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Birthright of Scars Duology #2
Birthright of Scars: Choosing
The cost of loving her was always his destiny.
Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon.
As Disrel wrestles impossible odds to keep himself and his sister free of the walls, his identity as the Tourmaline Renegade becomes increasingly difficult to hide from his enemies and the people he loves most.
Sable Commander Ambrosia can no longer deny that the masked renegade she hunts is a hero, and she can’t convince Disrel—or herself—she loves him while leaving thousands of his people to die of starvation behind the Pyron sector walls. As her emperor demands more from her, she is faced with the choice of following orders or damning herself to a traitor’s cross.
But as her love for Disrel grows, so does the Tourmaline Renegade’s ability to see all her secrets, making him the most dangerous opponent she has ever faced.
As the Pyron people’s situation turns dire, Disrel and Ambrosia must decide if their lives are worth risking for a future neither of them can see, or if the price of freedom requires betrayal, despair, and their blood on each other’s hands.
Disrel has stolen the keys to the imperial regime’s murder machine, but the Pyron sector continues swallowing innocent human life by the thousands. The outside world is just as eager to devour them, with the military executing Pyrons on sight, arresting any who shelter them, and pitting prisoners against each other in deadly arena games in exchange for pardon.
As Disrel wrestles impossible odds to keep himself and his sister free of the walls, his identity as the Tourmaline Renegade becomes increasingly difficult to hide from his enemies and the people he loves most.
Sable Commander Ambrosia can no longer deny that the masked renegade she hunts is a hero, and she can’t convince Disrel—or herself—she loves him while leaving thousands of his people to die of starvation behind the Pyron sector walls. As her emperor demands more from her, she is faced with the choice of following orders or damning herself to a traitor’s cross.
But as her love for Disrel grows, so does the Tourmaline Renegade’s ability to see all her secrets, making him the most dangerous opponent she has ever faced.
As the Pyron people’s situation turns dire, Disrel and Ambrosia must decide if their lives are worth risking for a future neither of them can see, or if the price of freedom requires betrayal, despair, and their blood on each other’s hands.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2023
About the author
Laurisa Brandt
4 books56 followersLaurisa Brandt grew up along the Alabama Gulf Coast, where she spent her summers dreaming of high fantasy adventures and writing them down in spiral notebooks. She once narrowly missed being struck by lightning and later came face to face with the ghost in Uncle John’s house.
While working for a therapeutic horseback riding program for people with special needs, she was hired by a Hollywood stunt actor to write a TV pilot episode. She finds inspiration through her many interests, which include: mixed martial arts, freestyle motocross, horseback archery, and antediluvian archaeology.
She lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and their adopted Timneh African Grey parrot, Hercules. You can visit her online at laurisabrandt.com.
While working for a therapeutic horseback riding program for people with special needs, she was hired by a Hollywood stunt actor to write a TV pilot episode. She finds inspiration through her many interests, which include: mixed martial arts, freestyle motocross, horseback archery, and antediluvian archaeology.
She lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and their adopted Timneh African Grey parrot, Hercules. You can visit her online at laurisabrandt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 31, 2026
3.5*
Red Rising + Gladiator
This was so intense! Be forewarned; this is no light read. Full of heart-wrenching and graphic situations. But also holding to Faith and showing sacrificial love. This book puts your heart through the emotional wringer.
Rated R for:🩸💉☠️ (Graphic violence, torture, death) and open-door 🌶️
Mild spoiler below: ⬇️
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It is left open-ended on how everything turns out with side characters. I wish there was a little more closure there. But there is a conclusion for Disrel and Ambrosia.
Red Rising + Gladiator
This was so intense! Be forewarned; this is no light read. Full of heart-wrenching and graphic situations. But also holding to Faith and showing sacrificial love. This book puts your heart through the emotional wringer.
Rated R for:🩸💉☠️ (Graphic violence, torture, death) and open-door 🌶️
Mild spoiler below: ⬇️
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It is left open-ended on how everything turns out with side characters. I wish there was a little more closure there. But there is a conclusion for Disrel and Ambrosia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 15, 2023Before I get into what I liked about this book there is quite a lot to get out of the way. Let's start with the content warnings. This book is much more heavy on mature content than the first book in the duology. While the first book has what i would describe as 'mature themes', the second book has what i would describe as mature content.
Let's list it out...
Violence (if that sort of thing bothers you)
Torture (if that sort of thing bothers you)
Language: Oddly not much in the way of language, but with fantasy swear equivalents
Sexual Content
Lewd jokes: from villains, but still gross to read if we're being honest. Your mileage may vary whether expositing these is artistically necessary.
Nudity: As it were. There are no less than 10 sentences in the book, in no less than 4 separate occasions, referring to the main character's genitals. This is something I never actively want to read about, and there was basically a maximum of ONE occasion in the book I thought might add something of value to the story. As far as the other occasions go, I did not like them and I will address some of them here.
First of all, the masturbation scene. If you're going to try and justify mature content in your books by saying that the message is wholesome, you'd better make sure that the message is actually wholesome. The idea that this act is portrayed as being so far morally superior to the "alternative" of fornication that it's actually a virtuous act is shocking. I'm disturbed by the portrayal of masturbation in a positive light, over and above my disgust at the gross details themselves, which also had no redeeming qualities. This scene undermines Disrel's characterization, and caused me to realize my values no longer track with those of the author, since I was hoping to encounter a valid Christian perspective on sexuality. It staggers belief that Disrel's moment with Doni would have been 'just sex', ie. nothing but empty carnal indulgence of the flesh, and therefore bad, BUT, what he proceeded to do instead isn't literally the exact same thing. For anyone out there struggling with enslavement to this sin, this book is going to send an extremely damaging message of 'it's not that bad', which isn't something that should be said about any sin. Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Sex scene: Having been advertised as a 'fade to black', the book went farther than I was hoping for. I'm of the opinion that books should cut off no later than the part where they take their clothes off. Everything prior to that was ok I guess, and I loved the more abstract parts, which I thought were very romantic.
What I liked about the book:
The book clearly targeted a redemption message, with Ambrosia as the guilty, enslaved, and undeserving party and I thought on the whole this was done pretty well. Typically a lot of redemption stories gloss over or excuse the sins of the character who needed to be redeemed, but that is not the case for Ambrosia. I appreciated in this book the work that went in, in the first book, to explaining sablehood and the reasons for their unmarriageable status. Credit where credit is due for having a setting complex enough that the concept of crucifixion can be introduced without jarringly Christian overtones; however I did think that by the end of the book it got to be a little more on the nose. This wasn't due to the plot, however, but more due to a few lines that veritably paraphrased the Bible. It's hard to explain why this sometimes works and sometimes doesn't work. Even in this book it was a little hit and miss. I think I would have said to tone it down a little tiny bit since, given the themes and motifs, we can easily intuit a lot of parallels that ended up being stated directly.
However, this book was very fast paced and entertaining. I was able to read it in a period of only a few days, and it was exciting the entire time. The characters were fun, especially Ambrosia and her sables. I only wish it could have changed a few things so that I could recommend it to people.
Let's list it out...
Violence (if that sort of thing bothers you)
Torture (if that sort of thing bothers you)
Language: Oddly not much in the way of language, but with fantasy swear equivalents
Sexual Content
Lewd jokes: from villains, but still gross to read if we're being honest. Your mileage may vary whether expositing these is artistically necessary.
Nudity: As it were. There are no less than 10 sentences in the book, in no less than 4 separate occasions, referring to the main character's genitals. This is something I never actively want to read about, and there was basically a maximum of ONE occasion in the book I thought might add something of value to the story. As far as the other occasions go, I did not like them and I will address some of them here.
First of all, the masturbation scene. If you're going to try and justify mature content in your books by saying that the message is wholesome, you'd better make sure that the message is actually wholesome. The idea that this act is portrayed as being so far morally superior to the "alternative" of fornication that it's actually a virtuous act is shocking. I'm disturbed by the portrayal of masturbation in a positive light, over and above my disgust at the gross details themselves, which also had no redeeming qualities. This scene undermines Disrel's characterization, and caused me to realize my values no longer track with those of the author, since I was hoping to encounter a valid Christian perspective on sexuality. It staggers belief that Disrel's moment with Doni would have been 'just sex', ie. nothing but empty carnal indulgence of the flesh, and therefore bad, BUT, what he proceeded to do instead isn't literally the exact same thing. For anyone out there struggling with enslavement to this sin, this book is going to send an extremely damaging message of 'it's not that bad', which isn't something that should be said about any sin. Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Sex scene: Having been advertised as a 'fade to black', the book went farther than I was hoping for. I'm of the opinion that books should cut off no later than the part where they take their clothes off. Everything prior to that was ok I guess, and I loved the more abstract parts, which I thought were very romantic.
What I liked about the book:
The book clearly targeted a redemption message, with Ambrosia as the guilty, enslaved, and undeserving party and I thought on the whole this was done pretty well. Typically a lot of redemption stories gloss over or excuse the sins of the character who needed to be redeemed, but that is not the case for Ambrosia. I appreciated in this book the work that went in, in the first book, to explaining sablehood and the reasons for their unmarriageable status. Credit where credit is due for having a setting complex enough that the concept of crucifixion can be introduced without jarringly Christian overtones; however I did think that by the end of the book it got to be a little more on the nose. This wasn't due to the plot, however, but more due to a few lines that veritably paraphrased the Bible. It's hard to explain why this sometimes works and sometimes doesn't work. Even in this book it was a little hit and miss. I think I would have said to tone it down a little tiny bit since, given the themes and motifs, we can easily intuit a lot of parallels that ended up being stated directly.
However, this book was very fast paced and entertaining. I was able to read it in a period of only a few days, and it was exciting the entire time. The characters were fun, especially Ambrosia and her sables. I only wish it could have changed a few things so that I could recommend it to people.
April 18, 2023
“The best music is written in seasons of pain, the best art is painted in periods of grief, the deepest enigmas of life unraveled at the expense of tragedy”
I was eagerly waiting to read this book. So this book begins where the book one ends. It was so emotional and such a rollercoaster ride. This book is a duology and it has dual POV. It has tropes including enemies to lovers, secret Identity, monster slayer, masked vigilante, found family and grumpy sunshine. As it is Earth based science fiction fantasy and adult romance dystopian book, the world building was brilliant. It was gripping and intriguing. You will love this book if you love strong lead characters, folk monsters, brother sister bond and different clans with distinguished beliefs. It is action packed and touching, the character development was good. The ending was so unexpected but it couldn’t have been better.
It has beautiful illustrations and maps. If you haven’t read Birthright of scars: Rising, book one in Duology, I would recommend it first.
I was eagerly waiting to read this book. So this book begins where the book one ends. It was so emotional and such a rollercoaster ride. This book is a duology and it has dual POV. It has tropes including enemies to lovers, secret Identity, monster slayer, masked vigilante, found family and grumpy sunshine. As it is Earth based science fiction fantasy and adult romance dystopian book, the world building was brilliant. It was gripping and intriguing. You will love this book if you love strong lead characters, folk monsters, brother sister bond and different clans with distinguished beliefs. It is action packed and touching, the character development was good. The ending was so unexpected but it couldn’t have been better.
It has beautiful illustrations and maps. If you haven’t read Birthright of scars: Rising, book one in Duology, I would recommend it first.
September 26, 2024
This book is all about the love story between the two main characters. That story is very long and slow. The plot going on outside of the love story is full of holes, things left unexplained, and leaving the reader to guess how things were accomplished.
If genocide is too depressing for you, which I think it would be for most people, then you should not read this book. By the end, the author says there were less than Pyron left!
If genocide is too depressing for you, which I think it would be for most people, then you should not read this book. By the end, the author says there were less than Pyron left!
September 26, 2025
This is the follow up novel to the first book, and follows right after the events of Rising. It was a thrilling read. I wanted to know what would happen to Disrel and Ambrosia, and found it hard to put down. I enjoyed the book's start, with the island scenes, and the heartwarming moments between the main characters.
Laurisa's writing and in depth worldbuilding continued on from book 1, though I would say this is a lot more fast-paced than her previous book, and the ending, while satisfactory, left me a little hanging. I presume the author will have more books in the same world and would give me answers, such as, what happened to Disrel's sister, and what happened to Cinnabar's annoying mother
At the same time, it was also a difficult read because there were lengthy scenes of torture. I'm not saying the torture was inappropriate - having finished the book and understood the message that the author was trying to convey, I get why it was there. It just wasn't for me. Thankfully, there's such a thing as skimming which enabled me to gloss over these aspects.
Now, my thoughts on the duology as a whole - I would recommend these books, especially the first one. The series is dystopian and ADULT (which is refreshing, given the genre), so expect very mature themes, including that of oppression, brutality, and genocide. This series also has strong biblical undertones which I personally loved and enjoyed, but which may not be for everybody, though it certainly resonated with me.
Laurisa's writing and in depth worldbuilding continued on from book 1, though I would say this is a lot more fast-paced than her previous book, and the ending, while satisfactory, left me a little hanging. I presume the author will have more books in the same world and would give me answers, such as, what happened to Disrel's sister, and what happened to Cinnabar's annoying mother
At the same time, it was also a difficult read because there were lengthy scenes of torture. I'm not saying the torture was inappropriate - having finished the book and understood the message that the author was trying to convey, I get why it was there. It just wasn't for me. Thankfully, there's such a thing as skimming which enabled me to gloss over these aspects.
Now, my thoughts on the duology as a whole - I would recommend these books, especially the first one. The series is dystopian and ADULT (which is refreshing, given the genre), so expect very mature themes, including that of oppression, brutality, and genocide. This series also has strong biblical undertones which I personally loved and enjoyed, but which may not be for everybody, though it certainly resonated with me.
February 19, 2024
*This is a review for the complete duology and will be cross-posted for each book.*
It has been very hard to articulate a review for this book. Every time I sit down to write something about it, I’ve been hindered by reviewer’s block. Part of this is because I have not read the first book in the series in a while and had to go back and refresh my memory. Most of this block, however, stems from the overabundance of feelings I have for these books.
Let me begin with this: the Birthright of Scars duology exemplifies perfectly why I love indie books so much. Scratch that. It exemplifies why I love books, no matter how they are published, so much, though Indie/self-pub authors have really cultivated a practice of making publishing a professional endeavor, and there are some shining lights of writing talent that just stand out from the crowd (more than I find among traditionally published books). Brandt’s narrative and characters are nothing short of extraordinary, evoking an intensity of emotion in me I rarely feel when reading; when I find a novel, much less two, that makes me experience sorrow and comedy and joy as Brandt’s does, I immediately love it.
See the full review on my blog!
Blog / Instagram / Literal / BookBub
It has been very hard to articulate a review for this book. Every time I sit down to write something about it, I’ve been hindered by reviewer’s block. Part of this is because I have not read the first book in the series in a while and had to go back and refresh my memory. Most of this block, however, stems from the overabundance of feelings I have for these books.
Let me begin with this: the Birthright of Scars duology exemplifies perfectly why I love indie books so much. Scratch that. It exemplifies why I love books, no matter how they are published, so much, though Indie/self-pub authors have really cultivated a practice of making publishing a professional endeavor, and there are some shining lights of writing talent that just stand out from the crowd (more than I find among traditionally published books). Brandt’s narrative and characters are nothing short of extraordinary, evoking an intensity of emotion in me I rarely feel when reading; when I find a novel, much less two, that makes me experience sorrow and comedy and joy as Brandt’s does, I immediately love it.
See the full review on my blog!
Blog / Instagram / Literal / BookBub
April 10, 2023
What a tortured, yet the most beautiful ending for this duet.
Laurisa has outdid herself. This world and these characters that she has created are so pure.
There was so much action, heart wrenching and nail biting moments throughout this book. And among those scenes there were sweet, tender and joyful moments to heal your heart.
Disrel was fought so hard this book. He fought for his people, his loved ones, and Ambrosia when no one else would. All his fighting and Renegade scenes were so intense and well executed. It felt I was right next to the action.
Throughout this book Ambrosia is questioning everything she was raised to learned as a sable. Her friendship with Disrel and her interactions with the Tourmaline Renegade have changed her and that transformation that she went through was so moving. And you could even see some of the ripple effects reaching the other sables.
Laurisa has shared her artwork throughout the book and the scenes she drew really added to the reading experience.
Also that epilogue was the best. It makes my heart so happy. I cried happy tears.
Laurisa has outdid herself. This world and these characters that she has created are so pure.
There was so much action, heart wrenching and nail biting moments throughout this book. And among those scenes there were sweet, tender and joyful moments to heal your heart.
Disrel was fought so hard this book. He fought for his people, his loved ones, and Ambrosia when no one else would. All his fighting and Renegade scenes were so intense and well executed. It felt I was right next to the action.
Throughout this book Ambrosia is questioning everything she was raised to learned as a sable. Her friendship with Disrel and her interactions with the Tourmaline Renegade have changed her and that transformation that she went through was so moving. And you could even see some of the ripple effects reaching the other sables.
Laurisa has shared her artwork throughout the book and the scenes she drew really added to the reading experience.
Also that epilogue was the best. It makes my heart so happy. I cried happy tears.
May 14, 2025
BOS: Choosing picks up right where the first book left off and delivers a powerful, satisfying ending to this duology. It doesn’t hold back. There’s real pain, sacrifice, and growth, especially for Disrel and Ambrosia. Their relationship is full of tension, love, and hard choices, and watching them evolve was both heartbreaking and beautiful.
The book strikes a perfect balance between action and emotion. Disrel fights fiercely for his people and for Ambrosia, while she’s forced to question everything she’s ever believed. Their arcs are incredibly well done, and the ending, bittersweet and hopeful, felt totally earned.
The writing is detailed and emotional. The themes: love, sacrifice, justice, and slow, painful change are powerful and grounded in reality. It’s not just about happy endings, but about what it takes to get there.
Honestly, this book was an emotional roller coaster that left me exhausted in the best way, full of action, heartache, healing, and characters I won’t forget.
The book strikes a perfect balance between action and emotion. Disrel fights fiercely for his people and for Ambrosia, while she’s forced to question everything she’s ever believed. Their arcs are incredibly well done, and the ending, bittersweet and hopeful, felt totally earned.
The writing is detailed and emotional. The themes: love, sacrifice, justice, and slow, painful change are powerful and grounded in reality. It’s not just about happy endings, but about what it takes to get there.
Honestly, this book was an emotional roller coaster that left me exhausted in the best way, full of action, heartache, healing, and characters I won’t forget.
February 1, 2024
Devoured it!
I read this in 24 hours immediately after book one, because my greedy book goblin heart needed to be filled, and this book filled it. What a lovely conclusion to this duet.
Disrel is *chefs kiss*
This is certainly a darker read. Part of me felt like some of it was overwritten. Generally, I'm not a fan. However, the entire book, you absolutely can tell the author is writing from a place of deep love, and I remained enraptured. I love how she confronts certain themes that most won't touch. We need more aspects of the human experience, in all its shades, and that's done here. Overwritten aspects be darned.
The world remains that lovely sci-fi x fantasy vibes that were so easy to love in book one.
I thoroughly loved every minute of this read. Again, thank you.
I read this in 24 hours immediately after book one, because my greedy book goblin heart needed to be filled, and this book filled it. What a lovely conclusion to this duet.
Disrel is *chefs kiss*
This is certainly a darker read. Part of me felt like some of it was overwritten. Generally, I'm not a fan. However, the entire book, you absolutely can tell the author is writing from a place of deep love, and I remained enraptured. I love how she confronts certain themes that most won't touch. We need more aspects of the human experience, in all its shades, and that's done here. Overwritten aspects be darned.
The world remains that lovely sci-fi x fantasy vibes that were so easy to love in book one.
I thoroughly loved every minute of this read. Again, thank you.
January 16, 2024
This book really just hit me in the heart. I loved it so so much!
I am infamous for a: “the first book was better,” and initially, I feared that would be true with this book. There were some scenes that came on rather unexpected which created moments of disconnect but the author always found a way to create such deep and meaningful moments out of them. In the end, it really ripped the five stars straight from my hands.
As an author, Brandt has such a wonderful choice of words and language, making readers feel everything she’s pouring out into the book. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated someone’s writing-style more.
All in all, I did my best to describe my love for this book and series but even that falls short. Please read, you will not regret it!
I am infamous for a: “the first book was better,” and initially, I feared that would be true with this book. There were some scenes that came on rather unexpected which created moments of disconnect but the author always found a way to create such deep and meaningful moments out of them. In the end, it really ripped the five stars straight from my hands.
As an author, Brandt has such a wonderful choice of words and language, making readers feel everything she’s pouring out into the book. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated someone’s writing-style more.
All in all, I did my best to describe my love for this book and series but even that falls short. Please read, you will not regret it!
May 17, 2023
Laurisa! What a book! Part two of this book seemed so different from the first. It was so deep. There was such a strong passion in every word that made the story seem to entwine with my very soul. I'm going through one of the hardest times of my life right now, and reading your book comforted me so much. Certain scenes and their spiritual aspect spoke to me like a balm for my sore heart. This was a beautiful story of love and spirituality that will stir you. I do feel like this is more of an adult read, but I highly highly recommend it!
Also, the tribute to your precious grandparents had me in tears! I loved that so much!
Also, the tribute to your precious grandparents had me in tears! I loved that so much!
January 3, 2025
Birthright of Scars: Choosing is an excellent conclusion to this duology, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is immersive, with well-developed characters and a compelling plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. I particularly appreciated the positive hints/parallels towards Christianity woven into the narrative.
My only complaint is the cringy nicknames exchanged sometimes between the main characters. While their relationship is touching, the nicknames occasionally detracted from the otherwise mature tone of the story.
Overall, this book is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-crafted dystopian stories with strong themes and memorable characters.
My only complaint is the cringy nicknames exchanged sometimes between the main characters. While their relationship is touching, the nicknames occasionally detracted from the otherwise mature tone of the story.
Overall, this book is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-crafted dystopian stories with strong themes and memorable characters.
July 31, 2025
I wanted to love this duology and I *did* like a lot of it (as evidenced by all the lines I highlighted). But this second installment was incredibly violent, quite derivative (sorry to say), unsatisfying in the way it handled the sexual content, randomly annoying (r.g., “skit” for “s—“ was a weird fantasy profanity), spiritually murky, and ultimately the level of telling vs. showing was too much for me– I know this is YA but you don’t have to hold my hand to make sure I’m tracking every emotion and plot nuance.
August 1, 2024
"His heart ached with the desire for there to be someone worthy of pardoning all wrongs, a life so perfect that it might pay all debts and end all suffering."
5 stars. My favorite book of the year so far. This one was heavy, gritty, and incredibly well done. Definitely recommend this series for adults only as it deals with some really serious themes and dark moments, but it has such a beautiful parallel to Christ's sacrificial and unconditional love. Longer review to follow.
5 stars. My favorite book of the year so far. This one was heavy, gritty, and incredibly well done. Definitely recommend this series for adults only as it deals with some really serious themes and dark moments, but it has such a beautiful parallel to Christ's sacrificial and unconditional love. Longer review to follow.
May 26, 2024
Read 2024-05-24 to 26
October 28, 2025
Believable enemies to lovers and true slow burn. Really liked it. Sometimes a little too much world building and a little bit too little action and very brutal in some parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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