“A breathtaking fantasy set in an extraordinary fairy-tale world, with deceptive twists and an addictively adorable cast who are illusory to the end. Just when I thought I’d figured each out, Sara Ella sent me for another ride. A wholly original story, Unblemished begins as a sweet melody and quickly becomes an anthem of the heart. And I’m singing my soul out. Fans of Once Upon a Time and Julie … Julie Kagawa, brace yourselves.” –Mary Weber, award-winning author of the Storm Siren Trilogy
Eliyana can’t bear to look at her own reflection. But what if that were only one Reflection–one world? What if another world exists where her blemish could become her strength?
Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her like he does: normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.
But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.
Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?
“Lyrically written and achingly romantic–Unblemished will tug your heartstrings!” –Melissa Landers, author of Alienated, Invaded, and Starflight
“Self-worth and destiny collide in this twisty-turny fantasy full of surprise and heart. Propelled into a world she knows nothing about, Eliyana learns that the birthmark she despises is not quite the superficial curse she thought it was–it’s worse, and the mark comes with a heavy responsibility. Can she face her reflection long enough to be the hero her new friends need? With charm and wit, author Sara Ella delivers Unblemished, a magical story with a compelling message and a unique take on the perils of Central Park.” –Shannon Dittemore, author of the Angel Eyes trilogy
“Unblemished is an enchanting, beautifully written adventure with a pitch-perfect blend of fantasy, realism, and romance. Move this one to the top of your TBR pile and clear your schedule–you won’t want to put it down!” –Lorie Langdon, author of the Amazon bestselling DOON series
“Unblemished had me from the first chapter–mystery, romance, and mind-blowing twists and turns that I SO did not see coming! The worlds Sara Ella builds are complex and seamless; the characters she creates are beautifully flawed. Readers are sure to love this book and finish it, as I did, begging for more!” –Krista McGee, author of the ANOMALY trilogy
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Talk about being transported to another world! From the first page, I was pulled into Eliyana’s story and that of the intriguing Joshua. Both the romance between them but also their history and that of the worlds – reflections – they were pulled into. Magical worlds of powers and shape-shifters and kings and queens. So beautifully written. Recommended for young adults and anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.
People tend to shun and judge blemishes, and Eliyana knows this hard reality better than anyone. A birthmark covering half her face has made her a loner, and she desperately wants to feel loved. Just when she thinks her friend Joshua truly loves her, her world turns upside down as she discovers the reality of new dimensions, a dangerous enemy, and a twist of fate where her birthmark could actually help save her people.
The twists in this story kept my head spinning. Who to trust? Who not to trust? The author kept me guessing and gasping as she revealed new realities and understanding through Eliyana’s eyes. Although I sometimes found myself having a hard time keeping up with all the new revelations, I appreciated the character’s personal struggle and the theme that outward “blemishes” do not determine the mark or character of a person. The ending was satisfying but left me wanting more … and still wondering which man in her complicated love triangle really deserved her heart.
Describing my review of UNBLEMISHED in a sentence: The feels are real and they’re not going away anytime soon.
Sara’s debut is so very good and one that kept me up late or sneaking off to read. I couldn’t and didn’t want to put it down!
The world-building was superb and loved the map in the beginning. I felt like I had been transported to this reflection and was caught up in the Callings of each character.
The story was intense, but in such a beautiful way where you lose track of time or even your surroundings. I was completely living a new life through El that I didn’t want to leave. Plus, those chapter cliff hangers and plot twists make it hard to do anything else when I’m wanting to see what happens next.
One of the messages I have been reflecting on (no pun intended) is something that Ky has said as well as others about looking past the surface, to not see with the physical eyes of a person’s value. I loved this message because it encouraged me to “see” deeper than what I feel is true about a person based on outward appearances, whether that’s me looking at my reflection or someone else.
I am SO eagerly wanting book two and continue El’s story. Rock on #TeamKy!
I definitely recommend this book to urban fantasy readers and to anyone who loves reading about a heroine who is so relatable.
*(I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
It was so good! To be honest i was not expecting it to be as good as it was, but it litteraly blew my expectations away! normally about halfway through the book if not before i guess the gist of the story, but by the time i finished the book, i was totally surprised. It was a little confusing at first, and i got a little lost, but then all of the sudden it all clicked, and was very good. I think it would make a amazing movie
Good Job Ms. Sara Ella!!!
I received this book for an honest review from the Fiction Guild. It was a very intriquing book with a lot of twist and turns. It is a very good book with interesting characters and a lot of different things happening in it to keep you wondering what is going to happen next
Unblemished by Sara Ella is the first in her series that takes a unique perspective on playing with multiple universes. Eilyana is a great protagonist because she’s smart, but she also develops as a character. She goes from being a pushover to a strong willful individual who is willing to do what needs to be done. It makes her relatable, it makes her character driven and interesting to follow through the story. She’s such an insecure character but they aren’t overdrawn insecurities, her insecurity stems from a place of hurt and loneliness. That’s what makes her such a dynamic character and relatable to the audiences, to the point where the reader is watching her grow and loving those moments that just make her impactful.
Then there are Ky and Joshua. The dynamic between the three characters is well-written and has a lot of tension to keep everything interesting. The romance was there but it also pulled off the love-triangle without being cliché which is important since it’s become a common trope within in YA fiction. Yet, the way Ella constructed it gave the love triangle substance. The relationships between the characters, they shifted and changed, but more importantly, they grew. Through those dynamics, the reader gets to see other sides of the characters, there is no black or white, there are shades of gray to the characters which stems from a real place. Again, this allows for realism to hook the reader in and believe in the fantasy of this world that Ella has created, and those relationships, they keep the tension of the text high, making this book unable to be put down.
Overall, it was a well-constructed story that allowed the reader to get to character because of how believable the narrative was put together. There are some parts of exposition that were just a little jarring and convoluted that it requires very careful reading on the part of the reader. Flushing out some of those details would have made reading those scenes just a little easier. Otherwise, it was a great novel.
The book opens in modern day NYC but soon we are introduced to alternate worlds (cleverly, I thought, called reflections). The story keeps you guessing with twists and turns that makes it difficult to put it down (I read it in two days – it would have been one day but I was at a conference when I read it). You don’t know whom to trust or who’s telling the truth as the unexpected pops up frequently. Most of the book takes place in the Second Reflection. It’s a world far different from ours filled with fascinating characters and creatures. It left me wanting to read the rest of the series and I wanted to know more about the other reflections.