Review of Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

 Ireland, Justina.  Deathless Divide.  Balzer+Bray, 2020.

This second installment of the Dread Nation duology picks up right where the first book ended.  During the Years of Discord, the time period just after 1863, “shamblers”, or zombies, have taken over the settlement of Summerville, Kansas.  Jane McKeene and Kathryn Deveraux have decided to travel together, heading to Nicodemus, Kansas, the site of a Negro settlement founded by Freedmen and Quaker settlers.  It is supposed to be a secure, welcoming refuge, but it turns out to be just another social-experimental community run by deceitful and criminal characters.  When Nicodemus is also overrun by shamblers, the girls part ways, each heading down their own path.  These two black girls trained in the art of fighting shamblers started out as enemies but ended up as frenemies.  They eventually hope to make their way to Haven, California, a safe Negro settlement near Sacramento, where they believe Jane’s mother is living.  Along the way, they each endure heartbreak, sacrifice, and challenges.

This well-crafted historical-fantasy series has such an unusual concept—that of black, mostly female, zombie hunters during the Civil War and Reconstruction Period. If you are looking for a book that is character-driven and has warrior heroines, look no further.  Both Jane and Kathryn, plus a few other minor characters, have spunk, grit, and determination.  They manage to overcome obstacles within a sinister setting and find intelligent ways out of dangerous situations.  The book is told in alternating chapters in both of their voices, and each chapter begins with a quote either from Shakespeare, the Bible, or some other literary work.  

This series contains, numerous social conflicts—exploitation of the black race, social tensions between native Americans and black characters, and relations between Chinese families and other races.  Add to those conflicts the themes of racism, nationalism, identity, kinship, resilience, immigration, bioethics, and vaccinations, and you have plot that is rich in layers and textures.

Hand this series to readers who love action, zombie stories, and alternative historical fiction.  While it is not necessary to have read the first book, it would be extremely helpful.  I had to go back and reread parts of Dread Nation to bring myself back up to speed.  I highly recommend this book and the whole series to high school and public libraries, and I give it five out of five fleur de lis!