Ana is new in a world where a million souls have been reincarnated for thousands of years. Ana’s birth marked the disappearance of one of these reincarnated souls and no one understands why. Many of the reincarnated souls believe Ana is a nosoul. Her mother, who thinks the same, kept her from society and treated her horribly.
At eighteen, Ana decides to travel to the city of Heart to search for answers. How did she get here? Will she be reincarnated? On the way, she meets one of the reincarnated, Sam, who refuses to believe Ana is a nosoul. He finds her fascinating and knows she is a feeling creature. They slowly learn to trust each other, but will anything more be worthwhile if it turns out Ana has only this one life?
Incarnate is a wonderful, thoughtful debut by Jodi Meadows. I will not give anything away, but I do want to share a few things.
I immediately felt bad for Ana. She grew up without love or comfort, without things of her own, and even as she tried her best to be strong, she often cowered like a frightened animal. All because she was not a reincarnated soul and because one soul did not return. Like she had any control over it. I wanted to hug her and be her friend. She was so endearing and honest.
Sam was…oh Sam. He was wonderful. He took the time to get to know Ana and by doing so, he knew she had a soul unlike what everyone else said. He was intelligent, talented, and open-minded and his friends were the same and they all became a haven to Ana. Yes, I wanted to be Ana’s friend, but if Sam were real, I would have to fight her for him. He was so honorable.
Chapter 21 was by far my favorite chapter in the entire book. It was beautiful and seductive.
The world-building was a bit confusing for me but the concept was intriguing. Incarnate is definitely a fantasy with dragons and sylph, but it also explores reincarnation without subscribing to any particular creed. Jodi Meadows makes it her own. I hope to learn a lot more in the next book.
Recommended for young adult readers who are sixteen and older who enjoy fantasy and slow romance rather than insta-love.
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Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. She is a book addict whose hobbies include knitting, crocheting, and spinning. She lives with her husband, cat, and a lot of ferrets. Incarnate is her debut novel and will be available on 31 January 2012.
