raven168's review
5.0
I won this book thru a contest here and while it definitely is a pretty slow build up, I loved it. I constantly wanted to keep reading and had a hard time putting it down when I had to. 4.5 stars
Khara has spent her whole life (which has been centuries) living between the Underworld and hidden away in a forest alternately for six months each at a time. In the Underworld she is Hades' ward and as such she has grown to love him as a father and him to love her as a daughter. Despite this, she still suffered at the hands of the damned often because Hades simply was too busy keeping control of that realm to protect her from everything. So she had to learn to deal with much on her own and became pretty much emotionally disconnected from everything and everybody as a way of self preservation. One day she is ripped away from Hades' grip and clearly sees his fear for her in his eyes. Taken by a dark one which is feared by many and answers to no one, she is left in Detroit. Found by one she knows is a warrior, she is almost killed by him until just before he strikes. Imagine his surprise when he realizes that she is his sister. So he takes her with him to his brothers. These siblings are all sired by Ares to different mothers for one purpose, to maintain a balance on Earth. All his daughters are killed the minute he lays eyes on them. Khara should not exist. She also meets a fallen angel that she immediately cannot stand. As she tries to adjust to her new life with her brothers (while wanting nothing more than to go back home to the Underworld) it becomes apparent that the paranormal creatures in the city are after Khara. And soon they find out why. Once it's out in the open what she is, the story picks up pace a bit and there's a bunch of fighting and some things get answered while new questions take their place. The bad guy who was leading the others should have been obvious, but the story does it's damnedest to lead you away from it. The success of that is debatable. At the end, Khara tries to do good for one of theirs, but ends up doing the exact opposite. Though as it turns out that's just what she needed to get where she wants to go and hopefully get the answers she seeks. As well as a way to undo what she had done.
The brothers are all pretty cool, but I can't help but be partial towards Sean for some reason. Perhaps because he's the most powerful and in charge and just seemed awesome. I also quite liked how Khara spoke. It wasn't formal per se but she was succinct and straight forward. She simply spoke what she thought and held nothing back, perhaps honest to a fault at times. It was a great contrast to Kierson especially but all of the brothers as well.
Khara has spent her whole life (which has been centuries) living between the Underworld and hidden away in a forest alternately for six months each at a time. In the Underworld she is Hades' ward and as such she has grown to love him as a father and him to love her as a daughter. Despite this, she still suffered at the hands of the damned often because Hades simply was too busy keeping control of that realm to protect her from everything. So she had to learn to deal with much on her own and became pretty much emotionally disconnected from everything and everybody as a way of self preservation. One day she is ripped away from Hades' grip and clearly sees his fear for her in his eyes. Taken by a dark one which is feared by many and answers to no one, she is left in Detroit. Found by one she knows is a warrior, she is almost killed by him until just before he strikes. Imagine his surprise when he realizes that she is his sister. So he takes her with him to his brothers. These siblings are all sired by Ares to different mothers for one purpose, to maintain a balance on Earth. All his daughters are killed the minute he lays eyes on them. Khara should not exist. She also meets a fallen angel that she immediately cannot stand. As she tries to adjust to her new life with her brothers (while wanting nothing more than to go back home to the Underworld) it becomes apparent that the paranormal creatures in the city are after Khara. And soon they find out why. Once it's out in the open what she is, the story picks up pace a bit and there's a bunch of fighting and some things get answered while new questions take their place. The bad guy who was leading the others should have been obvious, but the story does it's damnedest to lead you away from it. The success of that is debatable.
Spoiler
I was disappointed with how easily Deimos was "defeated". To be so easily banished back to the Underworld by a chant from Sean just seemed WAY too simple and not satisfying at all.The brothers are all pretty cool, but I can't help but be partial towards Sean for some reason. Perhaps because he's the most powerful and in charge and just seemed awesome. I also quite liked how Khara spoke. It wasn't formal per se but she was succinct and straight forward. She simply spoke what she thought and held nothing back, perhaps honest to a fault at times. It was a great contrast to Kierson especially but all of the brothers as well.
literaryhomeland's review
3.0
My issue with this novel was simple: there was little explanation until halfway through. The concept was interesting, and it engaged me, but only when it was properly brought forward to the reader, I had to force myself to read the first half until something got interesting. Nevertheless, a good story if you're looking for a read that you can self-interpret.
aly36's review
2.0
This book for me did not engage me as much as I would've liked. I think this book was a very slow read and I don't think I would read the next one. I would read something else from this author again just because you can't win them all and I'm sure she can write books that can keep me interested but I did not feel a connection to this book and it was a struggle to get to the end. * I received this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review*
padepaul's review
3.0
This was the first book I read by Amber Lynn Natusch. I struggled with this one and I hate to write those words.
**SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE ON OUT**
The concept is really cool and the execution was good but I felt like this was a set-up book. The story really got going at the end only to be cut-off and I'm told I need to read the next book to find out what happens next. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against sequels. I usually really like them if I'm into a series. But this felt like I finally got to the good stuff only to be shut down. I completely understand why the author chose to set up book 1 this way but I wish this story could've been structured in a way that it opened with the ending and the author filled in what I needed to know as the story moved forward.
**SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE ON OUT**
The concept is really cool and the execution was good but I felt like this was a set-up book. The story really got going at the end only to be cut-off and I'm told I need to read the next book to find out what happens next. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against sequels. I usually really like them if I'm into a series. But this felt like I finally got to the good stuff only to be shut down. I completely understand why the author chose to set up book 1 this way but I wish this story could've been structured in a way that it opened with the ending and the author filled in what I needed to know as the story moved forward.
kyera's review
4.0
I was incredibly and pleasantly (surprised) autopsied by this novel. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of things that leave the reader wanting more (and not in a good way), but overall it was well thought out.
There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.
My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.
The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)
Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.
My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.
The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)
Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
gloriouspanic's review
1.0
Disclosure: I received this free from Netgalley
I make the biggest effort to finish everything, even if it means taking breaks from a book. I did that with this and after half of it I just can't get into it. There are many instances where I felt it to just be lacking and nothing making sense. The main character Khara seems so strong and bad ass while alternating between to being seemingly blind to things going on around her. I will admit that perhaps it's just not a type of book meant for me, but the slowness, stiff dialogue, and what I felt was a lack of more depth beyond the main character just left it to be unreadable for me.
You can see all of my reviews @ https://gloriouspanic.wordpress.com/
I make the biggest effort to finish everything, even if it means taking breaks from a book. I did that with this and after half of it I just can't get into it. There are many instances where I felt it to just be lacking and nothing making sense. The main character Khara seems so strong and bad ass while alternating between to being seemingly blind to things going on around her. I will admit that perhaps it's just not a type of book meant for me, but the slowness, stiff dialogue, and what I felt was a lack of more depth beyond the main character just left it to be unreadable for me.
You can see all of my reviews @ https://gloriouspanic.wordpress.com/
lucy_rain_and_cupcakes's review
5.0
~I lost some sleeps because of this book, but it was worth it.
Khara is the adoptive daughter of Hades, she have spend centuries living in the Underworld. Where she learned to be indifference, learned to not to feel fear, and learned to adaptive to survive in a harsh environment.
But then she was taken away from her father, and dispose in the human world. There she would learn not only she may be the only living daughter of Ares, but she has many half-brothers and one true brothers as well.
I don't want to give too much away, because I really think this is a book worth of your time. But I'll give you another hint. Aside from the offsprings of gods and goddness, there are also different types of Angles, Light One, Dark One, Fallen One, and an Unborn.
Interesting huh
---
To be honest, at first I was skeptical of how the combination of Greek Mythology and Angles would worked out. But then this book really taken me by surprise. I can say I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the setting of this book, the concept of offspring of Ares were like the supernatural polices in the human world. I enjoyed reading about all the characters in this book, they were well-written and developed. I liked how the author didn't overload you with all the information on gods and goddness, which could easily overwhelm you. Although the pace of this book wasn't fast, but there are loads of intriging information and tons of actions that well keep you well-engaged to the story.
Khara's character was kind of unusual, she talked like she lived in an ancient time. At first she seem cold and too logical that she was almost inhuman-like. But at the same time she can be quite native. I thought she was a very likable character. While reading Unborn Khara really grown on me, I especially enjoyed reading the small changes in her throughout the book.
Khara's brothers really stood out in Unborn, they each have a very distinctive personality, and not everyone was nice and amiable. And Oz, must not forget about Oz. Oz was definitely a force in this book, I couldn't help but wonder the story behind his attitude and behaviors.
In case you were wondering, you won't find much of romance in this book. Potential love-interest? Yes.
Even though the concept of modern mythologies and angels aren't exactly new, but I thought this book managed to have a fresh intake on the subject. I thought Unborn was a great start of a Urban Fantasy series, and I can't wait to read the next book!
Happy Reading!! XO
urlphantomhive's review
3.0
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
The cover looked cool. So I decided to read it.
It is one of those novels where you better don't stop and start to think about it. It is fast paced and an easy read, which makes it perfect to relax but not much more than that. The main character is thrown into the hands of a band of vigilante brothers who actually turn out to be HER brothers. It's that kind of book. So don't expect anything deep, but it is a fast read.
Might continue anyway, since I already have a copy of the second book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The cover looked cool. So I decided to read it.
It is one of those novels where you better don't stop and start to think about it. It is fast paced and an easy read, which makes it perfect to relax but not much more than that. The main character is thrown into the hands of a band of vigilante brothers who actually turn out to be HER brothers. It's that kind of book. So don't expect anything deep, but it is a fast read.
Might continue anyway, since I already have a copy of the second book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
liferhi_inspired's review
3.0
When I first began reading this book I had no idea about the role that Greek mythology would play in the story. I was pleasantly surprised at the way the both Greek mythology and fantasy were woven together to create this story.
Khara has spent most of her life in the Underworld with her adoptive father Hades. One day she is ripped from her home with no warning and left on the streets of Detroit. Khara has some how found herself in the city in which her brothers (unknown to her) have been tasked to keep the balance between the supernatural and the mortals. As Khara begins to help her warrior brothers, everyone quickly realizes that nothing about her is as it seems, and she begins to uncover exactly who she truly is.
At the beginning of this book I found it a bit frustrating that the heroine and main character of this story has little feeling/emotion. As the story progresses you will soon discover just why those lack of emotions are present, though it does make it hard to connect with her character. This book does move at a bit of a slow pace, and might not be for everyone. This book does have a bit of action and suspense, but unfortunately very little romance. The lack of romance for me was quite frustrating, you can feel it sitting right there under the surface but it very rarely ever make an appearance. There are also a couple of sexual encounters during the book, however they are so quickly glossed over that if you aren't paying attention you might miss them.
While I was a bit disappointed at the pace and lack of romance of the book, the idea behind it was intriguing and worth reading. I'll be reading the next book in the series, hoping that I can find the extra bit of something that I've been craving from this story.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
Khara has spent most of her life in the Underworld with her adoptive father Hades. One day she is ripped from her home with no warning and left on the streets of Detroit. Khara has some how found herself in the city in which her brothers (unknown to her) have been tasked to keep the balance between the supernatural and the mortals. As Khara begins to help her warrior brothers, everyone quickly realizes that nothing about her is as it seems, and she begins to uncover exactly who she truly is.
At the beginning of this book I found it a bit frustrating that the heroine and main character of this story has little feeling/emotion. As the story progresses you will soon discover just why those lack of emotions are present, though it does make it hard to connect with her character. This book does move at a bit of a slow pace, and might not be for everyone. This book does have a bit of action and suspense, but unfortunately very little romance. The lack of romance for me was quite frustrating, you can feel it sitting right there under the surface but it very rarely ever make an appearance. There are also a couple of sexual encounters during the book, however they are so quickly glossed over that if you aren't paying attention you might miss them.
While I was a bit disappointed at the pace and lack of romance of the book, the idea behind it was intriguing and worth reading. I'll be reading the next book in the series, hoping that I can find the extra bit of something that I've been craving from this story.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
blood_rose_books's review
2.0
In the start of a new series Amber Lynn Natusch takes the reader from the Underworld to the surface and back again, as one woman searches to discover who she is and discovering her place in both: Khara has spent most of her life, centuries in fact discovering everything about the Underworld and while that place may hold nothing but death, despair and torture to some, Khara sees it as home. It is where she has felt love, has felt safe and has a father there. However, there were dark moments as well, of loneliness, torture, pain but still it is her home. When Khara is ripped unexpectedly from the Underworld and taken to the above ground town of Detroit, Khara does not know what to expect. She has never spent time above ground in a city with other people, so she is unsure how to behave or act. Everything is different here and as much Khara tries to stay out of the way and not attract any attention the opposite is true. When she discovers she has a large family of half-brothers above ground she is over joyed, but she is leery as it was a dark force that brought her to the surface and she does not want to put her new found family in danger. But if it is one thing that Khara learned growing up in the underworld there is danger around every corner, you can trust no one and you really just have to rely on yourself to survive. I think that Natusch came up with a really interesting concept for not only her world building but the overall premise of the story is was unique. However, I wish that the premise in general was executed better. I wish there were more books that featured the underground, as I enjoyed when Khara was talking about her time in the underground and how she was happy there and how her brothers could not understand how it could be her home. The book just mainly seemed to flow badly. It felt like it was all over the place at times and that nothing seemed to happen. This is basically how the book played out: They try to figure out what Khara's is/what her ability will be, they go to club, maybe go hunting for some soul suckers maybe not, one of the brothers or Oz hooks up with a girl, Oz is a douche to everyone and repeat. This seemed to be the main aspects that continued over and over again throughout the book. I did like Khara as a character, she had some redeem qualities, but for all her fighting that she claimed to have to put into to survive and live in the underworld, we never actually get to see those skills in the real world. She is unable to fight, with her fists or with weapons, she claims her skill is the ability to be invisible but she is the most visible person in the group. I appreciate that Khara does not back down from danger or a challenge but for the most part she was a hindrance to her brother in more way than one. I really really disliked the relationship between Khara and Oz. Oz is more than your typical bad boy and you know from when you first meet that Natusch is going to attempt to bring them together. Oz is too full of himself, too unwilling to let people in, too much of an ass really, I mean Natusch attempts to give him some good guy moments, but never succeeds at getting there he always just seems to turn into an ass part of the way through. The thing I don't get about Oz is that all of them hate him but yet they let him live with them, hang out with them, he gets way too many chances and most of the brothers just seem to think that eventually he will change. The ending was interesting and really not what I expected so Natusch get extra points from me for that, but I just wish overall that the premise had been executed better. Due to the fact the ending was really well done, I would seriously consider reading the next book in this series to see if Natusch is able to achieve something more, but I honestly can’t recommend this book for someone to read as I just found too many flaws within it. Cheers!!!
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