Hunted and forced to hide from her own people. Seventeen-year-old Anira was born a twin, a fact that would have led to her death if she hadn’t also been born invisible.
Every day of her life, she’s forced to hide to protect the secret of who she is while her twin gets to lead the life she can’t. She has no purpose beyond her own survival.
Then Anira discovers that their chieftain is a sorcerer who’s draining the tribe’s power and keeping it for himself. He intends to drain the magic from the dragons next. Protecting the dragons is her people’s most sacred calling.
The chieftain has everyone enchanted into believing he’s their savior. But not Anira. He can’t bewitch her when he doesn’t realize she exists.
For the first time, Anira has a purpose. She vows to stop the chieftain and save her tribe and the dragons. She’s the only one who can.
For if she fails, there will be no one left to prevent the chieftain from claiming the dragons’ magic. It’s what he’s counting on.
Lucía Ashta is the internationally top 20 bestselling author of young adult, new adult, and adult paranormal and urban fantasy books, including the series Magical Creatures Academy, Witches of Gales Haven, Smoky Mountain Pack, and Supernatural Bounty Hunter.
When Lucía isn't writing, she's reading, painting, or adventuring. Magical fantasy is her favorite, but the action, romance, and quirky characters are what keep her hooked on books.
Firstly, the cover, though beautiful, is misleading, mostly because the Main Character has never wielded multiple swords in her life. She has the heart of a warrior yes, and she’s brave in her own way, but she is not, for various reasons, a physical type of character who can or does fight.
Secondly, the blurb says she’s hunted – yeah, she’s not. The blurb is, for the most part, initially inaccurate to the point of being anticipatory.
And lastly, the vernacular used in this book was confusing to me. The world that is described and the life that they lead gives you the feeling of living by the old ways and in an olden time; the language and the content of their speech felt like it matched the described world but then suddenly a more modern expression would raise its confusing head. So, in some places, the expressions used and the syntax are so completely at odds with the world that is created. I’m honestly not saying this because I am a language authority by any stretch of the imagination, but it was glaringly apparent to me and I kept having to remind myself where I was book-wise.
The two points above, along with the fact that the first half of the book was very stagnant, and just pretty much made it very difficult for me to stay engaged and, because I hate to say I didn’t finish a book, I kept having to push myself through the first half. And then, suddenly the pace picked up and things were happening and there were plot twists and by the time I was reading with ease and eagerness, the book was done. So, it did give me the feeling of an overly long sample and it was so deflating to me to have it just be done with a cliffhanger that didn’t even try to work with me; it was just done.
It’s such a pity, because once it got going it got incredibly interesting and a book that was initially very gray on the landscape of my mind suddenly started gaining traction and colour. So, it could have been a book I liked very much but now it’s a book that is purely okay just because of that.
I wish that the writer had been more efficient and more effective in the character and world building and that more time could’ve been taken at the end to make the cliffhanger less abrasive. It is my hope that the books that follow continue in the pace that was set toward the end of this book and I’m very worried that it won’t.
Despite the stunning cover there's no sword fighting of any sort in this book. There is Anira, and there is a baby dragon... and that's plenty for me. 'Cause dragons, I dig'em.
LUCIA IS ROCKING IT!!! Talk about a true case of being in a crowded room and being invisible. She is one bad mam-ma-jam-ma! Lucia let lose her primitive side. Fight dragons, no problem. Find clothes that look nice, oops. I love the way Lucia's mind works. She has so many gears turning at once, you just look on in awe as she brings everything to life before your eyes. You're held captive by choice just watching as she wields her words as skillfully and precise as a surgeon with his scalpel. Talk about imagination, she has an endless supply. With boundless insight, gift in creativity, the potential she holds is undetermined possibilities. The characters are so well developed and realistic you feel if you reach out you could touch them. Balancing a strong plot she lays it out scene by scene in graphic detail so we have the guide to picture it in our minds. So many emotions, realistic scenes and their personalities come together beautifully. I don't know what she uses for inspiration but she has it in spades. Phenomenal job Lucia, thanks for sharing this awesome reality with us.
The cover was gorgeous which earned my attention, and from the start, Ashta drew me in to her new unique world. The plot is intricate and slow developing, yet interesting at the same time. There is a high sense of urgency and danger which makes this story a page-turner. I chose the audiobook, and enjoyed the narrator. The book ends just when the action begins which was a bit frustrating, but I still applaud Ashta for taking the time to establish a well developed plot. I’m definitely hooked and can’t wait to start the next in the series.
What world building there was, was cursory at best and flat out lacking at worst. There was no character development at all and the dialogue was odd. The use of current slang without explanation was jarring, it pulled me out of the story. The cheiftan was a very 1 dimensional "bad guy" although there was the potential for more. The plot was interesting enough, but there were definitely missed opportunities. I might read the next book, but there's an equal chance that I won't.
An amazing beginning to a new series written by this prolific author. Anira is invisible and a twin and has to stay that way so that her family does not risk execution as the rules of the tribe instructs. But when she awakes to an injured baby dragon licking her cheek, she knows that the rules just might have to change. This story is incredibly well written with imaginative world building and characters well fleshed out. Of course I would expect nothing less from this author. If I notice a book with Ms Ashta’s name attached to it, I know I will be in for a real treat. And this book delivers just that. I am confident that this whole new series will be wonderful if this first book is any indication. I highly anticipate the next books and will quickly devour them as soon as they are available. Highly recommended for all fantasy lovers everywhere.
I was very impressed with the world building in this story of an invisible girl. It’s not quite what I was expecting but I will continue with the series to see where it goes. There were quite a few things that I’m hoping to figure out.
Invisible Born is the first in the (complete) Dragon Force trilogy, clocking in at a breeze-through 228 pages. As a series start this is a cracking beginning, but as a book in and of itself it wasn’t entirely satisfying.
Ashta has constructed a really interesting magical (known as Faithium) world, the Ooba tribe have a very distinct culture that revers dragons (you do not harm a dragon, even if it means your life) and her dragons? Oh, her dragons! Fierce and intelligent no-nonsense beasties right from the starting gate. Equally, Rosie the baby dragon is an absolute sweetheart.
That said, I did have a few issues. The MC, Anira or Nir for short, rubbed me up the wrong way, spending far too long beating herself with the poor-misunderstood-me stick instead of looking for advantages to her unique circumstances. And her circumstances certainly are unique! Nir is a secret half of twins - in a world where twins are seen as cursed and slaughtered at birth - and (for which her twin brother should be most grateful!) SHE’S INVISIBLE. It’s some sort of light refracting ability, which can extend to include her clothing (just as well, I imagine being invisible and perpetually nude would have sunburn care complications!) but also makes her a potentially visible visual distortion in some lights. It makes for great tension, think of Harry Potter and all those near misses during those invisibility cloak escapades!
My other bugbear was Chief Pumpoo. I like taking short indie fantasies on hospital trips, they’re great at settling my nerves before I head out to appointments and for dipping into in the waiting room (I get grumpy being disturbed with long reads, but since I know I can blitz shorter reads in an evening, people can interrupt away!). To distract myself, I was reading Invisible Born aloud before hand and practically choked with laughter over ‘Pumpoo’. This is a character with seriously sinister gravitas and my inner buffoon can’t unhear an offensively-stereotype-camp ‘oo’ complete with jazz hands at a water pump. Say Pumpoo ten times aloud, you’ll never clear that image no matter how much grit spit and menace you throw in. Now this ‘Pumpoo factor’ hasn’t in anyway altered my rating of Invisible Born, certainly that name will stick with me for many years and so too will Dragon Force as a result (definite perk to being remembered, I rattle through a good 200+ books a year) and, as was the whole reason of reading it, I was indeed 100% distracted (but for entirely the wrong reasons!). My mind was torn between ‘Pumpoo, tehe’ and ‘goodness, I have to go into a cast AGAIN?!’ ... ... ... ‘ ...PumpOO. Heh.’ On reflection, Pumpoo may be a stroke of genius.
All in all, this is a great opening to a YA dystopian fantasy series but not as a book for me. There’s a lot to love with dragons (all the dragons, woohoo!), magic and some nefarious politics afoot. I’m excited to get to the second book, to pick up where the characters were left (spoiler, Nir may have dropped that stick for the last fifth of the book, thank goodness!) but I was not in anyway thrilled or excited by *this* book - a read entirely, for me, of setting-up and anticipation.
I loved reading about Anira. She's a very realistic character that a lot of people can relate to. She lives in a time where being born twins is a automatic death sentence. And she's born a twin. The great thing about her is she is invisible so she is able to hide. This messes with her self worth growing up until she finds a baby dragon, whom she names Rosie, who can see her and becomes attached to her. This leads her to finding out some other things that makes her feel like she has a purpose now. I really enjoyed reading this first book of this journey for Anira. Yet another fantastic writing for Lucia Ashta.
Decent enough. Finished it pretty quickly. Way to fast moving in my opinion. You don't really get the understanding into the world that would be necessary to care about the characters and what's happening in their lives. The story just starts sprinting in the second half. The main character is highly unstable. And shannoys me. I don't know why, maybe it's her regular "you don't know what it's like to be me!" moments combined with her seemingly abrupt emotional shifts. She fluctuates in character and lacks consistency. Overall the book is mediocre. It certainly doesn't compell me to read the next in thebseries or really any of the author's other works.
2.5 stars. A bit different from the normal 'special teen girl is now powerful than anyone and saves the world' formula, but only because the literally invisible bit is unique.
Anira and her twin brother Rane were born at a time when their people, the Ooba tribe and community had been told that twins were to be killed at birth. No twins are allowed to live, as they are known to be the curse of their people, according to their chieftain Pumpoo. Their tribe’s only purpose is to protect the dragons. They are not allowed to harm them at all, even if this means they may die themselves.
The only reason Anira is still alive, is because she was born invisible. With a midwife who kept the secret as well as her own family. Her father and oldest brother are gone and lost to them. She has her twin brother, who is the only one that can vaguely see where she is, her mother and a younger sister.
The Dragon Force is made up of dragon protectors and dragon charmers, the latter being more of a rare speciality. Others in the community do other jobs to help out. Rane is nearing manhood and wants to join the Dragon Force. Anira can do nothing but hide in the shadows and ensure nobody ever sees or hears her. Their family have a house at the far end of the village, slightly separate from any others to help protect her. Anira however, has no future, can do nothing but keep hidden and her very existence a secret. If she is discovered it could mean the death of all involved.
The chieftain gathers all those wishing to join the Dragon Force, who are near the age to join, along with the current few members, for a meeting. Anira discovers the chieftain is taking magic from everyone around himself. She seems to be the only one that can sense or see this. Chieftain Pumpoo has got everyone believing his every word and seeing him as their saviour. He wants more trained tribe members on the Dragon Force, stating he has been told by a Seer that danger is coming to the dragons and they must also train someone to ride a dragon. This has never been done before, by anyone in their tribe’s history.
Anira walks away from the others, so as not to be spotted and comes across an unusual baby dragon that has been injured and deserted by its mother. She gains its trust and takes it home with her for her mother’s healing potions and herbs. They cannot keep it and decide to turn it over to the only member of the Dragon Force, Dean, whom they believe to be against the chieftain, although not too openly. Hoping he can help look after the dragon and help it to heal. Anira leads the way, but must leave part way, as she cannot get too close or she might be detected.
She now has a purpose. She will help to protect the baby dragon she has found and also stop the chieftain from stealing magic from everyone in her tribe and from the dragons themselves. She is the only person he doesn’t know about and who’s magic, which they call faithum and is forbidden to be used, he cannot drain, so it is up to her to save her people and all the dragons their tribe are sworn to protect. Some are too far under the Chieftains influence, but others will hopefully help her, especially her twin and her younger sister, Traya.
This sets readers up for a fantastic series of books to come, with the magic of dragons, those trained to protect and even charm them, the faithum and magic pools. All set in a forest area, below the mountains where the dragon they are sworn to protect live. But also with the treacherous nature of their supposed leader, who seems to be more out for what he can gain, than looking out for his people.
A great read, I can’t wait to get started on the next two books in the series, Invisible Bound and Invisible Rider. Anyone who likes a bit of fantasy, mixed with dragons and magic, will be drawn to start reading this series. The pace and method of the authors writing, make this an easy book to read, but one you will not want to put down until you finish.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above. I also bought the book, currently reduced, in support of an excellent read. Certainly not something I do all the time, but when a book grabs your attention like this and gets you involved with the characters’ lives and the setting so vividly, you to keep the most up to date version for yourself.
An exciting beginning for an engaging and captivating new series that is exciting to read, well laid out, and wanting more when it is finished. In Invisible Born, Lucia Ashta has created a remarkable and unique story that centres around an invisible girl, Anira and a baby dragon. Who is Anira? Why is she invisible? With original ideas, a good concept, and a totally different and unique storyline that makes for really good reading, this well written tale with intriguing characters takes the reader on an incredible journey where it is hard not to be drawn to the different characters and harder still to put the book down. The writing is smooth and free flowing. The Author has an addicting writing style that flows naturally from one moment to the next, and her descriptive talents sometimes made me feel I was watching a movie. I enjoyed reading about the colourful characters, both good and not so good, that I felt I would have liked to meet them. Lucia Ashta has drawn into her imagination and has created an interesting world that is guaranteed to keep the reader captured until the very end. Highly recommended. Gifted with a copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
I love it when a favorite author starts a new series. That’s why I was so happy to get Lucia Ashta’s Dragon Force: Invisible Born, which is the first in her new Dragon Force series. This book bears all the hallmarks of what makes this author do special. Superb lead and supporting characters? Check. Neat plot that’s not predictable? Check. Top-notch writing? The start of a cool overarching story arc? You betcha ... oops, I mean “Check”. It’s all here. I am not going to summarize this story as the publisher’s blurb gives all that’s needed, but I will simply note that following along as Anira comes into her own was a total pleasure. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to Dragon Force: Invisible Bound, the next book in this series.
I really enjoyed Invisible Born! It has a unique premise - Anira is invisible and has been all her life. In a society where twins are forbidden, she is a twin, and the only reason she is alive is because she can’t be seen. Her tribe is sworn to protect the dragons, fearsome beasts that would just as soon kill the dragon tamers. But when she meets a baby dragon who was cast out by her mother, Anira knows her life is going to change forever. I really enjoyed this story for the plot and characters! I really love Anira, she’s strong and feisty and she really grows over the story as she starts to find her place in the world and learns she isn’t just a mistake. As the story progresses it becomes more and more interesting as things are revealed to be not as they seem. But I won’t say more than that... I enjoyed the narration by Kate Marcin. I found her easy to listen to and I like how she portrayed the different characters! All in all this is a solid listen that I definitely recommend!
I received a copy to listen to from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The description of the story intrigued me. I immediately took a liking to Anira. I found her as realistic as an invisible fictitious character could be. I liked her courage and integrity. Her refusal to make promises when she wasn't sure if she could or would keep them, and her resolve to keep promises she does make.
The story is engaging. The character development allows you to quickly come to care for the main characters and dislike the antagonist.
The story engages the emotions. I felt for the heroine in the challenges she faced. I was angry at the antagonist, and his minions, for their treachery.
This reads at a good pace and I was finished before I knew it. The ending is not a cliffhanger in the usual meaning of the term, but it's not the end of the story.
The only thing I didn't like were a few of the words the author came up with. I thought they were a little silly
Invisible born by Lucia Ashta follows Anira, a twin born in a world where twins are considered to be cursed. She spends her life hiding and trying not to get caught by the people who would kill her and all those she loves. Her only purpose in life is to survive, and sometimes she pushes the limits of what is safe. She is young, and sometimes reckless, but is always aware of the danger she faces. When Anira uncovers a corrupt leader abusing her people, she finds she must act. The time of hiding needs to come to an end. Anira needs to discover her gifts and learn to use them to save her people from the dangers all around them. I really enjoyed the novel concept behind Anira’s character. I was completely blown away by how she handled living life the way she was forced to. I loved the way dragons were portrayed, and can’t wait to see more of the dragons and the interactions with people. Anyone who is a fan of fantasy, magic, and dragons should give this book a chance.
As an advanced reader, I am giving an honest review of this new and upcoming book.
This story was built around an interesting society of dragon saving people. The concept was well thought out and the characters were developed with well rounded personalities.
It’s nice to read about the dragons not being already tamed. It gives more depth to the story having the characters have more than just fighting evil on their plate.
I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes the story in the next book. I found this one ended quickly. I wanted to continue reading it.
The only thing I could say about making this book better, would have been to add a prologue. Having a background story of maybe the day the girl was born could have helped greatly in laying out the details of the society. Giving a little more structure to the group.
OMG this start to a new series is just amazing! I was glued to the story and when finished just sat thinking WOW! I love the storyline and really feel for Anita the main character as I don't know how I would feel about being invisible all the time and not be able to see yourself. I really don't like the chieftain and the way he is using his people and lying to them and Rosie well I just adore Rosie! This story has it all, magic, action, adventure, secrets, mystery, love, dragons and dragons charmers and family, what will you do to protect them? An awesome start to what looks to be an awesome series and I cannot wait to read more!
This was a enjoyable read, I liked the main character but I also felt so sorry for her being born invisible and having to hide all her life as she was a Forbidden twin. 🚫 The book started off at a good pace with Anira running to stop a Dragon from eating a boy but then tempered off to a steady stream. I was glad when Dean was brought in as I more than happy for the handsome dragon charmer to show himself as he help Anira feel like she belongs when she's been hiding before. But when Rosie joins I was in love 🥰, will be moving on to learn more.
Take a young female protagonist and add a small loyal band of friends and family, some fierce dragons and one or more not so fierce ones, then mix in a bad guy or two or more and lightly sprinkle (for now) with just a touch of "faithum" and there you have it, a magical book that is not just about magic, but also about morality, doing the right thing, and standing up to be counted.
Great read, well written with a great plot and characters. Great start to a series, I couldn't put it down. Awesome world building. It has elements of adventure, action, magic, love, mystery dragons, dragon charmers and secrets. Anita is a twin and she is invisible. She has to be invisible so her family won't be executed because of the tribes rules. I can't wait to read the next book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
The front cover is simple yet eye catching. The title is unique and justified as per the story of the book. The compact story line and gripping plot made this book a much enjoyable and unputdownable read. The fast pace narrating style and captivating description of the scenes can be easily considered as the base strength of the book. I liked reading this and would definitely recommend to avid readers. Thank you.
Invisible barn is an awesome book. You feel for anira The invisible twin of rain.
In the tribe of chief’s pumpoo Twins are for bidden and she was supposed to of been killed at birth but wasn’t it. Rane And her sister and Traya And their mother try to keep her being alive a secret
However soon it’s time for them to serve in the DragonForce of which anira cannot because she isn’t supposed to exist.
This book has twists and turns and is really amazing I highly recommend it!!
What an amazing world she has created. Kind of funny when some people wish they could be invisible. I think if they were they would hate it once the novelty wears off. I mean she can't play countless pranks because someone could see her & figure out who she is or what. Certain Dragon charmers can sense faithum. Anira can see it very well. I really can't wait to see what happens next to the Ooba tribe.
I voluntarily review an ARC. This is the first book of a new series about dragons and their protectors. It's about treason, hope, new friends, trust and the importance to believe in yourself, even when you lived your life under the impression to be meaningless. The storyline is great, as well as the reliable characters. A must read for dragon fans and readers open to get ones.