True North

True Born Trilogy #2

by L.E. Sterling

It’s not you…it’s your DNA.

Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot.

But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there’s been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters’ blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Dystopia, Mystery, Supernatural

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2017

About the author

Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. Sterling spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van, inspiring her writing career. True Born, first in the True Born trilogy, was recognized with the 2017 Athena Award® in Young Adult Literature (paranormal) from the Young Adult chapter of the RWA. She lives in Quebec, Canada.

www.le-sterling.com

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

True North is the second book in the True Born series which has introduced the world of Dominion City. 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.

Now in True North the story picks up with Lucy Fox having been abandoned by her family in Dominion City and relying on the True Borns to try to help to save her sister. Lucy however finds that Storm, the leader of the True Born has his own agenda and decides to set off to Russia to find her sister taking their fate into her own hands.

I have to admit I debated quite a bit on continuing this series since I wasn't a huge fan of the first book. I wasn't impressed with the relationship between Jared and Lucy, he was a bit of a jerk to say the least. The world building left a lot to be desired and the story seemed to be a bit on the predictable side. But curiosity got the better of me with wondering what would happen in book two.

While I did like this one a bit more than the first book I still think it suffers from the problems mentioned. There's just things I question about the world that we've been introduced to and it still seems that the story just goes on in a predictable manor. Maybe a huge ending would make me more of a fan but right now I think this series is just so-so in the young adult dystopian fantasy world even though it sounded like one I should/would love.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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

[Atlas · Rating 2 out of 5]

If we listened closely to our bones, fought hard enough, showed the world we'd not back down, my sister and I could pull each other from the jaws of fate

* *
2 / 5

Unfortunately, for a good chunk of True North absolutely nothing happens. I read this shortly after finishing True Born and what I expected was badass action scenes, exploration of Russia and how it differs to Dominion, more information about True Borns, more information about the preachers, and to discover the truth about the Fox sisters. True North manages to do the last one and throws in more of Jared Price being creepily intense and disturbing to compensate.

I gave myself a choice: I could curl up in a ball and let the Plague take me. Or I could have faith in the magic buried deep in our blood and bones. I chose to believe

Firstly, a couple of positives. The moment I started reading I noticed that the writing seemed a bit different; it was the same style but more sophisticated and I was impressed. Lucy remains consistent in her characterisation, so if you liked her in the last book you'll no doubt enjoy her here. There's also the introduction of a new character, Alistair, who is likeable and interesting and who I hope to see a lot more of in the next book. Unfortunately he gets pushed to the side when Jared makes his reappearance to continue his transformation into Edward Cullen: he's very possessive, likes smelling Lucy, and makes her cry a lot. He also keeps doing that hot-and-cold routine. Jared Price is not an attractive love interest or character anymore than he was in the first book.

Around him the air crackles and blurs, especially around his head where the faint blue outline of na impressive set of antlers rises and tangles like a crown

Nolan Storm also became less likeable, which is a shame. He's not in it for a significant amount of time and every scene spends time describing how crown-like his antlers are. After about the fifth time it got a bit tiring. I think the antlers are awesome, but I only need so many words dedicated to them! Storm is keeping Lucy safe in his tower as a ward whilst he manipulates the political world of Dominion which, somehow, keeps him busy and unable to fulfil his promise to Lucy about searching for her kidnapped sister, Margot. After roughly half the book has passed where not much has occurred, Lucy realises he probably isn't ever going to bother looking for her and takes matters into her own hands. Hurrah!

Then we get a chunk of good scenes. There's a boat, an interesting new character, then some train scenes and fights. All good stuff. In terms of action the second half of True North is a remarkable improvement. We get to find out more about why and how Lucy and Margot are so special and why the Russians might be so interested in them, whilst their parents seem to have vanished off the face of the earth - again. But the issue of the preachers and their slogans and graffiti gets almost entirely sidelined whilst new information about True Borns, one of the most interesting ideas in the series, is practically nil.

I was disappointed by True North. It definitely suffers from middle book syndrome and fails to have much of the political intrigue, Margot, Nolan Storm or awesome fight scenes that I liked from True Born.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of True North

Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

True North is the second book in the True Born series. The story is continuous but does contain catch up information. I would recommend starting with Book One.

Lucy is left in the hands of True Born leader Nolan Storm. Her family have completely disappeared. Lucy is desperate to get her sister back but the trail is cold.

Nolan Storm has his own plan. He wants to become established in the socialite spotlight. He needs Lucy's help. He has promised to help her get her sister back but is too busy with his own agendas.

Jared is still keeping a close but distant relationship with Lucy. She finds him so frustrating.

Lucy knows Margot is in Russia and when she makes a new friend a plan is formed. She has a travel companion and a destination in mind. This is a rescue mission and we uncover more of the mystery. The plague is still killing people and the world is still dysfunctional.

This series is boarder line horror with some of the undesirable events. It's also an intense will they/won't they romance. I'm really enjoying this series. Lucy is an interesting character. The mystery keeps me guessing and Jared is a brooding alpha male.

4 stars out of 5.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-3/4/18

So "True North" is the second instalment in this fascinating dystopian YA Trilogy.
And out of the two, this was hands down my favourite.
This just seemed to have a much more intense vibe overall than the previous book.
The action here was amped up and pumping from the get-go and it stayed constant throughout, with no actual let-up in sight.
So this started not long after "True Born left off.
With Margot god knows where after being voluntary kidnapped by her parents and the mysterious Leo Resnikov.
More than likely to somewhere in Russia.
Meanwhile, Lucy herself is beside herself, worried sick and determined to bring her twin home where she belongs.
So, Upon realising her tempory guardian Storm has a hidden agenda and is, in fact, pulling his feet in regards to the help he promised.
Lucy now decides she only has herself to rely on and sets out to accomplish her goals herself.
With the assistance of the enigmatic Alister who upon saving Lucy from a child street gang takes it upon himself to aid her in her future endeavours.
And also understandably the protective "True Born" Jared Price also along for the foreseeable ride.
These three young individuals set off across oceans and unfamiliar terrain all to attempt bringing Lucy's sister Margot back home to Dominion where she belongs.
So in True North, we finally get answers to some of those all important questions.
But for every one actually resolved another seemed to pop up in its place.
We also get to see a much closer relationship develop between Jared and Lucy with the former practically imprinting on her.
One niggle I do have know with this particular storyline is that I just don't get why Jared won't take his relationship with Lucy further.
And Lucy does she think she's holding out for something better?
What does it matter if Jared goes all beast on her, is there someone else in her crosshairs?
That would be my one annoyance I took away from reading this.
I just don't get the point here of staying apart.
when everything is turning to hell in a handbasket a constant would really be such a comfort.
Keeping your options open is a rather unromantic prospect as is saving someone from themselves.
Lucy should have turned around and told Jared to get over himself.
Why is she using her parents as an excuse as well, geez she should be disowning these un-natural rents.
This was also slightly more handsy than the previous book.
It was all very mild in nature though with just some light kissing and touching, nothing to stress over it was still very clean and suitably YA.
So I found this such an engrossing read and I am really looking forward to the final piece of this trilogy.
if you are looking for a good dystopian YA read this one really was a winner for me.
So I was kindly provided with an ARC of "True North" By Entangled Teen Publishing and Netgalley of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

“True North” is the second book in the “True Born” trilogy. I found it to be much more fun and less confusing than the first.

Part of the reason it is more fun is that I have accepted the somewhat ridiculous premise and beyond sketchy science and just decided to go along for the ride. There is a new character, Alistair, who is intriguing and has me anxious for the next book to learn more. The romance is also ramped up quite a bit for those who were waiting for that.

If you enjoyed “True Born,” you will love “True North.”

This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review :) this is the sequel in a series that you really need to read in order, cause otherwise you will be spoiled about some major events, and also cause you will be absolutely lost without the previous knowledge... which actually made the beginning of this story a bit harder for me than I expected, cause truth be told... I remembered next to nothing from that very first book :) in my defense I read it almost a year ago, and in the meantime I inhaled probably around 150+ books... so when I picked this one up and realized I don't remember anything... yeah, I was worried... fortunately once I actually started reading it, the most important things came back... ;) plus it definitely helped that there were actually explanations along the way which helped to catch up on certain events :) anyway... my point is that my review will be a bit shorter than usually, because I don't want to spoil you anything, which means there is a lot of stuff I can't talk about :) but I will do my best to tell you a bit more about the world and the plot in general, and then share my thoughts and feelings about this installment :)

So what you need to know, is that this is a dystopian type of world... after the Plague, which decimated a whole lot of people, the rest of them can be divided in three categories: Lasters, who are basically just waiting to die because they can't do anything to prevent getting sick, Splicers, who use all sorts of genetic treatments to prolong their lives as much as they can and True Borns, who are Plague-resistant for some very interesting reasons... :) trust me, don't be discouraged by the fact that the main character in this story is a girl about 18, because it is not some light read... the world this author created is dark and creepy and sometimes definitely scary... not in a there-is-a-monster-under-my-bed kind of a way, but more in a you-never-know-who-is-your-true-enemy way, which sometimes is so much worse... and since that's pretty much everything I can tell without spoilers, let me say a bit more to you guys who haven't read the first book: I can definitely recommend you to give it a try, because the writing style is phenomenal and the whole idea for the world and characters is sooo interesting :) and sequel is worth it as well :) ok, now is the moment where all you people who haven't read that first installment have to go, unless you are ok with some spoilers about certain events :) because I am now entering the part when I tell you all about my thoughts and feelings about the second installment and it is truly impossible to do without referencing stuff from the first book :)

Ok, last warning, spoilers from the first book ahead :) worry not, I won't share anything spoilery about this new installment :) ok, so we pick up about four months after the events of the first book :) Margot, Lucy's twin sister, is still missing... Lucy has no idea where she is, although she has her suspicions... unfortunately she can't confirm anything... in the meantime she stays with True Borns and helping them in exchange for keeping her safe... the first half of the story was a bit slow for me... I was frustrated alongside Lucy because of the lack of informations, but all that changed around the middle, when she decides to take matters into her own hands ;) I can't tell you what exactly she does, but once the decision is made, the pace definitely picks up :) I gave this book 4 stars, because it was a really good sequel :) I loved how we learned more about characters we knew from that first installment, but I think my favourite one was a completely new person... I don't even want to tell you if I'm talking about a man or a woman... trust me, you'll know who I'm talking about when you meet them ;) not only that, but I'm glad we got to see a bit more of the world, and learn things about Lucy and her sister... because from the moment we met them at the beginning, we knew there's more to them... and finally we are starting to get some answers... not many, but it's a good start :) the writing style is as entertaining as it was before, it pulls you in from the start and keeps you interested in what's gonna happen next... all I can say is thankfully we started to get some answers in this installment, because I was getting impatient ;) now I am even more curious than before to see how it will all end :) fingers crossed that the conclusion to this trilogy will be good :) but so far, I can definitely recommend you these great stories :)

XOXO

A

[mith · Rating 1 out of 5]

you can read this review on my blog as well!

I know I'm calling this post disappointing reads, but for this book, it's actually very inaccurate. For something to be disappointing, you would need to have expectations. I didn't have any sort of expectations for this book--I hate the first one, and I hated this one even more. (So why read it, Mith? Because I apparently like causing myself pain.)

Let me start with Lucy, who is an absolute IDIOT. God, I wanted to like her, but she is so stupid. And it's always the fault of one jackass: Jared Price. His name alone makes me want to sigh for a million years in utter disappointment and thinly veiled anger. This was my issue with book one--Lucy's obsession with Jared.

Look, Jared isn't a nice guy. He's not even one of those cliché bad boys. He's just an asshole. 110% asshole who is also obsessive and cruel and sort of abusive? The entire romance in this series is fucking toxic and unhealthy and yet it continued to force itself on me.

Lucy would have been such an amazing character if she washed her hands of Jared in True Born but if anything, she gets worse with her crush. It's a lot of push and pull and it's pathetic. The guy pushes her worst buttons and acts like a prick yet she's so?? "In love" with him?? I don't get it.

Anyway, in other news: nothing happens. For about half the damn book, maybe even more, absolutely nothing happens. You cannot fool me with pretty writing, no, I can see right through it all. Even with the introduction of a new character, who I hoped would have created a love triangle, because that would have actually made this mess of a book better, was sidelined so a lot more of nothing and bad angst could take its place.

Will I read the last book? I hate myself, but probably! I've suffered from the first two, might as well go big.

Overall, screw this book no stars.
---
man, whatever, GR keeps marking this as "read" even when i haven't finished and i'm too tired to fight with this today.
ANYWAY, i don't know what i expected but oh well. i didn't like the first book at ALL but i was hoping the second would be better. spoiler alert: it wasn't.
SO! when i'm done with the left over 25% percent, a mini review might be up. this is just one of those books i really want to give up on and forced myself to come too far to do so. wish me luck.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

True North!!! First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
 
 
There isn't going to be a summary because this is the second book in a trilogy.
 
Raiting this book actually hurt my soul. Finishing this book was even more painful.
I didn't totally love the first book, but I actually still enjoyed it. I also saw lots of potential for the second book. Sadly, all the good things I wanted to happen to the book and the story, didn't happen at all.
 
I still love the story itself, the idea behind the world this story is set in. It's terrifying but I really love it. The pace just isn't really working for me, cause I still feel we have no answer to any of the questions. I still feel as clueless as I did in the first book. And the characters. They don't work for me. Lucy makes terrible choices and just, I really didn't care about her much this time around. Jared, is just. NO. His behavior and just no. NO. Margot, the only one I actually still care about, wasn't in the book until the very end (the only reason I kept going and didn't dnf the book, because I wanted to see her again and read the reunion between her and Margot. Cause let's be real the relationship between the sisters is my favorite thing about the books and the only thing I still care about).
 
The last quarter of the book actually picked up it's pace and got much more interesting. But yeah. I'm going to finish the trilogy cause I really hope that the third book will answer all the questions and I feel like I invested to much time reading the two first books, that I wanna finish the series.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“True North” is a fantastic continuation of the True Born series. Lucy is on her own with her parents and twin, Margot, gone- most likely to Russia. Lucy is in the care of Storm and the True Borns. The book begins with her helping them at parties and the like, while she is itching to go and locate Margot. Eventually, it becomes clear that the promises Storm made may not be ones he will keep, and Lucy sets out on her own to find Margot.

The book is steeped in mystery about the two girls. We begin to get some answers, but there are so many questions that we don’t feel as though we gain the right answers in this book. My only complaint about this book is that it is too short! I groaned when I realized I had hit the end- it’s too good and I wish I could continue it right now! The wait until the next book will be way too long!

The world is built a lot more in this book than the first, so for people who found the first to be lacking in that area, I think it will improve with this installment. As we see the rest of the world, we learn more about what is going on and what it’s like for people who are not in the Upper Circle and get a taste for other countries (though it is still limited with the fast pace). There is some really intense romantic tension between Lucy and Jared- it was a little rough at times because I love them together and really wanted them to be together, but it does fit their personalities and plot pretty well.

Overall, this was a fantastic, fast-paced installment to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite series, and I cannot wait for the next book! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

*Thoughts*

True North, by author L.E. Sterling, is the second installment in the authors True Born trilogy. The story picks up four months after the ending of True Born which introduced readers to a dystopian world where a major plague tore through the world creating three separate but unequal factions: Splicers, Laster's, and True Born. Splicers are those who are able to have DNA treatments to lengthen their lives; Laster's are those who have been infected with the plague, and whose days are numbered; True Born's are those who are not affected by the plague thanks to some evolutionary advantage.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review to follow@...http://www.abookishescape.com/2017/04...

The End, the reader sees firsthand the plans that have been laid out for years that are now coming to fruition. I’m happy to report there is a lot of action, and explosions, and shocking revelations. I’m going to say that again in the event you missed it the first time. There are SHOCKING REVELATIONS!!! The Dominion City rubber meets the Russian road in an eerily plausible way, that is sure to delight readers everywhere. Lock and key let anyone try to control one of these girls and get ready for a fight. Lucy may not know exactly what happened to them and why but she will fight with every ounce of her being to protect her other half. I don’t know how everything will come to a close but what I do know is I’ve become very attached to these characters and I can’t wait to see what is next! I also can’t wait to find out more about Lucy’s new mysterious friend.

My Rating
4.5 The world is coming to an end and I can’t wait to see what happens next…I need answers like water for a parched throat. I also need Lucy to accept her feelings for Jared who dare I say gets even more amazing and steals my heart!!! Last but in no way least I need to know all of the answers 4.5 filled stars!

[Erica Chilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

3 Stars

Young Adult age-range: 12+, depending on the maturity of the reader. Violence, kissing and non-detailed sexual situations.

True North was a book I was highly anticipating, after the events that happened in True Born. Dominion is set in a plague-torn landscape amongst True Born, genetically spliced humans, and Lasters. Political machinations drive the plot.

I’m writing my initial thoughts at 45% into True North. After the large gap in time since reading the previous book, it was a struggle to fall into the story. Perhaps if I’d reread True Born as a refresher, this wouldn’t have been the case. By chapter 3, it was smooth sailing. However, I do feel there was a different feel to the writing.

It wasn’t until the 40% mark into the book that anything happened. Prior to that, it felt stalled, bridging the gap from explaining what occurred in book 1 to what eventually would happen in book 2.

There was so much world-building in book 1, creating an impressive foundation for the series- True North was jam-packed with action and originality -that I felt book 2 was a major letdown, to be quite honest.

The first 40% of the book is Lucy’s inner monologue, not trusting Storm and wanting to find her twin. She visits with the upper crust, as was her bargain with Storm, and crushes hard on Jared. It wasn’t as deep as the first book, more vapid and shallow- like Lucy’s thoughts were just riding the surface, even when thinking of her missing twin, she didn’t seems to show a growth in her emotions. Lucy just thought about how much she missed Margot for a sentence, and then was distracted by other thoughts.

The Lucy I remembered wasn’t the one written on the pages of True North. She was flighty, making stupid, reckless decisions, without a shred of self-preservation. She worried about her needs, not how her actions had consequences. Our heroine turned TSTL and dragged others with her.

I do feel for Lucy’s predicament. After a lifetime of knowing her future was in her father’s hands, now that Storm is using the marriage mart as his in, Lucy is terrified and unable to trust him. She wants to be the maker of her own destiny, to make her own choices. The only issue is that Lucy proves her freewill is more to her detriment than the cage others place her in. She doesn’t make choices based on knowledge and logic. Rather, everything she does is in the now, without thought of consequence, all based on emotion, which completely belies the fact that she is written to have a political mind. So while I feel for Lucy, she’s incapable of making choices for herself. This is the adult in me, and I’m positive the young adult reader won’t notice.

Up to 70%, I still feel as if the book is mostly filler, with scenes that don’t truly propel the plot forward. However, after this point, as the reader is moved toward the climax, every page is action-packed.

My final thoughts at the end of True North: Jared shines, and I don’t mean Lucy’s feelings for him- the author seems more connected to the character. While I feel this book was filler as a set up for the next in the series, I’m glad I read it. I’m curious to see where the story goes, but slightly leery at the same time, fearing it be drawn-out.

To be honest, I find the True Borns more intriguing, wishing to read from their POV, instead of Lucy’s, or Margot’s. To be inside Storm’s or Jared’s mind would be an interesting journey. Even the newest character, Ali. For me, Lucy just isn’t capturing my interest like she did in True Born.

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"True North" picks up right where "True Born" left off and is packed full of excitement and action. And even though I may have enjoyed book one a tad bit more, this is still a strong installment in Sterling's series. I think for the most part, "True North" is setting the scene for something major to happen in the next book. Yet, don't fret, there is still plenty going on.

As the book starts, Lucy is still working with Storm in Dominion City and together they are trying to move into a position of power and figure out what is happening with the Plague and what role Lucy and her twin Margot may play in the cure. However, upset because Storm has yet to follow up on his promise to help locate Margot in Russia, Lucy finally decides to take off on her own. However, this time, she has some help from a new "friend," Alistair and of course, her True Born guard, Jared, is not far behind. Together, the three of them travel to Russia, meet some new power players in the current Plague war, and get into loads of nasty predicaments.

I really enjoyed the introduction of Alistair. I feel I need to clarify that there is no real love triangle forming as Lucy is still trying to fight her attraction to Jared and vice versa. However, that doesn't stop me from being #TeamAlistair. Oh well, one can dream. Almost all of "True North" focuses on Lucy and when Margot is finally reunited with her sister, there is still a lot of her backstory missing. Being more familiar with Sterling's excellent storytelling though, I'm pretty sure the readers will learn lots more about what happened to Margot during her time in Russia when book 3 arrives. I'm not sure about how I feel about Storm and feel there is still a lot to learn about the man who just might hold Lucy and Margot's fate in his hands.

If you liked "True Born" then reading this next installment is a must. And if you haven't started this series, now is a great time to catch up and marathon both books.

[SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley  and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*

 

 

1 ½ ★

 

I really was hoping this series would get better but sadly I thought it got worse.

While in book one we still got some plot , this book most of it felt forced and as pages fillers. I couldn’t really connect to the story at all this book.

Lucy was just TSTL the entire book, and really it seemed like she kept thinking she is ever so smart and trying to outsmart people when she really was just dumb.  And that was her without having  Price around and with him. Omg there are no words.

If that is even possible he as even a bigger a$$ in this book and I didn’t think there was anything sexy about him. He was just creepy, controlling and over all a jacka$$.

I had to force myself to finish it which wad sad because I really wanted to like this series.

I rated it at 1 ½ ★ and with hat will not continue with the series.

 

[Olivia Wildenstein]

2,5 stars.

Although the writing was pleasant and pretty, this sequel felt forced, as though the author wasn't sure where to take her story, but decided to write something just for the sake of writing. You get a couple answers, but all in all, Sterling was scratching the surface of the first book to reveal a tiny bit more of her world. The narrative dragged on, and the romance was infuriatingly childish and cliche.

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.

[Hart's Reader Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly intense. While I didn't read the first book, so I was a little confused by the terms and timeline, I still enjoyed the story. The pace kept me hooking, the plot was intriguing, and the tension between Lucy and Jared was palpable.

Well written book.

[Marie -The Reading Otter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:
2.5
http://pagestoexplore.blogspot.com/20...

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Lucy is now living with the True Born's under Storm's protection. Storm promised he'd help find her sister Margot. In return Lucy's place in the upper circle allows Storm access to the Dominion's elite to make connections and gather information. But Lucy is tired of waiting to learn about her sister's fate and takes matters into her own hands, despite the danger.

There much we don't know about what is going on in Dominion and the world at large. With True North I felt like a lot was going on but I wasn't learning a great deal either about what is truly going on or about the truth behind Lucy and Margot's blood. It was frustrating.

I was also frustrated with Jared who runs hot and cold with Lucy and is just a giant tease. I wanted him to put up or shut up.

I think True North required me to be a more patient reader than I am but the story picks up towards the end with some good tension and action. It left me wanting to find out what happens now. With one book left in this trilogy I'm sure the final instalment will give me the pace and answers that I seek.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first installment in this series, I really did. I was looking forward to reading True North but it was a bit of a letdown. I felt that the plot only picked up about half-way through. Lucy's relationship with Jared also frustrated me. This 'I want you but I can't have you' was interesting enough at some point but it is way too over-done now.
However I believe that the ending was quite gratuitous but I can't say that it has left we wanting more.
P. S. Many thanks to NerGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with this book

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really intense. The story continued on well from the first book and I found myself so excited to see what would happen next. While some elements were a little easy to see coming I found that it didn’t affect my opinion of the story all that much.
I found that Jared annoyed me a little more in this book but I really liked seeing Lucy’s character again as well as the interesting Nolan Storm. Very much looking forward to where the society progresses in the third book.
Excellent! 4.5/5 stars

[Dorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plague has ravaged Lucy's world. On the eve of her and Margot's reveal, Lasters attacked her home and she was forced to run. Now Margot's missing, Lucy is living with True Born Nolan Storm, unorthodox magic has been loosed upon the land, and she's all turned around when it comes to her fiercest protector, Jared True Born Price.

Even as she despairs over her circumstances, Lucy helps Storm navigate the Upper Circle. Wanting nothing more than to find her sister, Lucy finally makes some choices in this book. Were they good choices? No, I don't think they were. But who makes the right choice the first time out of the gate? Usually we mess up. And Lucy is messing up. Even with her new friend Ali, and her steadfast protector, Jared, can Lucy find Margot before things go seriously wrong?

I'm going to keep reading to find out. Now I have to wait for book three...darn it.

[Holly Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words simply cannot express how much I need this book. I can't believe Tuesday is the big day... it's almost here! Eep!

THE REVIEW:

I will start off by saying, if you are new to the series and want to start with a review of book 1, True Born, you can find my review on Goodreads. I highly recommend reading these books in order, as the second makes so much more sense if you’ve read the first! I went back and re-read True Born right before I dove into True North, and I’m so glad I did, because it was just as exciting and fascinating as the first time I read it.

Now, on to the review of the second book, True North! You can see from my review of the first that I was madly in love with the book and gave it 5 stars. So why only 4 stars for the followup? Well, I think this book suffers from some of what may be referred to as “second book syndrome,” where the second book in a trilogy is sometimes much slower than the first (and third) and serves mainly as a bridge from book 1 to book 3, if that makes sense. Basically, for much of this book there is the feeling of not much happening. Lucy even laments that after a few months there doesn’t seem to be movement on Storm’s part to help her find her sister. So we “suffer” through parties and meetings with her, until the action starts to happen at around 45%. From there, it was definitely a faster read, and a more action-packed one as well.

At the same time, especially during that beginning half or so, there are these meetings between Lucy and Storm and some of the other Upper Circle heads of household, and there is a lot of allusion to … I don’t even know what to call it, exactly. But basically, all these questions are raised, and they’re making allusions to conspiracies or machinations happening in the background that I honestly didn’t always understand the point of. I don’t feel like I got very many - if any - actual answers from all that was said, just more questions. I can only assume that Ms. Sterling has all of the answers ready to be given to us in book 3, but I will admit I was a bit frustrated at how in the dark I felt. Especially when it comes to the question of who is really “in charge” and behind everything that’s going on.

That being said, I still love the characters (especially Jared - OMG, I would give anything for him to be real and to be the object of his affection, good gracious me!!!!), and I am rooting for Lucy and Margot. I will absolutely, positively read the third and final book, as I must know how this all ends! There were some pretty explosive revelations toward the end of this book that were only lightly touched on, which I’m sure will be a focus of the final book. There is no question that I am a fan of this series and of Ms. Sterling, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I only wish I didn’t have to wait a year (or however long it may take), but I know that art takes time and creativity cannot be pushed! So I will attempt to wait patiently…and then re-read both True Born and True North before True ??? arrives in my hands!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and Ms. Sterling for letting me read an early copy of this book! Thanks also to YA Reads for letting me take part in the tour and share my voluntary review with y’all :-)

Rating: 4 stars!

[Novel Grounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAH! I feel like a complete fangirl with this series but I can't stop gushing over and over about it. This was my favorite novel of the series. SO MUCH happens in this book. It brings the plot really to the top of the read and throws you into the deep end.

Not only do we get new characters in this read but we also get a lot more answers than we had before.

BUT BUT BUT
We also get some of the feels guys and my heart hurt a bit. You knew that at least at SOME POINT THE FEELS were coming, but I survived and it made this book all the more impactful.

True Storm and explosive, this novel was a catastrophic series of events that turns the tide with our heroes. L.E. Sterling shines with not only her character development and story, but with the world building. I felt like I was watching a movie while I read.

Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

Add to Goodreads
Synopsis:
It’s not you…it’s your DNA.

Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot.

But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there’s been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters’ blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assumed this was the last book, but pretty sure we've got a lot more to find out. So now to wait for another one!! Full review to come on my blog tomorrow.

[Moriah Chavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Actual Rating: 3.5**

At the end of True Born, Lucy and Margot were separated. Now, she lived as Nolan Storm’s ward and acted at the gateway to the Upper Circle—on the condition that Storm and his entourage help her get back her sister and figure out why her parents took her in the first place. Although not everything was as it seemed in the world of Dominion, and things were even more complicated than Lucy, or even Storm, could have realized.

This was one of my most-anticipated books of 2017, as I thoroughly enjoyed True Born. Jared Price and Lucy Fox were, and are, one of my top ships. Diving into this book, I had a few things that I wanted to happen: Lucy and Margot to find each other again, and Jared and Lucy to take the next step in their relationship. The first half of the book was slow. I picked it up multiple times and urged myself to continue. It wasn’t that it was bad, but it involved a lot of world building. Sterling’s characters are still figuring out the world they live in, and Lucy didn’t know much about herself at the end of book one, only that she and Margot were not quite Splicers or True Borns, something other. Sterling’s writing is wonderful, and she created a vernacular that made her world unique. Still, it took half the book for the events notes on the inside of the jacket to come to fruition. However, I questioned Storm and his motives even more because of the first half. I didn’t have much of an opinion on him in book one, but Sterling concreted him as a necessary character.

I could not put down the book once I reached the second half. Since the inside of the jacket says that Jared followed her, I knew her grand goodbye to him wouldn’t stick. I almost cheered when he sauntered up to her, calling her Princess and telling her he’d never let her go. The tension! Oh goodness, I loved it. Anyway, the second half had more action and gasping moments. If you thought Dominion was bad, it didn’t compare to the world that Jared and Lucy, with the help of a new ally Alistair, waltzed into. Even though this is high fantasy, it resonated with past tragedies such as World War II and the Holocaust. Sterling did a magnificent job creating an atmosphere, not only a world, for Lucy to fall prey to.

Jared pushed and pulled a lot, almost teasingly. The brush off started getting on my nerves, and I’m surprised Lucy stood for it at all. But, hello, this is Jared we’re talking about. When they finally kissed—really kissed—my heart soared. In fact, all my emotions had to be on high alert when it came to these two, especially in the second half. I would cry, but they make me so happy. Then I want to cry again because—no, Jared! Stop being stubborn—I don’t care if everything you’re saying makes perfect and complete sense. I want a happily ever after. Nay—I need a happily ever after.

I’m glad that Sterling decided for there not to be a love triangle. I adored Alistair as Lucy’s new friend and man with a plan. He added even more mystery to the novel, and I have some romantic inklings about him that I would love to see happen. I’m giving Sterling an arched brow as I type. I have questions! I hope that book three will answer every single one, since book two did the trick.

If you’re looking for a high fantasy YA with a twinge of romance teetering on the edge of forbidden, I would suggest this series! There were some moments when Lucy made rash decisions, and I didn’t understand why she veered in that direction, but it showed the faith that she had in the bond between her and her sister. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding what the Fox sisters are, and I can’t wait to travel back to Dominion and find out.

[Dani (Dani Reviews Things & Love in a time of Feminism) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2.5 stars

Talk about Second Book Syndrome. Despite really loving the first book (see here for my review), I struggled to get into this. It took 25% of the book to actually get interesting for me, so it's a miracle I didn't DNF it at some point.

At the end of True Born, the first book in the trilogy, twin sisters Lucy and Margot are separated. Margot goes off with their parents and some random dude to Russia, while Lucy stayed behind with the True Borns (and Jared, tbh). True North picks up four months later, and nothing really has happened. Lucy has no idea where Margot is and hasn't felt her through their psychic connection, and she's still living with sort-of guardian Nolan Storm. Aside from some parties and a number of idiotic moves on Lucy's part, still nothing happens after the book begins. It was dull.

And the pacing issues continued throughout. It felt slow, then jumped, then slow again, and then a whole lot happened at the end in terms of information being revealed (some real WTF stuff, too), but I felt no real sense of OMG DANGER. It was anticlimactic.

Some of the things that I loved about True Born were the X-Men-esque powers and chemistry between Lucy and Jared. Well, on top of not doing a great job of reminding what happened in the first book (I had to read my review of it), there was very little excitement on the supernatural front for a while, and Jared was doing that whole "I asked you to stay and now I'm going to ice you out for months" thing. Are you rolling your eyes, too? The romance did eventually steam up a bit, but it was frustrating and cliché. And ok, there was some explanation in the end, but blaaaah. That being said, some of those hot moments were hot.

All in all, while some moment were enjoyable, and it did get the plot of the series from one point to another, it was all filler no thriller. I will be reading book 3, as I need closure, both with the insane plot and the star-crossed romance between Lucy and Jared.See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of True North from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

Yikes. Another DNF series… I feel less terrible about not finishing True North than I do about Nexis and Redux because I actually made it 75% of the way through before packing it in. In any other situation, I would push through the last quarter of the book, but this was just so boring, I knew whatever happened wouldn’t be what I wanted to see out of the plot.

This series started out with an interesting premise. The world’s fallen to a plague epidemic and has been split between a hierarchy of Lasters (plague sufferers), Splicers (people who have received treatment for the plague), and True Borns (those who are completely immune to the plague). The lowest of the lower classes can’t afford treatment, and are left to inevitably die of the plague, while most of the wealthy upper class are Splicers, hogging all the possible treatments for themselves. True Borns for some reason I still don’t comprehend, are completely ostracised for being barbaric because they’re genetically different. Many of them have combined human-animal genetics, which I didn’t particularly care for. All it did give me was some pretty spectacular bloody fight scenes, which I could have had way more of. That’s what earned True Born its barely deserved third star...

Somewhere within this plot, Stirling’s trying to speak toward upper class greed destroying the world, but she just… misses the mark. The problem with this series is that she put her protagonist in the wrong class. I’ve read a hell of a lot of YA lately and far too much of it follows a princess, empress, or politician’s daughter and she’s kind of a privileged brat. All that privilege keeps getting in the protagonist’s way and it acts like a smoke screen over any message Stirling’s trying to express. The poor are depicted as disgusting and wallowing in the filth they created for themselves and there are far too many pervy old men sexually harassing girls who aren’t even legal adults yet being treated like “oh, haha, yeah, isn’t it funny how this happens so much in wealthy society??” These are things that go right over Lucy’s head and I kept waiting for her to become aware of her privilege and do something about it.

But it never happens.

There’s a little more of that in True North, where at least she’s aware of how horrible her wealthy social circle is and she tries to break away from it. But it doesn’t quite go beyond her hating the life she was brought into and feeling sorry for the Lasters for how lowly they are. She never has a real resolution to fix the problem plaguing the poor. She never considers convincing any of the elites to donate money to the cause, give them food and housing... Or even, you know, offer some kind of free clinic to help these poor people dying everywhere...

This is even more frustrating when it’s revealed that she and her twin sister, Margot, are genetic anomalies that literally hold the cure for the plague. Why doesn’t she immediately offer up her blood samples, or bone marrow to cure these people???

It may have something to do with the fact that she’s spending almost all her time falling into one of the worst YA romance traps of them all. She and True Born cat-man (yes, actually), Jared don’t even like each other. Nor do they enjoy each other’s company. They can’t have a single civil conversation with each other, but whoops! Guess they have to stick together, because they’re inexplicably in love! (Ok, but you don’t even like each other…) They spend more time arguing, then making out, then arguing again than they do making any cohesive plan to do any good. They also have one of the most bizarre meet-cutes I’ve ever read. He somehow manages to save her from falling over a school stairwell railing. They then spend ten whole pages having a conversation, while he’s holding onto her skirt the entire time. Ten. Pages. When my characters go on and on for that long in a precarious situation like that, that’s when I have to dial it back and rewrite the scene.

Girl, you have to rewrite the scene!

The romance is so dominating over everything else, it’s all the more clear that Lucy (and Margot) are utterly useless, which is shocking, considering they’re upper class girls in the middle of a plague apocalypse. Because they come from a wealthy family, they’ve been brought up to look pretty, talk eloquently during political events, and find a husband. They have absolutely no combat training, not even once Lucy joins the True Borns, who are predominantly either armed guards or soldiers. Whenever Lucy gets caught in a sticky situation, a man conveniently shows up to save her.

Because she’s a useless sack of beans.

Her sister is equally useless, if not more so. She spends the majority of the first book obsessing over boys and then playing the victim (which, admittedly was based on a horrible, traumatic incident). She’s so useless, she gets herself kidnapped and sent to Russia. That’s where True Born ends, which led me to automatically assume True North would pick up in Russia, where she’s off to find her missing sister.

Nope. We spend 300 whole pages faffing about with useless information instead. The author needed to get there from page one. I don’t need to know about how all these experiments are taking forever, and how all these socialite events are doing nothing to help her find her sister…

I know, because she’s all the way in Russia!

All of this could have been summed up within a chapter. Give me the run down, get her on a train, give her some information about her genetics, great. I’m there.

Oh, look. They’re in Russia already? Fabulous. Let’s get back to gory ass kickings and to the matter at hand. That’s all I needed.

Because we didn’t get to the actual plot until three-quarters of the way through, there was no way it was going to wrap up in the last 100 pages the way I envisioned it. True North feels more like a bizarre interlude before the series finale than anything else and I don’t appreciate it. Just make it a duology and cut the entire middle book.

There. Problem solved.

You can probably tell by now that this series in not well written. Not even the writing style has some saving grace. I often had moments where I wondered whether English wasn’t Stirling’s first language because she mixes up a lot of words with the wrong meaning. I would often read her similes and metaphors more than once just to check to make sure they were actually describing the thing she was describing. At some point, a character’s neck “bunches like grapes”. His neck. Bunches. Like grapes. Because he has more than one suddenly? I don’t know what’s happening or why Inigo Mantoya didn’t show up to inform her that he does not think that word means what she thinks it means…

I was going into this expecting kick ass blood and guts fight scenes, with maybe a zombie or two. Instead, I came out of it criminally bored.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at my blog: https://bookishpuffcorn.wordpress.com...

True North by L.E. Sterling is the 2nd book in the True Born Trilogy. Now, I advise that those who haven’t read the first book yet should think twice into reading this review because of possible spoilers. Read my review of True Born here.

It follows the first book wherein Margot disappears with her parents and their business partner to Russia. I strongly recommend that readers should pick up the first book before diving in to True North to avoid confusion and more unanswered questions.

The story was still told in Lucy’s POV and with Margot gone, it’s plainly about her and her mission to bring back her twin sister. Now, I’ve mentioned that what frustrates me is Lucy being impulsive and tends to do and say things without even thinking. Well, the second book contains more of that. I swear, she gets on my nerves sometimes! (Or maybe most of the time) She’s like this person who’s too brave and makes people worry more often.

Jared Price also grew puzzling and I hope to see better of him in the next book. To be honest, I was annoyed by how Jared and Lucy acts whenever they’re around each other. Aaaaa, it makes me want to bump my head into the wall although I still am rooting for them until the end.

A new character is introduced and I him really interesting and quite mysterious. Even with this book has not been that appealing to me unlike the first one, I think it is really essential to further understand the whole story.

DNA and money are still some of the highlights told throughout this book. How the plague haunted not just the Dominion but by the whole word and everything is solved for you if you’ve got money. Although, I’m disgusted by how the rich abuse their power by doing things that are only beneficial to them alone.
Overall, I rate True North by L.E. Sterling 3 out of 5 stars and I can’t wait to read the last book!

[Lillian]

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Yet another book that suffers from second-book syndrome. Y'all most of the time I can push through this. If the start of a series is intriguing enough for me to keep reading, I'm likely to push through a bad second book to get to the end (Ice Like Fire, anyone?). Unfortunately for True North that wasn't happening. True Born showed a lot of promise and so I was expecting a lot from its sequel. Maybe too much…

The book opens pretty much where it left off. Lucy has made a deal with Nolan Storm: his protection and help in finding her twin sister Margot for her card into the elite, first-class society world. Basically she is his ward and he parades her around like a showgirl to get into these fancy events and talk to people (that's really dumbing it down, there's more to it than that, but you get the picture). However when Storm doesn't deliver on his end of the deal, Lucy gets impatient. With the help of her new friend Alistair (y'all I may like him more than Jared and that's saying something), she boards a ship set for Russia to find her sister. Of course her True Born bodyguard Jared is not far behind.

So why did I not finish this book? Y'all, I was bored to tears. It dragged SO much. I need a fast-ish moving plot. It doesn't have to move at lightning speed or anything, it just needs to move. Unfortunately, True North doesn't. It's extremely slow plot, the kinda love triangle (not really love triangle), and the large sections of info dump was too much for me. I put this book down around the 60% mark and never picked it back up. As a result I won't be finishing this series. Sadly the only thing I'll miss is if Lucy picks Jared *shrugs*

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More people need to be reading this series - more teens and adults, alike. It's a series I am absolutely shocked does not come up in every bookish conversation. I'm actually completely floored when I mention the first title, True Born, to other readers and they've never heard of it. It's a title I always highly recommend, and now with the release of True North, I'm more certain now than ever before that L.E. Sterling's True Born trilogy is going to be a major game changer in not only young adult literature, but also in the science fiction and dystopian genres.

If you haven't read my review on True Born, you can do so here. To catch you up to speed - I loved it. I continue to believe that I loved it more than I love chocolate sprinkles, which is a lot. And with True North, the second in the trilogy, I continue to stand by that statement. I continue to love Lucy's personality and narrative, and still find her to be an exceptional lead. The emotional turmoil she feels when it comes to trusting others has become more evident in True North, and the urgency of Lucy's predicament becomes so much more sinister. Furthermore, I absolutely loved Jared and learning more about him, in addition to reading a lot more dialogue between both he and Lucy. Also, L.E. Sterling's writing continues to be as beautiful and detailed as it was in True Born, and was a pleasant reminder of how much I loved first diving into the title. Personally, I couldn't find a single sour note or lack lustre moment in True North. It felt like another wholesomely adventurous tale that I look forward to re-reading in the future.

Readers, I highly recommend both True Born and True North to you. The title, although primarily dystopian in setting and sci-fi in plot, will feel like something refreshing all of it's own. It'll hook you immediately - I promise!