The Dividing (The Adamic Trilogy: Book 1)
The Dividing (The Adamic Trilogy: Book 1), by Devin Downing
Hey guys, I hope you’ve been having a wonderful start to March.
Have you read any particularly good books lately? If so, I’d love to hear about them.
Today, I’m excited to be reviewing The Dividing, Book 1 of The Adamic Trilogy, by Devin Downing.
About
The Dividing follows the lives of two teenagers, the royal princess of Cavernum, Roselyn, and Matt, an adoptee who returns to his magical roots. While Cavernum’s people are growing restless, demanding equality, feeders (demonic, blood-thirsty beings) start to attack the Adamic (ancient magic) sanctuaries around the world.
As Matt and Roselyn train to become guards in the hope they can make a difference and protect their people, danger lurks in the shadows, preparing to strike.
Characters
The characters in The Dividing were well-rounded, each with their own personal lives and emotional baggage. The main characters were Matt and Roselyn.
Matt, a teenage adoptee with unusual tattoos linked to an ancient people, appeared caring and trustworthy at first glance. He cared for his terminally ill mother, hunted to make ends-meet, and enjoyed a somewhat ordinary life, until he meets a man who knows a lot about his strange tattoos and the secrets behind them. Watching Matt’s gradual transformation as he entered the new world of the Adamic was fascinating and drew me deeper into the story.
Roselyn, princess of Cavernum always wanted to train to become a member of the guard, however as future queen, this dream puts her in great danger, as rebels seeking equality between peasant and royalty have targeted her. Courageous, strong, loyal, and caring, Roselyn made for a worthy princess, despite the outcries of the citizens who had turned against their monarchs. Seeing how Roselyn became torn emotionally over her people’s pain and suffering only further emphasized her human compassion.
Diego, a devoted friend to Matt when he first learns of his heritage, was an interesting character. His constant worry over his family’s future was relatable and made me feel for him deeply. His deep drive to find his mother, who he feared dead, is commendable, and it was this sense of fierce determination that made him a fierce friend.
Likes
There was much to like about The Dividing. Due to the number of things I picked out, I’ve decided to list them here as bullet points.
- A sense of mystery is established early on and gradually continued to build, drawing me deeper into the story.
- The characters were likable and complimented each-other’s personalities well.
- The first person, present narration style made the story feel very immediate and intimate.
- The world of the Adamic people had a rich history and was full of intriguing traditions, such as The Dividing, for which the book is named.
- The internal, conflicting emotions and desires of the main characters are well explored and helped to increase tension in an effective way.
- I loved how Roselyn’s viewpoint regarding the laws of Cavernum is contrasted sharply with Matt’s, to show the difference in their upbringings and their view of justice.
- The story is packed full of magic and secrets, and made for an intriguing read that kept me constantly turning the pages.
- Shocking twists had me shouting at the characters as I read on and got me very emotionally involved in the events of the story.
- The ending, in particular, was incredibly suspenseful and left the start of the series on a powerful note.
Memorable Quotes
Through the course of the story, two main quotes stood out to me.
1) ‘The only thing worse than failure is knowing you never tried.’
2) ‘You can do this- there’s always a chance. If you don’t believe it, then you’ve already lost.’
I found it refreshing that both quotes dealt with the theme of failure and belief in oneself. I think that, now more than ever, people in the world need to hear such encouraging remarks.
Overview
Overall, The Dividing was a fascinating story, packed with magic, secrets, and unexpected twists. Themes of oppression, friendship, loyalty and betrayal helped to make a powerful statement about justice between classes of people in society.
My Rating: 5 stars. An imaginative story, with a richly-created world.
Recommended to: Lovers of young adult fantasy series.
Want more information?
Learn more about The Dividing by visiting its Goodreads page, HERE.
Or, find out more about Devin Downing by visiting his Goodreads author page, HERE.
As always, thank you for joining me for today’s review.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it over social media, or leave a comment below.
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Ellie. xoxo
