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Unparalleled: Book 1 of The Unparalleled Series

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Seventeen-year-old Natalya Wells has one mission-to kill the monsters over the graffiti wall and rescue her best friend, Eve, who is held captive by Ascendants, the rulers of the fourth dimension. A dying land where children become victims of starvation and violence. When the Remnants, evil red-eyed demons, invade the fourth dimension, Natalya is transported to the next world.

The fifth dimension is a place where grass shrivels, dies, and regrows all in a matter of seconds. The heat of the sun cannot be felt because the sky is encamped by a mural of glass. Natalya meets Jance, who belongs to a superhuman race called Raidens, warriors who heal with invincible scars. Jance holds a deadly secret about what the scars on his body truly mean, and why his own father is determined to kill him.

Eve returns to the fifth dimension and meets Jance's best friend, Ronan, a boy with no memory of the world he came from before. The three of them bind together to help Natalya become a Raiden. As Natalya endures this grueling transition, she discovers the secrets her friends are hiding, along with the unjust laws and dangerous manipulations that are poisoning this world. After a raging war divides the Raidens against one another, Natalya and her friends must reveal the darkness within themselves and embrace their unique gifts. Natalya's power may not only shatter the glass world but someone she loves.

388 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

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Jenna Hebert

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Michael Morgan.
106 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2023
Highly recommend this book that was written by one of my friends! If you enjoy fantasy and action / adventure books you will love this! I couldn’t put it down!
1 review
July 1, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The pages held complex mysteries and secrets that were later discovered and solved. I really like the idea of Raidens, superhumans who when injured, acquire scars that are, to say the least, beautifully sculpted. This book is definitely underrated, and I would undoubtedly recommend it. Jenna Hebert Thank you for writing this!
Profile Image for Elle Cheshire.
510 reviews44 followers
April 2, 2021
Firstly, I want to say a big thank you to the author who gave me a physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Natalya Wells, a 17-year-old girl who has no memories of her childhood, who is determined to find her best friend by going over the graffiti wall – where the monsters come from – in the fourth dimension, her home.

I found the beginning quite confusing, as there were three-character POVs throughout the book, we got thrust into three different worlds all at the same time. Three sets of individual stories and different worlds was challenging to get my head around. However, as time went on the story become clearer, and the different POVs gave more insight into the characters and their experiences. Once the book developed more, the multiple perspectives did enhance the story and allow for more world-building. However, at times I found it difficult to differentiate the characters apart and had to check the chapter heading a few times to confirm who’s POV I was reading.

The character development was enjoyable to watch, with Natalya being my favorite character. She continually questioned the world and her place in it, disagreeing with the laws and rules without any regard for how supposedly ‘wrong’ that was. Her story connected well with the other characters, but I did feel as though we didn’t get to connect as much with them and when it came time to reveal their secrets, I wasn’t particularly shocked or that invested. I did love the chemistry between Ronan and Evanna and I loved their scenes, I wish we had more of them!

The story idea was interesting, and the world the author developed was very unique and intriguing. The concept was something I hadn’t seen before which was great, however, I did find the world a bit confusing as the constant talk of everything being a manipulation meant it all blended together and it was sometimes hard to tell what was actually happening in the story and what was a dream/ vision etc. But overall, the story had intrigue, angst, hidden pasts and destinies, and a completely new world.

I would say it had a divergent type feel with sci-fi aspects and the plot gave us endless twists and turns throughout the story, it certainly didn’t hold back! The reveals at the end were wonderful and it ended on a cliff-hanger which set up for the next book nicely.
Profile Image for Georgina Power.
520 reviews5 followers
December 20, 2020
Thank you to the author for a gifted eBook in exchange for an honest review

“The best way to control an audience is to assure them they are not being controlled”

Unparalleled was released on the 1st December 2020 and follows 17-year-old Natalya Wells who is on a mission to find and save her best friend Eve, who has been captured by the Ascendants, over the graffiti wall. During a remnant attack on the fourth dimensions (Natalya ‘s home world) she finds herself waking up in the fifth dimension amongst the superhuman Raidens. Eve is soon returned to the fifth dimension, and Natalya, Eve, Jance and Ronan (the two Raidens that Natalya has built a friendship with) then begin to discover their secrets and unique gifts.

I did get confused in the beginning as to who the different groups of characters were, as the book states that the first superhumans were the Ascendents and then there is nothing else. This is explained later in the book, that there are the Ascendants who are those that are in control of the fourth dimension, the Raidens, who are a group of warriors that were created by the Ascendants and the Remnants, monsters that were once human but are haunted by their victims

I personally felt that this book began as a bit of a slow burner and the beginning of the book was a bit scattered with no real flow, and it did take me a little time to get into. However, as the book develops and the plot/characters/flow become more established, it is easier to become invested in the storyline and the characters.

The character building was interesting, Natalya’s character was the most likeable as she was asking questions throughout the book to gather an understanding for herself and the reader and this did come across, However with some of the other characters I do feel that we kind of jumped to their shock reveals and there wasn’t as much as a punch as their could have been with some of them. I really like Evanna and Ronan too and I completely ship them, one of my favourite scenes was the training session between the two of them.

I love the multiple point of view format within the book reading from Evanna, Jance and Natalya’s perspectives, I really feel these kinds of books work the best as it is easier to see the character development and its always better to see the multiple perspectives to better understand the plot and the world building.

There are plenty of plot twists and shocks in this book, that they just kept coming, when you thought that the book gave it all it could, it gave you more. Plus, the way the book ended was a massive cliff-hanger and I really would like to read the next book in the series to see what happens. T

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Sci Fi and any fans of Divergent/Shadowhunter’s as I feel there are a few similarities between those series and this soon to be series. Plus, this book has it all; angst, fast paced action scene, multiple worlds, heartbreak, anger, and betrayal, it is a must read.
1 review
February 10, 2021
The author could have a journey like Amanda Hocking, author of Switched, and Christopher Paolini author of Eragon. A very unique independent book with great potential!
Before I divulge, can we talk about the cover? Once you read the book the cover becomes even more significant. The chapter headings are beautiful too! The chapter titles are crafted in a ‘glass breaking’ font like the cover.
I must say, I LOVED this book! I received an inquiry from the author through my blog. Typically, I do not read outside of my comfort zone. I’ve had bad experiences with indie books in the past; plot holes, smothered with grammatical errors, odd spinoffs ect. But I was in a reading slump and I read the email and I thought, why not? I went into it with low expectations but ended up being blown away!
There is a dose of turmoil within the first chapters, so get ready to carry some heavy baggage with these characters, but unpacking the baggage was like opening a present, it all made so much more sense as the story goes on. The different character perspectives kept me engaged, I see a lot of authors doing this now, and I prefer it over third person. It’s intriguing to see inside their minds just enough to understand their emotions, but they do not reveal the most grandiose details until they are forced to.
Natalya has a boss woman quality to her, mixed with a bit of blatant curiosity to drive her to make impulsive decisions to figure everything out in this world. She finds out she is part of a superhuman race called Raidens, instead of regular scars they heal in hard, diamond armor that replaces their skin where they were injured. This ‘scar armor’ makes that part of their body permanently invincible to all harm. The story focuses on the Raidens, who are separated as people, with Evanna, Jance, and Natalya trying to encourage them to unite.
There are heavy concepts in this book that make you think outside of the pages. Every new chapter allowed for a new building block in the story, which made it an exciting read. There’s always a character being threatened and a circumstance with high stakes. If that is your thing then this is definitely the book for you! You won’t be tired or bored through it.
The author can paint the scene for you, the book is filled with quotes and prose which overall made the book full of hope among all the peril. The ending made me want more! I’m excited to see what happens in book 2.
Profile Image for Merel ★birdsong.books★.
111 reviews19 followers
January 30, 2021
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
Thanks to the author for sending me an early copy of the book! All opinions stated in the review are my own.

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3/5 stars

A sci fi debut that fans of Shadowhunters might enjoy.
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Plot
○ It was difficult to get into this book. There's a lot of exposition about the world which confused me in the beginning. Later in the book, the plot and the world started to become more clear and I was able to enjoy and follow it more. There were also some cool scenes and interesting twists later in the book. However, the plot moved too slowly for me to keep me fully engaged.

Characters
○ I'm afraid I had trouble connecting with the characters. There's multi-POV with three characters, but I sometimes had trouble telling the POVs apart. The characters mostly felt like they were moving forward because of the plot needed them to. They also connected to each other too fast, it didn't feel natural. The interactions between characters felt odd sometimes.

Writing
○ I see a lot of potential in the author's writing. I think the author could benefit from making the world less complicated. The characters could experience the world instead of telling each other about it. This is also a better way for the reader to get connected to the world. I think the author should be able to really improve the books if she focuses on more showing vs telling and developing her characters more to make them more realistic and compelling!

Conclusion
○ This debut novel has an interesting plot with twists once you get through the beginning, which is in my opinion too slow. The author has a lot of potential to improve on the points which I thought weren't as good- the characterization and the exposition of the world. I'm curious to see how she grows as an author!
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
Profile Image for Robyn Davies.
52 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2020
I want to thank @lovebooktours and @jennaherbert for the opportunity to be transported into this amazing new series!
This is the first book in the unparalleled series, from the get go with this book I was given the vibe of divergent. As soon as I started this book I could tell that I would be hooked, and I definitely was. I started reading this late last night after a migraine had subsided and didn’t want to put it down. The story follows the point of view of three characters Natalya, Jance and Evanna (Eve). I enjoyed reading the relationships between all three of the characters and them growing together. I loved how throughout the book you are transported into the different dimensions and whilst Natalya is learning about them you as the reader are as well. I would definitely recommend reading this book. The ending has led right up to the second book and I honestly cannot wait to start reading the next one!
Profile Image for Jaedyn Larson.
1 review
January 26, 2021
As a relative non-enthusiast of the YA Fantasy genre, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book! Unparalleled is fast-paced, captivating, and – best of all – unique. There’s nothing quite like the world the author has created, no other races I’ve encountered that are quite like Raidens or Ascendents. From the very first chapter, I was hooked; I felt as if I’d entered the fourth dimension myself and spent every page after walking alongside Natalya, Evanna, and Jance as they navigate challenges externally and internally. The ending of Book 1 leaves me eagerly anticipating the sequel and the rest of the series!

I’d highly recommend this book to fans of the Divergent series or anyone who enjoys the YA Fantasy genre as a whole. And even if you don’t, give this book a try. You might surprise yourself like I did.
Profile Image for shahd  hazem .
203 reviews
December 20, 2020
Thank you love books tours for gifting me a copy of this amazing book!
I REALLY enjoyed reading it. The world building was so complex and new and I loved to so much. The writing style is mind blowing It's really poetic and I got out of the book with tons of quotes. I loved that the author used multi povs to show us the story of each of the main characters it gave the characters so much depth and we got to know each one's backstory from their own point of view. There was A LOT of plot twists which was really excellent cause I'm a fan of plot twists. The whole book was seriously perfect I couldn't leave it. Thank you so much Jenna for giving us this masterpiece I can't wait to read more of the series.
Profile Image for Casey Williams.
92 reviews5 followers
November 28, 2020
*Disclaimer: I received an early copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Everything said about this book is towards the story telling itself and not towards the author.

Unparalleled is told from three people perspectives about the different dimensions and their inhabitants within their world. Within this world you have Super-humans with powerful scars and monsters called Ascendents who have the power of manipulation.

I really wanted to love this book because the synopsis is very intriguing with so much potential for a great debut, but it was not for me. I felt like the whole story was rushed with little information on the world. It lacked the descriptive world building it needed. Either that or the way it was told really confused me to the point I was just reading, hoping it would give me more insight, but the ending also left me feeling underwhelmed.

The characters also lacked development and I had no connection to them whatsoever. It was fun to read their thoughts that some points but it was because they seemed very cringe, but most of the times it felt like I had facts and quotes thrown at me from them.

Overall, it just was not for me, but if you feel the synopsis intrigues you and you want to give it ago please don’t let my thoughts hinder that. Everyone has different tastes and this may become your favourite.
Profile Image for Mary Jane.
28 reviews
December 2, 2020
Let me first congratulate Jenna Hebert on releasing her debut novel. Writing and publishing a book is no small feat, and I love to see people following their dreams! That alone deserves a round of applause 👏. I should also mention that this book will be available on December 1st for purchase! The author was kind enough to send me a physical arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unparalleled is the first book in what will be a series that follows the story of the main character Natalya, along with two other characters, Jace and Eve. This book plays on the idea of humans and superhumans existing in multiple dimensions, the manipulation of time and the concept of mind over matter. In these dimensions exist superhumans called Ascendants that are ultimately in control of the fourth dimension, where the story begins. We also have Raidens, a group of warriors that can never be harmed in the same place twice, and Remnants, monsters that were once human.

I think that readers who enjoy reading sci-fi will like this novel! This story reminded me of books like divergent and the maze runner. I loved that the main character, Natalya, like the reader, was also new to all of the dimensions and concepts in this book. Whenever I had a question about what was happening, Natalya was right there asking it in the story. This was a fun book, with interesting world building. The ending of the novel also gives an excellent lead off to the next book! I can’t wait to see what other dimensions are brought into the story, and to see how Natalya and her gang of friends continue on in their journey.
At times the emotions of the characters didn’t come across too clearly for me, and communication between the characters was sometimes awkward (this book is definitely full of angst!), but i thoroughly enjoyed the premise of the story!
Profile Image for Cassi.
1 review
February 1, 2021
Unparalleled is unlike anything you have read before. This story incorporates a scientific theory which sets the setting for the world, or should I say worlds (dimensions), that readers are introduced to. The characters in this story are very much their own. The author has developed this story in such a way that leaves readers wanting more. I personally could not get enough of Natalya’s story and finished the book in a couple days.
33 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2021
Unparalleled is the first book in what will be an amazing series that follows the story of the main character Natalya, along with two other characters, Jace and Eve. Set across multiple dimensions with humans, superhumans, Ascendants and Raidens all striving to survive, this is the beginning of what promises to be an addictive series. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put down the book. I was eager to discover what happens next and how the world was expanding. The book finished with an interesting hook that has readers anticipating the next book. I cannot wait to see how further dimensions evolve and how the story develops.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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