Readers need only imagine the pain Cyra experiences to realize how dark the themes must be for her to have a successful character arc. As the daughter and sister of bloodthirsty emperors, she becomes a tool for their use. Cyra suffers constant, excruciating pain, which she is capable of sharing with others through a single touch. It is not recommended for readers younger than fourteen.

Roth layers these literary elements over each other to form an unforgettable story world.Ĭarve the Mark explores many deep, even dark, themes. Yet, extraordinary abilities and prophesying exist alongside Roman coliseums, tyrannical emperors, and intentions of world dominance. Spaceships, advanced technology, and foreign planets comprise a fantastic world full of complex cultures and beautiful imagery. It’s a mixture of fantasy, dystopian, light romance, historical reimagining, and, most strongly, science fiction. Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent Series, recently released her latest novel, Carve the Mark. When their identities and fates are revealed, the lives of these four intertwine in ways that no one, not even the oracles, foresaw.

Cyra and her older brother, the children of a bloodthirsty emperor, also have fates. Akos and his brother have fates, which makes them dangerous, despite being only the children of a farmer and an oracle. Few have a fate, an inevitable future event in their lives. Everyone in the galaxy has a gift, similar to a magical talent, which develops during puberty.

Carve the mark series order