Secondborn

Secondborn #1

by Amy A. Bartol

Firstborns rule society. Secondborns are the property of the government. Thirdborns are not tolerated. Long live the Fates Republic.

On Transition Day, the second child in every family is taken by the government and forced into servitude. Roselle St. Sismode’s eighteenth birthday arrives with harsh realizations: she’s to become a soldier for the Fate of Swords military arm of the Republic during the bloodiest rebellion in history, and her elite firstborn mother is happy to see her go.

Televised since her early childhood, Roselle’s privileged upbringing has earned her the resentment of her secondborn peers. Now her decision to spare an enemy on the battlefield marks her as a traitor to the state.

But Roselle finds an ally—and more—in fellow secondborn conscript Hawthorne Trugrave. As the consequences of her actions ripple throughout the Fates Republic, can Roselle create a destiny of her own? Or will her Fate override everything she fights for—even love?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Romance, New Adult, Fiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Author of the Secondborn Series:
Secondborn (Book 1)
Traitor Born (Book 2)
Rebel Born (Book 3)

Author of the Premonition Series:
Inescapable (Book 1)
Intuition (Book 2)
Indebted (Book 3)
Incendiary (Book 4)
Iniquity (Book 5)

Author of the Kricket Series:
Under Different Stars (Book 1)
Sea of Stars (Book 2)
Darken the Stars (Book 3)

The Divided - A Science Fiction Romance short story, which is included in the Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology.

Amy A. Bartol is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Secondborn Series, The Premonition Series, The Kricket Series, and a short story entitled “The Divided.” She has won numerous awards for her writing and been nominated for several more. She's a graduate of Hillsdale College, which inspired the setting of her Premonition Series. Amy lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons, but she travels often, sparking her imagination to create more worlds like the ones with hidden angels, doorways to alien landscapes, and fantastical futuristic societies and technologies. To learn more, visit Amy's website at: https://www.amyabartol.com

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

The challenge with writing this review is trying to organize my many many notes into something coherent. I picked up Secondborn because I like to check out the occasional buzz book on Goodreads. This one has been popping up all over my feed and seems to have pretty good reviews (plus I'm auto-approved on netgalley, which didn't hurt!). But the more I read, the worse it seemed to get.

Don't get me wrong, I feel like Bartol has the potential to write a book I'd really enjoy. Parts of the story were compelling and there were some lines of dialogue I enjoyed, such as this:

“It outlived its usefulness, so it was killed. There’s something to be learned in that.”
“Never outlive my usefulness?”
“Never, ever trust the pack.”

Unfortunately, though, that is where the positive ends for me. I think a whole lot of the problem was down to editing - this felt like a very hectic and messy first draft that needed several more rounds of heavy editing before going to print. Let me try and break this down somehow.

• The pacing is all over the place. The first few chapters are a constant stream of action, which in some circumstances could definitely be a positive, but here it didn't run smoothly. To be frank, it was hard to follow as we zipped from Roselle being ordered to be a soldier to her weird fight with her brother that got her mother to order her death to her... escape? Cordial leaving? At first, I thought she was running away with Dune but, given the subsequent events, I think she was just leaving to become a soldier as planned (right?).

Then there's some kind of terrorist attack that Roselle gets caught up in, but suddenly she's being snatched up by a hunky soldier and taken to her new life. What a mess. Later, however, the pacing starts to lag. We get a lot of filler in the form of Roselle adjusting to her new life as a soldier, shaving her legs (more about that later!) and the developing romance with Hawthorne.

• Characters come and go, never to be seen again. I counted at least three times when characters appeared to further the plot in a certain direction, give Roselle a helping hand, and then POOF! They were gone forever.

• No world-building or reason given for this society. Secondborn employs the "society divided into groups" trope, as is used in Divergent and other YA sci-fi/fantasy. The groups are decided by the order of birth: firstborns rule, secondborns are sent to work for the government, thirdborns are forbidden. So... why? Or even... how? How did this society come to adopt this system? Why do they think it's a good way to live? Given that there seem to be a lot of casualties and therefore no population issues, why are families only allowed two children?

We are dropped into this world without any explanation or background info. This was another reason the beginning was so hard to follow with all the mention of "Fates of this" and "Fates of that" without any context.

• Roselle breaks character often. We are told a lot about Roselle - that she has been training her whole life to be a soldier and that she's super special and tough and good at everything, but do we see that? Not really. In fact, much of the romance develops through Roselle breaking down and/or being stupid so Hawthorne can swoop in and comfort or educate her. She always seemed weak and dependent on others, contrary to what we were supposed to believe.

• The romance is silly and lacking in chemistry. There is no gradual build or development. Hawthorne is literally introduced to the reader with a conversation about sex and their entire romance consists of Roselle going googly-eyed over his big, strong arms. It felt like the romance was there because the author thought we needed a romantic subplot.

• Obsession with looks and beauty. This book is crammed full of blandly good-looking white people, and this is how most are characterized (by their good looks, not their whiteness). The young men all have big muscles, and Roselle is so freaking beautiful that the rules of the military are bent so that she doesn't have to cut her gorgeous hair. No, I'm not joking.

“Why can’t we just cut it?”
“I can’t.” She looks almost embarrassed. “I see this sometimes, when an intake subject is exceptionally lovely. There’s sometimes a proviso that stipulates details about appearance.”

Oh hell, why does the author let this happen? Why would soldiers decide one didn't need to have her cut because she's so freaking hot?! Does Bartol really think Roselle's worth as a character depended on her hair not being cut? Maybe this wouldn't be such a big deal if Roselle's lack of haircut was just said in passing, but such a fuss is made about it. The author goes out of her way to explain how it is just unthinkable to cut Roselle's hair.

• Bizarre leg-shaving scene. Okay, everything about this was just weird. Roselle shaves her legs in front of the soldier guys and they all stare at her in amazement and basically get boners. That's weird anyway, but Roselle's reaction when Hawthorne tells her the guys have never known a woman to shave her legs is just frustrating. She suddenly freaks out that they might find her "disgusting" because, you know, all that matters is if the soldier boys are disgusted by your shaving habits. But don't worry, Roselle, because Hawthorne assures her:

“Roselle, you just made their top-five lists,” he says, pointing in the direction of the other soldiers. “Honestly, you were probably on that list anyway, but now it’s a safe bet you’re number one.”

Eww.

I do think, lurking underneath all of this, is a good writer in need of a better editor. I don't say that often about books I give one star to, but I really felt it here. I'm curious about where Bartol could go in the future. But I won't be recommending Secondborn.

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[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my Kindle First pick for July. I picked a good one this time =)

****SOME SPOILERS****

This is actually the first book I have read from this author. I do know she has some other popular books out there that I plan on reading at some point.

This book is about Roselle. She a second born. Her brother, Gabriel and is the first born. The first born are the popular and special ones. And even though Gabriel would have liked to be in the military so to speak, it's Roselle that has to go and she is fine with this as she has been training since she was a child. All she knows is that she is supposed to protect first borns. Seems like a crock to me.

And their mother! She is one of the most horrible people on the planet. They way she treats Roselle, I can't even. And Roselle's family is one of the elite people so Roselle has to constantly watch her back when she's sent to be a fighter.

I really loved Roselle's character. She is so tough, yeah she has some moments where she breaks down but that just means she's human. She doesn't put up with anything, from anyone and she gets into trouble that way, as you can imagine.

I also love Hawthorne, he helps Roselle out as much as he can and they form a bond. Actually, Hawthorne has been watching Roselle since she was little. Yeah, when you're a second born you get watched by the whole world through a live feed. Uh, no. That's sick people! Well, she did have some privacy moments, bathroom etc.

And of course there are more evil people, the one I loath the most and hope someone kills him is Agent Crow. If you read the book you will know what I mean.

Roselle also has an awesome crew she is a part of and she does whatever it takes to keep some of them safe.

Overall it was a really good book and I think just from this first one (or I'm hoping) the rest of the series/trilogy is going to be good!

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[R.K. Gold · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
0-50% was 1/5
51-80% was 2/5
81-100% was 3.5/5

This review will contain spoilers so if that bothers you do not read on.

If the ratings are not clear to you all I mean is that I struggled to get into the book early on, but there was at least something compelling me to finish. Though none of the characters (especially Roselle) stood out to me there was something about the world that made me want to at least finish this book.

Unfortunately, this book did fall flat in some regards. There was very little world-building, very little character development, and a plot that sometimes lost its way. The actual events that happened didn't really matter. What mattered was proving to the reader that Roselle was a worthy leader so in the following books the rebellion would make sense.

Unfortunately, I don't think this book did a good job proving Roselle was a leader. It proved she's capable of killing an army on her own when she wants, but for some reason is able to lose fights when it's convenient for a male character (usually a love interest or an aspiring love interest) to comfort her. Oh, also the love interest felt incredibly forced at first, but I got over it because Hawthorne became interesting by the end of the book.

The main villain, or at least the man I assume to be the main villain doesn't have much depth. He's just evil for the sake of being evil.

There is also a war going on but we only actually see one war scene and it's mostly Roselle tripping over corpses to see if anyone is alive. She's never in any danger and even though it's obvious she isn't going to die, she never felt close to dying at any point throughout this book, even though many people want her dead. She was kind of an annoying main character because she was just perfect. She was attractive but didn't know it, a weapons expert, and incredibly innocent and naive (like literally someone who justified killing guards but also nursed little animals back to health).

The best parts of the book were the descriptions of the advanced technology. The final three chapters were the most intriguing and did enough to make me curious about the rest of the series (as long as they remain on KU).

I hope the second book does a better job world building and also goes into more detail about the secondborn trials. I don't care if it's derivative of hunger games as it's entertaining. It kept getting referenced throughout the book but we rarely saw it.

I do want to finish this on a positive so I will say Clifton Salloway was an interesting character. He was by far the most well developed and had the most intriguing story of the cast.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to reread this before I started book two and it was even better the second time.

Secondborn is a dystopian where parents give their second born child to the government. Because of this, importance is given to the firstborn child while the second born child is neglected. Our main character Roselle is a second born. Her mother is the Clarity (leader) of her Fate (caste system).

Due to her mother's high ranking, Roselle is a very famous second born. She has been a media darling from an early age. There is no angst about this from Roselle, she is surprised as to why people care so much. She does use her fame to spread her cause, and I liked this view from a main character.

Once again the strength of Amy Bartol's writing is in her world building. It's a detailed dystopian world and thankfully there is a glossary at the end.

Secondary characters are distinct and well written. There is room for expansion on the relationships with Roselle and her brother Gabriel, her boyfriend Hawthorne, boss Clifton, mysterious Winterstrom, and villain agent Crow. I wish there were more female characters in her story for Roselle to interact with. I think she would play well off of female characters too. I liked Winterstrom the best, Hawthorne the least. Agent Crow is deliciously malicious, I hope he gets more screen time later in the series.

It's a great start to a new series.

(I still haven't given up hope for Kricket #4)


Prerelease


Sounds interesting. I still wish this was the fourth Kricket series book.
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/20...

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I did an audiobook reread of this before starting Traitor Born because when trying to remember all the important details I couldn't for the life of me and I hate going into a book in a series without the previous one fresh on my mind. What suprised me with this second read was that I STILL had no clue what happened or was going on in the first at least 40% of the book. I remember having the same problem the first time I read this. Its like once you get clear of the jumbled mess that the beginning is, things just start to click and fall into place. The characters finally take shape and the plot becomes clear. Its just a shame that it takes that long for this to happen. I can see quite a few people who would probably DNF before then, but if you just push through the mish mash of the beginning, the rest is really quite good!

I did enjoy this again, and audiobook is always a different experience no matter the story, so that was a great way to reread in my opinion. That cliff hanger ending is what gets you though. I hate feeling like there is no conclusion and this ends on a pretty major plot twist. It does leave you wanting more though so in that regard A+, Amy Bartol. I am happy that I have book two waiting for me this time around, I'm ready to find out what happens next!

___________________________________________________
Kindle First pick for the month of July :)

So since this was a freebie, I decided to go ahead and give it a go!!!
I really had a hard time in the beginning getting into the book, it seemed like there were so many different terms, and characters and places and descriptions just thrown at you and it was really difficult to keep up with it all. I kept finding myself going back and rereading entire chapters just to understand what I had read, which got really frustrating. But then lo and behold once I got about 1/3 of the way into the book it really picks up and it was soooo good from there on!!! i think i just needed to get into the world first and then everything fell into place.

This book definitely has a bit of a Hunger Games/Divergent vibe to it. I liked the world it was set in once I finally began to understand how it worked. The social hierarchy between the secondborn and firstborns was well thought out. The war to change the fate of the poor secondborns forced into fighting for the privileged firstborns really makes you want to jump in and fight for the equality of their lives.

Keeping this short, and sweet, I did enjoy this book once I was able to push through that first bit. I am definitely going to have to get the second book to see where this story goes. It ended on a major cliffhanger (ugh) so I want to know what happens. Hopefully I still remember all the important details by the time book 2 is published because i'm not sure that I could make it through that beginning of book 1 again!!! Here's to patiently waiting!

Happy Reading!

[Cheryl La Pa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Loved it!
Secondborn is set in a dystopian world where there are only two tiers of society – the firstborns who rule and the secondborns who serve the firstborns. Thirdborns are forbidden.

I was entertained and spellbound from the first page and there were enough surprises and twists to keep it unpredictable and intriguing. The romance was sweet, though it did not dominate the story, which was more focused on Roselle trying to survive being a secondborn and seeking a way to improve the lives of other secondborns.

Roselle is the daughter of one of the most powerful firstborns, which in many ways is a double edged sword. It gives Roselle celebrity status and influential friends, while making her target to resentful secondborns and the rebels. She has to decipher who are truly her allies and those that are using her to their political advantage.

Roselle is thrown into the world of secondborns after a life of privilege and luxury and she has to learn quickly in order to survive. There are firstborns who want to use her for their political advantage, other firstborns who see her as a threat and wish to kill her. Then there are the rebels that are trying to destroy the two-tiered society and would love to use Roselle to further their cause.

There is plenty of political intrigue, deception and plot twists to keep me rapt throughout. Though Ms Bartol has brought nothing new to this genre, the intricacy of the story, characters and plot kept it refreshing and captivating.

Overall, this was a great read and I could not put it down. It definitely left me wanting more of Roselle and her fascinating world and I can’t wait for the next book.

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! This was a great start to a new Dystopia series and I had a really hard time putting this down. I listened to the audible version and have nothing but good things to say about the narrator. I am limited to when I can listen and if I had the time, I would have listened straight through to the end.

I'm a fan of this kind of series and I especially love a female warrior. I really liked Roselle's character.
The unfairness to her situation and all Second Born situations makes you root hard for her to succeed. So much seems to be against her that you can't really see that happening. I also liked that I couldn't predict what needed to happen for her to cause change. By the end of this book, I'm still not sure how she is going to succeed.

This did have the feel of Hunger Games, but with it's own unique twist. I will be anxiously waiting for book 2!

[Sophie "Beware Of The Reader" · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 solid stars

I had forgotten how much I love Amy’s books. It’s been a long time since I’ve read one of her stories but now I’m already on the ARC of Traitor Born as I can’t stop anymore!

I have to thank Michelle Chen as she recommended this book when I was busy with the “Bests of 2017” challenge. I looked into it and the blurb plus the gorgeous cover had me immediately buying the book.

What is it about?
It’s not PNR or Fantasy but it’s happening in another time or context where Firstborns have it all while Secondborns are cannon fodder. Thirdborn are simply unlawful, hunted and exterminated by Census. Believe me Census are really bad guys loving to torture and murder others. You don’t want to meet them at night in the forest. To amp up the thrill we have Agent Kipson Crow a deep sadist pinning after the heroine.

Our heroine is Roselle St. Sismode. Now ladies and gents let’s take a moment to admire that name. Rosell how cool is this for a name right? Why my mom did not think to call me Roselle instead of Sophie is a mystery. I bet you never have two to three Roselle in a classroom!

But I digress, sorry!

Roselle is not only Secondborn but she is THE Secondborn. Daughter of the Fate of Swords ruler her life has been a reality show since childhood. We have the Kardashians well the Fate people has Roselle St. Sismode.
The big difference aside a really REALLY smaller behind, no fake lashes/boobs/… between Roselle and the K. is that she has never wanted to be the freak of a show. Well that and she never takes selfies naked or not… All Roselle has ever wanted was to be loved and cherished but it wasn’t in the book of her very powerful and frigid family. Roselle may have been seen by millions she was utterly lonely.

Roselle loves her big bro Gabriel, Firstborn of the family. Despite her elite combat training she would never ever touch one of his glossy hair! She wants him to be a leader.
“One day, Gabriel, you’ll be a powerful Clarity. When that day comes, follow you heart. Be the leader we need not the ruler we don’t.”

Unfortunately her mother does not believe it and on Transition day she will throw Roselle to the lions. Roselle will go join the army of her Secondborn peers. As she’s had seemingly a privileged upbringing the guys won’t be happy to see the princess! You can imagine all the nasty comments and backstabbing they are already plotting.
But Roselle is badass!!!


That’s one of the long list of things that I love in Amy’s books: her heroines have a backbone and Roselle will crunch your nose on the table blood gushing everywhere while munching her bland ration never stopping to chew!
I want to be Roselle when I grow up! She is an exceptional fighter and she has a ginormous heart. She will follow her heart and morale even against order. Gasp! A Secondborn MUST always follow the orders! Well our Roselle is a rebel!

Of course you have a love story. What would be Amy’s book without a hottie right? Better as it’s sale seasons you have two hotties. One will be her “mentor/arms dealer ”Clifton Salloway. He is a Firstborn. The second is panty dropping Secondborn conscript Hawthorne Trugrave. He is handsome, he is cocky and he is the best in class. Added perk he is alpha and possessive but without overcrowding Roselle.
Hawthorne has admired Roselle as a fighter for years and when they train with their laser swords everyone wants their toys!

The plot has also earned a special mention as it’s filled with twists and turns. Rebels fight for a better world but you have secret societies plotting to change the leadership, some close enemies doing their bests to “accidentally” snuff the light out of Roselle and a Census dead set of “having” Roselle to toy with her. Conspiracies and betrayals are paving Roselle’s path and she’ll need all her intelligence, resilience and years of studying strategy to stay alive and maybe make her own destiny.

To sum it up: excellent fiction story portraying the journey of a badass female character trying to forge her own path, change the world and protect those she loves. The pace is just right and surprises keep coming avoiding a predictable plot.

Female MC = 6 stars
Male MC = 4,5 stars
Villains = 4 stars
Steam = 3,5 stars
Plot = 4 stars
Triggers = none that I could see.


I read it in one stitting and now I’ll dive in Traitorborn!

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[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Bartol's Under Different Stars. So I was hoping the proverbial lighting took mercy on me and decided to strike twice, and that's exactly what it did.
Too bad I accidentally spoiled the entire trilogy for myself and I'm anything but happy about the outcome 🥲👍




book #41

◾this hashtag is something I self-indulgently created for fun when I decided to thin out my immense tbr list as a new years resolution starting from books I added on GR back in 2017/2018/2019, and since I can't seem to do anything quietly and I'm well known for being an overachiever, I had to go and turn it into an official thing. Feel free to check out the #PenguinOnATBRMission shelf if you don't mind keeping up with this insanely over-hyped adventure I got myself into. Take it as a chance to rediscover some books from a few years ago that might have accidentally flown under your radar, or to simply share with another fellow reader your very own reading experience. Happy reading and stay penguin-y!◾

To Be Continued...🐧

[Nadhira Satria]

dnf @20%

The main character has a personality of a goldfish.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit this book took me a while to get into compared Amy's other books.

But I think you will definitely want to stick with it because after a while I could not put it down. It's not that nothing happens in the first part of the book, only that the society is very different to ours and it needs to be explained properly so you can get just what the characters have to go through daily, but again it's totally worth it and it was in no way over explained.

I ended up loving it an have already started reading the next book.

Happy Reading 📗📚📚📙📙📗📕📔📖📙📚📚📘📓📒📔📕

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the world Amy has created is incredibly interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed this series opener!

Roselle was an exceptionally engaging main character and I enjoyed the camaraderie that developed between her and her fellow soldiers. This is definitely a futuristic dystopia but it also had a roman gladiator type feel to it. Maybe because it was because there were armies and swords, brutal training programmes, and the themes of deception and betrayal running throughout it. Definitely looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the series.

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @50%

I have tried repeatedly with this book, returning to it to read a bit more and unfortunately I cannot cope with the slow pace and lack of connection with the MC. I have been bored to this point. I truly am disappointed considering my love of the kricket series. I have decided that rather than continue to labour, DNF it is with a rather heavy heart.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Familiar story

I read this via Amazon Kindle First Reads.

I found "Secondborn" very like other popular dystopian books about teenage girls--almost to the point of not finishing the book. Select people get all the privileges, and the rest are basically slaves in need of a savior/hero.

Naturally, our protagonist is blessed with incredible fighting skills, she is reluctant to fill the hero position, and she doesn't have any choice.

Neither, apparently, does she have any choice but to fall madly in lust with the ubiquitous insanely handsome guy. I am frustrated that so many of our so-called "heroines" A) need to kill people to be considered strong women and, B) MUST have a man (and this gal has two). What if that scenario were flipped? And what if the need didn't involve shoehorned or contrived romance, but a gal's brain and wit? And how about using people with ordinary looks?

Cliche as the plot is, the writing itself is good, with no glaring typos or editorial faux pas. The characters and world building are interesting, and the pace is smooth. I do wish less time had been spent on describing clothing and more on the political machinations. With a story revolving around a war, I'd like to see more of the fight than a couple of brief pages, though I must give kudos for the lack of gratuitous blood and gore. There's a lot of potential there, and perhaps it will be better utilized in the next book in the series.

The theme of societal choices is handled well, even strongly. The technology was pretty intriguing, going easily from futuristic buildings to cyborg dogs to advanced weaponry and flying machines.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars, rounding up for good pacing and genre standards.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced. Mysterious. Heart pounding. Romantic. Bartol takes all of these attributes and weaves them together with a delicious sci-fi/dystopian that produces Roselle, a secondborn child whose life no longer belongs to herself in a world where firstborns are revered. Conscripted into the military by her ruling mother, Roselle quickly learns that there is a power struggle afoot within the Fates hierarchy and that she just might be one of the pawns at the center of it. Rather than stand back and allow herself to be used, though, Roselle discovers that, just because she's a secondborn, it doesn't mean she's lost herself or her future. I highly recommend this enjoyable page turner, and can hardly wait until the next book in the series is out!

[Beth Hudspeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle First book. I was so proud when I saw Amy's book on there!

This is a unique dystopian. I liked it, but some parts seemed drawn out. Looking back at other Amy Bartol series, she usually starts out a little slow to build up to the juicy part so I bet book 2 and 3 will be awesome. I will definitely continue the series and I can't wait for the next to come out!

[Bonnie Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC 😊

[nati · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 🌟
-didn't care for the characters
-interesting concept and world!
-could've been done so much better

[starryeyedjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

ETA 4/18/18: Re-read so I could start Traitorborn, now that it's released. And good thing, too, because I forgot soooo much! :P

****

There is just something about a book by Amy A. Bartol. They're just so fun and entertaining and always leave me wanting more. I loved her KRICKET series and I'm still hoping there's another book forthcoming, but I may have enjoyed this book even more. It was so engaging! I loved the world -- despite being a dystopian, which I kinda swore off for the longest -- and the characters were so intriguing. I can't wait to read more, but in the meantime, I'm definitely going to check out her PREMONITION series.

[Archives of Jina · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was so good. Holy balls.
I don’t know what to do with myself.
So
Many
Emotions
How do I know what I feel?!
Twist over there, turn over there. Who knows what will happen?!
*internally screams*

4.5 for me, so close to a 5 so close. I’m a sucker for any book this woman writes.

[Amanda Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It felt a bit like hunger games at times (and I have a feeling the next one really will), but still there was lots of action, good political manipulation, a touch of romance (although seriously everyone is in love with her and we have at least 3 potential love interests - and I see the good & bad of all 3)

Okay but first let me address the big white elephant in the room and talk about the general concept. So in this story families are limited to 2 kids (that’s it) the first borns are privileged and live a charmed life. 2nd borns have no rights, are slaves/soldiers, and are NOT allowed to have kids. So were this an actual society you would have a 50% population reduction every generation. It just isn’t a sustainable model. Where are all these people coming from? Was their overcrowding? It talks as though this is the way it’s been for generations. It isn’t possible to have this many people. Sorry, it’s just stupid and doesn’t make sense. So let’s ignore the entire premise of the book and focus on the story. (Logic need not be applied)

So basic story is we have 9 Fates (read as districts). Military, political, technology, agriculture, fishing, etc. There is a Clarity (king/Queen) in charge of each district. Our main character Roselle is the second born of the Clarity of Swords (military). She has spent her entire life growing up in front of cameras, her entire life broadcast while trained to be the perfect second born, sworn to the cause to sacrifice her life for the good of the Fates. The story starts on her 18th birthday where she is being given to the military. There are rebels, the Gates of Dawn, who oppose the treatment of the second borns and are causing problems among the Fates. There are many interesting political group who have taken an interest in Roselle and would rather see her take her mother’s place as Clarity versus her older brother who has some drug abuse problems.

The story is well told however there are some awkward moments (ex: explaining a catheter in her body armor) and there is plenty of action. I really loved the way the characters were written. You like who you are supposed to and hate who you are supposed to. There is one main romance throughout the book but I see there potential for other suitors later in the series. Some characters are brought in though and then disappear completely until they are needed 200 pages later.

They keep mentioning these second born trials where 1000 people go in and 1 wins and gets to have their status changed to a first born. I have a feeling this is where book 2 is headed and I’m excited to see it. I will continue with the series when the next book comes out April 2018.

Edit re-read 2019- I still love this! Yes there are problems with the world building - mostly the math just doesn’t add up at all but I don’t care. I love the world, I love the people, love the story. I’m bumping it to 5 stars it has its flaws but whatever my rules my ratings.

[Sandee is Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

MANY THANKS TO 47NORTH FOR PROVIDING ME WITH THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

FINAL RATING: 4.25

Now I know that it was only a fantasy. I’ll never be one of them. I’ll always be just a secondborn, a shadow, soon to fade from their lives.

Secondborn is a pleasant surprise!

When I requested this book on Netgalley, I thought the synopsis sounded great, ratings on Goodreads were high, so what could go wrong, right?

Despite the intriguing synopsis, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I was hoping to like it the most. I didn't expect to love this as much as I did.

Everything about this book was a huge surprise: the characters, the setting, the world, and of course, the numerous plot and character twist. Damn. So good man, so good.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Our main character, Roselle, is a secondborn. Secondborns are not allowed to be anything they want, only who they are supposed to be as dictated by their society.

“We are embroiled in a fight to the death— a bloody civil war, brought on by the lawlessness of Fate traitors who would violate our very right to exist. We, the firstborns, must rule. It is our birthright to sacrifice our own for the protection of the Fates. It is an honor for secondborns to serve as champions in this proud tradition— to give their lives to their Fate and to the call of service.”

They are never going to be leaders because those privileges are only saved for the firstborns. You don't even want to know what they do they kids they have after their secondborns - they have it much worse.

Anyways, Roselle is being sent to this Sword camp to be trained as a soldier. It is what secondborns from the Fate of Swords do, they become living weapons to protect the firstborn assholes

Roselle wasn't new to fighting. All her life, she was trained for this moment, for her to give her life for that purpose and in a way protect her brother, Gabriel, the firstborn. But before Roselle could even get processed as a Sword, completely abandoning her last name, they got attacked by the rebel army from the Fate of Stars.

Things started to spiral out of control from there. Not only is this rebel force trying to stir chaos, someone out there also wants to see Roselle dead.

THE CHARACTERS

Roselle

It's agony and relief to watch my life end.

At first glance, you'll probably think she's one of those special snowflake female protagonist. She's smart, good with weapons, great at combat fighting, also, she's pretty, I think. Aside from the being pretty though, everything she's good at, she's good at it because she was trained for it all her life. She has been trained to fight, I would say, ever since she is old enough to hold a weapon. No love was ever given to secondborns. Hence, the only thing she can do is try to be the best at what was given to her, to get a tiny bit of approval, which she doesn't ever get from her family.

I really liked Roselle as a character. I thought she was strong, brave, and loyal. While she can play nice with people who are nice, she could be quite snarky with people who don't play nice. She knows her capabilities and not once did I hear her self-pitying. She is confident that she can do things, but not to the point that she is being arrogant.

Hawthorne

"I had this pain - this unbelievable ache in my chest, I don't know why at first, but I do now. I used to worry about active duty because I might get killed. Now I'm terrified that it'll be you who dies out there, and I'll have to go back to a life without you in it."

Isn't he a sweetie? I love Hawthorne, let's all get that out of the way. There were times he broke my fucking heart, but he made up for it with his awesomeness. Like Roselle, Hawthorne values loyalty, and to add to that, friendship.

“Whatever it is that’s making you cry, look away from it. It doesn’t have you. I do.”

I'm not going to say more about Hawthorne, but I bet you’d love him. He could be a bit overprotective at times, but most of the times, he's just a sweetheart.

Clifton

He is the guy you so want to hate. I liked his character because you have no clue what this dude is really up to. There are times where you'll feel he's genuine with his actions, other times you'll want to punch him in the face.

Hammon, Edgerton, and Gilad

They're Hawthorne's childhood friends, then eventually became Roselle's, too. I liked Hammon and Edgerton's relationship and how it wasn't just brushed off. Gilad, however, is pretty much just there for being there. I'm not sure if he will ever have any further role to play in this. The friendship all of them had for each other was so good to read about.

THOUGHTS ABOUT SECONDBORN IN BULLETS:

} This entire world is interesting. I want it to have a more expanse view of it. I feel that, even though it does tell you about the different Fates and what they do, you still don't see all of them. You only get the gist of what could be a really epic world. What I do want to know moving forward is, what caused the people to fear secondborns? Why are they only giving priorities to the firstborns? How did it occur? Tons of questions, I hope to be answered in the second book.

} The characters were great!

} Roselle's mother is a bitch. Like really. How can you even think of murdering your own child? WTF.

} This book had an unexpected death that I was not expecting. I grew to love this character for the short time she was in the picture, but this book did not steer away from deaths, which is a plus for me.

} Oh plot twists. They were great. The twists in this book always caught me off guard, which is triple plus for me.

} The pace could be a pit wonky at times. This book was pretty slow in the beginning, which worried me because I really don't like slow paced books. Good thing was, it picked up pace about 2/4 of the book. When it did pick up pace, the plot moved along quite faster than I was expecting.

} I will not forget Agent Crow. He is an ass. He's one of those characters you just want to die right away. Think Baelish from Game of Thrones, only, this dude is a sadistic bastard. So I guess he's more of a Ramsey than a Baelish.

} THE ROMANCE! I love Roselle and Hawthorne, they are meant to be. However, I'm not going to discount the fact that there might be other love interests in the horizon - not one, but two. Haha. Watch out Hawthorne.

} If you're looking for a book with a lot of hot guys, then this is the book for you. Some may complain about this, I'm certainly not one of them.

} While I really love Roselle, there were times were she was focusing too much of Hawthorne. I wish she didn't. Haha. It was a bit awkward when she gawks at him and his abs.

} It ends with a cliffhanger.

} I want to know more about Dune and his secret. I want to know how he did it and what they did to accomplish it without getting caught. After he disappeared from this book, you never see him again. I'm guessing he'll pop up in the next one for sure.

} The politics involved in this was pretty intriguing just as much as the world itself. It's not really surprising what people would do to stay in power. They'd lie, cheat, kill, plot, and sabotage other people to get what they want.

FINAL JUDGEMENT

I found Secondborn to be a really enjoyable book. It will keep you at the edge of your seat, root for the characters, and anticipate what happens next.

For those of you who'll think this is just another Divergent and Hunger Games, I'd have to disagree. This is entirely it's own. It's world well developed and vast that could be further developed.

Highly recommended for Scifi and Dystopian society lovers.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone: Roselle no.

Roselle: Roselle yes.

[Jenny Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I rounded up, because I like the narrator. Mostly, it was mediocre. I just wasn't feeling this story or the characters.

[Laura..devouring books like crumpets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the imagination behind the trees/Buildings.... The characters were really in depth... I just am confused to where the story is going what war there is and why, what Roselle is actually trying to do, especially with the fusion blades and what her long term goal is with the other side of the war.... Its all a little confusing.

3 star i am enjoying it and want to read on....

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read everything I can by Amy Bartol. Her Premonition Series is my go to series whenever I have book issues. I love the worlds she creates. I love how she develops tension in her characters’ relationships. I love her strong female characters.

I thought the story was interesting with the caste system and how they used their secondborn children as slaves. I really enjoyed the sci-fi dystopian feel it had going on. There are plenty of twist and turns to keep you interested. Mrs Bartol is known for her subtle foreshadowing. I think I see some brilliant things to come in the next book.

What I liked:
I liked Roselle as strong female character. She did receive training since she was very young to survive. She continued to do that through Transition. She did learn she needed to accept help from people. She was not blinded to others motives. She helped other even at her own expense.

Mrs. Bartol writes excellent fight scenes. She seems to really know what works in them. She plays close attention to details like sword moves and fighting styles. Her scenes always makes me wonder if she has had extensive training or knows someone who has. Many of the moves or weapons she has in her books are things my second degree black belt children have or are learning.

I love that Mrs. Bartol puts a glossary at the end of the book. Some of the lexicon is described extensively in the story. Other things are not. I think it helps you get a clear idea of what each new word is.

What didn't work for me:
Everyone wants/loves/needs Roselle. I understand that everyone watched her grow up and felt they knew her. Everyone seems to want her for their own reasons: Rose Garden Society, Clifton, Hawthorne, Clarity Bowie (possibly for his son or whatever,) Reykin, Gates of Dawn, Agent Crow. I’m probably missing someone or some group. This is the exact thing that Mrs. Bartol did with Evie in the Premonition Series and Kricket in the Kricket Series. All of her female leads have been desired by everyone or pawns in her stories. Everyone wanted Evie because she freely loved, was dangerous and had a soul. Everyone wanted Kricket for her powers and because she was gorgeous and exotic. Roselle is no different. I would have liked to see something new.

I know it isn’t easy to build a world in sci-fi books. The story had its own lexicon that is new to the reader. That being said, there were many parts of the book that seemed like Mrs. Bartol was telling you vs. showing you the story. She went into great detail telling us about fusion blade. She could have presented the same information to us by having Roselle use the fusion blade.

I felt the pacing was off. I think it might be due to the showing vs telling of the story. The beginning was very slow going. I remember twice looking down at the percentage finished and thinking “I hope it picks up.” It did pick up about a third of the way in. The pacing seemed more balanced from the middle of the book to the end.

I did think the book was good and would give a 4-star rating. I would recommend it to a friend. I think Amy Bartol fans would notice the character similarity in our main female heroine to her other books. I think it is a great start to a series.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for a honest review.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a frustrating 4 stars for me because it should be 5. Secondborn is a wonderful dystopian teen novel that belongs alongside Divergent, Hunger Games and the Maze Runner; up until it shatters itself for no good reason.

Amy A. Bartol does a really good job of setting up her dystopian society (though a poor job of explaining why society is that way but I can overlook this miss) and helping us to understand the hierarchy of firstborn, secondborn and (god forbid) third or less born. She illustrates imaginative buildings that if shown on the silver screen would be gorgeous; and all the while keeping your attention because she shows us things instead of telling us. Our lead gal is strong, interesting, if a little consistent sometimes (but aren't we all?).

It all seems to be coming together beautifully. A villain is introduced, family dynamics are a mess and friends plus a romantic interest show up and things are really clicking. There's action that develops the characters forward and a lot of plot, but it's all easily understood.

And then Bartol makes a CRITICAL MISTAKE, that nearly ruins the whole book for me.
She takes this wonderfully set-up, moving forward group of people and jumps forward one year. Which means, we have to assume the relationships have grown (including the romance between lead gal and boy), catch up on politics, hear in passing about momentous battles and just assume the development of everything. UGH!

So, what should have happened?
This first book in the series should have ended with the major event that happens shortly after the year break. Having the story in that year be fleshed out and relationships developed would have been perfect. Then when our major event happens it would have everyone dying for book 2.
It's a calculated error, if you will, because I get that the time jump allows more exciting things to transpire in this book. But plot moving forward at the risk of the world and characters you've built is the wrong choice here.

Bartol has a compelling writing style. It did occur to me a few times that maybe the flow of the story was inconsistent; but by no means did it stop me from picking up the book.

I'm sorry to give this book only 4 stars but the gap in time just killed the momentum for me and makes all the relationship things that happen after it difficult to believe because I felt like it just skipped ahead and nothing felt genuine. I want to believe in the live and devotion these characters developed during that one year but I wish I had experienced it myself.

I will read book 2, but I think I'll always mourn that missing year. Maybe to fix the hole Bartol can write a novella to bridge the gap...

To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Lillian ☁ Cloud 9 Books ☁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** 4.5 Stars *****

"Never, ever trust the pack."

Although Roselle is from a powerful family, she has no rights because she isn't the firstborn child. Everything is chosen for her. Her mentor trains her from a young age so that she could fight in the military. Her clothes are selected to obtain a certain reaction from the citizens. Even her speeches are prepared for her.

When Roselle finally leaves her unloving family for the military, she makes new friends and also new enemies. Her life gets pulled apart as she captures everyone's attention with her fighting skills and big heart.

I couldn't put this down! I loved the romance and the amazing action scenes. This isn't a young adult book. It's more of a new adult due to the heated sexual tension. If you liked Hunger Games, you'll probably really enjoy Secondborn. Book 2 here I come!

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Secondborn offers many unique takes on the "realms separated by factions" trope, with interesting worldbuilding through the relationships between firstborn and secondborn and the hierarchy that separates them.

The pacing here is terrible. We get detailed fight scenes of Roselle besting foes in various forms of combat, but get two pages of exposition telling us what happened in a year. Exposition about the weirdest things come at the most bizarre times. Is directly after a terrorist attack and leaving the only father figure the protagonist has ever had the time to tell us how soldiers get sex privileges? I suppose this was intended to hammer in the romance early, instead of letting it play out more naturally. Which it totally could have. There was so much space to develop a romance, but it's awkward attraction at first sight instead with zero build-up. That said, the romance isn't terrible in terms of the characters together.

I could go chapter by chapter with criticisms because what this book really needs is another draft with a strong edit. Characters come into the story and fall out of it just as quickly, representing cheap plot devices. They could have been effectively streamlined out while still hitting the same plot points and offering more interesting twists. So many times Roselle thinks something in a very plain statment of fact, and then says it aloud in a rephrased way that could have sufficed on its own.

For a book that seems to let us figure out the nature of its setting with little exposition, it apparently thinks we need to be hand held through the characters' emotions, each one said aloud, and perhaps several times. There are lots of reasons to emulate George Lucas in your writing, but this is the worst one to go with.

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 (Reread on 12/21/17 - I still love this!)

Let me start by saying that Amy is the author of one of my favorite series (the Kricket Series) and I find that I really enjoy her writing and storytelling. Naturally, I was really looking forward to picking this book up when it was released.

Needless to say, it did not disappoint. The story is fast-paced and had several crucial plot twists that I did not see coming but really enjoyed. The characters are relatable, realistic, lovable and even a little "hate-able".

The technology, "class" system and world introduced in this first installment is not wholly original but intriguing nonetheless with its own uniqueness. Its easy to see why some individuals in this world may choose the paths they do and why some may choose to jump at any opportunity to raise their standings in society.

Overall, this is one of my favorite new releases of 2017 to have read. I have a few theories on where this story is going and will absolutely be continuing this series when the next one is released.