Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 374
Source: Purchased
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

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? – Goodreads

Review:
I read Incarnate by Jodi Meadows a few months ago, so I don’t completely remember all my thoughts on it, but I clearly remember thinking, “That was lovely!” The writing style is subtle, but lyrical and gorgeous and a perfect fit for this book about reincarnation.

The worldbuilding – Incarnate takes place in a world where souls are continuously reincarnated. They live, they die, and they’re born again in different bodies with all the memories of their past lives. There are only so many souls so everyone is familiar with each other, they have their attachments, etc. The cycle they’ve grown to be familiar with falls apart when Ciana dies and doesn’t return. In her place comes Ana, a new being all of her own. Upon reading the summary for the book, I was immediately drawn to its premise. Reincarnation? Yes, please! Reincarnation within a set number of people until someone new arrives, shaking things up? Double the yes, please! I think Jodi Meadows set the boundaries of her world very well. She was able to build a complex world without overcomplicating it — or watering it down — for me. OH, AND THERE WERE DRAGONS!

The characters – As far as leads go, Jodi Meadows managed to make Ana likable. It would have been very easy to make her into a whiny mess, especially considering the treatment she endured under her mother’s roof, but Jodi Meadows was also able to display her determination, bravery, and her willingness to grow. On the opposite end, it was easy to dislike the characters that shunned her or, in the case of her mother, abused her. Still, I was still able to see where they were coming from: they were used to living forever with certain companions, until one actually died for real and here’s this new girl who has taken her place What caused this? What does it mean for them? They were understandably terrified. Sam could have easily fit into that category, but he was willing to give Ana a chance and keep an open mind.

The romance – Sam and Ana’s relationship was a gradual progression. Their connection made sense and it was full of so much tenderness that it would be impossible not to find them sweet together. Sweetness and all the gushy stuff aside…um, that masquerade scene? HOT and swoonworthy, yowza!

Overall, I found Incarnate by Jodi Meadows to be a refreshing and unique read. Her world has a lot to offer, and there are still so many questions Ana needs answered, so I’m looking forward to continuing with this new series.