Author: Amy A Bartol
Format: audiobook via Audible
Narrator: Kate Reinders
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
This is one of those books, where after you finish the book, you scream nooo, and reach out like your 5 years old and all you need to do is reach far enough for more. Unfortunately, we have to wait for next year to get more, as the second book of the series isn't set to come out until April of 2018.
Amy A. Bartol does have other series out, and after reading this I will be checking them out sometime. Since this year is almost over, they may wait until next year though.
In the Secondborn universe, you can only have 2 children. Your first born takes you family name and family responsibilities. Your a Senator, your first child will take over as Senator. The second child is given up to fight a war. If your first child dies, the second will take over as your first. You can apply to be able to have a third, but you may not be approved to have another child.
Roselle is the second born daughter of The Sword, her mother runs the Sword faction. The Sword faction, as you can probably guess is good at fighting. Roselle's life has been televised since she was little, many want to be her, but this doesn't save her from her transition day. The day she is turned over to the government and becomes a soldier just like every other second born child.
Roselle is smarter than she looks, and she would make a far better Sword than her brother, or even her mother. This can be seen by her resourcefulness to overcome obstacles and get out of certain circumstances. Even Roselle though needs some help. On her transition day, on her way to the check in, her train is attacked. She is taken the rest of the way by a group of Secondborn soldiers. One of them turns out to be a love interest. Not right away, but he does help break her out and guide her on what things mean; such as someone asking for personal lessons from her, doesn't mean they want to see and learn her fighting abilities.
Roselle gets into some pretty tight and sticky situations, and it doesn't help a census agent is now watching her every move. He is ruthless and enjoys causing harm to others. He was a second born, but killed his older sibling. Now his parents have no choice but to accept him. His parents allow him to work in census hoping he will get over the urges he feels to cause others harm.
There is also a Rose Society developing, wanting to keep her alive and trying to move things to their favor to keep her from being killed. Something her mother would love, because she feels Roselle's existence threatens her first born. Her mother thinks Roselle is out to be the Sword, and if she could would kill her brother. This can't be further from the truth.
Roselle's life is not her own as everyone seems to have their own idea of where she would fit best, even if it means her death. Roselle is smart and cunning and manages to wiggle through, and stay alive.
I swear when I finished this book I started to scream. I had to quickly muffle my scream since I finished the book at home, but while my husband was sleeping. He wouldn't have understood if I suddenly screamed over a book. It was hard to rate this, knee jerk after finishing was to give it full stars, but I also don't feel a need to reread, or throw the book in everyone's hands. The action was never edge of your seat action, and even when things got hairy there was an element of calm. With that, I am giving this 4 stars out of 5.
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