A wildly exciting journey through a world remade, THE DIVIDE combines real characters with horrifically realized creations, pitting the worst of human nature against the strength of family. Equal parts action, horror, and moving drama that only Jeremy Robinson can pull off. WHEN THE DIVIDE IS CROSSED… No one remembers how the Divide was created. The miles-deep and miles-wide chasm has existed for hundreds of years, protecting what remains of humanity from the a creature whose shadow moves across the horizon at sunset. Davina, daughter of Jesse, is a shepherd. She spends her days guiding herds of deer through the forests of New Inglan, protecting them from predators, herding them away from the Divide, and ensuring the tribe of Essex has meat when needed. While many shepherds die in their first year—from the elements, from injury, or in the jaws of a wolf—Davina is resilient. Having just slain a mountain lion, Davina returns to her village to discover a hunting party has been sent out in search of the Modernists, a group fascinated with the past, the technology that once filled the world, and what lies beyond the Divide. To keep the Modernists from reaching the Divide’s far side, and revealing humanity’s presence to the Golyat, the hunters will torture and kill them all. Including Davina’s teenaged son. Davina strikes out, intending to ensure her son’s death will be quick and without torture. Reaching the island of Boston first, Davina confronts the Modernists and finds herself incapable of taking her son’s life. Captured by the enemies of Essex, she is transported across the Divide, along with her son and the Modernists. For the first time in five hundred years, humanity steps foot on the Divide’s far side. Stranded with the enemy, Davina must fight to keep them all alive, herding people instead of deer, while uncovering the truth about humanity’s past, and her connection to events that reshaped the world. …THE GOLYAT WILL FEAST
Jeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
It's true Robinson's more recent novels haven't been nearly as fun or non-stop as those he wrote a few years ago, but, there's no doubt his new stuff has been way deeper, way more mature, and, despite slightly lower ratings, remain some of his best work (yeah, I know, that doesn't make a lot of sense, but whatever, this is my review.)
I was hoping the The Divide would carry on the tradition of deeper storylines and more depth to the plot, characters, and overall connection to the story, like Infinite, and, to a lesser extend Forbidden Island. Sadly, my hopes shouldn't have been placed so high.
Before the haters come in and tell me I'm wrong, let me defend myself; The Divide isn't a bad novel. It's well-written, has enough action and tense moments to keep even the most jaded of readers at least moderately entertained, and, in typical Robinson fashion, connects a whole bunch of plot lines from other novels and series and make the majority of his works all related and continuous. His writing is the best its been in a long time, and finally, the editing and spelling issues that have been a problem in the past (he is an independent author after all) are nearly non-existent.
The problem is that I know Robinson is better than this. The story isn't original or even all that unique. This is a guy who has penned some awesome kaiju novels and made for some super amazing stories (all of the Project series and Apocalypse Machine just to name a few), but the monsters in The Divide just don't seem that special or interesting. The same could be said for the big reveal and the "twist" that comes towards the end of the book. Like I said, making this book work in the continuity with the Chessteam series, and peppering in a bunch of easter eggs for eagle eyed fans was nice touch, but trying to make that work with the rest of the story just felt, I don't know, gimmicky. Plus, as the novel neared ints conclusion, I felt my interest and overall feeling for the story begin to fade because things started to feel repetitive and just not incredibly exciting anymore.
I'm still a huge fan of Robinson and I love the new vigor he has used to attack deeper, longer, and more intelligent ideas, and I love how he has grown, matured, and become a much stronger author over the years, it's just that The Divide failed to grab me like I had originally hoped it would.
Just finished this one. Another Kaiju thriller and yet another original story that I haven't read before. In this tale, Mr. Robinson crafts for us a tale of a fallen Earth, five hundred years after an event that brought forth the bane of mankind, the Golyat. These immense creatures look somewhat like us and have to feed on us to live. They are huge, from man sized to nearly three hundred feet tall. Davina is a hunter for her tribe in the county of Essex. She is also called Eight, as she is the wife of the tribal elder, named Micha. He is a violent and despicable man who doesn't even like her. It was a marriage of convenience and to prolong power. She had a son but not by Micha and the boy went off to join the Modernists, a tribe in a nearby county who are believers in the power of the old ways, the tech and math of the world before. Davina is tasked with hunting down the leader of the Modernists and murdering him, and her son because of his treachery. The path she takes to get to these people and the revelations that open her eyes to why the world is like it is and why the Golyat exist, is a tale to tell. This story takes more twists and turns than a snake in its den. There is far fetched stuff here about the science and mistakes of the past, and connections to other of Robinson's characters and novels, which made me smile and amasses the worlds together into a continuity. This one was simply awesome and more and more I love this man's writing. It just won't let you stop turning pages!
The Divide is a post-apocalyptic thriller by the master of the genre, Jeremy Robinson. Like all of his books, you are taken on an amazingly exciting thrill ride, with many twists and turns, that will keep you enthralled through to the last page.
What I love most about Jeremy’s books is that they are primarily about the characters. Even though they may be fighting monsters in a post apocalyptic setting, or kaiju in the modern world, or themselves on a distant spaceship, the characters are everyday people, who fight for survival, for acknowledgement, or for their fellow man.
For fans of his previous works, there’s a few subtle Easter eggs to make you smile. For those new to Jeremy’s works, you’ll come to see why he really is a masterful writer of exciting adventures.
This may be a Kaiju book but to me this is more a story of personal growth. This is a theme that Robinson does best, as seen in the Antarktos series and in The Distance. Davina's tale and how she interacts with the other characters is the selling point of this book. For me the plot was pretty predictable, with one big out of left field kick butt surprise. And, like in Viking Tomorrow, we have the all too convenient people who know of the past because they read books. (What is that? It is a food our elders ate called a cheeseburger, I know because I read books!) Despite that this is a good story with quite a bit of poop and some cupcakes along the way.
The Divide by Jeremy Robinson is my first book by this author, so I didn't have any expectations going in aside from seeing all the positive ratings and reviews. The concept of this story sounded so cool and it has a lot of potential, but honestly I was somewhat put off by his writing style. How he writes about the lead female character and introduces her just didn't sit quite right with me. Also, it could have used another round of edits. Some turns of phrase were just plain awkward.
First, I want to say that I love almost all of the books this author has written, but this one didn't do it for me. Unlike a lot of others, I am not a fan of the Kaiju theme, so I didn't dive right into this one like a many of his other books. It took me longer to finish than usual. I did appreciate the reference at the end to characters from his other novels that I love though.
If you like Kaiju themed books, I would give it a go. His Kaiju thrillers are very popular.
A dystopian adventure with intrigue, mystery, and monsters. How can you go wrong? Add thinly veiled references to numerous other books in the Robinson catalog and you have a novel that's nothing short of a crowd pleaser. A thrilling read that' nearly impossible to put down.
I hate to give an overall good author three stars, but Robinson's books (except The Distance, an outstanding novel written with his English-major wife) need editing. Perhaps if I could shut off my editing button while I read this would be okay, but as an editor that's pretty difficult.
This is not Robinson's fault.
He's traditionally published and his publisher is failing him. I counted 28 line edits (words, not punctuation) that should have been caught before I gave up highlighting and reading.
Examples:
Swollen with child, he lost interest. (The main character, a woman, is pregnant and her husband loses interest, but this sentence reads like the husband is pregnant.)
Two solitary creatures plotting the demise of the other. (Each plotting the demise of the other?)
But an animal on the run stands out. But can the Golyats even reach us here? (But, but?)
Before setting out, we roll in the dirt, decaying leaves, and drying pine needles, letting the earth's scents mask our own. Then we set out again . . . (Set out, set out)
. . . the water on this side is a raging torrent of water . . . (ugh)
There were so many of these that it interrupted the flow of the book for me, but that is obviously not the case for most readers.
Robinson is a talented writer with fantastic book ideas -- he deserves a publisher who will take more care with his art.
I just finished the book. I'm not usually a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic, I don't like getting beat up by a book and left feeling dead inside. Nope, nope, nope. But when you find a writer you enjoy, you just have to trust him. So, read it I did. Post-apocalyptic, kaiju, gross, scary, horror, action, sitting on the edge of my chair intensity, rooting for my team, loving the characters and cheering at the ending, is definitely the way to go. I have enjoyed so many of Jeremy's books, he has never disappointed me, but right now, at this moment, The Divide is my favorite.
I loved this book. Lots of action. Really got into the characters. The references to his other books was a nice way to describe the history in the book...although this made me realize how much I missed the chess team. You should definitely check out this and other books by Jeremy Robinson.
What an epic adventure. The scope of this story is huge and it was wonderful to be along for the ride. We first meet Vee as she battles a mountain lion in her role as a shepherd, which should give us a hint as to what she is made of. When she makes the decision to go after her son, her path is set. I found the portrayal of America to be quite chilling. To think that messing with the wrong technology could create such a wasteland and the need for the Divide is terrifying. I was intrigued, and a bit repulsed, by the creatures in the story, The Golyats. What awesome creatures they were. The characters were very well-developed and they felt like family. The relationship between Vee and Salem resonated with me, as I have one child, a son. I was also particularly taken with Dyer and her humor. There are many Easter eggs in this book, which is absolutely the frosting on the cupcake that is this great story.
Typically engrossing read from JR, though one star off for the kaiju being spiky -- not even JR's fault necessarily, but seems we can't have any non-spiky kaiju in modern lore (except of course for the excellently phantasmagorical Behemoth from the Antarktos series -- must read all)!
The action is more vividly violent for JR - which he explains in the afterword - but serves the story well, and makes the Golyat probably his most horrifying creation since the Tsuchi.
A definite highlight is the characters, who are even more detailed and nuanced than many I find to be JR's high points (e.g., Solomon Ull Vincent, Milos Vesely, and my favorite, Jane Harper); I'm hoping to read more about Vee and Del and Dyer once they find out what's behind that skywall....
David in the Dystopia. In one of Robinson's more subtle - and yet also more obvious - allegories, we find a future where humanity has been reduced to the Stone Age and is clinging to survival by a thread. When one woman is summoned for a quest to stop her only son before he brings humanity to its final end, she is forced to question everything she believes. Yet again, Robinson creates a tale such that only he can, and does it superbly. This one will keep you guessing until the end, and give you one hell of a ride in the process.
Let me preface this by saying, "I'm a dude." Dudes generally like books like this, and I'm no exception. I have read every book by this author and am a big fan. However, I don't write an actual review very often. I'll give it stars, but that's usually it. I wanted to do a review this time because this book totally rocks on all dude levels -- action, blood, gore, kaiju, conflict, sex -- this novel has it all AND it's a story that isn't just a tweak of something that's already been done. I really hope it turns into a series. Keep them coming please!
I really enjoyed this book. It brought my attention from the start to the end. I found the story line intriguing, and the concept unique. I had never read anything by Jeremy Robinson before, so this was a new author for me. However, the book was left with where it appeared there should be a sequel, but this is considered a stand alone book, but that doesn't mesh with the ending. There are several books out there called The Divide, but if you look at the sequels it doesn't math this book. So where is the 2nd book in this series? I eagerly await the outcome.
What can I say? Robinson builds a future world where mankind is relegated to living in small villages because of the monstrous creature that lives in The Divide. Right off the back we are intro'd to Davina, who must balance a world of politics, family obligations, and her role i. her society.
When she finds herself having to make her most difficult decision in her life, the book really speeds up. The suspense, intrigue and magnificent pacing makes this into a book i wish were to become a movie. Some many twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat.
COOLEST MONSTERS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME IT IS....
Hello, first of all, this story has the coolest and creepiest monsters that I have read about in a long time. Secondly, this is not a story about those monsters. It's a story about freedom. Great story with the exception of everyone being brown skinned and brown eyed. Hey, it's the author's world, he can do what he wants. Good job. Thanks.
I've enjoyed all of Robinson's books so far, including the ones written under his pen names. Whether they be adventure, end of the world, fantasy, horror, all of them have great character development, storyline, build up, and you truly care about the characters and the story as you're reading it. All qualities of a good story.
A lot of reviews have summarized what the book is about so I won't go there. But I will say, this is definitely a great read.
Fu*king Cupcakes!! I enjoyed this book, and obviously the humor Dryer brought to the table. The art work at the end also helped.. I tried to wrap my brain around what does a Golyat look like? Davina, not so much. I think it was her hair that through me off. I guess something’s are better left to our imagination. Overall I found this story entertaining and made you think of the what if’s in life, and what our future could hold. All in the name of waste management lol
Started reading and didn't stop until the last page. Good characters, story line, edge of your seat reading. Even though I've read all of his books, this one is in the top ten. Highly recommend. Mr. Robinson, sorry to hear about your health, sending good thoughts and prayers. Thanks for another great read. ( The pics at the end will give me nightmares, though. )
If you are already a follower of this author you will LOVE this book. If you haven't read Jeremy's books yet this is a great start (then look up his Chess Team books). Amazing story and characters. His story telling and character's will have you reading genre's you would never have thought to read before. But beware his books are addictive
On the twists and turns...and the decendants of Sig. Ha ha. Really enjoyed this book better than Forbidden Island. So much action I was exhausted reading it. As Kaiju Thrillers go, unique. Way to go Jeremy. Back on your game. Glad you feel better. Read this one folks, wild ride and the artwork is awesome.
Mr Robinson does it again! I started with his Nemesis Saga and have not been able to put his stuff down. I think this story is well written. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The only thing I didn't care for was the characters names😁. Other than that it is a great read!
How do you write a story about giant monsters yet write about the relationships and people so well? How do you create a rich history around a world and characters every time? And lastly how many books do i read from one author that consistently make me smile or sad but definitely evoke some kind of strong emotion in me every time. Thanks JR.
A different take on the apocalypse zombie genre, and not a bad one. Not quite a five-star but still very good. Have to wonder if there will be a sequel.
500 years after the Apocalypse, small bands of survivors in the New England area live by primitive rules, beginning to learn about their past and the dangers that they face.
There are some nuances later in the book that make more sense if you’re an avid Jeremy Robinson fan. If you’re not already read the Chess series. So good. This book is interesting and different from many of his other books but sadly poignant in today’s day and age. The action is great and the main protagonist is a favorite.
This is my 4th JRob book and the first book in a long time that i could not put down!! The characters are nothing short of Awesome and to me if you have interesting characters youve got a good book. Well im off to read another one of his books. The hard part is deciding which one!!
I thought it was really well done. The dialog was convincing and quirky at times. The apocalyptic and monster theme worked well together. The story happens in a short period of time many years from now where an historical change will happen once again. Enough back story to frame current events through that process.
This book is just great....the characters,the monsters,and the bad guys...this book has it all..plus a couple of great surprises in the end....this book puts Jeremy Robinson on top of his game...