I quite enjoyed the Divergent series by Veronica Roth and so it was no brainer that I would pick this book up. 
 Carve the Mark follows the story of Cyra, a Shotet girl and Akos, a Thuvhe boy. Cyra has the power to pour pain into the people she touches and as such she is a potent weapon wielded by her ruler brother, Ryzek. Akos has his special gist because of which he is apprehended and brought to ease the pain Cyra's gift cause her. As their paths cross and these two so different people are brought together, we see some chemistry going on. But are they enemies or are they friends? 
 I must say that I am quite disappointed on many levels. First the world building felt really disjointed. The pace of the book is quite slow in order to build up the world for the duology, but still some things just do not add up evenly. I expected more world building in this book given that this is going to be a duology. But it just did not happen. Secondly, there is the element of self-harm woven into the story through Cyra that really had me on the edge. I feel that the treatment of this element should have received more care and attention. On a better note, I really liked the character of Akos. He pulls the story through; the things he has seen and the people he has lost, yet he remains so pure. His relationship with Cyra was also another bright point of the book as it built up slowly. 
 I really must warn that there is the element of self-harm in the book and thus it is not for everyone.