Deathless Divide

Written by Justina Ireland

Narrated by Bahni Turpin and Jordan Cobb

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062974853

Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows. Visit her at JustinaIreland.com.

Reviews for Deathless Divide

[Kayla Pratt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In which I finished this book and liked it more than the first one . . .

Jane McKeene (The Devil's Bitch ?? I REALLY love this nickname ??‍♀️) is something fierce and terrifying. Katherine Deveraux (Ms. Priss - according to Sue?) is refined but a deadly shot. The most valuable friendship in more than 1 way.

I literally was on my toes this entire book. This is officially my favorite series . . . Or may be in my top 3 (L.L. McKinney next book might make this difficult).

5 stars

[Danneika Graise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well well welll....Janey-Jane is at it again with the shamblers. But this time is for revenge with a vengeance at all cost. Book 2 did not disappoint. After being "turned-ish," Jane loses everyone she cares about and some. One armed gun slinging madwoman on a mission. The ending of this book, I can accept it, but can we get a book 3!!!

[Rachel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely loved it! This isn't normally the genre I read, but I'm really glad that I took the opportunity to listen to both books! The second (this one) is better than the first!

[Denise Bond · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this sequel much more than the first book. The writing seems to have matured.

[JC lynch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I guess I am in the minority. I liked the first one better - just came across it and read it recently. Yet this is still quite good.

Curious to know if adult readers here read / discuss these 2 books with YA readers (book group, parent, teacher). If so, how and / or reactions ?

[Jose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the ARC 2 months before the release date. I was in love. I listened to it recently and now I am obsessed once again. Justina Ireland has once again outdone herself. By the end of this tale, you will understand things like life, acceptance, grief, ambition, love and friendship.

[Tyrone DH · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dread Nation was great, but Deathless Divide was even better. I loved that Jane became as notorious as she did. I also enjoyed the author adding in Katherine's notes. The added dimension of seeing it through both Jane and Katherine's eyes made it for a more entertaining read. I would have loved to have had Katherine's perspective in Dread Nation as well, to see what she was thinking about Jane throughout their relationship development. I hope that Justina Ireland decides to add another book to this series so we can see the adventures of Jane & Kate as they head to New Orleans.

[Ekene Ogbue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So....that is it. And it was so so so good. I wanna say (and there's a good chance my opinion may change later) even better than the first book. An equal amount of action and heartbreak all in one

[Shellan Ward · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as great as the first book. The story felt somewhat flat and a little drawn out. Withstanding all of that I still enjoyed this book.

[London · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good story. Loved the strong realistic female characters. I would encourage my daughters to read this book.

[EwuraEsi1987 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book, gear character development and pacing. Can’t wait to read book 3!

[fionaanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very different from the first book and not what I was expecting but an enjoyable adventure nevertheless.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well this was an interesting read, following on from the first book it alternates chapters between Katherine and Jane McKeene with them getting together and losing each other and both thinking the other is dead in some instances. The story is more clear about racism and about the fact that there were more people in the west than only white folks, and that sometimes the devil you know is a devil indeed.Jane goes on a quest for vengeance after the man she's attracted to is bitten and she has to kill him and there is tragedy a plenty in the story. The end was somewhat hopeful but with the disease spreading so much it would be hard to stop but I'm sure they're going to try.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Satisfying sequel to Dread Nation, Deathless Divide continues the saga of Jane and Katharine in the alternate-history post Civil War, replete with zombies.Told in alternating chapters in the voices of Jane and Katharine.I'm guessing that this one is a true sequel and no other additions are planned, but who know?I could enjoy some more time in this world!

[infjsarah · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't particularly enamoured of the first book but it was OK. Sadly I thought even less of the 2nd book. I got to the end but I was often bored.

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's rare that I like a sequel better than the first book. More to come on this one.

[maryellencg-894309 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really hope she writes another in this series. I want more Jane and Katherine.

[oldandnewbooksmell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first 5 star review of 2020 and I can't be happier that it's Deathless Divide, the sequel to Dread Nation!

After the fall of Kansas survivalist town Summerland, Jane McKeene, Katherine Deveraux, and their group set off to what they hope is a better opportunity at life. But of course, life is never easy, especially while surviving in 1880's America with the restless dead. On the road to a protected village called Nicodermus, the group suffers a loss. Then, what appears at first to be a safe haven, Nicodermus becomes filled with lies and mystery.

The group becomes separated and Jane soon finds herself on a path filled with darkness and blood while Katherine does everything she can to continue on. Katherine never expected to be friends with Jane McKeene, but after everything she's been through, she knows friends are hard to come by; her best friend, Jane, needs her now more than ever. When the duo reach a critical point, Katherine is the one who must keep hope alive so they can survive.

I enjoyed this book so much. My heart broke for Jane and all the hardship she had to go through, but I loved the badass fighter she became. The story arc she has through this novel kept me intrigued to see it to the end. Katherine however, really stole the show for me. Just having her be there as an ace character doing her thing and surviving - all while wearing a corset - is amazing. Also her love for stubborn and sometimes unflinching Jane is heartwarming; she's loyal to Jane no matter what, even when Jane tries to push her away. I respected Jane but I admired Katherine. Both girls are such badass characters for me and I love them both so much.

I'll try not to mention anything major about the story line, but it's pretty good to say the book splits between "Nicodermus" and "After Nicodermus." "After Nicodermus" leads in directions I would have never guessed and it had me turning page after page. It's intense. New, interesting characters are also introduced, many of whom were just as interesting as Jane and Katherine (I would have loved to see more of Carolina and Katherine's friendship).

Even with the back and forth between each chapter of Jane and Katherine's POVs in Deathless Divide, it has, just like Dread Nation, such an incredible, strong narrative. The way that Justina Ireland writes blows me away. Both characters give the reader so much to connect and hold onto.

I absolutely loved the ending of this book as well. I was so concerned in the last 75 pages or so that it wouldn't end well - not because I didn't want another one (at this point, I will read anything Justina Ireland writes I just love her writing so much), but because I was worried I was going to have to wait another two years before I found out after being left with a cliff hanger. Ireland was able to write the end perfectly that I was happy with the wrap-up of Jane's story.

Deathless Divide is a book I will now always recommend (of course after one reads Dread Nation). It has strong, independent, black, female, queer characters. It addresses issues of racism, sexism, mental health, and the meaning of surviving. The story is an easy and fast-paced read with characters that, as a reader, one can fall in love with.

[guide2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fairly good continuation of the story, but somewhat forgettable. Definitely not as impactful as the first book of the series, but still quite enjoyable.

[socprof9740 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second book of Dread Nation gives more space to the second main protagonist of this series, which is nice.
It is just as fun a read as the first one. And more teenage navel-gazing which is always not interesting, but again, a fun read with a very open ending and loose ends.

[viragoreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Ms. Ireland took us for a wild ride on this one.Wherein Jane and Katherine become the best of friends, go on more adventuers. We have deaths, rebirths, apparently the vaccine works, but also, it does not work. We have a mad scientist on the loose, and vengeful bounty hunters on his trail, the East Coast has fallen, more racism and mysoginy. There are not-so-happy reunions, a whole lot of character development, more allies, and lots more death..This was just fabulous. I loved the story, the characters, the narration with the added narrator was wonderful, and the ending left me wanting more, yet was completely satisfying. I loved this book and its predecessor and whether or not it's this story continuing, or something completely new, I look forward to reading more by the author.

[lavaturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked getting to know Katherine better, along with getting some more Jane adventures. The developments in the world are interesting and well done, and the supporting cast is great. The book does a good job being grounded in its setting and giving our protagonists distinct voices.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jane and Katherine have progressed from reluctant teammates to something like friends, but now that Summerland has fallen to the undead shamblers, they are on the run again. As they travel, the bigotry and racism they encounter is just as much a threat as the shamblers, and they need to use all their ingenuity to survive.This second book is more tightly plotted than the first, and goes back and forth between Jane and Katherine's perspectives. The audio version, with two narrators, is really well done. Though zombies and horror is general not my thing, I enjoyed following the girls' adventures in the alternate Wild West set soon after the Civil War, and thought the ending left the characters in a satisfying place.

[shellypya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America. After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother. But nothing is easy when you're a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America. What's more, this safe haven is not what it appears--as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her. But she won't be in it alone. Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by--and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not. Watching Jane's back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it's up to Katherine to keep hope alive--even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m sad that I found this sequel much less compelling than the first book, mostly because the characters talk like 2020-era people (“in my feelings”) and adding another narrator doesn’t help. The actual events are eventful, with further running from the dead and questions about whether the zombie vaccine might actually work.

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Dread Nation series. I got this on audiobook from Audible.com.Audiobook Quality (4/5): For some reason they added a second narrator to read Kate’s parts and she just was not as good as the original narrator for the series. I really wish they had just had the original narrator do these parts. This second narrator really decreased the quality of this audiobook.Story (4/5): This book is done in two parts. The first part follows Jane and Kate as they flee from Summerland with a horde in chase and head to Nicodemus. There they must prove Jane’s innocence regarding what happened in Summerland. However, when they find out Gideon also made it to Nicodemus things go awry quickly. The second part of the book is what happens after and we hear from Jane and Kate separately as they fight their own battles.I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first book. This really did seem like two novellas that had been mashed together. It was good and engaging but it didn’t blow me away like the first book did.Characters (5/5): I love the characters in this book, they are really part of what makes this an amazing story. Both Jane and Kate grow and change a lot throughout the story and the majority of the story is about them. However, there are a number of really well done side characters too.Setting (5/5): This is the other really strong point of this series. I love this world and how well it was put together. We get to journey further west in this book and venture into areas that were left more untouched by the undead. Visiting the San Francisco of this world was especially fun. Writing Style (4/5): As mentioned above, I wasn’t quite as impressed with the writing this time around. Jane’s parts were still very entertaining but I didn’t enjoy Kate as much, maybe because of the poor narration. I also thought the way the book was broken into two separate books felt really abrupt and jarring. Summary (4.5/5): Overall I still really enjoyed this but was a bit disappointed in a couple aspects of this book. However, that won’t stop me from reading future books in this series. I was unable to find out if there will be more books in this series and things are pretty wrapped up here. I certainly hope there are though!