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The War Between
A human war over dwindling resources has all but destroyed the world. In a country once known as South Africa, two cities struggle to survive. Toria is believed to contain the final generation of humans, while Jozenburg is inhabited by beings created and born in a laboratory, gifted with abilities both strange and terrifying. The two species have known peace for many years, but with their respective cities surrounding the remaining resources, tensions are rising. The two leaders of Jozenburg are twin siblings Syra and Draiken, and with their first successful conversion of a human to a superhuman, Draiken sets a plan in motion that will bring his kind, and the humans, to the brink of war. The arrival of Dominico in Jozenburg, a girl with unique and dangerous abilities, and a human commander claiming to have saved her life, Syra is forced to reconsider her views of not only herself, but of the beings she considered her enemies.
355 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2016
28 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Withers
2 books31 followersI've loved writing since I was a child. It has always been my dream to write a novel and publish, which I did in 2016 with my debut, The War Between. My second novel, Gloam, is currently available for pre-order through Amazon, and will officially release on September 7, 2024. It's about a woman who leaves her life of safety to hunt her father's killer in Gloam, a city known for corrupt cops and unsolved murders.
I live in Pretoria, South Africa, with my husband of 16 years, and our 6-year-old son, Tristan. I work full time as an accounts and admin person for our one company, Urban Tribes, and in between, I make the time to plot, write, create and (sometimes) sob (good for creative outlet, I've found). I'm obsessed with anything written by Stephen King, and although I intensely dislike reading books of any kind in the fantasy genre, I absolutely devour games in the same genre (go figure). You can find me here, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
I live in Pretoria, South Africa, with my husband of 16 years, and our 6-year-old son, Tristan. I work full time as an accounts and admin person for our one company, Urban Tribes, and in between, I make the time to plot, write, create and (sometimes) sob (good for creative outlet, I've found). I'm obsessed with anything written by Stephen King, and although I intensely dislike reading books of any kind in the fantasy genre, I absolutely devour games in the same genre (go figure). You can find me here, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 8, 2017
A unique YA dystopian fantasy set in a future world ravished by war, where humans live tentatively side-by-side with ‘superhumans,’ those who possess special powers and abilities. Two cities slowly building to a tense conflict that could destroy what little there is left of their world.
The story was easy to enjoy right from the beginning as Withers enticed you with a character who was a bit of a rebel, not easily swayed by the worldview of those in power. It was entertaining, with good pace, and elicited emotional responses throughout. Like many dystopian novels, the story begins in a distant future, where a war has already ravaged the world and the survivors scavenge and fight for rations. Where the factions have divided into the haves and the have nots, and rebellion is simmering below the surface. While there is much that intrigued me about this book, what happened before—how this dystopian world came to be, the circumstances that created these characters and this situation—are just as intriguing. Withers has set up a world that has its own backstory yet to be revealed.
While I liked the main characters, there wasn’t one that grabbed my attention to the point where I was invested deeply into their individual story. The first-person viewpoint, told from three different characters was a little distracting at first, as their voices were similar and I often had to remind myself which character was speaking, which may have taken away from the character development and the reader’s investment in a singular protagonist. But they were well rounded and once the storyline began to flow and pick up speed, the viewpoint issue became less disruptive. I would have preferred the story be driven through one character; a protagonist whose character arc maintained a trajectory that encompassed the other characters thus making the flow of the story less jarring.
The settings in South Africa were interesting, a different place for a dystopian viewpoint, and a welcome reprieve from the normal American city settings. The author defined her settings well, and brought to life visual representations of the places the characters existed within in but I would have liked her world building to be more obvious. While there was much of it that was enticing I often found it restrained, not providing the reader enough description and information about South Africa for them to visual that part of the real world.
The story had a good concept, highlighting such human failings as greed, ignorance, intolerance, and fear combining within a simmering power struggle between those who thought they were worthier and those they deemed inferior. An interesting look at the human condition through the eyes of an apocalyptic society and one that often echoed our own societal failings.
Withers writing is interesting and stylized and I appreciate how she tries to pull in the reader with her thought-provoking subject matter, the idea that her fiction may not be as fantastical as it seems leaves the reader slightly on edge at the possibly of what our own future may hold.
A solid, well thought out story that will certainly appeal to dystopian sci-fi readers, both YA and NA audiences. A good debut from a talented emerging author.
The story was easy to enjoy right from the beginning as Withers enticed you with a character who was a bit of a rebel, not easily swayed by the worldview of those in power. It was entertaining, with good pace, and elicited emotional responses throughout. Like many dystopian novels, the story begins in a distant future, where a war has already ravaged the world and the survivors scavenge and fight for rations. Where the factions have divided into the haves and the have nots, and rebellion is simmering below the surface. While there is much that intrigued me about this book, what happened before—how this dystopian world came to be, the circumstances that created these characters and this situation—are just as intriguing. Withers has set up a world that has its own backstory yet to be revealed.
While I liked the main characters, there wasn’t one that grabbed my attention to the point where I was invested deeply into their individual story. The first-person viewpoint, told from three different characters was a little distracting at first, as their voices were similar and I often had to remind myself which character was speaking, which may have taken away from the character development and the reader’s investment in a singular protagonist. But they were well rounded and once the storyline began to flow and pick up speed, the viewpoint issue became less disruptive. I would have preferred the story be driven through one character; a protagonist whose character arc maintained a trajectory that encompassed the other characters thus making the flow of the story less jarring.
The settings in South Africa were interesting, a different place for a dystopian viewpoint, and a welcome reprieve from the normal American city settings. The author defined her settings well, and brought to life visual representations of the places the characters existed within in but I would have liked her world building to be more obvious. While there was much of it that was enticing I often found it restrained, not providing the reader enough description and information about South Africa for them to visual that part of the real world.
The story had a good concept, highlighting such human failings as greed, ignorance, intolerance, and fear combining within a simmering power struggle between those who thought they were worthier and those they deemed inferior. An interesting look at the human condition through the eyes of an apocalyptic society and one that often echoed our own societal failings.
Withers writing is interesting and stylized and I appreciate how she tries to pull in the reader with her thought-provoking subject matter, the idea that her fiction may not be as fantastical as it seems leaves the reader slightly on edge at the possibly of what our own future may hold.
A solid, well thought out story that will certainly appeal to dystopian sci-fi readers, both YA and NA audiences. A good debut from a talented emerging author.
April 24, 2016
Welcome to a world in the near future. A world that has remnants of our own dotted around its landscape and that is populated by our grandchildren (or maybe their grandchildren) and other descendants. The other descendants are, uh, different, but not TOO different…
And it is these inhabitants of two closely situated Cities that provide “The War Between” with its conflict and its heroes.
Withers has creates a world filled with characters that are both believable and enjoyable AND she uses them to tell a story that is both believable and, well, enjoyable. Actually, she has created a novel that pulls the reader in and spits them out only when the last page has been turned. Told in the first person by her 3 heroes, the narrative flies along, hauling the reader through the well-imagined dystopia that is our world in a few years’ time. The story is immaculately plotted and beautifully crafted which results in a book where the reader suspends belief completely and is happy to let the author take total control of the good ship “The War Between”.
The growing tension between the two Cities builds slowly but inexorably, emphasised by deft disclosures about the characters that further entrap the reader.
And while this book is truly international, South African readers need to get a copy fast – with the Cities being named “Jozenburg” and “Toria” and linked by the N1, there is plenty of local interest!
And it is these inhabitants of two closely situated Cities that provide “The War Between” with its conflict and its heroes.
Withers has creates a world filled with characters that are both believable and enjoyable AND she uses them to tell a story that is both believable and, well, enjoyable. Actually, she has created a novel that pulls the reader in and spits them out only when the last page has been turned. Told in the first person by her 3 heroes, the narrative flies along, hauling the reader through the well-imagined dystopia that is our world in a few years’ time. The story is immaculately plotted and beautifully crafted which results in a book where the reader suspends belief completely and is happy to let the author take total control of the good ship “The War Between”.
The growing tension between the two Cities builds slowly but inexorably, emphasised by deft disclosures about the characters that further entrap the reader.
And while this book is truly international, South African readers need to get a copy fast – with the Cities being named “Jozenburg” and “Toria” and linked by the N1, there is plenty of local interest!
May 3, 2016
I received a copy of this book as a prize in a Goodreads Giveaway.
And I’m so glad that I did! Even though it is certainly not a genre that I normally enjoy reading, Jennifer Withers made “The War Between” into such a good read that it transcended its genre. It started slowly, mind you, then – KAPOW – I had to keep reading, devouring the book like a ravenous animal.
And I really enjoyed the references to South Africa! Because we read books mainly from the US and the UK, we don’t often get references that we actually know. Although, I hasten to add, they are few and will not in any way interfere with the enjoyment by overseas readers.
My favourite aspect of the book, however, was the characters – the author created believable heroes (and heroines) and characters that added so much to the plot through compelling backstories and depth of character. This is something that not nearly enough writers bother with and tells me that Jennifer Withers is a talent to watch out for!
And I’m so glad that I did! Even though it is certainly not a genre that I normally enjoy reading, Jennifer Withers made “The War Between” into such a good read that it transcended its genre. It started slowly, mind you, then – KAPOW – I had to keep reading, devouring the book like a ravenous animal.
And I really enjoyed the references to South Africa! Because we read books mainly from the US and the UK, we don’t often get references that we actually know. Although, I hasten to add, they are few and will not in any way interfere with the enjoyment by overseas readers.
My favourite aspect of the book, however, was the characters – the author created believable heroes (and heroines) and characters that added so much to the plot through compelling backstories and depth of character. This is something that not nearly enough writers bother with and tells me that Jennifer Withers is a talent to watch out for!
May 11, 2016
I received this book as part of a Giveaway on Goodreads.
Here goes with my first book review ever.
I found “The War Between” to be extremely well written and enjoyable, even though it falls outside my usual area of interest.
The bleak landscape was very well portrayed - I found myself wanting rain as much as her characters, and could almost feel actual thirst! It was great reading about places that I’m familiar with, although this also made me want to know where the other city states were, and see a map of this new world.
“The War Between” had characters with depth, and overall I found the story to have a nice pace, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Here goes with my first book review ever.
I found “The War Between” to be extremely well written and enjoyable, even though it falls outside my usual area of interest.
The bleak landscape was very well portrayed - I found myself wanting rain as much as her characters, and could almost feel actual thirst! It was great reading about places that I’m familiar with, although this also made me want to know where the other city states were, and see a map of this new world.
“The War Between” had characters with depth, and overall I found the story to have a nice pace, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
May 29, 2017
"The War Between” is a dystopian sci-fi novel by debut South African novelist Jennifer Withers. Here are some thoughts, in no particular order.
1. I absolutely love this title. It really resonates with me. The cover is terrific as well.
2. I don’t read very much of this genre. I think it’s so much more enjoyable on the big screen than in the written format. I love seeing the visual imagery of dystopian wastelands, desperate citizenry, mutant heroes, etc. I’m obviously not the only one, as our cinematic world seems absolutely inundated with tales of apocalyptic future societies rife with tyranny and suffering.
3. I like the setting of South Africa. Evidently there are other cities in the world besides New York, London, and L.A. (take note Hollywood).
4. The writing is very crisp and error-free. I noticed another recent reviewer harshly criticized the author’s writing style. I strongly disagree. The writing is very solid in both style and mechanics.
5. For me, this book lurked in that gray area between young adult and adult fiction. I think a lot of teenagers will really enjoy this book, but it may come across as a little flat and vanilla with discriminating adult readers.
6. Is it me, or does every book and movie nowadays have some variation of the name Rogan?
7. The characters and initial premise are very interesting. You will find yourself turning the pages to find out what happens next to Dominico and Syra.
8. Although this book is very well done, it seemed a little ordinary to me (but that’s OK). I think the dystopian sci-fi genre is the “western” of our era. Just like it’s difficult to make a tale about sheriffs and cattle rustlers unique and distinctive, the same goes with this genre. Our culture is so immersed in dystopian sci-fi books and movies that it’s getting hard for them not to all blend together.
9. Bottom line, this is a very impressive debut. Fans of the genre will enjoy this quite a bit. 4/5 stars and a round of applause.
1. I absolutely love this title. It really resonates with me. The cover is terrific as well.
2. I don’t read very much of this genre. I think it’s so much more enjoyable on the big screen than in the written format. I love seeing the visual imagery of dystopian wastelands, desperate citizenry, mutant heroes, etc. I’m obviously not the only one, as our cinematic world seems absolutely inundated with tales of apocalyptic future societies rife with tyranny and suffering.
3. I like the setting of South Africa. Evidently there are other cities in the world besides New York, London, and L.A. (take note Hollywood).
4. The writing is very crisp and error-free. I noticed another recent reviewer harshly criticized the author’s writing style. I strongly disagree. The writing is very solid in both style and mechanics.
5. For me, this book lurked in that gray area between young adult and adult fiction. I think a lot of teenagers will really enjoy this book, but it may come across as a little flat and vanilla with discriminating adult readers.
6. Is it me, or does every book and movie nowadays have some variation of the name Rogan?
7. The characters and initial premise are very interesting. You will find yourself turning the pages to find out what happens next to Dominico and Syra.
8. Although this book is very well done, it seemed a little ordinary to me (but that’s OK). I think the dystopian sci-fi genre is the “western” of our era. Just like it’s difficult to make a tale about sheriffs and cattle rustlers unique and distinctive, the same goes with this genre. Our culture is so immersed in dystopian sci-fi books and movies that it’s getting hard for them not to all blend together.
9. Bottom line, this is a very impressive debut. Fans of the genre will enjoy this quite a bit. 4/5 stars and a round of applause.
November 14, 2016
The War Between is a take on our world in the not too far distant future. The story starts off at a slow roll and then it drops off a cliff, propelling the reader at dizzying speeds. The world was fantastically painted and the conflicts and protagonists are both believable and enjoyable to share this book with.
The tapestry which the story is woven through is meticulously threaded. And I found the pace fast yet very enjoyable. The mechanics and environments created a great backdrop, which will certainly speak to cultures gleaned at.
The battle between the city's is not only believable it also hits close to events from humanities past … therefore encapsulating readers into a believable conflict which you ‘have’ to find out how it will end.
This book is definitely worth a read, it was enjoyable, suspenseful and extremely well thought out.
I give it 4 out of my 5 stars.
The tapestry which the story is woven through is meticulously threaded. And I found the pace fast yet very enjoyable. The mechanics and environments created a great backdrop, which will certainly speak to cultures gleaned at.
The battle between the city's is not only believable it also hits close to events from humanities past … therefore encapsulating readers into a believable conflict which you ‘have’ to find out how it will end.
This book is definitely worth a read, it was enjoyable, suspenseful and extremely well thought out.
I give it 4 out of my 5 stars.
May 4, 2016
Can't wait for more from this author! Although not what I expected (sci-fi) this novel explores our relationship with fear - fear of those different to ourselves through the relationship of the humans and the super-humans. When talking of the super-humans, one of the characters says "They're like humans Mom. Some of them value all life. Some of them only value their own". And isn't this a great way to summarize the human race - it is often our fears that motivate our words and actions. I would have liked to have seen more on how the human war started, leaving the characters in their respective camps with the world in ruins and everyone struggling for resources, but perhaps that and 'The Creator' will be explored in another story.
March 12, 2024
A mix of characters defining the good bad and evil - the plot twists through the book which keeps it interesting.
The concept and story is interesting and a relatively new spin on a post apocalyptic world where the story of how we got there makes me keep guessing. The world and characters have been well thought out. An easy read, well written, with not overly descriptive monologues, the book is in the first person and does change between characters. The book builds to an ultimate climax, and the end resolves fairly quickly - it does leave me with many questions which I hope will
Be resolved.
The concept and story is interesting and a relatively new spin on a post apocalyptic world where the story of how we got there makes me keep guessing. The world and characters have been well thought out. An easy read, well written, with not overly descriptive monologues, the book is in the first person and does change between characters. The book builds to an ultimate climax, and the end resolves fairly quickly - it does leave me with many questions which I hope will
Be resolved.
July 17, 2017
The War Between. My initial thoughts upon reading the first few pages are that the book has a plot is a combination of the X-Men and The Hunger Games in that the people seem to be living in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by a fascist government and there is a girl with special powers who will be enlisted to fight them. I would add a bit of the Matrix series in there are the training sequences seem to be derivative of Neo being trained. The author describes the slow motion—stop frame motion similar to the action sequences in the Matrix by describing those scenes in minutiae detail—as if in slow motion, and it doesn’t really work for me. Another author trying to catch a falling sword I guess.
The narrative is told in the first person, by three different characters and that unfortunately, gets tedious quickly as you have to keep track of who is now speaking. Our heroine, Dominio, has special powers—why am I not surprised, that can be used to fight the enemy, but she has them hidden as she lives among the humans and not with the superhumans. There are a bunch of others with special powers called Minders, and there are Elders who run the place. There is a state of unstable detente that exists between the humans and the superhumans, and each side thinks about breaking it for their own ends. Not a whole lot new or original here, pretty much just some derivative plot threads from the SciFi movies I mentioned. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the author, in an effort to be original, employs especially strained metaphors that were probably best left unwritten and her choice of words, to describe movement are ponderous—sometimes people just walk and brushing your teeth is not assaulting them—unless you also assault your clothes and car when you give it a scrub. Another thought that occurs to me is that the author thinks of innumerable ways to describing walking but settles on superhumans for the name of these superior beings—what’s up with that? Other things that strike me as odd: Superhumans are the ones lacking in resources while the humans are better off—wouldn’t super humans fair better because of their superior powers? The plot strikes me as lacking credulity: Grab the President of the country by the throat, chances are you get shot multiple times—enough to even kill a superhuman. The president’s bodyguard should have shot the superhuman and if they have such superior powers it would be completely logical for his security to be armed with something that could kill the superhuman. But no, the author wants you to take away the impression that these superhuman are really tough customers—who apparently are in awe of a nice flower arrangement. And if these creatures are superhuman, why do they find it necessary to ask the humans for favors? The plot has more holes in it that French Ladies undergarments, (see, I did it too) and at over 700 pages, I found it to be a particularly ponderous read and not something I would do for enjoyment, but your mileage may vary.
The narrative is told in the first person, by three different characters and that unfortunately, gets tedious quickly as you have to keep track of who is now speaking. Our heroine, Dominio, has special powers—why am I not surprised, that can be used to fight the enemy, but she has them hidden as she lives among the humans and not with the superhumans. There are a bunch of others with special powers called Minders, and there are Elders who run the place. There is a state of unstable detente that exists between the humans and the superhumans, and each side thinks about breaking it for their own ends. Not a whole lot new or original here, pretty much just some derivative plot threads from the SciFi movies I mentioned. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the author, in an effort to be original, employs especially strained metaphors that were probably best left unwritten and her choice of words, to describe movement are ponderous—sometimes people just walk and brushing your teeth is not assaulting them—unless you also assault your clothes and car when you give it a scrub. Another thought that occurs to me is that the author thinks of innumerable ways to describing walking but settles on superhumans for the name of these superior beings—what’s up with that? Other things that strike me as odd: Superhumans are the ones lacking in resources while the humans are better off—wouldn’t super humans fair better because of their superior powers? The plot strikes me as lacking credulity: Grab the President of the country by the throat, chances are you get shot multiple times—enough to even kill a superhuman. The president’s bodyguard should have shot the superhuman and if they have such superior powers it would be completely logical for his security to be armed with something that could kill the superhuman. But no, the author wants you to take away the impression that these superhuman are really tough customers—who apparently are in awe of a nice flower arrangement. And if these creatures are superhuman, why do they find it necessary to ask the humans for favors? The plot has more holes in it that French Ladies undergarments, (see, I did it too) and at over 700 pages, I found it to be a particularly ponderous read and not something I would do for enjoyment, but your mileage may vary.
April 23, 2017
I read quite a lot of debut novels and this one is the best I've come across. It's an interesting and occasionally gripping plot by an author who has a feel for language, shows skill in handling difficult techniques and whose book has an underlying idea that she wants to get across. I would like to have given it four stars as I see many other readers have, but I did have one or two problems with it. For a start, I think it is too long, and parts could have been cut out without damaging the story. This would have improved the pace by focussing on fewer, important points. Swapping between characters using the first person is difficult to achieve, and the author does a good job – and in fact it gets better as the book goes on. This, I think, is because by then we know more about them. At the beginning, each character is written using the same tone, which makes it difficult to distinguish between them. It's a particular problem if you have to put the book down and come back to it. There are a number of things in the story which aren't very clear – how many people are we talking about, for instance? The implication is that it's very few. Knowing this for certain at the outset might have made the motivations of Drake and Crane more urgent and convincing.. I also think a bit of physical description would have helped. I don't known South Africa, so I couldn't use my imagination to conjure up the scene. But overall, if you enjoy science fiction, I think you'll enjoy this.
July 29, 2016
After wading through so many typical post-apocalyptic stories, Jennifer Wither's delivers a unique tale that really captures the essence and reality of how a post-apocalyptic world would affect those trying to survive in it.
Revolving around post-apocalyptic South Africa, specifically the Gauteng Region, a peace treaty between humans and super-humans hangs precariously in the balance as resources are hard to come by and fear between the specifies, as well as what lays in the Waste between the cities, is a standard of life. On one hand we have the strictly controlled human city of Toria, where human's complete their schooling and are assigned to complete the same work daily and strictly obey the laws laid out by President Crane. Not far away is Jozenburg, a city on loan to the super-humans - genetically modified humans that were created in a lab - where everyone pulls their weight and survival of their species is their top priority. A war between the two species, born from fear, seems imminent as Jennifer guides us through this futuristic through the eyes of three completely different characters. Syra, a super-human with the ability to read peoples thoughts, lives and works in Jozenburg is forced into leadership and must try and maintain her species laws while battling her own feelings. Rogan, a commander of the human army in Toria, is thrown into confusion when he has to question everything he has been taught about super-humans and the human way of life after making a startling discovery. Dominico, a young girl with one foot firmly planted in both worlds, must decide if her loyalty lies with her species or her family.
An entrancing story that had me captivated and so well written that it made me realise that this sort of story can apply to so many different kinds of scenarios and still carry the same sort of message about prejudice, survival and making right decisions rather than expected ones.
Revolving around post-apocalyptic South Africa, specifically the Gauteng Region, a peace treaty between humans and super-humans hangs precariously in the balance as resources are hard to come by and fear between the specifies, as well as what lays in the Waste between the cities, is a standard of life. On one hand we have the strictly controlled human city of Toria, where human's complete their schooling and are assigned to complete the same work daily and strictly obey the laws laid out by President Crane. Not far away is Jozenburg, a city on loan to the super-humans - genetically modified humans that were created in a lab - where everyone pulls their weight and survival of their species is their top priority. A war between the two species, born from fear, seems imminent as Jennifer guides us through this futuristic through the eyes of three completely different characters. Syra, a super-human with the ability to read peoples thoughts, lives and works in Jozenburg is forced into leadership and must try and maintain her species laws while battling her own feelings. Rogan, a commander of the human army in Toria, is thrown into confusion when he has to question everything he has been taught about super-humans and the human way of life after making a startling discovery. Dominico, a young girl with one foot firmly planted in both worlds, must decide if her loyalty lies with her species or her family.
An entrancing story that had me captivated and so well written that it made me realise that this sort of story can apply to so many different kinds of scenarios and still carry the same sort of message about prejudice, survival and making right decisions rather than expected ones.
September 15, 2016
I was given a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this dystopian novel set in the future. It really puts things into perspective especially with everything going on in the world. There is a mentality of us versus them (humans vs. superhumans) and in the book, the lines are drawn as the good guys and ladies take on the corrupted people.
I enjoyed the fact that it was set in a foreign (to me) place. It got me out of my normal comfort zone. The in-depth character growth was amazing. The action was steadily paced and kept me glued to my iPad. I will definitely recommend this book to others. I give it 5/5 Platypires
I enjoyed the fact that it was set in a foreign (to me) place. It got me out of my normal comfort zone. The in-depth character growth was amazing. The action was steadily paced and kept me glued to my iPad. I will definitely recommend this book to others. I give it 5/5 Platypires
May 26, 2016
Wow! I loved this book. I love that it’s set in my hometown of Pretoria, South Africa. I love that I can drive down the roads and see Jennifer’s idea of “The Waste” and laugh because her descriptions are so real and so spot on. She had quite a few characters in her book and I loved how developed each one was and how everything blended into the story quite well. This is a fast-paced, high action book with a great story line and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels.
May 19, 2016
A really enjoyable and easy read. Lovely to read something that takes place in South Africa, which made it easier to relate to. Loved the characters, although I would have liked a little more time to get to know them. Found myself feeling quiet sad when the story ended - I wanted more! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 30, 2016
The War Between is a exhilarating book that I was unable to put down, it has a rich story line that mixed culture and fiction, one might say it had me flipping through the pages like a hot potato. The characters were well written and the story had me enthralled so I was sad when the book came to an end. I look forward to more novels from the Author.
September 3, 2016
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for feedback.
I think it's really excellent to see more scifi and dystopia coming out of South Africa. While I'm not a huge fan of super-powers, I think this is a solid effort and Withers is an author to watch.
I think it's really excellent to see more scifi and dystopia coming out of South Africa. While I'm not a huge fan of super-powers, I think this is a solid effort and Withers is an author to watch.
May 7, 2025
This story reminded me of “Divergent” books by Veronica Roth meets The X-Men
The War Between by Jennifer Withers is an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic future trope world of South Africa. The cities of Toria and Jozenburg are in a conflict for resources and pits humans against superhumans, who were created in a laboratory and have superhuman abilities. The superhumans are despised and feared by the humans, who want to annihilate them all. And with good reason, more food and water for them. Twin superhumans, Syra and Draiken, lead a project to convert humans to superhumans to save their species. They meet superhuman, Dominico (who grew up among humans with human parents) and human commander, Rogan, who are escaping certain death by the soldiers in Toria. The writing is very well done and the characters believable in their own limited experiences with each other. They each have reason to hate the “others”. But it’s a metaphor for our current world and our own fears of “different” humans. This story reminded me of “Divergent” books by Veronica Roth meets The X-Men, but with less action and the pace was a little slow for my preference.
The War Between by Jennifer Withers is an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic future trope world of South Africa. The cities of Toria and Jozenburg are in a conflict for resources and pits humans against superhumans, who were created in a laboratory and have superhuman abilities. The superhumans are despised and feared by the humans, who want to annihilate them all. And with good reason, more food and water for them. Twin superhumans, Syra and Draiken, lead a project to convert humans to superhumans to save their species. They meet superhuman, Dominico (who grew up among humans with human parents) and human commander, Rogan, who are escaping certain death by the soldiers in Toria. The writing is very well done and the characters believable in their own limited experiences with each other. They each have reason to hate the “others”. But it’s a metaphor for our current world and our own fears of “different” humans. This story reminded me of “Divergent” books by Veronica Roth meets The X-Men, but with less action and the pace was a little slow for my preference.
August 7, 2017
The War Between is a dystopian/Sci-Fi novel that has a Hunger Games esq. feel to it. And like Hunger Games, there is a strong undercurrent of social commentary about human beings and how we allow differences--socioeconomic, race, religion, etc.-- to divide us. In that regard, I found the title "The War Between" apropos. For the "War" is not simply between human and super-human but between subcategories and classes within.
The book is also entertaining and the story interesting and compelling. At times it even reads like a comic book, in a good way. I could see this book making for a good movie.
On the downside, I do think that that the book is a tad too long, and portions could easily be cut out without taking anything away from the story. I also think that the author often tells more than she shows.
In sum, I hardily recommend this book, and hope to hear more from this author.
The book is also entertaining and the story interesting and compelling. At times it even reads like a comic book, in a good way. I could see this book making for a good movie.
On the downside, I do think that that the book is a tad too long, and portions could easily be cut out without taking anything away from the story. I also think that the author often tells more than she shows.
In sum, I hardily recommend this book, and hope to hear more from this author.
August 17, 2016
I haven’t read many science-fiction novels based in South Africa. The War Between is the interweaving story of survival in a post war South Africa, where humans and superhumans are caught in a web of deceit, struggle and the ultimate goal of self-preservation. Each living within a walled city separated by The Waste, they keep to themselves in fear of the other.
The story is told from the perspectives of three main protagonists. Dominico is a super-human with unique abilities living in Toria among the humans. Her powers are a secret; should anyone find out it would mean certain death. Circumstances lead her to Jozenburg, the superhuman city. Rogan is a commander from Toria, a human, a man who grew up fearing the superhumans only to find himself saving Dominico and leading her to Jozenburg. Syra is the leader of Jozenburg along with her twin brother Draiken who purses the survival of the superhuman species with dogged determination; he would do anything to ensure continuity. Syra leads with intuition and is guided by both it and her emotions, very introspective and almost as stubborn as her twin brother. As their lives intertwine, and an inevitable war boils to the surface, they learn that there is more to the other than what they have been taught their entire lives.
The novel moves along at a steady pace, the varying perspectives offering views and insights that keep you turning the pages. I experienced those “Why didn’t you see that coming!!! (Syra!)” moments and the occasional “Whoa!? What!?” as Jennifer Wither’s twists through the plot using the characters, to a surprising yet satisfying conclusion.
The characters are real, their motives clearly shown and they do not break character for the sake of the plot. The underlying message in the interactions between the two “species” is one that isn’t so foreign after all. Humans in general (super or not) tend to stick to their learned beliefs without questioning them, quick to repudiate any who are different, and will stubbornly refuse to accept others because of their beliefs even when someone proves trustworthy. Race. Language. Religion. It doesn’t matter. All it requires is a little bit of fear, mob mentality, and a self-serving leader to sustain it.
I wish there had been more about this Creator they refer to. The who and the why. Not that it would change the story as it is complete without the Creator’s backstory, but it would have been nice. Nonetheless, an intriguing story and props to Jennifer Withers.
The story is told from the perspectives of three main protagonists. Dominico is a super-human with unique abilities living in Toria among the humans. Her powers are a secret; should anyone find out it would mean certain death. Circumstances lead her to Jozenburg, the superhuman city. Rogan is a commander from Toria, a human, a man who grew up fearing the superhumans only to find himself saving Dominico and leading her to Jozenburg. Syra is the leader of Jozenburg along with her twin brother Draiken who purses the survival of the superhuman species with dogged determination; he would do anything to ensure continuity. Syra leads with intuition and is guided by both it and her emotions, very introspective and almost as stubborn as her twin brother. As their lives intertwine, and an inevitable war boils to the surface, they learn that there is more to the other than what they have been taught their entire lives.
The novel moves along at a steady pace, the varying perspectives offering views and insights that keep you turning the pages. I experienced those “Why didn’t you see that coming!!! (Syra!)” moments and the occasional “Whoa!? What!?” as Jennifer Wither’s twists through the plot using the characters, to a surprising yet satisfying conclusion.
The characters are real, their motives clearly shown and they do not break character for the sake of the plot. The underlying message in the interactions between the two “species” is one that isn’t so foreign after all. Humans in general (super or not) tend to stick to their learned beliefs without questioning them, quick to repudiate any who are different, and will stubbornly refuse to accept others because of their beliefs even when someone proves trustworthy. Race. Language. Religion. It doesn’t matter. All it requires is a little bit of fear, mob mentality, and a self-serving leader to sustain it.
I wish there had been more about this Creator they refer to. The who and the why. Not that it would change the story as it is complete without the Creator’s backstory, but it would have been nice. Nonetheless, an intriguing story and props to Jennifer Withers.
May 3, 2016
Interesting perspective on the (super)human condition
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I started reading it with trepidation because it is so far removed from the realistic genres I generally prefer. But although I had to suspend some of my prosaic incredulity at times (why did the superhumans all have such different powers? Why – if they had these amazing powers – were they still living in ruins so many years after the war? Why couldn’t they generate electricity/power when they could ‘convert’ humans into superhumans? How/why did the climate change?), I found myself drawn in to the story. As I read further I came to realise that this is not just a rollicking yarn about a future war between humans and superhumans, but something of an allegory about the human condition. Even the superhumans, despite being able to move rocks with their minds, heal broken bodies with heat from their hands, and read minds, had decidedly human flaws, failings and feelings. I found the changing perspectives, sometimes more than twice in the same chapter, a little confusing at times, but this didn’t diminish my reading enjoyment. A great debut novel.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I started reading it with trepidation because it is so far removed from the realistic genres I generally prefer. But although I had to suspend some of my prosaic incredulity at times (why did the superhumans all have such different powers? Why – if they had these amazing powers – were they still living in ruins so many years after the war? Why couldn’t they generate electricity/power when they could ‘convert’ humans into superhumans? How/why did the climate change?), I found myself drawn in to the story. As I read further I came to realise that this is not just a rollicking yarn about a future war between humans and superhumans, but something of an allegory about the human condition. Even the superhumans, despite being able to move rocks with their minds, heal broken bodies with heat from their hands, and read minds, had decidedly human flaws, failings and feelings. I found the changing perspectives, sometimes more than twice in the same chapter, a little confusing at times, but this didn’t diminish my reading enjoyment. A great debut novel.
February 4, 2020
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This in no way has influenced my opinion or review.
Do you like dystopia? Do you like the idea of humans with super powers, like the X-Men or the metahumans from Flash? Does first person narrative just feel so much more personal and intimate to you? There is a good chance you might be me then. And boy, was I happy with this book.
Hunger Games meets X-Men meets Wayward Pines. It's war on the superhumans again and a fight over resources and which race has the right to survive. I feel like I should start singing My Favourite Things every time I think about it. I honestly wasn't expecting something like this from SA (I know, not very patriotic). Consider my expectations raised then.
And can we talk about that ending? I get that it ended but the way it ended... there's room for a sequel. Or am I just getting my hopes up for nothing? There's enough closure for it to end right there forever, but there's enough material for a second book too. *hint, hint*
Do you like dystopia? Do you like the idea of humans with super powers, like the X-Men or the metahumans from Flash? Does first person narrative just feel so much more personal and intimate to you? There is a good chance you might be me then. And boy, was I happy with this book.
Hunger Games meets X-Men meets Wayward Pines. It's war on the superhumans again and a fight over resources and which race has the right to survive. I feel like I should start singing My Favourite Things every time I think about it. I honestly wasn't expecting something like this from SA (I know, not very patriotic). Consider my expectations raised then.
And can we talk about that ending? I get that it ended but the way it ended... there's room for a sequel. Or am I just getting my hopes up for nothing? There's enough closure for it to end right there forever, but there's enough material for a second book too. *hint, hint*
May 3, 2023
I find reading books written locally really hard, I have no idea why though. I've tried once or twice and never make it very far so am dead surprised by how much I actually enjoyed Jennifer's book.
What scares me is how realistic her writing is, it really makes me think that something like this isn't too far off in our future and as a mom that's not something you want to think about. I mean I don't know if I'd manage living in her dystopian future. Maybe, maybe not haha.
The war between is a brilliantly written debut from a local author with great characters who actually have depth and yes, despite it being set somewhere I've been this time round that worked for me. I actually liked it.
Thanks for fixing my views on locally based books Jen!!!
Go write us another :)
In depth review on Mischief Managed Book Reviews
What scares me is how realistic her writing is, it really makes me think that something like this isn't too far off in our future and as a mom that's not something you want to think about. I mean I don't know if I'd manage living in her dystopian future. Maybe, maybe not haha.
The war between is a brilliantly written debut from a local author with great characters who actually have depth and yes, despite it being set somewhere I've been this time round that worked for me. I actually liked it.
Thanks for fixing my views on locally based books Jen!!!
Go write us another :)
In depth review on Mischief Managed Book Reviews
March 24, 2016
What I loved about this book is that it is character centric. All the main charachters were well-rounded and you get to explore the world through their thoughts and observations and emotions.
I would have liked the world they live in to be fleshed out a bit more: there were just some times that I puzzled over the history that brought this reality about, or the logistics of living the way they had to. But they are minor details and can be forgiven when your attention is once again grabbed by the struggles of each character.
Overall, a very good read if this is your kind of genre.
I would have liked the world they live in to be fleshed out a bit more: there were just some times that I puzzled over the history that brought this reality about, or the logistics of living the way they had to. But they are minor details and can be forgiven when your attention is once again grabbed by the struggles of each character.
Overall, a very good read if this is your kind of genre.
November 15, 2016
The War Between is a well-written novel that takes you on a journey that is not only fun to read but surprisingly thought-provoking too. The personalities of the three main characters jumps off the page, making them real and easy to relate to – flaws and all. Throughout the pages of this book you find yourself laughing, crying and asking yourself…is there a possibility that this could be our future? A must-read!
February 16, 2016
Really loved this book. Quickly formed an attachment to characters and enjoyed watching how they evolved in this post apocalyptic setting. The writer has an amazing sense of including the reader in the story. This book kept me interested and involved until the last page.
August 11, 2016
This book, while not the type I would usually pick up, was incredibly well written. I'm not one for futuristic books, but I found myself waiting patiently for each workday to end so that I could go home and get in a little extra reading. I also love that the book is based in my home country.
May 10, 2017
I had a very hard time getting through this book. Admittedly, my taste in story-line is a long way off from The War Between. A futuristic, dystopian war story, we are given a very close, first person look at the stories of key players in a battle between humans and “super-humans.” Super-humans are people with extra-ordinary powers, like Marvel mutants, but man-made or bred from other man-made super-humans across the board, as I have understood it. I found some of the powers themselves pretty interesting, but this title—super-human—is a little too on the nose and simple for me in the first place.
Regarding the peasant class, people are starving and farming at once. This bitter situation is not lost on the author—one of a few narrators of the story points out the irony early on. But this level of control over a population—to force rigorous farming work on people while preventing them from touching the crops they harvest—is clearly that of a tight dictatorship. Still I don’t get the impression of an effective dictator from President Crane himself, who is forming an army to take out the super-human race, in a show of fear of what’s different and powerful, also similar to some of the mutant race stories from Marvel comics (such as the early X-Men comics—that’s as far along as I am with The X-Men or Marvel—haven’t seen any of the movies).
While all this suffering is happening among the lower class, most of the story hovers above these poor souls, focusing on the lives of politically minded super-humans fighting a slightly deceptive battle—or at least it is slightly deceptive to me. As the leaders of humans and super-humans are each ready to take on believably extreme measures—taking over or eliminating the other completely—these few central heroes negotiate their differences while training together and trying to get a grasp of the political climate, and what might result in a more peaceful union between the two warring parties. They seem to reach a kind of conclusion in discouraging times following the war, though it will, like many ideas for peace, take a lot of time to see through if it has any hope at all.
The real problem I ran into was with the writing itself. There is subjectivity here, as dozens of reviewers before me took no issue with what seemed to me some pretty big issues in style. The issues I found especially distracting were awkward metaphors often lacking for descriptive value, and language generally seeming to serve only the purpose of decorating a sentence. I also ran into a repetitive use of certain words and phrases I found exhausting as a reader. There were admittedly times when she seemed to hit a roll, and the language was flowing nicely—usually during the most action-packed scenes—but then these other tendencies returned and lost me again.
I regret feeling the need to express this view as so many have enjoyed it before me without a hitch-and so I wish the author continued success.
Regarding the peasant class, people are starving and farming at once. This bitter situation is not lost on the author—one of a few narrators of the story points out the irony early on. But this level of control over a population—to force rigorous farming work on people while preventing them from touching the crops they harvest—is clearly that of a tight dictatorship. Still I don’t get the impression of an effective dictator from President Crane himself, who is forming an army to take out the super-human race, in a show of fear of what’s different and powerful, also similar to some of the mutant race stories from Marvel comics (such as the early X-Men comics—that’s as far along as I am with The X-Men or Marvel—haven’t seen any of the movies).
While all this suffering is happening among the lower class, most of the story hovers above these poor souls, focusing on the lives of politically minded super-humans fighting a slightly deceptive battle—or at least it is slightly deceptive to me. As the leaders of humans and super-humans are each ready to take on believably extreme measures—taking over or eliminating the other completely—these few central heroes negotiate their differences while training together and trying to get a grasp of the political climate, and what might result in a more peaceful union between the two warring parties. They seem to reach a kind of conclusion in discouraging times following the war, though it will, like many ideas for peace, take a lot of time to see through if it has any hope at all.
The real problem I ran into was with the writing itself. There is subjectivity here, as dozens of reviewers before me took no issue with what seemed to me some pretty big issues in style. The issues I found especially distracting were awkward metaphors often lacking for descriptive value, and language generally seeming to serve only the purpose of decorating a sentence. I also ran into a repetitive use of certain words and phrases I found exhausting as a reader. There were admittedly times when she seemed to hit a roll, and the language was flowing nicely—usually during the most action-packed scenes—but then these other tendencies returned and lost me again.
I regret feeling the need to express this view as so many have enjoyed it before me without a hitch-and so I wish the author continued success.
July 30, 2017
This book was an interesting mix of sci-fi and dsytopian. You've got the standard land ravaged by a past war and a dictator like president who only looks out for himself. But the author decided to add a little sci-fi in the mix by adding people with extra abilities created in a lab by someone we only know as "The Creator". The lab gets busted during the war and there is only a semblance of peace between the humans and the super humans.
I normally like books with alternating narrators and this book is told from the perspective of three separate characters. Syra, a super human leader, Rogan, a human commander, and Dominico, a super human teenager hiding among the humans. While I understand what the author was attempting do do by telling each perspective and chapter told by a different character in first person, sometimes it fell a little short on the reading side of it. The characters all talk in similar metaphors and I would expect a commander in the army to think and speak differently than a sixteen year old or a super human leader.
If you look past the similarities the the narrators thoughts and voices in the different chapters, it is a good, solid read that I enjoyed a lot. The solution at the end was not something I saw coming and I actually had no idea how the author intended to wrap up so many pages of struggle and tension that she had built up in the beginning and middle of the book. I think this could appeal to both sci-fi and dystopian fans. I've read a few reviews comparing this to X-men and it's totally not the same at all if you actually grew up reading the comics and haven't just seen the recent movies. It seems like if you give someone extra abilities in a book nowadays, people start screaming X-men.
I normally like books with alternating narrators and this book is told from the perspective of three separate characters. Syra, a super human leader, Rogan, a human commander, and Dominico, a super human teenager hiding among the humans. While I understand what the author was attempting do do by telling each perspective and chapter told by a different character in first person, sometimes it fell a little short on the reading side of it. The characters all talk in similar metaphors and I would expect a commander in the army to think and speak differently than a sixteen year old or a super human leader.
If you look past the similarities the the narrators thoughts and voices in the different chapters, it is a good, solid read that I enjoyed a lot. The solution at the end was not something I saw coming and I actually had no idea how the author intended to wrap up so many pages of struggle and tension that she had built up in the beginning and middle of the book. I think this could appeal to both sci-fi and dystopian fans. I've read a few reviews comparing this to X-men and it's totally not the same at all if you actually grew up reading the comics and haven't just seen the recent movies. It seems like if you give someone extra abilities in a book nowadays, people start screaming X-men.
May 12, 2025
This story is a dystopian sci fi novel, featuring two distinct races, humans and superhumans, who are competing for cities and land. Interestingly, instead of focusing on one character, the story is told from the first person perspective of several different characters. It's the first time I've read a story written like this. There was a very real sense of conflict and distrust between the two beings, which was very well described throughout. In fact, when reading the author's bio I discovered that the author was from South Africa, so the story certainly contained were strong themes of apartheid, as two place names in the story are called Jozenburg and Toria, which are based on the South African cities Johannesburg and Pretoria.
4 stars.
4 stars.
December 12, 2019
Good post-apocalyptic story. A bit slow in parts.
Not comforting for a reader to see a grammatical error - well, if not error, then at least a pause-making eyebrow-rousing choice of word in the acknowledgements section where the author comments "...this book may never have been borne...". Grammarly states: "Born is the past participle of the verb 'bear' only when it's used in the sense of birth... Borne is the past participle of the verb 'bear' in all senses except the one related to birth."
But good writing and good structure, and an easy-reading flow to the story.
Not comforting for a reader to see a grammatical error - well, if not error, then at least a pause-making eyebrow-rousing choice of word in the acknowledgements section where the author comments "...this book may never have been borne...". Grammarly states: "Born is the past participle of the verb 'bear' only when it's used in the sense of birth... Borne is the past participle of the verb 'bear' in all senses except the one related to birth."
But good writing and good structure, and an easy-reading flow to the story.
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