Book Shelf: Dividing Eden (Dividing Eden #1) by Joelle Charbonneau

Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?

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Review: 

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau is Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake meets Game of Thrones and is a dangerous tale of political intrigue, thrilling action, unexpected betrayals and lingering mystery.

Twins Carys and Andreus were never meant to rule the Kingdom of Eden. Their older brother Micah was to sit on the throne upon the conclusion of their father’s reign, until a tragedy sees both their father and brother cut down by assassins. Though heartbroken by grief, Eden needs a Monarch and the laws state that both Carys and Andreus must compete in a number of trials against one another until a new King or Queen is chosen. Carys and Andreus have always been close and have kept each other’s secrets. Competing against each other is a nightmare, but as the trials begin it becomes clear that there are sinister forces willing to go to great lengths to control the crown, even if it means manipulation and turning the siblings against one another….

In the spirit of honesty, I have to say it took me almost half of Dividing Eden to really find myself invested in the story. In fact, I was concerned in the beginning that I would end up finding the book lacking. Then from around the halfway mark, I began to find myself enamoured by the story as the mystery, intrigue, betrayal and manipulations began to pick up. From that moment on, I was hooked, and even now after I’ve turned the final page in book one, I’m wondering what will happen next and why certain characters did what they did.

Dividing Eden unfolds through the back and forth POV’s of twins Carys and Andreus. Carys is known for her cold, unfeeling exterior while Andreus is somewhat of a ladies man and a visionary. Both are very different and bring a different side to this well written story. While Andreus is known for being the kinder of the two siblings, Carys sports an unexpectedly caring side to her that she keeps to herself. Carys genuinely wants what’s best for the kingdom, and her brother, even as he begins to make choices based on the words and whims of others as the novel progressed.  

Personally, I thought Carys the more likable of the two characters. Andreus was too easily swayed by his feelings for a certain woman and I felt as though he should have stood by his sister more; especially when she was so clearly doing everything right by him. You know when you want to just grab someone and give them a good shake for their stupidity? Yeah, that was Andreus for me. While Carys had traits I admired and appreciated. I think she could become a kick-ass heroine if given the chance.

Charbonneau includes two male characters in Dividing Eden who are potential love interests for Carys. On the whole, romance is a very minimal aspect to the story, but I will be keeping an eye out to see what happens. Eriik has been nothing but good to Eden and he seems like the whole package, whilst Garret is more mysterious, but I honestly believe he has Carys best interests at heart.

Despite its slow beginning for me, I did enjoy Dividing Eden and I look forward to discovering more about this world author Joelle Charbonneau has created. Hints of dangerous creatures and magical abilities have me intrigued and looking forward to reading more after the thrilling way this first novel concluded!

Rating: 
Source: Sent for review by publisher via Netgalley (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Format: Kindle ebook via Netgalley
Release Date: June 6th 2017
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: After taking a while to get into this novel, I did end up enjoying Dividing Eden and can't wait to read the next one!