Book Review: The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Title: The Diminished
Author: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: 19 March 2018
Pages: 250
Format: eBook - PDF
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Source: ARC via NetGalley



In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone.
The singleborn

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him.
The diminished

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what’s left of her life in peace.

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures — one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined. (Goodreads Synopsis)


The Diminished is a story with an interesting premise that, for the most part, works well. The world building was done cleanly, avoiding info dumping, and I found Vi and Bo to be appealing characters. There is an element of the dreaded YA love triangle in the tale, with two guys (brothers, no less) after the same girl; however, it is not a huge focus of the book and so didn't make me roll my eyes too much. On the whole, the pacing of the story worked well. Nevertheless, I did find the last few chapters a little rushed as the author tried to provide all the necessary info to create a lead-in to what will be book two. That aside, The Diminished is a book that kept me turning the pages and which left me intrigued to see how Bo and Vi's stories will conclude. Fans of YA fantasy with a dystopian twist will want to check out this new read.