“What if Rome never fell?”
The first book in a planned series, Divine by M.J. Woodman is set in an alternative reality where the Roman Empire never fell. Present-day Appia, real-world North America, fractured by a mythical war in recent history has been divided into five Imperial fortress states.
On the cusp of womanhood, Electa faces an uncertain future in Latia, the capital state in Appia. Feeling suppressed by her society’s rules and expectations, she rebels quietly in the only ways she knows how – drinking, smoking, fighting, and partying. Her youthful but futile resistance cannot last for long. Her seventeenth birthday looms and with it, the Choosing. This rite of passage promises wealth and happiness for a chosen few but Electa, as a plebeian faces an almost certain fate – expulsion from her Haven and homeland.
Electa’s fate takes an unexpected turn when, against all the odds, she is Chosen to compete in Imperial Panore, a once in a generation event to find a wife for the future Emperor. But when a mysterious terror organization, Spartaca, recruits her to bring down the Empire from the inside, she must learn to adapt to the politics and power her new life brings. To win the competition, she must first seduce the Prince, and future Emperor, Asher Ovicula. Then she must defeat the other competitors in a series of brutal gladiatorial games. Why did Spartaca choose her? The truth will change Electa’s world forever.
Rating: 
Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An exciting young adult dystopian fantasy, Divine is a well-written debut with a promising concept.
Woodman began writing Divine when she was thirteen and revisited it years later to add a clear and mature voice. And that’s why you can so obviously see her inspiration from popular young adult franchises such as The Hunger Games and Divergent. But what’s not to appreciate about a young reader taking their favourite books and using them to influence her own new world?
Her love of both history and the young adult genre radiates throughout as she uses these stories to set her foundation, successfully building her own story around them. And there’s definitely enough originality here for Divine to stand out on its own.
As a debut, I think Woodman deserves a lot of credit. Her writing is beautiful and I easily got a feel for the surroundings, understood the context, and enjoyed the developing relationships.
The mythology side of the story could have been a little stronger for me and the brutality of the games could have been heightened some more, but I think Woodman has created a fantastic stepping stone for the rest of the series.
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