What do you think?
Rate this book
Spell Weaver #2
Divided against Yourselves
Taliesin Weaver thought that he had saved himself and his friends when he defeated the witch Ceridwen. He was wrong.
He always thought of evil as embodied in external threats that he could overcome in combat. Soon he will discover that the worst evil has been inside of him all along....
Tal’s girlfriend is in a coma for which he holds himself responsible. A close friend, suffering from a past-life memory trauma similar to Tal's, is getting worse, not better. Morgan Le Fay is still lurking around and has an agenda Tal can’t figure out. Supernatural interruptions in his life are becoming more frequent, not less so, despite his expectations. In fact, Tal learns that something about his unique nature amplifies otherworldly forces in ways he never imagined were possible, ways that place at risk everyone close to him.
Tal and his allies must face everything from dead armies to dragons. As soon as they overcome one menace, another one is waiting for them. More people are depending on Tal than ever; he carries burdens few adults could face, let alone a sixteen-year-old like himself. Yet somehow Tal at first manages to handle everything the universe throws at him.
What Tal can’t handle is the discovery that a best friend, almost a brother, betrayed him, damaging Tal’s life beyond repair. For the first time, Tal feels a darkness within him, a darkness which he can only barely control...assuming he wants to. He’s no longer sure. Maybe there is something to be said for revenge, and even more to be said for taking what he wants. After all, he has the power...
He always thought of evil as embodied in external threats that he could overcome in combat. Soon he will discover that the worst evil has been inside of him all along....
Tal’s girlfriend is in a coma for which he holds himself responsible. A close friend, suffering from a past-life memory trauma similar to Tal's, is getting worse, not better. Morgan Le Fay is still lurking around and has an agenda Tal can’t figure out. Supernatural interruptions in his life are becoming more frequent, not less so, despite his expectations. In fact, Tal learns that something about his unique nature amplifies otherworldly forces in ways he never imagined were possible, ways that place at risk everyone close to him.
Tal and his allies must face everything from dead armies to dragons. As soon as they overcome one menace, another one is waiting for them. More people are depending on Tal than ever; he carries burdens few adults could face, let alone a sixteen-year-old like himself. Yet somehow Tal at first manages to handle everything the universe throws at him.
What Tal can’t handle is the discovery that a best friend, almost a brother, betrayed him, damaging Tal’s life beyond repair. For the first time, Tal feels a darkness within him, a darkness which he can only barely control...assuming he wants to. He’s no longer sure. Maybe there is something to be said for revenge, and even more to be said for taking what he wants. After all, he has the power...
313 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2013
74 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Bill Hiatt
33 books40 followersBill Hiatt has been teaching English at Beverly Hills High School since 1981--long enough for some of his current students to be children of his former students. (It's a good thing that doesn't make him feel old--much!) Bill also sponsored the high school's literary magazine from 1992 until June of 2012, which gave him the opportunity to work with a number of young aspiring writers.
Although teaching has been and remains Bill's first love, he has also been drawn to creative writing of various sorts. From high school on, he wrote short stories, a little poetry, and an earlier novel, finished in 1982. By that point, the increasing demands of teaching kept him from pursuing writing as actively as he would have liked, but his impulse to write continued to poke him from somewhere in the back of his mind. A few years ago a particular group of students inspired him to create grammar tests in the form of short stories, with the students themselves as characters. In some cases he got so caught up in the writing that he stayed up all night to finish the material. His students enjoyed the stories so much that they actually looked forward to grammar tests--and they scored higher on the semester grammar final than any of his previous classes! Their response to his writing made Bill wonder if there was a way to find time to write and still be the kind of teacher he wanted to be.
Another force pulling Bill in the direction of writing has been (ironically) teaching, particularly his consistent advice to students to get outside their comfort zones and follow their dreams--advice he realized was somewhat hypocritical if he wasn't following it himself. After all, teaching, though certainly his most important dream, is well inside his comfort zone by now. Publishing, on the other hand, is a different kind of exposure, more scary in some ways and definitely outside his comfort zone. Authors, regardless of the genre in which they write, reveal much about themselves every time they publish; their work is a part of them, and maybe not a part that they have shared with other people before. Also, authors have to be willing to face rejection; regardless of the nature or quality of a book, not everyone is going to like it. Despite the risks involved, Bill eventually realized he needed to follow his own advice if he really wanted his students to follow it. After that, he squeezed in a little time to write each day, and eventually he finished another novel. He hopes his readers will enjoy reading his work as much as he enjoys creating it, and he hopes that his example may encourage more of his students to push themselves a little to get what they really want out of life.
Although teaching has been and remains Bill's first love, he has also been drawn to creative writing of various sorts. From high school on, he wrote short stories, a little poetry, and an earlier novel, finished in 1982. By that point, the increasing demands of teaching kept him from pursuing writing as actively as he would have liked, but his impulse to write continued to poke him from somewhere in the back of his mind. A few years ago a particular group of students inspired him to create grammar tests in the form of short stories, with the students themselves as characters. In some cases he got so caught up in the writing that he stayed up all night to finish the material. His students enjoyed the stories so much that they actually looked forward to grammar tests--and they scored higher on the semester grammar final than any of his previous classes! Their response to his writing made Bill wonder if there was a way to find time to write and still be the kind of teacher he wanted to be.
Another force pulling Bill in the direction of writing has been (ironically) teaching, particularly his consistent advice to students to get outside their comfort zones and follow their dreams--advice he realized was somewhat hypocritical if he wasn't following it himself. After all, teaching, though certainly his most important dream, is well inside his comfort zone by now. Publishing, on the other hand, is a different kind of exposure, more scary in some ways and definitely outside his comfort zone. Authors, regardless of the genre in which they write, reveal much about themselves every time they publish; their work is a part of them, and maybe not a part that they have shared with other people before. Also, authors have to be willing to face rejection; regardless of the nature or quality of a book, not everyone is going to like it. Despite the risks involved, Bill eventually realized he needed to follow his own advice if he really wanted his students to follow it. After that, he squeezed in a little time to write each day, and eventually he finished another novel. He hopes his readers will enjoy reading his work as much as he enjoys creating it, and he hopes that his example may encourage more of his students to push themselves a little to get what they really want out of life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 10, 2014
What would happen if King Arthur’s bard, Taliesin, and King David, of Jewish fame, were both reborn (or reincarnated) in modern day California? When they’re living in the same small coastal town, and they’ve both just battled evil together in Bill Hiatt’s previous book, Living With Your Past Selves, a natural question might be, who else is going to turn up. And if that piques your interest, you’re going to love this book, Divided Against Yourselves.
There are hints and mysteries galore in these middle-grade/young adult novels. The blend of well-researched history, literature, and mythology, with a thoroughly convincing depiction of modern high school life, grabs readers from the first words and doesn’t let go. Dialog between teens is just as convincing as the oath-taking of magical beings; mystical powers are as real as a football match; and the trials of a lonely boy are as authentically told as those of a lovesick teen in recovery.
A novel filled with great characters, scary situations, and real emotion and mystery, Divided Against Yourselves is a wonderful addition to the series, and I’m just hoping for more. The first novel is nicely recapped in the back of the book for new readers, and lightly alluded to in the text, so anyone can start the series here if they want. But why miss book one—it’s great too. And the author has expertly mastered the art of bringing each book in a series to a satisfying conclusion while leaving readers eager for more.
Disclosure: After reading the prequel and the first book, well, I had to read the sequel and I’m thoroughly hooked.
There are hints and mysteries galore in these middle-grade/young adult novels. The blend of well-researched history, literature, and mythology, with a thoroughly convincing depiction of modern high school life, grabs readers from the first words and doesn’t let go. Dialog between teens is just as convincing as the oath-taking of magical beings; mystical powers are as real as a football match; and the trials of a lonely boy are as authentically told as those of a lovesick teen in recovery.
A novel filled with great characters, scary situations, and real emotion and mystery, Divided Against Yourselves is a wonderful addition to the series, and I’m just hoping for more. The first novel is nicely recapped in the back of the book for new readers, and lightly alluded to in the text, so anyone can start the series here if they want. But why miss book one—it’s great too. And the author has expertly mastered the art of bringing each book in a series to a satisfying conclusion while leaving readers eager for more.
Disclosure: After reading the prequel and the first book, well, I had to read the sequel and I’m thoroughly hooked.
December 7, 2013
I've read Bill Hiatt's other two books, and loved them. So I was waiting for this sequel to come out with anticipation, and it did not disappoint! The story of Taliesin Weaver continues, with many exciting plot twists, surprises, and a lot of action. Once again, I was caught up in the rollar coaster ride that is Tal's life, and enjoyed every minute of it! This book is just as good as the others, with well developed characters, a fun to read story line, and very well written.
The good news is that it looks as if he plans to write more books in this series! The bad news-I'll be waiting for awhile since this book just came out.
The good news is that it looks as if he plans to write more books in this series! The bad news-I'll be waiting for awhile since this book just came out.
September 8, 2022
Made it through the first book but giving up on the second
I like the world premise
I'm not a fan of Young Adult books to begin with but the mansplaining is a HUGE turn off and I'm quitting this 30% in
I like the world premise
I'm not a fan of Young Adult books to begin with but the mansplaining is a HUGE turn off and I'm quitting this 30% in
January 5, 2021
Very entertaining read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like magic and lots of action
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like magic and lots of action
May 3, 2025
Tal facing his demons.
Finding yourself after helping others. It’s a good plot and Tal does that in a roundabout way by helping solve more mysteries.
Finding yourself after helping others. It’s a good plot and Tal does that in a roundabout way by helping solve more mysteries.
January 26, 2014
Divided Against Yourselves is the second book in the Spell Weavers series, but unlike a number of series this book can be read on it's own without having read the first book and without feeling lost. Tal is a teenager dealing with reincarnation, in fact he is the reincarnation of the original Taliesin, a bard in King Arthur's court. Tal has successfully to this point merged his past lives together with his present life quite well. His best friend Stan is also a reincarnation, but his is not going so well. He past life as King David wants to take control too often. Even after defeating the witch Ceridwen last Halloween, Tal and the guys think they can relax and go back to normal life, only for Tal to be surprised by the appearance of Morgan Le Fay, who help Ceridwen at Halloween. Tal and his warriors work to figure out what Morgan wants and how to protect everyone at the same time. Bill Haitt does a wonderful job of weaving a magic tale into a modern day high school and making it work.
This is the first book I can remember reading that took on the reincarnation topic as a theme to the magic. It was novel of Bill Haitt to think of that plotline for a story, and it made this story compelling and interesting. It also opened a number of question that have me asking what is the next book after Divided Against Yourselves. I found the teenagers in the book to be real and remind me of my own teenagers at home, some of the bantering between the boys is stuff I hear coming from the boys in my sons room all the time. I felt the story was well developed and the action scenes would entertain and keep a good range of boys interested in reading. There is a puppy love vs. true love kind of thing, you know the kind that happens when you're sixteen through that along with the magic would keep girls reading. There are so many different side stories and themes in the book that are weaved together so well into a complete story that it will appeal to a great variety of readers.
This is the first book I can remember reading that took on the reincarnation topic as a theme to the magic. It was novel of Bill Haitt to think of that plotline for a story, and it made this story compelling and interesting. It also opened a number of question that have me asking what is the next book after Divided Against Yourselves. I found the teenagers in the book to be real and remind me of my own teenagers at home, some of the bantering between the boys is stuff I hear coming from the boys in my sons room all the time. I felt the story was well developed and the action scenes would entertain and keep a good range of boys interested in reading. There is a puppy love vs. true love kind of thing, you know the kind that happens when you're sixteen through that along with the magic would keep girls reading. There are so many different side stories and themes in the book that are weaved together so well into a complete story that it will appeal to a great variety of readers.
January 12, 2023
This book series is rated as one of the top ones I read. I was hesitant that I wasnt going to enjoy it at first because of all of the historical things metioned at the beginning. I was suprised at how easy I fell into the story and connected with the characters. I really enjoyed the way that the author had depicted highschool and the way actions of the characters because it was an accuracte depiction instead of some melodramatic setting. The story and plot built on itself as the story went on. It was cool to see how something from the first or second book came back and had some sort of importance. I also loved how you didn't have to read the books in order to be able to understand what was going on. I am a person who loves to read series in order so I did just that and even though it made a tab bit of a difference with the story it was still amazing. This story held magic, supernatural beings, drama/love, different world I would love to fall into, as well as awesome kick butt characters! This was such a great book and it wasnt hard to read at all. I loved the concept and I loved the way that the author had presented his heritage. The legends/myths from various regions were so close to the original it was amazing. I loved the historical/mythological aspect to the story. AWESOME BOOKS. DEFINITE MUST READS.
(* Loved the twists*)
(* Loved the twists*)
June 27, 2014
16 year old Tal tries to lead a normal high school life, he plays on the school soccer team and is a talented singer. But life for him is anything but normal. For starters, the fact that he is a reincarnation of Taliesin, King Arthur's bard, and has a personal army of warriors, makes it difficult for him to maintain a low profile. Not to mention his magical powers, possession of a magical sword, mind reading and ability to fly, all of which are a part of everyday life for Taliesen.
He and his warriors are constantly battling evil characters and traveling between worlds. But in this, the second book in Bill Hiatt's fantasy fiction series, we are introduced to a different side of Taliesen Weaver, a young man who is pushed to the edge of his ability to control a darkness buried deep within him.
Divided Against Yourselves is an enthralling novel filled with romance, adventure, excitement and suspense. The story will connect with young readers who are sure to get caught up in the world of fantasy fiction as crafted by author Bill Hiatt, a high school English teacher who is clearly in sync with what appeals to his audience.
He and his warriors are constantly battling evil characters and traveling between worlds. But in this, the second book in Bill Hiatt's fantasy fiction series, we are introduced to a different side of Taliesen Weaver, a young man who is pushed to the edge of his ability to control a darkness buried deep within him.
Divided Against Yourselves is an enthralling novel filled with romance, adventure, excitement and suspense. The story will connect with young readers who are sure to get caught up in the world of fantasy fiction as crafted by author Bill Hiatt, a high school English teacher who is clearly in sync with what appeals to his audience.
February 2, 2015
I received this ebook for an honest review. This is a real fun fantasy series with even more magical beings. This can be a stand alone book, especially since the author is kind enough to provide the reader with a chapter explaining the first book. However, I am glad that I have the first book because it too was fun to read and get to know the characters. Just as I hoped, this book introduces friendly magical beings joining Tal and his friends. I highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys clean, fun, exciting, and thought provoking stories that are family friendly. Looking forward to your next book- keep them coming.
January 8, 2015
fun fantasy
I received this book for free in return for an honest review. It has lots of elements of mysticism such as magic, faeries, and even a dragon. There were a couple of minor grammar glitches but loved the story line and the characters. The personalities of all the different players in the game were all interesting and complex. Great read!! I will plan to read more of this author and this series.
I received this book for free in return for an honest review. It has lots of elements of mysticism such as magic, faeries, and even a dragon. There were a couple of minor grammar glitches but loved the story line and the characters. The personalities of all the different players in the game were all interesting and complex. Great read!! I will plan to read more of this author and this series.
October 4, 2015
This review is in exchange for the book.
This book is best aimed for a young to mid teen. The action doesn't stop and it is certainly a roaring good adventure. I kept wondering why I didn't have any fun like that in high school. I recommend that the teen be a little mature as there are some allusions to sex. There is no profanity and the fights usually end because of thinking not hitting.
This book is best aimed for a young to mid teen. The action doesn't stop and it is certainly a roaring good adventure. I kept wondering why I didn't have any fun like that in high school. I recommend that the teen be a little mature as there are some allusions to sex. There is no profanity and the fights usually end because of thinking not hitting.
February 18, 2014
Enjoyed this book, was alot more interesting than i originally thought it would be. Good solid storyline, not too twisted to follow, like some. Its not exactly the type of book that i would read, i admit, i would not have bought this book, but i am glad i wont it, i thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it
September 4, 2015
Divided against Yourselves manages to be as good as the first book in the series, which is quite an accomplishment. This volume not only continues the adventures of Tal and his friends but also adds depth to the characters and the mythology. Definitely read Living With Your Past Selves first, then enjoy this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
August 24, 2015
Divided Against Yourselves
I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the series. My interest was captured from beginning to end. I will definitely be reading the third book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the series. My interest was captured from beginning to end. I will definitely be reading the third book!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews