Waiting On Wednesday (23): Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, in which bloggers talk about the books they are most eager for! 

This Week's Pick: Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Release Date: January 29th, 2013

*WARNING: Plot summary contains spoilers for book one!*

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. (Summary from Goodreads)

I was entirely enchanted by Incarnate when I picked it up earlier this year and the spell it cast has lingered to this day. Jodi Meadows created a beautiful novel that was full of magic and wonder contrasted with hatred and exclusion. And I happen to love it. I cannot wait to be immersed once again in this fantastical story, and find out what happens to these amazing characters *cue the swooning over Sam*! 

Also, the cover of Asunder? Beautiful! And apparently very symbolic which is always a great touch!

In other news, I've recently joined Team Incarnate, so expect some exciting Incarnate/Asunder themed posts in the coming months!

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight) 

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate (Newsoul #1)

Author: Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: January 31st, 2012

Source: Purchased (Thanks, Mom!)

My Rating: 5/5

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

There are so many things I want to say about this book. I want to pour all my thoughts, feelings, emotions about this book onto the page and pray they do Incarnate justice. What a beautiful, beautiful novel. I think that would be the best way to sum it up. Even in it’s most disturbing, and painful moments Incarnate manages to be stunning.

Originality is something I appreciate in a novel, as is themes apart from the story. Incarnate had both of these in spades. The story tackled issues like abuse, identity, and exclusion with precision, and passion. It was heart-wrenching reading about Ana’s upbringing, and enraging knowing the cruelty she had to face not only in her home, but in this warped society was well. I wanted to stand in front of Ana, and protect her from the abuse. But Ana wasn’t some down-trodden soul, but a determined and courageous one. Reading about her growth, and her journey made me smile, and made me feel proud of this beautiful New Soul. I loved her relationship with Sam as well. It didn’t seem fake, or cheesy but rather honest and refreshing. I couldn’t help but smile at their conversations, and felt my heart give a little squeeze in anticipation. Sam himself was such a genuinely great guy. Not perfect, but heartfelt and sweet, which I loved.

The plot line of Incarnate was such a new idea! I loved the idea, and Jodi Meadows wrote a fantastic story to match. The idea of reincarnation was given new life, and made you question if this constant simply made the world stagnant. The edition of dragons and sylphs to the story was also great. Can’t say I’ve read about dragons in a very long time! But, the fantastical monsters were nowhere near was frightening as the human monsters. Usually “soul” is synonymous with the world “pure” but in this case, many of these souls were blackened to the core. It was amazing how such a seemingly “perfect” society could harbor such judgement.

Overall, Incarnate blew me away. It was spectacular, creative, and simply fantastic. Jodi Meadows, you are on my must-buy list! Check out this book. You’ll feel the same way!

- Ciara who is lost at midnight 

Find this book: Amazon | Goodreads | Jodi Meadow's Website