Into the Garden

Dividing Eden #0.5

by Joelle Charbonneau

Step back into the world of bestselling author Joelle Charbonneau’s Dividing Eden, with a short story set decades before Carys and Andreus are destined to fight for Eden’s throne.

Lady Betrice has been cloistered for two years, desperate to learn the art of Seeing and be allowed to remain with the seers of the Village of Night forever. Now that her parents have passed, there is nothing waiting for her at home but her lecherous uncle and his sinister plans. So when a stoic young guard, assigned by her uncle to deliver her back home without incident, reveals a secret about his own dark past, Betrice seizes the opportunity to harness their combined power into a plan to leave Eden forever.

But for once, Betrice’s uncle is not the only man lying in wait on the road home—King Adham and his son Prince Ulron are her uncle’s guests, and when Betrice’s escape plot backfires, she may just find herself in a position she never could have foreseen.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Novella, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Short Stories, Ebooks

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2017

About the author

I am a storyteller at heart. I have performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children's theatre productions across the Chicagoland area.

While I'm happy to perform for an audience, I am equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use my experience from the stage to create compelling characters on the page. I am the author of the Rebecca Robbins mystery series (Minotaur Books), The Paige Marshall Glee Club mysteries (Berkley) and The Testing YA triology (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Reviews

[Linaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I think that perhaps I should not have read this book before DIVIDING EDEN. Chronologically it appears to take place before the first book, so I figured that it would be a good start to the series. I went into this book blind, and I also think that was a mistake.

Since this book is a prequel, I think it assumes more prior knowledge of the world than I have. I had a lot of trouble connecting to the characters, partially since I think that a lot of set-up probably happens in the first book, and partially since the book is so short. To be honestly I was lot more invested in the love interest than in the main character herself.

Betrice and Oben seemed interesting, but I felt that there was not enough time for character development. I could see that they were being set up for bigger things in future books, but it just seemed like not a ton happened in this novella. Personally, I'm hoping that things will make a bit more sense after reading DIVIDING EDEN.

Personally, I would suggest reading this between book 1 and 2 for backstory and not before book 1 like I did.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not expecting that. All the information revealed in this novella just makes my head spin. I can’t help but replay Dividing Eden in a different light. It’s like all the pieces have fallen into place, and yet, I know there’s going to be more. More information in the next books that will shed an even brighter, newer light on the plots.

[Anna 'Bookbuyer' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read Dividing Eden yet I was a bit lost. But overall I really enjoyed this book..

Lady Betrice was strong and smart. I was sad for her but she ended up saving herself. Not even because of the love interest. Love that.

I wonder who she is in the main story? Is she planning on killing her husband and keeping Oben as her husband?

What will happen to her uncle? I suspect he will die a horrible death... :/

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novella “Into the Garden” gives background information on the complex Queen Betrice from Charbonneau’s very good series starter, “Dividing Eden.” Readers will appreciate seeing what events led to the Betrice of the future. Her girlhood was a combination of privileged, traumatic, disappointing, and exciting and fans of “Dividing Eden” will gain great insight into the whys and hows of her future actions. Most readers are likely to be like this follower of all things Charbonneau and will develop some level of compassion for this dysfunctional mother, but will still dislike her and think that Betrice deserves her future fate. Recommended for readers with some maturity, (due to a bit of sexual content which is unusual for the author but necessary to the plot progression), who enjoy settings in the kings and castles era and who appreciate shades of magic and plenty of political shenanigans and sword play.

[CP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a good backup story, it added substance to the main story and allowed us to understand a bit more about the Queen and her intentions in the main story.
Oben's and Beatrice's sotry was a good add up and it made the Queen's character more likeable and more humane. It was interesting to see how and when did this big plot against King Ulron really started and it showed how preserverance and sense of self-protection and the strenght of a bound between two people can last years and change the history of a whole kingdom.

It's funny but I felt more interested and invested on finding out more about Betrice's story and her life on the Palace and all her plots and her interactions with the King while in love in Oben than the mais story of Carys and Andreus...

[Kayla (onthefritz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an amazing novela!!!!

This is the backstory of Queen Betrice, who was my favorite character in Dividing Eden. I was excited to learn about some of the secrets she has been keeping...

Well, totally not what I was expecting. We do learn about, I believe, the origin of an event that happens in Dividing Eden. We get Betrice's backstory and heritage as well as that of someone else that I totally forgot about that was in Dividing Eden!!

It makes me want to pick up the book to look at her plot lines again and see what I pick up. And you guys, I wasn't a huge fan of Dividing Eden, so that says a lot. Again, Queen Betrice was my favorite, so that may play a large role.

This is a very short novela, only 100 pages, but it does contain a reveal. And now has me speculating other things....

[Steph ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short novella follows Lady Betrice, Oben and Prince Ulron, and is set in the decades before the story of the royal twins Carys and Andreus who are destined to fight for the throne of Eden after disaster strikes their family and the realm of Eden.

While still set in the surrounds of Eden, Lady Betrice’s story did not keep me as captivated as the story of Andreus and Carys. I did really appreciate the look into the background of some of the characters set within the royals of Dividing Eden and their entourage that surrounds them. Many reasons for their future decisions are laid out within this novella, and are essential to the story as a whole.



(included in the back of Dividing Eden)

[Ra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most novellas, “Into the Garden” was not as good as the main books. I would give it 3.5 stars because it wasn’t entirely terrible. I liked how this short story gave background to the Carys and Andreus’ family and their kingdom but I found that it doesn’t explain much. It would have been nice to get a map for this story because as the characters travel it is hard to imagine. Decent story although I caught myself skimming more than I would’ve liked. It is worth reading if you are invested in the series but it didn’t change my opinions of the characters and only confirmed what I suspected. I suggest that if you read it, you read it after “Dividing Eden” even though it is chronologically first.

Edit: I originally didn’t think this story really connected to the main series but after reading the second book, it gives a much needed depth to the characters and their relationships. I would recommend reading it in order to understand the events in “Eden Conquered.”

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm conflicted. Part of me wishes I had read this novella before reading the first book so that I could have gained better insight on some of the overlooked characters in Dividing Eden. However, I also know that had I not read the first book before reading this, I would have been completely confused. As far as novellas go, I really enjoyed this one. It provided a lot of additional information about Queen Betrice's life before her betrothal, and what she had to do in order to ensure her place in the palace.

[Jennica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I feel like this novella needed to be longer. I get that novellas are supposed to be shorter, but it just felt way too rushed. The romance was too fast, and I had trouble liking the main character. I get that she had issues (and understandably based on what happened to her), but I liked her love interest more than her and wondered why he would want to be with her at all.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella to sort of see where the Queen came from in her childhood and it is even more interesting seeing some of these characters in a different light as I am finishing Dividing Eden! I am excited to read the ending and see if my theory matches up to what I learned from this novella...

[Rachael Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Dividing Eden so much it was a no brained that i had to read Into the Garden asap and it didn't disappoint! I really like character back stories and Lady Betrice's was exciting and interesting! I read Dividing Eden when it first came and will be reading it again after finishing this!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this prequel to Dividing Eden, Lady Betrice is desperate to escape from a lecherous uncle and ends up forming an extreme plan to escape.

This was a pretty short story, but it showed a little bit of some background of the queen and her ruthlessness.

[Patricia Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story a prequel to the novel Dividing Eden, and it was good to have some of the back story. It filled in some of the gaps for me about, Beatrice, the mother of Carys and Andreus. I'm really looking forward to the second book in this two book series in the spring.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into the Queen’s past, a backstory for Oben, and Ulron as a young, unpleasant Prince.
The Queen’s past was dark, with a lecherous uncle who threatened rape and other bodily harm, so trigger warning for that.

[Shelly Carman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I thought it was a longer story before I received it and was disappointed by its brevity.

[Ashley Sabatka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting back story. Been too long since I read dividing edema, so I prob would've enjoyed it more if I remembered more from book 1.

[a · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I've gained so much respect for Oben and lost respect for everyone else in this book

[Morgan Siemens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish it was longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Vidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly amazing insight into Betrice's character and story, I loved this novel more than I did Dividing Eden itself to be honest. It was short, and very well done.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so great, can't wait to see how it's going to fit in with the two main books in the series!

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok... so I wish I read this before I read dividing eden. It makes things make a little more sense and draws attention to characters I quickly forgot about after reading the first book.

[Kit Meads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like Betrice (especially after book 2!! and seeing all her plans kind of come to fruition!!) but this was a great background to her story.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

V enjoyable read. Definitely will read Eden book series after this.

[Risa (Clazzi) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this and it honestly makes me interested in what role Beatrice plays in the sequel (if she does)

[Joha Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provided so much insight to Betrice's character. Glad I read it after reading Dividing Eden since it made me reflect on the novel and realize how intricate the storyline was.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a prequel this left me excited for what is to come and the deceit people are willing to go through for power.

[Tetty Marlinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

#18 - 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy, Novella

[Medha Upadhyay · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that this is essential reading before the Conquering Eden!

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars