Incarnate
By Jodi Meadows
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
Jodi Meadows
The Lady Janies are made up of New York Times bestselling authors Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. They first met in 2012, when their publishers sent them on a book tour together, and they hit it off so well they decided to write My Lady Jane so they could go on book tours together all the time. Between the three of them they’ve written more than twenty published novels, a bunch of novellas, a handful of short stories, and a couple of really bad poems. They’re friends. They’re writers. They’re fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time. Learn more at ladyjanies.com.
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Reviews for Incarnate
349 ratings78 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title sensational, unique, and original. They fell in love with the characters and the story line. The series is fantastic and worth the read. The world created by the author is vivid and the characters are multidimensional. The love story between Ana and Sam is intense and genuine. The underlying question of morality linked to the price of immortality is thought-provoking. Overall, this book is the best the readers have read in a long time and they highly recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Find this review and more at On The Shelf!I couldn’t wait to read this book just because of how very beautiful the cover was! I was expecting a book that was beautiful on the inside as well and I wasn’t disappointed. There was so much about this novel I enjoyed. I’ll start with Ana. She is a character that grows and blooms into a great person. She has been told all her life that she was nothing, that she was a nosoul, but she learns to gain confidence in herself thanks to Sam. Though her self esteem was bashed almost her entire life, she is still a brave character. She knows so little and wants to soak up as much as she can learn. Sam’s character was great also. I am kind of biased though because he reminds me of my own other half
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Book Nook — Young Adult book reviewsIncarnate was really conflicting for me. There are parts I enjoyed, and parts I really didn't like. I was nervous going into it because I have friends who ABSOLUTELY FREAKING LOVE it, and I have friends who ABSOLUTELY FREAKING DESPISE it. Crazy, huh? I happen to fall somewhere in the middle.I quickly realized that I did not like Ana as a character. I tried to force myself to remember and understand that she was kind of emotionally abused as a child. Her mother raised her to believe that she was a worthless piece of crap. But even so, it bugged me to see Ana being so self-critical, even when all the evidence was pointing to the contrary. Every single time she opened her mouth, it was to say things like:"Everybody hates me!" "I'm a nosoul, I can't love." "People don't want to greet me, they want to gawk at me." "Maybe you're just my friend because you pity me."That's some major paraphrasing, but you get the point. Even though she obviously wasn't a nosoul (she had a soul, it was just brand new, so that made her a newsoul), she insisted that she was. Even though she obviously felt love, joy, and even hatred, she insisted that she was incapable of loving (because that's what her mother said). Even though I knew where this attitude was coming from—and could understand it to a certain degree—I started getting really annoying and frustrated when it continued throughout the ENTIRE book. I just wanted Ana to grow up and quit doubting anyone and everyone around her. I honestly thought she acted more like a hormonal 13/14 year old than an 18 year old.I'll talk about one thing I did like: the story. I LOVE the idea of reincarnation. I love the world they live in. I love the dragons. I love the histroy. All of it! I was really interested to learn more about their society and their lives and how it all works. It was pretty fascinating! For me, it was all in the unique fantasy details: the pulsing walls of Heart, the dragons that mysteriously attack the same place, the strange religious undertones.. However, I did start to have some problems with the idea of reincarnation when romance got involved...When people are reincarnated, sometimes they are male and sometimes they are female. I thought it was really sweet we learned about these two people who were soulmates. Every time they were reincarnated, they found one another and could be together. At first they kept killing each other until they were reincarnated as different genders and the same age, but eventually their love overcame that and they just lived together despite it all. I thought it was really sweet and romantic! But for some reason, I got a little creeped out by Ana and Sam's situation. A romance develops between Ana and Sam. When Sam brings her to his house for the first time and puts her in a room clearly intended for a girl, she asks why he had that room prepared for a visitor. He replied stating that it's his bedroom for when he gets reincarnated as a girl. Ana then proceeded to wear his female clothes (but not the underwear, thank goodness). I just couldn't help but constantly be reminded that sometimes Sam is a girl, sometimes he's a guy, sometimes people are his parents, sometimes they're his playmates, sometimes he dates them... it all just got too weird for me.I was also never sold on Ana and Sam's relationship in general. I tried to put the whole male/female/etc. thing aside, but even so, I never fell in love with their romance. There was a really obvious point in the story where their romance started..abruptly. Up until that point I only saw friendship, then suddenly the room was loaded with sexual tension. I was just like...where the heck did that come from?? Did I miss something? Overall, I think Sam seemed like a really shallow character. I would read chapters where Ana was totally swooning over him, but I felt absolutely nothing. I also felt like there was no chemistry between Sam and Ana. That's kind of a big problem for me when looking at the series overall, because I feel like soulmates will play a huge role in future books (it was only introduced in this one). If I'm not really feeling their romance, I feel like I won't even be able to enjoy that at all.There were a few other parts of the story that felt extremely abrupt. Sometimes I literally felt like I was missing big transitioning parts of the story because I just had no idea where they were coming from. For example, at one point there is a dragon attack. Everyone is scrambling around, finding shelter, or attacking the dragons. Ana kind of rescues Sam at one point and he's like, "I'm sorry! I wanted to be brave for you!" Then suddenly, at least an entire chapter later, he's majorly depressed. Ana seems to know exactly what the problem is (a little PTSD dragon attack kind of thing) but I felt like I didn't catch onto it AT ALL. After the attack I thought he seemed fine. But then later he was freaking out so I didn't even make the connection with the dragons. It's almost like I just wasn't following along with the train of thought.I think the second half of this story is what resulted in me giving Incarnate an extra star. The second half has some really interesting plot developments, so even though I wasn't a fan of Ana, Sam, or their romance, I was still able to enjoy the story. I will be reading the second book because I happen to have a copy already. Maybe I'll end up enjoying it a bit more!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.
Ever since Presenting Lenore first featured this book in a prior dystopian month, I have been incredibly curious about Incarnate. Denied on NetGalley, I did not find time to read this until now. What I was expecting and what I got were entirely different things. It really kind of amazes me how little I know about books that I somehow still manage to be excited for.
Yet again, I'm deeming this not really a dystopia. Sad day. With the popularity of the genre lots of books are getting mislabeled. Actually, if anything, this seems much more like a utopian society, though one fraught with some issues. There is some amount of corruption in their governing council, but I don't think they try to control their average citizens enough to make them dystopian, though from Ana's perspective maybe they are.
The world building in this novel is straight up crazy, which I don't necessarily mean in a bad way. It's just way odder than I was anticipating. For example, I had no clue that there were going to be dragons and sylphs in this. There was also reference to trolls and centaurs, so I imagine those will show up in later installments, because why mention them if they're not going to serve a purpose in the plot? Even weirder than that, though, is the city of Heart, which the people of this world found built and waiting for them, walls, homes, temple and everything just empty and ready for them. They didn't question it; they just moved in, thank Janan. WHAT?
In this world, apparently, precisely one million humans live. Each of these souls reincarnates upon death, coming back in a couple of years to a new form and a new biological body and family. Everyone in Heart has been alive for five thousand years at this point. All of them have been both men and women. New experiences are few; everyone knows everyone.
Then, everything changes. Ciana dies, but she is not reborn. Instead, Ana emerges into the world, a shiny newsoul. Everyone flips out, because they fear this spells the end of their lives. Despite the fact that Ana clearly has no control over her birth, everyone blames and hates her, especially her mother, Li, who takes her to live in a rural cottage to escape from judgment. Also, being far away enables Li to mentally and physically abuse Ana without anyone knowing.
At the outset of Incarnate, 18 year old Ana has finally run away from Li, determined to learn the truth about herself in Heart. Misled by her evil old bat of a mother, Ana goes the wrong way, is attacked by sylph and nearly drowns. Thankfully, Sam happens upon her and rescues her. They form a bond and she discovers, for the first time, that people are capable of treating her well, of caring about her.
Ana made a rather indifferent heroine for me. She comes across as fairly weak, definitely depending more on Sam than is probably healthy. Then again, she basically has imprinted on him forever, since he was the first person to ever be nice to her. I do appreciate that she is at least a little bit bothered by the gap in their ages and experience; that has at least been acknowledged. Pretty much the only quality that really endeared Ana to me was her love for music. Otherwise, she didn't really stand out, much less clever and fascinating than I think I was supposed to think.
For the most part, my difficulties with Ana stem from her self-hatred. I totally get why she feels that way and, believe me, I understand what that's like. She's been torn down all of her life, so it would be impossible for her to be otherwise. Still, it's painful and annoying to sit through so many chapters of her self-doubt. Even with Sam's insistence on her awesomeness, she continues to think of herself as a nosoul for ages.
Sam, though, I actually really do like. He saved the book for me. He's nice and dependable. Aside from falling for Ana, something he seemed hesitant to do, but, thankfully, didn't brood over, he is completely non-creepy. My mental picture of him is super attractive, but he declared himself not to be, which is interesting. I wonder how reliable Ana's portrayal of him really is, considering that she, again, is biased since he was the first person in her entire life to ever be kind to her or to tell her that she has value. Their relationship strikes me as VERY unhealthy in all sorts of ways, even though I like Sam and want him to be happy. Still, finding your sense of self-worth only because of a guy isn't exactly ideal, neither for Audrey and Seymour or for Ana and Sam.
Reading through what I've written so far, I can't see too many things that particularly bothered me about Incarnate. Still, I feel like there was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. For me, this turned out to be an entertaining but not especially impressive read. The concept intrigues me greatly, but I didn't really bond with most of the characters or the execution of the idea. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sometimes, you're sure you won't like a book from the very first page. The writing style is all wrong, and the plot isn't anything like you thought it would be. You're tempted just to put the book down and be done with it, but you soldier on anyways just so you can finish the book and be done with it. You aren't expecting to have your expectations usurped, and it's very unusual for a book to do so, but there are always exceptions.The beginning of this book was a bit rocky. The writing style seemed strange to me, though I couldn't exactly pinpoint why. However, as the book progressed, either the writing got better or I got used to it, because I completely forgot it had been an issue in the first place. It's also quite possible that I got so wrapped up in the plot that I didn't notice the writing, as that happens enough to be likely. Either way, once you got past the first couple of chapters, the writing ceases to be a problem. While the romance was cute, it did something I'm growing increasingly sick of. It's not solely this book's fault, but I feel like every book's romance nowadays has some sort of culmination right before things start getting crazy. They finally kiss, and then someone gets arrested. They sleep together, and then the boy turns into a wolf for the final time, never to be human again. (I'm looking at you, Shiver.) It's alright every once and a while, but I feel like it's become a cut and dry staple of the Young Adult genre, and I never liked it all that much to begin with. This book had such a creative plot, that I sort of suspected a better progression of the romance, but maybe I was just expecting too much. This book blew my initial expectations out of the water. It was in no way faultless, but I still found myself more and more impressed as the book went on (except for maybe at the very end, when things just started going crazy). The characters were likable, and the book was easy to read, keeping me interested from the very beginning. I was delighted to be proved wrong, and ended up being glad that I don't like putting down a book once I've started it.Four out of Five Stars
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Holy crap. I don't even know where to begin with this one.
I told myself I won't get sucked into another dystopian series, so what do I do? Get myself sucked into another dystopian series.
If you ever imagined what happens to your soul once you die, and took some of the theories that are out there into consideration, you MUST have thought about reincarnation. This is what the Newsoul series is about.
Ana is a newsoul or a nosoul, depending on who's defining her. Her mother, Li, despises her. Ana was born a a non-reincarnated soul, she has no past and an unknown future. Since everyone's soul in Heart has been living for the past few thousands of years, Ana is an anomaly.
When she turns 18, Ana leaves to find answers. Why was she born? Is she a mistake? Why is she not loved? What will happen to her soul when she dies? Only she is attacked by Sylphs, a shadowy creatures that inflict burns. Ana is saved by Sam, a (seemingly) 18 year old boy, who decides to help her find the answers she seeks.
There are infinite turns and twists in this first book in the series, and considering normally first books "new world" series are not as packed and eventful, this one is very refreshing. The world is revealed throughout the story. There's a good amount of dialogue, but that doesn't shadow Ana's thoughts as we learn about everything. There's originality and flow, and holy smokes is there UST.
I can't wait to start Asunder. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I enjoyed this book, the concept was great and I liked the characters, but the meandering plot kind of bothered me. Also the whole vibe of the book just... wasn't necessarily so much my thing. But! I'm interested enough to finish out the trilogy.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Picture me confused. Because that's the way this book left me last night. Okay, I was feverish, but still.The book starts when Ana leaves her mother. What the blurb does not make clear at all is that Li - Ana's mother - hates her daughter more than anything in existence. It's pretty bad, so much so that Li would rather see Ana dead than alive. So Ana leaves "home" when she turns 18 and sets off to find Heart. On the way - or not - she meets Sam, someone who's been reborn hundreds of times. They like each other, he offers to go to Heart with her. Some chaos ensues. I'm not actually going to go into the plot much. There were some holes, but nothing of great importance in my opinion.What did bother me, though, was the fact that Incarnate is set in an alternate universe. At least I think so, since last time I checked dragons and centaurs did not live in my backyard. And something like that should be mentioned in the blurb. A lot of people might be turned away by something like that. Sure, the fact that people are being reborn could have been an indication, but who knows what possible dystopian scientists would come up with to ensure their immortality, one way or another?Also, we have the well known Twilight-lover-problem in this book. The guy is older than the girl. Okay, I can deal with that. But 5000 years older? Sorry, that feels like Grandpa rape to me. Also, he should know better and shouldn't have acted on his feelings. Maybe that's just my opinion, or maybe I'm too conventional in my thinking but a romance between two souls that were first born five THOUSAND years apart? I just can't accept that. It feels weird and icky. And somewhat, unbelievable. Sam doesn't behave like a guy that age should. In fact, he behaves just like any other teenage guy. And a teenager he is not. Not to mention the sudden appearance of certain missing characters, and totally groundless accusations ...Well, there were a few things wrong with this book. Still, I did like it enough to read it when I was quite sick and had a headache. The actionpacked end kept me reading well into the night, so Meadows definitely did something right.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I don't know where to start...maybe OMG will do for now! I really loved Incarnate. Such a fresh and exciting debut that's sure to knocks your socks off! Meadows writing is so unique. The detail is fascinating and it really helped set in stone the world Ana is from. The romance, world building and characters are to die for and I just couldn't get enough.The world of Range and Heart is so beautiful that I couldn't help but to fall in love with it, just as Ana does. Ana is a tough cookie, although it seems as if she's easily knocked down, she's not afraid to get back up. She has a passion for learning and figuring out why she's the only newsoul and how she replaced another soul. As she ventures to Heart, the main city, she meets the young and good looking Sam who makes her feel worthy of friendship, love, and life.Finally...a book that has a slow paced, realistic romance that buds from a strong friendship. I absolutely loved how Meadows brings Sam and Ana together. They stuck it out together and I have huge hopes for them in future books!!I've heard some folks were hoping for more out of the characters and the world, like what time period it was. I definitely see where they are coming from, but in Range years are not consecutive numbers, like 2012 and so on. There are years for specific things, such as The Year of the Songs.Like I *might* have mentioned before, Incarnate is so unique and exciting. It has quickly made its way to the top of my favorites and I can't wait to hear more from Jodi Meadows as well, a very talented writer!!Review based on ARC
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Incarnate is the story of Ana, who depending on who you ask, is either a nosoul or a newsoul. In a world filled with souls who have been reincarnating for thousands of years, Ana is an anomaly. Burdened by anger and shame over her daughters soul status, Ana's mother, Li, raises Ana outside the city of Heart, the home of the souls. After enduring the first eighteen years of her life, emotionally and physically abused at the hands of her mother, Ana is ready to flee. To discover how and why she came to be. With the help of her rescuer and friend, Sam, the journey she undertakes will push her beyond greater highs and lows she could have ever imagined. I want to start by saying I am at a bit of a loss over writing this review. I wanted to love Incarnate, to be swept away and overrun by the emotions in the book. I went into this book with a completely open mind, open to the unique world and fascinating possibilities. But what happened was...I was a bit confused, and sometimes underwhelmed. I spent the first one hundred pages trying to get my bearings, to know exactly what was going on. I had questions. Where does this take place? Earth, another planet, an alternate dimension? When does it take place? The past, the future, an alternate parallel timeline? And the biggest question of all: Does it even matter (aka, why can't I just shut up and read)? With these questions swirling in my head, I had a hard time focusing on the story at hand. In addition to the questions I just posed, there were a few more things I had a difficult time wrapping my head around. The Souls have been around for 5,000 years! Let that sink in a minute...I spent a lot of time trying to fathom the amount of identities they possessed. One life you're a man, the next a woman, fat/thin, handsome/ugly...my head hurts. Add in the fact that if you have a "soul mate", in one life they may be born within a few years of you; the next life you may be the same age as their grandparents. Another factor that I didn't understand was the "Years". There were "Years of Song", "Years of Hunger", and several others. I didn't feel those were explained very well, so I wasn't able to follow along when they were discussed. In general, I felt the world-building in Incarnate was less than complete.The characters and their relationships to one another are what made Incarnate a likable read, for me. Ana was a brave, resilient, and clever girl. She was raised by a deliberately cruel mother who abused her at every turn. Ana was able to eke an existence out of the poor circumstances she held, and I admire her strength. The character I really fell in love with, though, was Sam. Sam saves Ana and instantly becomes her friend and protector with no hesitation or judgment. He is willing to go to the wall, take any chances to protect her. His gentle approach to Ana, who is as skittish as a wild, wounded animal made me fall in love with him. The fragile, slow-building relationship between Ana and Sam is what saved Incarnate for me. I wouldn't say that I didn't like Incarnate. In fact, there were moments that I downright loved it. But they were not enough to make this a must-read book, in my opinion. I had such high hopes for Incarnate and hope that a lot more about the world will be explained in book two.Favorite Quote:" 'So all our time in the cabin was nothing to you?'I remembered listening to him read aloud, telling him about the roses I brought back to life, and falling asleep leaning against his shoulder. 'It was everything,' I whispered, half hoping he didn't hear."~pg 112-113 (ARC)* I received an ARC of Incarnate from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I did find myself deeply engrossed in this book. The premise is one that I found rather fascinating, and Ana is a great character. She is learning, and we are learning alongside her. I found her learning to love the first time to be the greatest of all lessons.
There are many questions to be answered and I am looking forward to the second book. This is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a unique story. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've always been a skeptic about the conceptions of reincarnation. I have even had moments where I wondered if IT IS true, what would be the possibilities of being reincarnated into a person or an animal? And ironically, how it would also be awesome to remember your past lives and carry it on to the next. It would be a great way to never make the same mistake twice, right!Incarnate by Jodi Meadows is captivating, delightful, and will become an extension of your arm because you won't be able to put it down! I LOVED IT!!I was so wrapped up in the story that there was barely any moment where I let it go. The story is very unique and you don't often come across books that have reincarnation as its premise.The characters were easy to remember because each one played a distinctive role and stood out from each other. Some where very easy to fall in love with and befriend where others you just wanted to strangle or hoped to get chewed up by a dragon. When I say this, I'm hinting on Li whom I'm hating with a passion. =) Which goes to show how well Jodi's written words pulls the reader's emotions right into the story!The romance between Sam and Ana is a kismet that any girl would die for! I was swept off my feet right from the beginning and swooned over its progression. Hearts were a flutter when I got near the end. I'm still giddy way after I've finished reading it. The society and story-line are intriguing and I really want to know more, I'm hoping to get MORE! I'm really wishing that there will be a sequel. As for the ending, it made me a bit wary of Sam, but I think I'm just being cynical. hahahaI DEFINITELY RECOMMEND this beautiful 2012 debut!! YOU MUST READ 'INCARNATE' by Jodi Meadows!!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Thoughts: Really enjoyed it!Incarnate is the first in Jodi Meadows' new series, NEW SOUL. It's a fantastic utopian read with a strong message of not letting others bring you down, even if you're different. I had high expectations for this book, and although it didn't quite meet the mile high bar I had set, I really loved this book!Incarnate was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year. I loved the cover, the description sounded fabulous, and it really seemed like a unique book that I'd enjoy.You could say that my expectations were... Unfairly high, but I waited a long time to finally find this book, (in another city I might add). Keeping that in mind, I'll try and make this fair. :P Let's start with this crazy world it's set in. There are one million souls, reincarnated over and over again. No one else is born, just these people. Every single soul has memories of their previous lives. How crazy is that? Insane, I think. To keep being reborn, over and over again. To remember how you died, and then to know that it'll happen again and once you've been reborn, you'll have multiple memories of your own death. Wow. Jodi Meadows, you are messing with my brain! I don't necessarily believe in reincarnation, but I don't not believe in it. It's always been a huge topic of interest for me, so this book was really interesting. Range seems like a place that I'd actually like to live in, maybe just for a day. I don't say that often about fictional worlds, but this one was really interesting to read about.Now, let's move onto the characters in the book. There are the two main people we read about, Ana and Sam. Ana is our New Soul. She was born after another soul died, but that soul didn't return. Ana took her place. She has a really hard time believing that she is worthy of life and that she belongs. She is shunned by a lot of the community, and her mother was pretty abusive while growing up. When she finally leaves home, she meets Sam. HERE WE GO. Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam! This gorgeous dude takes Ana in, helps her merge into the community of Heart and teaches her music. Their relationship blossoms from a strong friendship, but it takes time. We learn some pretty interesting stuff about Sam that I will not mention, as that would spoil the book for you if you haven't read it yet. Anyways, the characters in this book are really well written. Even though the book is in Ana's point of view, I was able to feel Sam's emotions as well, while 'seeing' him through Ana's eyes. The other characters in the book were well written as well, all keeping the story together. I never felt the question of 'Why does that person exist?' come up. Everyone mentioned had a place, no matter how significant to the story. Even the person who makes honey was important, although only mentioned maybe twice.I'm not sure if this all makes sense, but this book was really hard for me to wrap my brain around, as usual. The whole concept of the souls reincarnating is one thing, but then the New Soul comes up and it's on a whole other set of tracks in my mind. Incarnate is a terribly romantic, crazy suspenseful book with an incredible message, portrayed in a world of mystery and immortality. I loved it so much. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I think that's a good thing. I'm extremely excited for the next book to come out and I hope that everyone who reads this book will enjoy it as much as I did!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I won't lie, I was a little hesitant to start this after I tried reading Under The Never Sky, which completely disappointed me despite glowing reviews and praise. The both of them were also published by Harper Collins, so I figured I'd be let down again. I was so wrong! I love fantasy so maybe that was why I enjoyed Incarnate so much. And also the fact that Jodi Meadows can write so vividly and beautifully.I loved the main character, Ana. She is an outcast because she is a new soul, or according to many, a no soul. She is the only one who hasn't been reincarnated. Many people fear her for this reason and become weary of her appearance in Heart. I honestly felt for Ana since she was raised by an abusive mother who didn't appreciate her at all. I felt that she was discriminated against in Heart several times and that gave the novel conflict. Ana did find people who appreciated her and respected her, though. I found that Sam really cared for her and liked her. Ana felt the same but it took her awhile to trust in him and realize that he genuinely cared for her.Maybe it's just me, but I felt like the romance in the novel wasn't the only main concern of the story. There was also the search for Ana's origins and her identity. She was strong and didn't depend on Sam for her survival the entire time. Of course he helped her, especially in the beginning, but she also takes care of him, too.I also loved how the writer questioned gender in the story. That was really neat and something I haven't seen much in YA fiction.Overall it was a fascinating novel and one that I was saddened to see end. Well, at least for now. I can't wait for the next installment in the series!P.S. I loved that there were dragons, too! And sylph!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5audiobook review:Ana has always know that everyone - everyone - knows more than her, is more learned and wise. It's not just her personal belief, but a fact. The million souls of Range have been reincarnated for thousands of years, living lives again and again, with each other. Only, something happened eighteen years ago and instead of one of the expected souls being born again, it was Ana. The newsoul. The nosoul.No one knows why she happened. Nor are they happy about it.Though we don't see that much of the other characters, it's easy to see how some of them, while viewing Ana as not only mortal but also potentially dangerous could want to treat her as they do. Her life would seem like only a drop in the bucket compared to all of the time, the lives they have. Though life expectancy is never really discussed in Incarnate, with dragons, the sylph and all of the other creatures, it doesn't seem too many are living to be senior citizens.Yet, the way the danger and the insularity of Heart is so apparent, also helps in understanding Sam's opposition to that way of thinking. Though a million people is not 'small,' exactly, after lifetimes upon lifetimes, the way everyone knows everyone (and their past, has opinions of them, etc) is apparent.I do wish we were able to see more of some of the characters who made only the smallest of appearances - some just a sentence or two - because they really gave an interesting glimpse into other parts of Heart. Incarnate had a lot that needed to happen and be explained though with Ana's story and with Heart, however, and the focus seemed to be kept where it was necessary.There were places where the emotional connection created between Sam and Ana (and the reader) was just superb. Their tension was fantastic and kept at a great level. The emotion, the tension between other characters didn't seem click nearly as well but I think that was, at least partially due to my listening to the audiobook.While I recommend reading Incarnate, I really cannot recommend the audio version. The first fifteen seconds were enough to tur me off to it, but I needed a book to listen to and really wanted to read Incarnate. The narrator, Katherine Taub,has some sort of suhper dihfferent, almost Valley Girl voice going on (where i feel like there are a lot of extra 'h's thrown in?). It may be intended to sound teenage, but it . . . doesn't really work. Farther into the book, things either even out or become less noticeable. There are two characters (sometimes in the scene together, sometimes not) who of different age and gender, who sounded exactly the same to me. It was very distracting. Particularly in a scene I wish it hadn't been.I'm really looking forward to the second book in this series, Asunder and to reading it.Rating: 8/10 for the book; 4.5/10 for narration
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Let me begin this review by saying that I simply adored this book! And obviously the cover is beautiful. It is a bit slow moving at first, but after reading the first few chapters, I was hooked. Can you imagine being the only newsoul born in 5,000 years and living in a community where everyone knows everyone but you? And everyone thinks you're evil and have no soul? That was Ana's life before she met Sam, who believes she's a newsoul instead of a nosoul. Even though this book is set in a Utopian society, it felt, to me, like it was making a statement of the small town BS that so many people go through, and I admire the book even more for that. Ana is a terrific character, and she is easy to sympathize with. She has had a terrible childhood, and she is so scared of people that she is extremely defensive. Knowing what her mother, Li, put her through though, it's understandable. Ana's tortured childhood is unfolded as the novel progresses, and she grows quite a bit as a character in this book. She becomes more comfortable with herself, less defensive, and her self-esteem improves. However, she's still not exactly where she should be. I guess that's why there will be sequels. I was rooting for Ana the entire time. It's impossible not to want the best for her. I LOVED Sam. I wish I could just rip him out of the pages of the book and call him my own. He's a musical genius, kind, patient, intelligent, and brave. He helps Ana overcome so much of her fear and defensiveness, and he is so patient and understanding with her. It's impossible not to love Sam once you get to know him. He repeatedly puts himself on the line to help Ana and protect her. He's the perfect hero.The secondary characters are all pretty well developed, and they all have distinct personalities. Some are obviously bad, some keep you guessing. My personal favorite two secondary characters are Armande and Stef. Stef is mischievous and fun, and Armande has a heart of gold. After the first few slow-moving chapters, the pacing is pretty spot on and kept me interested as the plot unfolded. I had two pet peeves with this book, however. The first was that Ana always "missed" or "couldn't see" Sam's expressions. I'm sure this was done to show she'd had no social interaction growing up and that she couldn't decipher normal human emotions easily, but it really pulled me out of the story. The author would have been better off being vague and simply saying "something flashed across his face," and leaving it at that. Either that or she could have just not mentioned his expressions at all the majority of the time, and the other times, simply been vague. Another thing that kind of got to me was the fact that Meadows gave these beautiful elaborate descriptions for buildings, streets, etc., but she never described the clothes people were wearing or what the SED screen looked like. That made it hard to picture certain things. I wanted to know what time period the clothes of Heart resembled, and I wanted to know if the SED screen was like a projection screen used in a movie theater or like a TV. Those few details would have made the world an even richer and more intriguing place. Over all, I completely enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Meadows has created a unique and captivating world that is sure to draw readers in. Her characters are believable and easy to relate to, and I can't wait to continue unfolding the mysteries of her Utopian universe.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I gave up on this book. About 6 chapters in, I realized that I hated the main character and didn't really care what happened to her or in the rest of the book, so I stopped reading it. I loved the concept of the story though. I'm not quite sure what turned me off so much about the character.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have had this book on my radar for a long time. Many people are very excited for the sequel. After reading this book, I have to agree with them.Incarnate by Jodi Meadows centers on Ana, a NewSoul or NoSoul, depending on who you ask, a girl who is a brand new soul in a population of reincarnated souls... in essence, everyone has lived many, many lives and she has only lived a few years of her one life. She has a mother who hates her, and sets off on her own at age 18 to travel to the city of Heart. Along the way, she meets Sam, and he is the first friendly person she meets. From there, things develop dramatically, and I don't want to give away any of this book's secrets.I am so torn when reviewing this book. From about 10% to 80% it is really one of the best books I've read in a while. The relationship between Sam and Ana is wonderful and magical. It's been a long time since I've been so moved by a romantic relationship in a YA book. Most of the time I'm convinced I'm too old and jaded to enjoy such things anymore. But Meadows has changed my mind. Sam is the first love interest that I seriously have a crush on myself-- he is gentle, intelligent, modest, and incredibly talented (and mature by about 5000 years). For the first time, we have a love interest that is NOT the bad boy of the novel. To not reveal too much-- any of the scenes centered on music and the masquerade were my favorites, and I literally gasped out loud at several of them (in a good way).So you ask, why does this book get four stars. The beginning of the book, the first 10%, is almost not compelling enough to stick around. We get introduced to her hateful mother, with no good characteristics that I see, and watch poor Ana stagger around feeling sorry for herself. Don't be fooled. The story quickly becomes amazing as I stated above. The end of the story has a bit of an issue too-- lots of action occurs, but I feel that some of the storylines are abruptly cut short in ways that are less than satisfying. That said, there is so much to love about this wonderful book, and I feel like Jodi Meadows is only just getting started. I have no doubt that the next installment in this trilogy will only be stronger and better, and I have just become one of the throng waiting eagerly for the next installment.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book, guys. This. Freaking. Book.So, Ana is one of my favorite heroines. I feel like maybe I say that a lot, but hear me out on this one. Ana's got one of the worst parents ever and she has very little education. She has no reason to trust people and every right to not care. But she doesn't. She learns how to do dozens of things. She learns how to make friends and she cares about others. Ana is this well rounded, clever girl with a big heart. I wanted to hug this girl, I wanted her to be one of my best friends. Ana is just incredible. Sam is this mystery, but he's also very open. It's hard to explain without giving things away for you. He's a constant support for Ana and he stands by her. Sam doesn't give up. He lets Ana do what she needs to do, but in the end, he's always going to do what he thinks is best for her. The other characters are all important, as well. Each plays a role in Ana's life, even if it may seem small. I highly suspect that Jodi will make their roles more important in the next book. They were each unique, well created. They had their own personalities, instead of just being cardboard cutouts or copies of the others. Jodi created a wonderful, diverse cast of characters, ones to hate and ones to love.Two of the big recurring things in this book are music and butterflies. I'm a music junkie, I'll admit it. I'm always looking for new music and I can obsess over certain songs/CDs/artists. I'm also a semi-musician, having played piano and sang for a number of years. Basically, I love finding music in books. Seeing the two worlds cross is fun, and when it's done right, it's like finding a unicorn. Not many books can do it really well. I also loved how Jodi uses butterflies in this book as a symbol. It's beautiful and true and I just...it was so well executed. I loved the whole butterfly theme so much, I had to point it out so you guys would pay attention to it.Jodi's writing is fantastic. I've read this book twice already, but it's just as enthralling the second time. Addictive and rich and descriptive. I could see Heart in my head; the people, the buildings, creatures that come up were all well painted in my imagination. The story is beautiful and full of wonderful descriptions.If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I freaking loved this book. The way I love Hourglass, the way I love Shatter Me...that's the way I love this book. Incarnate is simply magical. Fantastically created characters, rich description, and some incredible symbols and themes blend together to create an experience that is not to be missed this year.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book started off incredibly slow. I almost put it aside. I'm glad I decided to keep reading. There were many wonderful things about this book, originality, dragons, slyph, reincarnation. The characterswere full of life and fun to read about, although we would all probably be full of life if we had lived over and over in different bodies. The idea of remembering past lives was very strange. The entire reincarnation thing was difficult to comprehend.The relationship between Ana (the newsoul or 'nosoul') and Sam was very strange. I kept thinking of Sam as more of a patientolder teacher. I could not see a romantic relationship between these two. It was very strange reading about Ana wearing Sam's'girl clothes' from a previous incarnation. Overall, I loved the originality of this story. I anxiously await the next volume in the story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insanely jealous. That's how I felt after reading Incarnate. How can a writer use words and phrases I've read and heard all my life and put them together so differently to tell a story so mesmerizing that I didn't feel time go by, I didn't eat, I didn't acknowledge anyone. I was immersed in this new world and the people in it and mostly, in the private world of Ana and Sam. To say I liked this novel would be an understatement. Part high fantasy with dragons, centaurs and other monsters, part dystopian with the High Council making decisions about the citizens of Heart and part Science Fiction with drones and lasers it is completely fascinating.The characters are well developed beginning with Ana or NoSoul telling us bits of her early life from her eighteen year old self as she leaves Li the woman that raised her, that gave birth to her, but certainly not the woman that deserves the title of mother. Not as we read further about how she treated Ana and see how undeserving Ana feels of even the smallest kindness. Li festered under my skin like a wound I wanted to cut open and bleed. She was a warrior, yes, but heartless and cruel. And when she sets Ana out for her trip to Heart by herself, she sends her the wrong way with half truths and a broken compass.Sam, who has lived for thousands of years as a man and as a woman has the most compassion and empathy for Ana and seems to understand her almost immediately. When she acts like a frightened deer, he takes more time, never turned away by her harsh words, when she lashes out before he can lash at her.He slowly comes to understand her more, but learns how to treat her, very early on, so she doesn't run away.Music plays a big part in this story. It's always been Ana's comfort and Sam enjoys it too. The way it is developed into the story as more is very interesting. I know the piano a little, but have never written music. I was fascinated at how the description of the music sounded. It's something you'll have to read to discover and enjoy.Heart, is not an accepting place, despite it's name. There is very little acceptance of Ana, but then don't people always fear the unknown, differences. And she is unique, one of a kind. No one knows why she exists. Or how. And more importantly if they will be the next to not reincarnate. They are afraid and place all that fear into anger against her.The world Jodi Meadows paints is slow to be revealed, exactly as I like it. Some of it could be our world. Some of it could be what I've read in history books. Sam describes the time of cave people. And then there are the fantasy elements, the reincarnation, it's not hard to grasp or believe. It's not filled with rules I don't understand or complex societies. It's very basic. And that's Ana and Sam's problem.Jealously, greed, fear. There were elements of danger, romance, violence, war with dragons and sylphs. Ana finds herself in unusual and unlikely places. There are attacks and accusations. A lot of danger in Heart, some place you'd think would be peaceful. The conclusion is satisfying in that there is no cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves you wanting more.I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for my review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In a world where everyone has been reincarnated for the past 5000 years, and remember past lives, a new soul with no memories is odd. This is her struggle to figure out who she is on the inside.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ana lives in a world where everyone is a reincarnation of a soul that has existed for thousands of years. That is, everyone except her. When Ana was born, her soul was entirely new, and the soul that should have been reincarnated into her body simply ceased to exist. To some, that makes her a No Soul, and to others a New Soul. This book follows Ana as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind her own existence with a little help from a kind old soul known to her as Sam. The aspect that intrigued me most about this book was that I have never seen something written about reincarnation that was so believable. From the very first page you want Ana to find some assurance of her existence and you want to defend her against every evil that crosses her path. Your heart truly beat and bleeds for Ana. I get attached to characters, but this sort of attachment was on a whole other level and I will stick by her until Meadows brings the trilogy to the very end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I started this book. All I knew was that it involved reincarnation. I did NOT know it involved dragons, sylphs, some creepy wall with a heart beat, and a relationship with a 5,000 year age difference.For the most part, I really did like Incarnate. It was very unique and strange. I felt like the book focused a lot on Ana and Sam's relationship, which I don't know how I feel about. Physically, Sam and Ana are the same age, but Sam's soul is 5,000 years old. He been around the block a time or two with many different people, were as Ana has no idea what sex is or what in entails.I really just don't know how to wrap my head around this idea. A million souls constantly being reincarnated, sometimes being a man one life, then being a woman another life. How does one's soul deal with this change? I'm sure after 5,000 years you would get used to it and get to know everyone and learn who your friend's and enemies are, but that is lightly touched on in the story. Most of the time it's about people hating on Ana and Ana trying to figure out why she was born in the first place.Incarnate is written beautifully. Sometimes I felt like the writing made the story move a little slower, but then it would pick up again and get kind of exciting. Sometimes it felt like I had to push myself to read, but once I got into it, I was good to go.I did enjoy Incarnate, with it's very strange world. I would say the world was what kept me reading. I kept wanting to know more about the world and all it's creatures, even though that wasn't the main focus of the story. Overall, I enjoyed it enough to read the second book in the series.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Overall: I would give this a 3.5 star rating if I could, but I can't so I'll round up to 4. It seemed like Incarnate took me forever to finish. I kept putting it off and when I was reading it, it felt slow. The plot was a bit scattered and messy, but enjoyable. Things could have been put together better, but it was great for a debut book. The characters were good and I would definitely continue with this series. Incarnate was romantic and full of action and suspense.Plot: Incarnate was heavy on the romance, light on the plot. The premise to this weirded me out. In one lifetime you could be married to a person who in their next lifetime would be your child. It's odd thinking about relationships like that. But the book doesn't talk too much about this so you would only notice if you started thinking too much about it. I liked the dragons and sylph in this story. They aren't commonly found in YA stories these days so I found them fun to read about. I just wished Jodi Meadows talked more about them. The plot was mainly on Ana and Sam's relationship and the trouble people gave Ana. I wanted to read more action and fighting, but there wasn't much. There's more towards the end(which was rushed and a bit hectic) Hopefully questions left unanswered in this book will be explained in the next. (view spoiler)Characters: Ana was annoying in the beginning. She was defensive and pessimistic. Understandable because her mother was a total b*tch, but it was still annoying. She got better as the story went on though. Less annoying and stronger. I thought Sam was alright. He was a sweet guy who really cared about Ana. They were a good couple and I'm glad there was no second love interest to turn this into another love triangle. I was worried about that, but no one else showed up. Hopefully there won't be a second guy to compete with Sam in the next book. The minor characters were hard for me to remember, maybe because there were quite a few and many of them had unconventional names(Orrin, Armande, Menehem, etc.). There were far too many for me to remember so I flipped back a few times in order to understand what was happening.Cover: Amazing! I love the colors and the butterfly mask. It fits well with the story.I would recommend this for clean romance lovers. This story is all about Ana's feeling of new and first love. A smidge of action and dragons is thrown in for excitement.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I think I benefitted from not having any expectations about this book going in. Yes, I had seen the INCREDIBLE cover and I knew the story involved reincarnation and the introduction of a new soul, but that was about it. I'd avoided reviews and all the hype surrounding its release. There was nothing for it to live up to, so I guess I was simply able to enjoy it. I will admit that I found it to be a little slow and the writing style a little jerky in the beginning. And while I didn't click instantly with Ana, the story was very romantic and Sam was incredibly dreamy, so I was easily drawn in by the developing love story. I was also unable to tear myself away from the mystery that is Ana. Where did she come from? Will she be reborn? Why was she born in Ciana's place? And what the heck is up with that temple? Why do the dragons attack? Where do the Sylph come from? I felt like I was reading the Lost of books. I had to keep turning pages because there were so many questions and theories swirling around in my head. Incarnate is unique and deeply intriguing, filled with tons of mystery and romance. And for such a slow-paced, almost laid-back book, I found my pulse accelerating an awful lot. There were just these moments that captured my attention (usually when Sam was on the page) and made me want more. More what? I don't know. I just felt like there should have been more. I don't know, I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the series to be fully satisfied. The ending felt a bit rushed and a lot is thrown at the reader all at once. It does take some effort to wade through and process, but overall Incarnate is a great read and I highly recommend it to lovers of YA fantasy and romance. The sequel is definitely on my must read list
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It started right with action and by connecting me to the main character. I liked Ana because she is different, that she questions instead of blindly accepting things, and also because I felt for her because of the way that her mom treated her. I like that Ana doesn't just blindly accept anything. She digs and finds the answers for herself. She is also relatable though because she is a good person but she's not perfect. She has her insecurities and lashes out at Sam some. It is understandable because of how she grew up that she wouldn't easily trust. It was quite an adventure to watch her discover her passions, and how that connected her with Sam and brought out his emotions and realized what was beneath the layers. Sam is a mystery right off the bat, because I wanted to know why he was in the middle of nowhere, how he rescued her in the freezing cold water, and just because he is elusive. He is kind of course helping Ana, and encouraging her. He was just another hook that got me within the first three chapters. There is also the great premise, and it got going right away. I was so curious why a soul would disappear instead of coming back again, and what made Ana special that a new soul or a no soul would show up. I loved the twists and how the people have such personalities, how their pasts factor into who they are now. Especially about Sam, the things that Ana didn't realize right away, I just thought it was amazing going full circle like that. The Heart, the town where they live is well thought out. It adds to the awesomeness of the world building and the setting. I enjoyed the mythical creatures involved and their powers even if they were usually on the "bad" side. It shows so much creativity and added action and adventure. Another thing I absolutely loved was the slow build of the romance. It is so satisfying to read about. The friendship and the back and forth, the flirting and the uncertainty. It is beautiful to watch play out and just what I love. There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters. Steph and her take charge, no-nonsense attitude really made me like her a lot. I like that she told Sam how it was and stood up for Ana even when she didn't know her. She is very perceptive and I like that. And holy twist of doom. You feel the storm building, and then the unthinkable happens. Or does it? But we realize so much all at once and some of it is good and some bad. It ended at a pretty good place, but I am still super anxious to get the next one. So if anyone has a kindle or epub I can borrow, I will be your friend forever :). Bottom Line: Great start to a series I can't wait to keep reading. Action, romance and a courageous main character.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book cover art: Even on my black and white kindle it is gorgeous! Even without the eye catching cover, I would have picked this one up! Reincarnation, new souls, Utopian society, mythical creatures and romance-what's not to love??Well...I'm still trying to figure out of I liked this book or not. There were things I loved about this book and there were things that just didn't work for me.What I loved:The story concept-a new soul born into a society of reincarnated souls. What potential! The world-centered around the city of Heart, I pictured the city of Oz, only with more of a si-fi feeling. The heart beat within the walls of the city was strange and mysterious-is the city actually alive? The fantasy creatures-dragons and syphs are the only ones we "meet" in this book, but there are hints of others within this world. I can't wait to see what other creatures reside in this world in the next two books.The character of Sam-He is the romantic interest of Ana. He's sweet, talented and caring, yet a bit mysterious. He sneaks out of the house at night and has conversations with others that we aren't privy to. Where is he going? What does he know that he's not sharing? He doesn't appear to be dangerous, just mysterious, yet safe. The perfect mix for the romantic lead in a YA series. He also happens to be living in a hot body in this life-lucky Ana!The Utopian theme- a refreshing change from all of the dystopian books that seem to be popular right now!The opening scene of the book-The main character is on her way to freedom and a new life-what a perfect place to start.Now on to the things that I didn't love. (Notice I didn't say "hate or even "dislike".)Ana-I actually like the character of Ana, but I found her reactions to be inconsistent with her background story. Here's what we know about her: She has spent 18 years in abusive home. She has no friends. She has had very little contact with the outside world, except what she was read. The only person she really knows appears to hate her. As the book opens she is leaving the only home she has ever known and going out into a world full of dangerous creatures in search of the reason for her existence. She sticks her tongue out at her mother, turns and wonders out into the world. Huh?? She just described being starved for days for doing her chores wrong, yet she casually wonders away? Wouldn't you be terrified to leave, yet ecstatic to escape? How about some feelings distrust that this might be a trick? Would you really stand there and taunt your abuser? These inconsistencies continued to haunt me throughout the book. Ana would vacillate between bold and brave to timid and fragile. I'm not saying that she couldn't have had those reactions, but the background information I had about her didn't usually support her reactions.The inconsistencies continued to include the technology that this civilization possessed. For instance; Sam and Ana go to a library filled with books and journals. They spend time searching for specific volumes and then Sam mentions that all of the books have been digitally archived. Why didn't they start with the digital versions? Why did they keep the actual books? I can think of several explanations, but it is never addressed.All the residents of Heart carry a gadget called a SED, which is like an advanced smart phone, yet Ana has use a hand drawn map and flashlight to navigate the city. No GPS? No street lights? It just didn't work for me. Maybe I was just thinking too much, but I found myself being distracted from the actual story by the things that just didn't seem to fit with what I knew about this world and it's inhabitants. It really effected my ability to just sit back and enjoy the book.Looking at the number reviews floating around in cyberspace this book is generating a lot of chatter-both good and bad. It seems like readers either love it or hate it. I'm still in the middle of the road, but I'm not ready to give up on the series just yet. The parts I like still outweighed the parts I questioned. I'm still looking forward to the next book!Thanks to the author and publisher and NetGallery for providing me with an ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book had me so torn. When it came down to sitting and writing out my thoughts on the book I found they are jumbled and are hard to express. But I am going to try. Firstly I was not sure for a long time how I was going to rate the book, but I decided to stick with my gut feelings and stay with the 3 stars over a 4.I am lover of character driven books. I wanted so much for Ana to be a heroine that was tough, strong and kicked butt. I feel that she did not quite meet what I expected of her. She is a soft spoken and naive girl. She does slowly grow throughout this story, but when it came down to the absolute ending when I wanted to her just... fight, I felt that she came off a little flat. There was one instance in the very end of the story I was proud of her, but it wasn't that emotional culmination I was expecting. Which also may be explained by the fact that this is the first in a series, so they had to leave some of the anticipation for the next book? I don't know.The majority of the story we get to know Sam and Ana. They travel together and they learn from each other and grow to care about each other. Even though Ana is a new soul and very naive about the way things are I do believe that Sam learns just as much from her and she from him. When it came down to the subject of music and learning music, I felt these parts of the story dragged a little, the pace slowed incredibly and it really took me a while to get back into the world around them.The ending and the world building is what almost brought the story up to 4 stars for me. I just wished it hadn't felt like it took so long to get there and then it ends too fast. Right as everything really gets interesting the story ends. The world is by far a 5 star rating, but the characters and the pace had a lot more potential.This is not a negative review. 3 stars does mean that I liked this book. In fact after that ending I am still looking forward to see what happens in the next book, and I love the cover, that artwork is amazing.My favorite part of the novel is the main idea, that the souls are reincarnated. I giggled at the concept of being reborn as another sex. My imagination goes wild thinking of what that would be like to be in love with somebody, and having you or them reborn into a different body altogether. How love can have no boundaries? But what if your love was not born until you were 40 or 50 years old..is that possible to still be in love yet so far apart in age. My opinion is yes, it's the actual acts and the intenseness of the emotion of love that changes, not the feeling.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. This book was perfect, everything I expected and more, I fell in love with it from the first page.The plot took over my brain and had me thinking about it day and night. Who wouldn't want to read about a not-so-perfect girl trying to find her place in an all-too-complicated world, with an all-too-perfect guy?Ana, the main character, was a strong and passionate young woman, who took matters into her own hands. I found myself admiring her courage and creativity. She was a fun and interesting person to read about, and it was hard not to like her. Eventhough people were treating her like she wasn't human, it didn't keep her from trying to live a normal life. I'm sure anyone who reads this book will hate Li, Ana's mother, for how she treats Ana. She made a nice touch to the tension of the book.Sam was a charming and lovely character. He is everything a girl could ever want in a boy: caring, gentle and considerate. The extent he would go to for Ana is endless. I could have not wished for a better person for Ana to befriend. All the scenes between him and Ana had my heart racing and a grin on my face! I found myself laughing through their encounter!I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys fantasy, sweet romance with a side of action! I can't wait to see what Meadows has got instore for us in the sequel. :D
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The concept of this story was a good one and I really had high expectations for it. Unfortunately I felt as though it lacked focus on certain areas. To begin with the beginning felt way too rushed almost as if the author wanted to "get to the good stuff." Although most of the time it is what all readers want, I feel like in this situation it had a negative effect as it didn't allow me personally to connect to the main character. In turn I was more focused on the secondary character and ended up finding the main character annoying and way too needy. I also felt like not a lot of time was spent on explaining/exploring the world and its various inhabitants which is something I hope will be further explored in the continuing books. That aside i found it to be an enjoyable read.
Book preview
Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
Chapter 1
Snow
I WASN’T REBORN.
I was five when I first realized how different that made me. It was the spring equinox in the Year of Souls: Soul Night, when others traded stories about things they’d done three lifetimes ago. Ten lives. Twenty. Battles against dragons, developing the first laser pistol, and Cris’s four-life quest to grow a perfect blue rose, only for everyone to declare it was purple.
No one bothered talking with me, so I’d never said a word—not ever—but I knew how to listen. They’d all lived before, had memories to share, had lives to look forward to. They danced around the trees and fire, drank until they fell over laughing, and when the time came to sing gratitude for immortality, a few glanced at me, and the clearing was so eerie quiet you could hear the waterfall crashing on rocks a league south.
Li took me home, and the next day I collected all the words I knew and made a sentence. Everyone else remembered a hundred lifetimes before this one. I had to know why I couldn’t.
Who am I?
My first spoken words.
No one,
she said. Nosoul.
I was leaving.
It was my eighteenth birthday, only a few weeks after the turning of the year. Li said, Safe journey, Ana,
but her expression was stony, and I doubted she meant it with any sincerity.
The Year of Drought had been the worst of my life, filled with accumulated anger and resentment. The Year of Hunger hadn’t started much better, but now it was my birthday and I had a backpack filled with food and supplies, and a mission to find out who I was, why I existed. The chance to escape my mother’s hostile glares was a happy benefit.
I glanced over my shoulder at Purple Rose Cottage, Li standing tall and slender in the doorway, and snow spiraling between us. Good-bye, Li.
My farewell misted in the frigid air, lingering when I straightened and hitched my backpack. It was time to leave this isolated cottage and meet . . . everyone. Save the rare visitor, I knew no one but my snake-hearted mother. The rest of the population lived in the city of Heart.
The garden path twisted down the hill, between frost-covered tomato vines and squash. I shivered deeper into my wool coat as I began the march away from the woman who used to starve me for days as punishment for doing chores incorrectly. I wouldn’t complain if this was the last time I ever saw her.
My boots crunched gravel and slivers of ice, which had fallen from trees as morning peeked between mountains. I kept my fists in my pockets, safe in tattered mittens, and clenched my jaw against the cold. Li’s glare stalked me all the way down the hill, sharp as the icicles hanging from the roof. Didn’t matter. I was free now.
At the foot of the hill, I turned toward Heart. I’d find my answers in the city.
Ana!
From the front step, Li waved a small metal object. You forgot a compass.
I heaved a sigh and trudged back up. She wouldn’t bring it to me, and it was no surprise she’d waited until I got all the way down before reminding me. The day I’d gotten my first menstruation, I’d run from the washroom shouting about my insides bleeding out. She’d laughed and laughed until she realized I actually had thought I was dying. That made her guffaw.
Thank you.
The compass filled my palm, and then my front pocket.
Heart is four days north. Six in this weather. Try not to get lost, because I won’t go looking for you.
She slammed the door on me, cutting off the flow of warm air from the heater.
Hidden from her sight, I stuck my tongue out at her, then touched the rose carved into the oak door. This was the only home I’d ever known. After I was born, Menehem, Li’s lover, left beyond the borders of Range. He’d been too humiliated about his nosoul daughter to stay, and Li blamed me for . . . everything. The only reason she’d taken care of me—sort of—was because the Council had made her.
After that, still stinging from Menehem’s disappearance, she’d taken us to Purple Rose Cottage, which Cris, the gardener, had abandoned and Li had given a mocking name when no one thought the roses were blue. As soon as I was old enough, I spent hours coaxing those roses back to life so they’d bloom all summer. My hands still bore scars from their thorns, but I knew why they guarded themselves so fiercely.
Again I turned away, tromped down the hill. In Heart, I would beg the Council for time in the great library. There had to be a reason why, after five thousand years of the same souls being reincarnated, I’d been born.
Morning wore on, but the chill hardly eased. Snowdrifts lined the cobblestone road, and my boots flattened the film of white that developed over the day. Every so often, chipmunks and squirrels rustled iced twigs or darted up fir trees, but mostly there was silence. Even the bull elk nosing aside snow didn’t make a sound. I might have been the only person in Range.
I should have left before my quindec, my fifteenth birthday and—for normal people—the day of physical adulthood. Normal people left their parents to celebrate that birthday with friends, but I didn’t have those, and I’d thought I needed more time to learn the skills everyone else had known for thousands of years. Served me right for believing every time Li said how stupid I was.
She’d never have that chance again. When the cottage road ended, I checked my compass and took the fork that led north.
The mountain woods of southern Range were familiar and safe; bears and other large mammals never bothered me, but I didn’t bother them, either. I’d spent my youth collecting shiny rocks and shells that had wormed to the surface after centuries. According to books, a thousand years ago, Rangedge Lake flooded this far north in rainy seasons, so now there were always treasures to hunt.
I didn’t break to eat, just nibbled on cellar-wrinkled apples while I walked, leaving a trail of cores for lucky critters to find. Stomach sated, I tugged my shirt collar over my nose, making breath crawl across my lips and cheeks. With my throat and chest full of warm air, I sang nonsense about freedom and nature. My footfalls kept cadence, and an eagle cried harmony.
I’d never had formal music training, but I’d stolen theory books from the cottage library and, a few times, recordings of the most celebrated musician in Range: Dossam. I’d memorized his—sometimes her—songs so I’d have them after Li discovered my theft; the beatings had been worth it.
Gradually, the cloud-diffused sunlight sank toward the horizon, silhouetting the snowy peaks on my right. Odd, because I was going north, so the sun should have set on my left.
Perhaps the road had snaked around a hill and I hadn’t noticed. The mountains were filled with tricky paths that looked promising until they stopped at a small lake or canyon. When plotting roads through the wilderness, engineers had been careful to avoid those things, but they still had to be mindful of steep hills and mountains. Curves, both sharp and shallow, were to be expected.
But when I left my backpack on the cobblestones and climbed a cottonwood to get a better view, I couldn’t find a place where the road turned back. As far as I could see through the twilight gloom, the road carved a path through firs and pines, straight past Rangedge Lake, which marked the southern boundary of Range.
Li had tricked me.
I hate you!
I hurled the compass to the ground and squeezed my eyes tight, not even sure who I should be angry at. Li, who’d given me a bad compass, or myself, for trusting her to offer even that much kindness.
I’d wasted an entire day of walking, but at least I’d noticed before passing beyond Range. The last thing I needed was to run into a centaur—quite possible this far south—or sylph, which haunted the edges of Range. They didn’t usually come in, thanks to heat-detecting traps placed throughout the forest, but I’d often dreamt of them as a child, and I wasn’t always convinced the shadows and warmth were nightmares.
Whatever. Li would never know about her victory if I didn’t tell her.
Full dark settled as I climbed off the cottonwood; only thin moonlight penetrated the clouds. I fished through my backpack until my hand closed around the flashlight, gave the tube a few sharp twists, and set up camp by that white glow. There was a fast-running stream just off the road, and thick conifers sheltered a clearing barely big enough for my sleeping bag.
I swept snow out of my way and laid the bag on the ground. It was large enough to zip over my head and leave sprawling room. I didn’t have a tent, or need one; it’d take too long to warm up, since Li hadn’t given me a heater. Not that I’d expected such decency. Still, when I crawled inside, I quickly grew as toasty as if I’d been in the cottage.
Maybe, once I learned where I’d come from and whether I’d be reborn, I could live in the wilderness of Range forever. I didn’t need anyone else.
As the flashlight grew dim, I hummed the melody of my favorite sonata, sound muffled against my ears. The bag was stuffy, but it was better than waking up with a mouthful of snow. My eyelids grew heavy.
Shh.
I snapped awake and stiffened, clutching at my flashlight, not ready to turn it on, not ready to dismiss the idea.
Hushhh.
A deep groan came from across the stream. No twigs cracked under footfalls, however, and no branches rustled. All was quiet, except water tumbling from rocks. And the whispers.
The murmurs continued; someone else had decided to make their camp here, and somehow missed seeing my sleeping bag.
Fine. I’d leave. I wasn’t ready to deal with anyone so soon after Li. She’d always said people wouldn’t like me because of what I was, and I didn’t want to explain to anyone why I was on the very edge of Range. Leagues and leagues of human territory, most people holed up in Heart, and someone had to stop here of all places.
The intruders’ tones never changed as I slipped my arms into coat sleeves and pushed my belongings inside my backpack. Years of avoiding Li’s notice had been useful for something after all. Frigid air snaked in as I unzipped the bag and crawled out.
Someone moaned. Now I really wanted to leave.
I rolled the sleeping bag, stashed it away in my backpack, and crept toward the road by snow-reflected moonlight, just bright enough that I could make out trees and underbrush. No tracks from my visitors, though. I must have slept for a little while, because the sky was clear and black, with a dusting of stars like snow. Wind rattled tree limbs.
Shh.
The whispers followed my retreat.
Heart speeding, I twisted my flashlight on and swung the beam toward the burble of water on rocks. Snow, dirt, and shadows. Nothing unusual, except disembodied voices.
As far as I knew, only one creature moved without touching the world. Sylph.
I fled down the road, snow crunching under my boots and icy air shivering into my lungs. Moans became shrieks and laughter. While the heat on the back of my neck might have been terror-fueled imagination, the sylph were gaining. I’d survive a graze of their burning touch, but anything more would kill me.
There were ways to capture them long enough to send them far into the wilderness, but I didn’t have the tools. There was no way to kill a shadow.
I ducked into the woods. Branches slapped my face and caught on my coat. I tore myself free every time, pushing deeper into the forest. Only hissing hinted how close the sylph were.
Freezing air stung my eyes, and the flashlight was already dimming; it had been Li’s spare because it was old. My chest burned with cold and fear, and a cramp jabbed at my side. Sylph keened like wind whistling in a storm, closer and closer. A tongue of invisible flame landed on my exposed cheek. I yelped and pushed harder, only for my bag to snag on a tangle of pines. No amount of yanking freed it.
Sylph melted snow as they formed a dark circle of cacophony and wind. Tendrils of blackness coiled toward me, and the burn on my cheek stung.
I slipped my arms from my backpack and darted between the shadow creatures, a rush of heat on my face like leaning into an oven. They shrieked and pursued, but I could move in tighter quarters now that I was unencumbered. Trees, brush, fallen logs. I dodged and jumped, fighting to keep my thoughts together, focused on getting past the next obstacle rather than the snow and cold, or the fiery death that chased me.
Perhaps I could lead them to one of the sylph traps. But I didn’t know where they were. I didn’t know where I was.
My flashlight went dark. I thumped the butt and twisted the tube until weak light revealed bright snow and trees.
Sylph moaned and wept, closing in as I avoided a snow-covered fir. Heat billowed on the back of my neck. I hurtled over a log and skidded at the edge of a cliff overlooking the lake. Snow slipped under my boots as I threw myself to my knees to stop before falling over the rim. My flashlight wasn’t so lucky. It clattered from my mittened hands and plummeted into the lake with a splash. Three seconds. A long drop.
Wind gusted up from the water as I climbed to my feet. Sylph floated by the woods, seven or eight of them, creatures twice my height made of shadows and smoke. They glided forward, melting snow as they trapped me between them and a cliff over Rangedge Lake.
Their cries were of anger and hopelessness, ever-burning fire.
I glanced over my shoulder, the lake a stretch of darkness and nothing behind me. If there were rocks or chunks of ice, I couldn’t see them. Drowning would be a better end than burning in sylph fire for weeks or months.
You won’t have me.
I spun and leaped off the cliff. Death would be fast and cold; I wouldn’t feel a thing.
Chapter 2
Water
A SCREAM ECHOED. Mine.
I inhaled and slapped my hands over my mouth and nose. Water slammed into my boots and up my sides, covering my face. Pressure swept the air from my chest and throat in a flurry of bubbles. Cold soaked my coat, dragging me deep.
Mittens didn’t work like fins, and my boots were too heavy to let me kick. With the numbing cold, I barely felt the chunks of ice that thumped against my flailing limbs as I scrambled to the surface. Gravity felt the same in all directions underwater, but even as I thought I’d gotten turned around, icy wind stung my face.
I spit water and gasped. I tried to push myself to the nearest shore, but my arms were too heavy to lift with my clothes all waterlogged. The weight drew me under again, leaving only seconds for me to fill my lungs.
No matter how I struggled, I couldn’t find my way back to the surface. I grabbed on to a lump of ice and tried to haul myself up, but it sent me spinning instead. A glow drew my gaze: the flashlight, drifting to the bottom I couldn’t see.
I kept my mouth sealed shut, but my chest spasmed as my lungs yearned for fresh air where there was none. If the freezing temperature didn’t kill me first, the water would. I couldn’t move.
My thoughts grew icy and splintered. My heartbeat echoed in my ears, slowing under cold and depth and lack of oxygen. No matter how I tried to reach up, I couldn’t find up, and I couldn’t convince my arms to move. The water became darker as I followed my flashlight to the bottom of Rangedge Lake.
All the air I’d trapped in my lungs escaped, bubble after bubble.
Water gurgled next to me, swirling where it should have been still. As my toes tapped the bottom, light drifted beyond my eyelids and something wrapped around my middle. I shot upward. The grip on my waist tightened and dragged me through black water.
The slow thud of my heart grew ever more distant. My chest jumped, as if that would trick me into inhaling. I couldn’t keep holding my breath. My lungs would explode if I didn’t let something in to ease the pressure.
I couldn’t stop myself. I breathed water and gave in to the cold.
Time drifted in an icy haze. Water moved around me, inside me, and everything grew obsidian-smooth and dark.
I was on my back.
Something pounded on my chest. A rock. A fist. Anger. Chill and wet pressed on my mouth, and heat blew in. The beating on my chest resumed and a bubble formed inside me, grew, and forced its way up.
A dark and dripping face floated in my vision a heartbeat before I choked up lake water. It seared my throat like fire, but I coughed and spit until my mouth was dry. I fell to my back again as the shivers came, rattling through me like the cottage windowpanes in a storm.
I was alive. The freezing wind was colder than the lake, but I could breathe. Someone else’s air filled me. I forced my eyes open, hardly able to believe anyone would bother to rescue me.
The ice and encroaching blackness must have damaged my vision, because I saw a boy’s concerned expression shift to relief. Maybe it was my fading consciousness that made him appear to smile. At me.
Then I was gone, lost in dreams.
Wool blankets brushed my face. My bulky coat and boots were gone, and I was dry, lying on my side. My toes and fingers tingled as the numbness retreated. Already I was sore from my impact with the water, but the only thing that really hurt was the graze on my cheek. Blankets trapped me in a pocket of warm air. Foggy thoughts trapped me in this dream of safety.
Something solid pressed against my back. A body breathed in time with me, steady in and out, until I broke the unity by thinking about it. An arm was slung over my ribs, and a palm rested on my heart as if to make sure it continued beating, or to ensure that it didn’t fall out. Breath warmed the back of my neck, rustling hairs across my skin.
Just as I began to drowse further into my dream, a deep voice behind me said, Hi.
I held my breath, waiting for the dream to change.
It’s been, what, four thousand years since anyone thought midwinter swimming was a good idea? It’s an awful way to go. Did you just want to see if that had changed?
My eyes snapped open as my situation crystalized. I jumped, legs tangled in the blanket, and my elbow bumped a small heater. The tent seemed to close around me. Only a tiny lamp illuminated the space, but it was enough to show me the zipped door. I lunged for it.
The boy caught my waist and pulled. I dropped to my butt, dragging the zipper with me. Winter air poured inside as I wiggled from his grasp and threw myself into the waiting night. Snow sparkled in moonlight, deceptively peaceful with its smothering silence.
Wool socks protected my feet until I got to a line of trees across a clearing, and then pine needles and pebbles stabbed through the snow. I didn’t care. Didn’t stop. I ran anywhere, as long as it was away from sylph and the strange young man. There was no telling what he wanted, but if he was anything like Li, it wouldn’t be good.
Winter caught up with me as I rounded a tower of boulders and stubby trees. Goose bumps crawled up my bare arms. I wore only a thin shirt and too-big trousers—neither were mine.
Freezing air hit the back of my throat with each ragged breath. I stumbled down a staircase of rocks and packed dirt, intent on running again, but the lake stretched wide under moonlight, right in front of me. Wavelets glinted as they lapped the shore and my toes.
I staggered backward, images of ice and a dimming flashlight on the backs of my eyelids every time I blinked. The cliff where I’d fallen—no, jumped—hung over the lake a ways to my right, silhouetted against bright starlight and snowy mountains. I should have died.
Maybe Li had paid that boy to rescue me. It wouldn’t be the first time she used me like a cat playing with a mouse until it nearly died of fright.
Pine needles rustled and snow swished underfoot. Light bled across the waves in front of my feet. I spun around. The boy held a lamp shoulder high, his gaze beyond me. After I worked so hard saving you, I’d appreciate if you didn’t try to kill yourself again.
I clenched my jaw against chattering teeth. Tremors racked through me as I searched for escape, but he was blocking the only path. I could try beating him up, or swimming to another shore where he couldn’t follow. Both were unlikely to work, especially since getting back in the freezing lake was the last thing I wanted. He’d probably just save me again.
He must have been strong, dragging me from the bottom like that. Stubble darkened his chin and he towered over me, but he looked my age. Tan skin, wide-set eyes, and shaggy, shadowed hair. Those must have been his arms around me underwater, and his breath that filled me when I had none of my own.
You might as well come back.
He offered his free hand, long fingers slightly curled in welcome. I won’t hurt you, and you’re shivering. I’ll make tea.
He didn’t quite hide his shivers, either; no coat or gloves meant he hadn’t taken the extra time to dress for cold before following me. Perhaps his concern was genuine, though I’d thought Li sincere when she reminded me about bringing a compass. Please?
My other option was freezing to death, which seemed less appealing now that I was definitely alive. I would watch him, though, and if he did anything Li-like, I’d escape. He couldn’t make me stay.
I followed him through the woods. Didn’t take his hand, just hugged myself and was glad he’d brought that lantern, and that he’d paid attention to where I’d run.
The forest was black with shadows and white with snowdrifts. Fir and pine trees shuddered under the weight of a million snowflakes. I jumped at noises, straining to hear the whispers and moans that had driven me into the lake to begin with.
My cheek still throbbed where the sylph had touched me and was hot to my bare fingers. It didn’t feel blistered, though; doubtful it would kill me. I was lucky it hadn’t gotten me more than that. Large sylph burns were said to grow and consume the entire body over time. Li had warned me it was a painful way to die.
We reached the tent. Outside, a small horse snorted and eyed us from underneath half a dozen blankets. When we didn’t do anything alarming, he tucked his head down to sleep.
My rescuer held open the tent for me. Our boots and coats hung by the door, still damp. Blankets on the left, a small solar battery heater in the center, and his bags on the other side. There was just enough room for one person to stretch out, two if they were friendly . . . or staving off hypothermia. He’d known exactly how to save my life, while I would have panicked in his position. I’d panicked enough in my position.
Sit.
He nodded at the blankets and heater.
I didn’t lower myself gracefully so much