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True Born

(True Born Trilogy #1)

L.E. Sterling (Goodreads Author)

3.58 · Rating details · 799 ratings · 180 reviews

Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there’s Lucy Fox and her ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published May 3rd 2016 by Entangled: Teen

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· 799 ratings · 180 reviews

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Start your review of True Born (True Born Trilogy, #1)

Apr 13, 2018 D.M. rated it it was amazing

True Born. A dystopian world where money is everything. The plague has hit the human race hard. Survival comes at a price. The rich can buy it and the gifted are outcast.

The Fox family are in the heart of the upper circle. The elite families stick together. They are basically upper class stuck up snobby toffees. They teach their children to believe their views and do not associate with lesser species.

Lucy and Margot Fox are congenital twins. They were separated shortly after birth. Twins have ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Bex (Beckie Bookworm) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reviews, young-adult, post-apocalyptic, shapeshifters, netgalley, arc, dystopian, romance, human-breeds, clean

Copy-of-TB15revised-e1462907106865_zpsioqxafkl

1/2 STARS
REVIEW COPY
Release Date-3/5/16

So True Born is book one of a trilogy that takes place in Dominion.
A city devastated by ruin caused by a plague on mankind.
There seems to be three tiers of people Splicers, Lasters and True Born.
The rich and entitled seem to be the splicers as only the rich can afford to splice there DNA to survive and the poor take up the majority of the Lasters who are really just waiting for the virus to take effect and finish them off.
Thrown into this mix are the True ...more

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Mar 21, 2016 S.J. Abbo rated it really liked it

***3,75***

Two sisters, identical twins, born in privilege Upper Circle society, in a dark world devastated by the Plague.

They born conjoined, with the body, but connected with spirit, even after separation.

One is fire, bright and ready to burn out of control, and commands all attentions.

The other one, the sparrow, unnoticed and observer, responsible and polite.

Both wants to know, what are they?

“By your eighteenth birthday, you're supposed to know. They're supposed to tell you. Splicer. True ...more

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Apr 19, 2016 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: genre-paranormal, genre-dystopia, age-young-adult, genre-science-fiction, 2016, blog-tour, genre-mythology

Plague stories always catch my eye..and even though I was hoping this one would be more of a sci-fi read, it turned into more of a paranormal dystopian story which ended up being a nice surprise.

Having three different castes for humans isn't anything new in dystopia, but I was already invested in what True Borns were. The only thing is I really couldn't find a succinct answer. I still couldn't find one by the end because I felt like it dragged on so much. There are shapeshifters and even a mere Plague stories always catch my eye..and even though I was hoping this one would be more of a sci-fi read, it turned into more of a paranormal dystopian story which ended up being a nice surprise.

Having three different castes for humans isn't anything new in dystopia, but I was already invested in what True Borns were. The only thing is I really couldn't find a succinct answer. I still couldn't find one by the end because I felt like it dragged on so much. There are shapeshifters and even a mere mention of a witch. There's a lot of stop and go action which I enjoyed because sometimes having so much action makes me winded. But I felt it dragged on too much. I kind of wished the plot was more of a nail biter than the ending that I read. There needed to be more tension and we never even got any answers questioned. There was also a lack of previous world building..We're only supposed to accept the fact this plague just decimated the entire world. I was also confused through most of the book. What i loved most was the relationship between the two twin sisters and the whole mystery behind Storm and his band of followers.

Lucy Fox is one loyal sister. She protects her older sister to the death. I love her relationship with Margo because it wasn't perfect. Finding out who she is and what she wants, I like that she questions about what she wants. She didn't just go and decide to upend her entire because she loves a boy. Lucy used logic and heart to finally make her decision. Then there were her parents. Oh I really wanted to punch her father in the face. I don't understand how one's reputation and career is more important than their own child. One annoying True Born called Jared Price with long blonde hair and blonde hair green eyes was the most infuriating character. He didn't seem to have any truth to him as a character because I felt he was placed there as a love interest. Other than that, he was always the rescuer. He grew hot and cold and only until the end did he reveal his truth that I started to like him.

Remember his one isn't going to be your regular science fiction novel because it's more like a paranormal dystopian romance. It had it's good and bad part, but I'm wholly interested enough to see what will happen in the next book because of what they really are.

RATING 3/5

QUOTES

Precious cargo is a liability. (54)

You're like a little kitty cat. All cuteness and claws. (85)

Wow, do they teach sarcasm in charm school these days? Maybe I should enroll. (113)

Why do you let her win? Why are you always putting her ahead of yourself? (174)

They don't like it when we know things. They prefer us to exist in ignorance. (203)

I swear, you are the biggest pain in the neck I've ever met. (253)

What life would I choose? Who and what would I choose to be? (298) ...more

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Apr 05, 2016 Dana rated it did not like it

Shelves: is-it-just-me, 2016, netgalley, wtf, young-adult-paranormal, terrible, dnf, insta-love, post-apocalypse, bin

DNF. Unable to finish due to romanticizing abuse. See status updates for examples.

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May 21, 2016 mith rated it did not like it

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalypse, disappointed, kindle-or-ebook, series, 2016-publication, in-betweeners, reviewed

This book had decent writing. Like, I know so many books where authors try to write from a certain class POV and don't manage it well. I feel like Sterling managed it well. It wasn't the magical sort of writing you get from authors; it wasn't the lyrical kind; it wasn't even entirely the engrossing kind. Rather, for a debut, it was pretty damn good and sometimes that's enough.
If only the other aspects of the novel were like that.
You guys know those books where there's a love interest... and the This book had decent writing. Like, I know so many books where authors try to write from a certain class POV and don't manage it well. I feel like Sterling managed it well. It wasn't the magical sort of writing you get from authors; it wasn't the lyrical kind; it wasn't even entirely the engrossing kind. Rather, for a debut, it was pretty damn good and sometimes that's enough.
If only the other aspects of the novel were like that.
You guys know those books where there's a love interest... and the main character falls a bit too quickly... and the guy is a complete prick?
Yeah, this is kinda like that.
But, wait. There's more.
I hope you're thinking, Oh, god, no or are you serious? or something more creative and colourful (well, not THAT colourful, unless you've read it) because that was my thought process.
I don't mind romance. Many authors write it well. Many do not. Some authors create jerks with a past that make them who they are acceptable, some create sweethearts too pure for this world.
Some create assholes that go back and forth, back and forth, toying with the girl, being a hypocrite. I absolutely abhor love interests like that. Lucy (the main character) already couldn't stop thinking about him starting from the SECOND CHAPTER. She meets him in the first, totally hates him (yeah, okay) and cannot, for the life of her, get him out of her head.
Gee what a conundrum. The guy wasn't all that appealing save for it tousled blond locks and his green? indigo? i don't know?? eyes and there ya have it.
The worst part is? Lucy notices it. She expects Jerk Jared. She's CONSTANTLY surprised by Nice Jared. CONSTANTLY falls for Nice Jared knowing that, with one word, he can turn into Jerk Jared. Over and over and over.

Gone was the boy who comforted me, danced with me. Now he treats me like the enemy.

This happens throughout the book. In every chapter. I can't take this.
For what it's worth, there was more not-good with this book than the romance. Was there a plot? I couldn't tell. Everything felt random, lost. And there were a lot of terms that made no sense, used throughout the book. They didn't feel well explained so they weren't worth remembering.
It's 11:15 AM here in New York right now. I'm correcting more typos than I'd like to admit I make because it's so early. I am not a morning person. Or a noon person. Weekends are made for waking up at 3 after a late night and reading. They aren't made to remind us of romances that annoyed us.
.5 star? 1 star? Does it even matter at this point?? ...more

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Mar 10, 2016 Carrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

True Born takes place in Dominion City where a plague has descended upon the residents killing off a good portion of the population. Those that are left are divided into three groups, the Lasters, the Splicers and the True Born. Lasters are those who are beyond saving and on the last of their life, Splicers are those rich enough to keep up with procedures to prolong their life and the True Born are a bit of genetic mutation that are immune to the plague and carry properties of certain animals True Born takes place in Dominion City where a plague has descended upon the residents killing off a good portion of the population. Those that are left are divided into three groups, the Lasters, the Splicers and the True Born. Lasters are those who are beyond saving and on the last of their life, Splicers are those rich enough to keep up with procedures to prolong their life and the True Born are a bit of genetic mutation that are immune to the plague and carry properties of certain animals that have adapted to survive this world.

Lucy and Margot are identical twins who are nearing their eighteenth birthday where they should go through what is known as the "Reveal". At a reveal party it is announced whether each member of society of their will become either a Laster or Splicers. True Borns being feared are not something that is often spoke of so the sisters expect to be of the other two groups. But after numerous rounds of testing no one wants to admit to what the twins could be.

True Born is one of those reads that had so much potential to be a book series that I would fall in love with but fell short of the mark in the end. There were several issues I found with this first installment in the new True Born series that really kept me from enjoying it.

First, I found that the story gets off to a rather confusing start. There's a lot to take in for the world in this book but the explanations are a bit short and I found myself wondering for quite a while what each type of person really was and what the situation was at the beginning.

Once it got going I had my hopes up of really getting immersed in the story but then we come upon the relationship in the book. I'm not a huge fan of the rather withdrawn female character with no love life up to that point ending up in the relationship with the somewhat jerk of the bad boy. It's all bad treatment until he feels like making out which is a rather hard relationship to get behind.

Then on top of the rough start and not being a fan of the relationship I still was thinking this would end up being an OK read and start to a series and possibly 3 stars. But I had to drop my rating a bit more after finishing the whole book and feeling like so much wasn't touched upon and left in the air until the next in the trilogy. The ending I pretty much guessed at when starting and wasn't at all shocked that was where it was left but would have preferred more answers overall.

Overall, 2.5 stars for True Born, it has potential to be a good series overall but wasn't overly impressed with the first book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress.... ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Shelley rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, 2016-release, young-adult, received-for-review

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Dystopian
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

True Born is the first installment in author L.E. Sterling's True Born Trilogy. The protagonist of the series is soon to be 18-year old Lucinda (Lucy) Fox. Lucy was born identical and conjoined with her sister Margot Fox. Lucy and Margot are part of what the author is calling the Upper Circle. Margot is wild but charming while Lucy is reserved but bold. The story takes place in a fictional city called Dominion where the plague ...more

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May 01, 2016 LEAH⇢ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2016, love-and-stuff, young-adult, dystopian, fantasy, netgalley-arc

Deceived by the pretty cover...

Book Title: True Born
Author: LE Sterling
Series: True Born #1
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian-ish-fantasy-ish.
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Net Galley Arc

My Pick for Book Theme Song: My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fallout Boy

Ratings Breakdown

Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 2.8/5
The Feels: 3/5
Flow: 1/5
Backdrop (World Building): 2/5
Originality: 4/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Ending: 2.8/5 Cliffhanger: to be continued

Will I continue this series? No, I just can't go there…

2.3

...more

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Jun 01, 2016 Morris rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-reviews

I would liken “True Born” to the “Under the Never Sky” series. Not in plot, but in the guilty pleasure type of enjoyment it provides. The similarities include that there’s a world that doesn’t make much sense, though I suspect that will be cleared up in future books, and science that is barely explained and is best left unquestioned.

In spite of the things mentioned above, it’s fun. It takes the ideas of plagues, shape-shifters, and religious zealots and mixes them into a good adventure filled ...more

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Mar 23, 2017 Atlas rated it liked it · review of another edition

Evolve or die. What is the price of living?

* * *
3 / 5

I'm not really sure why I enjoyed this as much as I did. The science was dubious at best, the setting confused, and if the love interest had been burnt at the stake then True Born would have been 10x better. But I had fun nonetheless, which is why I award True Born 3/5 stars and have requested the sequel on Netgalley! So what's it all about? Rich, Upper Circle twin sisters Margot and Lucy live in Dominion City which is overrun by The Plague ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 ☘Misericordia☘ ~ The Serendipity Aegis ~ ⚡ϟ⚡ϟ⚡⛈ ✺❂❤❣ added it

Sorry, what?
Q:
And the man in front of me, a gorgeous wallop of a man, holds me from certain death by the hem of my skirt. I’m lucky, I muse as, teetering on my heels, I’m suddenly cast back to the time when a much younger Robbie Deakins held Margot suspended in the same position and bartered a kiss for her freedom. (c)

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Sep 23, 2015 Melissa (YA Book Shelf) rated it really liked it

Shelves: canadian-ya

Interesting mix of action in an apocalyptic world where a plague is killing off a large number of the population. There's been a lot of editing from the original, but it was originally published on Wattpad and had over 500k readers, and I can totally see why they were enthused with the story, particularly in regards to what makes the main character Lucy and her sister Margot different from every other person in Dominion City. Beyond the main character and her sister, most of the people in the ...more

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Mar 06, 2016 Lisa Mandina rated it really liked it

The story has so many twists and turns it keeps you on the edge of your seat. All the different types of True Borns are neat to hear about, and to try to picture in my head. The heat between Jared and Lucy is really good, I enjoy the back and forth between them. I enjoy all of the stuff that builds into the world. My only problem was that I feel there are still so many questions left unanswered. And I wish there would have been one or two more of these answered. But I guess the author knew what ...more

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May 26, 2016 nat. rated it really liked it

as of right now I have a lot of questions. but putting that aside, I actually quite liked this book. I'm getting some mythology background on this, which I'm hoping if it's true, it gets more in depth on later books. with an apocalyptic setting laced with blood, power, ploys, and money, this was a great start to this trilogy.

there's also some insta-love of type thing romance, which I didn't mind -although not my preference- but I feel like there's more to that, like some fated mate thing. I ...more

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May 07, 2016 Jesse Nicholas added it

Shelves: 2016-books, dnf

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately at this time have to DNF at 55%. The story and the characters are just not grasping my attention. I really tried to find something to like or hold onto, but I couldn't.

I hope other readers find some entertainment and joy from reading this book, and that my decision to DNF the book doesn't sway theirs.

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May 28, 2016 Dark Faerie Tales rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Enthralling dystopian story so full of secrets and questions that it kept me hooked into the story but at the same time left me frustrated.

Opening Sentence: When we came into the world, silent and cowled, my sister and I were attached by our big toes.

The Review:

True Born is a young adult dystopian novel about a future where mankind has been forced to evolve or die. This story begins a trilogy set in a world in which I was very much intrigued ...more

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Feb 26, 2017 Ria rated it it was amazing

Shelves: blog-review, absolute-favorites, arc, zcomp-2017-ebook, zcomp-2017-netgalley

Full Review ~~to Follow~~@...http://www.abookishescape.com/2017/02...

The End, remember those bombs I told you about? Yep…That happens but seriously Storm reveals some of his cards and Lucy and Margot? Well there is not much that can be done but they sure try. The ending was a little sad but the promise for more is there. I was happy to see certain people get their just desserts. I have my theories as to what secrets lie within Lucy and Margot but I will keep them to my self. I was pretty ...more

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May 08, 2018 Misty rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-or-galley, folklore-myth-fable-fairy-tall-tale, review-copy-accepted, romanciful, ebook, read-in-2018

3.75
I sat down to do a first impressions of this one, and ended up reading the whole thing, so clearly it drew me in. That's not to say it's not flawed, because it is, but I enjoyed in nonetheless. Video review here.

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Mar 22, 2016 Lynn Rainbow rated it liked it

Shelves: reviews

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review!

When I first read the plot of this book, I fell in love with it. The idea behind it seemed really original and new and it could have made a really, really good novel! Instead, after reading it, I feel like this book didn't meet his full potential. It's not that I didn't like it, but I didn't love it as I expected. It was nice and enjoyable at points, but nothing more than that.

Starting with the things I did I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review!

When I first read the plot of this book, I fell in love with it. The idea behind it seemed really original and new and it could have made a really, really good novel! Instead, after reading it, I feel like this book didn't meet his full potential. It's not that I didn't like it, but I didn't love it as I expected. It was nice and enjoyable at points, but nothing more than that.

Starting with the things I did like, there is surely the setting/world. The genetic differences between Splicers, Lasters and True Borns, and the way they influenced the society were really interesting to read about! Unfortunately, the details given to us weren't many and, in the end, the world building lacked a bit of exploration and it was pretty superficial. It was also hard to come into it at the beginning, since we didn't get an accurate explanation of what the situation was, but we kind of had to imagine it through the story.

Another thing I liked, was the relationship between Margot and Lucy. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated by twins dynamics and this kind of bonds, so I was very excited to see that a couple of twin sisters were the main protagonists of this book. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't really like Margot, nor Lucy. Lucy was an irritating narrator and I couldn't understand a lot of her reactions or action in a few parts. This wouldn't have been too bad, since I don't like a lot of the main female characters in books, but I hoped that I could at least find another character to love. But there isn't one. Except from Lucy and Jared, the other characters weren't really outlined in details, not even Margot, of which even at the end we hadn't a full picture.

Then, there was the love relationship. Even though Jared had a lot of potential (I mean, a man-cat, who wouldn't have loved him?) he actually acted like any other jerk boy, grumpy but sweet of heart, in YA books. Between him and Lucy I couldn't feel any chemistry, and actually I cringed every time they flirted in moments where there should have been a lot more priorities that this!

Fortunately, the writing style was nice and fast paced, even though there were a few (a lot, actually) moments where I couldn't really get what was going on (but it could have been a stilistic choice, maybe?, since it's narrated from Lucy's POV who doesn't really know herself what's going on) or a bit bored. I also didn't like the ending, because I feel like very few progress has been done since the beginning, and this makes me doubt about the "usefullness" of this book.

At the end, it was an easy read and surely an original plot, I just wished it would have been done better, with better characters, better evolution, and better ending. The positive thing is that I can totally feel potential for a next book, and I'm sure there will be people who will like this one a lot more than me! So, I say 3 stars it is, maybe a tiny bit less, but eventually an OK book. Nothing more. ...more

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May 04, 2016 Barb (Boxermommyreads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016

I have to be honest and admit I initially found this world a hard one to get into. "True Born" is sort of a dystopian in that it takes place in a world where everything has basically gone to hell. Dominion, the main city, consists of royalty and the poor, and the poor don't stand a chance. The Plague has wiped out a lot of civilization and pretty much all the people left are either Splicers, Lasters or True Born. When you turn 18, a series of medical tests, called Protocols, advise you of your I have to be honest and admit I initially found this world a hard one to get into. "True Born" is sort of a dystopian in that it takes place in a world where everything has basically gone to hell. Dominion, the main city, consists of royalty and the poor, and the poor don't stand a chance. The Plague has wiped out a lot of civilization and pretty much all the people left are either Splicers, Lasters or True Born. When you turn 18, a series of medical tests, called Protocols, advise you of your fate. Lasters basically are doomed to die, Splicers become "the elite" and True Born, individuals who contain both human and animal DNA and are hybrids of both, are exiled.

Margot and Lucy Fox are identical twins who were born conjoined, but later physically separated. Their parents are well-to-do politicians and as the story quickly progresses, Margot and Lucy learn that their 18th birthday "reveal" may hold more in store for them than anticipated. Margot and Lucy soon meet a group of security ran by Nolan Storm, a True Born with antlers (thus the cover now makes sense). Storm and his entourage help Lucy and Margot navigate the mess that has become their life.

This book holds lot of action and political intrigue. The different "races" Sterling has created are unique and fascinating. I think I found the beginning slow because there is a lot of information thrown at the reader in an attempt to help them understand Dominion and the different classes of individuals living there. I assume the next two books won't be so heavy on the world building since at the end, the reader has a good grasp on what is going on. I liked a lot of the characters, but the strange thing is, I never completely liked Margot or Lucy. They both have strength and weaknesses and several annoying traits. Perhaps this is intentional because as I mentioned, they were initially conjoined twins. They would have made a good "whole" person, but that would have really cut the plot short. Oh, and their parents are definitely in the running for "Worst Parents of the Year" awards.

Overall, I enjoyed Sterling's first book in this trilogy. Any slowness I felt quickly dissipated and by the end, I felt like I was watching an action/thriller movie unfold. There is a tad bit of romance, but it is filled with tension and is not overpowering. Also, while the book does have a cliffhanger, it also has some resolution and I didn't feel like it was ended right in the middle of a scene. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. If you like sci-fi, dystopian, or action/thrillers, "True Born" is worth checking out.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 05, 2016 Laura Hernandez (TheVoluptuousBkDiva/YABkDivas) rated it really liked it

What drew me to read this book was the synopsis and I was not disappointed!!! The story line was well put together, the characters were outstanding and the world building was so amazing that I found myself becoming a part of the story. I cannot wait to see what comes next and recommend it to one and all.

{I received an eARC via NetGalley and Entangled Teen}

description

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May 10, 2016 Sarah (thegirltheycalljones) marked it as maybe

Shelves: gorgeous-cover

The cover is so pretty ! *_*
It smells the love triangle by a thousand miles.
BUT. THE . COVER. IS. SO. PRETTY.

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Mar 06, 2016 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it it was amazing

Shelves: entangled-publishing

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I am looking forward to this one as it sounds like a mixture of dystopian\post apocalyptic/shifter genres all thrown in together.

THOUGHTS WHILST READING THE BOOK
This is a newer part of my "Review" where I look back at what my comments were on Goodreads whilst reading the book. As with the rest of review I will try my best to avoid spoilers. I guess you could call these comments my "teasers" for the book as you are reading to see if you think the same as I did.
At 31% Does Lukas
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I am looking forward to this one as it sounds like a mixture of dystopian\post apocalyptic/shifter genres all thrown in together.

THOUGHTS WHILST READING THE BOOK
This is a newer part of my "Review" where I look back at what my comments were on Goodreads whilst reading the book. As with the rest of review I will try my best to avoid spoilers. I guess you could call these comments my "teasers" for the book as you are reading to see if you think the same as I did.
At 31% Does Lukas Fox know exactly how precious and rare his daughters are? Who was Clive working for and what did they want? What's the truth behind Nolan Storm and his band of security members.
Then at 91% when I hated having to put the book down but had to!) A party to impress a business man rather than for the two girls. Do the parents actually truly know what the girls are. Can Storm and his team save the girls??
You can checkout my reaction at the very end in my Final Thoughts at the end of my review.

MY REVIEW
I downloaded an e-copy of this book from Netgalley, courtesy of an invitation widget from Entangled Teen in exchange for my own, honest opinion. So thank you again to them. I find the cover quite simplistic, yet really eye catching. The blue-grey "washed out" colours of the cover with the imposing white antlers at it's centre. I adore a byline and the one on this book, "Sometimes it's not who you are. It's what you are. . . " really fits the theme of this book very well. Would this cover make me pick up this book from a book store shelf? Yes, I think it's an attractive, attention grabbing cover.
The main characters are twin sisters, Lucinda and Margot Fox. Lucinda and Margot were born still joined together by their big toes. When the girls were separated they were both so unconsolable they had to be kept side by side, it was the only thing that would stop them from crying! They also both carry an unusual birthmark, Lucinda has what looks like a lock and Margot has a key. I think this information will become more and more relevant and make more sense as the trilogy progresses. The other perhaps more bizarre thing about the twins is that they can feel each others pain and emotions. The twins parents Lukas and Antonia Fox are part of the more privileged people that live in the upper class of Dominion City. Lukas is a Chief Diplomat of Nor. Dominion City is the largest, most influential City too. A plague has devastated the less well off, depriving them of food and their lives. If you are rich enough you can go into a clinic and be spliced. Splicing takes out the damaged DNA and ties in new undamaged DNA.
Every child is tested, the procedure is called "protocols" and on their 18th birthday usually at a "reveal party" they are told what they are...be it a Laster, a Splicer or the more rare and considered strange, True born. The problem is the twins have gone through these "protocols" numerous times and those at the special clinic don't ever seem to come any closer to deciding what the girls are at all. Strangely to say the Fox family are part of the Upper Class, the reveal party they are planning for their daughters is a rather quiet, smaller, sedate type of party, than the lavishly large affairs some of their friends are having or planning. The girls do not complain, they do as they always have and accept their parents wishes and strive to continue to be good daughters putting the family name and reputation first as always.
Of course where there is a richer, ruling class there has to be the poor that are forced to exist as best they can. Also there usually is a group set on rebelling, and restructuring society.
The one thing everyone in this book wants is a cure for the plague. . . and naturally the girls are tied into this struggle. When Lukas and Antonia go away abroad on some secret business deal, Lukas employs a rather different, more radical type of security to watch over his girls whilst he is away. This security detail consist of Nolan Storm, the guy with the mystical antlers that only people with a certain talent can see, like Lucinds), Jared Price (the new potential #bookboyfriend on the scene) whom Lucinda seems to both irritate and intrigue him at the same time. The others in this group consist of Penny (Mohawk), Malcolm Torch) Kira and their medical person Dr Dorian Raine. It's Dr Dorian Raine who is tasked in finding out what the girls really are . . .what it is about them that has men willing to kidnap, or do some sort of business deal to be in possession of them. Storm, Jared, Torch and the other try their level best to protect the girls whilst still giving them freedom for the choices they need to make for themselves.
The poor that live in the parts of Dominion City that no longer has power, who have to scavenge for food etc fall prey to the wiles of The Watchers and their leader Father Wes who preachers and incites the people to fight against the upper class. These people really have nothing to lose, they cannot afford to go to a clinic to be spliced if they need it.
There is so much going on in this book, giving you a lot of clues to come up with possible outcomes ad keeps you on the edge of your seat too. The book has the dystopian elements of the battles between those that have and those that do not have. The strange plague I'd say is the post apocalyptic element and finally the shifter element are those who are categorized as True Born. The other elements I would say True Born has are of course a little romance, lots of action, mystery and a few comedy moments hear and there. One such comedy moment I found funny was when Jared is right up in Lucinda's face and she sneezes on him!
So did I enjoy the book? I found the very beginning of the book a little harder to get into to, but looking back now it was a slower build up to the book and once my interest was captured I was well and truly hooked, and hated having to put the book down. Would I recommend the book? Yes, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers in my opinion because it encompasses so many genres.
Would I want to read the next book in this trilogy? Oh yes! definitely. . . when and where do I sign up? Would I want to read other titles by this author? Yes after reading and adoring True Born I will certainly keep L.E. Sterling on my Authors to follow list.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Being totally honest my very first thoughts upon finishing this book were "Oh wow, brilliant, so different to other "dystopian"/" Shifter" books out at the moment! I want more please sign me up now!"
So what else can I say? Brilliant read! ...more

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Mar 22, 2016 Caron rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebooks, series-trilogies, r2r, netgalley, read-in-2016, new-2-u-authors-2016, reviewed

||Actual Rating: 2.75||

I received this book from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

On the state-continent of Nor-Am, Dominion is the biggest and widely populated city. This is where Lucy and Margot, previously-conjoined twins live. Lucy is the ‘timid’ one while Margot is more daring, which leaves Lucy responsible for covering up for her.

There was a great Plague that left behind a mutation, if I could call it that. The world was basically divided into three: Lasters, ★||Actual Rating: 2.75||★

I received this book from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

On the state-continent of Nor-Am, Dominion is the biggest and widely populated city. This is where Lucy and Margot, previously-conjoined twins live. Lucy is the ‘timid’ one while Margot is more daring, which leaves Lucy responsible for covering up for her.

There was a great Plague that left behind a mutation, if I could call it that. The world was basically divided into three: Lasters, Splicers and True Born. The Lasters are basically ‘dead men’. The mutation eats them up and they have no money to help them…not that it would help. Once you get the plague, there’s no going back. The Splicers are those that buy themselves more time. They keep paying to have their DNA altered to survive longer. One thing that’s never talked about is True Borns. To be a True Born means to be an abomination.

Nolan Storm and his team – Jared, Penny, Malcolm and Kira are hired to be security detail for Lucy and Margot. After Margot goes missing, that is when the ball really drops.

Characters: I found Lucy to be a bit annoying and since she was the Main Character, I had to deal with that through the entire book. She got whiny at times and I wanted to scream at her. She was seventeen, about to turn eighteen and she was acting like some bratty six year old. That got old real quick. Lucy was kind of stupid. She’d be advised or told ‘don’t move’ and what does she do? She moves and ruins the plan. Also, what I didn’t like was when she and Jared were talking, he mentioned something about how she should go to school so she could be smart and find an Upper Circle guy (he was being insulting, but he had a point) and she replied ‘I don’t have to be smart for that’. Seriously woman! What I really couldn’t stand was that there seemed to be no character development. Lucy started out as a timid, shy character then suddenly she blew up and grew some balls, but she regressed. How does one regress after becoming so confident? And the fact that she never, not once stood up to her parents irks me.

Jared, this guy though. I didn’t like him. He had his moments but they weren’t enough to make me like him. He had some points that he made regarding Lucy, and I’m glad he tried to knock some sense into her. I still thought he was kind of insane.

Rest of the True Borns (good ones) – I liked all of them. I personally feel that the story would’ve been better if there was more of a focus on them. This book is after all called True Born. We learnt their history, which was appreciated, but I feel that they deserved a longer time in the spotlight. I would’ve wanted to know more about their powers. I feel that with there being and Upper Circle and then the True Borns, there was a divide. Lucy and Margo weren’t exclusive to one, and I think that’s what made this story seem like it was all over the place. They never really belonged.

Fox Family/Upper Circle – These people are cruel and vindictive and they’re so secretive, of course everything would blow up in their faces.

Likes: I honestly liked the concept. I liked what the basis of this story was. How being a True Born isn’t in fact a mutation but more of a progression from what being a human is.

Dislikes: I wasn’t a fan of the execution. As I mentioned, the story seemed all over the place. There was no character development and I was confused a lot of the time.

Overall Thoughts: I didn’t hate it though. One thing I expected was for them to actually reveal what Lucy and Margot were. I read the entire book waiting for that moment that never came. It was disappointing. I don’t see myself continuing this series whatsoever. ...more

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Apr 19, 2016 Eileen (BookCatPin) rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars

First, thank you so much Raincoast Books for sending me an early copy to read! It's been quite some time since I've gone into a dystopian world but True Born brings back all the feelings associated with a good dystopian read. I felt the pain, anger, despair but most importantly, the hope in this book.

Like with any fantasy dystopian books, the world took some time to get settled into. In the beginning I found myself very confused. Splicers, Lasters and True Borns, huh? But once I got 3.5 Stars

First, thank you so much Raincoast Books for sending me an early copy to read! It's been quite some time since I've gone into a dystopian world but True Born brings back all the feelings associated with a good dystopian read. I felt the pain, anger, despair but most importantly, the hope in this book.

Like with any fantasy dystopian books, the world took some time to get settled into. In the beginning I found myself very confused. Splicers, Lasters and True Borns, huh? But once I got deeper into the story, they became obvious. I think I'm a little freaked out at the thought of Splicers. They seem like such unnatural beings. Every person is really only fighting to survive but the categorizing and subsequent alienating led to violence amongst the groups. Each having their own mysterious agendas to fulfill.

As twins, Margot is wild but charming while Lucy is reserved but bold. They have a beautiful (sometimes painful) bond and it was heartening to see them not only rely on but also look out for each other. Aside from having a powerful and influential father, they're just ordinary girls who want to enjoy their Reveal party. When Margo gets taken, Lucy is determined to rescue her sister. Without themselves knowing, they seem to be part of bigger sinister? plans. It wasn't fun watching them get dragged into conflict after conflict. I wanted to scream at their parents for the indignation in their treatment of the girls and I wanted to yell at the girls to grow some backbone to stand up for themselves. For obvious reasons I didn't love seeing how they were kept suppressed. These girls are stronger than pieces on a chess board to be moved at others' wills.

I love the vivid descriptions of the True Borns. Some had the hair on my arms standing up in fear while others had me wide-eyed in awe. It's crazy thinking about the extraordinary powers this group exhibits. Nolan Storm is definitely an intriguing character. His "story" has me anticipating big things. I'm also curious to see how he's going to help the girls. Perhaps as a mentor? I can picture that.

There was a case of insta-love between Lucy and Jared but as the story progressed, I really loved seeing the two together. There's a sort of tender genuine care in their exchanges no matter how hostile or heated their interactions always seem to be(come). She softens him and he calls out the fighter in her. I can definitely see them kick some asses side by side.

I need to know what roles these other beings (the Preacher, the important Russian guest and the other True Borns) play. Are they friend or foe? With where things left off at, it's unclear. But I can see a much bigger scheme at work so I hope Ms. Sterling gives us more on each in the sequel!

While not necessarily a cliffhanger ending, True Born does leave you wanting more. A lot more reveals have yet to be made and I'm beyond curious to see what we'll get. I'm strapping myself in because True Born will no doubt be stirring up a storm ;) ...more

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Apr 15, 2016 Moriah rated it really liked it

*This review will also appear on A Leisure Moment*

**I received this book via NetGalley through Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review**

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. I haven’t read anything dystopian (that doesn't involve aliens) in a while, so I enjoyed visiting this genre again. The cover drew me in, if I’m being completely honest, and once I understood it’s meaning, I loved it even more. However, the story inside does not disappoint.

Lucy Fox was a *This review will also appear on A Leisure Moment*

**I received this book via NetGalley through Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review**

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. I haven’t read anything dystopian (that doesn't involve aliens) in a while, so I enjoyed visiting this genre again. The cover drew me in, if I’m being completely honest, and once I understood it’s meaning, I loved it even more. However, the story inside does not disappoint.

Lucy Fox was a wonderful narrator. The book started off a little slow, and though it took me a few chapters to get into it and understand exactly how the world worked, Lucy’s voice kept a steady pace. She had an even character arc, and since this is a trilogy—yay!—I’m excited to see how her character changes in the other books. She slowly gave me bits and pieces of the life she and her sister had lived. Their connection was peculiar and enthralling, and it motivated Lucy to become the person that I had come to know by the end of the book. Margot, her twin, and Lucy had a great relationship, one that didn’t take away from the other person but built them up and nourished a unique bond.

Are there any fans of Jace from The Mortal Instruments out there? You’ll love Jared! I was on twitter and saw someone talk about Jared being man candy, and my curious mind had to know. I had the book on my kindle, waiting idly for my attention, and it was just the shove I needed. Thank you, person on twitter that decided to talk about this book, you were so right. I loved Jared. Blonde, snarky, transitioning eye color, and an inherent desire to protect Lucy, it was practically impossible not to create a special place in my heart for this True Born. While they didn’t have an incredibly romantic relationship, each kiss and careful caress made my heart race. With Jared came many nail biting moments, and he kept me on my toes practically the entire book—I stayed about as confused as Lucy on where they stood.

The world building had such complexity. Sterling took a general idea—widespread plague—and added a twist. There were Splicers, Lasters, and True Borns, each indicative of where you stood in society. Lucy and Margot, like everyone else but those labeled True Born at birth, waited anxiously to learn where they fell when they turned eighteen. They had been used to living in the Upper Circle, their world skillfully designed to fit a certain mold. I expected science fiction, but felt a lean toward fantasy. The two seemed to blend together in an exceptional way that banished the slight confusion that I had at the beginning. Dominion stood vividly in my mind, and I hope to learn more about the hierarchal division in the next book.

Fans of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy or X-Men will devour this book. Is it too soon to be asking for the next book in the trilogy yet?
...more

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May 25, 2018 USOM rated it liked it

(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

More like a 3.5

So what really impressed me about True Born was how inventive the plot was. Reading this was like seeing a casino machine swirl and the fruit symbols come together in different combinations. I know that there are only so many combinations, but the way these elements came together was what astonished me. Sterling doesn't ease us in slowly. We are thrown in head first ...more

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Jan 02, 2017 Adele rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, 2017-read, fantasy, dystopian, young-adult

Original review on Adele Is Reading.

True Born is a Young Adult Science Fiction/ Fantasy Dystopia. A nice thing about this book, as I’ve come to realize, is that we don’t know when exactly the story takes place. The settings of this book are similar to our world, but different enough that it’s hard to place where exactly the story takes place geologically.

I like the point of view that the main character, Lucy, has. She’s so protective of her sister. And like, I was immediately drawn into Lucy’s Original review on Adele Is Reading.

True Born is a Young Adult Science Fiction/ Fantasy Dystopia. A nice thing about this book, as I’ve come to realize, is that we don’t know when exactly the story takes place. The settings of this book are similar to our world, but different enough that it’s hard to place where exactly the story takes place geologically.

I like the point of view that the main character, Lucy, has. She’s so protective of her sister. And like, I was immediately drawn into Lucy’s point of view and just her…character. I related on a few things with her. Mostly the sister thing, and having to be protective of out siblings.

The setting of True Born is very interesting. I wonder what year the story takes place in? As far as I know, we aren’t given a year like some stories do. I also like the pace of the book as well, like the general pace of the story is fast but not to the point where it’s overwhelming.

There’s action in the beginning of the story but there’s also a lot nearing the end as well. I love how nearing the end of the book it feels like the loose ends are tied so we no longer have to worry about it but at the same time there are new possibilities that have opened. However, Sterling wrote the book where I feel confident that the next book will be just as enjoyable as True Born is. I’m looking forward to reading the next book since there’s so much that still has to happen!

What was nice about the writing and plot of this book was that everything was paced evenly. Secrets of the plot (as one would say) unravelled when they were supposed to. There weren’t really any plot twists, which is great for this story. If there were a plot twist… I can’t even imagine a plot twist in True Born to be honest.

I think that my favourite thing about True Born is well, the Fatnasy elements that we’re given, but the love interest: Jared. I really like Jared, aka: cat boy, as the love interest. But what bothers me is that we don’t find out his age WHICH IS INFURIATING.

I’m not to going to like when the Russian guy is introduced. AND GUESS WHAT??? I DIDN’T. NOT AT ALL. And yes, he’s a general dick.

I hope that there isn’t some hidden-hidden (super secret) motive behind Nolan Storms actions.

The story is kind of unravelling itself which is nice because there’s already so much stuff that we don’t know about the general story. Which is why I’m incredibly interested in the second book. ...more

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Mar 06, 2016 Nicole rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, ebooks

True Born!!! First things first: I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
The book is already out, so you can go and check it out.

This is what the book is about:
"Welcome to Dominion City.After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated...and their genetics damaged beyond repair.The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they True Born!!! First things first: I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
The book is already out, so you can go and check it out.

This is what the book is about:
"Welcome to Dominion City.After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated...and their genetics damaged beyond repair.The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…And then there's Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood." (x)

***

This book was a good start to a series. It didn't leave me with that 'WOW' feeling but it has lots of potential.

The setting is great. With a story like that there is a lot of world building Involved to understand how the world works. But I sometimes I felt there was too much information at once and I got overwhelmed.

I also had a hard time with the pacing in the book. A lot of things were happening and there was a lot of action. But at the end of the book I'm still as confused about Lucy and Margot as I was before. I feel like there was not at least one answer to all of it. I get that you can't tell all in a first book but just a little bit??

And the characters. They just didn't really grow on me. I liked the twins enough to care for them, Jared had some nice moments too. Overall the character that came close to being a favorite is Storm. I'm just really intrigued by him.
I also really loved the special connection the twins have. That was really an interesting element to the story.

Overall I really liked it though. And with the way that the book ended, I'm actually very interested to see how things will go in the next one.
...more

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About L.E. Sterling

L.E. Sterling

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L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance, to which she remained faithful through an M.A. in creative writing and a PhD in English literature, where she completed a thesis on magical representation.

She is the author of cult hit YA novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick) and the Urban Fantasy Pluto’s Gate, and the True Born Trilogy. True Born, first in the ...more

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True Born Trilogy (3 books)

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Quotes from True Born

“I stare into the ruggedly handsome face, the eyes alight with a vast intelligence and that eerie, unearthly power. He's beautiful, so haunted with power it takes me a second to realize exactly what position Nolan Storm has put me in, and by extension, my family.” — 0 likes

“Frown deepening, Jared bounces a hand off the chair arm. 'You know you're different, Princess. And it's not just because you're some fancy, spoiled rich girl. Hell, you don't smell like anyone else. Money can't buy that smell.' I assume he wasn't talking about my expensive perfume, which money did in fact buy.” — 0 likes

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