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High Born
Sixteen-year-old Blaer Woods doesn't want to get married. She's in love with a prince, but her mother is determined to marry her off to a pauper. In a rush to escape her arranged marriage, Blaer runs away. Under the cover of night, she takes to the forest, a place that most folks of Rivermoor go to lengths to avoid. She doesn't mean to get captured and imprisoned, nor does she expect to meet Rowan, a handsome boy with strawberry hair and a secret straight out of a fairy tale. It is with his help that she must save those who she loves, or risk losing them forever. In a medieval world full of mystery and myth, Blaer discovers more about her mother's mysterious past, her father's disappearance, and the truth about who she really is.
374 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
7 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Natalia Leigh
6 books496 followersNatalia Leigh graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor's degree in English and a concentration in creative writing.
Natalia worked as an English tutor out of college and now enjoys assisting her clients with their own fictional works, as well as sharing her writing experience on her YouTube channel.
When not writing, Natalia can usually be found eating vegan pizza, honing her practice on a yoga mat, or playing way too many video games.
Pistol Daisy is her fourth novel.
Natalia worked as an English tutor out of college and now enjoys assisting her clients with their own fictional works, as well as sharing her writing experience on her YouTube channel.
When not writing, Natalia can usually be found eating vegan pizza, honing her practice on a yoga mat, or playing way too many video games.
Pistol Daisy is her fourth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 12, 2017
This book really surprised me. Some of the characters and their interactions bothered me, but the story itself was very interesting and I really enjoyed learning more about the story and the history behind it. Once I got halfway through, I really flew it through and didn't want to put it down. Natalia has a wonderful Author channel on YouTube, which is how I heard about this book. I recommend picking this up and checking out her vlog also!
July 30, 2018
One of the best books I have ever read!
I just adore the style of Natalia's writing, her writing is so exceptional, the perfect balance between show and tell, amazing characters, great dialogue, awesome plot, I cannot find anything bad about this novel. I LOVE IT!!!!
If you love werewolf stories, adventure and amazing writing than this book is definitely for you as well!
I just adore the style of Natalia's writing, her writing is so exceptional, the perfect balance between show and tell, amazing characters, great dialogue, awesome plot, I cannot find anything bad about this novel. I LOVE IT!!!!
If you love werewolf stories, adventure and amazing writing than this book is definitely for you as well!
October 21, 2014
Blaer is the servant who wants the prince, but when her dreams of marrying for love are dashed, she runs away. She only means to go to the next town, but is chased into the forest. After being rescued, captured, imprisoned, slapped, threatened, and kept under close watch, Blaer must find out who she truly is and what she is really capable of to save those she loves.
Blaer is a character that blossoms in High Born. She starts out as that whiny pathetic female character archetype who can hardly think on her own, let alone help herself out in times of trouble. She was on her way to being a static character and I was puzzled that she was chosen as the main character, that she was somehow “special.” It is her very uniqueness that pulls her out of her character rut and into a more dynamic and take-control person. Slowly, so slowly, she changes. That is, in fact, more realistic. If in real life people don’t change suddenly from weaklings needing to be rescued into heroes and heroines, neither should characters in books. Leigh gives us a complete character, one with misgivings and timidity, one who learns to accept who she is and what she must do, and becomes our perfect plucky heroine.
I was surprised at the oxymoron presented in this novel, that it was said Dominic was a stickler for traditions, but his actions did not support this statement. If Dominic were such a stickler with tradition, why would he deign to talk to the servant Blair? What is tradition in this world? I was left wanting for more description of time and place. The specific settings were very much developed, but the overall context of the world that they lived in was left unnaturally blank. How am I to know what “traditional” truly is if I cannot peg the time period? The dialogue does not suggest medieval or renaissance, although the use of kings, queens and servants, does. In my mind I rectified this because I thought of this novel as taking place in an alternate reality similar to our own. And that is what I love about Young Adult as a genre. It is approachable and understandable for such a wide audience. The dialogue is similar to our own. The characters and their problems are similar to us and our own. When Leigh adds the fantasy element, voile, a book is born.
I didn’t care for a lot of Blaer’s personality before she blossomed. She was kind of dense and pathetic as a person. If I can guess the caveats in the book when it is written in first person, she should too, or at least make guesses hereslf, but they go over her head entirely until a big reveal. She should have been able to guess or even know who Rowan’s father was, who the wolves at the bottom of the trees were. If “The makings of a great leader were in my blood.” (Location 4043), she should have been able to make these simple deductions.
I was worried when Leigh introduced her main fantastical element, because of its previous cliched use in literature. I didn’t have to worry. Other than the too serious label for the magical element: lycanthrope, I was not disappointed in the author’s use of the concept of animal transformation/werewolves.
I rather enjoyed the author’s subtle, perhaps even unintentional, minor character role reversal. It was a play on the traditional and the cliché. The mother held the role of the father and gave away her daughter’s hand for the good of the girl. This tradition is usually reserved for the girl’s father, going against her wishes and desires to give her a better life. The relationship between Blaer and Dominic was also akin to role reversal. Dominic had the very small role usually reserved for the wench the main character (a la a man) falls in love with and who has no personality.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a story with a female main character or a fantasy story with animal transformations.
Blaer is a character that blossoms in High Born. She starts out as that whiny pathetic female character archetype who can hardly think on her own, let alone help herself out in times of trouble. She was on her way to being a static character and I was puzzled that she was chosen as the main character, that she was somehow “special.” It is her very uniqueness that pulls her out of her character rut and into a more dynamic and take-control person. Slowly, so slowly, she changes. That is, in fact, more realistic. If in real life people don’t change suddenly from weaklings needing to be rescued into heroes and heroines, neither should characters in books. Leigh gives us a complete character, one with misgivings and timidity, one who learns to accept who she is and what she must do, and becomes our perfect plucky heroine.
I was surprised at the oxymoron presented in this novel, that it was said Dominic was a stickler for traditions, but his actions did not support this statement. If Dominic were such a stickler with tradition, why would he deign to talk to the servant Blair? What is tradition in this world? I was left wanting for more description of time and place. The specific settings were very much developed, but the overall context of the world that they lived in was left unnaturally blank. How am I to know what “traditional” truly is if I cannot peg the time period? The dialogue does not suggest medieval or renaissance, although the use of kings, queens and servants, does. In my mind I rectified this because I thought of this novel as taking place in an alternate reality similar to our own. And that is what I love about Young Adult as a genre. It is approachable and understandable for such a wide audience. The dialogue is similar to our own. The characters and their problems are similar to us and our own. When Leigh adds the fantasy element, voile, a book is born.
I didn’t care for a lot of Blaer’s personality before she blossomed. She was kind of dense and pathetic as a person. If I can guess the caveats in the book when it is written in first person, she should too, or at least make guesses hereslf, but they go over her head entirely until a big reveal. She should have been able to guess or even know who Rowan’s father was, who the wolves at the bottom of the trees were. If “The makings of a great leader were in my blood.” (Location 4043), she should have been able to make these simple deductions.
I was worried when Leigh introduced her main fantastical element, because of its previous cliched use in literature. I didn’t have to worry. Other than the too serious label for the magical element: lycanthrope, I was not disappointed in the author’s use of the concept of animal transformation/werewolves.
I rather enjoyed the author’s subtle, perhaps even unintentional, minor character role reversal. It was a play on the traditional and the cliché. The mother held the role of the father and gave away her daughter’s hand for the good of the girl. This tradition is usually reserved for the girl’s father, going against her wishes and desires to give her a better life. The relationship between Blaer and Dominic was also akin to role reversal. Dominic had the very small role usually reserved for the wench the main character (a la a man) falls in love with and who has no personality.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a story with a female main character or a fantasy story with animal transformations.
August 31, 2018
This book really has it all: romance, action, drama, humor, suspense... everything! Natalia Leigh's writing style keeps you hooked from page one all the way to the end. The characters were rich and engaging and best of all: three-dimensional. There are definite 'bad guys' (Eerika and King Joseph I'm looking at you), and Natalia was able to make me believe they were real people acting on fear and desire for power. They were motivated and I loved that.
And can I just gush on Rowan for a bit! What a great character, right down to the little gap between his teeth. There were a couple of moments where his character made me laugh out loud! (When Blaer is running to escape, but her sense of direction is so bad she just keeps running in circles and Rowan just stands there waiting for her to tire out, completely amused by her! OMG! I loved that so much!) I'm Team Rowan all the way :-)
Honestly, the only thing missing from this book is a sequel lol! That ending had me dying! Don't get me wrong, it was definitely wrapped up in a way that made me satisfied, but I want to know what happens next!! The characters and the story are so rich with possibilities, I hate to say goodbye to them.
So good. Can't wait to read Way of Spears!
And can I just gush on Rowan for a bit! What a great character, right down to the little gap between his teeth. There were a couple of moments where his character made me laugh out loud! (When Blaer is running to escape, but her sense of direction is so bad she just keeps running in circles and Rowan just stands there waiting for her to tire out, completely amused by her! OMG! I loved that so much!) I'm Team Rowan all the way :-)
Honestly, the only thing missing from this book is a sequel lol! That ending had me dying! Don't get me wrong, it was definitely wrapped up in a way that made me satisfied, but I want to know what happens next!! The characters and the story are so rich with possibilities, I hate to say goodbye to them.
So good. Can't wait to read Way of Spears!
June 30, 2018
I fully intend to make a better review elsewhere than here in the near future. But I could not put this book down. I continue to struggle out of reading slumps in recent years. I am very happy to name "High Born" among those titles I devoured all too gladly.
September 25, 2018
Really enjoyed reading this book.
May 22, 2018
I first heard of Natalia via her YouTube channel. She’s the first “AuthorTuber” that I watched and subscribed to. After watching enough of her videos I opted to check out her books. High Born was naturally the first to purchase and read. From the moment I cracked this book open I felt pulled into the world of Blaer Woods. While some things were quite predictable for me as a reader, I still found myself loving this book. Natalia Leigh managed to make her debut novel a great one in my opinion. The story is exciting and in some moments, actually surprising.
December 26, 2022
I want more of the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews