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Gifted #2
Schism
As his power grows, so does his malice.
No one is safe. No one can fight back ...
...But they can die trying.
Unforgiving and power-maddened Alberto di Tommaso threatens to take over all of Europe with his iron fist and sinister magic, endangering the very existence of the Gifted. As Alberto's influence and his vile agenda spread, the rebel Patriarch, Matt Landy, and some unlikely allies must stop him before he provokes a war the Gifted cannot win. But with Congress and Homeland Security starting to turn against the American Gifted, the conflict is destined to be greater than any of them imagines. This time, good may not stand a chance against an evil so toxic.
But they will fight.
No one is safe. No one can fight back ...
...But they can die trying.
Unforgiving and power-maddened Alberto di Tommaso threatens to take over all of Europe with his iron fist and sinister magic, endangering the very existence of the Gifted. As Alberto's influence and his vile agenda spread, the rebel Patriarch, Matt Landy, and some unlikely allies must stop him before he provokes a war the Gifted cannot win. But with Congress and Homeland Security starting to turn against the American Gifted, the conflict is destined to be greater than any of them imagines. This time, good may not stand a chance against an evil so toxic.
But they will fight.
- GenresUrban FantasyAdult
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2015
About the author
Jenna Black
44 books2,512 followersJenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 7, 2015
SCHISM is dark, intense, intriguing, chilling. It is not a story for the faint of heart. It is at times harsh, brutal, shocking. It has aspects that mirror both the frightening reality of today’s world and the one of the past. It is an exceptionally well-crafted and well-written story that will give you a lot to think about and a lot to hope for.
With a number of interesting and compelling characters, all with differing agendas, motivations, and abilities, it is guaranteed to keep you captivated. Its fascinating and intricate plot will keep you on edge, keep you guessing, keep your curiosity piqued. And its killer cliffhanger ending will leave you desperate for the next installment even while you’re nervous about what is to come.
The schism that divided the Order between the more moderate Gifted and those wishing for a return to the old ways was only just the beginning of the end to their way of life. Patriarch Alberto di Tommaso’s radical and ruthless actions not only created an even bigger rift but served to put each and every one of the Gifted under a microscope. He single-handedly managed to rapidly destroy the fragile acceptance by the unGifted that took years to achieve. And he cared not one iota about the repercussions.
Not when it was nearly impossible to kill a Patriarch. Not when he had an entire country under his control. Not when Gifted and unGifted alike quaked in fear of him. Not when he felt invincible even in the face of so many new enemies and potential threats.
Jenna Black has created a remarkable story and series. It is complex and exciting and richly detailed. She combines elements of the paranormal with those of a political thriller. She incorporates spirituality and morality into this provocative and thought-provoking tale.
She doesn’t soften the barbarity of her character’s actions, decisions, orders, to make for an easier, more pleasant read. She paints a violent and disturbing picture at times, but not one that is unnecessarily so. There are no holds barred. It is raw and real and completely unvarnished. It is an absolutely incredible sequel.
A cruel, megalomaniac of a ruler, a country in turmoil, a people divided, a faith put to the test, unfair and unjust punishments meted out, fear running rampant, SCHISM promises to take you on one heck of a wild ride. And with unexpected alliances, dangerous manipulations, deadly schemes, powerful gifts, and characters to love and hate, it will be a ride you won’t want to see end.
Original GR comments:
Ooh loved the sequel even more than book one. Review TK.
With a number of interesting and compelling characters, all with differing agendas, motivations, and abilities, it is guaranteed to keep you captivated. Its fascinating and intricate plot will keep you on edge, keep you guessing, keep your curiosity piqued. And its killer cliffhanger ending will leave you desperate for the next installment even while you’re nervous about what is to come.
The schism that divided the Order between the more moderate Gifted and those wishing for a return to the old ways was only just the beginning of the end to their way of life. Patriarch Alberto di Tommaso’s radical and ruthless actions not only created an even bigger rift but served to put each and every one of the Gifted under a microscope. He single-handedly managed to rapidly destroy the fragile acceptance by the unGifted that took years to achieve. And he cared not one iota about the repercussions.
Not when it was nearly impossible to kill a Patriarch. Not when he had an entire country under his control. Not when Gifted and unGifted alike quaked in fear of him. Not when he felt invincible even in the face of so many new enemies and potential threats.
Jenna Black has created a remarkable story and series. It is complex and exciting and richly detailed. She combines elements of the paranormal with those of a political thriller. She incorporates spirituality and morality into this provocative and thought-provoking tale.
She doesn’t soften the barbarity of her character’s actions, decisions, orders, to make for an easier, more pleasant read. She paints a violent and disturbing picture at times, but not one that is unnecessarily so. There are no holds barred. It is raw and real and completely unvarnished. It is an absolutely incredible sequel.
A cruel, megalomaniac of a ruler, a country in turmoil, a people divided, a faith put to the test, unfair and unjust punishments meted out, fear running rampant, SCHISM promises to take you on one heck of a wild ride. And with unexpected alliances, dangerous manipulations, deadly schemes, powerful gifts, and characters to love and hate, it will be a ride you won’t want to see end.
Original GR comments:
Ooh loved the sequel even more than book one. Review TK.
December 8, 2015
Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.
This is a fairly unknown series, but it is one that I’ve really enjoyed so far and highly recommend. I read book one, The Gift Dead, last year and found the story very complex with a lot of very well developed characters. There is a ton of politics in this series between the Gifted and UnGifted people and even more between the Gifted people themselves.
The Gifted are humans with special abilities, like a power or magic, along with immunity to most diseases. They have to earn their gifts from the Anima, through a quest. The Gifted feel that these quests are assigned based on what is best for the Gifted race. If the Anima, it is usually done without question. It is a form of religion for the Gifted, though there is one Gifted person who does go to a Christian church, but that is frowned upon.
Schism pretty much picks up where The Gifted Dead left off. Without going into too much detail, so as not to spoil this story or the previous one. The Anima has split into two groups with two Patriarchs, a US group following a more modern Doctrine. There is also group in France that call themselves True Order which is wanting to go back to a more old world Doctrine. The old world Doctrine is taking things back to not allowing women to have any say and other non-modern beliefs. The True Order also believes that they should be separate from the UnGifted and shouldn’t be subject to UnGifted laws.
The beliefs and actions of the True Order’s Patriarch causes quite the stir in the US with the UnGifted. The Gifted are trying to flee France and even Europe. America is trying to close it’s borders to the Gifted refugees. The ones that are making it in are in danger of violence from scared UnGifted. When I first started reading this, I noticed a lot of similarities with things that are being suggested in some current events after the attack that happened in Paris. Blaming of an entire group of people because of the actions of a small faction of radicals. It was very mind-blowing to read this so close to the events of the Paris attacks. I actually read this book prior to Thanksgiving, less than a week after it happened. I love that this is tackling real-life problems in a paranormal setting (even though I don’t believe that was it’s intent).
This is a series that has been called Game of Thrones meets House of Cards. This is a pretty good explanation of the series so far. There are these great characters, many of which are not good people. There are even some very terrible people. Even the people who aren’t bad people, have done some bad things for different reasons. The world that Ms. Black has built is very interesting with an exceptional story. It is a pretty dark story with some pretty harsh subjects and torture. I would say that if you read Rachel Vincent’s Menagerie and enjoyed it, you should really give this series a try. This is definitely a series where you will need to read The Gifted Dead before tackling this one, but well worth it. I’ve really enjoyed both books.
This is a fairly unknown series, but it is one that I’ve really enjoyed so far and highly recommend. I read book one, The Gift Dead, last year and found the story very complex with a lot of very well developed characters. There is a ton of politics in this series between the Gifted and UnGifted people and even more between the Gifted people themselves.
The Gifted are humans with special abilities, like a power or magic, along with immunity to most diseases. They have to earn their gifts from the Anima, through a quest. The Gifted feel that these quests are assigned based on what is best for the Gifted race. If the Anima, it is usually done without question. It is a form of religion for the Gifted, though there is one Gifted person who does go to a Christian church, but that is frowned upon.
Schism pretty much picks up where The Gifted Dead left off. Without going into too much detail, so as not to spoil this story or the previous one. The Anima has split into two groups with two Patriarchs, a US group following a more modern Doctrine. There is also group in France that call themselves True Order which is wanting to go back to a more old world Doctrine. The old world Doctrine is taking things back to not allowing women to have any say and other non-modern beliefs. The True Order also believes that they should be separate from the UnGifted and shouldn’t be subject to UnGifted laws.
The beliefs and actions of the True Order’s Patriarch causes quite the stir in the US with the UnGifted. The Gifted are trying to flee France and even Europe. America is trying to close it’s borders to the Gifted refugees. The ones that are making it in are in danger of violence from scared UnGifted. When I first started reading this, I noticed a lot of similarities with things that are being suggested in some current events after the attack that happened in Paris. Blaming of an entire group of people because of the actions of a small faction of radicals. It was very mind-blowing to read this so close to the events of the Paris attacks. I actually read this book prior to Thanksgiving, less than a week after it happened. I love that this is tackling real-life problems in a paranormal setting (even though I don’t believe that was it’s intent).
This is a series that has been called Game of Thrones meets House of Cards. This is a pretty good explanation of the series so far. There are these great characters, many of which are not good people. There are even some very terrible people. Even the people who aren’t bad people, have done some bad things for different reasons. The world that Ms. Black has built is very interesting with an exceptional story. It is a pretty dark story with some pretty harsh subjects and torture. I would say that if you read Rachel Vincent’s Menagerie and enjoyed it, you should really give this series a try. This is definitely a series where you will need to read The Gifted Dead before tackling this one, but well worth it. I’ve really enjoyed both books.
February 5, 2016
Strong 2nd in Gifted Dead Series
This second book in the series is stronger than the first. It defines what happens when a large group of citizens (albeit magical) Schism in two.... Good vs. Evil. Same essential upbringing, but the hide bound traditionalists keep looking back at a very restrictive past while the Brash American contingent sees the truth, that we all must evolve or die. Much like the first book, there is no central leading characters, but all of the main characters have returned and the madness of the new European Patriarch for the Gifted is revealed and nearly everyone in his sphere and outside of it perhaps, is subject to his specific brand of.... revenge. Can the women he's hurt... survive? The Schism is frankly apropos to current events and personally I found the willingness of the author to broach a tough topic in a work of fiction, both brave and timely. Literature is often a reflection of our souls and I found Jenna Black's to be a subtle but shining example of mankind. Be Brave Jenna Black, I find your white hat necessary in a time of many traditionalist black chapeaux. But Black hides evidence and white? Illuminates it. Shine on brave lady, I find you kick @ss.
This second book in the series is stronger than the first. It defines what happens when a large group of citizens (albeit magical) Schism in two.... Good vs. Evil. Same essential upbringing, but the hide bound traditionalists keep looking back at a very restrictive past while the Brash American contingent sees the truth, that we all must evolve or die. Much like the first book, there is no central leading characters, but all of the main characters have returned and the madness of the new European Patriarch for the Gifted is revealed and nearly everyone in his sphere and outside of it perhaps, is subject to his specific brand of.... revenge. Can the women he's hurt... survive? The Schism is frankly apropos to current events and personally I found the willingness of the author to broach a tough topic in a work of fiction, both brave and timely. Literature is often a reflection of our souls and I found Jenna Black's to be a subtle but shining example of mankind. Be Brave Jenna Black, I find your white hat necessary in a time of many traditionalist black chapeaux. But Black hides evidence and white? Illuminates it. Shine on brave lady, I find you kick @ss.
June 19, 2016
Like the first in the series, this is an intense paranormal thriller. It starts right in where the first left off so I would recommend reading The Gifted Dead first. The plot moves fast and is exciting to follow from so many points of view. Usually I find multiple points of view hard to follow but these work. Because of this, I found myself invested in many of the characters. The one problem I had with the first book was that the ending felt a little abrupt. In this sequel the ending is more satisfying although it still is leading to the next in the series.
My copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review.
My copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review.
December 30, 2015
This novel takes up where the last one ended. Alberto is becoming more and more power hungry. I enjoyed this one much more than the first. We learn more about Catherine, Anna and Isbella. Melanie has a big roll in this story. Ready for the third.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews