Spoilery Book Reviews

The Branded by Jo Riccioni

Back of the book

The Elita, she of flame-hair and steel-will, Shall rise a warrior of light in the dark.

Isfalk is divided into two classes: the Branded, who are vulnerable to disease, and the Pure, who are bigger, stronger and immune. Orphaned twins Nara and Osha are sequestered in the citadel, where their unbranded skin entitles them to a life of privilege, as precious breeding stock.

Nara itches to escape her confines and return to the wilds of Fornwood where she and her sister grew up, but when she is forced to run, she discovers there's more at stake than her own life.

Forced to accept the help of a mysterious southern brand known only as Wrangler, Nara discovers the latent power lying dormant in uncanny abilities she's had since childhood. But in a world where women are traded as commodities, who can she trust in the lands beyond the Fornwood? Two sisters without a past hold the weight of the future in their hands.

My thoughts

This book drops you into an unknown world, leaving the reader with many questions but I liked having to figure it out. As you become situated in the universe, understanding the politics, history and social class divide, Nara uncovers more questions about the basis for the society as it is now.

This book travelled a long way, from within the citadel to the slums, across the wastelands and finishing during an ocean crossing. At some points I felt we had travelled too far, that too much was happening. This world had a lot of room for exploration and although the characters physically travel far, it meant there was less time to flesh out finer details.

I loved the sisterhood in this book. I loved their strong bond, that Osha was willing to throw away her privileged pure life to go on the run with Nara. As Wrangler explains the theory about the fabled saviour with power to cure the branded, Osha's behaviour changes. This leaves you wondering if Osha is the one. I liked the idea that perhaps this series was being told from a side character POV, that if Osha is the fabled one with all the power, we are seeing this from her sister, the underdog, and not in the 'main characters' shoes.

Virginity is not explicitly talked about but the structure of the society had me thinking about Handmaids Tale a bit. The way pure women are revered and protected, expected to have children always. I feel this book tried to have too many themes and under-explored each one as a result.

The sexual tension between Nara and Nixim was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and their eventual joining, and I loved (hated!) the disastrous cliffhanger ending. I am so angry at the author for making Nixim flawed when I want to like him, and have everything about him be perfect. I liked his mystery and was 100% for it when they slept together, only for him to completely ruin the relationship.

Places I want the next book to go...part of me feels the underdog will triumph and it is Nara who the prophecy leads to and the brands will be revealed as not all they were. That being diseased could be explained away by poverty and the brands have no effect. I would like it if it was Osha who was the chosen one, and we continue to see the story from a second-hand point of view, supporting character role.

The Branded is a vast world with many avenues still to explore that leaves me excited about wondering which direction the next book will take. I think it would be easy to write fanfiction because there are so many under-explored aspects of this world and the characters within.