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A Glamour of Blood
All that glitters is deadly… She survived the Plague. She lived through the Battle of the True Borns. But he might just be the death of her…
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2023
16 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Sterling
6 books136 followersOriginally 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
www.le-sterling.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 17, 2023
Urban YA Fantasy
Dystopian
Unique Magic System
Book 1 in True Born Trilogy
Serena Rogue has been living on the streets of Dominion City since she was 12 years old. After the death of her mother, the high priestess of the Order of the Cernunnos, she was abandoned by her stepmother and rejected by her clan.
Serena is the only living Salvager alive. The only thing she can see is ‘True Born’ DNA, better known as talismans and she is the only one who can see it.
When children from her former childhood gang, the ‘Rogue Army’ go missing, Serena and her familiar and best friend Carl, a True Born, half man, half cat, sets out on a dangerous mission to find them. They team up with Nolan Storm, the leader of the True Borns and also her enemy, who wants nothing more than to see Serena dead after she had betrayed him, but he just seems to delay her death time after time.
This is a fantastic YA fantasy that is action packed. I loved the magic system, Serena’s magic is incredible, a blind girl who sees only flowing colours of True Born DNA.
This book has no spice as it is a YA novel but the sexual tension was top notch and there is a boat load of it. The way Nolan and Serna are drawn towards each other is very intense. I had quite a few belly flips and toe curls from their interaction.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to the reading the rest of this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this e-arc.
Dystopian
Unique Magic System
Book 1 in True Born Trilogy
Serena Rogue has been living on the streets of Dominion City since she was 12 years old. After the death of her mother, the high priestess of the Order of the Cernunnos, she was abandoned by her stepmother and rejected by her clan.
Serena is the only living Salvager alive. The only thing she can see is ‘True Born’ DNA, better known as talismans and she is the only one who can see it.
When children from her former childhood gang, the ‘Rogue Army’ go missing, Serena and her familiar and best friend Carl, a True Born, half man, half cat, sets out on a dangerous mission to find them. They team up with Nolan Storm, the leader of the True Borns and also her enemy, who wants nothing more than to see Serena dead after she had betrayed him, but he just seems to delay her death time after time.
This is a fantastic YA fantasy that is action packed. I loved the magic system, Serena’s magic is incredible, a blind girl who sees only flowing colours of True Born DNA.
This book has no spice as it is a YA novel but the sexual tension was top notch and there is a boat load of it. The way Nolan and Serna are drawn towards each other is very intense. I had quite a few belly flips and toe curls from their interaction.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to the reading the rest of this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this e-arc.
August 28, 2023
I really enjoyed this YA Dystopian Fantasy!
It is filled with magic, lots of action, and has some incredible world-building. We have a very strong FMC and an OP MMC.
Our FMC has a familiar/bestie named Carl, who is a half-human half-cat. While the book doesn't contain spice since it is YA, it does have a sweet enemies to lovers romance with lots of tension and angst. This is a diverse and inclusive world with disability rep. Overall, I would definitely recommend it, and look forward to the next book in the series.
Tysm to Entangled Teen for the ARC!
It is filled with magic, lots of action, and has some incredible world-building. We have a very strong FMC and an OP MMC.
Our FMC has a familiar/bestie named Carl, who is a half-human half-cat. While the book doesn't contain spice since it is YA, it does have a sweet enemies to lovers romance with lots of tension and angst. This is a diverse and inclusive world with disability rep. Overall, I would definitely recommend it, and look forward to the next book in the series.
Tysm to Entangled Teen for the ARC!
September 2, 2023
You can find this review of A Glamour of Blood on my blog, Heart's Content!
*Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an goest review! Thank you!*
When I read the blurb for A Glamour of Blood, I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t wait to dive into it and I’m super grateful to Entangled Publishing for giving me this opportunity! However, this has in no way affected my review, which is solely based only on my own opinion.
At the very beginning of the book the author explains that this book is a spin-off of another series they’d written. I was surprised because I had had no idea of that, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. There are about a million spin-offs that we’ve all dived into as readers and enjoyed just the same.
However, from the very moment the book started, the best way I can describe my experience is that it was like being thrown into the midst of a full-blown war with my eyes tied. The world was fully established, but it was done outside the awareness of the new reader and I had to grapple to make sense of what was happening and what the rules were. I still don’t think that, even by the end of the book, I am 100% sure of everything I’ve put together from what I’ve read. The world-building in the book, for me, was probably the most difficult part of it. I would personally recommend that this book be read after the series is read, or as part of the series.
However, that being said, the world—whatever I’ve understood of it—was very very different from anything I read before. The author gets lots of points for creating and weaving a story in a world so unique and never-seen-before. I think as readers we’ve never truly minded too much to find similarities between the worlds of fiction, but finding a world so different was really surprising and refreshing.
What the world-building lacked (for me) the writing certainly elevated. The writing, I think, was the strongest suit of this story. Often when you don’t understand the world, you lose interest in the book, but L.E. Sterling’s writing held me through it all and had me coming back. Perhaps an additional postive factor for me was that the book read a little like the urban fantasy series that Ilona Andrews have written. The main characters felt a little similar to them as well (to me).
The characters I felt had a certain backstory to them that I wish I knew, because again, it was like walking into a movie mid-way with the limited information we had. The FMC was written with an emotion that I can respect. This is the third character I’m reading whose physical struggles the author mirrors after their own pain and condition. Seeing the author represent themselves and do it with fantasy is always something that will be close to my heart and it was also very interesting to see how they choose to represent given the circumstances. Serena brings a lot of strength and grit to the screen and I definitely liked being in her head.
The MMC also brought to the table something very interesting, both personality wise and how the character is written. Usually, I don’t feel like I want to hear what the male interest is thinking (I like a little mystery, thank you very much), but with Nolan I was curious what was happening with him and what his thoughts were like. While I wasn’t aware that there was a certain equation that existed between the main characters before this book, the relationship that is created in this book is very visible.
The secondary characters were few, but they were fairly well written and brought their own brand of personality, humour and/or purpose to the story. Some we love, some we’ll hate, but they’ll all leave some mark on the reader in someway or the other.
The plot is something that, again, reminded me of something Ilona Andrews would’ve written. It had the same emotion, forced-alliance-formation, action, magic and story unravelling style that reminded me of them. Not so much that it came in the way of my experience of reading, but just enough that there’s a familiarity. The plot is definitely strong, I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read the series properly, though. *Sigh*, my own fault, I guess.
A Glamour of Blood had a lot of heart and I think it’s something that will stay with me in its own way. Three and a half stars. Happy reading! Check trigger warnings! The book is violent, with kidnapping, gore, death etc.
*Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an goest review! Thank you!*
When I read the blurb for A Glamour of Blood, I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t wait to dive into it and I’m super grateful to Entangled Publishing for giving me this opportunity! However, this has in no way affected my review, which is solely based only on my own opinion.
At the very beginning of the book the author explains that this book is a spin-off of another series they’d written. I was surprised because I had had no idea of that, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. There are about a million spin-offs that we’ve all dived into as readers and enjoyed just the same.
However, from the very moment the book started, the best way I can describe my experience is that it was like being thrown into the midst of a full-blown war with my eyes tied. The world was fully established, but it was done outside the awareness of the new reader and I had to grapple to make sense of what was happening and what the rules were. I still don’t think that, even by the end of the book, I am 100% sure of everything I’ve put together from what I’ve read. The world-building in the book, for me, was probably the most difficult part of it. I would personally recommend that this book be read after the series is read, or as part of the series.
However, that being said, the world—whatever I’ve understood of it—was very very different from anything I read before. The author gets lots of points for creating and weaving a story in a world so unique and never-seen-before. I think as readers we’ve never truly minded too much to find similarities between the worlds of fiction, but finding a world so different was really surprising and refreshing.
What the world-building lacked (for me) the writing certainly elevated. The writing, I think, was the strongest suit of this story. Often when you don’t understand the world, you lose interest in the book, but L.E. Sterling’s writing held me through it all and had me coming back. Perhaps an additional postive factor for me was that the book read a little like the urban fantasy series that Ilona Andrews have written. The main characters felt a little similar to them as well (to me).
The characters I felt had a certain backstory to them that I wish I knew, because again, it was like walking into a movie mid-way with the limited information we had. The FMC was written with an emotion that I can respect. This is the third character I’m reading whose physical struggles the author mirrors after their own pain and condition. Seeing the author represent themselves and do it with fantasy is always something that will be close to my heart and it was also very interesting to see how they choose to represent given the circumstances. Serena brings a lot of strength and grit to the screen and I definitely liked being in her head.
The MMC also brought to the table something very interesting, both personality wise and how the character is written. Usually, I don’t feel like I want to hear what the male interest is thinking (I like a little mystery, thank you very much), but with Nolan I was curious what was happening with him and what his thoughts were like. While I wasn’t aware that there was a certain equation that existed between the main characters before this book, the relationship that is created in this book is very visible.
The secondary characters were few, but they were fairly well written and brought their own brand of personality, humour and/or purpose to the story. Some we love, some we’ll hate, but they’ll all leave some mark on the reader in someway or the other.
The plot is something that, again, reminded me of something Ilona Andrews would’ve written. It had the same emotion, forced-alliance-formation, action, magic and story unravelling style that reminded me of them. Not so much that it came in the way of my experience of reading, but just enough that there’s a familiarity. The plot is definitely strong, I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read the series properly, though. *Sigh*, my own fault, I guess.
A Glamour of Blood had a lot of heart and I think it’s something that will stay with me in its own way. Three and a half stars. Happy reading! Check trigger warnings! The book is violent, with kidnapping, gore, death etc.
August 31, 2023
I wish I had read L.E. Sterling's previous series - the True Born trilogy prior to reading A Glamour of Blood. I was a bit lost on the backstory going through the beginning as this is technically a spin-off series. You are thrown right in the middle of the story at the beginning of the book. I would've loved a bit more introduction to the characters in the beginning to avoid feeling so lost.
3.75⭐️
Still extremely enjoyable read once you get into the plot of this urban fantasy. The story follows Serena and her best friend Carl on a mission to find the missing street kids. Her mission is intertwined with Nolan Storm, someone she considers her rival (maybe even an enemy) and the leader of the True Born. The two of them share a history and it is not always pleasant. But Serena does NOT back down - there is banter and an undeniable attraction.
I can definitely see the potential of this and am excited to read more in the future.
Read if you love:
Urban fantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Strong Female leads
Dystopian Young Adult romance
Thank you Netgalley and Entangled: Teen for this eARC to review!
3.75⭐️
Still extremely enjoyable read once you get into the plot of this urban fantasy. The story follows Serena and her best friend Carl on a mission to find the missing street kids. Her mission is intertwined with Nolan Storm, someone she considers her rival (maybe even an enemy) and the leader of the True Born. The two of them share a history and it is not always pleasant. But Serena does NOT back down - there is banter and an undeniable attraction.
I can definitely see the potential of this and am excited to read more in the future.
Read if you love:
Urban fantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Strong Female leads
Dystopian Young Adult romance
Thank you Netgalley and Entangled: Teen for this eARC to review!
September 4, 2023
A glamour of Blood is a spin-off from the True blood trilogy. I wish I had known this before reading, since it really looked like it is a standalone. This book contains lots of references to the trilogy, which makes it difficult to read for those who haven't read the other books. I was one of the readers who hasn't read the trilogy, which made I found this book difficult to read. After a while I got the hang of it and started to understand the different groups. However I still struggled during the entire book with getting through the story. The storyline itself contains lots of twists making it sometimes hard to understand what is going on. In addition I would have loved to know more about the characters, since it seems like knowledge of them is required to understand their full relationship. For me it seemed like a love-hate relationship, with two groups behind them making their friendship or maybe even affair almost impossible.
I did enjoy the storyline, but because this book is just way to difficult to read as a standalone I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Therefore my reading experience was disappointing, resulting into only 2 stars since I can really see the potential
I did enjoy the storyline, but because this book is just way to difficult to read as a standalone I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Therefore my reading experience was disappointing, resulting into only 2 stars since I can really see the potential
August 21, 2023
❤️ A Glamour of Blood ARC Review ❤️
Thank you so much to LE Sterling and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!
A Glamour of Blood is a dystopian fantasy read. Bounty Hunter Serena has survived a lot in her life. When local children start disappearing, she teams up with Nolan, her rival to help find the culprit. But will they end up uncovering more than they expected??
This was definitely an interesting read! I loved the rivalry to allies dynamics between Serena and Nolan. The progression of their friendship and relationship was really fun! The world and magic lore was super complex and I felt like it just jumped right in without a lot of explanation - which caused me to feel like I was lost and playing catch up for a while, but that’s a “me” issue and not a book issue
Overall this was a solid three star read. I enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. This book had a romantic plot and a few make out scenes, but no on page smut - so one flame for spice
If you’re a fan of YA dystopian adventures with strong women, mysterious men and unique magical lore, then absolutely pick this one up!!
Thank you so much to LE Sterling and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!
A Glamour of Blood is a dystopian fantasy read. Bounty Hunter Serena has survived a lot in her life. When local children start disappearing, she teams up with Nolan, her rival to help find the culprit. But will they end up uncovering more than they expected??
This was definitely an interesting read! I loved the rivalry to allies dynamics between Serena and Nolan. The progression of their friendship and relationship was really fun! The world and magic lore was super complex and I felt like it just jumped right in without a lot of explanation - which caused me to feel like I was lost and playing catch up for a while, but that’s a “me” issue and not a book issue
Overall this was a solid three star read. I enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. This book had a romantic plot and a few make out scenes, but no on page smut - so one flame for spice
If you’re a fan of YA dystopian adventures with strong women, mysterious men and unique magical lore, then absolutely pick this one up!!
August 14, 2023
3.5/5⭐️
I wanted to enjoy this one more, and it did have its moments. Part of it maybe that I’m not a Teen/Young Adult anymore.
After a slow, confusing start (I was a bit lost among the world-building/characters’ pasts), it did get better as Serena showed herself to be a tough, courageous heroine standing up to some fearsome/over-protective characters. The romance, while tension-filled and angsty, was also a little irritating at times as Serena and Storm waffled between hate/attraction for much of the story.
This is a science fiction/fantasy set in a dystopian future of have and have nots and involved some distinct present-day issues overtones. There was some humor and good action scenes with the sense that this could be the first of a series. If so, I’d probably give the second one a try.
My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled:Teen for providing the early arc of A Glamour of Blood for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
I wanted to enjoy this one more, and it did have its moments. Part of it maybe that I’m not a Teen/Young Adult anymore.
After a slow, confusing start (I was a bit lost among the world-building/characters’ pasts), it did get better as Serena showed herself to be a tough, courageous heroine standing up to some fearsome/over-protective characters. The romance, while tension-filled and angsty, was also a little irritating at times as Serena and Storm waffled between hate/attraction for much of the story.
This is a science fiction/fantasy set in a dystopian future of have and have nots and involved some distinct present-day issues overtones. There was some humor and good action scenes with the sense that this could be the first of a series. If so, I’d probably give the second one a try.
My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled:Teen for providing the early arc of A Glamour of Blood for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
August 22, 2023
This was an excellent ya urban fantasy! This was an action packed fantasy read and I adored its unique magic system. I loved Serena’s character and her magic. I enjoyed the interactions between Nolan and Serena as well. This was a wonderful fantasy that I didn’t want to put down and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. If you are looking for a young adult fantasy, you should consider checking this one out!
August 16, 2023
ARC REVIEW
While i enjoyed it overall, it was quite difficult to get into in the beginning and I'm not sure if it was due to small inconsistencies or if i just didn't understand those at first. The world was very interesting it felt fantasy dystopia. I adored the tension between Nolan and Serena and i would love to see what comes next for these characters.
While i enjoyed it overall, it was quite difficult to get into in the beginning and I'm not sure if it was due to small inconsistencies or if i just didn't understand those at first. The world was very interesting it felt fantasy dystopia. I adored the tension between Nolan and Serena and i would love to see what comes next for these characters.
August 20, 2023
I give this book 3 1/2⭐️ I just felt like I was missing something the whole time and it’s because it’s a spinoff series but other wise the story was really good interesting and the the tension was was very good I just wish it had more of a back story
September 6, 2023
*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dystopian
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
With the release of A Glamour of Blood, L.E. Sterling returns to the world of the True Born (which ended in 2018) with a new book featuring some new, and old characters like Doc Raines, and Nolan Storm, the leader of the True Born in Dominion City and the most powerful man around. In this world, the plague ravaged the population for years. It turned people into Splicers, True Born, and Lasters. Thanks to the work of those like Doc Raines, the plague was stopped, but things are not exactly free of emotion, and hatred.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy / Dystopian
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
With the release of A Glamour of Blood, L.E. Sterling returns to the world of the True Born (which ended in 2018) with a new book featuring some new, and old characters like Doc Raines, and Nolan Storm, the leader of the True Born in Dominion City and the most powerful man around. In this world, the plague ravaged the population for years. It turned people into Splicers, True Born, and Lasters. Thanks to the work of those like Doc Raines, the plague was stopped, but things are not exactly free of emotion, and hatred.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
August 14, 2023
I loved the idea of talismans in this book and how the MC "saw" the world. It made it such a cool and fresh perspective that made the novel original and added a whole new element to the story. This book was full of action, adventure, and a touch of romance.
December 13, 2023
I had a hard time getting in to the book at first, but after I did it was pretty good!
It has a very interesting magic system, not your typical same old stuff so that was a nice change up.
I really liked Serena and how she held her own even though a lot under estimated her due to her lack of sight. Interested to see where this series will lead!
Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled, and anyone else involved in approving and selecting me to arc read!
It has a very interesting magic system, not your typical same old stuff so that was a nice change up.
I really liked Serena and how she held her own even though a lot under estimated her due to her lack of sight. Interested to see where this series will lead!
Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled, and anyone else involved in approving and selecting me to arc read!
August 27, 2023
3.5/5 stars! The cover of this story is so pretty. I enjoyed the story as well. It took a bit to get into the storyline, but I appreciated the dystopian angle of the story and Serena as a character. I would be interested in seeing what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
November 9, 2023
I supposed I was attracted by the magic word Blade Runner but Philip Dick is another type of writer.
This is the spin off a series and it can be quite confusing if you didn't read the series like me
It's quite confusing and I think I missed most of the nuances.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is the spin off a series and it can be quite confusing if you didn't read the series like me
It's quite confusing and I think I missed most of the nuances.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 28, 2023
This book follows Serena, a gal who cannot see, but can see True Born talismans which allows her to see True Born, and anything covered in talismans. Her and her familiar Carl, half man half cat, have been in hiding from Nolan Storm after Nolan threatened to take her out when she seemingly betrayed him. Serena learns that kids who were like her when she was little are going missing. Not only that, but her step-mother has come to visit from her clans who had abandoned Serena when she was little and want to put Nolan Storm on a throne with Serena’s help. All Serena wants to do is fine the kids, but she begins to wonder if her clan, or the Order, may have something to do with the children who are missing. And so she teams up with Nolan in a tentative truce to find these kids.
First off, this is a well written book and the world is very intriguing. It seems to be based in our world, but like an alternate dystopian world with magic, and beings called True Born who are basically humans with unique powers. There are also quite a few characters in here, with Nolan being my favorite. The story kept me on my toes, and I always love a good mystery, I love trying to figure out what’s going on, and solve the mystery. I also loved the romance, to a point. I love a good slow burn enemies to lovers romance, and I was very into this romance at first, but I’ll explain later why I had a bit of a hard time with it too. Nolan I adored. He is scary, but very mature, level headed, and just a great character! Carl added some nice comedic aspects to the story, but he was rather immature for most of the book, which may be why Serena became immature in the end.
I really thought I would love this book, and I really wanted to, but I am giving this three stars mainly because, well, a couple things. This is a continuation after the original trilogy(which I did not know, that’s my bad!) but the author did state you should not feel like you need to read the original series. Well, I do feel like I should have read the original series. The world was not explained enough in this book and so I felt lost at times. There is also clearly some sort of relationship going on between a few of the characters who worked together in the original series, and I felt like I entered into the middle of their story, so I felt a bit lost again.
I really liked Serena at the beginning of the book, she started off with a bang and was the bigger person and came to Nolan first even though he was out for blood. However, as the story progressed, Serena seemed to become more immature, at least to me. She started making petty comments, and a couple times Nolan did something, and she would say “I didn’t ask for your help”, or “why didn’t you ask me first”. It was like anything Nolan did wasn’t okay, but it was okay if she did them, especially when it seems to me she did betray him previously, and apparently that was okay. And so because Serena kind of went downhill for me as the story progressed, I wasn’t as into the romance as I was at first. The romance I was so into until Serena just became so immature, especially when you compare her to Nolan who seems much older than her, is much more levelheaded and patient, and yah scary, but he’s so much more mature than she is. There were a few times he would ask her if she’s done with her tantrum. It got to the point that the romance wasn’t very believable any longer.
There’s also a creepy cult, and well, I’m not into that, but this is me, a trope I’m just not really into 😅
Aside from that, the book kept me hooked. I just wanted to solve the mystery of everything going on and I will give it that, that it kept my attention! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First off, this is a well written book and the world is very intriguing. It seems to be based in our world, but like an alternate dystopian world with magic, and beings called True Born who are basically humans with unique powers. There are also quite a few characters in here, with Nolan being my favorite. The story kept me on my toes, and I always love a good mystery, I love trying to figure out what’s going on, and solve the mystery. I also loved the romance, to a point. I love a good slow burn enemies to lovers romance, and I was very into this romance at first, but I’ll explain later why I had a bit of a hard time with it too. Nolan I adored. He is scary, but very mature, level headed, and just a great character! Carl added some nice comedic aspects to the story, but he was rather immature for most of the book, which may be why Serena became immature in the end.
I really thought I would love this book, and I really wanted to, but I am giving this three stars mainly because, well, a couple things. This is a continuation after the original trilogy(which I did not know, that’s my bad!) but the author did state you should not feel like you need to read the original series. Well, I do feel like I should have read the original series. The world was not explained enough in this book and so I felt lost at times. There is also clearly some sort of relationship going on between a few of the characters who worked together in the original series, and I felt like I entered into the middle of their story, so I felt a bit lost again.
I really liked Serena at the beginning of the book, she started off with a bang and was the bigger person and came to Nolan first even though he was out for blood. However, as the story progressed, Serena seemed to become more immature, at least to me. She started making petty comments, and a couple times Nolan did something, and she would say “I didn’t ask for your help”, or “why didn’t you ask me first”. It was like anything Nolan did wasn’t okay, but it was okay if she did them, especially when it seems to me she did betray him previously, and apparently that was okay. And so because Serena kind of went downhill for me as the story progressed, I wasn’t as into the romance as I was at first. The romance I was so into until Serena just became so immature, especially when you compare her to Nolan who seems much older than her, is much more levelheaded and patient, and yah scary, but he’s so much more mature than she is. There were a few times he would ask her if she’s done with her tantrum. It got to the point that the romance wasn’t very believable any longer.
There’s also a creepy cult, and well, I’m not into that, but this is me, a trope I’m just not really into 😅
Aside from that, the book kept me hooked. I just wanted to solve the mystery of everything going on and I will give it that, that it kept my attention! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 23, 2023
Read if you like:
Dystopian
Enemies to Lovers trope
Strong Female Leads
Half-human half-animal people
Urban Fantasy
L. E. Sterling’s “A Glamour of Blood” takes us on journey through a plague ravaged dystopia. As Serena Rogue’s unique gift unravels secrets that could reshape everything, we are thrust into a realm where darkness reigns. Trust is a rare and dangerous currency as Serena is forced to confront her past and save her city from complete ruin.
The overall plot involved Serena uncovering who is behind the disappearance of over 40 street children. There is also the battle for who leads society now that the plague is cured. Will it continue to be the country’s previous leaders or will a cult that’s been lurking in the shadows of thousands of years take over.
The plague that was destroying the world has come to an end thanks to a mysterious blood rain in the prologue of the novel. We follow the main character Serena in the after math as the power begins to shift now that people are no longer dying at an accelerated pace. I will say it is a bit hard to understand the world building in the beginning. Some of my questions about when the plague started (30 years ago) or even where this dystopian novel takes place (Somewhere in North America) were only mentioned in passing halfway through. Much of the initial chapters are focused on set up and foreign terms are constantly thrown at us. It is easy to get confused and lost in the story. I think the weak point would be that this series is a spin off. Though I felt that it is strong enough to be a stand alone novel many puzzle pieces were messing that I think could only be explained by the precursing series. I have not read the True Born series, so my perspective is from a reader coming into the world blind.
I really liked Serena as a character. She was someone who could see normally and then one night at the age of 15 she lost her sight. The reason she can see the world at all is thanks to that cure bomb of sorts that I am guessing is fully explained in the original series, but her sight will never be what it used to be. I can relate to the inability of being able to see clearly without correction and its nice to see that reflected in a dystopian fantasy setting. The male lead Nolan was a fun character to explore, and I loved the tension he had with Serena. Carl is the half-man half cat best friend of Serena and provided some much-needed comic relief to the story. The wit and sarcasm between the pair of best friends was incredibly entertaining. The chemistry between the characters is what saved this story for me.
The narrative subtly intertwined themes reminiscent of contemporary pandemic induced shifts, touching about our evolving social dynamics, political landscape, and global influence. The author herself spoke about her hesitance to publish a book about a plague when the pandemic occurred. As a Young Adult there is tension and maybe a few kisses but there are no spicy scenes. The book is appropriate for young readers while still maintaining enough complexity to hold my interest.
Dystopian
Enemies to Lovers trope
Strong Female Leads
Half-human half-animal people
Urban Fantasy
L. E. Sterling’s “A Glamour of Blood” takes us on journey through a plague ravaged dystopia. As Serena Rogue’s unique gift unravels secrets that could reshape everything, we are thrust into a realm where darkness reigns. Trust is a rare and dangerous currency as Serena is forced to confront her past and save her city from complete ruin.
The overall plot involved Serena uncovering who is behind the disappearance of over 40 street children. There is also the battle for who leads society now that the plague is cured. Will it continue to be the country’s previous leaders or will a cult that’s been lurking in the shadows of thousands of years take over.
The plague that was destroying the world has come to an end thanks to a mysterious blood rain in the prologue of the novel. We follow the main character Serena in the after math as the power begins to shift now that people are no longer dying at an accelerated pace. I will say it is a bit hard to understand the world building in the beginning. Some of my questions about when the plague started (30 years ago) or even where this dystopian novel takes place (Somewhere in North America) were only mentioned in passing halfway through. Much of the initial chapters are focused on set up and foreign terms are constantly thrown at us. It is easy to get confused and lost in the story. I think the weak point would be that this series is a spin off. Though I felt that it is strong enough to be a stand alone novel many puzzle pieces were messing that I think could only be explained by the precursing series. I have not read the True Born series, so my perspective is from a reader coming into the world blind.
I really liked Serena as a character. She was someone who could see normally and then one night at the age of 15 she lost her sight. The reason she can see the world at all is thanks to that cure bomb of sorts that I am guessing is fully explained in the original series, but her sight will never be what it used to be. I can relate to the inability of being able to see clearly without correction and its nice to see that reflected in a dystopian fantasy setting. The male lead Nolan was a fun character to explore, and I loved the tension he had with Serena. Carl is the half-man half cat best friend of Serena and provided some much-needed comic relief to the story. The wit and sarcasm between the pair of best friends was incredibly entertaining. The chemistry between the characters is what saved this story for me.
The narrative subtly intertwined themes reminiscent of contemporary pandemic induced shifts, touching about our evolving social dynamics, political landscape, and global influence. The author herself spoke about her hesitance to publish a book about a plague when the pandemic occurred. As a Young Adult there is tension and maybe a few kisses but there are no spicy scenes. The book is appropriate for young readers while still maintaining enough complexity to hold my interest.
August 30, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the gifted ARC - this review is voluntary and my honest opinion
The plague is just about over, but it’s left behind it a city in ruin, and multiple groups fighting for power. Serena Rogue is about ready to leave it behind, but when kids start getting snatched off the street in alarming numbers she can’t walk away. She used to be one of those kids. She knows exactly what it’s like to have no family, no one to fight for you. So she vows to do whatever it takes to get those kids back. Even if it means making an unlikely ally in Nolan Storm. Serena can’t decide if she want to kill Storm, or kiss him. Either way it’s a problem. But she needs him if she’s going to keep her promise.
Things I liked about this book:
1. Nolan Storm + his “touch her and ☠️” vibes while simultaneously letting Serena fight her own battles because she wanted to.
2. I loved that Serena’s powers were inspired by the Author’s own disability. But Serena’s condition is not meant to represent disability, but rather reimagine it in a fantasy setting. 🤍
3. It’s a fast paced plot that keeps you engaged.
This book picks up where L.E. Sterling’s True Born series left off. I have not read the True Born series, and while reading that series is not necessary to understand this story, I do think it would have helped me understand the world that it’s set it. It took me a while to grasp the different dynamics and hierarchies at play. And I feel like I would have slipped into this story much easier if I had the context from the first series. It also took me a while to really understand what the talismans were and I’m not sure I ever fully understood how things looked from Serena’s perspective. I go back and forth on how I feel about that. On one hand, I wanted to be able to relate with Serena better and picture things how she saw them. But on the other hand, I found it realistic that maybe someone else’s unique experience, especially through the lense of disability, can never quite be captured with words alone.
An engaging first book to a new series. I will read the rest of the series when it comes out. If you like YA dystopians like the Hunger Games or Divergent, you should give this book a try!
The plague is just about over, but it’s left behind it a city in ruin, and multiple groups fighting for power. Serena Rogue is about ready to leave it behind, but when kids start getting snatched off the street in alarming numbers she can’t walk away. She used to be one of those kids. She knows exactly what it’s like to have no family, no one to fight for you. So she vows to do whatever it takes to get those kids back. Even if it means making an unlikely ally in Nolan Storm. Serena can’t decide if she want to kill Storm, or kiss him. Either way it’s a problem. But she needs him if she’s going to keep her promise.
Things I liked about this book:
1. Nolan Storm + his “touch her and ☠️” vibes while simultaneously letting Serena fight her own battles because she wanted to.
2. I loved that Serena’s powers were inspired by the Author’s own disability. But Serena’s condition is not meant to represent disability, but rather reimagine it in a fantasy setting. 🤍
3. It’s a fast paced plot that keeps you engaged.
This book picks up where L.E. Sterling’s True Born series left off. I have not read the True Born series, and while reading that series is not necessary to understand this story, I do think it would have helped me understand the world that it’s set it. It took me a while to grasp the different dynamics and hierarchies at play. And I feel like I would have slipped into this story much easier if I had the context from the first series. It also took me a while to really understand what the talismans were and I’m not sure I ever fully understood how things looked from Serena’s perspective. I go back and forth on how I feel about that. On one hand, I wanted to be able to relate with Serena better and picture things how she saw them. But on the other hand, I found it realistic that maybe someone else’s unique experience, especially through the lense of disability, can never quite be captured with words alone.
An engaging first book to a new series. I will read the rest of the series when it comes out. If you like YA dystopians like the Hunger Games or Divergent, you should give this book a try!
August 29, 2023
Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book!
I haven’t read a YA Dystopian Fantasy in a while! This was a really interesting read.
I’m going to be honest I messed up, I didn’t realize this was a continuation in a previously established world. That being said, I was thoroughly confused about the magic system and the world. I believe it was told you could read this as a stand alone, but I wouldn’t. I still don’t really understand what a Trueborn is and how the magic works. If I understood everything, this would have been a 5 star read from me!
Character-wise I loved them.
-I want a best friend like Carl. His wit and support were amazing. (I think Carl is easily my favorite).
-I liked Serena, I felt like she was unlike other main characters I read. I loved that she wanted to help children. The only issue with Serena is that I don’t understand her backstory because I didn’t realize there was an original trilogy.
-Nolan was a great character and love interest. I loved seeing a powerful man be there for the girl he cares about. I wish I understood more of his role from the previous books.
-I also loved the side characters of Kira and Penny. I would have loved to read more about them!
The romance is YA, so no spice but a lot of tension. It felt well written. I also loved the enemies to lovers vibe we had going on. It had me hooked from the beginning. Have to admit again that I was sad to have missed so much of their backstory because I didn’t know about the trilogy!
I really liked this book. I recommend it, but I think you should read the other books before you get to this one. If I ignored the history from the other books, everything else made sense. It was action packed and a fun read. I just don’t agree that you can read this as a standalone and get the full effect.
I haven’t read a YA Dystopian Fantasy in a while! This was a really interesting read.
I’m going to be honest I messed up, I didn’t realize this was a continuation in a previously established world. That being said, I was thoroughly confused about the magic system and the world. I believe it was told you could read this as a stand alone, but I wouldn’t. I still don’t really understand what a Trueborn is and how the magic works. If I understood everything, this would have been a 5 star read from me!
Character-wise I loved them.
-I want a best friend like Carl. His wit and support were amazing. (I think Carl is easily my favorite).
-I liked Serena, I felt like she was unlike other main characters I read. I loved that she wanted to help children. The only issue with Serena is that I don’t understand her backstory because I didn’t realize there was an original trilogy.
-Nolan was a great character and love interest. I loved seeing a powerful man be there for the girl he cares about. I wish I understood more of his role from the previous books.
-I also loved the side characters of Kira and Penny. I would have loved to read more about them!
The romance is YA, so no spice but a lot of tension. It felt well written. I also loved the enemies to lovers vibe we had going on. It had me hooked from the beginning. Have to admit again that I was sad to have missed so much of their backstory because I didn’t know about the trilogy!
I really liked this book. I recommend it, but I think you should read the other books before you get to this one. If I ignored the history from the other books, everything else made sense. It was action packed and a fun read. I just don’t agree that you can read this as a standalone and get the full effect.
September 2, 2023
I previously read the True Born trilogy and when I saw this pop up in my email, I had into satisfy my curiosity & request it.
You don’t necessarily have to read the prior trilogy to read this one but it would definitely help with background & world building. The main three characters were also in the trilogy but we didn’t get much (if any) one-on-one time with them. Especially Serena & Carl. I will say that I loved the characters in this book more than the trilogy – the Fox sisters were awesome in their own way but Serena is more my jam. She’s strong, fierce & loyal – smart and doesn’t incessantly martyr herself or pine. If things ever hit the fan & people start mutating, I’ll just say this – if I don’t have a cat-man familiar like Carl I will be sorely disappointed.
“I whirl on Carl. ‘Calm down? Am I some hysterical female who needs a man to keep her in line? Am I some distressed damsel in need of rescue?’”
Learning about factions other than the ones in the trilogy made this book just as interesting. I was never an overly big fan of the Splicers and it was kinda nice to see their butts handed to them. Seeing Dominion City through the “sight” of someone not in the higher echelon made a difference too. I also liked the supporting cast in this book more – it would be nice if some of Storm’s supporting characters got a little more page time too.
I would like to give a huge thank you to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read this book & dive back into the world of Dominion City. I’m excited to see where Serena & Nolan’s story heads from the ending of this book.
You don’t necessarily have to read the prior trilogy to read this one but it would definitely help with background & world building. The main three characters were also in the trilogy but we didn’t get much (if any) one-on-one time with them. Especially Serena & Carl. I will say that I loved the characters in this book more than the trilogy – the Fox sisters were awesome in their own way but Serena is more my jam. She’s strong, fierce & loyal – smart and doesn’t incessantly martyr herself or pine. If things ever hit the fan & people start mutating, I’ll just say this – if I don’t have a cat-man familiar like Carl I will be sorely disappointed.
“I whirl on Carl. ‘Calm down? Am I some hysterical female who needs a man to keep her in line? Am I some distressed damsel in need of rescue?’”
Learning about factions other than the ones in the trilogy made this book just as interesting. I was never an overly big fan of the Splicers and it was kinda nice to see their butts handed to them. Seeing Dominion City through the “sight” of someone not in the higher echelon made a difference too. I also liked the supporting cast in this book more – it would be nice if some of Storm’s supporting characters got a little more page time too.
I would like to give a huge thank you to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read this book & dive back into the world of Dominion City. I’m excited to see where Serena & Nolan’s story heads from the ending of this book.
September 2, 2023
I got this book as an ARC, I’m a little late with my review but here is goes. Ok, so this book was really confusing for me at the beginning. Like the first 5 to 6 chapters took me a while to get through because I just didn’t understand what True Borns are and what Dominion was all about and the plague that happened. Though the author does mention that there is a series before this (which now I’m going to have to read bc I want to know more) I should be able to read this book and understand it without any problems. This didn’t happen to me until like chapter 8. I love the action in this book and the back story of the main character Ser, but Carl is one of my favorites. I love how the author describes in detail what Ser can see with her eyes and how her past makes her to what she is today. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I want more romance between Ser and Storm. I want to know what is going to happen to Ser’s stepmom and I think that her stepmom has more involvement with the death of Ser’s mother that she says. The fighting scenes in the book are described in great detail that makes you want to keep reading. I enjoyed this book a lot, so keep reading and push through the beginning chapters, it will all make sense!
Thanks EntangledTeen and Net Galley for the chance to read and review. All reviews are my own personal ones.
Thanks EntangledTeen and Net Galley for the chance to read and review. All reviews are my own personal ones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
**Arc Review**
I’m going to start of with saying, please please read the True Born trilogy prior to reading A Glamour of Blood, you will do yourself a favour. Although this is a standalone spin off book, I was confused throughout the start of the book which almost lead me to DNF – but I’m glad I didn’t. Throughout the book there are lots of references to the previous trilogy which does make it hard to read.
Once you get past this confusion I enjoyed reading about the world, learning about the magic and following the storyline. The characters I felt were strongly built and I really enjoyed reading about them. Carl is, of course, my favourite and when he was first introduced I really REALLY struggled to imagine a cat-man, Serena is a an awesome female main character, however I wish i had more understanding and information regarding her back story. Nolan i feel was an even match for Serena and definitely make a strong couple.
I would not recommend this as a standalone book though, you need to understand the world more prior to reading this.
This is definitely catered towards YA more than NA, and if you are a fan of a dystopian world, enemies to lovers, urban fantasy and a kick ass female lead (with a fu1n sidekick) you will enjoy this book.
3.5⭐️
Thank you Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book 😊
I’m going to start of with saying, please please read the True Born trilogy prior to reading A Glamour of Blood, you will do yourself a favour. Although this is a standalone spin off book, I was confused throughout the start of the book which almost lead me to DNF – but I’m glad I didn’t. Throughout the book there are lots of references to the previous trilogy which does make it hard to read.
Once you get past this confusion I enjoyed reading about the world, learning about the magic and following the storyline. The characters I felt were strongly built and I really enjoyed reading about them. Carl is, of course, my favourite and when he was first introduced I really REALLY struggled to imagine a cat-man, Serena is a an awesome female main character, however I wish i had more understanding and information regarding her back story. Nolan i feel was an even match for Serena and definitely make a strong couple.
I would not recommend this as a standalone book though, you need to understand the world more prior to reading this.
This is definitely catered towards YA more than NA, and if you are a fan of a dystopian world, enemies to lovers, urban fantasy and a kick ass female lead (with a fu1n sidekick) you will enjoy this book.
3.5⭐️
Thank you Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book 😊
August 28, 2023
DNF at 20%
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the ARC. L.E. Sterling has the beginnings of a really fascinating and complex world but I am quite lost in it. This book primarily suffers from a lack of world building and its introduction of an intricate magic system and magical characters that I did not have the context for. I believe this is meant to be a stand alone book but I imagine the True Born trilogy contains all of the information I found missing in this installation.
L.E.'s writing quality is fine. The primary issue is with the plot's structure and flow. We begin the novel almost as if we are picking up where a cliff hanger left off in some previous book. It's a confusing start, with references made to some other plot points that would have been compelling to experience and would have helped to raise the stakes. Serena's motives aren't particularly clear and she appears to change her mind randomly and largely in the absence of true inciting incidents.
"A Glamour of Blood" has a lot of potential but if L.E. is going for the cult following status, she should consider making this world a little easier for readers to get into.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the ARC. L.E. Sterling has the beginnings of a really fascinating and complex world but I am quite lost in it. This book primarily suffers from a lack of world building and its introduction of an intricate magic system and magical characters that I did not have the context for. I believe this is meant to be a stand alone book but I imagine the True Born trilogy contains all of the information I found missing in this installation.
L.E.'s writing quality is fine. The primary issue is with the plot's structure and flow. We begin the novel almost as if we are picking up where a cliff hanger left off in some previous book. It's a confusing start, with references made to some other plot points that would have been compelling to experience and would have helped to raise the stakes. Serena's motives aren't particularly clear and she appears to change her mind randomly and largely in the absence of true inciting incidents.
"A Glamour of Blood" has a lot of potential but if L.E. is going for the cult following status, she should consider making this world a little easier for readers to get into.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 1, 2023
4.75 out of 5 stars!
This was a engrossing dystopian urban fantasy featuring talisman magic and those with talisman based blood. The point of view is of Serena, a blind girl with an unique sight of the world, she can only see those are True-Blood or those exposed to talismans. This book takes place after L.E. Sterling's True Born trilogy, so I recommend reading that first, but I didn't read them and picked up things fairly quickly, and since I've read a bunch of futuristic/dystopian urban magical based books, there's a lot of similarities within the genre, so it that is your jam, then you will probably enjoy this book.
Serena is interesting, she balances her past with her present, and comes across as snarky but willing to go out on the olive branch with a former enemy to save the city that they are both living in because Serena's past is coming back. Her enemy Nolan Storm is True Born, in fact he resembles an old god, complete with horns, and the power of storms, and he shines in Serena's sight. They have to work together to figure out what's going on.
A lot of mystery, little bit of magic, little bit of fanatical cult, and a little bit of romance.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the free eARC. This is my honest opinion.
This was a engrossing dystopian urban fantasy featuring talisman magic and those with talisman based blood. The point of view is of Serena, a blind girl with an unique sight of the world, she can only see those are True-Blood or those exposed to talismans. This book takes place after L.E. Sterling's True Born trilogy, so I recommend reading that first, but I didn't read them and picked up things fairly quickly, and since I've read a bunch of futuristic/dystopian urban magical based books, there's a lot of similarities within the genre, so it that is your jam, then you will probably enjoy this book.
Serena is interesting, she balances her past with her present, and comes across as snarky but willing to go out on the olive branch with a former enemy to save the city that they are both living in because Serena's past is coming back. Her enemy Nolan Storm is True Born, in fact he resembles an old god, complete with horns, and the power of storms, and he shines in Serena's sight. They have to work together to figure out what's going on.
A lot of mystery, little bit of magic, little bit of fanatical cult, and a little bit of romance.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the free eARC. This is my honest opinion.
August 31, 2023
This was a dystopian read that was definitely fast paced. There was a lot happening since our FMC notices children are going missing right at the onset and takes on the job to figure out why.
But then there's other political plays at work. There's some slow burn love, some challenges, knife fights, betrayal, snarky friends that are cats. (So many cats in books I've read lately, not complaining)
There were talismans used that some were real and some were counterfeit that made a person stronger, faster, etc.
This had a unique magic system with the talismans and the True Born. She also has some disabilities due to her station but she's also not letting them stop her.
Love how it ended with her philosophy on where she wanted their society headed. Cause if you read it the people that were vying for power were doing some awful stuff. But most do to get on top strangely.
Read if you like:
✨ Dystopian
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Slow burn
✨ Urban Fantasy
✨ Unique magic system
Thank you entangledteen for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
But then there's other political plays at work. There's some slow burn love, some challenges, knife fights, betrayal, snarky friends that are cats. (So many cats in books I've read lately, not complaining)
There were talismans used that some were real and some were counterfeit that made a person stronger, faster, etc.
This had a unique magic system with the talismans and the True Born. She also has some disabilities due to her station but she's also not letting them stop her.
Love how it ended with her philosophy on where she wanted their society headed. Cause if you read it the people that were vying for power were doing some awful stuff. But most do to get on top strangely.
Read if you like:
✨ Dystopian
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Slow burn
✨ Urban Fantasy
✨ Unique magic system
Thank you entangledteen for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
September 6, 2023
While A Glamour of Blood is technically a standalone, it is a spin-off of LE Sterling’s previous series, The True Born trilogy, and I highly recommend reading that series first because A Glamour of Blood seems to pick up right in the middle of The True Born’s story so a lot of the backstory isn’t there in this book, making it harder to grasp what is going on.
Although I felt like the character introduction was lacking (again, from being a spin-off I’m sure), the character- and world-building was beautiful. It’s clear that LE Sterling puts in a lot of thought in work in creating a beautiful, complex world and characters, and I’m sure I would’ve liked the book so much more had I had a better understanding of what I was reading (again, I highly recommend reading the True Born trilogy first!). All in all I’d say it’s definitely a solid read if you’re into YA, dystopian, fantasy, and unique magic!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC of A Glamour of Blood. All opinions are my own.
Although I felt like the character introduction was lacking (again, from being a spin-off I’m sure), the character- and world-building was beautiful. It’s clear that LE Sterling puts in a lot of thought in work in creating a beautiful, complex world and characters, and I’m sure I would’ve liked the book so much more had I had a better understanding of what I was reading (again, I highly recommend reading the True Born trilogy first!). All in all I’d say it’s definitely a solid read if you’re into YA, dystopian, fantasy, and unique magic!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC of A Glamour of Blood. All opinions are my own.
August 17, 2023
"A Glamour of Blood" was an interesting and intriguing read. I think it should be on your radar if you enjoy reading books in the YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre.
The author crafted a really unique storyline set in an intricate dystopian world. There were times that I felt a bit confused towards the beginning as I was being introduced to the characters and world but overall I thought she did a great job of evenly educating us about elements we needed to know without doing an overwhelming info dump all at once.
I really enjoyed the tension and angst between the main characters, Nolan (MMC) and Serena (FMC). When you take unlikely allies and put them in intense situations the storyline just feels so much higher stakes to me.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely continue on if anymore books are released in the future.
Thank you L.E. Sterling, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.
The author crafted a really unique storyline set in an intricate dystopian world. There were times that I felt a bit confused towards the beginning as I was being introduced to the characters and world but overall I thought she did a great job of evenly educating us about elements we needed to know without doing an overwhelming info dump all at once.
I really enjoyed the tension and angst between the main characters, Nolan (MMC) and Serena (FMC). When you take unlikely allies and put them in intense situations the storyline just feels so much higher stakes to me.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely continue on if anymore books are released in the future.
Thank you L.E. Sterling, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.
August 4, 2024
When surviving a plague is the least of your problems, you know you’re in for an intense ride. A Glamour of Blood by L. E. Sterling is a gripping YA dystopian novel that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering, "What could possibly happen next?"
The author’s storytelling is masterful, with a seamless flow and pacing that makes it hard to put the book down. The action is relentless, and the magic system is both fascinating and easy to grasp. Serena’s unique ability to see only the flowing colors of True Born DNA is particularly captivating.
Though the book is YA and lacks explicit spice, the sexual tension between Nolan and Serena is palpable and compelling. Their chemistry is intense, creating plenty of moments that gave me butterflies and made me eagerly anticipate their interactions.
I highly recommend A Glamour of Blood and am excited to dive into the rest of the series.
The author’s storytelling is masterful, with a seamless flow and pacing that makes it hard to put the book down. The action is relentless, and the magic system is both fascinating and easy to grasp. Serena’s unique ability to see only the flowing colors of True Born DNA is particularly captivating.
Though the book is YA and lacks explicit spice, the sexual tension between Nolan and Serena is palpable and compelling. Their chemistry is intense, creating plenty of moments that gave me butterflies and made me eagerly anticipate their interactions.
I highly recommend A Glamour of Blood and am excited to dive into the rest of the series.
August 24, 2023
This story had something really unique about it, the way the magical system runs and how, in my opinion, this book entangles dystopian vibes with those of magical fantasy really neatly!
I really enjoyed the set up, the characters interactions and the whole idea of it!
However I had sometimes wished to get more explanation, more depth on our main characters past, how exactly her sight works that has been a big part of the story and how the talismans manifest in different persona, sometimes a was a bit confused and had to accept it to move along with the story!
All in all a fun read, addicting at that and great for anyone looking for a sarcasm laced main character, magically dystopian vibes and a good enemies-to-'whatever we are'-banter filled story!
Thank you Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and of course L.E. Sterling for providing me with an ARC of this one!
I really enjoyed the set up, the characters interactions and the whole idea of it!
However I had sometimes wished to get more explanation, more depth on our main characters past, how exactly her sight works that has been a big part of the story and how the talismans manifest in different persona, sometimes a was a bit confused and had to accept it to move along with the story!
All in all a fun read, addicting at that and great for anyone looking for a sarcasm laced main character, magically dystopian vibes and a good enemies-to-'whatever we are'-banter filled story!
Thank you Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and of course L.E. Sterling for providing me with an ARC of this one!
August 27, 2023
I can honestly say I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to like this book at first. I was initially confused and wondering if it was intentional or if I would have had a better understanding had I read her other books. That's not to say the book isn't well written or the story isn't good. There was just confusion about the world and events that were occurring and had occurred. It did get better, though. The story became more about the events that were occurring in the moment and less about stuff that had happened. I loved Nolan. He lets the FMC be a badass all on her own and yet still expresses his concern for her safety. On that note, the FMC IS a badass. She has impairments and still can fight like a boss and take care of herself for the most part. She also has a cat familiar who is her best friend. Think DND tabaxi. I do recommend. Overall, it was a good read.
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