Mageborn by Jessica Thorne -> Starting July 19th, 2020

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

A dark and addictive fantasy read for fans of Graceling and Sarah J. Maas. The life of an orphan soldier becomes entwined with that of the mysterious heir to the throne, whose very presence draws out the secret magic living inside her: a magic that breaks every law she is duty-bound to uphold…

The room is small and dark. Row upon row of jars line the shelves, each one sealed with blood-red wax. The seal’s mark is a twisted circle of briar with gleaming, gold-tipped thorns. And in each jar a flicker of forbidden magic dances… beautiful, but deadly.

Sold to the Crown in the aftermath of the Last Great War, Grace Marchant has never known her parents. Now, she trains as an elite soldier tracking down mageborn – those born with an ancient and long-outlawed magic – and destroying them if they don’t surrender their power to the Crown.

The mageborn who submit are collared, then handed over to the King’s cousin and heir: the elusive Bastien Larelwynn, Lord of Thorns, locked away in his shadowy workshop deep inside the castle. What becomes of them is hard to say – the Lord of Thorns keeps his secrets close.

Grace has always fought the voice inside her that questions whether the law is truly just – but when her closest friend is next on Bastien’s list, Grace’s loyalties are tested to the limit. Confronting Bastien – searching his strangely compelling obsidian-black eyes for answers – Grace is shocked to feel herself begin to change, to show the first signs of the wild magic she so fears.

Only the Lord of Thorns has the power to save her and the rest of the mageborn – if he doesn’t destroy them all first…

[Kelly]

I'm going to start this or Den of Vipers. I'm still deciding :P

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "I'm going to start this or Den of Vipers. I'm still deciding :P"

lol I'm almost done with Den of Vipers! Then I should be diving into this one

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

starting this one now

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

24%: (view spoiler)[lmao well of course she isn't happy to serve. I do find it odd that the mageborn do always say "honor to serve" or whatever. Makes me wonder what exactly happens behind closed doors.. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

50%: (view spoiler)[..so am I supposed to start shipping them together? Or what? Asking for a friend, obviously. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

63%: (view spoiler)[wait a god damn minute.. how old is this guy? for some reason I'm picturing someone old af.. and here they are... having sex. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

100%: (view spoiler)[okay interesting ending and now I want to know who the other queen is.. and her spies. oh lord, so happy that I have the next book! (hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

Only 5% in but I have a good feeling about this book. I want to know more about Lucien and the Hollow King.

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Yay!

[Kelly]

20% - (view spoiler)[ I feel like it might have been the noble behind the magic and not the guy she arrested? (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "20% - [spoilers removed]"

Interesting thought..

[Kelly]

Alaina wrote: "Kelly wrote: "20% - [spoilers removed]"

Interesting thought.."

Ahah and you know the answer! Give it to me!! lol jk I just need to read more.

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Kelly wrote: "20% - [spoilers removed]"

Interesting thought.."

Ahah and you know the answer! Give it to me!! lol jk I just need to read more."

LOL no, you need to read and find out!

[Kelly]

33% - (view spoiler)[Ok so I don't feel the romance yet. It was too insta-lovey from the start but I can get past that. I don't really understand why the King would charge her with his heir's protection. He never met her before. It was a bit unbelievable but again, I can get past that.

Also, Asher (the guy I talked about earlier) and the Queen are something else ... I hope they'll die or something. Drugging and raping people are so not okay and some seem to know about it but they act like it's not a big deal. If the book is going to be predictable it'll be them behind the murders too. Maybe Asher is the same as Bastien? He could take the power and give it to that guard she arrested. It could explain why he didn't have magic an hour later. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "33% -..."

yeah, I wasn't feeling the romance between them either.

[Kelly]

Alaina wrote: "63%: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[lol it was awkward. The romance just didn't feel natural :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

Alaina wrote: "100%: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I wonder about that other Queen as well but honestly, I feel it should have been a standalone and that it could have easily been wrapped up.

So overall, I didn't love this book. I mean, it wasn't bad but after getting my hopes up during the first couple chapters, I was disappointed afterward ^^' (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "Alaina wrote: "63%: [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

yeah it was really awkward.

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Kelly wrote: "Alaina wrote: "100%: [spoilers removed]" ..."

yeah, it was an okay book but since I have the second one I'm going to dive into it just to see if it's going to wrap up or not.