Searching for Sparrow

by K.A. Emmons

A rebellious girl who can see the unseen.

A headstrong young man haunted by his past.

An invisible soldier with a thirst for revenge.

Abandoned by her parents the day she was born and raised by her Sensei, Fin, Sparrow has grown up bitter and doubtful of her identity. Forced to train beside the elite “Anomalies” – a secret society of superhuman fugitives on a mission to rescue a war-torn world from the Reformed Global Militia – Sparrow fights her own powers, desperately wishing she could live like a normal teenager. But her rebellious streak comes to a screeching halt when Fin transfers her to a new school (which just happens to be a cabin in the woods) to train alongside the best of the best, including his hot-tempered adopted son, Keegan.

Fiercely loyal to the Anomalies, Keegan is outraged by his father’s decision to bring Sparrow to their finest school. He doesn’t trust her, and he has no idea who she really the only daughter of the patriarchs. But everything changes when Sparrow’s reckless behavior places them all in imminent danger… and forces them to flee into the wilderness.

Sparrow feels more alienated than ever, until a special bond begins to form between her and Keegan. But when Sparrow starts to see mysterious figures shadowing them through the woods, nobody believes her — until, one by one, students begin to vanish from their group. When Sparrow is taken captive by the invisible enemy, she finds herself face-to-face with the deadly RGM, and their newest secret a handsome young corporal, hellbent on revenge…and destroying every Anomaly he can find.

Searching for Sparrow is the thrilling, next-gen continuation of The Blood Race saga by K.A. Emmons.

Genres: Fantasy

532 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

When she’s not hermiting away in her colorfully-painted home office writing her next science fiction, passionate story-teller and adventurer Kate Emmons is probably on the road for a surf or hiking trip, listening to vinyls, or going for a power run.

Emmons’ debut novel The Blood Race is the first book in her YA science fiction/fantasy thriller series.

The novel follows main character Ion, a troubled teen with unusual powers which he struggles to keep concealed. Through a series of strange occurrences, and a run-in with Hawk, the beautiful, mysterious, yet savage girl next door, Ion involuntarily stumbles headlong into an extra dimension—a secret reality that’s been hidden since the beginning of time; one that was made especially to protect and train teenagers with the abilities he possesses—”anomalies”. A secret place of intense training, hidden from humanity and created to defeat a rising darkness which a prophecy declares could swallow future earth.

Emmons lives in the often-snowy hills of rugged Vermont with her husband and dog named Rocket.

Reviews

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC!

[R.F. Gammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. this book took everything I liked about the Blood Race series and blew it out of the water. I had to read it on my phone initially, which is just about my least favorite thing of all time, but THIS BOOK HELD MY ATTENTION. I need you guys to understand how hard that is to do when I'm reading on my phone. I stayed GLUED to it. This book got me through a road trip and I ADORED EVERY MINUTE. Y'ALLLLLLL.

Sparrow. Finn. KEEGAN. My absolute favorites now. I just need more Icarus and Hawk, and my heart will be UTTERLY full. Gotta get ahold of book two, haha.

I received an ARC copy but all opinions are my own. (I also bought a paperback, because guys. GUYS. The cover of this book is one you need on your physical shelf. WOW.)

[Brooke Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 Reread
As always, this book is home. <3

Original Review
As you can see by the number of shelves I added this to, I am WRECKED!

I'm a slow reader. I don't read fast at all. I read this in the span of a weekend.

Don't get me wrong, this book is not super short, and if you've read The Blood Race Trilogy, which I recommend you do that first, this book is darker. Grittier. Edgier. But in the best of ways. I've fallen in love with Keegan, with Sparrow, and with everyone else. (EXCEPT THAT ONE BOY AND WE KNEW WHO THAT IS 😤)

So, let's get into the review!

✦ c h a r a c t e r s ✦

Sparrow- Such a strong combination of both of her parents. Everything that made up Hawk and Icarus was blended so well into Sparrow. And it's beautiful to see her be this combination. Icarus, who is wild, resistant, and an outsider. Hawk, who is edge, brave, and strength. Sparrow is wonderful. She makes a lot of bad decisions, but I never once felt like I couldn't connect with her.

Keegan- I have been in love with Fin for a long time, which is no secret to anyone. His adopted son is so much like him. The strength. The determination. The loyalty to his people, to his morals. I am in love with everything Keegan is.

The other students- Preston, Janna, Kateri, Myung, and Rafael make up the rest of Fin's students. They all have their own personalities, their own gifts. Their own wants and needs and desires. Even though they frustrated me at times, it was in the best ways.

FIN- My love. My heart. He's everything. I would marry him still. My heart aches for him, as he struggles so much to get over the one he truly loved, to deal with all the things being thrown at him. I love Fin so much.

That One Boy 😤- Kind of a spoiler, so I won't talk about him TOO much but all imma say is he's a psycho and obsessed and needs to take a chill pill.

✦ c o n c e p t ✦

The concept is similar to The Blood Race. Students are being prepared for a very broken world. Abilities are being mastered. But the cabin... it made me feel so at home. It wasn't the dimension, but it felt like it could've been. It felt like home.

I do feel like this book was more of a romance than a fantasy with a romantic subplot, at least towards the middle and end. But it doesn't take away from the story at all. I

✦ o v e r a l l ✦

This book felt like coming back home after a long time away. I didn't realize I missed reading this story world so much. I can't wait until this book is out so I can get a copy and hold it in my hands and go back to the scenes that made me feel most at home.

And the cliffhanger left me entirely wrecked. I cannot wait for the next book. Until then, I'll just have to keep rereading the other books.

If I could give this book a billion stars, I would. But for now, Five Stars will have to cut it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rodney Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start this review by saying this was my first foray into this world. I did this deliberately because I wanted to see if this book would entice me to go back and read the previous books. Unfortunately, it does not.

Now, I gave this book 3 stars because while the writing is excellent, I didn't connect with the story. I loved the scenery descriptions, the main characters are all fully fleshed out and realized. And there are a great many really interesting concepts being presented here. Especially in the main location of the second half of the book.

Just the basic premise of that location is really intriguing and could be used for some interesting psychological...manipulations.

The first part of the book had some interesting ideas, but the second part is really where the story finally connected with me. In the second half, the main antagonists were introduced and injected a much needed counterbalance to the angst of the first half. I enjoyed the bulk of that part until the reintroduction of the angst right near the end.

That was the final straw for me and I completely fell out of the story. The book ends in a cliffhanger, and I can honestly say I have no interest in continuing.

I can't say that the book is terrible. The writing is too high quality for such a simple statement. But, what I can say is that I don't believe I am a member of the intended audience for this book. If, like me, you don't like teen angst then I would recommend skipping this book.

However, if you enjoy teen angst written well in a uniquely creative world, I can honestly say this book is for you.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this one, even though I loved the previous series. It may have just been the moment and I'll give it another try in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grace Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well folks, she's done it again.

It may be a new world and a new cast of characters, but Searching for Sparrow is everything good about K.A. Emmons. The plot keeps you on your toes, the characters drive you crazy while simultaneously making you love them, and the prose is stunning. No one worldbuilds like Kate, and I loved seeing this new setting come to life. Her passion drips from the page, and her writing never ceases to make you think and look at the world a little differently. The ending will drive you CRAZY, but what else can we expect?! I can't wait for the next story - read this book!!!

To my fellow Fin fans (how's that for alliteration?) - he's back. Yes, my world is whole again. :-)

(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Brooke J Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

k.A did it again I could not put this down. Her discriptions are like a painting, while you are reading each stroke of her brush or pen in this case paints you into the story. Her characters even the smallest characters have debth, you never feel lost or board you are drawn in right away and build from there you have a mission you are on with these characters and you want to continue with them. I cannot wait for the next book! If you really read this book and absorb what you're reading you can even learn with the characters. Searching for sparrow is about growth and finding oneself it's about self-sacrifice and love embracing who you were created to be.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The author managed to immerse the reader into her created world, leaving me in a wonder for what might happen next. I read the book in one sitting - which books rarely let me do!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mari had a Little Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

With beautifully crafted characters and a mind-blowing world K.A. Emmons does not disappoint. This was my first book and now I'll have to go and read "The Blood Race"
I found the story engaging and perfectly paced. The characters were very well developed and had depth. A beautifully crafted plot. I am hoping to read more soon!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Trust is earned, Sparrow”, she said at last. “You have done nothing to earn it”
4/5
I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Searching for Sparrow is the first book in Emmons’ duology and a continuation of the Blood Race trilogy. Though reading the trilogy before this installment is recommended, I understood and more importantly enjoyed this novel just fine even without reading the blurbs of the previous books.

Writing style: 10/10 To talk about the writing style of this novel, we first need to talk about the author. This novel is definitely given a lot of love and attention and the author has put her all into it. Emmons is definitely in a higher plane of living and has taken the time to sort out her beliefs and values. The writing is deep, self-reflective, factually accurate and thought-provoking, in the most subtliest ways, leaving the reader thinking while not hingering the plot. The novel is reeking with wisdom, but Emmons has managed to mush it in the story in such a way that it doesn’t feel out of place or forced.

“Keegan, if you think Rafeal is the only one who needs healing…” Preston studied me for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “Think again.”

Plot: 9.5/10. The plot was perfect! When I read the blurb of this novel, I thought the author had given away too much, but trust me, it is NOTHING compared to what is to come. The plot was really well thought of, especially at the end when the characters were unknowingly playing cat-and-mouse with each other. There were some plot points however, towards the beginning of the story that felt a little convenient, but the end definitely makes up for that.

Characters: 9.5/10 The main characters in this book were really well developed, but I think the side-characters felt a little flat, especially Kateri. In my opinion the author could have done a better job developing her character arc. My favourite character is undoubtedly Aaron, I could talk about him forever, but unfortunately he is spoiler territory. I will say this however, I’m in love with him. Emmons has crafted his character perfectly!

“I’ve dealt with storms before”
I thought of Sparrow.

Character voice: 15/10 If someone asked me for advice on how to write good character voice, I’ll tell them to read this book. Let’s just leave it at that.

Relationships: 8/10 This is the biggest factor that led to giving the novel 4 stars instead of five. It is pretty obvious from the blurb that a romance is going to develop between Sparrow and Keegan, but in the novel it just felt a bit sudden. One second they were at each other’s throats and the next they were in each other’s arms. I think the author could have done a better job with that. On the contrary, the MCs relationships with side characters and Aaron is perfectly developed.

Description: 15/10 I’m not the type who visualizes everything as a scene unfolds. I just read descriptions in books, visualize it for a second, and forget about it a moment later, too involved in the story. But it was almost impossible to not properly visualize the imagery in the scenes of this novel. The novel has realistic descriptions that do not disappoint, which were evenly distributed throughout the story.


All in all, this was a really good read. It was about 550 pdf pages long, so I would suggest picking it up and bingeing it in a day on a long autumn weekend. Also, I cannot wait for the second installment of this duology!!!! (Read Searching for Sparrow to figure out why <3)

“You only ever need to raise your voice to those who do not wish to listen,” he explained. “And they will not hear you anyway.”

Have a great day!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review*

I admire K.A. Emmons and her work so much. She is clearly so passionate about what she does and puts her heart and soul into her writing. I was excited to start her new foray into The Blood Race universe with this new set of characters and new story line. Upon finishing, I have a lot of thoughts, so I figured it'd be easier to make a list of what I liked and what I thought could be improved in future installments of this series.

What I liked:
-Being in the world of the Anomalies again. I love a good community of renegade outcasts with superpowers. It was so interesting being back in this world after finishing the original Blood Race trilogy.
-K.A. Emmons is a master of prose. I absolutely love her descriptive writing, giving the book a sense of place and emotion.
-I loved the allegorical aspects of this story. I was impressed with the themes of the first trilogy, and they carried on into this one which I was happy to see.
-The ending was so gripping. It wasn't at all what I had expected to happen when I started the book, and I'm excited to see where K.A. Emmons takes the series.

What I had problems with:
-It took me a long time to connect with the characters, and even when I did connect with the main characters, all the secondary ones kind of blurred together. I had trouble distinguishing one from another.
-I wish there had been more communication between Sparrow and Keegan. I understand the angst and how Sparrow is hurt, but miscommunication and characters hiding important information from each other is a pet peeve of mine.
-The narrative voices for the three character perspectives were all very similar and if I stopped reading in the middle of a chapter I often wouldn't remember who's mind I was in when I picked it up again. I just find first person narratives to be hard personally.

After the intense ending, I think this book is a good foundation for the story of a new generation of Anomalies. I can't wait to see the characters develop and see the apocalyptic world fleshed out more when we only got a taste of it in the last book of The Blood Race.

[Kira Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that takes place in a dystopian setting with a female main character, Sparrow, who is learning to find who she really is and the strength to believe in herself after years of self doubt and feeling unworthy of love. The story moves through time, following the main characters and what brought them to the point where the story begins and the events that shape them in this first story in the series. Great world building, great interaction between all the characters that happens in a very believable and relatable way. No spoilers here, but know that each character is important to the story, but none more so than Sparrow and the male main character Keegan. This book fits dystopian, PNR and fantasy. Ends in a cliffhanger that will have you anxiously waiting for the next book. Enjoy!

[Stephanie DiVito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an engaging read, especially towards the end. I think Aaron was the best part of the book. It definitely got a lot better once he was introduced. I thought the multiple perspectives were utilized well, but it did feel like when something big happened, I wanted a continuation of that, but then when we switched perspectives and an entirely different situation. There were times when I found myself bummed after switching to Keegan's perspective (even though I did like him as a character). Other than that, this was an enjoyable read!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate puts together a very interesting suspense thriller that keeps making you want to come back for more to find out what happens next. She is clearly a young lady of considerable writing talent. I look forward to seeing what new adventures she and her sister come up with in the future. All the best Kate!

[Alaya McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible!!!
Like ALL of K.A. Emmons's books - the deep, high, POWERFULLY thought provoking messages were just INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Like... I seriously believe so strongly that the messages and concepts in her books - especially this one! - HAS to be shared with as many people as possible!!!
100 out of 100 % recommend!! 😄

[Mauxy]

I found this author thanks to her YouTube channel and I couldn't be happier, I want to read all of her book now!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way KA Emmons writes her descriptions. She really brings you into each scene. This is sort of like X-Men meets something that I can't quite put my finger on. It's a fun read and great, conflicted characters.

[dreamingincolor · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is the best continuation of my favorite indie series!! I love how we get to see what each character has been up to but also it's about Fin. It's about his choices and what he's doing now. It's about Sparrow and her life and her purpose. I love this book so much.

[Ghillie Goalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching for Sparrow went in multiple directions I totally didn't expect. I highly recommend it. This book could help so many people.

[Gino Lavayen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the journey you’ll go through if you’ve read the previous books. This read like a movie which is what I love about K.A Emmons. Can’t wait until the next one to come out.

[Kira Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that takes place in a dystopian setting with a female main character, Sparrow, who is learning to find who she really is and the strength to believe in herself after years of self doubt and feeling unworthy of love. The story moves through time, following the main characters and what brought them to the point where the story begins and the events that shape them in this first story in the series. Great world building, great interaction between all the characters that happens in a very believable and relatable way. No spoilers here, but know that each character is important to the story, but none more so than Sparrow and the male main character Keegan. This book fits dystopian, PNR and fantasy. Ends in a cliffhanger that will have you anxiously waiting for the next book. Enjoy!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.