Tag Archives: Unblemished

Review: Unbreakable by Sara Ella

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Unbreakable by Sara EllaUnbreakable (Unblemished #3)
Sara Ella
Thomas Nelson – HarperCollins
Published May 1, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Unbreakable
Eliyana Ember is stranded in a foreign country in the Third Reflection with no passport, the inability to mirrorwalk, and zero clue where the nearest Thresholds back into the Fourth or Second might lie. Her mind is a haze, her memories vague. She knows a wormhole from the Fourth sent her here. She remembers her mom and baby brother Evan. Makai and Stormy and Joshua . . .

Deep down El realizes she must end the Void once and for all. Is there a way to trap the darkness within its current vessel, kill it off completely? To do so would mean sacrificing another soul—the soul of a man Joshua claims is a traitor. But he’s lied to her before, and even El senses Joshua can’t be fully trusted, but one thing is certain . . .

The Void must be annihilated. And only the Verity—the light which birthed the darkness—can put an end to that which seeks to kill and destroy.

My Review
I liked Unblemished, and I loved Unraveling, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. Unfortunately, it only earned 3.5 stars in my opinion. While it was still a solid finale, it didn’t live up to my (rather high) expectations.

We saw from a lot more perspectives in this book–Ky and Ebony along with Eliyana. While it was neat to get to see inside some of the other characters’ heads, it was a little annoying at times (especially with Eliyana and Ebony). The characters tend to ramble a lot, and it distracts from the story. It was hard to keep up with the switches between the present and flashbacks.

The plot didn’t really get going until the last quarter or so. For most of the book, the plot wanders hither and yon without a strong direction of what needs to happen next. A lot of what was supposed to be plot twists and revelations felt thrown in, without a whole lot of explanation. I wasn’t super happy with how the story resolved itself either–it was rather anticlimactic after the last book. Also, like Kasey mentioned in her review of Unraveling, the morality bordered on grey and tended to confuse the Christian themes with fantasy.

The world-building was excellent though, and I adore all the references to pop culture that Ella throws in. I won’t say too much about the Reflection(s) introduced in this story, as I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say some of them were familiar locations with a fresh twist.

Overall, I was kinda disappointed in Unbreakable. It felt like a sort of bait-and-switch after the last book, although that might have just been because of how much I loved the last one. Fans of the series will definitely want to read this one to finish the story that started in Unblemished, though I’d caution them about going into it with too high expectations. This trilogy is great for fans of Anne Elisabeth Stengl and Nadine Brandes.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters appear to be white. Some secondary characters have darker skin tones.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Story-centric curses, like crowe and Verity or Void.

Romance/Sexual Content
Eliyana kisses both Ky and Joshua. She describes her clothing in one scene as being inadequate and describes her figure (not in detail). She is dressed in only undergarments and a slip in one scene. There is some non-sexual nudity in several scenes (relating to shape-shifting).

From the review of Unblemished: Kisses also create bonds and promises. A kiss to the heel of the palm can bind someone to a promise they’ve made, and cause their death if they break that promise. A Kiss of Infinity binds the soul of the giver to the receiver.

Spiritual Content
From the review of Unblemished: While the story flirts with some Christian concepts, occasionally referencing Proverbs or spiritual concepts, I wouldn’t say it holds a truly Christian worldview. The Verity represents light and good, and the Void represents darkness and sin, but each character who interacts with them makes choices based on his or her own strength to battle or join with those forces.

Many characters possess Callings, or special abilities, like healing or shape-shifting.

Violent Content
Injuries are incurred, though not described in detail. Flashbacks include dangerous situations and some injuries. One character is mauled to death, and the wound is semi-described. One character dies from a broken heart. A character uses his blood to heal.

Drug Content
Eliyana, under the influence of the Unbinding Elixir, kisses Joshua, and many of her memories are changed.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Exciting 2018 YA Releases

Lists, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,

2018 is going to be an exciting year…especially for YA readers. Here’s ten of the releases coming out this year that I’m most excited about:

The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross– February 6th, 2018

“Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—she is left without a patron. 

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.” 

This book sounds amazing: early reviewers say it features a slow-burn romance, and even though it’s a trilogy, it comes to a satisfactory conclusion. Sign me up.

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare– February 20th, 2018

“Can she write a world gone wrong?
A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother―a noted scriptologist.
But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her… In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created―and only she can stop it.” 

This one sounds like a bookworm’s dream come true, and is definitely on my must-read list for 2018.

The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen– February 27th, 2018

“Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won’t stop her from being drawn back into her father’s palace politics. He’s the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well — and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.

The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what — and who — it is they’re fighting for.”

Nielsen is best known for her Ascendance Trilogy, a complex fantasy packed full of action and unexpected twists. Her newest book promises to be just as exciting, and has already garnered good reviews from lucky readers who managed to get an ARC.

 

Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon — March 6th, 2018

“Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.”

I’m a huge sucker for retellings, (especially clean romance ones) so Olivia Twist has already made it to my pre-order list. Now to brush up on my Dickens…

Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer– April 10th, 2018

I won’t share the synopsis here, for those who haven’t read Spindle Fire. (If you haven’t yet, you should! Spindle Fire made it to my Top Ten List for 2017.) But rest assured, this sequel promises to be just as fresh and exciting as the first, and I can’t wait to find out how everything wraps up.

Unbreakable by Sara Ella– May 1st, 2018

Unbreakable will wrap up the trilogy that started with Unblemished and continued in Unraveling. Again, I’m not going to include the synopsis here in order to avoid spoilers. Unraveling (book 2 in the trilogy) also made it to my Top Ten List for 2017, so May can’t come soon enough for me. (Plus, who can resist that gorgeous cover?)

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett– May 15th, 2018

“They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.”

Dragons and traitors and magic, oh my! I have a feeling this book is going to be one that I positively devour…

Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson– May 29th, 2018

May must be the month for exciting new releases. Another sequel and nominee from the Top Ten List for 2017, Bright Burns the Night promises to deliver answers to the enormous questions we were left with at the end of Dark Breaks the Dawn.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes– July 10th, 2018

“Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage…Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.”

This is quite possibly the 2018 release that I’m most excited for. Nadine Brandes swept me away with her Out of Time Trilogy, and promises to do that and more in her newest stand-alone. I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to survive until July.

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell– August 7th, 2018

“When sixteen-year-old Sylvie’s brother takes over management of their family’s vast estates, Sylvie feels powerless to stop his abuse of the local commoners. Her dearest friend asks her to run away to the woods with him, and soon a host of other villagers join them. Together, they form their own community and fight to right the wrongs perpetrated by the king and his noblemen. Perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings or anyone who loves a strong female lead, this gorgeously written take on the Robin Hood tale goes beyond the original’s focus on economic justice to explore love, gender, the healing power of nature, and what it means to be a family.”

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle was my favorite book as a kid. Robin Hood was my childhood hero, and so I’m very excited to see a genderbent retelling coming out this summer. Here’s to hoping it does justice to the classic!

What’s on your TBR list?

How about you? Do you have any releases you’re excited for this year? Or are you ready to pre-order one of these? Comment below; we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Review: Unraveling by Sara Ella

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Unraveling (Unblemished #2)
Sara Ella
Thomas Nelson – HarperCollins
Published July 11, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Unraveling
Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After defeating her grandfather and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about–like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

Now that the Verity is intertwined with her soul and Joshua’s finally by her side, El is ready to learn more about her mysterious birth land, the land she now rules. So why does she feel like something–or someone–is missing?

When the thresholds begin to drain and the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, begin to fail, El wonders if her link to Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. For light and darkness cannot coexist. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections–and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

My Review
After reading Unblemished, I was super excited to get into this book. I liked the fresh story world and the spunky voice of Eliyana and all the musical references. All those great things continue in this second book. I loved the way some of the characters evolved– Ebony, especially– and enjoyed seeing Eliyana gain some confidence and independence of her own.

On the guy side… You know, in the first book, I was really rooting for Joshua and El to be together. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ky’s cockiness and attitude, and I liked Joshua’s self-sacrifice and commitment to do what was right no matter the personal cost to him. In this book, I found myself struggling to like either guy. I felt like they both had agendas, and while the story vilified one guy for his, I didn’t feel like I bought into the idea that the other guy should get off the hook because his motives were supposedly so pure.

I didn’t mind the lack of Christian worldview, but I felt like Unraveling confused some Christian concepts and warped them into a lot of gray morality. Everything seemed to come down to human strength. The good guys fight the Void and the bad guys simply aren’t strong enough to do so or flat out choose the darkness. I don’t know. It felt empty, I guess, and kind of arbitrary, if that makes any sense.

Despite my reservations about the characters, I definitely bought into the romance and want these guys to figure out some way to be happy. All of them. Some of Eliyana’s moments of comparison between how she feels about Joshua versus Ky made a lot of sense to me in terms of growing up and learning about love.

If you liked Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series, you might like the world-jumping, star-crossed love elements of Unraveling. Definitely start the series with Unblemished, as it introduces a lot of characters gradually, and Unblemished kind of throws you right into the middle of a huge group of them without a lot of preamble. You can read my review of Unblemished here.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters appear to be white. Some minor characters have darker skin tones.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Story-centric curses, like crowe and Verity or Void.

Romance/Sexual Content
Eliyana is engaged to Joshua, but still has strong feelings for Ky. She exchanges kisses with the young man she loves. In one scene, it’s unclear how far the physical love goes. The man describes walking and kissing and ending up on his back, drawing her to him before the scene ends.

Kisses also create bonds and promises. A kiss to the heel of the palm can bind someone to a promise they’ve made, and cause their death if they break that promise. A Kiss of Infinity binds the soul of the giver to the receiver.

Spiritual Content
While the story flirts with some Christian concepts, occasionally referencing Proverbs or spiritual concepts, I wouldn’t say it holds a truly Christian worldview. The Verity represents light and good, and the Void represents darkness and sin, but each character who interacts with them makes choices based on his or her own strength to battle or join with those forces.

Many characters possess Callings, or special abilities, like healing or shape-shifting.

Violent Content
Eliyana, Joshua, and Ky’s bonds mean that when one experiences pain, the others often feel it. Battles include gunshot and arrow wounds as well as physical fights. Eliyana notices scars Ky carries and has a brief flashback about the torture he endured receiving them. She also experiences pain when she uses some of her gifts.

A young man kills a sleeping woman, justifying the death as self-defense, though it clearly isn’t. A soldier stabs a child through the heart with a sword. Another soldier dies protecting his wife.

Drug Content
Brief reference to a character who appears to be drunk.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Unblemished by Sara Ella

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Unblemished
Sara Ella
Thomas Nelson
October 11, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Unblemished
Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.

Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

My Review
I feel like I went into this book with a grudge. I think I’ve read too many Christian novels where Joshua is basically a Jesus character and too perfect and somehow I always find the romance in those stories to be hard to buy into.

But actually, that was a huge misconception about this book on my part. Joshua is a relatively average guy (even if he does seem pretty perfect to El). I think the best part about this book is easily the voice. It’s different than a lot of other books in that you’re in El’s point-of-view so deep that it’s like her reactions are immediate. At first I had to get used to this, but once I did, I found I really enjoyed her sort of oddball girlishness, and she’s so easy to like that even if I’d struggled with the way the writing is, I probably would have stuck with the story to the end.

I liked how the fantasy story world and the real world intersect in the book with the portals to different places and the way they connect. All of Eliyana’s life, others have protected her, and suddenly, she must make decisions for herself and find her own strength.

The romance between characters definitely took some directions I didn’t expect. I liked that Joshua isn’t perfect and that there’s way more going on there than he lets on. In some ways I’m not a huge series reader, but I’ve already got the sequel to Unblemished on stand-by and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. If you liked The Storm Siren Trilogy by Mary Weber or Tandem by Anna Jarzab, you want to add Unblemished to your reading list!

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
The characters seem pretty homogeneous culturally.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing. El learns that her mom had her when she was sixteen.

Spiritual Content
Two forces shape the world El lives in. The Verity—a force for good, which inhabits the Vessel who’s supposed to rule. The Void, a force for evil, which can inhabit someone and make them soulless, sort of bad zombie soldiers.

Each person can possess one in a series of gifts, like the ability to heal, transform, paralyze others, etc.

Violent Content
Battles between El’s team and the cruel king’s soldiers. Not a lot of gory description, but some characters die or get injured.

Drug Content
El attends a party where she sees several teens drinking.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.