Divide and Conquer

Infinity Ring #2

by Carrie Ryan

Scholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here!

Dak, Sera, and Riq might be in over their heads when they attempt to stop a Viking invasion!

Hundreds of ships carrying thousands of warriors are laying siege to medieval Paris. The Parisians are holding their own, but the stalemate can only last so long. And that's bad news -- especially since Dak has been captured, forced to work alongside the Vikings while Sera and Riq defend Paris from within. No matter which side wins, the kids lose!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

4 pages, Audiobook

First published November 6, 2012

About the author

Carrie Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of a lot of books. She use to be a lawyer. Happily, she is not anymore. You can keep it that way by reading her books:

Latest release (out Aug 2, 2022), perfects for fans of thrillers, serial killers, missing girls, mysteries, unputdownable books: Trapper Road

If you like zombies, try the Forest of Hands and Teeth series.

If you like clever, fun adventure fantasy for 8-12 year olds, definitely read the Map To Everywhere series (co-written with her husband, John Parke Davis).

If you like cold calculated revenge involving hidden identities and lots of secrets: Daughter of Deep Silence.

If you or your kids like multi-author, multi-platform series like 39 Clues and Spirit Animals, try Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer -- it's produced by the same publisher (and has vikings and true history!)

If you like true-crime stuff (both fiction and podcasts), check out her upcoming release, Dead Air, a serialized thriller co-written with Gwenda Bond and Rachel Caine.

If you're pretty sure you won't survive the zombie apocalypse, you're in good company. She won't either.

instagram: @CarrieRyanWrites
twitter: @CarrieRyan
website: www.CarrieRyan.com

Reviews

[S.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Infinity Ring 2 - Divide and Conquer is a great story that I liked even better than book 1. Our heroes, Dak, Sera and Riq return in a great adventure that is full of action, heroics and suspense.

In this instalment the gang find themselves in Paris in 885 at the very time that the Vikings are invading. Their old foes the SQ are also back again, and having infiltrated the Vikings they are leading them into events that will strengthen the SQ for the future. Our heroes need to find the Hystorian and fix the Break before it's too late, or it spells trouble for the future.

The main characters develop in this story as they learn more about each other and bonds become stronger. In one instance there was a little romance, which takes an unexpected turn as the passing of time has a huge effect. The search for Dak's parents is an underlying theme in the story, which does progress within this book. I'm sure that the next books in the series will pick up where this part of the story leaves off.

I found the action scenes were vivid and I could easily visualise the settings and hear the battle cries. Although, the vision of the Berserkergang could leave me scarred for life (read it and you'll know what I mean :). I'm a huge fan of Paris, and after reading this, I'm glad I've visited modern Paris, rather what it was like in 885.

My bottom line is that this book is a great read which is better than the first in the series. I enjoyed the vivid details, action and growth of the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Note: I don't claim to be a pro-reviewer, I am a reader. My reviews are based on my personal thoughts around the story that the book is trying to tell. I'd rather focus on the story (which is the reason I read) rather than dissect the book and pass comment on writing style, structure or typos.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick, Dak and Sara slip into the age of Vikings. They find new friends and enemies a Frank boy named Bill, a Viking named Rolo and his dog a 150 pound Wolf Hound. Dak is still starry-eyed over history, causing him to land in the hands of enemies.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travelers, fun and fast past.

[maysri??? · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very intense at the war.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction. I love sci-fi. This series is a great combination of both! This particular book was about the Vikings and the Siege of Paris about 885 AD and the conquest of Normandy. It involved Rollo the Walker. Before listening to this book I listened to Sea Wolves, so I knew the history. That was fun to follow along and know what was supposed to happen and spot what was wrong in history. At the same time, it is just fine if you don't know the Viking history. They cover the history well and it makes a great introduction to this event.

One thing that is a little inconsistent, though, is the order of this book. Perhaps it should have been first, although I understand why Columbus was the subject of the first book, even though his story took place before the Vikings. During the books they emphasize how one little change will ripple through history. One of the time rifts in Divide and Conquer that the kids need to fix has impact on all the kings and queens of Europe. If that was the case for this series, then were Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand really on the throne during Columbus's time?

This is just a little thing, but if you're a stickler for points like this, you need to be aware of it, roll with it, and just enjoy the series. It didn't bother me, I really enjoyed the book in spite of the inconsistency.

[Deedeebear3! · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok I read the first book and loved it, so i was "yeah lets do this" I read the first page and was like "nope." so I let my sister read ahead of me. eventually I decided " It is time" and read it. and I loved it and I feel bad for judging the book off the first page. But I think I like it better than the first. I meal I cried at the end!

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is even more actioned packed. There is plenty of suspense in this book. There is so much suspense that it will make you want to read all of the books in the series.

[Iola Nestripke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good, but there were quite a few bits that I didn't understand, particularly the end of the first to the start of the second.

[Jessica (Books: A true story) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divide and Conquer, book 2 in the Inifinity Ring series, starts off talking about Paris which was actually where the last game ended and not where book 1 ended. It was a cool way to tie the online games in with the books. You don’t have to play the games to understand the books, but I think they are fun and the maps that go with the games inside the books make it feel like you are a part of the quest.

This particular period in Viking history was a perfect one to appeal to kids. There’s a king named Charles the Fat (seriously – that’s his REAL name!) and an epic battle rivaling Helm’s Deep from Lord of the Rings with the Vikings outnumbering the Parisians 30,000 to 200. It’s funny how real history can be more extreme than fiction (Helm’s Deep was 10,000 to 2,000).

While I was reading, I looked up all this Viking history that I didn’t know before. I learned something new! The main characters “fix” history pretty fast so we get to read about what really happened instead of a fake past like the last book.

The writing was pretty good and I thought it was a lot of fun. I did find it confusing that as the story goes on, they try to fix two breaks instead of just one. The events are related and it was cool to see where history went from that event, but I did feel lost for a little bit.

Game Review

The game that comes after this is not terribly hard or challenging. There were two mini-games that involved pushing arrows on your computer at the right time. I hate those kind of games. The rest of the game went very fast, but it was pretty fun. There is a forum now so you can complete all the side quests and get all the points if you so desire.

Overall, it was fun historical fiction about Vikings and epic battles that will teach you something you probably didn’t know about history in a way that will really appeal to kids, too.

This book is also reviewed on my blog Books: A true story

[Hannah Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by the plot of this series, but this book just ended up being, dare I say it, annoying. The characters annoyed me. The writing annoyed me. The suspension of disbelief goes up to off-road on this one. I think another issue was that where Mutiny in Time dealt with a historical event which middle grade readers would be familiar enough with to follow the breaks in time and the resolutions needed (Christopher Columbus), this 9th Century Siege of Paris and Frankish-Viking wars installment could only have worked if it was tied in with explanations of what was going on in that era, and what the Hystorians motivations were for what they were trying to do. But I don't think the author even understood the historical relevance of the events--how could she infuse that into the story?

While we're on the subject of the Hystorians, why do we need that y there? Just saying.

I am really hoping that it's just a problem with this author. This historical break could have been a great one, but it just turned out to be confusing. And for a bit, I thought that I had missed a book. I checked the number on the spine of the book three times, because I was so confused on this one meshed with the end of the previous.

While I did enjoy a foray into "what if our intrepid time-travelers mess up?," I just feel like this one missed the mark.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dak is pathetic. Sara is pathetic too, in her own way. Dak, for all the knowledge of it is actually the stupidest jeopardising everyone else's lives just for his impulsive fetish on being in the centre of the history throwing toddler tantrums all over, he is very annoying & can't even learn from his mistakes or not feel shame or regret knowing his friends risk their lives for him, all because he couldn't control his bloody impulses.
Sera, if she hadn't hesitated to go dammit, that guy wouldn't be shot, she's all about science & facts but she's just a pathetic hypocrite run over by emotions.

I wish James Dashner had written the entire series. That man knew a good book is not just about a good plot but also a great character development, which only plunged further than bottom in this book.

Severely disappointing. Get me back to the thirteenth reality if you please. Infinity Ring has been reduced to nothing but a meagre transport device. The very essence of time travel is lost under stupid miscalculations & unnecessary history.

If I wanted a mythology book, I would've looked elsewhere now, wouldn't I have? Astonishingly terrible ontoward negative infinity!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out Scott Reads It! for giveaways, reviews & more!

Divide And Conquer is the 2nd installment in the Infinity Ring series and it definitely surpasses it's predecessor. I'm not really familiar with the history behind the Vikings' siege of Paris so it was nice to get a basic background on the events. This book is short, but sweet with enough action and adventure to create a compelling adventure. I read the entire book in one sitting which should give you a sense of how compelling and quick of a read it is.


Divide And Conquer is a whole lot of fun and provided me with a nice respite from the long-length books I've been reading lately. I'll most likely be continuing the Infinity Ring series and I can't wait to get started on book #3. This book is definitely a book that has cross-over appeal and it's a great book for reluctant readers.

[Mads Breigutu]

Infinity Ring #2 “Divide and Conqueror”

Dak, Sera and Riq has gone back in time to stop the 30,000 thousand manned viking army from sieging ancient Paris. Will they make it, or, will they fail and let the vikings burn Paris?

Dak, Sera and Riq are brave kids that do everything in their power to stop this attack, thousands of ships are barging the beach with thousands of vikings, it is only a matter of time for these brave fellows to breach their defences, and find an ally among these gruul vikings, but they only have a certain amount of time before the vikings breach a hole in Paris’s high walls, and storm the city. No matter which side wins, the kids lose!

There are small challenges, but they get bigger and bigger every move the vikings perform. Just, let’s pray for god that these kids doesn’t fail or else, the history will be changed forever!

[Tajwar Rahman]

The second book of the Infinity Ring series is even more exciting than the first. The crew now know how to control the ring. They are using it like professionals. However they got themselves in the biggest dilemma. They need to stop a viking rampage, and all of the vikings are part of the SQ, the opposing team. Dak is kidnapped by the vikings and is forced to work for the opposing side. How will Dak, Sera, and Riq stop an army of big and strong vikings?
This book is even more actioned packed. There is plenty of suspense in this book. There is so much suspense that it will make you want to read all of the books in the series. I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone who is up for some fun in their reading lives.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

My biggest fear with this series is that each book would basically a be the same story as the other books in the series. At least with the first two, it wasn't that way. There were similarities, but I felt like the second book was a distinct story. I didn't know about that period in history, so I got online and learned a little bit. I love books that make me want to learn. There were a couple of places I thought the action went on a little long, but then again, I'm not really the target audience.

[Lemurkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun and fast-paced instalment in a "shared author" series. I got hte feeling the author's brief contained information on how much the boy loved cheese. It seemed a rather important part of his personality. The relationship stuff felt a it out of place given the pre-teen nature of the characters, still it was harmless enough and I suppose twelve year old girls DO develop crushes easily. It's hard to remember back that far!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment dives into France and this trio has to stop the Vikings from overtaking the city. There's definitely a lot of adventure and some of it is a little suspenseful, while other moments are a tad bit violent.

I read this aloud with my kids and we did enjoy the story and wanted to see how Dak, Sera, and Riq could possibly get out of their different situations. It's a fun story, but I like the first book better.

Content: some war violence.

[Trevor Bouma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing! The Infinity Ring #2 : Divide and Conquer is about 3 kids who travel through time. They go back to the year 880 AD when the Vikings are attacking Paris. They are trying to fix a break in time and 1 kid gets captured by the Vikings. I liked this book because it is about Dak, Riq and Sera! Sera knows lots about Science and Dak knows History and Riq speaks 16 languages. I like Science and History so I really liked this book.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dak, Sera, and their new friend Riq, are fixing the breaks in the past again, and now, they're going to 885, when the Vikings and the Franks have a war, and three kids have to fix it. I liked this book because I'm starting to enjoy this series since I finished the first book. I would recommend this book to people who fantasy books.

[Gavin Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered that it would be like to travel through time with your 2 best friends and experience history? Well in my book Infinity Ring by Carrie Ryan Sera experiences all of that with her best friends Dak and Riq. The main theme of this book is how friendship and leadership can help you get through anything.
This book is how Sera loves to time travel and experience history at its finest. They travel to 1792 Paris right before the Vikings attack and they are getting fired at by cannons. They also find a message from their parents (I'm also almost positive they have lost time traveling or something because i didn’t read the first book). They always want to learn more about history but Sera must keep the other 2 in check. Finally while Dak is stuck fighting for the Vikings, Sera and Rig must help defend Paris from the inside.
This book would appeal to people who are interested in time travel, history, and adventure. This book is all about time traveling and learning about the past. The author does a really good job with creating suspense and making it packed with action. He also does a good job with luring the reader into the book. Some weaknesses are how it's a slower book and doesn't get going for a while. They also have younger characters which can be a good or bad thing because they don't always act their age.
My impression of this book is really good and I liked it. It is also very cool in how they are so young but have all these huge responsibilities. I think other people should read it too and find out how they get through this huge mess they are in!

[Kryssy · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5**

I got 25% in and had no idea what was happening. There was even less explanation in this book, from what i could tell, no use of the infinity ring. I had to start over

The author of this book must be a more young adult or adult writer. The scenes were much slower with less dialogue than the first book

Is the name Grom or Gorm??

- Vikings in paris
- Language device
- Riq challenges the Vikings
- Parisians now know about a Viking attack
- Finds the historian after ignoring him
- Vikings took dak
- Siegfried is SQ and they need to stop him from amassing power
- Dak pretended to be dead so the Vikings would leave him until a nice Vikings dog found him
- Riq and sera get remnants. What If what they did with columbus made it worse?
- The code tells them to make sure siegfried takes paris
- Vikings knows dak is from the future
- Leaving for a different time. Bill is shot
- Sera wants to go back to save bill but she has said previously they can’t travel on a whim
- Returned to a time when they knew what would happen, got to return dog, and reunite with bill
- Sera is still getting remnants. They’re not changing anything about the past
- Dak sees his parents but couldn’t reach them before they were pulled through time
- They left him a large key

[MariayiahS(A3) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun little quick read book. It's not the best book I've read, especially next to the first and second Percy Jackson series, but this is a great series. I think it's pretty cool that each book is written by a different author and love all the details each author puts into their books. Yes, the characters do seem to change just a little bit in each book because the authors are changed, but for the most part, each author does really well in portraying each character close to the same. Each individual book is loaded with action, sarcasm/humor, and emotion. Each book that I have read have been amazing. These books are, again, a great quick read and this series is a fun adventurous one. Definitely start with the first book, this is just the one I chose to review first. I would also suggest this series mainly to people who like easier books to read and a lower reading level type book. I would not really recommend this to an older audience, but I love books for young children, so I became intrigued in this series.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of getting kids to read by rewarding them with an online game. But the games are no longer available. As a stand alone book, this is a fun time traveling adventure. But as book 2 in the series, it annoyed me that there are so many references to the game that took place between the books. The book still makes sense, the references aren't crucial to the plot. I would compare it to only watching odd number episodes of a TV series. You'll still understand everything going on, but you'll be irritated that you're missing things.

[Nam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable, but I did not enjoy having experiences referenced to constantly that had not been well laid out for the reader. I guess I want to know too much, but last I saw them, they had escaped from Columbus. They start out the next book having been successful in France. What? Overall, a good read, and I did like that there were some friendly Vikings mixed in with the bloodthirsty ones. Makes the Vikings seem more three-dimensional.

[Mary T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Didn't care for this one. I loved the first one and skipped around a bit to the periods that were more interesting to me (#3 - Underground Railroad and the one about WWII). Then I realized that the series ends with #8, which felt do-able. I don't know if it was the Viking theme or what in this one, but I just wasn't into it. And it kept wrapping up seemingly only to keep going. I'll probably try #4 and if it's as painful, I'll abandon the series.

Literary Escapes Challenge - France

[Enter Name · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is a very good science fiction novel that you can read at any time. It is about three main characters that go back in time to Paris to fix the past. The problem is that they cannot change the future too much. Also, they have to survive while thing like Vikings try to attack them. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good sci-fi book!

[Claire Mummert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book definitely had some unexpected twists and turns as you solve the next riddle in the infinity ring series. I love that we got a less whiny perspective from Dak and saw Sera develop into a more complex character. I'm still holding out to get more from Rick, but there's still another book ahead!

[Christy Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wasn't familiar with this event in history. I still don't, really, but whatever. So far I'm not impressed with this series. The time travel is sloppy and a little confusing. With the correction in the "break" of the last book, the capital is now DC instead of Philadelphia. But there was no noting the change to the kids.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book 2 in the series! It was more confusing than book 1, since I had no background knowledge of the Viking raid on Paris in 885. It was hard to understand exactly what break the kids were trying to fix, and even the kids were unclear what they were trying to do and if they had accomplished it. But it's also hard to go wrong with a viking story!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures continue with Daq, Sera and Riq as they travel back to the time of the Vikings. Will they be able to save Paris from the Vikings conquest? This second book in the series provides more suspense and adventure for these young travellers.