#Review - These Divided Shores by Sara Raasch #YALIT #Fantasy

Series: These Rebel Waves # 2
Format: E-Galley, 560 pages
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

The thrilling sequel to These Rebel Waves—full of deadly magic, double crosses, and a revolution—from Sara Raasch, the bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes series. 

As a child, she committed unforgivable acts to free Grace Loray from King Elazar of Argrid. Now Elazar’s plan to retake the island has surpassed Lu’s darkest fears: he’s holding her and his son, Ben, captive in an endlessly shifting prison, forcing them to make a weapon that will guarantee Elazar’s success. Escape is impossible—unless Lu becomes the ruthless soldier she hoped never to be again.

Vex failed to save Lu and Ben—and that torments him as much as his Shaking Sickness. With the disease worsening, Vex throws himself into the rebellion against Argrid. The remaining free armies are allied with the stream raider syndicates—and getting them to cooperate will take a strength Vex thought burned on a pyre six years ago.

Imprisoned, betrayed, and heartbroken, Ben is determined to end his father’s rampage. Watching Elazar sway the minds of Grace Loray as he did those of Argrid, Ben knows he has to play his father’s game of devotion to win this war. But how can a heretic prince defeat the Pious God?

As armies clash and magic rises, Lu, Vex, and Ben will confront their pasts . . . or lose their futures forever.

 

These Divided Shores is the second and final book author Sara Raasch's These Rebel Waves duology. The story picks up a couple weeks after These Rebel Waves. Adeluna "Lu" Andreu and Crown Prince of Argrid, Ben are being held captive by their respective fathers and being forced to work on permanent magic. Devereaux "Vex" Bell believes Lu is dead and decides to stage a jail break to free Kari, Lu’s mother and an important political figure on Grace Loray. 

The story itself digs deeper into the complicated history, religion, and politics of Grace Loray as well as the intense and tangled relationships of its people. This is a series filled with pirates, dangerous magic, double crosses, spies, and secrets that started with These Rebel Waves. As the tides of the war change allies must be forged in the strangest of places and as each island falls the fate of Grace Loray will be revealed. 
Readers will be dying to find out what happens next for Lu, Vex, and Ben—who will fall in love, who will be betrayed, who will die.

Adeluna “Lu” Andreu is a whip-smart, capable, and fearsome heroine. A former spy in her country’s revolution, a master of botanical magic, and a budding politician in her own right, she is an aspirational character with strength, agency, and passion. Lu has to deal with almost too much in this story. From her father's betrayal, to figuring out a way to stop the Elazar from crushing her beloved Grace Loray, to finding a way to let Vex into her heart and her life after so much suffering.

Devereux “Vex” Bell is the most dangerous stream raider in the world—but he has dark secrets and a mysterious past. Full of snarky wit, Vex is a talented rogue, the person who knows the rivers, geography, and hidden secrets of their world better than anyone else. Vex believes he failed to save Lu and Ben—and that torments him as much as his Shaking Sickness. With the disease worsening, Vex throws himself into the rebellion against Argrid. Along with Lu's mother Kari, the remaining free armies will have to ally together with the stream raider syndicates in order to stop Elazar from crushing Grace Loray and its people.

Imprisoned, betrayed, and heartbroken, Ben is determined to end his father’s rampage. Watching Elazar sway the minds of Grace Loray as he did those of Argrid, Ben knows he has to play his father’s game of devotion to win this war. But how can a heretic prince defeat the Pious God? Ben's constant companion, Gunnar, a Mecht Warrior, is his only real thing to hold onto. I don't talk much about Ben, because Ben isn't as bold and inspiring as Lu and Dex. 

Sara’s inspiration came from reading about the early days of America as a new nation, the Spanish Inquisition, and tales of pirates throughout history—along with all the rogues, scoundrels, and political intrigue of these events. The magic in These Rebel Waves is totally original and rich with detail—in this world, plants from the riverbeds of an island nation are the source of various magics. In different forms—pastes, powders, seeds, and more—different plants create many magical abilities: from wielding fire to being able to fly to knocking enemies out and more. Sara’s detailed and engrossing mythology is as believable as all the best fantasy.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Kobo