"I guess he hadn't known his fate."
For the heroes of Veronica Roth's Carve the Mark, fate is the one thing in the galaxy a person can never escape. No one knows this better than Akos, whose mother is an oracle capable of seeing every possible future. She knows the places where these possibilities overlap, situations that cannot be avoided no matter what else is changed. Which means she knows Akos is destined to die in service to the family Noavek, who rule the brutal Shotet nation beyond the field of feathergrass. It also means she knew the Noaveks would have him and his brother kidnapped--and that she did nothing to stop it. Two seasons after his capture, Akos's currentgift lands him a job soothing Cyra Noavek's pain, a side effect of her own brutal currentgift. He wants nothing more to get his brother out of Shotet--but the longer they remain, the more dangerous escaping becomes. Not because his fate, job, or currentgift make him a target, but because Cyra has plans of her own.
Cyra and Akos are polar opposites whose circumstances force them to become similar. Akos, for example, loves peace and living in harmony with his neighbors. His currentgift--which, like everyone's currentgift, formed as an extension of his personality--allows him to bring a fraction of that peace to the most pained young woman on the planet. However, the warrior-culture of Shotet has no tolerance for such a lifestyle, forging him instead into an impressive fighting machine. Meanwhile, Cyra has lived with pain her entire life: first from strained familial relations, and later from her currentgift, which allows her to hurt others but which wracks her body with continuous agony. Cyra is a warrior by nature, a blade honed to a wicked edge, yet Akos may show her that war is not always the wisest path to take.
There is no one word to sum up this tale. It is at once fast-paced and patiently slow, a story of rebellion and of mending bridges, a romance and a desperate choice between family and justice. Cyra is not the good guy; however, she walks a fine line between good and evil, longing to learn the difference so she can make the right choice. As she and Akos become gradually more aware of each other's culture, both the ups and the downs, they come to question everything they were taught about their planet and the galaxy as a whole. And as each plot line gives way to the next, rising and crashing like waves against a shore, our heroes come to realize that while fate can't be avoided, they are responsible for how they reach it. Through sojourning to other planets, partaking in rich cultural rituals and terrifying arena duels, and facing a wicked dictator, these two unlikely companions must breach a web of deception to stand up for the people they love--no matter the cost.
As with most good stories, this work contains a few details that may concern certain audiences. What for Cyra and Akos begins as a platonic master-servant relationship quickly escalates into a friendship between equals, though this encourages eager gossips to speculate on whether there is more going on behind the scenes. Although there are a few instances where one protagonist is exposed more than they'd like to the other, neither presses an advantage and the relationship remains strong, healthy, and respectful. The romance goes no further than kisses. More worthy of caution is the violence, as fights within the Shotet's gladiatorial-style arena can be quite brutal, though not graphic. Shotet also mark their arms to honor people they've lost, a tradition some readers may find alarming despite its honorable intention. At one point, a character is painfully disfigured. While everyone has a gift derived from the galaxy-spanning "current", there is no magic.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults looking for a delicious, insightful read about sworn enemies whose partnership changes the way they see the galaxy. Veronica Roth has created a delightfully vivid world of intrigue, shifting alliances, space travel, and understated superpowers unlike any that have come before. Set against this stunning backdrop, Akos's struggle to save his brother and Cyra's hunt for morality take on a weight worthy of their tasks, yet that weight is insignificant next to each's fierce dedication to seeing the other succeed. While a couple of Shotet traditions may shock sensitive readers, the heart of this novel is beautiful to behold. For a gorgeously detailed setting, deliciously complex characters, and a plot that grabs the imagination and refuses to let go, Carve the Mark deserves five stars.
Cyra and Akos are polar opposites whose circumstances force them to become similar. Akos, for example, loves peace and living in harmony with his neighbors. His currentgift--which, like everyone's currentgift, formed as an extension of his personality--allows him to bring a fraction of that peace to the most pained young woman on the planet. However, the warrior-culture of Shotet has no tolerance for such a lifestyle, forging him instead into an impressive fighting machine. Meanwhile, Cyra has lived with pain her entire life: first from strained familial relations, and later from her currentgift, which allows her to hurt others but which wracks her body with continuous agony. Cyra is a warrior by nature, a blade honed to a wicked edge, yet Akos may show her that war is not always the wisest path to take.
There is no one word to sum up this tale. It is at once fast-paced and patiently slow, a story of rebellion and of mending bridges, a romance and a desperate choice between family and justice. Cyra is not the good guy; however, she walks a fine line between good and evil, longing to learn the difference so she can make the right choice. As she and Akos become gradually more aware of each other's culture, both the ups and the downs, they come to question everything they were taught about their planet and the galaxy as a whole. And as each plot line gives way to the next, rising and crashing like waves against a shore, our heroes come to realize that while fate can't be avoided, they are responsible for how they reach it. Through sojourning to other planets, partaking in rich cultural rituals and terrifying arena duels, and facing a wicked dictator, these two unlikely companions must breach a web of deception to stand up for the people they love--no matter the cost.
As with most good stories, this work contains a few details that may concern certain audiences. What for Cyra and Akos begins as a platonic master-servant relationship quickly escalates into a friendship between equals, though this encourages eager gossips to speculate on whether there is more going on behind the scenes. Although there are a few instances where one protagonist is exposed more than they'd like to the other, neither presses an advantage and the relationship remains strong, healthy, and respectful. The romance goes no further than kisses. More worthy of caution is the violence, as fights within the Shotet's gladiatorial-style arena can be quite brutal, though not graphic. Shotet also mark their arms to honor people they've lost, a tradition some readers may find alarming despite its honorable intention. At one point, a character is painfully disfigured. While everyone has a gift derived from the galaxy-spanning "current", there is no magic.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults looking for a delicious, insightful read about sworn enemies whose partnership changes the way they see the galaxy. Veronica Roth has created a delightfully vivid world of intrigue, shifting alliances, space travel, and understated superpowers unlike any that have come before. Set against this stunning backdrop, Akos's struggle to save his brother and Cyra's hunt for morality take on a weight worthy of their tasks, yet that weight is insignificant next to each's fierce dedication to seeing the other succeed. While a couple of Shotet traditions may shock sensitive readers, the heart of this novel is beautiful to behold. For a gorgeously detailed setting, deliciously complex characters, and a plot that grabs the imagination and refuses to let go, Carve the Mark deserves five stars.
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