Carve the Mark / Veronica Roth

4.5/5

Carve the Mark, the newest book from Veronica Roth, is science fiction novel set in a fantastical and interesting world. I couldn't put this novel down and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the second and final book (I love duologies).

Carve the Mark has incredibly well-developed characters and a well-developed world. I love Cyra-- she's strong, honest, and no-nonsense. The Akos-centered chapters are also interesting, because the novel starts off following Akos, and then moves to Cyra in the second section, making me spend the entire second section eager to discover Akos's perspective because we, the reader, know that he has been through a lot and changed a lot. His chapters do feel a little distanced though, especially in comparison to how intimate Cyra's chapters are, because Cyra's are written in first person while Akos's are written in third. Other than having wonderful, strong, interesting main characters, the side characters are also complete, human, and fascinating. No one is painted as wholly "good" or "bad," and I like having moral shades of gray in a novel.

Roth also creates a gorgeous setting for her characters. The little enclosed galaxy, the Current, the hushflowers were all so new to me and I loved learning more and more about it throughout the novel. Other than the well-done characters and world, there are two other things I want to point out. One, the plot is slow. I have read many other reviews complaining about this, and I concede. But, for me, the other aspects of the book were done so well that I didn't even mind the slower plot. I was so immersed in Cyra's voice and in the world that the slower pace didn't bother me, and I enjoyed discovering and feeling out the characters and the setting. The second thing is that Carve the Mark definitely has very strong The Winner's Curse vibes. This is in no way a bad thing, especially because I love The Winner's Curse. Both novels have strong, smart, powerful male and female leads, and they are on opposing sides. One is a "captive" of the other. If you're a fan of Winner's Curse, I definitely recommend Carve the Mark. 

Carve the Mark had me fully engrossed for the entirety of the novel. I recommend it to all YA sci-fi and fantasy fans. I loved being Cyra for a while and discovering her world, and I also got so excited when I finally put together why the novel is called Carve the Mark. I will definitely be picking up the sequel.