by Veronica Roth

 Author: Veronica Roth

 Title: Carve the Mark
 Publication date: 2016
 Pages: 480
 Chapters: 42
 Genre: Science fiction, space opera, young
adult fiction
 Veronica Roth, known for the famous
Divergent series, comes with a new novel
addressed to adolescents. “Carve the Mark” is
a SF located in a galaxy with nine planets
driven by the current, and where all its
inhabitants have a currentgift, a manifestation
of the current that flows through them, which
is a certain talent unique to each person,
allowing them to be able to do something
ordinary humanity cannot, whether it be good
or bad, useful or not.
The map of the galaxy
 At first, to be honest, the cover of the book was the
reason I wanted to read it. In addition to the title of
the book, the author's name and the other texts, it
illustrations the present carves in the title, which the
members of the Shotet nation are raising in their skin
after they kill a person. Besides the Shotet nation,
there is also the Thuvhe nation, whose name the
planet bears. These two nations are enemies, with
different habits, cultures and languages. What
separates them is a large expanse of feathergrass,
which is a tall grass that causes hallucinations.
 In the action of the book, the main characters are Akos and Cyra. “Akos is
the son of a farmer and an oracle on the ice-planet Thuvhe, protected by his
unusual currentgift (which consists in the disappearance of the currentgift of
others by his touch only). Akos is a generous soul and his loyalty to the
family is infinite. When he and his brother are captured by the enemy
soldiers of Shotet, Akos's only goal is to bring his brother alive from there -
regardless of price. Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyran who leads the Shotet
people. Her currentgift gives her pain but also power - something her
brother exploits mercilessly, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is far
more than a weapon in her brother's hand: she is rebellious, agile, and wiser
than he knows. Then Akos is thrown into the Cyra`s world, and the
anomalies between their countries and their families seem unbearable.” This
is the description of the main characters made by the publishing house, a
perfect description of them, full of details that make us want to enter their
world. The book is written from two perspectives, those of the protagonists,
we, the readers, managing to personally characterize the characters and
forming our own opinion about them.
Akos Kereseth Cyra Noavek Ryzek Noavek
 The volume starts with Akos's perspective,
which I can not say I loved too much at first,
being a shy, weak and quite pampered little
boy, considering that he was one of the
richest family members in Hessa, his city
home. He was the youngest of his brothers,
so he was the most vulnerable. But after he
was captured by their enemies, he became a
powerful man, both physically and mentally,
loyal to his purposes, and, more recently, to
Cyra. This character presented dozens of
emotions, so comprehensive that I could not
leave the book. All the sensitivity and
sadness that emanates throughout the volume
made me feel his most intense feelings.
Obviously, the author made this possible
through her very detailed work on details.
 As far as Cyra is concerned, this is a
character who has drawn my attention so
much that I loved her without doubt;
although it was smaller than Akos at
first, it seemed to me to be stronger and
smarter. All the barbarian events that she
pass through because of her brother
make her realize how strong she is. Cyra
is characterized, in addition to those
listed above, at the opposite pole, by
sensitivity, love and passion. Akos and
Cyra fall in love with each other, which,
in my opinion, is one of the things that
keep the reader in suspense. The slow
steps they make to reveal their love keep
us captivated in the world of the book.
 “Carve the Mark” is a book that has impressed
me from all points of view. The way the book
is written, from two perspectives, the details
provided by the author in each chapter, each
page and each row helped me to imagine the
universe described better. The book has had
such a good influence on me that I want so
much to read the second volume, which I will
certainly do. Finally, the book deserves to be
read and I highly recommend it to lovers of the
category of books of fiction and SF.
 Some expressions that seemed to me to be
interesting:
 “So at night I dreamed death, and death was
filling my days”
 “I'm telling lies better than telling the truth”
 “Honor has no place in survival”