The recently revived BookCon is currently underway in New York, meaning big book news is on the docket this weekend. And among the biggest is that Veronica Roth is returning to the story that made her famous: Divergent. It’s been 15 years since Roth’s hit YA dystopian novel first debuted, and she’s released a number of other books and series since. In fact, she’s approaching the release of a dystopian romance this spring, with Seek the Traitor’s Son publishing on May 12.
And according to Elle, the author’s BookCon panel came with a surprise announcement in addition to promotion of her 2026 book. Roth is writing a new Divergent novel: The Sixth Faction. This isn’t a continuation of the original story, but rather, a reimagining of it. It will take place in an alternate universe, where Beatrice Prior becomes factionless instead of joining Dauntless.
In her exclusive interview with Elle, Roth explained that this approach came from a place of wanting to enjoy playing in this world again — and wanting to address critiques of her dystopian hits that she actually agrees with. She’s tackling The Sixth Faction from the perspective of “So what would you do now?” It’s an intriguing approach, and it will answer readers’ questions as well. After all, who among us hasn’t pondered how Tris’ story could have gone differently with just a few minor changes?
The Sixth Faction isn’t the only Divergent book on the horizon, either. Apparently, Roth is working on a sequel to the alt-universe retelling as well — which means those still grieving Allegiant‘s ending may soon have a fresh one to embrace. It’s an exciting time to be a Divergent fan, and the new books are arriving at a great time more broadly.
Veronica Roth’s New Divergent Books Are Arriving at the Perfect Time
Veronica Roth’s new Divergent books are arriving at the ideal time, as the dystopian genre is seeing a resurgence with hits like Daggermouth and Silver Elite. Even The Hunger Games made its comeback last year with Sunrise on the Reaping, and a new Shatter Me series is underway. It’s obvious readers are craving the genre, and they’re likely to gravitate toward another familiar story. Soon, they’ll be able to revisit an old favorite with The Sixth Faction.
The Sixth Faction is set to release on October 6, 2026.
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