Monday Mini-Reviews - Incarnate trilogy by Jodi Meadows

 New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Amazon

My review

I've been meaning to read this book for ages - with such a stunning cover, I couldn’t resist! The premise is fantastic – a society where the same million souls are reincarnated over and over again, and Ana, a “newsoul”, who disrupts the whole pattern. Mistreated by her mother, Li, who sees her as a bad omen, Ana leaves for the city of Heart, where she discovers unexpected acceptance and friendship on her journey to find out why she exists and why another soul vanished when she took their place.

The worldbuilding in this book is stunning, completely unique and fascinating. Meadows has put so much thought into the way the story’s world functions and what life would be like in a society in which the same people are continually reborn. It has a futuristic feel in places, but also has fantastical creatures like dragons and Slyph. Ana’s relationship with Sam is sweet and develops naturally throughout the story. Ana is a relatable teen who feels like she’ll never belong – understandable, given that she’s been told throughout her life that she’s a mistake and a bad omen.

A creative and beautifully written YA fantasy with a unique plot – this had me spellbound!

Rating: 5 stars.

 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, the second in Jodi Meadows’s Newsoul trilogy, is just as compelling as the first book. Here, Ana deals with the consequences of the events of Templedark, in which many lives - and souls - were lost. Now, more newsouls like Ana are being born, but many people distrust them, and blame her for what happened. Meanwhile, Ana wants to uncover the truth about reincarnation, while becoming a voice for the other newsouls.

I loved this book just as much as the first one!  Ana’s character growth is wonderful, and I loved how her relationship with Sam developed as she overcomes her doubts and insecurities. The two make a lot of mistakes, but I liked that their characters are flawed and three-dimensional. Once again, I was completely emotionally invested in the characters.

But the worldbuilding is the best part of this story. I loved how Asunder took us deeper into this fascinating world, in which souls are reincarnated and humans are one of many creatures in a dangerous environment. I loved the mystery around the sylph and how that tied into the overall plot involving Janan and the city of Heart. The plot unfolds with surprises at every turn and with breathtaking revelations. And after an ending like that, I’m reading the final book right away!

Rating: 5 stars.

Infinite by Jodi Meadows

DESTRUCTIONThe Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHTAna’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICEThe oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

My review

I started reading this immediately after finishing Asunder, and finished it in a day! Jodi Meadows wraps up the series wonderfully in an emotionally wrenching and gripping conclusion.

As Janan prepares to return, earthquakes and natural disasters plague the Range, and Ana is the only person who can uncover how to stop him. Exiled along with Sam, she struggles with her knowledge of the true reason the oldsouls reincarnate and what really happened five thousand years ago. The story expands to explore new places in this fascinating world, including the dragons and centaurs. I loved how the sylph continue to play a major role in the plot, and

This is a fast-paced and beautifully written novel, and the character development is superb. Ana and Sam are perfect for each other, and while their relationship isn’t free from struggles, there’s minimal angst – one of the reasons I love this series so much. The minor characters are equally well-developed, and I was sad for some of their fates. Janan is a truly terrifying villain, and the spell he casts over the citizens of Heart is gripping and scary.

There are even more surprises, twists and shocking reveals than the previous instalment, leading up to a very satisfying conclusion. The Incarnate trilogy is a rare series which gets stronger with each book, and one I’ll be adding to my “reread” list for sure!

Rating: 5 stars.