Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Akos Kereseth is destined, or “fated”, to serve his nation’s enemy.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth follows Akos, the third child of the family Kereseth from the nation of Thuvhe, who is fated to die in service for the Noavek family, the ruling family of the nation Shotet known for their brutal violence. The people of Thuvhe, called the Thuvhesit, and the people of Shotet, live on the same planet in a galaxy of nine planets, but violence between these two nations has kept them separate. A force called the current flows through the galaxy, including the planet on which the Thuvhesit and Shotet live, and it gives each individual a currentgift, which is a unique talent that no one else in the galaxy can do. For Akos, his currentgift is the ability to stop the current and prevent those he touches from feeling the effects of the current.

After a brutal battle with Akos’ family, he and his brother are held captive by the Noavek family, undeniably so Akos can fulfill his fate -- to die in service for the Noavek family. Once in Shotet, Akos is deemed to serve Cyra Noavek, the younger sister of Ryzek Noavek, the current ruler of Shotet who employs Cyra to torture those who are not loyal to Ryzek. Cyra’s currentgift consists of dark swirls underneath her skin -- the current -- that brings her and those she touches pain. Ryzek utilizes Cyra’s currentgift as a torture device, but he knows that if Cyra is in pain all of the time, she will revolt against Ryzek, taking his beloved torture device away in the process. Thus, he assigns Akos to alleviate Cyra’s pain, as whenever Akos touches Cyra, he barricades the current from affecting her. As Akos and Cyra grow closer, secrets about their lives are revealed that make them question whether they should help one another.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth was a good read. It contained excitement and was different from books I typically read. However, this book began slowly; that is, the beginning of the book consisted of background information that would later become somewhat crucial for the plot of the book. This makes sense as the galaxy Akos and Cyra live in is quite complex -- there are regulations and traditions that each nation -- and the people of each nation -- have to follow. Nonetheless, once the plot begins, the story accelerates with an occasional plot twist sprinkled throughout. These plot twists help move along the story and build suspense, ultimately making up for the slow beginning. Overall, Carve the Mark is a wonderful book to kill time with -- it is futuristic, contains excitement, and will keep you engaged, despite its slow beginning. On the Bologna Scale, I would give it 9/13 bologna slices.