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Untamed #3
Divided
Having been tricked into binding herself to the Enhanced Ones in the War of Humanity, Untamed human Seven Sarr has never felt more exploited or used. When Raleigh forces her to develop her Seer powers and use them on a most innocent target, Seven knows it’s only a matter of time before the Enhanced Ones use her to wipe out the rest of her people.
Certain that the only way to save the Untamed would be to get back full control of her soul, Seven must get the Gods and Goddesses to trust her again. Only they can destroy her Enhanced Promise Marks, and prevent her enemy from controlling her.
But these are the same Gods and Goddesses who have already branded Seven a traitor, and exiled her from the Dream Land, fearing she will cause their deaths. With no way to contact the Gods and Goddesses herself, Seven needs help. And she needs it quickly, before the war is over and she loses Corin, and the rest of the Untamed, for good.
Yet, in a world as dangerous as this, only one thing’s for sure: no one trusts a traitor twice.
Certain that the only way to save the Untamed would be to get back full control of her soul, Seven must get the Gods and Goddesses to trust her again. Only they can destroy her Enhanced Promise Marks, and prevent her enemy from controlling her.
But these are the same Gods and Goddesses who have already branded Seven a traitor, and exiled her from the Dream Land, fearing she will cause their deaths. With no way to contact the Gods and Goddesses herself, Seven needs help. And she needs it quickly, before the war is over and she loses Corin, and the rest of the Untamed, for good.
Yet, in a world as dangerous as this, only one thing’s for sure: no one trusts a traitor twice.
498 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2017
6 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Madeline Dyer
32 books265 followersMadeline Dyer is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. A novelist, poet, and anthologist, she is drawn to all things dark, spooky, and scary.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 4, 2017
I received an advance copy of this book from the author. Some things might be changes between my review and the release.
Madeline Dyer has done it again! She has crafted a perfect YA novel, one that kept me turning the pages until the very end. It's got action, it's got love, it's got heart, and it's got yet another punch-to-the-gut ending. Seriously, Dyer is the master of crafting the most emotional endings.
Divided is a lot more psychological can the first two novels. The first two thirds take place in an Enhanced compound, where Raleigh is trying to convert Seven by any means possible. But she's not going to make it easy for him, despite his total control over her through the promise marks. Jeb did indeed sell her soul to him, and she's completely under his power. But she'll fight him every step of the way.
I'm starting to see Seven, and this series, as being powerful feminist work. Not in an obvious, in your face way. But in the obstacles Seven has to face. What we saw with the Zharat were a tribe of masochistic men, a patriarchal society where they claimed to uplift their women while jamming them into the ground. And now, with Seven under Raleigh's control, she's constantly being told what's good for her without having any say in the matter. It's like an abusive marriage, really, where he gaslights her every movement, her every thought. Part of the reason I'm so hooked on these novels, and genuinely scared for Seven, is because it calls to the primal fears in my brain of being in that same situation. Despite being far into our future, people like Seven do exist today. And it's terrifying.
What I loved most about Divided is how the author expanded on the spiritual lore she created. Seven has to unlock her Seer powers in order to save the Untamed - or doom them all. Raleigh's methods to librate here, however, are just as awful as you can expect, and yet he justifies them all with cringe worthy reasoning. The ends justify the means, and he'll make Seven show her Seer powers, even it it means manipulating her own mind.
The first two thirds are a little slow going, since more of the action is psychological. Seven has a very turbulent mind at the moment, and discovering latent abilities is making it a whole lot more complicated. But the last third speeds up exponentially, and ends in a final battle climax scene which will leave you breathless. Once again, a gut wrenching ending.
Divided is a powerful novel full of disturbing mental manipulation and a powerful protagonist who is determined to pull through. It's highly addictive, and impossible to put down. Best cliffhanger yet!
I was lucky this time, I got the ARC of Divided right after finishing Fragmented. But now I have to wait for the next book and I don't know if I can!
Madeline Dyer has done it again! She has crafted a perfect YA novel, one that kept me turning the pages until the very end. It's got action, it's got love, it's got heart, and it's got yet another punch-to-the-gut ending. Seriously, Dyer is the master of crafting the most emotional endings.
Divided is a lot more psychological can the first two novels. The first two thirds take place in an Enhanced compound, where Raleigh is trying to convert Seven by any means possible. But she's not going to make it easy for him, despite his total control over her through the promise marks. Jeb did indeed sell her soul to him, and she's completely under his power. But she'll fight him every step of the way.
I'm starting to see Seven, and this series, as being powerful feminist work. Not in an obvious, in your face way. But in the obstacles Seven has to face. What we saw with the Zharat were a tribe of masochistic men, a patriarchal society where they claimed to uplift their women while jamming them into the ground. And now, with Seven under Raleigh's control, she's constantly being told what's good for her without having any say in the matter. It's like an abusive marriage, really, where he gaslights her every movement, her every thought. Part of the reason I'm so hooked on these novels, and genuinely scared for Seven, is because it calls to the primal fears in my brain of being in that same situation. Despite being far into our future, people like Seven do exist today. And it's terrifying.
What I loved most about Divided is how the author expanded on the spiritual lore she created. Seven has to unlock her Seer powers in order to save the Untamed - or doom them all. Raleigh's methods to librate here, however, are just as awful as you can expect, and yet he justifies them all with cringe worthy reasoning. The ends justify the means, and he'll make Seven show her Seer powers, even it it means manipulating her own mind.
The first two thirds are a little slow going, since more of the action is psychological. Seven has a very turbulent mind at the moment, and discovering latent abilities is making it a whole lot more complicated. But the last third speeds up exponentially, and ends in a final battle climax scene which will leave you breathless. Once again, a gut wrenching ending.
Divided is a powerful novel full of disturbing mental manipulation and a powerful protagonist who is determined to pull through. It's highly addictive, and impossible to put down. Best cliffhanger yet!
I was lucky this time, I got the ARC of Divided right after finishing Fragmented. But now I have to wait for the next book and I don't know if I can!
February 9, 2019
I’ve reread the summary of this book upon finishing, and I gotta say, there is *so* much hidden irony that I have a new appreciation for.
This book is intense almost right off the bat, but I think the bulk of that intensity comes after the halfway point, closer to the ending. Though not my overall first favorite in the series, it’s easy to say that Divided had the best climatic scene of the three books that I’ve read so far. The climax was the absolute definition of intense, and was a fantastic page turner.
I also think this was the best book in regards to Raleigh’s, the main villain’s, character development. Even though we know right from book one that he’s on the antagonist side, Divided really shows him as the true manipulative bastard he is. However, in contrast to that, I feel like Seven — the main character in the series whose POV we follow — maybe was portrayed as a weaker character than she is in the first two books. For much of the book, until the climax, she kind of comes off as a little wishy-washy, and I feel like her internal narration went back and forth a bit. After awhile, it kind of felt like I was reading the same statements, the same thoughts, over and over again.
That being said, though I feel like I had to critique her character a little, I think the new power that she manages to unlock is one of the best, most interesting things about this third installment, besides the climax itself. In particular, the writing and the imagery when she unlocks her new power is extremely impressive. Although, I do feel like something involving her new power went kind of unanswered — I don’t want to spoil it for anyone reading this review who hasn’t read the book, but it was around the time that she tried contacting Esther and found that she couldn’t, that I feel like was left pretty open-ended.
Before I wrap this review up, I also want to point out that I loved the more supernatural-y route this book took. I feel like the spirits that come out during The Turning were left a little unexplored in the first two books, so I loved learning more background about them in this one. Particularly the spirits that were connected to Seven herself.
Overall, this book wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I still think it was pretty solid! The Untamed series is definitely one of the best dystopian series’ I’ve read, so I definitely recommend it to any dystopian fan!
This book is intense almost right off the bat, but I think the bulk of that intensity comes after the halfway point, closer to the ending. Though not my overall first favorite in the series, it’s easy to say that Divided had the best climatic scene of the three books that I’ve read so far. The climax was the absolute definition of intense, and was a fantastic page turner.
I also think this was the best book in regards to Raleigh’s, the main villain’s, character development. Even though we know right from book one that he’s on the antagonist side, Divided really shows him as the true manipulative bastard he is. However, in contrast to that, I feel like Seven — the main character in the series whose POV we follow — maybe was portrayed as a weaker character than she is in the first two books. For much of the book, until the climax, she kind of comes off as a little wishy-washy, and I feel like her internal narration went back and forth a bit. After awhile, it kind of felt like I was reading the same statements, the same thoughts, over and over again.
That being said, though I feel like I had to critique her character a little, I think the new power that she manages to unlock is one of the best, most interesting things about this third installment, besides the climax itself. In particular, the writing and the imagery when she unlocks her new power is extremely impressive. Although, I do feel like something involving her new power went kind of unanswered — I don’t want to spoil it for anyone reading this review who hasn’t read the book, but it was around the time that she tried contacting Esther and found that she couldn’t, that I feel like was left pretty open-ended.
Before I wrap this review up, I also want to point out that I loved the more supernatural-y route this book took. I feel like the spirits that come out during The Turning were left a little unexplored in the first two books, so I loved learning more background about them in this one. Particularly the spirits that were connected to Seven herself.
Overall, this book wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I still think it was pretty solid! The Untamed series is definitely one of the best dystopian series’ I’ve read, so I definitely recommend it to any dystopian fan!
August 12, 2017
Plot was great! Loved how Seven worked so hard to prove herself, even when the cards were stacked against her.
June 16, 2018
I still really liked this even though this was less action packed and more character-driven which I still found intriguing and just as good as the other instalments.
January 28, 2019
Seven has gone through soooooo much and it's been overwhelming for me personally. Now it's been told to her that she has more bad stuff coming. How much can one person stand and still come out of it sane and victorious? This was a hard read, I'll be honest. The torture, betrayals, and the things that go on break my heart. I will see it through to the end. I MUST find out what happens. I am embroiled into their lives and this harsh world that the author has created. I hope to see a good ending but with the title "Destroyed" for the last concluding book - I'm just not sure where this adventure is going to end.
December 4, 2018
I devoured this 3 book in the series and I am now avidly reading the 4th book.
I want Seven to be happy and for the world to be a better place. The enhanced and the untamed are two factions that both have good and bad in them - the author shows why most of us would rather take the easy way and have the potions to be stronger, better looking and healthier but why a more realistic world may be better but it still has people who are not always good.
This so far has been an excellent series and I would recommend it to both adults and teenagers.
I want Seven to be happy and for the world to be a better place. The enhanced and the untamed are two factions that both have good and bad in them - the author shows why most of us would rather take the easy way and have the potions to be stronger, better looking and healthier but why a more realistic world may be better but it still has people who are not always good.
This so far has been an excellent series and I would recommend it to both adults and teenagers.
April 3, 2019
As the story begins, you think all is lost now because Seven's soul is captured by the Raleigh. But you are in for a rollercoaster ride of the most unexpected twists right until the end of the story. Not to give away to much, it is a story that will captivate you until the end.It will put you on the end of the chair with those nail biting twists, will she make it. Who will make it out, who will die? How far will she go to sacrifice to keep her Seer powers from Raleigh. I really had to finish the book as quick as possible to see how it will end.
November 2, 2018
Great read, well written with a great plot and characters. I was absorbed from beginning to end. Seven has to fight hard to prove herself, even though the cards are stacked against her. I absolutely loved this series and can't wait to read the next book!
December 9, 2018
Divided, the third installment in Madeline Dyer's Untamed dystopian fantasy series, is easily the most intense part to date. It is difficult to read at times -- I can recall two passages that were so tough to get through that I had to pause and take a brief step back upon reading them -- but from just before the halfway point, Divided is a certified page-turner.
As much as I enjoyed the second book in the series, Fragmented, there were times when the story dragged. Where I felt like there wasn't much going on. And early on, it feels like Divided suffers the same fate. The pace is almost languid at times in the early going, but as I mentioned, things pick up just before halfway.
And once they do... buckle your hypothetical seatbelts, folks.
At times, Divided read as if it were the end of the series, even though I know it's not. But the stakes are clear as ever, they're as high as ever, and for the first time when reading this series, I could literally feel the weight of the potential consequences. And whereas a lot of dystopian fiction falls into the trap of predictability, this book -- and this series -- doesn't. Dyer has done a masterful job of carving out her own niche within a genre that seems to recycle the same plot over and over again, and the result is a book, and a series, that's a joy to read.
Even when things get uncomfortable.
As much as I enjoyed the second book in the series, Fragmented, there were times when the story dragged. Where I felt like there wasn't much going on. And early on, it feels like Divided suffers the same fate. The pace is almost languid at times in the early going, but as I mentioned, things pick up just before halfway.
And once they do... buckle your hypothetical seatbelts, folks.
At times, Divided read as if it were the end of the series, even though I know it's not. But the stakes are clear as ever, they're as high as ever, and for the first time when reading this series, I could literally feel the weight of the potential consequences. And whereas a lot of dystopian fiction falls into the trap of predictability, this book -- and this series -- doesn't. Dyer has done a masterful job of carving out her own niche within a genre that seems to recycle the same plot over and over again, and the result is a book, and a series, that's a joy to read.
Even when things get uncomfortable.
August 24, 2017
I received an ADR copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
If you've read the other two Untamed novels you won't be disappointed. This follows up where the last one left off. Seven is caught between two worlds and has more then a handful of problems. This novel was fast paced, with some of the favorite characters coming back, more information on the Dreamland and Gods/Goddess. My one issue is that the next book comes out in Spring of next year! So I have to wait for my Untamed fixed until then.
If you've read the other two Untamed novels you won't be disappointed. This follows up where the last one left off. Seven is caught between two worlds and has more then a handful of problems. This novel was fast paced, with some of the favorite characters coming back, more information on the Dreamland and Gods/Goddess. My one issue is that the next book comes out in Spring of next year! So I have to wait for my Untamed fixed until then.
November 26, 2017
Somehow I managed to forget that I had pre-ordered this book and I didn't notice it appear on my kindle, so when I found it the other day I was ecstatic! This third instalment was no disappointment. It is fast-paced from the off, written in a completely different style to the first two books to reflect the confusion that Seven is experiencing throughout. I loved it and yet again I am left desperately awaiting the next one.
March 23, 2018
I was so glad to be able to dig into this one straight away and not have to wait for a release. The end of book two was amazing and this one started just as brilliantly. It was a wonderful story, with excellent craft. Seven tricked into binding her soul to Raleigh and it all looks bleak. I found it so hard to put down every night to sleep, and rushed through to the end. I felt like I have been on the same journey with Seven and this book did not disappoint. It was enthralling and just plain good! Loved it and will be happily looking for the next in the series when it comes out. Highly recommended!
May 18, 2020
After reading this book, I wanted to write and post this review to share my honest experiences toward the story.
This series just keeps on getting better! With all the revelations and twists and turns the previous book took, I expected no less in this installment and I truly was not disappointed. It was a real joy to read, a book that captivates you and keeps you interested until the very last page. It’s an amazing series, and I really cannot wait to see how the series continues in book 4.
This series just keeps on getting better! With all the revelations and twists and turns the previous book took, I expected no less in this installment and I truly was not disappointed. It was a real joy to read, a book that captivates you and keeps you interested until the very last page. It’s an amazing series, and I really cannot wait to see how the series continues in book 4.
January 8, 2018
Seven Sarr is the seer the augury spoke of. She’s living in a world where addiction is the rule and staying Untamed is the goal. But when the Enhanced are so much stronger than those who aren’t, and when you’ve lost control of your very soul so Raleigh can use you to Enhance your remaining people how do you fight him? Seven learns that she must fight fire with fire even if that fire consumes her.
Being a seer, even the seventh one born of light, might not be enough to help Seven save herself and her people.
The God and Goddesses believe she is traitor to her own people so she must do this on her own while Raleigh toys with her mind. When she can’t tell the difference between reality and the crazed thoughts of her tortured mind how is she supposed to save her entire people? Could the augury be wrong? Or is there more to Seven Sarr than even she realizes?
What I Loved
So much love! I don’t know where to start.
Seven is one of the strongest protagonists I’ve met. She struggles under the mind and body control of a man so consumed with conquering the world that he won’t consider losing. He toys with her; emotions, body and even her soul, which he owns. Yet at every turn Seven fights him, refuses to give up and give in. She never forgets that she is the key the prophecy spoke of to save the Untamed.
She falters, but never gives up.
The tension in this book starts in the beginning and never gives up. Rather than the ebb and flow of a typical story Dyer invites you to slip into her vise and begins to tighten it, never letting up until the final words. At moment’s I thought I would die for the tension, putting it down to move on to another task seemed beyond me. I’d resist picking it up unless I knew I had time to lose myself in Dyer’s prose, poetry almost, of a girl lost in a mad man’s nightmare.
What I didn’t love
So there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book. Nothing in fact.
Well, there is the little fact that I thought the Untamed series was a trilogy and that when I finished this I’d know Seven’s fate.
Yeah. No.
So much no.
It’s a four book series. So I’ll be biting my acrylic fingernails off until Spring 2018 for that one.
Seriously, if you don’t read series, read this one.
Being a seer, even the seventh one born of light, might not be enough to help Seven save herself and her people.
The God and Goddesses believe she is traitor to her own people so she must do this on her own while Raleigh toys with her mind. When she can’t tell the difference between reality and the crazed thoughts of her tortured mind how is she supposed to save her entire people? Could the augury be wrong? Or is there more to Seven Sarr than even she realizes?
What I Loved
So much love! I don’t know where to start.
Seven is one of the strongest protagonists I’ve met. She struggles under the mind and body control of a man so consumed with conquering the world that he won’t consider losing. He toys with her; emotions, body and even her soul, which he owns. Yet at every turn Seven fights him, refuses to give up and give in. She never forgets that she is the key the prophecy spoke of to save the Untamed.
She falters, but never gives up.
The tension in this book starts in the beginning and never gives up. Rather than the ebb and flow of a typical story Dyer invites you to slip into her vise and begins to tighten it, never letting up until the final words. At moment’s I thought I would die for the tension, putting it down to move on to another task seemed beyond me. I’d resist picking it up unless I knew I had time to lose myself in Dyer’s prose, poetry almost, of a girl lost in a mad man’s nightmare.
What I didn’t love
So there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book. Nothing in fact.
Well, there is the little fact that I thought the Untamed series was a trilogy and that when I finished this I’d know Seven’s fate.
Yeah. No.
So much no.
It’s a four book series. So I’ll be biting my acrylic fingernails off until Spring 2018 for that one.
Seriously, if you don’t read series, read this one.
July 20, 2017
So this book not my favorite of the three. This was hard for me to get through the first 3/4 of the book... not gonna lie I was bored 😐 compared to the other books. The last part of the book was fantastic lots of action and storytelling it was great! Can't wait for the last book. It's gonna be a long wait until spring 😤
January 23, 2018
Disappointing
This series started off strong and has become more and more confusing and far-fetched with each book. Hoping the author brings it back around for the final book!
This series started off strong and has become more and more confusing and far-fetched with each book. Hoping the author brings it back around for the final book!
April 7, 2020
More positive than book 2
Another well written book in the series and there is some sign of hope starting to appear for the untamed.
Another well written book in the series and there is some sign of hope starting to appear for the untamed.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews