Divergent Author Shares Exciting News About Two New Books in a Unique Universe

Fifteen years after the debut of the Divergent book series, author Veronica Roth is reviving the franchise with the announcement of two new novels.

During an event at BookCon in New York City on Saturday, Roth revealed plans for a companion duology that unfolds in an “alternate universe” where the series’ protagonist, Tris, did not choose Dauntless.

“Not a prequel, not a sequel, not a spinoff, not a different POV but an alternate universe of Divergent where Tris chooses a different faction,” Roth said in an interview with USA Today. “I think the question of ‘who is Tris without Dauntless’ is an interesting one.”

The first installment, The Sixth Faction, set to be released on April 18, can be enjoyed as a standalone narrative. Roth expressed eagerness about how this fresh perspective on Tris will be received by fans of the series.

In stark contrast to the original trilogy, where Tris selects Dauntless—the faction symbolizing bravery—The Sixth Faction introduces a tragic turn at her Choosing Ceremony that propels her into an underground rebellion, where she encounters Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton, who serves as Tris’ love interest in the initial books.

Author Veronica Roth attends the premiere of ‘Allegiant’ on March 14, 2016 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

“For existing fans, I’m excited for them to see how the old and the new fold together,” Roth said. “You’d think that certain things wouldn’t happen because she makes a different faction choice, but she does find her way to the same people. Seeing how that happens is a really fun part of it.”

The original trilogy, consisting of Divergent (2011), Insurgent (2012), and Allegiant (2013), follows Tris Prior, a teenage girl navigating a post-apocalyptic Chicago divided into five factions. As a Divergent, someone who does not conform to a single faction, she must hide her identity as tensions rise.

In adaptations of the series, Shailene Woodley portrayed Tris in the Lionsgate films Divergent (2014), The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015), and The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016). A planned fourth film, Ascendant, was ultimately canceled.

Roth also expanded upon the series with the 2014 short story collection Four and the 2018 short story We Can Be Mended, both narrated from Four’s perspective.