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Divide
Ben-Hur meets the River of Time Series in this sweeping epic portal fantasy trilogy.
Teenagers Katrina and Andrew have been bitter adversaries ever since the accident that left Katrina’s sister blind, but when a portal thrusts them into a strange, new world, their normal lives become a struggle for survival.
Cade van Cassian is seeking justice for the betrayal dealt to him by the people he trusted and trying to solve the mystery of his mother’s death. The last thing he needs is his father trying to marry him off to the girl who’s come through the portal. But Katrina and Andrew are valuable. They are those the prophecy foretold would arrive at the time of the Divide—when one nation will split into two.
Teetering on the knife’s edge of civil war, the world is ready to go up in flames. Can forgiveness unite a broken people, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Teenagers Katrina and Andrew have been bitter adversaries ever since the accident that left Katrina’s sister blind, but when a portal thrusts them into a strange, new world, their normal lives become a struggle for survival.
Cade van Cassian is seeking justice for the betrayal dealt to him by the people he trusted and trying to solve the mystery of his mother’s death. The last thing he needs is his father trying to marry him off to the girl who’s come through the portal. But Katrina and Andrew are valuable. They are those the prophecy foretold would arrive at the time of the Divide—when one nation will split into two.
Teetering on the knife’s edge of civil war, the world is ready to go up in flames. Can forgiveness unite a broken people, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
- GenresFantasy
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 22, 2024
56 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Gaudette
9 books45 followersHannah Gaudette is a home-school graduate living in the hills of New England. When she’s not writing or playing with the dogs, it’s a safe bet you can find her with a camera in her hands, vlogging her daily life on a farm. She is a life enthusiast, passionate about Jesus, family, and, of course, telling stories.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 21, 2025
3.5 stars. This was a really cool portal fantasy!! I loved the medieval fantasy setting and the political intrigue. Unfortunately, I just often found myself bored or not invested in our characters. I would be interested in picking up the next book at some point because I did grow to like most of the characters by the end.
Content: attempted murders, brief descriptions of self harm, an brief non-explicit sexual references (talk of children outside of marriage mostly)
Content: attempted murders, brief descriptions of self harm, an brief non-explicit sexual references (talk of children outside of marriage mostly)
September 26, 2024
4.5/5 Stars - Fantastic opener to a portal fantasy series.
Divide by Hannah Gaudette is book one in the One Light Trilogy, an epic, portal fantasy series. Two teenagers with a rocky relationship are whisked away into a fantasy land on the brink of civil war.
Divide is a book filled with complex characters and relationships, which is hands-down my favorite part of the book. Everyone has their own shade of gray morals (some are just more justifiable than other). I really love how the story explores how (essentially) every character believes themselves to be the hero and that their wrongs are ultimately justified.
I loved the characters of Cade and Katrina and while I didn't particularly bond with Andrew, I appreciated his character arc. As someone who has experienced similar struggles, I found his depression to be well-portrayed. Even though he wasn't my favorite (nothing against him personally--there's a solid chance my lack of appreciation comes from my overprotective shipping side) I really enjoyed his journey of healing.
Divide kicks off a trilogy that I can not WAIT to continue. I have my favorite character (Cade) and a hopeful ship (although I am very nervous about it's potential for success). All I need now is the next book (*looks pointedly at Hannah*).
Thank you to Hannah Gaudette for providing an ARC of Divide in exchange for an honest review.
Divide by Hannah Gaudette is book one in the One Light Trilogy, an epic, portal fantasy series. Two teenagers with a rocky relationship are whisked away into a fantasy land on the brink of civil war.
Divide is a book filled with complex characters and relationships, which is hands-down my favorite part of the book. Everyone has their own shade of gray morals (some are just more justifiable than other). I really love how the story explores how (essentially) every character believes themselves to be the hero and that their wrongs are ultimately justified.
I loved the characters of Cade and Katrina and while I didn't particularly bond with Andrew, I appreciated his character arc. As someone who has experienced similar struggles, I found his depression to be well-portrayed. Even though he wasn't my favorite (nothing against him personally--there's a solid chance my lack of appreciation comes from my overprotective shipping side) I really enjoyed his journey of healing.
Divide kicks off a trilogy that I can not WAIT to continue. I have my favorite character (Cade) and a hopeful ship (although I am very nervous about it's potential for success). All I need now is the next book (*looks pointedly at Hannah*).
Thank you to Hannah Gaudette for providing an ARC of Divide in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2025
As a reader, I found Divide well-paced, intriguing, and full of plot twists that make it hard to write an enthusiastic review without giving away spoilers! Haha—I’ll do my best to not divulge any secrets here. Hopefully you will go find them out for yourself!
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As someone who also enjoys writing, I was impressed by Hannah Gaudette’s ability to weave such a strong plot to such great effect. That is not easy. Her characters were also well-developed and didn’t change like reeds blown in the wind to suit the purpose of the story. They took time, could be stubborn, and as a whole were relatable human beings. Also, I love stories with characters that provide foils for each other, and antagonists that have a little bit of light hidden deep within that makes you keep hoping for them.
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As a believer, I could read this book with a clear conscious. One of the things that made me pick up Divide to begin with was that it was clean fantasy. And beyond being clean, the romance in it is very, very minor—with more emphasis on relationships from the standpoint of enemies vs. friends. As far as violence—some, but not graphic. There is also some depiction of self-harm, but again, not graphic and is portrayed in a way that moves your heart to hope that character will find healing.
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In conclusion, here’s my top 3 favorite things about Divide:
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*Powerful core theme about the dangers of hanging onto bitterness and resentment.
*The character arcs—beginning to end.
*The side characters! Jude! Siegfroy! Anner!
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And do I want more? Yes!
Encore for book 2#!
.
As someone who also enjoys writing, I was impressed by Hannah Gaudette’s ability to weave such a strong plot to such great effect. That is not easy. Her characters were also well-developed and didn’t change like reeds blown in the wind to suit the purpose of the story. They took time, could be stubborn, and as a whole were relatable human beings. Also, I love stories with characters that provide foils for each other, and antagonists that have a little bit of light hidden deep within that makes you keep hoping for them.
.
As a believer, I could read this book with a clear conscious. One of the things that made me pick up Divide to begin with was that it was clean fantasy. And beyond being clean, the romance in it is very, very minor—with more emphasis on relationships from the standpoint of enemies vs. friends. As far as violence—some, but not graphic. There is also some depiction of self-harm, but again, not graphic and is portrayed in a way that moves your heart to hope that character will find healing.
.
In conclusion, here’s my top 3 favorite things about Divide:
.
*Powerful core theme about the dangers of hanging onto bitterness and resentment.
*The character arcs—beginning to end.
*The side characters! Jude! Siegfroy! Anner!
.
And do I want more? Yes!
Encore for book 2#!
September 22, 2024
This book will grab your attention and hold it hostage until the last page. The world is believable and immersive. The plot never slows and there is never a dull moment.
The Biblical theme of forgiveness is well done. The book deals with weightier topics like depression and substance abuse, but it does so in a way that is both honest and suitable for its YA audience.
The characters make you care about them. That’s one of the best ways to tell that a book is well written—when the characters feel real.
Divide delivers at every point of what a good book should be. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to the next book in the series!
The Biblical theme of forgiveness is well done. The book deals with weightier topics like depression and substance abuse, but it does so in a way that is both honest and suitable for its YA audience.
The characters make you care about them. That’s one of the best ways to tell that a book is well written—when the characters feel real.
Divide delivers at every point of what a good book should be. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to the next book in the series!
September 15, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I’ve read other books from the author before. Hannah Gaudette has a way with writing YA fantasy stories with Biblical themes. This story focuses on forgiveness and how bitterness can literally kill. It is definitely age appropriate, but on the edgier side (one of the characters deals with depression and drug use). The portal, the lore, and everything involved with the story was interesting and well thought out.
August 25, 2024
“Divide” is a powerful journey of faith, overcoming hardships and hate, and forgiving others and yourself.
The plot was incredibly engaging from beginning to end, and I can't think of a single moment when I was bored. There was always something important or interesting going on, with crazy plot twists!
And with an incredible cast of characters, not a single one seemed too similar to another. They were all written so well! It was amazing to follow along with the characters as they learned to forgive and fought for what is right.
And there's going to be a book 2, right?? ( I NEED book two!!)
The plot was incredibly engaging from beginning to end, and I can't think of a single moment when I was bored. There was always something important or interesting going on, with crazy plot twists!
And with an incredible cast of characters, not a single one seemed too similar to another. They were all written so well! It was amazing to follow along with the characters as they learned to forgive and fought for what is right.
And there's going to be a book 2, right?? ( I NEED book two!!)
September 12, 2025
Transformative, convicting, and enthralling, Divide does something that few books do: slaps us out of our belief that we are the main characters in our story. This is something I think about a lot in real life and in story. We forget that we are actually side characters created to be servants to everyone around us.
I see this a lot in Divide. We have two protagonists that have been ripped out of their world and dropped into a completely different world at a crucial moment in its history. There is a lot of drama and political intrigue and character drama...and Andrew and Katrina don't care. They just want to go home. They are the main characters and this is not their story! BUT something tells me it very much is their story...that they have been called into it to be the side characters in an epic adventure. I could be wrong, but that is my hope for Book 2!
But on the flip side, in the alternate world we have Cade and Corwin who also think they are the main characters and are striving so hard to be so as they war over their kingdom. But something tells me as the story continues, these two will also need to learn how to be servants first before they could ever learn to lead.
Divide beautifully centers around themes of guilt and forgiveness. It rips your heart out, the way the characters blame themselves or others for the things that have happened, but it mends it by the end of the story.
Key takeaway: don't be like Cade ;) Don't hang on to bitterness or resentment. I'm hoping that the little bit of light in Cade will shine through and he will have his redemption arc!
Hannah Gaudette writes characters very well. Each one has an arc, they are all relatable, and I find myself rooting for every one of them! Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I see this a lot in Divide. We have two protagonists that have been ripped out of their world and dropped into a completely different world at a crucial moment in its history. There is a lot of drama and political intrigue and character drama...and Andrew and Katrina don't care. They just want to go home. They are the main characters and this is not their story! BUT something tells me it very much is their story...that they have been called into it to be the side characters in an epic adventure. I could be wrong, but that is my hope for Book 2!
But on the flip side, in the alternate world we have Cade and Corwin who also think they are the main characters and are striving so hard to be so as they war over their kingdom. But something tells me as the story continues, these two will also need to learn how to be servants first before they could ever learn to lead.
Divide beautifully centers around themes of guilt and forgiveness. It rips your heart out, the way the characters blame themselves or others for the things that have happened, but it mends it by the end of the story.
Key takeaway: don't be like Cade ;) Don't hang on to bitterness or resentment. I'm hoping that the little bit of light in Cade will shine through and he will have his redemption arc!
Hannah Gaudette writes characters very well. Each one has an arc, they are all relatable, and I find myself rooting for every one of them! Looking forward to the next book in the series.
September 9, 2024
4 1/2 ⭐️
Four characters. Two worlds. No time left.
I really enjoyed ‘Divide’ by Hannah Gaudette. The action was quick to get started, with a portal opening and sucking two of the main protagonists into a different world where their presence is the signal for a prophecy to come true–a prophecy that spells disaster for the other two protagonists.
Twisty and full of secrets and betrayals, the story becomes more complicated the deeper you get in, and the antagonism between factions comes to a head. The book ends with the ‘divide’ just beginning.
Hannah’s prose is refined, and a delight to read. She makes it easy to keep track of the many characters and whose POV we are in–which helps greatly with the immersion experience. Her world is well-developed, and I sensed a rich history behind it. Some of the emotional revelations could have been arrived at a little more smoothly, and there was a slowish patch around the 3/4 mark where I wasn’t sure why I was seeing certain scenes, but overall this is a fantastic read and a great start to the trilogy.
Looking forward to more!
Four characters. Two worlds. No time left.
I really enjoyed ‘Divide’ by Hannah Gaudette. The action was quick to get started, with a portal opening and sucking two of the main protagonists into a different world where their presence is the signal for a prophecy to come true–a prophecy that spells disaster for the other two protagonists.
Twisty and full of secrets and betrayals, the story becomes more complicated the deeper you get in, and the antagonism between factions comes to a head. The book ends with the ‘divide’ just beginning.
Hannah’s prose is refined, and a delight to read. She makes it easy to keep track of the many characters and whose POV we are in–which helps greatly with the immersion experience. Her world is well-developed, and I sensed a rich history behind it. Some of the emotional revelations could have been arrived at a little more smoothly, and there was a slowish patch around the 3/4 mark where I wasn’t sure why I was seeing certain scenes, but overall this is a fantastic read and a great start to the trilogy.
Looking forward to more!
October 12, 2024
Divide is a story you will fly through!
It’s not just because of the amazing pacing and well-edited dialog and descriptions, it’s because every single character grabs you and never let’s go. Each character was unique and intriguing with inner conflicts and struggles that made you feel for them. I don’t even like arranged marriages trope, but Hannah still made it quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the world-building and found it to be a fun, unique twist on normal portal fantasies and prophecies tropes. In fact I would have wished to learn more about all of that, so I cannot wait to read the next book to find out more about it. Speaking of needing the next book, the plot twists and character arcs in this one–-man they were so good! Though some of the characters fell a little flat off and on, other characters SHINED to take their place. Cade was certainly my favorite character, and I’m so excited to see what this character does in the second book. If you love portal fantasies, great dialog and inner thoughts, a cast of intriguing characters, and prophecies of doom, check this book out!
It’s not just because of the amazing pacing and well-edited dialog and descriptions, it’s because every single character grabs you and never let’s go. Each character was unique and intriguing with inner conflicts and struggles that made you feel for them. I don’t even like arranged marriages trope, but Hannah still made it quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the world-building and found it to be a fun, unique twist on normal portal fantasies and prophecies tropes. In fact I would have wished to learn more about all of that, so I cannot wait to read the next book to find out more about it. Speaking of needing the next book, the plot twists and character arcs in this one–-man they were so good! Though some of the characters fell a little flat off and on, other characters SHINED to take their place. Cade was certainly my favorite character, and I’m so excited to see what this character does in the second book. If you love portal fantasies, great dialog and inner thoughts, a cast of intriguing characters, and prophecies of doom, check this book out!
July 23, 2024
Divide is an action-packed, head-spinning portal fantasy that will pull your emotions in a hundred directions. The complexity of the characters' personalities, motivations, and relationships is masterfully conveyed to weave in deep and relatable themes that will echo in your heart for days after closing the book. Gaudette's skill in connecting threads in the story is undeniable and fascinating to watch, and the ominous stakes will leave you aching for the next installment! I know I can't wait to find out what lies ahead for the kingdom of Indraea!
September 22, 2024
I am not big on fantasy but Hannah's writing has taken me on a new reading adventure. Portal fantasy at its best. Great character arcs, on-the-edge storytelling, clean reading, and the best twists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her book, and I will be waiting for book 2!
October 9, 2024
I want book 2 now!
Divide was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the storyline so much that I need to know what happens next to these characters I have gotten to know!
Hannah Gaudette, I can’t wait!
Divide was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the storyline so much that I need to know what happens next to these characters I have gotten to know!
Hannah Gaudette, I can’t wait!
October 31, 2025
Excellent start to a series!! I love the portal fantasy vibes, the prophecies, and the personal journeys of forgiveness versus resentment/revenge that the characters are going through. Can't wait to read the next one!!
June 15, 2024
Perfect for fans of the River of Time Series and Ben-Hur! (Yes, I am the author. 😉)
August 10, 2024
Awesome story of faith, forgiveness and a desperate fight for truth. Love the world, the characters and their believeable journey which changed them and formed them.
I finished it in one day and I enjoyed it immensely,
I finished it in one day and I enjoyed it immensely,
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews