Fine conclusion to this duology. Plenty of intrigue and action, some nice red herrings and redemption for a most flawed character. I greatly enjoyed both books. ( )

Not a bad sequel. It wasn't quite as exciting as the first one, but there was a lot of intrigue and wondering who you could trust and who had their own agenda. I liked seeing Carys learn more about her wind power and getting closer to Errick. Andreus finally pulled his head out of his butt and saw what was happening. Max was a cute kid and I'm glad Andreus took him in. I would've liked more information about the Xhelozi monsters and that whole storyline was left a little open I thought. The ending was a little sad but made sense. An epilogue would be nice. ( )

A satisfying end

This is a good finale to this story. I enjoyed the resolution to all of the major plot points as well as the inevitable twists that come along the way. Maybe we can see these characters again in the future...at least those with a story left to tell! ( )

Eden Conquered is a book I read because I wanted closure. I have no strong feelings about any of the characters, and my enjoyment of reading the first novel was not high enough to ignore the large plot holes and poor character development within it. Yet, when presented with the opportunity to find out what happened to Carys and Andreus, I was curious and took advantage of it.

It turns out that Eden Conquered provides more of the same as Dividing Eden. Extremely rushed with holes the size of buses, the story moves forward at a frenetic pace – one that makes no sense and forces you to suspend disbelief on more than one instance. The characters remain weakly developed, although Carys continues to be the more developed of the two. There are one or two twists that may manage to surprise you, but the rest follows a predictable pattern. However, just like its partner in the duology, Dividing Eden is a novel meant to entertain rather than impress.

To expound upon specifics would be to give away any bit of excitement one may garner from the novel. Suffice it to say, there is the usual happenings within the story. There are battles – both external and internal. Hidden truths see the light of day. Difficult decisions made. There is the hint of a romance but no romantic triangle. Magic but no real technology outside of electric lights. Monsters both human and otherwise. Most of your questions get answers. Other than the fantastic cover (and it really is spectacular), Eden Conquered remains a middle-of-the-road young adult fantasy that fades into the background of the many, many similar novels that have come before it.

After the Trials of Virtuous Succession ends, Prince Andreus is crowned king and his sister and protector, Princess Carys is dead. But Andreus quickly realizes that being the king isn't worth all that he's lost and with Carys gone, there is no one left for him to trust.

When Andreus left Carys to die at the hands of the Xhelozi, her only option is to fake her death and flee. After a lifetime of protecting her brother Andreus, he has now become her mortal enemy she is determined to avenge. But when danger from the Xhelozi's and an enemy invasion threaten her beloved home of Eden, she forms alliances with some unlikely allies to reclaim her throne and save her kingdom.

I love the way Charbonneau tells a story. This action-packed sequel is filled with mystery, intrigue, and twists that keep you guessing all the way through to the open-ended ending. ( )