Cover ‘The Sixth Faction’ by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth, a new title in the Divergent series
‘The Sixth Faction’ by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth, a new title in the Divergent series
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What if Tris had never joined Dauntless? Veronica Roth reimagines her landmark ‘Divergent’ universe in ‘The Sixth Faction’, the first of a new duology
That is the question at the heart of Veronica Roth’s The Sixth Faction, the first book in a new Divergent duology that takes readers back to the world of faction-controlled Chicago. Fifteen years after Divergent introduced Beatrice “Tris” Prior, Roth is revisiting the story from a completely different angle. This time, one crucial decision changes everything.
The Sixth Faction is not a sequel to Allegiant, a prequel or a conventional spin-off. Roth has described it as an alternate-universe story that asks what might have happened if Tris had chosen a different faction at her Choosing Ceremony. The characters and world will be familiar to longtime fans, but the story follows a new timeline in which that pivotal moment sends Tris down a very different path.
For fans who remember Tris choosing Dauntless, meeting Tobias “Four” Eaton and becoming caught up in the rebellion against the faction system, the premise offers a particularly tempting question: who is Tris if she never becomes the Dauntless heroine readers know?
The US HarperCollins edition is listed at 528 pages and is scheduled for publication on 6 October 2026. The second book, The Last Testimony, is currently listed for February 2027, meaning readers will not have to wait years to find out where the alternate timeline goes next.
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What is ‘The Sixth Faction’ about?
Above Veronica Roth’s new book, ‘The Sixth Faction’, continues the popular Divergent series (Photo: Harper Fire)
Veronica Roth’s new book, ‘The Sixth Faction’, continues the popular Divergent series (Photo: Harper Fire)
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The story begins in a familiar place: Beatrice Prior is preparing for the Choosing Ceremony that will determine the faction she belongs to for the rest of her life.
In Divergent, Tris leaves Abnegation and chooses Dauntless, setting in motion her relationship with Four and the events that eventually lead to rebellion. In The Sixth Faction, however, tragedy strikes during the Choosing Ceremony and changes her decision.
That one change sends the story in a completely different direction.
According to the official synopsis, Tris is drawn into an underground rebellion, where she encounters a boy with dangerous secrets who has only a number for a name. For fans of the original series, that detail is likely to raise plenty of questions, particularly about how familiar characters and relationships will change in this version of the story.
Roth has said the new books are more focused on the characters and their relationships, with The Sixth Faction taking on elements of a conspiracy thriller. That gives the new story a somewhat different emphasis from the original Divergent trilogy, even as it returns to the same world and central characters.
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How does it connect to ‘Divergent’?
The easiest way to think about The Sixth Faction is as a “what if?” version of Divergent rather than the next chapter of the original trilogy.
Roth has been explicit about what the book is not. It is not a sequel, prequel, spin-off or retelling from another character’s point of view. Instead, it starts with the same basic world and characters before branching into an alternate timeline when Tris makes a different choice.
That means readers do not need to treat the original trilogy as having been replaced or rewritten. The events of Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant remain the original story, while The Sixth Faction explores another possible version of Tris's life.
Is Four still in the story?
The publisher's synopsis does not name the mysterious boy, referring to him only as someone “with only a number for a name”. That has naturally invited speculation among Divergent readers because Tobias Eaton became known as Four after joining Dauntless.
Roth has confirmed that the alternate universe retains familiar characters, but the different timeline means readers should not assume their relationships, loyalties or roles will unfold exactly as they did before. The appeal of the premise is precisely that one changed decision can rearrange the story around it.
So while fans will recognise names and pieces of the original world, The Sixth Faction is designed to keep them guessing about what those familiar characters become in this version of Chicago.
Why is Veronica Roth returning to ‘Divergent’?
Roth first published Divergent in 2011, when the series became one of the defining YA dystopian franchises of the early 2010s. Since then, she has written several other books, including Carve the Mark, Chosen Ones, Poster Girl and Seek the Traitor’s Son. Her return to Divergent is therefore more about revisiting a world she created at the beginning of her career.
In interviews surrounding the announcement, Roth has spoken about finding her way back to the Divergent universe and approaching it with the experience she has gained as a writer since the original trilogy. She has also described the new books as more intimate and character-focused, while still retaining the larger-scale elements of the original world.
That makes The Sixth Faction particularly interesting for readers who grew up with Divergent. The book is bringing back a world they already know, but it is giving Roth the chance to ask a question the original trilogy never could: what would Tris's story look like if she had taken another path from the very beginning?
When does ‘The Sixth Faction’ come out?
The Sixth Faction is scheduled for release on 6 October 2026 from HarperCollins, with a 528-page hardcover edition as well as ebook and audiobook formats. The second book in the duology, The Last Testimony, is scheduled for February 2027.
Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
