ARC review of Asunder by Jodi Meadows.

Goodreads Book Description:

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:
Wow. WOW. I just finished my ARC of Asunder and boy, was it good. I was lucky enough to receive this copy from HarperCollins.

If you read my blog and my reviews, you may recall that my issue with the first book, Incarnate (though I really did love it), was the pacing. The beginning was too slow, and the end was a jumble, while the middle was absolutely terrific. Asunder has none of those issues. As I predicted, Meadows has only ripened her craft and improved with time.

Asunder by Jodi Meadows continues where Incarnate has left off. Ana, the NewSoul, is still an outsider in Heart. Havoc and destruction have come down on the city, and because of this, soon Ana will not be the only NewSoul. There will be more born. Ana makes it her mission to prevent NewSouls from having the same awful childhood that she had. Along with Sam, the OldSoul who loves her, and a few other close friends, Ana learns more about herself and what she truly believes in.

The pacing was terrific. It starts off strong and ends even stronger. This book definitely does not suffer from middle book syndrome. If you loved Sam in the first book (I did!), you'll love him even more in the second. At first, I was worried he would be portrayed as too perfect, but then he would do something silly, and I would be relieved. I love all the descriptions of music and how this plays such an important role in their relationship. The plot kept me interested the whole way through, and secrets are revealed at the right time and place. We get to see more character development of some side characters, which I enjoyed. And we get to learn more about sylph and the mysteries of the Temple. Now, I'm dying for the finale.

Overall, an amazing followup to Incarnate, a complete novel in its own right, with beautifully written prose and terrific characters. I can't wait to get my hands on the last book.

Update: I have a new section on my blog, labeled "Writing." Here, I am putting up my fun Writer's Cramp entries, and if you comment, you can earn mad entries into my giveaways! The stories are only 1000 words so they are short and sweet! 

Don't forget to enter these great giveaways!

1. International Giveaway of either Incarnate or pre-order of Asunder by Jodi Meadows and a signed bookplate by the author. Two runner ups get signed bookplates by Jodi!
Incarnate Giveaway

2. International Giveaway of signed copy of If I Lie by Corrine Jackson OR Three swag packs!
IF I LIE giveaway

3. Spooktacular Giveaway Hop- $10 Amazon gift card/$10 towards a book from Book Depository (winner's choice)- INT
Spooktacular Giveaway hop