Carve the Mark - Hardcover

Roth, Veronica

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062348639 ISBN 13: 9780062348630

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2017

Synopsis

Globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth delivers a breathtaking fantasy featuring an unusual friendship, an epic love story, and a galaxy-sweeping adventure.

#1 New York Times bestseller * Wall Street Journal bestseller * USA Today bestseller * #1 IndieBound bestseller

Praise for Carve the Mark:

“Roth skillfully weaves the careful world-building and intricate web of characters that distinguished Divergent.” —VOYA (starred review)

“Roth offers a richly imagined, often brutal world of political intrigue and adventure, with a slow-burning romance at its core.” —ALA Booklist

Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth have grown up in enemy countries locked in a long-standing fight for dominance over their shared planet. When Akos and his brother are kidnapped by the ruling Noavek family, Akos is forced to serve Cyra, the sister of a dictator who governs with violence and fear. Cyra is known for her deadly power of transferring extraordinary pain unto others with simple touch, and her tyrant brother uses her as a weapon against those who challenge him. But as Akos fights for his own survival, he recognizes that Cyra is also fighting for hers, and that her true gift—resilience—might be what saves them both.

When Akos and Cyra are caught in the middle of a raging rebellion, everything they’ve been led to believe about their world and themselves must be called into question. But fighting for what’s right might mean betraying their countries, their families, and each other.

When the time comes, will they choose loyalty or love?

And don't miss The Fates Divide, Veronica Roth's powerful follow-up novel!

About this title

About the Author

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four: A Divergent Collection, and Carve the Mark. Ms. Roth and her husband live in Chicago. You can visit her online at www.veronicarothbooks.com.

From the Back Cover

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

CYRA is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

AKOS is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual current-gift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost.

Then Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

Carve the Mark is Veronica Roth’s stunning portrayal of the power of friendship—and love—in a galaxy filled with unexpected gifts.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Lifegiving "current" hums throughout the planets in what Akos knows as "the galaxy." This includes Akos's nation-planet of Thuvhe along with planets Zold, Othyr, Urek, Shotet, and more. Cyra dwells on Shotet, a bitter Thuvhesit enemy. Akos and Cyra each have currentgifts, which manifest at adolescence. His gift can provide relief, while hers causes pain for herself and others. In Roth's military-styled world, battles are settled with currentblades, and victors scar their arms with kill marks, meant both to count the dead and, in some cases, to honor them. The story is told from the perspectives of both Akos and Cyra. Readers follow a third-person view of Akos, who was brought unwillingly to Shotet and harbors deep resentments, while Cyra, always at the edge of pain and ready for battle, narrates in first person. Gradually, Cyra and Akos move from grudging tolerance of each other to respect and then love. Intrigue, poisonings, and an epic battle in the final chapters set the stage for the next book in this planned duology. Roth's dark world mixes classic elements, such as oracles and gladiator-style battles, with futuristic bullies who have a thirst for power. VERDICT The author's name may catch the eye of "Divergent" trilogy fans, but they will find that this book has less romance and more violence. Consider where Marie Lu's "Young Elites" series, Eoin Colfer's "W.A.R.P." books, and Allen Zadoff's "Unknown Assassin" titles are popular.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062348639
• ISBN 13: 9780062348630
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480