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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
When I found out that Amy Bartol was coming out with a new book, I knew that I had to read it. I fell in love with her writing when I read the Kricket series. (Side Note: If you haven't read them then you need to go do it right now) I was excited to see the direction that she would take this new book considering that it sounded very different from the books that she had written before. I have to say that after finishing it I'm am excited to read the next installment! This book was quite a tense, edge of your seat ride!
Secondborn was somewhat similar to the Kricket series in that both Roselle and Kricket have to brave the dangers that they face in the form of the people that would attempt to manipulate them and/or kill them. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It reminded me of a chess match wherein each player is trying to utilize strategies in order to achieve check mate. There are many players in this book which might make the book seem complicated but it is written so well that every time a new player is introduced it seems like a different piece of the puzzle clicking into place. Roselle has a target on her back from the beginning of the book and it just seems to grow larger throughout the story. The motivations of each character are clear and the explanations all make complete sense. It seems like there are three main groups seeking or attempting to maintain power and they are all pretty ruthless. Amy Bartol did an excellent job of world building and fleshing out the characters in the story. I felt like I understood why each of the characters made the choices that they did and how the world worked.
There were some reveals during the book about the motivations and secrets that are characters are keeping. The majority of them made sense to me. There was only one reveal about a character that didn't make any sense to me. I don't feel like the author dropped any hints having to do with the particular characters loyalty. I was shocked and it didn't seem to make sense with the description of the character that I had received. I can get over that though because it seemed as if the character was never really invested in the nefarious plans of his boss. The only problem that I couldn't get over regarding the book was the romance. It was insta love and I HATE insta love! Why?!? I don't understand why they couldn't have just been friends. It would make more sense to do things that way than to have some automatically in love with someone else. I didn't like the explanation of how he stated his feelings. It didn't seem like he really loved her instead of the image that she portrayed. Honestly, I'm hoping that she ends up with another character that was introduced in the story later on.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2017/10/secondborn-secondborn-series-book-1-by.html
Secondborn was somewhat similar to the Kricket series in that both Roselle and Kricket have to brave the dangers that they face in the form of the people that would attempt to manipulate them and/or kill them. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It reminded me of a chess match wherein each player is trying to utilize strategies in order to achieve check mate. There are many players in this book which might make the book seem complicated but it is written so well that every time a new player is introduced it seems like a different piece of the puzzle clicking into place. Roselle has a target on her back from the beginning of the book and it just seems to grow larger throughout the story. The motivations of each character are clear and the explanations all make complete sense. It seems like there are three main groups seeking or attempting to maintain power and they are all pretty ruthless. Amy Bartol did an excellent job of world building and fleshing out the characters in the story. I felt like I understood why each of the characters made the choices that they did and how the world worked.
There were some reveals during the book about the motivations and secrets that are characters are keeping. The majority of them made sense to me. There was only one reveal about a character that didn't make any sense to me. I don't feel like the author dropped any hints having to do with the particular characters loyalty. I was shocked and it didn't seem to make sense with the description of the character that I had received. I can get over that though because it seemed as if the character was never really invested in the nefarious plans of his boss. The only problem that I couldn't get over regarding the book was the romance. It was insta love and I HATE insta love! Why?!? I don't understand why they couldn't have just been friends. It would make more sense to do things that way than to have some automatically in love with someone else. I didn't like the explanation of how he stated his feelings. It didn't seem like he really loved her instead of the image that she portrayed. Honestly, I'm hoping that she ends up with another character that was introduced in the story later on.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2017/10/secondborn-secondborn-series-book-1-by.html
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood
Minor: Rape
3.5 stars. I liked this and plan on continuing to the next book, but did struggle with this read a bit. I was listening (for the most part) to the audiobook, and had to stop and review the text (happily, as part of Kindle Unlimited, I have access to both) to try and better understand this world. It was just a little confusing, there was a glossary at the end. The land is divided into nine Fates. Ranked from highest to lowest in the caste system are Virtues, Swords, Stars, Atoms, Suns, Diamonds, Moons, Seas, and Stones. The leader of the Republic is the Clarity of Virtues. There is also Census (in control of all the people, tracking down third borns, etc). As the main characters are Swords, we hear most about this caste. Again, being "swords" ... they are mainly responsible for the military presence (all 2nd born are conscripted into military service). This has it's own layering system we need to track. From low to high, Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo, Iono. It's a futuristic world, with hover cars and flying ships, fusion blades (still a sword would seem inferior to the fusionMag which shoots bullets of energy ... but the swords are the big thing, ala Star Wars), cyborg dogs (reminded me of Fahrenheit 451), a variety of drones (the med drones were pretty cool, and the black dot ones horrific, but again one has to wonder with this type of technology that the wars are still being fought primary in hand to hand combat with armies and battlegrounds). Everyone has a moniker, the holographic symbol that projects up from the back of the hand, which has all identifying information (age, address, DNA profile, holographic image). While there are some standard cities, there are also TREES. A tree-shaped military building used by Sword-Fated personnel. Firstborn officers and high-ranking secondborn officers reside in apartments or air-barracks in glass Trees, while subordinate soldiers reside in apartments or air-barracks in concrete and steel Trees. Inside the Trees, there are phloem - pipelines/tubes that transport cargo and "heartwood" which is like an escalator carrying occupants up and down levels within the Trees. Phew! It was all just a little overwhelming.
And then there is the whole "Second born" thing. I've read several novels with an overpopulation theme, where there is a limit on the number of children a family can have (if any). Here, overpopulation isn't really mentioned, and having two is almost expected (although the second child is given up on Transition day ... which doesn't happen to our MC until she is 18 years old, but happens to other kids much earlier. I never felt that this was really explained either). A third child is against the law, using up resources, and they will (and those having/helping them) will be killed by Census. If a Firstborn dies, then the Secondborn can assume Firstborn status ... so that invariably leads to some family conflicts.
As for the actual story itself ... some secondborns want to overthrow the system. They have a rebel army called "The Gates of Dawn". There is some romance ... although it seemed out of place. Our MC is in the middle of utter destruction/death and "ooh, he's handsome, swoon" and then an odd discussion of sex (she asks why on earth people would get together, as they aren't allowed to have children and sex = procreation). I wasn't sure if a love triangle was being introduced (even a square) although it didn't really come to fruition, in this book anyway. We follow Roselle as she leaves the life she's known to become a sword soldier. There are those who hate her (a certain Census agent, her mother/brother?, fellow soldiers) and those who love her (her life was a bit of a "Truman show" during the childhood years), those who want her to supplant her brother/mother as the next Clarity of Swords.
I feel like if I AM going to continue on with the series, I do need to do it immediately, while I have at least a semblance of a grasp on this world. Unfortunately the third book isn't out yet ... which may not bode well for completing the series.
And then there is the whole "Second born" thing. I've read several novels with an overpopulation theme, where there is a limit on the number of children a family can have (if any). Here, overpopulation isn't really mentioned, and having two is almost expected (although the second child is given up on Transition day ... which doesn't happen to our MC until she is 18 years old, but happens to other kids much earlier. I never felt that this was really explained either). A third child is against the law, using up resources, and they will (and those having/helping them) will be killed by Census. If a Firstborn dies, then the Secondborn can assume Firstborn status ... so that invariably leads to some family conflicts.
As for the actual story itself ... some secondborns want to overthrow the system. They have a rebel army called "The Gates of Dawn". There is some romance ... although it seemed out of place. Our MC is in the middle of utter destruction/death and "ooh, he's handsome, swoon" and then an odd discussion of sex (she asks why on earth people would get together, as they aren't allowed to have children and sex = procreation). I wasn't sure if a love triangle was being introduced (even a square) although it didn't really come to fruition, in this book anyway. We follow Roselle as she leaves the life she's known to become a sword soldier. There are those who hate her (a certain Census agent, her mother/brother?, fellow soldiers) and those who love her (her life was a bit of a "Truman show" during the childhood years), those who want her to supplant her brother/mother as the next Clarity of Swords.
I feel like if I AM going to continue on with the series, I do need to do it immediately, while I have at least a semblance of a grasp on this world. Unfortunately the third book isn't out yet ... which may not bode well for completing the series.
Although I enjoyed the story, it definitely feels like the first book in a series. There is a lot about the (quite complicated) society, technology and politics which can detract at times. It also feels like you are reading a lot but not getting very far. Despite that, I still enjoyed it and I’m pretty certain I will be picking up the next one
Very fast read, the turns and emotion you feel for the secondborns as the story goes on....
This book could have used a lot of editorial direction.
A bit generic and solidly average in terms of concept and characters, but full of a lot of engaging action. The basic premise is just a variation on every other YA dystopian novel. There is some unbalanced system in place based on some sort of division of people, and a rebel group trying to overthrow the system. Here, the differences between people come primarily through birth status and Fate (think the different factions in [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899]). In fact, I got a lot of Divergent vibes from this novel, what with the neat division of people into different professions and roles, the military training, and the overall feel. It took me a few chapters to get into the novel since I wasn't feeling invested in the characters, but I became more engaged in the story once the action and intrigue started picking up. Overall, an entertaining read in the moment, though not particularly outstanding, and I am curious to see where the story goes.
I won a Kindle version of this novel through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I won a Kindle version of this novel through a Goodreads Giveaway.
DNF
Have been wanting to read this series for years, finally found all the books, and now I just can't get through it at allll. It's just not my cup of tea.
Have been wanting to read this series for years, finally found all the books, and now I just can't get through it at allll. It's just not my cup of tea.
This is one of those books, where after you finish the book, you scream nooo, and reach out like your 5 years old and all you need to do is reach far enough for more.
The concept for this book is fascinating and I really enjoyed reading it. Roselle starts off as a bit of a cipher but it very rapidly becomes apparent that she's both strong and rebellious - she doesn't have to be persuaded to want to overthrow the system that's for sure. The pacing was a bit uneven and I occasionally lost the thread of what was happening as a result. I found the "everyone is in love with Roselle" trope a little bit tiring and the romance with Hawthorne a touch too convenient but I think this series has real potential.