puzzling that Sam would suddenly realise that there's a 5,000-year age gap, and more to the point react pretty badly when his best friend points this out. I was hoping that Ana would then kick him, walk out, or otherwise have a go at him for it, but she only does that, eventually, for about a minute *sighs*. As a result, Sam seemed rather weak and vascillating compared to the previous book and Ana was, at times, annoying.Relationships in general were a bit of an issue, as it seems that plenty must have happened 'off-camera' since Incarnate as Ana is now best friends with a whole host of people who haven't really figured to date. It was hard to distinguish between the friends' characters (especially as so many of them are apparently in love with Sam) and indeed the rulers' characters. Rather summed up by finding that one of these friends who is keen to have Ana at the birth of her baby turns out to have been in a relationship with another friend (who is the father of the baby), but Ana didn't know about it and doesn't seem to think it was odd that she didn't know about it. But then there is also some clunky dialogue between Sam and Ana that suggests she doesn't know about the birds and the bees, Sam doesn't want to tell her, and Ana seems spectacularly uncurious about it.The plot surrounding Janan, the god-like figure, trickles through the book to a climax in the rather excitingly-described temple at the end. The visual images created here are the strongest and most unique aspect of this series so far. I struggled a bit to understand what happened - or rather why - but I hope this sets the series up for a much better third and final book.I will be reading the last book as I bought it at the same time as this one. I actually don't think I would have done if I hadn't already got it, as the characterisation was as serious a problem as I've ever come across in a book. It gets three stars rather than two because the fantasy plot elements merit a four, and the character relationships a two, averaging out as three.

Man, this is only my second ever ARC review and just like the last one, I can't rave about it. I really wish I could, but my conscience says I can't. Ultimately my conclusion about this one is that it suffers, in my eyes, from middle book syndrome.I liked Incarnate! I liked it a lot. It was light, but that fit the mood I was in, and the concept was great. The romance was nice. The second book obviously couldn't stay so light forever. I mean, the mystery involved in the process of reincarnation and the creepy Janan meant there had to be a darker tone. But my main issue with it is this: only very little of the book actually answers the ton of questions the first book left behind. Some 40 pages in the middle and the last 60 pages really provide answers. And of a 400 page book, that's not that much. And obviously, that's not enough room to give a LOT of answers, so there's still plenty of mysteries to be solved in the third book.So what does this book contain? Romantic melodrama. I know, say it isn't so, but it is. In the first book, I enjoyed the love story between Ana and Sam because it was sweet, light, and so easy to digest. In this book, it's not so much that they're fighting, but Ana is dealing with her fear of saying "I love you" while Sam is endlessly patient (perhaps even frustratingly so), and Sam is struggling with how others perceive the relationship. Realistic, for sure. And in my opinion, if Sam was completely ignorant of the pseudo-pedophilic element to the relationship, that would have been even more weird. But what I struggled with was that these internal battles took up so much time and space, while I was waiting for answers to the mysteries, and it made me grow a bit tired of both characters. And also I personally have this tendency to get bored reading about a relationship after the initial "falling in love" part. That is personal, though, and might not apply to everyone. (If I'm really honest, at certain points, it felt like melodrama for the sake of skirting around sex, which while understandable in YA made me go sadface.)The plot I liked, however. It definitely took turns I didn't expect, and overall the world building was improved just by unraveling the mysteries of how that world came to be. Most of that, however, came at the very end, where also the romantic melodrama was resolved. It coming so late, at the end, means that it's pretty frustrating. I mean, now I just want to know everything, how all the pieces fall together. And now I have to wait a year for the last one? Sigh.Yeah, I suppose I will be reading the last one, because while this did at times feel like a filler book, the plot itself is still appealing and the last 60 or so pages really gave me hope that the next one will have less melodrama, be a bit more action-packed, and will answer those questions I can't stop thinking about.Question 1: What happens when people have more children and the population goes above 1 million? (Or is this like, the council totally controls who has kids when and stuff?) (Seriously, this has been bothering me since I finished book 1.)Question 2: Is Sam telepathic? Because he seems to be able to communicate with a lot of people just by giving them a look.Of course there are more serious and pertinent questions, but to know those, you'll have to check out this book.Recommended for: I'm not too sure.**ARC was won from Epic Reads. Thank you!!

Wow, hats off to Jodi Meadows, if book 1 was great, Asunder has all the great and some more for good measure!We are getting some answers finally, as Ana keeps going through her journey and more questions that only the inquisitiveness of the New Soul can raise. There are big issues dealt with in these books, the hate of those who are different, the dismissiveness of those who we consider inferior... all of that started in the first book, and it's taken into even higher stakes in here.There's so much of Heart's story that we don't know about, and apparently not even their own inhabitants are aware of it! Anna's discover part of Janan's secrets, but still there's so much more to find out about, and the threat is bigger than ever!And in the more personal level, Sam and Anna deal with more troubles in their relationship, dealing with their own issues and differences, and dealing with some external influences, all of it well wrapped in some amazing swooniness!I just can't wait for book 3 and hopefully all the answers to the questions left and others that might come up in the last book itself!