At seventeen Eliyana Amber is too young to be orphaned in New York City. But when her best friend, her only friend, Joshua is appointed her guardian, things go from dark, to strange. As El grieves her mother’s death she seeks answers from her guardian, and the strange man who seems to know so much about her. But when the sinister Kyaphus abducts her, the strange becomes bizarre when she lands in the middle of an epic struggle between good and evil in another dimension, a reflection of her own New York City. She discovers that the flaming birthmark on her face that shamed her all her life, is a sign that she is called to save this world—this second reflection. Now, she must summon her courage, and all of her wits to discover the truth, to find out who’s lying and who isn’t and find a way, if there is a way, out of this fantastic dream.
Ella writes in deep first person, present tense point of view with tight and compelling prose. The heroine’s emotional journey was fascinating, compelling and realistic. The world building was also well done and the tension filled plot and mystery kept the pages turning. Although I’m not a fan of love triangles, the writing was so strong that Unblemished earns a top rating. I received a free Advance Reader Copy of Unblemished in return for a fair review.
Age Range: 11 and up
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Thomas Nelson, 2016
Series: Unblemished, Book 1
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