#deathless divide

[aroaessidhe]

Not formally doing aro week posts this year, but since it's aro week and also Black history month here's a couple books by Black authors with aro characters!

note that most of these are side characters or one of a full cast!

The Beast of Okeme - two aro MCs, QPR

Dread Nation / Deathless Divide - major character (POV in book 2) is aroace coded

So Many Beginnings - one of the main characters is aroacespec coded

The Last Session - one of the main cast is aro, in a QPR

The Midnight Bargain - a major side character is aroace

The City We Became- one of the main cast is lightly aroace coded (note: character is Indian, not Black, also it comes up in book 2)

Blood Like Magic - a side character is demiromantic

#aromantic #aromantic books #aspec books #the beast of okeme #the midnight bargain #deathless divide

[hi-imgrapes]

Can we get a round of applause for Justina Ireland?

In her book Deathless Divide, she not only tackled the ignorance and immorality of racial discrimination in her alternate history/fiction, but gave the reader a masc bisexual amputee black woman protag AND a femme aroace black woman protag who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. She also sprinkled mentions of other queer characters in her story as well, and most of the cast is bipoc. SHE RAISED THE STANDARDS FOR REPRESENTATION FOR EVERYONE. ROUND OF FUCKING APPLAUSE.

#deathless divide #dread nation #justina ireland #bisexual #aroace #asexual #aromantic #bipoc lgbt #bipoc authors #bipoc community #inclusivity #representation #representation in books #books #reading #amputee #disabled #panic attacks #anxiety #blacklivesmatter #black woman #black authors #native american #representation matters #queer books #queer #katherine devereaux #jane mckeene

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations - Complete series

The results of the poll I put up are so far inconclusive (pretty much every category got the same amount of votes), so I'm probably going to do all of them but I'm going to start with complete series. As a note, for now I'm trying to not repeat books, so at the end I'll mention books I have already covered that also fit the criteria.

I almost always buy books before the series is complete. I'm not sure why, though I do find it more convenient to not have to buy a six book series in one go because that can get expensive even if they're all out in paperback. Not to mention getting matching editions can be a struggle. There's also the issue that books might nog get sequels if not enough people buy the first book.

But sometimes it's nice to be able to read all the books in a series after each other. You can go into book two still remembering what happened in book 1, something I regularly struggle with. I went into Chain of Iron not remembering what was going on with James and Cordelia and why they were getting married and had to look up a lot. And you won't have to wait 1-2 years for the sequel after reading a book that ended on a serious cliffhanger. For that reason, I have put together this list of complete series that I would recommend. There are a little more books in this picture than usual, mainly because they're all complete series.

All of them are duology's or trilogy's, interestingly enough I couldn't find many series that are longer and I feel like duology's especially have been popular lately.

I'm starting with Black Wings Beating by Alex London

This is a trilogy set in Uztar, a land that worships birds of prey and falconers, and follows twins Brysen and Kylee. Brysen wants nothing more than to be a great falconer, but is not particularly talented at it, whereas Kylee, who does have the gift to speak the hollow tongue of the birds, would rather escape falconry forever. When Brysen's boyfriend gets in trouble, he needs a ghost eagle to get out, something he'd promised a debtor he'd get, and so Brysen sets out to the mountains to capture a ghost eagle, whereas Kylee follows him to keep him safe. This is a very underrated series, which is sad because it's very good. An interesting and unique magic system that relates to the language of birds of prey, a heavy focus on the complicated sibling relationship between twins who grew up in an abusive household, two queer main characters. Brysen is gay and Kylee is ace/aro. Brysen is kind of a dumbass who regularly needs to be saved from himself but I loved him regardless, whereas Kylee is very protective of him and mainly goes along because she wants to keep him safe.

Also by this author: Proxy duology (YA); Battle Dragons series (MG), neither of which I read

Next up is Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

This is an alternate history duology with the premise of the American civil war ending in a zombie apocalypse. The solution to this problem? Training Black and Indigenous people to fight the zombies. Jane McKeene is a Black girl going to school to become an attendant, a personal bodyguard for rich ladies, which is a better option than fighting in the frontlines. But people are going missing, and Jane finds herself caught up in a conspiracy by people looking to return America to former glory days. I think this series was an interesting take on zombies. It's been a while since I read this one, so I don't remember the details as well, but I do remember Katherine being one of my favorites in this series. She's also on the cover of the second book, which is on the picture, and I thought her and Jane's friendship was one of the most interesting developments, especially since they dislike each other at first. One of the main villains was also really interesting and really unexpected, I won't give too much away about this character but it was very well done. It's also a queer book series, with Jane being bi and Katherine ace/aro. It's fast paced, especially in the second book, and there's lots of action, making this an easy series to get through.

Also by this author: Dread Nation was her big breakthrough, but she's published several relatively unknown YA books before that, which I haven't read, including Vengeance Bound and a Promise of Shadows. Her most recent book is a Rust in the Root, which I haven't read yet but is on my wishlist.

Then I have the Girls of Paper and Fire series by Natasha Ngan

Somehow with this series I ended up having three different editions. I didn't even realize I'd ordered the last one in paperback, but the hardcover was so expensive I'd just left it this way. Could look better on my book shelf, but it could also be a lot worse. Sometimes publishers publish a regular UK edition paperback and then for the next book it ends up being a very big UK paperback much like the one I have for this series and it looks terrible.

This series is sapphic fantasy trilogy set in an Asia inspired world ruled by demons. Demons in this case are antropomorphic animals, also known as the Moon caste. In between are the Steel caste which are humans with animal traits and the lowest and most vulnerable caste are the Paper caste, which are humans. Each year, eight human girls are chosen to serve the king as Paper Girls, which are essentially concubines. This year, there are nine, and the ninth is Lei, a wide eyed country girl who lives in a village with her father and is taken away to the palace. There, she falls in love with one of the other Paper Girls and ends up caught in a rebellion against the king and the caste system. This book deals with heavy topics, including sexual assault, and I do not remember 100% if there is rape on page but I think there might be, so be careful with that. The first book is mainly set in the palace, but the second and third explore the rest of this world a bit more, and I think the world building was very well done, and the world building is very complex, with lots of issues with some people on the rebellion side too rather than just king bad rebellion good. The love interest especially ends up being rather morally grey at times.

Other books by this author: The Elites and The Memory Keepers were both published before this series, neither of which I read

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a dystopian duology set on the latine inspired island nation of Medio.

This world is divided between the inner and outer parts of the island with a wall seperating them. The outer parts are barely habitable due to the salt on the land, but the wall keeps them out of the inner part, whereas the inner part is wealthiest. The upper class of Medio has a tradition that all men, who are in power, have two wives to support them. A primera is more intellectual, she keeps track of the household, servants and supports her husband in politics. The segunda is more emotional and sexual. She is the one who has sex with the man and has his children and raises them, but Segunda's are also taught to be charming, to play with other people's emotions and soothe the husband etc. The main character, Dani, was born on the outer side of the island, but her parents fought very hard to get her a better life. They got her a forged upper class pedigree and got her enrolled in a school for Medio girls to train them in one of the two wife roles, in Dani's case as a Primera. At the beginning of the book, she marries the son of an important politician, and is approached by a rebel organization to spy for them, leaving her with a difficult choice. What I thought was very interesting about Dani as a character is that she's so conflicted about her role in this world. Her first instinct is to cling to the privilege her upper class position grants her, after all, her parents sacrificed so much to give her that, but she also has the chance to fight for a better Medio for everyone, and has to make a choice. Along the way, she grows closer to her husband's Segunda Carmen, a girl she used to hate in school, and falls in love with her. I won't give too much away about book 2, except that in book 2 Carmen is the protagonist, which worked really well in this duology and I liked her POV a lot, perhaps even better than Dani's.

Other books by this author: Paola Santiago series, a middle grade published by Rick Riordan's imprint.

Upcoming: Lucha of the Night Forest, a YA fantasy coming 3-2023

Crier's War by Nina Varela

This is a duology in which humans made a race of automatae that look exactly like humans but better looking, smarter etc. And eventually, the automatons took over from humans. This duology is told from the alternating POV of Crier and Ayla. Ayla is a human girl who lost her family to the Automae and wants revenge. And she intends to get it by killing Crier. Crier is the daughter of the Sovereign, which in the case of Automae means she was constructed by his wishes since Automae are made and not born. Crier was to follow in his footsteps and become the new Governor, but her father might not be as good a person as she always believed, and her betrothed Kinok is definitely not someone she trusts. And then she meets Ayla. This book is an enemies to lover between Crier and Ayla, except that it is really one sided enemies. Ayla wants to kill Crier at first, but Crier is kind of a useless gay from the beginning, which I think creates a hilarious dynamic. There's lots of twists and turns in this series, especially with Crier finding out more about her origin and about her fiancé Kinok's plans for this world, but also Ayla's family's origin and their role in the creation of the Automae.

Upcoming by this author: Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom, a middle grade fantasy

The last duology I'll be discussing is A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, which seems like a very stereotypical YA fantasy title, but is the first book in a very good fantasy duology set in a west Africa inspired world (the author is from Ghana specifically).

Ziran is a prosperous city in the desert surrounded by many poor and war stricken areas. Malik has fled from his home with his two sisters to go to Ziran and start a new life, but his younger sister Nadia is abducted by a vengeful spirit in exchange for passage into the city. Desperate, Malik strikes a deal with the spirit to get his sister back - if he kills princess Karina. And so he enters the city's Solstasia competition to get close to her.

Princess Karina is far from ready to take on any royal responsibilities, but when her mother, the Sultana, is assassinated, Karina has to take the throne. Far from ready for this role, Karina decides that instead she's going to bring back her mother from the dead. She finds an ancient spell to help her. The only problem, she needs the heart of a king. So during the upcoming Solstasia competition, she offers her hand in marriage to the victor.

During the first book, Karina and Malik meet a couple of times and have their own plot, but their stories also intertwine a lot, and during this whole time they are essentially trying to kill each other without the other having any clue, making this an interesting take on enemies to lovers. Nor do either of time really want to kill the other, it's more of a necessity for their respective goals in saving family members, which I guess is understandable? I loved Malik immediately. He's sensitive, anxious, traumatized, and will do anything for his sisters. Karina took a little more time since she's a little unlikeable at first but she's really one of those characters who grows on you.

The plot of this book is also very good and there are some well thought out plot twists that I didn't see coming and interesting world building that deals with topics such as immigration. The second book especially is rather long and it's not a very fast paced series, which is often the case with more world building heavy stories so that has to be your thing.

Other books by the author: Serwa Boateng's guide to Vampire Hunting, which is the first in a middle grade series published with Rick Riordan presents

Complete series I've covered in previous recommendation posts: This Poison Heart & This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron

Let me know if you've read any of those, and it's still possible to vote on the poll for which category books I'll cover next.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @bottomdelioncourt @ikissedsmithparker

#book recommendations #ya books #queer books #poc books #Black Wings Beating #Red Skies Falling #Gold Wings Rising #Alex London #Dread Nation #Deathless Divide #Justina Ireland #Girls of paper and fire #girls of storm and shadow #girls of fate and fury #natasha ngan #we set the dark on fire #we unleash the merciless storm #tehlor kay mejia #crier's war #the iron heart #nina varela #a song of wraiths and ruin #a psalm of storms and silence #roseanne a. brown

[reviewsthatburn]

There's something very satisfying about sitting down to read a series that's complete, ready and waiting for you to crack open and devour it. Finishing a series also requires readers to have supported each book along the way as they came out. Well, these duologies, trilogies, and series by authors of color are finished, available to be read entire. We've previously reviewed every entry on this list and included links to those thoughts for anyone who wants a bit more detail. While it's entirely possible that these authors may publish associated stories in the future (either sequels or just set in the same story universe), what's available now feels complete. Each entry includes the synopsis from the first book in the series.

Full post at link, book titles in tags.

#BookReviews #a song of wraiths and ruin #a psalm of storms and silence #raybearer #redemptor #empire of sand #realm of ash #queen of the conquered #king of the rising #these violent delights #our violent ends #the grimrose girls #the wicked remain #dread nation #deathless divide #witchmark #stormsong #soulstar #the kingston cycle #the hundred thousand kingdoms #the broken kingdoms #the kingdom of gods #the inheritance trilogy #shadow of the fox #soul of the sword #night of the dragon #ninefox gambit #raven stratagem #revenant gun #labyrinth lost

[brightbeautifulthings]

If I let loose the tenuous hold I have on my feelings, there will be blood. And it won't be mine.

Justina Ireland, Deathless Divide

#Q: #justina ireland #deathless divide #jane mckeene #anger #temper #book quotes #books

[daniellesreadingnook]

I am still reading “Beautiful Creatures.” This is what I’m gonna finish next.

I am gonna start on “Deathless Divide” and “A Twisted Tale Anthology” as well.

Wish me luck!

#danielle's reading nook #booklr #beautiful creatures #deathless divide #a twisted tale anthology

[bethly126]

Happy PRIDE!

Happy Pride month. Here are a few of my favorite books and series that feature LGBTQIA+ characters. What are your favorites? Leave them in the comments. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao – Polyamorous Science Fantasy reimagining of the rise of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian. With a true love triangle as Zetian has two love interests who are also in love with each other. There truly isn’t anything else…

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#beth reads #bethlylou reads #bethylou reads #brooklyn brujas #call down the hawk #Carry On #cassandra clare #deathless divide #Diverse Authors #diverse lives #Diverse Narrators #diverse stacks #Diverse Stacks #Diverse Lives #dread nation #girls of paper and fire #heroes of olympus #infernal devices #iron widow #isabel sterling #justina ireland #labyrinth lost #lgbtq #lgbtq+ #maggie stiefvater #magnus chase and the gods of asgard #mortal instruments #natasha ngan #Percy jackson #rainbow rowell

[novelconcepts]

As good as Dread Nation was, I think the sequel is even better. I am having such a good fucking time.

#bookshelf #deathless divide #I’m so glad I got them both from the library at the same time #I’ve been doing like nothing else. just letting them wash over me

[vilesbian]

If she walks away without Katherine I'm gonna quite vexed with Jane Mckeene.

#deathless divide

[aroaessidhe]

Aro books by authors of colour!

ARO WEEK 2023

DEATHLESS DIVIDE / historical zombie fantasy / aroace MC (dual pov, she’s a side character in book 1)

THE LAST SESSION / contemporary/dnd-fantasy graphic novel / one of the MCs is aro

SAL & GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE / contemporary sci-fi / aro probably-ace MC, mentioned briefly but he talks all the time how annoying it is when people assume he & gabi are dating

NOT YOUR BACKUP (sidekick squad #3) / YA superhero sci-fi / aroace-spec questioning MC

SO MANY BEGINNINGS / historical little women retelling / while it’s not super explicit, Jo is probably aroacespec, her ‘relationship’ reads as a QPR

KAIKEYI /  adult historical fantasy/retelling / aroace MC  

THE BRUISING OF QILWA / adult fantasy novella / MC is aroace

ELATSOE / contemporary fantasy/paranormal / aro-coded ace MC

COME DRINK WITH ME (TALES OF THE THREAD) / adult historical fantasy / short story series centred around platonic relationships from an aro perspective

see also:  It Sounds Like This, Summer Bird Blue, If It Makes You Happy, Take Me To Your Nerdy Leader

*as a note, some of these only briefly explore aromanticism, and/or explore the ace part of the aroace character more. If you want more details on how much things are explored, see my database!  

#aromantic #aromantic books #aroweek2023 #arospec awareness week #aro books #DEATHLESS DIVIDE #THE LAST SESSION #THE BRUISING OF QILWA #ELATSOE #TALES OF THE THREAD #SAL & GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE #SO MANY BEGINNINGS

[lizabethstucker]

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

4.5 out of 5

Dread Nation 2

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene and Katherine Deveraux escort a wagon of survivors to Nicodemus, Kansas. They and Jackson Keats fight off shamblers during the trip to the black-run town, observing how the undead appear to be getting larger and smarter with their tactics.

Jane has no intentions of staying in Kansas, her plans to continue to California to search for her mother and Aunt Aggie, the woman who essentially raised her, is still her primary focus. But events interfere with her plans, from survival to revenge to dealing with grief and guilt.

Starts immediately after the end of "Dread Nation". Immediately engrossing, with the added benefit of alternating chapters giving us more insight into Katherine. I was iffy about her in the first book, but this time I find myself enjoying her more and more. We're given a much better look at her backstory and her methods of dealing with anxiety and self-doubt with the use of her corset.

Jane is still as prickly as ever, certain events that happen in the story making her try desperately to harden her heart to protect herself. She believes she is alone, friendless, but Jane has more friends and allies than even she can imagine.

Prepare to have your heart twisted and broken, patched and twisted again. Ireland has given us strong black characters, inclusivity, bisexual characters such as Jane, and a chunky read. Comparing it to the first book? Not quite as strong, but that might be due to the size. It literally could've been divided into two books, considering how the different sections were separated by over a year. Just my opinion. Still a great read.

CONTENT WARNING: child endangerment, child death, zombies, violence, and brutality.

#book review #Justina Ireland #Deathless Divide #Dread Nation series #fantasy #horror #young adult #black characters #LGBTQ characters #bisexual characters #zombies

[anotherenglishmajorxo]

My current reads:

-Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

-Warhammer 40k: Pariah: a Bequin novel by Dan Abnett

-Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

-Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

#booklr #currently reading #warhamer 40000 #pariah #dan abnett #deathless divide #justina ireland #dial a for aunties #jesse q sutanto #daughter of smoke and bone #laini taylor #personal photos #personal library #adult sci-fi #contemporary romance #ya fantasy #borrowed from library #kindle library

[lwcaexii]

Did I ever share our cover of Cake Bake Betty's 1916? With @todawoda 's wonderful vocals, I'm so proud of them!

#cake bake betty #1916 #music #indie #the deathless divide #Spotify

[brotherhoodoftheblade]

So, a little good news for the new year: I’ve started writing again since January 1st and have managed to write a bit every day so far (let’s hope that’ll continue this year!! *crosses fingers*). I’ve been struggling to feel motivated to write the last few years, so I really want to get back into the habit of writing regularly again.😊

But anyway, I’ve been working on some scenes from The Deathless Divide, so here’s a little (mostly spoiler-free) excerpt: 

“I am -” Percy began, but an odd little squeaking noise came out of nowhere, cutting him off.

John’s brow knit at the nearness of the sound. 

“The devil is that?” he muttered under his breath, glancing sharply about them in expectation of vermin. He saw nothing but mud and melting snow. The sound came again – this time a series of squeaks – and he looked over to see Percy cooing down into his cloak pocket.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did we wake you?”

A tiny furry head popped out of Percy’s pocket and John started. “What is that?”

“It’s a cat, John,” Percy said, dryly amused. “What does it look like?”

He retrieved the creature from his pocket, and the little thing curled neatly in the palm of Percy’s hand. It had a tiny knitted cloak of its own tied on to it, and John regarded it curiously despite himself. Could Percy knit? Somehow he could easily picture Percy as the sort of man who’d knit clothing for an animal, recalling with an odd ache the childlike glee Percy had shown at the sight of Doctor Gilbert Rigby’s gentlemanly-attired pug dog at the artists’ exhibition they’d attended together so long ago.

“A small rodent,” John replied flippantly, gingerly reaching out toward the little bundle of light grey fluff. It raised its head, revealing big blue eyes and a tiny pink nose, and bared its toothless gums at him in a hiss.

“Now now, darling, be nice,” Percy chastised with a chuckle, petting the little fiend lightly with a fingertip. It meowed in a satisfied manner after a bit of this and rested its head back on his palm, shivering a bit. Percy bent his head to give the creature a peck on top of its head.

“Where did you get it?” John asked, watching as Percy bundled the kitten back up and carefully returned it to his pocket. He hadn’t even known Percy liked cats, and had never much cared for them himself.

“I found her outside when she was no more than a few days old, she was abandoned,” Percy replied, taking out his handkerchief and tucking it along the pocket’s opening to keep the cold out. The kitten meowed insistently and Percy rubbed the pocket soothingly. “Do not tell me you’re hungry again already? She’s a stomach the size of a walnut, I swear. I am afraid I must take my leave before she starts crying in earnest.”

~*~

Saw these pics and was like, “Yes, Percy would absolutely adopt an abandoned kitten even though he’s never especially liked cats and then quickly end up falling in love with it and turn into a doting mother.” 😂 (x)

#my random ramblings #the deathless divide #my fanfic #fanfic excerpt #Lord John Grey #Percy Wainwright #john x percy #fanfiction

[brightbeautifulthings]

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

"He is trying to protect me, in the simple way men are always trying to protect women: by stealing away their freedom."

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 4/5

About: There are spoilers ahead for Dread Nation. After the fall of Summerland, Jane, Katherine and the remaining survivors are forced to flee to a nearby town called Nicodemus. They've been warned that it isn't as safe as it appears though, and it isn't long before the threats they faced in Summerland are on their doorstep. All Jane wanted was to get to California to find her mother, but revenge is almost as tempting. Trigger warnings: character death (on-page, graphic), body horror, amputation, violence, guns, racism (countered).

Thoughts: Historical novels aren't really my jam even with zombies in them, so I had some trouble getting into Dread Nation. In an unexpected twist, I enjoyed Deathless Divide a lot more. The pacing is better overall, the plots are more compelling, and the characters are just as vibrant and nuanced. It feels like both Jane and Katherine have really grown into themselves in this book, and I love the contrast and the friendship between them. Not a lot of novels are so heavily focused on a friendship (rather than a romance, or sometimes even family) as the main relationship, and Jane and Katherine's is the heart of Deathless Divide. They make each other better and have each other's backs, whether the threat is outward or internal.

Things lag a bit in the middle when they first arrive at Nicodemus, and there's a little too much buildup there before things take off in a major way. I'm usually against splitting up characters (because it takes hundreds of pages to bring them back together), but in this case I think it's necessary for the development. I enjoyed seeing more of the unique America that Ireland has shaped through an ever-present zombie plague and, as always, the way race plays a role in all of it. It's well-plotted with a couple of unexpected turns, and overall makes for an exciting ride. I'd recommend it even for people who weren't quite sure about the first book.

#book review #justina ireland #deathless divide #historical fantasy #zombie fiction #4/5 #rating: 4/5 #2022

[daniellesreadingnook]

"Dread Nation" and "Deathless Divide" by Justina Ireland

Book(s): "Dread Nation" (2018), "Deathless Divide" (2020)

Author: Justina Ireland

Publisher: Balzer and Bray/ Harper Collins

Summary: about a 17-year-old girl named Jane McKeene, during the late 1800s, who is at a school for girls of color to learn how to fight and kill zombies that were risen from the dead. Well, as fate would have it, there are twists and turns no one expected, and Jane must figure out how to survive.

In all honesty, historical fiction is not a genre I normally read. However, I liked this duology. It is filled with fighting, inner conflict, love, although this is not the focal point. The progression of the series is good. I had no problems with that. I wish that there was a little more after the end of the second book: "Deathless Divide."

This is all my opinion. I actually want this duology to have more of a following. These books have potential to have a larger fanbase.

I recommend reading "Dread Nation" and "Deathless Divide." With all the twists and turns, you won't be disappointed.

Rate: 7.9/10

Happy Reading!!

#danielle's reading nook #booklr #justina ireland #dread nation #deathless divide #jane mckeene #katherine deveraux