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Dark Redemption #1
Highborn
EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. BRYNNA MALAK MIGHT BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
Brynna is a fallen angel trying to earn redemption. She’s escaped from Hell in search of a new life on Earth, but Lucifer’s deadliest hunters are hot on her trail. Police Detective Eran Redmond is after her for a different reason: he needs Brynna to help him find a serial killer who is terrifying Chicago . . . and the trail leads them right to Hellspawned demons of the most dangerous kind. She’s also got a very human problem: dealing with a stubborn, attractive cop who makes her long for everything she knows she can’t have.
Staying alive long enough to earn a shot at Heaven will mean breaking some major rules in the mortal world, as she learns just how complicated and wonderful being human can be. With so much stacked against her, even Brynna has to wonder if she’s crazy. But she’s not giving in without a fight.
Not a chance in Hell. . . .
Brynna is a fallen angel trying to earn redemption. She’s escaped from Hell in search of a new life on Earth, but Lucifer’s deadliest hunters are hot on her trail. Police Detective Eran Redmond is after her for a different reason: he needs Brynna to help him find a serial killer who is terrifying Chicago . . . and the trail leads them right to Hellspawned demons of the most dangerous kind. She’s also got a very human problem: dealing with a stubborn, attractive cop who makes her long for everything she knows she can’t have.
Staying alive long enough to earn a shot at Heaven will mean breaking some major rules in the mortal world, as she learns just how complicated and wonderful being human can be. With so much stacked against her, even Brynna has to wonder if she’s crazy. But she’s not giving in without a fight.
Not a chance in Hell. . . .
375 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 8, 2010
8 people are currently reading
1891 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Navarro
127 books173 followersYvonne Navarro is the author of Concrete Savior, Highborn, AfterAge, deadrush, Final Impact, Mirror Me and a bunch of other books, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels and tie-in novels for Hellboy, Elektra, and others."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
June 12, 2011
Has Some Good Points
Her name is Astarte, and after eons of torturing souls and bathing in their blood, she started wondering, hoping, for the possibility of redemption. She is a fallen angel. A demon. Once Lucifer's lover and partner. And she's weary of the screams of the damned and the unrelenting misery of hellfire.
Now on Earth in Chicago, taking the name Brynna Malak, she hides from Hunters who would drag her back to Hell if they find her. Escaping one puts Brynna in position to witness a murder and get caught up in the homicide investigation of Chicago police detective Eran Redmond. The man is desperate to catch a killer who has gunned down five seemingly random victims and Brynna is his only lead. He realizes almost immediately that not everything is as it seems with the odd woman, but he has no idea - no frame of understanding - for the truth of who and what she really is.
The longer Brynna stays in Chicago, the more she starts to feel things far beyond that which was familiar to her from her demon milieu, and as those feelings grow, as her experiences with humanity widen her narrow world, one thing becomes brutally, painfully clear. The road to redemption is long, twisted, and often paved in horror.
This urban fantasy series debut has some good things going for it. Navarro has a smooth writing style, and the narrative flows nicely from plot point to plot point. I enjoyed the concept of the story and the developed mythos. The best, though, and my favorite part of the book, is Brynna.
I loved her moral ambiguity and lack of empathy. It was a brilliant way to simply and easily define and delineate her character, identifying her inhumanity and developing her redemption through the burgeoning awareness of her own emotions...which so often befuddle her. It made so much sense for an eons-old demon fresh out of Hell to have no ability to relate or feel sympathy for humanity. In fact, I wish Navarro had used even more restraint, evolving her character even more slowly than she did, because I found coldly logical Brynna a delightfully unique heroine.
Eran wasn't a bad secondary character and romantic interest. I liked him well enough. Next to Brynna, though, he sort of faded into the background, and there wasn't much development to add depth to him. Lesser secondary and ancillary characters were few and lacked any real definition, and I was a little disappointed that some who were introduced early, like Eran's partner Sathi, disappeared entirely as the book progressed.
The story gave me a few problems. The plot was okay, but it wasn't the most complex I've ever read. It was mostly a pretty linear tale about a fallen angel starting a journey towards redemption and getting caught up in a murder investigation that tread over into her territory. Be that as it may, I liked it as I was reading it. Enough to rate it four stars, anyway. The lack of complexity in the plot and secondary characters, as well as a sex scene that was horrendously glossed over prevented more than that, but it was a solid four star read...until the end.
I didn't like the end at all. Actually, I didn't like a plot development that came a few chapters before the end, too, but to a lesser degree. The end, though, the last chapter and epilogue, bothered me quite a bit. I thought the resolution was completely disappointing from a story standpoint and I was left feeling that a whole lotta energy got expended throughout the book for negligible gain. Even more troubling were the handful of scenes that crossed a very important line for me between mythos and religion.
Of course this is strictly my personal preference, but I dislike when religion creeps into my fiction, especially in urban fantasy, which is amazing for the very fact that so much of it has its roots in imagination centered around a core of wildly diverse cultural mythos. Having a main character explaining God's plan as she pontificates about destiny and a soul being in God's hands, then following it up with the most trite and pedestrian catch phrase ever, "Everything happens for a reason," however, was a total turn off (not to mention a crystal clear reflection of everything that bothers me about religion in general). I'm sure I'm in the minority with that opinion, and that's fine. For me, though, I start getting antsy when I feel like I'm being hit over the head with the Christianity-based faith stick and have no tolerance for it in urban fantasy books. It dropped the book down to three stars for me.
I'm interested enough in Brynna's journey towards redemption and her forays into empathy and all things of the human condition to try the second book in the series with the hopes that the bouncing ball drops back into the mythos area of the court and leaves religion alone. I hope that's the case, because I do think Navarro is a skilled author who can spin a story worth reading. And I did really like Brynna.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Her name is Astarte, and after eons of torturing souls and bathing in their blood, she started wondering, hoping, for the possibility of redemption. She is a fallen angel. A demon. Once Lucifer's lover and partner. And she's weary of the screams of the damned and the unrelenting misery of hellfire.
Now on Earth in Chicago, taking the name Brynna Malak, she hides from Hunters who would drag her back to Hell if they find her. Escaping one puts Brynna in position to witness a murder and get caught up in the homicide investigation of Chicago police detective Eran Redmond. The man is desperate to catch a killer who has gunned down five seemingly random victims and Brynna is his only lead. He realizes almost immediately that not everything is as it seems with the odd woman, but he has no idea - no frame of understanding - for the truth of who and what she really is.
The longer Brynna stays in Chicago, the more she starts to feel things far beyond that which was familiar to her from her demon milieu, and as those feelings grow, as her experiences with humanity widen her narrow world, one thing becomes brutally, painfully clear. The road to redemption is long, twisted, and often paved in horror.
This urban fantasy series debut has some good things going for it. Navarro has a smooth writing style, and the narrative flows nicely from plot point to plot point. I enjoyed the concept of the story and the developed mythos. The best, though, and my favorite part of the book, is Brynna.
I loved her moral ambiguity and lack of empathy. It was a brilliant way to simply and easily define and delineate her character, identifying her inhumanity and developing her redemption through the burgeoning awareness of her own emotions...which so often befuddle her. It made so much sense for an eons-old demon fresh out of Hell to have no ability to relate or feel sympathy for humanity. In fact, I wish Navarro had used even more restraint, evolving her character even more slowly than she did, because I found coldly logical Brynna a delightfully unique heroine.
Eran wasn't a bad secondary character and romantic interest. I liked him well enough. Next to Brynna, though, he sort of faded into the background, and there wasn't much development to add depth to him. Lesser secondary and ancillary characters were few and lacked any real definition, and I was a little disappointed that some who were introduced early, like Eran's partner Sathi, disappeared entirely as the book progressed.
The story gave me a few problems. The plot was okay, but it wasn't the most complex I've ever read. It was mostly a pretty linear tale about a fallen angel starting a journey towards redemption and getting caught up in a murder investigation that tread over into her territory. Be that as it may, I liked it as I was reading it. Enough to rate it four stars, anyway. The lack of complexity in the plot and secondary characters, as well as a sex scene that was horrendously glossed over prevented more than that, but it was a solid four star read...until the end.
I didn't like the end at all. Actually, I didn't like a plot development that came a few chapters before the end, too, but to a lesser degree. The end, though, the last chapter and epilogue, bothered me quite a bit. I thought the resolution was completely disappointing from a story standpoint and I was left feeling that a whole lotta energy got expended throughout the book for negligible gain. Even more troubling were the handful of scenes that crossed a very important line for me between mythos and religion.
Of course this is strictly my personal preference, but I dislike when religion creeps into my fiction, especially in urban fantasy, which is amazing for the very fact that so much of it has its roots in imagination centered around a core of wildly diverse cultural mythos. Having a main character explaining God's plan as she pontificates about destiny and a soul being in God's hands, then following it up with the most trite and pedestrian catch phrase ever, "Everything happens for a reason," however, was a total turn off (not to mention a crystal clear reflection of everything that bothers me about religion in general). I'm sure I'm in the minority with that opinion, and that's fine. For me, though, I start getting antsy when I feel like I'm being hit over the head with the Christianity-based faith stick and have no tolerance for it in urban fantasy books. It dropped the book down to three stars for me.
I'm interested enough in Brynna's journey towards redemption and her forays into empathy and all things of the human condition to try the second book in the series with the hopes that the bouncing ball drops back into the mythos area of the court and leaves religion alone. I hope that's the case, because I do think Navarro is a skilled author who can spin a story worth reading. And I did really like Brynna.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
February 10, 2023
This was a slightly different take on a fallen angel needing redemption. The book starts just before the fallen angel, demon, left hell. We are shown a tiny bit about what it was like in a prologue then the book jumps right in at Chapter One within a few minutes of her arriving on Earth. The action begins there, too, as she is running for her life. We never quite find out how she got to the mortal plane, but Navarro does a great job of presenting this nonhuman's first few days in Western Society.
Brynna is basically a sociopath at first. She knows (or remembers) nothing of love or friendship or selflessness. She does what makes sense for her at that moment. Even her quest, to gain redemption so she can reenter the kingdom Heaven, is based on selfish reasons. She isn't evil anymore in that she doesn't try to hurt anyone, but it doesn't occur to her to protect, either. She has no emotion when someone is murdered in front of her, just considers the situation. She does try to catch the perpetrator, but when she is blocked by a locked door she stops and moves on with her own business.
It's a process as she figures out how to function in this society, and what is appropriate behavior, and finally how to feel. This is a really important part of her redemption, learning to be human, learning to understand that her side of the war in Heaven was wrong for thinking God shouldn't hold these humans closer to His heart than the angels.
The religion wasn't over the top at all, quite appropriate given the subject matter, but I did find myself thinking again about how the JudeoChristian faiths are so obsessed by the idea that we are so important and number one in the eyes of our ideas of our creator(s). Kind of egotistical, actually. But I digress.
I never quite feel that Brynna really is seeking to be redeemed. I never really see that she is sorry for what she did in Hell (she was not an innocent by any means and does remember it) or that she does good because it's the right thing to do. I do believe she has appropriate feelings eventually, but I never really feel any deep emotion until the very end. There is supposedly this connection between her and the love interest, but I never feel it either. They are just words telling me what I should see but don’t.
I do like the characters well enough, and I think Navarro is good at making each a unique recognizable individual. The characters are multicultural and gender equal for the most part (but still no lgbtq folks). The world the author built works for me, and is rife with possibilites.
Navarro has written a lot of Buffy comics, and it shows. There is plenty of action and suspense and drama here, and the pacing is great. The women are strong and complex, and the men allow them to be. Brynna is special and really kick ass, and she doesn't do dumb things, probably because she has little emotion. The men are strong, too, although the detective is appropriately but stupidly macho, and does understandably do dumb things because he just doesn't get that he is useless against demons.
But there are a number of holes and major problems. Like they find a , and they never deal with it past the plot of the book. Hopefully it will be handled in the next book. At another point, the detectives find the scene of the crime for a missing person's case, and there is at least one major clue, but they say that it's nothing, and one even asks, "What are we doing here?" Brynna also hides evidence that would solve the case from Eran, and when he finds out he's mad for about two seconds then gets over it.
There are small things like in the beginning she sleeps behind a dumpster, and is wearing the clothes she found and put on after climbing out of a marsh two days ago, but no one notices that she stinks or suspects she doesn't have any other clothing, at least not at that point. Also, Eran gets a cell phone for her when he doesn't know her and has just met her, and he signs up for a 2 year contract, not a prepay? She also won't eat "flesh," but fish is okay. UGH. Fish is flesh!
Okay, this is probably a dumb complaint, but the hispanic names are all excellent, uncommon but believable, but Eran instead of Aaron? And she comes up with Brynna on the spot, a modern name with no meaning she mentions, but an appropriate last name? And a priest is Father Paul Murphy.' Really. No stereotyping there. Apparently no originality either.
So I'm torn. On the one hand I enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down, but on the other, I just didn't care enough about the characters, and I didn't quite get why they cared about each other so much. I think I would probably enjoy the next book, but I am not drawn to it. That's unusual when I finish a book in a series. Usually, even if I didn't like it that much, I do really want to know what happens next. Here? Whatever.
BUT there is a wonderful, believable kick ass dog so that brings the star rating from 2.5 to 3. Yes, I am easily pleased by dogs in books.
So I don't necessarily recommend it, but I don't not recommend it either. Read someone else's review because this is probably no good to you at all.
Brynna is basically a sociopath at first. She knows (or remembers) nothing of love or friendship or selflessness. She does what makes sense for her at that moment. Even her quest, to gain redemption so she can reenter the kingdom Heaven, is based on selfish reasons. She isn't evil anymore in that she doesn't try to hurt anyone, but it doesn't occur to her to protect, either. She has no emotion when someone is murdered in front of her, just considers the situation. She does try to catch the perpetrator, but when she is blocked by a locked door she stops and moves on with her own business.
It's a process as she figures out how to function in this society, and what is appropriate behavior, and finally how to feel. This is a really important part of her redemption, learning to be human, learning to understand that her side of the war in Heaven was wrong for thinking God shouldn't hold these humans closer to His heart than the angels.
The religion wasn't over the top at all, quite appropriate given the subject matter, but I did find myself thinking again about how the JudeoChristian faiths are so obsessed by the idea that we are so important and number one in the eyes of our ideas of our creator(s). Kind of egotistical, actually. But I digress.
I never quite feel that Brynna really is seeking to be redeemed. I never really see that she is sorry for what she did in Hell (she was not an innocent by any means and does remember it) or that she does good because it's the right thing to do. I do believe she has appropriate feelings eventually, but I never really feel any deep emotion until the very end. There is supposedly this connection between her and the love interest, but I never feel it either. They are just words telling me what I should see but don’t.
I do like the characters well enough, and I think Navarro is good at making each a unique recognizable individual. The characters are multicultural and gender equal for the most part (but still no lgbtq folks). The world the author built works for me, and is rife with possibilites.
Navarro has written a lot of Buffy comics, and it shows. There is plenty of action and suspense and drama here, and the pacing is great. The women are strong and complex, and the men allow them to be. Brynna is special and really kick ass, and she doesn't do dumb things, probably because she has little emotion. The men are strong, too, although the detective is appropriately but stupidly macho, and does understandably do dumb things because he just doesn't get that he is useless against demons.
But there are a number of holes and major problems. Like they find a , and they never deal with it past the plot of the book. Hopefully it will be handled in the next book. At another point, the detectives find the scene of the crime for a missing person's case, and there is at least one major clue, but they say that it's nothing, and one even asks, "What are we doing here?" Brynna also hides evidence that would solve the case from Eran, and when he finds out he's mad for about two seconds then gets over it.
There are small things like in the beginning she sleeps behind a dumpster, and is wearing the clothes she found and put on after climbing out of a marsh two days ago, but no one notices that she stinks or suspects she doesn't have any other clothing, at least not at that point. Also, Eran gets a cell phone for her when he doesn't know her and has just met her, and he signs up for a 2 year contract, not a prepay? She also won't eat "flesh," but fish is okay. UGH. Fish is flesh!
Okay, this is probably a dumb complaint, but the hispanic names are all excellent, uncommon but believable, but Eran instead of Aaron? And she comes up with Brynna on the spot, a modern name with no meaning she mentions, but an appropriate last name? And a priest is Father Paul Murphy.' Really. No stereotyping there. Apparently no originality either.
So I'm torn. On the one hand I enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down, but on the other, I just didn't care enough about the characters, and I didn't quite get why they cared about each other so much. I think I would probably enjoy the next book, but I am not drawn to it. That's unusual when I finish a book in a series. Usually, even if I didn't like it that much, I do really want to know what happens next. Here? Whatever.
BUT there is a wonderful, believable kick ass dog so that brings the star rating from 2.5 to 3. Yes, I am easily pleased by dogs in books.
So I don't necessarily recommend it, but I don't not recommend it either. Read someone else's review because this is probably no good to you at all.
March 19, 2012
3.7
Dark fantasy with a bit of religious mythology thrown in.
You have the prerequisite 'doesn't believe in things I don't understand' cop, a fallen angel who is looking for redemption and some really scary baddies. Put 'em all together and what do you get? A PNR.
This isn't a typical PNR. Yes, the formulas used are familiar but the execution is something different. Brynna is seeking redemption, something most fallen don't do, and she has been in Hell so long (and she has never been human) that she doesn't recall what it's like to interact with us fleshy squish-bags. She wants to learn but she also needs to stay alive long enough to not get sent back to Lucifer who will most assuredly torture her.
The form that she took is one that is pleasing but not overtly so. She could if she wanted to,I mean, she is a Goddess of lust (and oh so much more but I hesitate to spoil too much) and she understands the ways of men. However, she's trying to be good. Meaning, she is quite literally using her powers for good :) All of that would've been perfect if on her first day on Earth a nephilim wasn't killed right in front of her. And if she hadn't run away from the crime scene. Oh and if she hadn't shown off her impressive linguistic skills. Then maybe Eran Redmond and his partner wouldn't have gotten so interested in her. Especially Eran.
The action is well-paced and the motives behind actions are explained well and easily understood but I do have a few complaints. Number one, the back and forth POV's from about five or six different characters. I think Eran and Brynna would've sufficed and maybe a few instances of the main nephilim. Number two, a little more character development would've been appreciated.
I liken Brynna to a blank slate or rather T-1000 (a better machine that has perfected human tics and very very hard to kill), a terminator without the directive to kill. She is on earth with a limited understanding of things and she wants to know. OMG, she's like Ariel and T-1000 combined!
Dark fantasy with a bit of religious mythology thrown in.
You have the prerequisite 'doesn't believe in things I don't understand' cop, a fallen angel who is looking for redemption and some really scary baddies. Put 'em all together and what do you get? A PNR.
This isn't a typical PNR. Yes, the formulas used are familiar but the execution is something different. Brynna is seeking redemption, something most fallen don't do, and she has been in Hell so long (and she has never been human) that she doesn't recall what it's like to interact with us fleshy squish-bags. She wants to learn but she also needs to stay alive long enough to not get sent back to Lucifer who will most assuredly torture her.
The form that she took is one that is pleasing but not overtly so. She could if she wanted to,I mean, she is a Goddess of lust (and oh so much more but I hesitate to spoil too much) and she understands the ways of men. However, she's trying to be good. Meaning, she is quite literally using her powers for good :) All of that would've been perfect if on her first day on Earth a nephilim wasn't killed right in front of her. And if she hadn't run away from the crime scene. Oh and if she hadn't shown off her impressive linguistic skills. Then maybe Eran Redmond and his partner wouldn't have gotten so interested in her. Especially Eran.
The action is well-paced and the motives behind actions are explained well and easily understood but I do have a few complaints. Number one, the back and forth POV's from about five or six different characters. I think Eran and Brynna would've sufficed and maybe a few instances of the main nephilim. Number two, a little more character development would've been appreciated.
I liken Brynna to a blank slate or rather T-1000 (a better machine that has perfected human tics and very very hard to kill), a terminator without the directive to kill. She is on earth with a limited understanding of things and she wants to know. OMG, she's like Ariel and T-1000 combined!
February 25, 2012
It was pretty good. I was under the impression that it was going to be a bit more detective/investigation story that it was, and it's really much more about the angel/demon who happens to get involved with the cop than anything else, so that threw me some. In general, stories about angels and fate and redemption aren't my favorites, but this one wasn't too badly done in any of those areas. It did seem a bit too convenient that she kept happening upon people that needed help, and that "everything happens for a reason," but I guess if you buy into the mythology then it won't bother you as much. I'm also not a huge fan of rushed romances, although again this wasn't the worst example either. Although when he barely knew her and bought her a cell phone with a two year contract, that did seem like a glaringly odd choice when prepaid phones are so easy to get, but maybe the author actually wrote this considerably before it was published? But he did forgive her awfully fast for some big lies. Is being a demon a good excuse? I liked that she was morally confused, it made sense for the character and the transition she was making, but his reactions were confusing. He was pretty bland overall, although there were some hints of depths yet to be explored. (Hate his name, by the way, Eran? What's wrong with Aaron? Silly romance novel names always have to be spelled weird.) Anyway, if it was more to my taste I'm sure I'd have given it four stars, there were a few odd choices, but it's basically well done. Plus there's a really cute, sweet, brave, deaf Great Dane, who could resist her? I do plan to read the next book, but I'm actually not starting it right away, a major departure for me even though I do have it here. As much as I normally love to rush into the next book in a series, I have several other new releases that I'd just rather read first.
November 2, 2010
Highborn takes the basis for religion based around God and expands into an intriguing story that will captive a reader's attention and leave them thinking about what they just read when the book is finished and closed. I know that's what I did and I expect most of you will feel the same.
This story remains close to most beliefs and gives you an entirely different perceptive on fallen angels versus what's been introduced in this genre because fallen angels are not romanticized in the least bit here. Brynna was what you'd expect in being personality wise, she has lived thousands of years among the human race and in Hell...her emotions were closed off and compassion was not one of her finer points. She has come back to Earth from Hell, where she was known as Astarte but she's had many names over the multitude of years, to seek redemption from God for her past indiscretions against Him. Brynna is a fallen angel a.k.a a demon.
Brynna meets Detective Eran Redmond on her first day back on Earth and from there reluctantly works with to solve the murders by an elusive serial killer. Their relationship evolves, and this where I felt was the book's weaker point, when this relationship first begins. I had a hard time visualizing these two together because she seemed so alien to me with her lack of emotions and he came across a bit clingy...but as I said the relationship does evolve and by the end, their relationship worked for me.
Be prepared for turns in this story that will leave your heart pounding 'cuz overall Highborn is an excellent addition to the urban fantasy genre. I highly recommend this one.
This story remains close to most beliefs and gives you an entirely different perceptive on fallen angels versus what's been introduced in this genre because fallen angels are not romanticized in the least bit here. Brynna was what you'd expect in being personality wise, she has lived thousands of years among the human race and in Hell...her emotions were closed off and compassion was not one of her finer points. She has come back to Earth from Hell, where she was known as Astarte but she's had many names over the multitude of years, to seek redemption from God for her past indiscretions against Him. Brynna is a fallen angel a.k.a a demon.
Brynna meets Detective Eran Redmond on her first day back on Earth and from there reluctantly works with to solve the murders by an elusive serial killer. Their relationship evolves, and this where I felt was the book's weaker point, when this relationship first begins. I had a hard time visualizing these two together because she seemed so alien to me with her lack of emotions and he came across a bit clingy...but as I said the relationship does evolve and by the end, their relationship worked for me.
Be prepared for turns in this story that will leave your heart pounding 'cuz overall Highborn is an excellent addition to the urban fantasy genre. I highly recommend this one.
February 5, 2011
I'm a little at odds with this book. I felt like it had potential to be great, but it seemed to fall a little short. I wish more time was spent explaining Brynna's past; Astarte. I feel like there was a great story there, but I guess the author is leaving that for further books. I don't know what it was, but I just didn't connect with the characters. I didn't feel immersed in the story.
There were many questions left unanswered. Why does she want redemption? What made her change her mind? After countless centuries of being evil, what happened? What made her Lucifer's right hand? She did fight off the Hunters, but I didn't see how demons would be so frightened of her. Maybe when she is in demon form, it's different. It's referenced that she is almost Lust incarnate, so maybe that's what the greater evil is; the ability to have someone addicted to you; the ability to take control of them.
The ultimate question lies with why Brynna decided to begin her road of redemption. Without that, without this basis, how could I truly begin to understand and connect with her as a character. For if I had this answer, then I would be able to understand the reasons behind her actions. It's too simple an answer that she's doing good for the sake of good.
I'm hesitant if I want to read the next book or not.
There were many questions left unanswered. Why does she want redemption? What made her change her mind? After countless centuries of being evil, what happened? What made her Lucifer's right hand? She did fight off the Hunters, but I didn't see how demons would be so frightened of her. Maybe when she is in demon form, it's different. It's referenced that she is almost Lust incarnate, so maybe that's what the greater evil is; the ability to have someone addicted to you; the ability to take control of them.
The ultimate question lies with why Brynna decided to begin her road of redemption. Without that, without this basis, how could I truly begin to understand and connect with her as a character. For if I had this answer, then I would be able to understand the reasons behind her actions. It's too simple an answer that she's doing good for the sake of good.
I'm hesitant if I want to read the next book or not.
May 10, 2011
Well, it started out good. It was somewhat gory and Brynna ran around like She-Hulk beating the shit out of everyone. She had just arrived in the human world and she was homeless and jobless, sleeping in cardboard boxes and unable to purchase even basic necessities. Her attempts at pursuing a normal human life were entertaining.
Then I began to lose interest when Detective Redmond assumed a more significant role. He just wasn't as interesting as Brynna. She had trouble constantly gravitating toward her and she was making new friends and often burning things up. Redmond was her boring opposite, focusing on his work and annoying me with his indecisiveness about everything Brynna. I understand why he was conflicted, but that didn't make it any more appealling to me.
There would have been a vast improvement in this story if it would have continued from Brynna's point-of-view.
Conrete Savior will be releasing May 31st, but unfortunately I won't be in a hurry to purchase it.
Then I began to lose interest when Detective Redmond assumed a more significant role. He just wasn't as interesting as Brynna. She had trouble constantly gravitating toward her and she was making new friends and often burning things up. Redmond was her boring opposite, focusing on his work and annoying me with his indecisiveness about everything Brynna. I understand why he was conflicted, but that didn't make it any more appealling to me.
There would have been a vast improvement in this story if it would have continued from Brynna's point-of-view.
Conrete Savior will be releasing May 31st, but unfortunately I won't be in a hurry to purchase it.
July 1, 2024
2.5 stars
Re-read July 2024
Re-read April 2017
I liked the plot and the concept of the story, a fallen angel who escaped Hell and tries to redeem herself. Could be really cool. It just sorta fell flat, though.
Re-read July 2024
Re-read April 2017
I liked the plot and the concept of the story, a fallen angel who escaped Hell and tries to redeem herself. Could be really cool. It just sorta fell flat, though.
May 8, 2021
I wish I hadn't waited so long to get around to reading this book. I loved it. I can't wait until I find the next one in the series to continue the story.
September 17, 2011
First, I can't believe I actually finished this. As I got further and further in I remembered thinking, "why am I still reading this" but I kept pushing through, just to get to the end. I didn't really care who did what, or what would happen next, but inexplicably I finished this. I wanted to give it two stars because I actually finished it, but I can't. Anyway, to get to the point, I didn't like how alien Brynna felt from the start. On one hand I appreciate that the author made this more realistic by not having the fallen angel fit in with society right away, but it made everything stiff, and maybe the character feel unemotional. Yes, I get that coming from hell she should feel that way, but personally it just didn't sit well with me. I like to enjoy my characters and feel their plight, but the tiny introduction of our main character in hell was not enough for me to care if she got back to Heaven or not. And there is my second issue, the general plot. An angel seeking redemption is not unique, and really there is nothing unique or special about this book at all. Just like many other Urban Fantasy stories out there, this is just a story that includes some paranormal elements. If this didn't have angels and demons it wouldn't sell as a mystery or a drama, but since it does it must be published and everyone will love it.
Ok that was a bit of a rant, sorry about that. So far I don't like the main character and how stiff she is, but on some level I do understand it. I also didn't like the redemption plot because they author didn't do the best job of making me fall in love with the character. The next thing I didn't like was the switching of viewpoints. I honestly skipped over the police detective sections once I realized they were just going to involve him opining on Brynna. I really see no point in switching viewpoints in this novel, as they did absolutely nothing to aid the plot. Maybe they were supposed to make the love story more believable, which leads me to my next grievance. I really didn't buy the love story in this. There was no character interaction, just one second the characters are screwing. And oh yea, Brynna has special sexual powers that have her automatically attract weak minding people. So there is that. I really felt like this is structured as a romance, but it fails at that. I don't care about anyone or anything that is going on here. Ugh. The plot is basically a fallen angel somehow gets out of hell, she goes around in our world acting clueless and automatically gets picked up to do interpretations by the police (completely unreasonable and unlikely). Then, she leads the police to where a kidnapped girl was last seen using "psychic" powers and the police are completely ok with that. She starts protecting random poor people and eventually is unable to prevent someone from killing someone but thinks that it's all God's plan, and is rewarded for it. No thank you, no thank you, no thank you. Maybe I'm jaded, but UF I've read lately...sucks.
Ok that was a bit of a rant, sorry about that. So far I don't like the main character and how stiff she is, but on some level I do understand it. I also didn't like the redemption plot because they author didn't do the best job of making me fall in love with the character. The next thing I didn't like was the switching of viewpoints. I honestly skipped over the police detective sections once I realized they were just going to involve him opining on Brynna. I really see no point in switching viewpoints in this novel, as they did absolutely nothing to aid the plot. Maybe they were supposed to make the love story more believable, which leads me to my next grievance. I really didn't buy the love story in this. There was no character interaction, just one second the characters are screwing. And oh yea, Brynna has special sexual powers that have her automatically attract weak minding people. So there is that. I really felt like this is structured as a romance, but it fails at that. I don't care about anyone or anything that is going on here. Ugh. The plot is basically a fallen angel somehow gets out of hell, she goes around in our world acting clueless and automatically gets picked up to do interpretations by the police (completely unreasonable and unlikely). Then, she leads the police to where a kidnapped girl was last seen using "psychic" powers and the police are completely ok with that. She starts protecting random poor people and eventually is unable to prevent someone from killing someone but thinks that it's all God's plan, and is rewarded for it. No thank you, no thank you, no thank you. Maybe I'm jaded, but UF I've read lately...sucks.
September 9, 2010
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I generally love Craig White’s cover art (Carrie Vaughn, Adrian Phoenix, Jaye Wells have all had Craig covers) but I’m not a fan of the cover for HIGHBORN (or the description, for that matter). It completely fails to capture the character and tone of this book. It’s not about a polished, slick woman ready to dole out a supernatural butt kicking to whoever gets on her bad side (isn’t that what the cover implies?). Brynna couldn’t be further from how she is depicted here.
First of all, she’s a demon. She’s spent eons in Hell apathetic to the incessant screams of the myriads of souls damned for eternity. Hers is a bleak and callous existence until she begins to question her own damnation and the chance of redemption. She escapes to earth in order to save her demon soul.
Brynna is an amazing character. A far cry from the sleek and savvy cover model. She’s been so conditioned by her hellish life that her initial experiences on earth are first bliss at the physical sensations such mundane things as cool, wet water and the smooth sour smells of the dumpster she spends her first night under. Contrast that with her curious detachment as she is talking to her first human when his brains are literally blown out all over her. She simply walks away, oblivious to the horrified stares of everyone she passes:
"Brynna straightened, then realized someone was screaming. It was an older man in a white coat behind the counter at the end of the aisle, and the only reason she even noticed was because it was so odd to her senses that there was just one man screaming instead of thousands." –HIGHBORN
Brynna does have to fight against her natural inclinations for violence and corruption, but she also surprises herself by her newfound desires for compassion and mercy. It’s this dual nature that captures the attention of Chicago cop Eran Redmond.
As much as I was completely caught up in Brynna’s story as she sought to redeem her soul and elude Lucifer’s Hunters, the romance that developed between her and Eran never quite took off for me the way I had hoped. It remained too safe and staid. There was no real fire between them. I also could have done without all the supporting characters that Brynna had to help. Those storylines were where the book dragged.
Overall, HIGHBORN was a pleasant surprise. The character of Brynna was a refreshing change from the typical UF heroine with her alien-like curiosity and controlled strength. Her story to Hell and back is one I can’t wait to read more of. CONCRETE SAVIOR, book two in the Dark Redemption series is slated for release in June 2011 and I plan on being first in line.
I generally love Craig White’s cover art (Carrie Vaughn, Adrian Phoenix, Jaye Wells have all had Craig covers) but I’m not a fan of the cover for HIGHBORN (or the description, for that matter). It completely fails to capture the character and tone of this book. It’s not about a polished, slick woman ready to dole out a supernatural butt kicking to whoever gets on her bad side (isn’t that what the cover implies?). Brynna couldn’t be further from how she is depicted here.
First of all, she’s a demon. She’s spent eons in Hell apathetic to the incessant screams of the myriads of souls damned for eternity. Hers is a bleak and callous existence until she begins to question her own damnation and the chance of redemption. She escapes to earth in order to save her demon soul.
Brynna is an amazing character. A far cry from the sleek and savvy cover model. She’s been so conditioned by her hellish life that her initial experiences on earth are first bliss at the physical sensations such mundane things as cool, wet water and the smooth sour smells of the dumpster she spends her first night under. Contrast that with her curious detachment as she is talking to her first human when his brains are literally blown out all over her. She simply walks away, oblivious to the horrified stares of everyone she passes:
"Brynna straightened, then realized someone was screaming. It was an older man in a white coat behind the counter at the end of the aisle, and the only reason she even noticed was because it was so odd to her senses that there was just one man screaming instead of thousands." –HIGHBORN
Brynna does have to fight against her natural inclinations for violence and corruption, but she also surprises herself by her newfound desires for compassion and mercy. It’s this dual nature that captures the attention of Chicago cop Eran Redmond.
As much as I was completely caught up in Brynna’s story as she sought to redeem her soul and elude Lucifer’s Hunters, the romance that developed between her and Eran never quite took off for me the way I had hoped. It remained too safe and staid. There was no real fire between them. I also could have done without all the supporting characters that Brynna had to help. Those storylines were where the book dragged.
Overall, HIGHBORN was a pleasant surprise. The character of Brynna was a refreshing change from the typical UF heroine with her alien-like curiosity and controlled strength. Her story to Hell and back is one I can’t wait to read more of. CONCRETE SAVIOR, book two in the Dark Redemption series is slated for release in June 2011 and I plan on being first in line.
November 12, 2010
Highborn begins with a vividly described scene of Hell. Astarte, a fallen angel, watches the daily round of horrors from her bloodstained tower, and decides she wants out. We then cut to Astarte, having escaped Hell and calling herself Brynna Malak, as she adjusts to life in modern-day Chicago. Brynna can understand any language she hears. She’s less adept at navigating other aspects of human life: how to feel empathy, how to pet a dog, and why you shouldn’t just wander away from the scene when you witness a murder. Yvonne Navarro does a terrific (and often funny) job of portraying a character who just doesn’t “get” social norms and has a lot of acclimating to do.
Brynna soon learns that someone is killing nephilim in the city. Nephilim are the children of angels and mortal women, and each is born for a specific, divine purpose. Killing them not only snuffs out their lives but also prevents them from fulfilling their cosmic destinies. The cops are stymied by this serial killer, but Brynna has special insights into the crime and finds herself assisting hunky detective Eran Redmond in his investigation. It should surprise no one that sparks fly between the two!
In addition to the central mystery, Brynna dispenses justice to the more run-of-the-mill bad guys in Chicago: bullies, thugs, wife-beaters, etc. These smaller fights add to Brynna’s character development, and also give Highborn the feel of a superhero tale.
Highborn is an exciting, butt-kicking story featuring a complex heroine who changes and grows as the novel progresses. It’s quite violent — there are at least two scenes that utterly grossed me out — but the violence level fits with the fallen-angel and vigilante-justice themes. Navarro’s prose is smooth and makes for a snag-free read.
I didn’t like the ending. It felt like a gut punch. I can see how it fits with the ideas and themes of the novel, but I’m torn between feeling cheated and wanting to commend Navarro for having the cojones to write it that way. Nevertheless, I plan to keep following Brynna’s journey as the DARK REDEMPTION series continues.
Review from FantasyLiterature.com
Brynna soon learns that someone is killing nephilim in the city. Nephilim are the children of angels and mortal women, and each is born for a specific, divine purpose. Killing them not only snuffs out their lives but also prevents them from fulfilling their cosmic destinies. The cops are stymied by this serial killer, but Brynna has special insights into the crime and finds herself assisting hunky detective Eran Redmond in his investigation. It should surprise no one that sparks fly between the two!
In addition to the central mystery, Brynna dispenses justice to the more run-of-the-mill bad guys in Chicago: bullies, thugs, wife-beaters, etc. These smaller fights add to Brynna’s character development, and also give Highborn the feel of a superhero tale.
Highborn is an exciting, butt-kicking story featuring a complex heroine who changes and grows as the novel progresses. It’s quite violent — there are at least two scenes that utterly grossed me out — but the violence level fits with the fallen-angel and vigilante-justice themes. Navarro’s prose is smooth and makes for a snag-free read.
I didn’t like the ending. It felt like a gut punch. I can see how it fits with the ideas and themes of the novel, but I’m torn between feeling cheated and wanting to commend Navarro for having the cojones to write it that way. Nevertheless, I plan to keep following Brynna’s journey as the DARK REDEMPTION series continues.
Review from FantasyLiterature.com
October 31, 2010
Highborn by Yvonne Navarro
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 26th, 2010
4 ½ stars
Highborn is a richly layered urban fantasy about a fallen angel named Brynna who seeks redemption and wants to return to Heaven. Brynna has just escaped Hell where she was Lucifer's pet. But the problem is that Lucifer wants her back! And he has sent deadly Hunters to track her down.
On earth Brynna finds that nephilim. (Children fathered by angels and human mothers.) are being murdered. This troubles her because nephilim all have a purpose or calling on earth and by killing them their calling will never come true. Since she was a witness to one murder the police are investigating her. One detective named Eran is particularly interested and attracted to Brynna. He finds her fascinating and Brynna discovers that she is not immune to him! But will he believe in angels and demons? Or will Brynna's unrelenting pursuit of redemption scare him away?
Brynna is like a superhero. She has neat powers. She can burn with her hands. She has super speed, healing and strength. And her single-minded purpose to protect the fragile humans and therefore redeem herself is amazing to read. I liked how she slowly begins to enjoy helping people and is surprised that she has actually grown fond of humans. I also loved how she used her kick ass powers and almost too cool fighting machine tactics to get the bad guys.
I also enjoyed how Brynna has not been to earth in hundreds if not thousands of years. It was fascinating to read her exploring this ‘new’ human world and making funny mistakes. In many ways she seemed fragile and even vunerable to her new emotions which is a sharp contrast to her take no prisoners attitude when she protects humans.
This is an enthralling book that readers of dark fantasy and urban fantasy will definitely enjoy. Although there is a potential love interest this book is in no way mushy. The action packed plot and the strong heroine make this an exciting new series. I feel the heroine is just getting started and I can't wait for more!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 26th, 2010
4 ½ stars
Highborn is a richly layered urban fantasy about a fallen angel named Brynna who seeks redemption and wants to return to Heaven. Brynna has just escaped Hell where she was Lucifer's pet. But the problem is that Lucifer wants her back! And he has sent deadly Hunters to track her down.
On earth Brynna finds that nephilim. (Children fathered by angels and human mothers.) are being murdered. This troubles her because nephilim all have a purpose or calling on earth and by killing them their calling will never come true. Since she was a witness to one murder the police are investigating her. One detective named Eran is particularly interested and attracted to Brynna. He finds her fascinating and Brynna discovers that she is not immune to him! But will he believe in angels and demons? Or will Brynna's unrelenting pursuit of redemption scare him away?
Brynna is like a superhero. She has neat powers. She can burn with her hands. She has super speed, healing and strength. And her single-minded purpose to protect the fragile humans and therefore redeem herself is amazing to read. I liked how she slowly begins to enjoy helping people and is surprised that she has actually grown fond of humans. I also loved how she used her kick ass powers and almost too cool fighting machine tactics to get the bad guys.
I also enjoyed how Brynna has not been to earth in hundreds if not thousands of years. It was fascinating to read her exploring this ‘new’ human world and making funny mistakes. In many ways she seemed fragile and even vunerable to her new emotions which is a sharp contrast to her take no prisoners attitude when she protects humans.
This is an enthralling book that readers of dark fantasy and urban fantasy will definitely enjoy. Although there is a potential love interest this book is in no way mushy. The action packed plot and the strong heroine make this an exciting new series. I feel the heroine is just getting started and I can't wait for more!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
November 6, 2010
Astarte aka "Brynna" was a fallen angel, who escaped hell, to live life on earth, in the hope of finding redemption. When someone or something was killing the Nephalim (half human/half angel with a specific calling) and after witnessing it first hand, she was questioned by Detective Eran Redmond. Brynna found herself pulled into the investigation and into a war between good and evil. She had no idea how to be human. She was she often confused by her own emotions and she discovered, she had some very human desires toward Eran.
Brynna saw things in a distant and in some ways, innocent perspective. For example, watching someone getting thier brains blown out would have freaked anyone out. But, she looked at it as a curiousity...I guess hell would do that to anyone. Living through all that hell, she still had hope , and I liked her for it. I also appreciated that while she wasn't the typical kickass, she was strong and not without certain abilities. She still had her faith and tried to do the right thing. Her chemistry with Eran was sweet and hopeful. I did like that he was honorable and all around good guy. His personality was very suitable for a cop. Although, he didn't believe Brynna's exclaimation as to who she was, but his reaction toward it was crediable. I mean can you imagine someone telling you, that they are not human, but a fallen angel?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Brynna's journey amoung the humans, falling in love, helping those in need, never giving up hope or fatih, and traveling down a path of redemption was compelling and thought provoking tale. The author pulls the reader in with a intriguing plot and engaging characters. It was a great start to a new and thrilling urban fantasy series.
Brynna saw things in a distant and in some ways, innocent perspective. For example, watching someone getting thier brains blown out would have freaked anyone out. But, she looked at it as a curiousity...I guess hell would do that to anyone. Living through all that hell, she still had hope , and I liked her for it. I also appreciated that while she wasn't the typical kickass, she was strong and not without certain abilities. She still had her faith and tried to do the right thing. Her chemistry with Eran was sweet and hopeful. I did like that he was honorable and all around good guy. His personality was very suitable for a cop. Although, he didn't believe Brynna's exclaimation as to who she was, but his reaction toward it was crediable. I mean can you imagine someone telling you, that they are not human, but a fallen angel?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Brynna's journey amoung the humans, falling in love, helping those in need, never giving up hope or fatih, and traveling down a path of redemption was compelling and thought provoking tale. The author pulls the reader in with a intriguing plot and engaging characters. It was a great start to a new and thrilling urban fantasy series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2011
Highborn Review
4.5 stars
I’d like to start by saying that I could not put this book down! Highborn opens with Astarte (Brynna) looking out of her window over the vast wasteland of Hell and pondering her past deeds. She is one of the Fallen, with only one perfect feather to remind her of her past Grace, and she is determined to make things right and return to her former glory. When she somehow escapes Hell and finds herself on Earth, in human form, she takes the name Brynna Malak and sets out to redeem herself. Brynna then finds herself caught in the crossfire of a serial killer that’s been terrifying the Chicago area, a sniper that seems to be targeting people that aren’t connected in any way, but she will soon find out they are connected, and have everything to do with her. Brynna will have to deal with her growing attraction to Detective Eran Redmond, the cop working the case, and the increasing protectiveness she feels for her newfound friends, in order to make her way on Earth. Not to mention the Hunters that could find her and drag her back to Hell…
Highborn was so much fun, and I absolutely love Brynna! She reminded me a bit of Rachel Caine’s Cassiel (Outcast Season), in that she is an otherworldly creature in an earthly body, having to learn to deal with very human emotions. The action is just about nonstop and it was just all and all a great read! I can’t wait for the next book!
4.5 stars
I’d like to start by saying that I could not put this book down! Highborn opens with Astarte (Brynna) looking out of her window over the vast wasteland of Hell and pondering her past deeds. She is one of the Fallen, with only one perfect feather to remind her of her past Grace, and she is determined to make things right and return to her former glory. When she somehow escapes Hell and finds herself on Earth, in human form, she takes the name Brynna Malak and sets out to redeem herself. Brynna then finds herself caught in the crossfire of a serial killer that’s been terrifying the Chicago area, a sniper that seems to be targeting people that aren’t connected in any way, but she will soon find out they are connected, and have everything to do with her. Brynna will have to deal with her growing attraction to Detective Eran Redmond, the cop working the case, and the increasing protectiveness she feels for her newfound friends, in order to make her way on Earth. Not to mention the Hunters that could find her and drag her back to Hell…
Highborn was so much fun, and I absolutely love Brynna! She reminded me a bit of Rachel Caine’s Cassiel (Outcast Season), in that she is an otherworldly creature in an earthly body, having to learn to deal with very human emotions. The action is just about nonstop and it was just all and all a great read! I can’t wait for the next book!
June 19, 2011
Brynna is a fallen Angel, who is trying to earn redemption while dodging hunters sent from hell and simultaneous figuring out how to live in the human world. A serial killer is loose, and Brynna witnesses the kill of a Nephillim, the child of a human and an angel, destined to do something good. soon Brynna takes part in the hunt for the killer, trying to prevent him from taking another life.
In this she receives help from a policeman, who doubles as romantic interest.
there were a lot of good things in this book. I liked that Brynna was not all powerful, I was fascinated with her development into a more humane character. I really liked, that she wasn't shown as a soft, misunderstood woman, who felt compassion and love right out of Hell. she struggled, and her emotions developed slowly.
I liked the secondary characters, I liked that they were wellrounded, and I liked the killers internal struggle. I found his story realistic and compelling.
What I didn't like was the romance part. I did not feel the attraction between Brynna and the cop. It felt like the author simply put them together because she felt there had to be some romance. I found the sex jarring and unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I like some romance in my books, in fact I read quite a lot of it, but it felt out of place here. Woud it really be so terrible to not have a romantic line in every story? or at least let it develop more slowly over several books, so it doesn't feel so forced? okay, rant over.
All in all a good book, and I will definitely be looking into the sequel.
In this she receives help from a policeman, who doubles as romantic interest.
there were a lot of good things in this book. I liked that Brynna was not all powerful, I was fascinated with her development into a more humane character. I really liked, that she wasn't shown as a soft, misunderstood woman, who felt compassion and love right out of Hell. she struggled, and her emotions developed slowly.
I liked the secondary characters, I liked that they were wellrounded, and I liked the killers internal struggle. I found his story realistic and compelling.
What I didn't like was the romance part. I did not feel the attraction between Brynna and the cop. It felt like the author simply put them together because she felt there had to be some romance. I found the sex jarring and unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I like some romance in my books, in fact I read quite a lot of it, but it felt out of place here. Woud it really be so terrible to not have a romantic line in every story? or at least let it develop more slowly over several books, so it doesn't feel so forced? okay, rant over.
All in all a good book, and I will definitely be looking into the sequel.
June 26, 2011
This was exactly the type of book I was looking for when I dug into it. I wanted something in the urban fantasy vein. Check. I wanted something with fallen angels or demons looking for redemption. Check. I wanted a little romance but most of the story to be gritty and dark. Check. See what I'm saying? Exactly what I was looking for.
I think the thing that tipped this book over the edge of fun and into INCREDIBLY AWESOME was Brynna. I absolutely loved her reactions to the real world. I loved that she was so nonchalant about death (hey, she'd doled out more death as a demon than most people could comprehend) and the way she didn't quite grasp that everyone around her expected her to horrified when she witnessed a murder. I loved her anger when a group of thugs made the mistake of trying to hurt her. It was so fun to see a character whose reactions were completely opposite of what you'd expect.
The worldbuilding and mythology were top notch. The characters were well written and dynamic. The plot was interesting and the ending came as a surprise. Brynna's path to redemption is just starting and I'm sure she'll have plenty of tests on her way to freedom. I'm looking forward to seeing what craziness she gets into next.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
I think the thing that tipped this book over the edge of fun and into INCREDIBLY AWESOME was Brynna. I absolutely loved her reactions to the real world. I loved that she was so nonchalant about death (hey, she'd doled out more death as a demon than most people could comprehend) and the way she didn't quite grasp that everyone around her expected her to horrified when she witnessed a murder. I loved her anger when a group of thugs made the mistake of trying to hurt her. It was so fun to see a character whose reactions were completely opposite of what you'd expect.
The worldbuilding and mythology were top notch. The characters were well written and dynamic. The plot was interesting and the ending came as a surprise. Brynna's path to redemption is just starting and I'm sure she'll have plenty of tests on her way to freedom. I'm looking forward to seeing what craziness she gets into next.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
September 20, 2015
Another urban fantasy with an unusual main character: a fallen angel. The prologue begins with the fallen angel in hell but by the first chapter she is on Earth, wandering around with some language skills but no social skills or current understanding of how most things on Earth currently work. Now I know this approach of a seemingly random bit in the prologue and then jumping straight into the main part of the story; however, there was never any clarification about past events. We had a few details scattered throughout the story, but by the end, I still barely understood a thing about Brynna, how she got from Hell to Earth, and how the heck she plans to go about redemption especially when we the readers are confused about the details of what happened in the first place. (Also the actual story happenings are not the way the summary on the back sounds at all) I wanted to like the story and I did like some elements, the way Brynna still wants to do good things, the concept of the nephilim, and Brynna's lack of social knowledge makes a lot of sense and fits the tone of the story. However, there was not enough main character development and I still feel like there was nothing between Brynna and Redmond other than a one night stand so I am not interested in continuing.
July 1, 2013
Highborn begins with a vividly described scene of Hell. Astarte, a fallen angel, watches the daily round of horrors from her bloodstained tower, and decides she wants out. We then cut to Astarte, having escaped Hell and calling herself Brynna Malak, as she adjusts to life in modern-day Chicago. Brynna can understand any language she hears. She’s less adept at navigating other aspects of human life: how to feel empathy, how to pet a dog, and why you shouldn’t just wander away from the scene when you witness a murder. Yvonne Navarro does a terrific (and often funny) job of portraying a character who just doesn’t “get” social norms and has a lot of acclimating to do.
Brynna soon learns that someone is killing nephilim in the city. Nephilim are the children of angels and mortal women, and each is born for a specific, divine purpose. Killing them not only ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Brynna soon learns that someone is killing nephilim in the city. Nephilim are the children of angels and mortal women, and each is born for a specific, divine purpose. Killing them not only ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
January 24, 2011
Brynna/Astarte used to be an angel, Highborn. Then she apparently fell in love with Lucifer and chose a life of darkness and became a demon. Then, much later, you know after centuries of being very evil, and after Lucifer apparently lost interest in her, she decided that she wanted redemption. She wants to be forgiven. So, during one endless fit of boredom, she chooses to become quasi-mortal and lands herself in Chicago. To regain her feathers. One at a time. Or whatever.
To be blunt, I thought this story had potential and then I started reading it. It is slow. It is boring. I can not connect to the characters or their relationships. I never would have finished it, had it not been the last book of a challenge.
To be blunt, I thought this story had potential and then I started reading it. It is slow. It is boring. I can not connect to the characters or their relationships. I never would have finished it, had it not been the last book of a challenge.
December 18, 2010
Wow! That's unbelievable. Here I thought that I just lost interest in books, for how to explain that so many books I start I can't make myself read to the end?! But this book proved me wrong. I can truthfully admit that I swallowed the book whole, from cover to cover in a matter of one evening and a good part of the night:)
Don't want to spoil anyone's fun reading by telling anything about the book. Let's just say that if you enjoyed reading Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series this book is certainly for you;)
Don't want to spoil anyone's fun reading by telling anything about the book. Let's just say that if you enjoyed reading Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series this book is certainly for you;)
June 5, 2011
If you like to read about demons, then this is one book to read. This is a nice book as a start of a series; it at the end of the book you will think about the following questions regarding the story line:
1. What is the relationship between Brynna and Lucifer?
2. What caused the fall from grace of Brynna?
3. What was the role of Brynna when she was still in hell?
there are some lines/lessons we could use like we do have choices that out fate is dictated by the decisions we have made.
1. What is the relationship between Brynna and Lucifer?
2. What caused the fall from grace of Brynna?
3. What was the role of Brynna when she was still in hell?
there are some lines/lessons we could use like we do have choices that out fate is dictated by the decisions we have made.
Want to read
July 23, 201523 July 2015: $2.99 on Kindle
September 21, 2011
This is the second time I have read this book and enjoyed it very much.
March 25, 2018
DNF'd this one about 2/3 of the way through. This book started out strong for me--it had an interesting voice, and premise to start with-- and then it got worse. Certain characters started to be annoying, and a 'romance' that felt laughably forced, got inserted in such a way that it kind of actively fought who and what the novel had told us the main character was supposed to be. It felt a little like the book was contradicting itself, and once that started happening, I couldn't bring myself to plod through the rest of it. Life is too short for me to force my way through something I am not feeling. And it didn't help anything that once I started feeling this way about the book (at about the 2/3 read mark), that I already knew there was only one other book published in this series, and that it was 7 years old. This is a dead series, so there needed to be a good reason for me to continue it, and I didn't feel that this book gave me that.
My reviews are mostly meant as notes to myself, so I don't accidentally forget whether or not I read something and/or what I thought of things that I have read. I go through so many books, that it is easy to get them confused if I don't write something like this for myself. Oh well, on to the next...
My reviews are mostly meant as notes to myself, so I don't accidentally forget whether or not I read something and/or what I thought of things that I have read. I go through so many books, that it is easy to get them confused if I don't write something like this for myself. Oh well, on to the next...
January 3, 2018
Another urban fantasy with a hot female protagonist. This one is a defector from Hell and her initial obliviousness to human laws, customs, and feelings is just *adorable*. To her, kindness is unfamiliar territory on both sides, but one she's willing to explore. I think it makes her stand out from her sisters in the genre.
July 31, 2019
4.0 to 4.5 stars, would probably recommend it, maybe?
Interesting concept, well put together.
Unfortunately, I dont think it needed THE scene between Redmond and Brynna, or the other scene with the cleaver.
But over all, good book, fun and quick read.
Interesting concept, well put together.
Unfortunately, I dont think it needed THE scene between Redmond and Brynna, or the other scene with the cleaver.
But over all, good book, fun and quick read.
March 23, 2017
Can't beat a demon fallen angel kicking ass for redemption, especially with an author as skillful as Yvonne Navarro. I look forward to reading the rest of the Dark Redemption series.
February 25, 2011
Astarte aka Brynna Malak, is a fallen angel who escapes from hell in hopes of finding redemption in the eyes of her maker. Somehow after thousands of years serving Lucifer, she suddenly finds hope for redemption, and escapes Hell. She, like other Fallen Angels who ended up becoming demons and working for Lucifer, believe that there is always room for forgiveness. It's just finding the right cause in order to catch God's attention. Brynna's cause, it seems, it trying to save the Nephilim from being extinguished by demons.
Bry is best known as Mankinds Desire/Lust. As she is making her way as a newborn human, she has to hide from Hells Hunters who want to drag her back. She soon witnesses an EMT/Nephilim being killed right in front of her. She even sees who the killer was. She knows that the victim haa a specific calling, but the victim hadn't been called yet. * I think being an EMT is a calling into itself, like being a firefighter or police officer *
Detective Eran Redmond finds her the next day while she is strolling through Walgreens looking for burn medication that the victim told her would work. Richmand proceeds to arrest her and keep her overnight as a person of interest, and withholding information pertinent to the investigation.
Brynna then finds herself being pulled into the investigation and into a war between good and evil. You could say that this is the theme the author was trying to put forward in creating this series in the first place. It's a very Christian orientated theme of redemption and forgiveness for past sins.
Upon being let go from jail, she once again finds herself in the middle of trouble. After scaring off the would be thieves, she ends up meeting another Nephilim named Mireva, who in the end, becomes the primary target for Lahash, and Gavino, both demons. They use another Nephil named Michael Klesowitch to kill Nephilim, telling Michael that it's his calling from God.
Brynna makes a choice to protect Mireva at all costs from Lahash, and Gavino, and even falls prey to a hunter who wants to drag her back to hell. She ends up falling for Eran, a very human emotion she's just starting to understand. Unfortunately, Mireva's lot has been cast, and she is called into saving a professor at the cost of her own life. Kind of a sad ending, but I guess the message was that since Brynna helped guide her to her calling, that she is heading in the right direction towards redemption.
I'm not sure how to take this book. I mean, yes, the idea, and story to me is appealing. But, I've tried to avoid being sucked into Christian themed books for fear that they will be preaching to the choir about salvation etc. Brynna is a very interesting and hard core character, no doubt about it. I just would love to know more about her, and maybe, will be thinking about reading the next book in the series when it releases: Concrete Savior (05/31/2011). I would like to see how the relationship between Brynna and Eran progresses, and how many actual feathers she needs to collect before she is forgiven for betraying her maker. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a UF or PNR story either.
Bry is best known as Mankinds Desire/Lust. As she is making her way as a newborn human, she has to hide from Hells Hunters who want to drag her back. She soon witnesses an EMT/Nephilim being killed right in front of her. She even sees who the killer was. She knows that the victim haa a specific calling, but the victim hadn't been called yet. * I think being an EMT is a calling into itself, like being a firefighter or police officer *
Detective Eran Redmond finds her the next day while she is strolling through Walgreens looking for burn medication that the victim told her would work. Richmand proceeds to arrest her and keep her overnight as a person of interest, and withholding information pertinent to the investigation.
Brynna then finds herself being pulled into the investigation and into a war between good and evil. You could say that this is the theme the author was trying to put forward in creating this series in the first place. It's a very Christian orientated theme of redemption and forgiveness for past sins.
Upon being let go from jail, she once again finds herself in the middle of trouble. After scaring off the would be thieves, she ends up meeting another Nephilim named Mireva, who in the end, becomes the primary target for Lahash, and Gavino, both demons. They use another Nephil named Michael Klesowitch to kill Nephilim, telling Michael that it's his calling from God.
Brynna makes a choice to protect Mireva at all costs from Lahash, and Gavino, and even falls prey to a hunter who wants to drag her back to hell. She ends up falling for Eran, a very human emotion she's just starting to understand. Unfortunately, Mireva's lot has been cast, and she is called into saving a professor at the cost of her own life. Kind of a sad ending, but I guess the message was that since Brynna helped guide her to her calling, that she is heading in the right direction towards redemption.
I'm not sure how to take this book. I mean, yes, the idea, and story to me is appealing. But, I've tried to avoid being sucked into Christian themed books for fear that they will be preaching to the choir about salvation etc. Brynna is a very interesting and hard core character, no doubt about it. I just would love to know more about her, and maybe, will be thinking about reading the next book in the series when it releases: Concrete Savior (05/31/2011). I would like to see how the relationship between Brynna and Eran progresses, and how many actual feathers she needs to collect before she is forgiven for betraying her maker. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a UF or PNR story either.
August 16, 2014
Highborn; Yvonne Navarro, 2010
So . . . I’d just finished speed reading the last of Jeaniene Frost’s ‘Cat & Bones’ series and was cruising my 3MCloud Library (love it), looking for new authors to test read, when I came across ‘Highborn’, by Yvonne Navarro. Now we all know there are two things I look for in a new book; art work (bad cover art - I won’t even open up the book unless I already know the author) and a story hook within the first two paragraphs. I might be able to get around the bad cover art, but if they haven’t set the story hook by the end of page one, I’m a gonner.
Anyway, I find this new author whose cover art is so-so and start to move on to the next book ad, when I see this blurb; ‘A twisted urban paranormal noir . . . ‘ just below her name.
Okay, they had me at ‘twisted’.
I can’t say I was hooked by the end of page one. Heck,I wasn’t even hooked by page ten. But I did find the character and story (bad angel seeking redemption) interesting enough, that it pulled me onto the next page and the next and . . . until finally I found myself turning them without effort.
So what is it about ‘Highborn’ that kept me going, even after admitting I won’t read something that hasn’t set its fictional claws in me by page two? The main heroine, Brynna. Despite the authors failure to grab my immediate attention with the story, she did manage to create an interesting enough character, quickly enough, to make me wiling to invest another twenty minutes of my time. Fortunately for both of us,it paid off, since I read the remainder of the book in one sitting.
More and more, as both a reader and fledgling author, I’m finding that the four most important ingredients for a great book are: fast hook, interesting characters, better than average plot and good beat/pace. Now, it might just be my short attention span, but if a book has at least three of those four things going for it, I don’t see how the story can go wrong. Heck, I’ve enjoyed poorly written books, simply because the ingredients for greatness was there. I just had to get over my need for perfection to see it.
And that in a nut shell is what I found with this book; a slow starter with all the ingredients needed for greatness. It just took Navarro a little while to get there.
On my reader’s scale of 1-5 stars, I’m giving ‘Highborn’ a 2.5 for taking a little too long for lift off and 3.5 for recovery. Looking forward to the second book in the Dark Redemption Series, ‘Concrete Savior’.
So . . . I’d just finished speed reading the last of Jeaniene Frost’s ‘Cat & Bones’ series and was cruising my 3MCloud Library (love it), looking for new authors to test read, when I came across ‘Highborn’, by Yvonne Navarro. Now we all know there are two things I look for in a new book; art work (bad cover art - I won’t even open up the book unless I already know the author) and a story hook within the first two paragraphs. I might be able to get around the bad cover art, but if they haven’t set the story hook by the end of page one, I’m a gonner.
Anyway, I find this new author whose cover art is so-so and start to move on to the next book ad, when I see this blurb; ‘A twisted urban paranormal noir . . . ‘ just below her name.
Okay, they had me at ‘twisted’.
I can’t say I was hooked by the end of page one. Heck,I wasn’t even hooked by page ten. But I did find the character and story (bad angel seeking redemption) interesting enough, that it pulled me onto the next page and the next and . . . until finally I found myself turning them without effort.
So what is it about ‘Highborn’ that kept me going, even after admitting I won’t read something that hasn’t set its fictional claws in me by page two? The main heroine, Brynna. Despite the authors failure to grab my immediate attention with the story, she did manage to create an interesting enough character, quickly enough, to make me wiling to invest another twenty minutes of my time. Fortunately for both of us,it paid off, since I read the remainder of the book in one sitting.
More and more, as both a reader and fledgling author, I’m finding that the four most important ingredients for a great book are: fast hook, interesting characters, better than average plot and good beat/pace. Now, it might just be my short attention span, but if a book has at least three of those four things going for it, I don’t see how the story can go wrong. Heck, I’ve enjoyed poorly written books, simply because the ingredients for greatness was there. I just had to get over my need for perfection to see it.
And that in a nut shell is what I found with this book; a slow starter with all the ingredients needed for greatness. It just took Navarro a little while to get there.
On my reader’s scale of 1-5 stars, I’m giving ‘Highborn’ a 2.5 for taking a little too long for lift off and 3.5 for recovery. Looking forward to the second book in the Dark Redemption Series, ‘Concrete Savior’.
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