Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Title: Asunder
Author: Jodi Meadows
Page Count: 406
Rating: B
Keywords: Fantasy, True Love, Reincarnation, Rights
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This one is pretty safe. The main character actually doesn't even know what sex is. It is alluded to as this mysterious thing that everyone else knows about, but she is left in the dark. So no steamy scenes that move past a couple of lines of kissing. I also do not recall in harsh language.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

My Review:

Asunder is the second instalment in the Newsoul trilogy by Jodi Meadows. Incarnate is the first book that I read about a year ago. I absolutely LOVED that book. Sam and Ana are great together and the action in the book is fast paced. And do I even need to mention the covers? This series is gorgeous. From the dust jacket to the interior illustrations at the tops of chapters I love the attention to detail. Even the bright colors of the hardcovers is fantastic. Needless to say, I love having these in my book collection.

Meadows creates a rich and intriguing world that is unique and can easily draw a reader in, devouring the pages to discover Range and Heart. Sylph are fascinating, creatures of heat that everyone fears. And I love the developments that Meadows makes in this second installment. Their odd attraction to Ana and their history revealed in this book were probably my favorite aspects of the story.

I did not like this book as much as the first one but I still enjoyed it. The action is less obvious in this installment and there is more of a focus on the mystery of how newsouls are being created and the politics of Heart.

Ana, our newsoul, is the only main character that has not been reincarnated for thousands of years. This causes fear in the residents of Heart, which is the main contention in this book. The fear of more newsouls and darksouls leads many people to abusive actions that could bring up the question of human rights for readers. Ana grows up somewhat and begins to take on the role of revolutionary. I am excited to see where her journey takes her next.

My feelings on Sam were somewhat conflicted. I used to absolutely adore his character without question. He was the knight in shining armor that protected Ana, helped her gain some degree of acceptance in Heart, and played piano. He was sort of dreamy. After reading this one though, I am not quite so enchanted with the young man. While he is still protective of Ana, there is more tension between them. He does not trust her and his opinion is too easily swayed by others. Hopefully he can redeem himself later on.

Not a bad follow up to Incarnate, but not my favorite of the two. I can't wait to see where the series goes with Infinite.