Kate O’Connor’s trying to move on from a tragic past, but there’s a big difference between wanting to forget and having someone rip the memories right out of your head. When Kate returns from an unusual courier job with no memory of where she’s just been, alarm bells start ringing. But the weirdness gets seriously out of hand when a werewolf shows up in her kitchen and tries to kill her. It turns out there’s a whole hidden world of shifters out there—and most of them want Kate dead. Shame she can’t remember why.
Werewolves are only the beginning of Kate’s troubles. The shifter world is ruled by the dragon queens, and Kate’s managed to land right in the middle of a supernatural war of succession. As the queen’s daughters fight to the death, Kate forms an unlikely alliance with her attacker. To have any hope of surviving she must uncover the explosive secret hidden in her memory—but first she has to live through the night.
Twiceborn is the first book in the urban fantasy trilogy The Proving.
Marina Finlayson is a reformed wedding organist who now writes fantasy. She is married and shares her Sydney home with three kids, a large collection of dragon statues and one very stupid dog with a death wish.
This was so much fun that I read it all in one day! I am not always a big fan of shape shifters but girls changing into dragons - now that's brilliant. The book is nicely written, the characters are entertaining and the action is full on. I also really enjoyed the references to Sydney and the Blue Mountains and loved the way the last battle takes place over the Harbour Bridge on New Years Eve. I could just picture all that action taking place in a haze of fireworks and smoke. I was totally entertained and look forward to reading the next book.
4.5* This was excellent and in my opinion a great find. The characters were credible, the writing good, and a great story leading into a great series. Plus no cliffhanger. The main character, Kate, is likable and easy to identify with. She's gone through some really difficult times in her life, although this could have easily bogged down the novel to a depressing pile of mush, it revealed more of Kate's character and strength setting moods that cushion and evolve points leading up to her actions. This was well done and good background material.
Don't think from the blurb that this is a boring mother focused book, because it's not. Kate is a savvy person and very contemporary. Her relationships in the story are hip and her love life sets up a modern girl and gives the reader a good dose of romance and crap ex action where we all want to see him get what he deserves. Which is possibly death, depending on how much you really hate him.
The book shoots into the supernatural aspect that supplies really good variety from he-man werewolves to bitchy sisters and an overbearing queen. Lot's of shifters and some good magic. This is where the books pops in some good action sequences and sets us up for the next novel.
I've got the next book and will get onto it pretty soon. I'm saving it up.
Interesting start to the series. I did have a couple of issues especially regarding Ben, I did not like him as the love interest at all. It just came out of nowhere and felt so convenient. I might check out the other books.
This is a delightful urban fantasy set in Sydney. Kate O'Connor is still coming to terms with her grief over her son's death when she starts seeing strange auras around people. Life becomes even more weird when she finds a werewolf in her kitchen who wants to eat her heart. She has a part time job as a courier for a friend but has no idea what she is really doing but is about to find out.
Reading this book was a lot of fun with dragons and werewolves and other supernatural creatures creatures raging around Sydney. The idea of four dragon princesses fighting to the death to decide the next queen and trying to stay undetected in an urban setting makes for a great plot. I loved the descriptions of the Blue Mountains and Sydney Harbour on New Years Eve as back drops for some of those battles. Kate is a great character, tough and feisty and willing to fight for those she loves. I didn't get a great feel for her ex Jason or her love interest Ben but I loved Garth's character as a warm but vicious werewolf.
Definitely an author to keep my eyes on. No, her books aren't perfect, but in the overcrowded UF genre finding something new and intriguing is rare.
This book has a couple of nits that lost points: - Ben, both as character and his behaviour (but above all the lack of revenge. Understand, yes, forgive, no) - Some minor plot point (the way the heralds were portrayed didn't have much sense).
Right where was I, it's amazing how some good free books can get you motivated again after an illness, and here is the first one.
Twiceborn, is something a little bit different from the usual storylines with our leading lady trying to function after a devastating loss in a world she didn't know existed, okay maybe that does sound familiar. I don't want to give away too much of the story but Kate is a great leading lady who will do anything for those she loves and I would recommend that you put on your bunny slippers and rush over to your computer to see if you can still pick it up for free, if not be reckless and buy it. I am definitely planning on getting the next one.
Recommended for those who like dragons, a strong yet vulnerable leading lady, and alternative worlds within our own where us stupid humans don't seem to see a thing.
I must admit that Twiceborn is a very entertaining book. It has everything I love about a good urban fantasy story: a strong (and fleshed out) protagonist, an interesting take on the subject of paranormals leaving among us and a well-paced story.
Kate O'Connor has lost everything when her son died in an accident six months ago. Now she just does some courier jobs for a friend, because he needs help and because frankly, it beats sitting at the house all day. She suspects that some of the packages she carries around might exactly be legal, but can't muster enough strength to be bothered or even mildly curious about it. Like everything since the death of her son, it seems unimportant... Until one of the jobs goes south, and she finds herself with a gap in her memories and a werewolf in her kitchen bound and determined on killing her.
I liked Kate. She is a very down to earth, no-nonsense kind of girl. And the depiction of her grief was well done and believable, and, more importantly, not overdone. Her reactions in the face of everything that happens to her are also realistic and logical, which is a great plus. And she is not a damsel in distress in constant need of saving, like some of the heroines in urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Even when confronted by a werewolf in her own kitchen, Katie goes for the knife first and waits to have a hysterical fit after the werewolf is dealt with. And she also shows her willingness to fight for her life and freedom (and for the safety of her friends) several more times during the book.
I won't go into details about the plot, because I want this review to be as spoiler free as possible, but I will just say that Kate has to deal with some serious issues and is in danger of losing her own self, and she handles the situation admirably.
The book is also well written. I would never have guessed that it was the author's debut novel at all, because the quality of the material and presentation is top notch.
So by now you must be wondering why I only gave this book 3.5 stars? Well, even though I liked it, I had several issues with it that bugged me enough to spoil the overall enjoyment.
The first and the biggest issue for me is Ben, or more precisely, the romance between him and Kate. It felt forced, and more importantly it added nothing to the story itself. It felt like the author added this romantic relationship almost as an afterthought after the book was already written.
I think the main reason why this relationship didn't work for me is the character of Ben himself. He is not fleshed out or unique enough for me to care about. From the moment he first appears in the story until the last page, he is just a walking talking stereotype. He is immediately described as hot, gorgeous, nice and caring. The author might as well have put a big sign over his head saying "love interest" and moved on, because we never get to explore his character any deeper.
Also, for someone who is still grieving about the loss of her child, and who admits not being even slightly interested in any sort of romantic relationship, Kate jumps into bed with him way to easily. I understand doing it once because of the adrenaline rush, the narrow escape and the realization of having been so close to death. But nothing in their relationship prior to that point hints at anything deeper, and certainly not that passion that seems to come out of nowhere. In my opinion, this whole romantic relationship could have been cut out of the book without any damage to the story.
My second problem is some inconsistencies within the worldbuilding. We are told that the heralds are under the Dragon Queen's protection and thus neutral and untouchable, yet everybody and their mother seems to be able to kidnap / harm / slap them around without any retribution. Seriously?
Also, if all heralds were a magical amulet that protects them from psychic influences, but also proves that they are genuine, shouldn't it be easy to determine whether the amulet is authentic or fake? Yet we hear the argument that the heralds are not who they say they are and that they anyone could counterfeit that amulet several time in the book. That makes no sense. Either you have an order of heralds who are easily identifiable, neutral and protected, or you have a bunch of wannabes that pretend to be heralds, but then who would trust them?
And the last problem is directly tied to the previous one. If the amulet is supposed not only to identify, but also to protect the herald, shouldn't it be difficult, even impossible to take off or tamper with? Yet Leandra does just that to Kate at the beginning of the book...
But even despite those gripes I have with the story, I think I will definitely pick up the next book in the series to see who this story evolves. After all, not all the villains have been dealt with, and there are plenty of loose ends left to explore.
My verdict - if you want a well-written and fast paced story with a strong heroine, definitely pick up Twiceborn. And the fact that it's set in Sydney Australia instead of another city in the USA is an added bonus.
PS. I have been given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting, if slightly frustrating/irritating beginning to a trilogy. I had a hard time with the switches between Kate and Leandra, as they happened quite often, and Leandra was a bit more interesting, though colder, than Kate. I liked the magic. I wish there was more explanation of the world building elements of the story.
I have book two checked out through Kindle Unlimited (where I read this book) and may read it, although I did find myself slogging through this book a bit. It was slower at the start, and picked up in the last third. I didn't love either main character (if you can call them that - I guess they semi count as one?) and I found the pacing of events a bit weird, along with the placement of some flashbacks. I also didn't really get to know any of the characters very well, which I found frustrating.
All that said, I did like the concept of the story, and I love pretty much anything with dragons, so those elements, and the magic, made the story more interesting for me. However, as I didn't love the characters, I may not continue with the series. 3 stars.
This book was a pretty decent read although nothing earth shattering. It is quick paced and leads readers all the way through.
Though the main character is easy to read about she's not on my top ten favourite heroins. She was fairly likable but ultimately lost throughout the whole book.
There were some secondary characters but none I found noteworthy.
The story was easy to read it wasn't particularly substantial and didn't really leave me on the edge of my seat with excitement. I may finish this series a little later but not right now as I have other books I want to read.
I enjoyed this a lot. Loved that it was set in Australia, and the characters were interesting and complex. Be prepared for a lot of twists and betrayals. There is a teaser ending so ya know book 2 is a must.
I would like to thank Marina Finlayson, Finesse Solutions, and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of Twiceborn, in exchange for an honest review.
What's wrong with a little competition between potential Dragon Queens? When they try to kill each other and no one is safe, this is a recipe for disaster. Kate is working as a courier - a herald - for Ben when she becomes a pawn in a game that she does not even know she is playing. While on the run from many fantastical creatures, such as werewolves, dragons, goblins, and leshies, the world as Kate knows it is blown apart.
The beginning and ending of this book were well paced and thrilling to read. The middle, however, lagged a bit due to the many memories/flashbacks that dotted the pages. This slowing of the pace of the book made my interest wane, but I still was curious to see how the author would tie it all together at the end. A more linear approach to the central story would have made more of an impact, keeping the focus squarely on Kate and her journey. Twiceborn is a good read with some unique ideas, which will appeal to readers who enjoy Fantasy and Paranormal novels.
This was a well-written paranormal suspense that takes place in Sydney, Australia. It drew me in quickly, and I actually was intrigued and surprised along the way until I figured out what was going on. I found the flashback/visions confusing but it all made sense later on. I liked the heroine a lot and was sympathetic to her situation. The romance was downplayed, which was fine, but I didn't find it compelling either. I felt that there was a fair bit of "out of sight out of mind" going on. I really enjoyed the Australia setting, the Australian speech, and learning about that area of the world.
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot)
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author) 4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author). 3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series) or 3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them! - 2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.) 1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see 3* differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-) ------------
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes (even though one bit of the plot was obvious.)
After enjoying the Shadows of Immortals series, the first book of The Proving series left me a little disappointed. Really disliked how Kate wasn't interested in Ben at all and the next minute "she's in love with him" and at the same time of finding out about the existents of supernatural. Seems a little hard to believe that after nearly being killed by a werewolf that the first thing Kate does is hope into bed with a guy.
This book had a lot of potential. We could have had Kate and Ben flirting throughout the entire book and building up their relationship into something worthy. It was a rushed component, also sometimes it was a little hard to follow and I will continue to read the next book in hopes of improvement. I like the storyline and wished it was more thought-out as it would have been a winner. So I rate it a 3!
Had to force myself to push through some parts of this. Didn't find myself caring for any of the characters really. Was put off by the constant insinuation that all species below dragon were dumb and just cannon fodder, yet there were no redeeming qualities of the dragons either, so who are we supposed to root for or relate to? Didn't care or feel excited about the love interest or his relationship with Kate. Didn't care much for the back and forth between Kate and Leandra and, in fact, for a good chunk of the first half couldn't even tell them apart. Dragon part was cool but won't be continuing this series.
I suspect this may well have been one the author's first books, as having just read her Immortals series, this does not quite have the polish of those. That being said, it was still a very enjoyable read and I will go on to read the others. At times confusing, it began very strongly, I just felt the need to kick the butt of more than one character! I was never very sure of allegiances and the dragon world didn't always make sense to me. The action scenes were very good and the grief that Kate was going through felt very real and heart breaking. Enjoyable and fun, with an interesting cast.
This book had potential when I read the sample but the book itself was boring as hell I only got to chapter 17 and just couldn't read anymore I could guess what was going to happen but the story is flat and a pile of rubbish I tried reading the book description for the rest of the trilogy but even they couldn't inspire me to read any more I don't remember the last time I didn't finish a book esp one with dragons very disappointed Finlayson should have stuck to wedding planning instead of writing
This is a story about Kate, her heartache and loss...and her life that is about become weird.
It's a well-written fantasy that includes werewolves and dragons, with plenty of action and unusual characters. There is love, betrayal, surprises and a host of other themes, and written in the first-person narrative, allows even more depth to the tale.
My favourite thing about the story is Kate's humour; very enjoyable.
This book was okay. It was a nice in between read. I loved that it had a different exciting view on shapeshifting dragons and all the creatures it involved were also interesting and fun. The plot was interesting enough for me to finish the book quite fast, but I’m afraid I won’t be reading the next parts, as it didn’t capture my interest that much.
Ms. Finlayson is a very entertaining writer. I enjoyed this story immensely, although I occasionally lost track of which character was which. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
I really liked this series and feel it has a lot of potential. Glad the mystery of what happened during the package pickup was cleared up, but I’m kinda curious about why the synopsis built up Garth’s character so much when we hardly learn anything about him.
I won a paperback copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
So glad that this book was recommended to me! A book has to grab my attention from the beginning, and all the way to the end. Twiceborn did! Ready for the next book!
Great details, good bones for follow ups and I've just bought the second to find out wat happens next. If u love dragon adventure this is a book for you.