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Divided Fates #2
To Unleash a Darker Fate
Not yet published
Expected 9 Feb 27Don’t miss the high-stakes sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling dystopian romance, To Cage a Wild Bird!
After escaping the brutal world of Endlock, Raven Thorne flees to the Wastes and finds herself drawn into the cold embrace of the Collective, a rebel group. This electrifying dystopian romance about a divided heart, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you on the edge of your seat.
After doing the impossible and escaping Endlock Prison, Raven and her fellow survivors embark on a treacherous journey across the Wastes, aching with the absence of those they have left behind. To get the people she loves to the safety of the North Settlement, Raven must contend with dwindling resources and poisonous snakes.
They are pursued across the desert by a hunting caravan sent from Dividium to kill them. As the hunters close in, Raven is shocked to find a familiar face among them, allowing them to make a desperate escape.
When all seems lost, the Collective offers Raven and her friends refuge in exchange for joining their fight against Dividum’s tyranny.
The highly secretive Collective constantly tests Raven’s loyalty, forcing her to question everything. Who does she owe her loyalty to, her friends or the Collective? The ex-prison guard or the fledging revolutionary?
Fans of To Cage a Wild Bird will be stunned by every shocking twist and turn in this gripping sequel.
After escaping the brutal world of Endlock, Raven Thorne flees to the Wastes and finds herself drawn into the cold embrace of the Collective, a rebel group. This electrifying dystopian romance about a divided heart, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you on the edge of your seat.
After doing the impossible and escaping Endlock Prison, Raven and her fellow survivors embark on a treacherous journey across the Wastes, aching with the absence of those they have left behind. To get the people she loves to the safety of the North Settlement, Raven must contend with dwindling resources and poisonous snakes.
They are pursued across the desert by a hunting caravan sent from Dividium to kill them. As the hunters close in, Raven is shocked to find a familiar face among them, allowing them to make a desperate escape.
When all seems lost, the Collective offers Raven and her friends refuge in exchange for joining their fight against Dividum’s tyranny.
The highly secretive Collective constantly tests Raven’s loyalty, forcing her to question everything. Who does she owe her loyalty to, her friends or the Collective? The ex-prison guard or the fledging revolutionary?
Fans of To Cage a Wild Bird will be stunned by every shocking twist and turn in this gripping sequel.
432 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 9, 2027
About the author
Brooke Fast
2 books747 followersBrooke Fast is a lover of dystopian, fantasy, and all things romance. When she’s not writing new worlds, you can find her curled up on the couch with her husband and their pups in their self-built tiny house in the mountains of Maine. She’ll either be consuming copious amounts of coffee and thumbing through the latest romantasy release or sharing book reviews and writing snippets under her alter-ego, @librarybrookes. To Cage a Wild Bird is her first novel.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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March 24, 2026I need this book like yesterday
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i am not entirely certain where to begin with this review. there is so much to unpack, but i will attempt to do it while keeping this spoiler-free! although, please read at your own risk! in case i have inadvertently insinuated something and you are able to put two and two together.
TUADF was the equivalent of walking through a haunted house. you are fully aware that something is bound to jump out and scare you, and yet you are caught off guard anyways. multiple times. again, and again, and again.
this was a solid second installment. the pacing and writing were phenomenal. TUADF is undeniably chaotic, and looking back at everything that happened, i am genuinely impressed by brooke. so much of it should have overwhelmed or stressed me out, yet somehow, i had an absolute blast reading it (although i am feeling stressed about book 3 now).
the romance —
there are so many rumors circulating about a love triangle in this book between the “ex-prison guard” and “fledging revolutionary.” however, i would not classify this romance as a love triangle. raven’s family is her highest priority, and her decisions have consistently reflected that in TCAWB. with that being said, she never wavers from this core value of family above all else even in TUADF. raven is extremely self-aware of which relationships suit her current needs and those core beliefs, and which relationships are better left in the past. hence, i would say the romance is cut and dry and her decisions are very straightforward. chapter 30 was my favorite by far, for those who are circling back after reading!!!
the other storylines —
after breaking free of endlock, the group (raven, jed, kit, yara, gray, & opal) begin their journey across the wastes to the north settlement. the journey from endlock to the north settlement was surprisingly short, but their arrival at the north settlement is when the story truly started for me.
the inner workings and rules of the north settlement really intrigued me, but also left me with a stomach ache. at some point i started questioning whether anyone had genuine and pure values on either side. i had major, major trust issues with just about everyone. just had a hard time identifying who wanted peace and prosperity versus revenge and being known as the top dog. however, i believe brooke intend to make readers feel that way…
where i am more conflicted is the character assassination for one character, in particular. however, i even feel conflicted to call it a character assassination in some ways because 1) i still have love for the character even after their awful decisions, and 2) did those decisions come completely out-of-left-field or was it the product and aftermath of endlock and all the unresolved trauma sustained without proper resources/help? i am still unsure, but i know those decisions were rooted in desperation and to prevent themselves from ever experiencing trauma and loss again. so yeah, i could lean either way, but the fact that i can justify either has to mean something right?
moreover, this character is manipulated by other characters, when already being in a vulnerable state, which played an important role in pushing them over the edge. so, sue me and disagree, but i want them to have a redemption and happy ending still.
book 3 will ultimately determine my overall series rating. however, i am having a phenomenal (also slightly stressful) time so far. i am hoping that all my babies stay safe in the next book.
thank you to brooke and her team at avon for this e-arc!!!
TUADF was the equivalent of walking through a haunted house. you are fully aware that something is bound to jump out and scare you, and yet you are caught off guard anyways. multiple times. again, and again, and again.
this was a solid second installment. the pacing and writing were phenomenal. TUADF is undeniably chaotic, and looking back at everything that happened, i am genuinely impressed by brooke. so much of it should have overwhelmed or stressed me out, yet somehow, i had an absolute blast reading it (although i am feeling stressed about book 3 now).
the romance —
there are so many rumors circulating about a love triangle in this book between the “ex-prison guard” and “fledging revolutionary.” however, i would not classify this romance as a love triangle. raven’s family is her highest priority, and her decisions have consistently reflected that in TCAWB. with that being said, she never wavers from this core value of family above all else even in TUADF. raven is extremely self-aware of which relationships suit her current needs and those core beliefs, and which relationships are better left in the past. hence, i would say the romance is cut and dry and her decisions are very straightforward. chapter 30 was my favorite by far, for those who are circling back after reading!!!
the other storylines —
after breaking free of endlock, the group (raven, jed, kit, yara, gray, & opal) begin their journey across the wastes to the north settlement. the journey from endlock to the north settlement was surprisingly short, but their arrival at the north settlement is when the story truly started for me.
the inner workings and rules of the north settlement really intrigued me, but also left me with a stomach ache. at some point i started questioning whether anyone had genuine and pure values on either side. i had major, major trust issues with just about everyone. just had a hard time identifying who wanted peace and prosperity versus revenge and being known as the top dog. however, i believe brooke intend to make readers feel that way…
where i am more conflicted is the character assassination for one character, in particular. however, i even feel conflicted to call it a character assassination in some ways because 1) i still have love for the character even after their awful decisions, and 2) did those decisions come completely out-of-left-field or was it the product and aftermath of endlock and all the unresolved trauma sustained without proper resources/help? i am still unsure, but i know those decisions were rooted in desperation and to prevent themselves from ever experiencing trauma and loss again. so yeah, i could lean either way, but the fact that i can justify either has to mean something right?
moreover, this character is manipulated by other characters, when already being in a vulnerable state, which played an important role in pushing them over the edge. so, sue me and disagree, but i want them to have a redemption and happy ending still.
book 3 will ultimately determine my overall series rating. however, i am having a phenomenal (also slightly stressful) time so far. i am hoping that all my babies stay safe in the next book.
thank you to brooke and her team at avon for this e-arc!!!
September 13, 2026
I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this and I’m simultaneously so happy I know what happened next and also devastated that this book is over. This broke my heart into a million pieces and I loved every second of it. My heart rate was also alarmingly high with pretty much every single page and so much happened. This was a fantastic second book and the perfect continuation of one of my favorite stories ever (even though I have so many big feelings about what happened). I don’t think I can explain how special these characters are to me and how emotional I am right now. I’ll actually fr be staring at a wall until book three is released.
Read
May 13, 2026Ahhh, I'm so exicted for this! I'm counting down the daysssss!!!
Want to Read
March 24, 2026Ordered B&N
February 2027
February 2027
September 15, 2026
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyage, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This series has me in such a chokehold!! I need the next book after that ending because Oh MY GOD?!?!
The book starts out right where the first one ended, so we are thrown right back into the action! I could not put this book down. It was so action-packed and will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time! I read this book in about 2 days because it was THAT addictive. I especially loved when the group goes on their mission at the end of the book. I couldn’t help but feel nervous the entire time! Worried for their safety and if they were going to make it out alive. There are so many twist and turns throughout the book you will be wondering what is happening next. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, the complete opposite happened. There is heartbreak, new relationships forming, secrets between leaders, and so much more!
I love Raven, and as always, she was so selfless in this book. She would do anything to protect the new family she has made, especially when it comes to her brother. I really loved seeing her brother take care of her more in this book. Raven basically gave up her entire life to help him, took a slashing for him when they were younger, and you can tell how much Jed cares about her and doesn’t want Raven to feel like she has to carry that burden anymore. Their relationship is one of my favorite parts in the book. I loved seeing them open up to each other. While there were times that Raven could be a little overbearing, I understood why she was. She never wanted Jed to be in any kind of danger.
I won’t give too much away, but I LOVED the flashback scenes with Grey and Raven! I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the characters and their pasts. There is so much emotion and heartbreak in this book, and there was one moment where I was literally crying because I felt so bad for them. Grey and Raven finally have a heart-to-heart where he finally learns more about the secret Raven’s been keeping from him.
Overall, this book had everything I wanted! Action, twists and turns, romance, and new relationships. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!
This series has me in such a chokehold!! I need the next book after that ending because Oh MY GOD?!?!
The book starts out right where the first one ended, so we are thrown right back into the action! I could not put this book down. It was so action-packed and will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time! I read this book in about 2 days because it was THAT addictive. I especially loved when the group goes on their mission at the end of the book. I couldn’t help but feel nervous the entire time! Worried for their safety and if they were going to make it out alive. There are so many twist and turns throughout the book you will be wondering what is happening next. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, the complete opposite happened. There is heartbreak, new relationships forming, secrets between leaders, and so much more!
I love Raven, and as always, she was so selfless in this book. She would do anything to protect the new family she has made, especially when it comes to her brother. I really loved seeing her brother take care of her more in this book. Raven basically gave up her entire life to help him, took a slashing for him when they were younger, and you can tell how much Jed cares about her and doesn’t want Raven to feel like she has to carry that burden anymore. Their relationship is one of my favorite parts in the book. I loved seeing them open up to each other. While there were times that Raven could be a little overbearing, I understood why she was. She never wanted Jed to be in any kind of danger.
I won’t give too much away, but I LOVED the flashback scenes with Grey and Raven! I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the characters and their pasts. There is so much emotion and heartbreak in this book, and there was one moment where I was literally crying because I felt so bad for them. Grey and Raven finally have a heart-to-heart where he finally learns more about the secret Raven’s been keeping from him.
Overall, this book had everything I wanted! Action, twists and turns, romance, and new relationships. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was so much fun I didn’t want to put it down.
We continue on from the ending of book 1, watching the group trying to survive. They end up at Base Zero, where the Collective are based. From there we see the group fit into the Collective routine and training, whilst working with them (and a very familiar commander!) to find a way to break into and disrupt Endlock.
The dystopian vibes were so good and I loved that there were so many plot reveals and secrets. It meant I was so immersed in the story trying to get ahead and figure it all out. The mystery behind Vales fathers death, alongside the daily training and exercises, Aggies secrets, Ravens feelings towards both Vale and Gray made for an action packed plot that didn’t stop for a second. It felt like you couldn’t trust or believe anyone as you didn’t know what would be revealed next.
I did NOT see that coming with Raven and Vale! The tension and heat between Raven and Gray also was *chefs kiss*. I’m really intrigued to see how this develops in the next book and if there will be anymore surprises.
And that ending! I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
We continue on from the ending of book 1, watching the group trying to survive. They end up at Base Zero, where the Collective are based. From there we see the group fit into the Collective routine and training, whilst working with them (and a very familiar commander!) to find a way to break into and disrupt Endlock.
The dystopian vibes were so good and I loved that there were so many plot reveals and secrets. It meant I was so immersed in the story trying to get ahead and figure it all out. The mystery behind Vales fathers death, alongside the daily training and exercises, Aggies secrets, Ravens feelings towards both Vale and Gray made for an action packed plot that didn’t stop for a second. It felt like you couldn’t trust or believe anyone as you didn’t know what would be revealed next.
I did NOT see that coming with Raven and Vale! The tension and heat between Raven and Gray also was *chefs kiss*. I’m really intrigued to see how this develops in the next book and if there will be anymore surprises.
And that ending! I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
Want to Read
May 13, 2026So..... Book 2 needs to happen ASAP!!!
ALSO.... HARPER/AVON Auto approve me again for this one!!!!
To Cage a Wild Bird
ALSO.... HARPER/AVON Auto approve me again for this one!!!!
To Cage a Wild Bird
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Avon Books and Harper Voyager for the gifted ARC!
Wow. That one word really sums up how I feel about this second installment. I thought it was absolutely phenomenal, I was so absorbed and addicted to what was happening. I think this is a really great sequel and lead up to the next book.
Raven and everyone are just going through it, this gets so emotionally charged (even more so than the first book) and it just felt so intense. This picks up right where we leave off in To Cage A Wild Bird, and it just doesn't stop. I felt like it was so fast paced, there were no lulls at all, and everything felt so relevant and I honestly wanted this to be longer. I need more. The plot and the romance were just everything and not in ways that I at all expected.
I was not ready for this one to end the way that it did, my heart is in absolute tatters. And I will happily beg Brooke for more with the next book. If you enjoyed To Cage A Wild Bird, you need to keep this on your radar for when it releases February 9th. Yes, we are still about five months out, but I totally recommend the preorder/pick up on release day!
*This ARC was given by Avon Books and Harper Voyager through NetGalley, all opinions are my own.*
Wow. That one word really sums up how I feel about this second installment. I thought it was absolutely phenomenal, I was so absorbed and addicted to what was happening. I think this is a really great sequel and lead up to the next book.
Raven and everyone are just going through it, this gets so emotionally charged (even more so than the first book) and it just felt so intense. This picks up right where we leave off in To Cage A Wild Bird, and it just doesn't stop. I felt like it was so fast paced, there were no lulls at all, and everything felt so relevant and I honestly wanted this to be longer. I need more. The plot and the romance were just everything and not in ways that I at all expected.
I was not ready for this one to end the way that it did, my heart is in absolute tatters. And I will happily beg Brooke for more with the next book. If you enjoyed To Cage A Wild Bird, you need to keep this on your radar for when it releases February 9th. Yes, we are still about five months out, but I totally recommend the preorder/pick up on release day!
*This ARC was given by Avon Books and Harper Voyager through NetGalley, all opinions are my own.*
September 22, 2026
oh my freaking lorddddd. i cannot believe how much i loved this book and how quickly i devoured it. 10/10 holy moly bc what the helllllll. the book picks up right where book one left off and boy oh boy was it a wild ride. the twists were insane and my girl raven is put through the ringer honestly. the betrayals, the heartbreak the sheer insanity that was her journey. good lord poor girl could not catch a break!!! if one more person lied to this poor girl i was gonna throw my dang kindle at the wall. big fan of gray this book and i was here for everything that involved him. loved all the side characters of course and my girl yara being a baddie as usual. vale’s storyline was a huge surprise for me but i also had a feeling what was playing out was gonna happen. seriously you need to add this to your tbr and read book one stat bc im obsessed with this series. THAT ENDING WAS DIABOLICAL BROOKE!!!! now i must patiently wait to find out what happens next and this one isn’t even released yet!!!! thank you so so much to the author and publisher for the early copy, i loved this book so much!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I AM ON THE FLOOR. UNWELL. BUT ALIVE MAYBE? (I’ll also come back when it’s released for a review that might have more spoilers in it)
This was everything the second book in a series should be. It was such a brain twister that I need a mental break just wrap my head around what I just read in less than a day in a half. I could not put my kindle down once I got sucked in.
The writing was immersive and you almost felt like you were there. Everything about this book goes deeper than the surface level you think it’s at.
The banter was witty, the characters were unreliable and relatable all at the same time, I didn’t know who to trust except Raven and she still makes questionable choices. The world building from book one sets this up beautifully and I wasn’t confused at any point. Growing up loving dystopian, and finding my way back to it, this series for sure has been a five star read for me. My heart rate was elevated the entire time and I needed to keep reading.
This was everything the second book in a series should be. It was such a brain twister that I need a mental break just wrap my head around what I just read in less than a day in a half. I could not put my kindle down once I got sucked in.
The writing was immersive and you almost felt like you were there. Everything about this book goes deeper than the surface level you think it’s at.
The banter was witty, the characters were unreliable and relatable all at the same time, I didn’t know who to trust except Raven and she still makes questionable choices. The world building from book one sets this up beautifully and I wasn’t confused at any point. Growing up loving dystopian, and finding my way back to it, this series for sure has been a five star read for me. My heart rate was elevated the entire time and I needed to keep reading.
September 20, 2026
WHAT A RIDE. I was lucky enough to get this extra early with being part of Brooke’s content team. I tried to go slow and savor it over the past week but then all of the twists, reveals and BETRAYALS (yes, multiple) started happening and I blew through the final 50% today. This was truly an excellent continuation. We get to finally see what The Collective is all about, and see all of our favorite escapees take on a new challenge. This definitely did not go the way I expected it to go, and my jaw literally dropped on numerous occasions. I felt all of the emotions through this one… sadness, anger, betrayal, a tiny bit of joy lol, and more. The found family just gets stronger in this book and truly makes the betrayals hit harder. We were told to avoid all spoilers so I can’t say much but just know things will not be as you expect! I need book 3 like yesterday 😭
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5⭐️
First of all, thank you so much Brooke & her team for gracing me with this sequel, 5 months before release date. I have just finished and stared at all the wall for 5 minutes, speechless. Now this is how you write a second book. Action on every single page, angst, drama, near death, character development. It’s all there.
With how ‘to cage a wild bird’ ended, I wasn’t exactly sure where we would go in this book, but it exceeded my expectations. It felt very similar to Fall Out at certain times, which made me feel like I was living in dystopian bliss. The only thing that slightly let me down was the romance. Some scenes in this book were questionable on the romance side, so i need a bit of time to sit with this one, but overall, this was such a strong sequel & i NEED book 3!!!
First of all, thank you so much Brooke & her team for gracing me with this sequel, 5 months before release date. I have just finished and stared at all the wall for 5 minutes, speechless. Now this is how you write a second book. Action on every single page, angst, drama, near death, character development. It’s all there.
With how ‘to cage a wild bird’ ended, I wasn’t exactly sure where we would go in this book, but it exceeded my expectations. It felt very similar to Fall Out at certain times, which made me feel like I was living in dystopian bliss. The only thing that slightly let me down was the romance. Some scenes in this book were questionable on the romance side, so i need a bit of time to sit with this one, but overall, this was such a strong sequel & i NEED book 3!!!
Read
September 17, 2026Gosh, was it so easy for me to get immersed in this world again! I wasn’t disappointed by this sequel at all.
Raven Thorne. Ever the protector. We pick up right where we left off in Book 1 (To Cage A Wild Bird) and I loved the pace of this. You get necessary world building that gives you perspective and depth to the setting and characters. As for the romance part, man my heart went THROUGH IT reading this book but in the best way. I loved the pacing of this story.
I’m SICK at the ending and counting down the days till we get Book 3 in this series. I’m slightly terrified but also so excited to see where Brooke takes these characters next!
Raven Thorne. Ever the protector. We pick up right where we left off in Book 1 (To Cage A Wild Bird) and I loved the pace of this. You get necessary world building that gives you perspective and depth to the setting and characters. As for the romance part, man my heart went THROUGH IT reading this book but in the best way. I loved the pacing of this story.
I’m SICK at the ending and counting down the days till we get Book 3 in this series. I’m slightly terrified but also so excited to see where Brooke takes these characters next!
September 13, 2026
Speechless 🤯
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