Carys and Andreus are twins. They are a princess and a prince, but they don't have to worry about taking over the throne, because their older brother will do that. Until their father, the king, and their brother are murdered. Then the queen loses her mind. Everything changes.
The elders don't know which twin is the rightful heir. To avoid the elders' scheme to take over the country, the twins agree to go through the Trials of Succession, to prove which one of them is worthy.
Now, they have secrets. Andreus has a curse, and because the queen has asked, Carys has always protected him so no one is aware. He has asthma -- and if anyone knew, they would banish him. Carys has her own little secret. She's addicted to opium. So these trials, some of which are physical, are going to be a challenge. Carys and Andreus both agree that Andreus should be the king, so Carys will protect him, and make sure he does better than she does.
There are a lot of secrets that are slowly revealed. Carys and Andreus stop communicating, and Andreus has decided Carys is out to get the crown. The trials get more and more intense, as there are murder plots, and many other issues that are keeping both of them from succeeding.
This book takes a really long time to get going. The assassinations don't even take place until about 40% through. I really almost quit on Dividing Eden, but I've been doing that a lot lately, so I made myself stick it out. The whole premise of the Trials is a bit weak, but that's what the plot hinges upon, and once the trials get going, so does the pace.
Dividing Eden is exciting to the very end, and this is the first in a series, so we need to wait to find out the ultimate outcome. I think I'm becoming a bit battle worn over so many fantasies about royal families and fighting for kingdoms and crowns. I think I need a break. But I also think my teens will enjoy Dividing Eden.
Published by HarperTeen, June 6, 2017
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
336 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
I'm not much into fantasies (except the Potter series) so will probably skip this one, but I'm glad to hear it captured your attention after a slow beginning.
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