The Branded

As I've said a million times, I'm not a big romance fan. That being said, this sounded too good to pass on just because of romance. Luckily, the romance was pretty minimal and it wasn't the main plot.

Isfalk has two classes, the Branded, who are highly susceptible to disease, and the Pure, who are immune and therefore superior.

Nara and her sister Osha are orphans. Since they are Pure, the Citadel took them in. The Pure are raised there and prepared for their lives as breeders.
Nara hates it there. She wants to go home to the Fornwood where she lived before her family was killed.

Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing among the Branded. A Prophecy that may be about the sisters could put them in the middle of the two classes and also put them in danger.

I liked this a lot! The magic is great, and I thought the two classes were very interesting. The narrator is fantastic. I had a great time listening to her. There were still a lot of questions unanswered, so I look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an audio arc.

I’d like to thank both NetGalley and Angry Robot Books, from whom I received an ARC of The Branded. These opinions are my own.

I finished The Branded a few days ago and while I loved it, I’ve been dreading writing this review because there’s so much I want to say and I can’t say it all. I’m going to have to leave some things out and that’s going to be very difficult.

Here we go: I enjoyed the writing and loved every character. We get the most of Nara, as the book is written from her point of view. She can be a bit prickly but she’s got some of that feminine rage I love to see and she’s easy to root for. The world-building is well-done, with a great balance between fantastical elements and believability. There’s some romance, but I wouldn’t say the book is romantasy as it’s more of a side thing.

I love speculative fiction and The Branded speculates in spades. From the control and use of women as breeders to the segregation of the Pure and the Branded, which creates a thought-provoking commentary on societal hierarchies, discrimination, and the value placed on health and strength, the book provides a whole lot to think about in addition to a fantastic adventure.

This book gave me such a hangover. I couldn’t even touch a book the day after I finished it because I simply hadn’t had enough time to process everything yet. The Isfalki women, pampered like princesses so they don’t realize they are just breeding machines expected to pop out a baby a year until they’re no longer able to do so. Nara’s resistance to this way of life and longing to be something more than some random Pure man’s property. The disturbing twist that completely rocked me and highlighted the deep corruption of the leaders of Isfalk. The mysterious motivations of the Wrangler…

There’s a second book, so of course there are a whole lot of unanswered questions I’m looking forward to having answered next year!