Book Shelf: The Diminished (Untitled Duology #1) by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone.

The singleborn

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him.

The diminished

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what's left of her life in peace.

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.

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Review:

The Diminished is Kaitlyn Sage Patterson's debut novel and was a unique, beguiling fantasy introducing readers to a world of danger, romance and secrets with the power to change everything.

In the Alskad Empire, the majority of births result in twins, two halves of a whole whose connection is unbreakable and consuming. There are only a few born alone; the single born who have been blessed by the gods and goddesses to rule the people. Bo Trousillion is a single born about to be named as the next heir to the Alskad throne. Born and raised in opulence and wealth Bo has been sheltered but yearns to make a difference. Yet there are many threats to the empire; none so more than the diminished. The diminished are individuals whose twins have died and as twins are meant to exhist together, the diminished find themselves doomed to succumb to their grief and turn to violence. Vi Abernathy is a dimmy, given to the anchorites by her family after the death of her twin. Surviving when many expect her to go mad Vi is determined to make a life for herself. They couldn't be more different but with long kept secrets tying Bo and Vi together the teens lives are about to intersect and together they'll have the power to change the empire forever!

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't really like The Diminished in the beginning. I actually put it down for a while as I was really struggling to connect with the story but am really glad I decided to pick it up again as I found the story Kaitlyn Sage Patterson had written easier to enjoy the second time around. After a slow beginning, The Diminished picks up with the stakes increasing for the characters.

Told through the back and fourth perspectives of both Bo and Vi, The Diminished introduces readers to a unique world of twins. I thought this was really clever on author Kaitlyn Sage Patterson's part--the idea that twins could be connected in such a spiritual and all consuming respect where the loss of one had the power to destroy the other. Both Bo and Vi were easy to follow and I enjoyed seeing them interact with some of the other characters including Mal, Quill and Swinton who are just fabulous.

I wasn't really a fan of the world Bo inhabits at the beginning of the novel and many of the people within it. In fact that may have been what turned me off the novel so much in the beginning. They were fake and pretentious and I didn't believe them at all. This includes his relationship with Claes that was lacklustre and not something I was sorry to see end. Vi's world on the other hand intrigued me and I'm interested to learn more about her friend Curlin.

Giving The Diminished a second chance was something I'm glad to have done. It definitely picked up as it progressed and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next novel and will be keeping an eye out for its release.

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Format: Paperback ARC
Australian RRP: $19.99
Release Date: April 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: After a slow start I enjoyed this much more the second time around. Worth a read and I'm looking forward to the second one.