I can't express to you how ready I am for the third book. The world building and the main character in this book take you on an adventure to what could be a distant future. Who knows? From continent to continent and country to country, follow this story to see how it all ends!

I enjoyed how it picked up pretty soon after the final events of True Born and how determined Lucy is to find her sister. I'm a little over the whole Lucy/Jared maybe they do, maybe they don't thing. I don't like how they have the "instant, soulmates" love thing because if it wasn't for that they probably would hate each other. I wish there would have been about Storm, because for such a huge character in the book and the social structure of their world, there's very little actually about him. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be a villain or a hero, but by the standards set up in this book he should obviously be one. I like how determined Lucy is, though her attitude could use some work since throughout the book I kind of wanted to hit her. I'm interested in Ali's story, he seems like he's going to be an important character in the next book and part of me kind of hopes that Lucy wakes up and forgets about Jared for Ali.
I'm not all that interested in Margot aside from the fact that Lucy so desperately wants her back. Like, I personally have no reason to like her aside from Lucy's need for her, which is frustrating because I hate being told I SHOULD like someone rather than WHY. I also feel wary of her because during the rescue she was acting funny, she wasn't in such a rush to get out or even try to escape and she seems to actually care about the bad guy. I don't know, I just really care about her or trust her.
I like how the story ended, though I am kind of annoyed that even though Storm is trying to be good to Lucy and her sister and help them, she still treats him like the enemy. She admits over and over again how her parents were cold to her, how her childhood wasn't great, yet she is still constantly quoting her father and relying on that upbringing to help her. She acts like Storm is the enemy because her father made her think she can't trust anyone, though after the reveal of what she is that seems to stem from the fact that he was trying to insure his "investment" stayed safe and to actually protect her, when all Storm is doing is putting a roof over her head, feeding her, and clothing her.
Right now I just have a lot of questions I hope are answered in the next book, because I enjoyed True Born and enjoyed this one, but I'm not in love with any of the characters or the plot because of all my questions.

Let me start with Lucy, who is an absolute IDIOT. God, I wanted to like her, but she is so stupid. And it's always the fault of one jackass: Jared Price. His name alone makes me want to sigh for a million years in utter disappointment and thinly veiled anger. This was my issue with book one--Lucy's obsession with Jared.

Look, Jared isn't a nice guy. He's not even one of those cliché bad boys. He's just an asshole. 110% asshole who is also obsessive and cruel and sort of abusive? The entire romance in this series is fucking toxic and unhealthy and yet it continued to force itself on me.

Lucy would have been such an amazing character if she washed her hands of Jared in True Born but if anything, she gets worse with her crush. It's a lot of push and pull and it's pathetic. The guy pushes her worst buttons and acts like a prick yet she's so?? "In love" with him?? I don't get it.

Anyway, in other news: nothing happens. For about half the damn book, maybe even more, absolutely nothing happens. You cannot fool me with pretty writing, no, I can see right through it all. Even with the introduction of a new character, who I hoped would have created a love triangle, because that would have actually made this mess of a book better, was sidelined so a lot more of nothing and bad angst could take its place.

Will I read the last book? I hate myself, but probably! I've suffered from the first two, might as well go big.

“True North” is the second book in the “True Born” trilogy. I found it to be much more fun and less confusing than the first.

Part of the reason it is more fun is that I have accepted the somewhat ridiculous premise and beyond sketchy science and just decided to go along for the ride. There is a new character, Alistair, who is intriguing and has me anxious for the next book to learn more. The romance is also ramped up quite a bit for those who were waiting for that.

If you enjoyed “True Born,” you will love “True North.”

Such a great read and exciting new series!

In the dystopian future of America, the city of Dominion is ruled by a rich high society that can afford to Splice their genes to help them survive the Plague that is decimating their world. However, the Fox family of the high society is hiding a secret in the blood of twin sisters Lucy and Margot which can change the world forever. To survive and discover this secret, Lucy finds herself being lead by a True Born (Nolan Storm), and guarded by Jared Price.

The characters in this series are wonderfully written, and have a way of drawing the reader in by its (at times) poetic phrasing -- and beautiful, deadly people. I can't wait for the third installment of this series, and to read other books by L.E. Sterling.

Talk about Second Book Syndrome. Despite really loving the first book, I struggled to get into this. It took 25% of the book to actually get interesting for me, so it’s a miracle I didn’t DNF it at some point.

At the end of True Born, the first book in the trilogy, twin sisters Lucy and Margot are separated. Margot goes off with their parents and some random dude to Russia, while Lucy stayed behind with the True Borns (and Jared, tbh). True North picks up four months later, and nothing really has happened. Lucy has no idea where Margot is and hasn’t felt her through their psychic connection, and she’s still living with sort-of guardian Nolan Storm. Aside from some parties and a number of idiotic moves on Lucy’s part, still nothing happens after the book begins. It was dull.

And the pacing issues continued throughout. It felt slow, then jumped, then slow again, and then a whole lot happened at the end in terms of information being revealed (some real WTF stuff, too), but I felt no real sense of OMG DANGER. It was anticlimactic.

Some of the things that I loved about True Born were the X-Men-esque powers and chemistry between Lucy and Jared. Well, on top of not doing a great job of reminding what happened in the first book (I had to read my review of it), there was very little excitement on the supernatural front for a while, and Jared was doing that whole “I asked you to stay and now I’m going to ice you out for months” thing. Are you rolling your eyes, too? The romance did eventually steam up a bit, but it was frustrating and cliché. And ok, there was some explanation in the end, but blaaaah. That being said, some of those hot moments were hot.

All in all, while some moment were enjoyable, and it did get the plot of the series from one point to another, it was all filler no thriller. I will be reading book 3, as I need closure, both with the insane plot and the star-crossed romance between Lucy and Jared.

true north is book numero two in the true born trilogy. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TRUE BORN (BOOK 1) STOP RIGHT NOW AND GO READ THAT. seriously. 100% not kidding. this is not a stand alone sequel. you simply must read book 1 or you will be struggling to make connections and fill in gaps in the story.

so, that being said, i previously reviewed true born. i really enjoyed true born so i jumped into true north with pretty high expectations. i was not disappointed.

true north was exactly what i needed it to be as the second book in a trilogy. some loose ends from book one were tied up and some excellent groundwork was laid for book three!

true north taps into a little more of the science of Dominion and can get a little tedious at times, but it isn't tedious to the point of boredom. at no time was i ever bored with this book!

if you love a good futuristic adventure with some genetic splicing and romantic tension - you'll really dig this series!

4/5 stars from this girl!

True North is the second book in a series based in an apocalyptic world where much of the earth’s population has been killed off by a devastating plague. Society is divided into three distinct groups: the Lasters, the Splicers and the True Born. You definitely don't want to be a Laster since you will for sure die of the plague, the Splicers have tons of money and use it to replace diseased DNA and the True Borns are immune to the plague and have evolved into what I can best describe as mutants.

The story picks up where the first book, True Born, left off. The main character Lucy is abandoned by her family and taken in by Nolan Storm and his group of militant True Borns. Storm has promised to help Lucy find her twin sister Margot, who she shares a special connection with. However, he isn't as forthcoming as she would like and this sets her off on a dangerous journey to Russia.

I was a huge fan of the first book. It was non-stop and totally engrossing. I honestly hadn't read anything like it! So, as you can imagine, I was very much looking forward to reading True North. I had so many questions that needed to be answered! The book was good but it lacked the special something that its predecessor had. I wasn't as eager to turn the pages or engaged with Lucy's struggle. Truth be told, the first quarter of the book featured very little action. There was a lot of time spent explaining key events from the first novel. I understand why authors need to do it but it was all a bit too much for my liking. I was starting to feel kind of put-off but thank goodness I held on because at around the 40% mark things really began to pick up!

As much as I loved Lucy is the first book, I have to say she was different in this one. Her character wasn't as consistent, almost as if the author wasn't sure what to do with her. She's shallow and flighty one moment, then confident and empathetic the next. The characters that really shone were the True Borns. I'm glad we got to learn more about Jared and Storm, two characters who were prominent in True Born, but not really explored. I actually really wish we could have had chapters from their POVs. Now that would have really added some action!

So, while I did enjoy True North, it was ultimately unable to recapture what made its predecessor so amazing. The plot and storylines were drawn out and the characters uneven. This trilogy could perhaps have been made into a duology? I don't know, but this book has left me with enough questions to want to read the series final.

True North returns readers to Dominion City, where the plague is continuing to wipe out the population. While I generally enjoyed this book just as I did the first one, there were a few issues that I had with it.

First, for a good chunk of the book, I felt like nothing was happening. Yes, I was reading words and some things were going on, but there was no advancement to the plot. The pace in the beginning of the book was slow and dragged on, causing me to wonder when something was actually going to happen. However, once things did start happening, it hooked my attention again and kept me hungry for more.

I love that this series explores a world that could conceivably be in the not too distant future, with such vast differences from the world we currently live in. While it’s hard for me to fathom that the world could one day have completely new countries, it’s entirely possible. After all, I’m sure the Romans thought they would be on top forever too.

In this book we get to see a lot more of the politics and the inner workings of the Upper Circle, which was very interesting. This really helped me to understand what kind of world Lucy is a part of, and just what motivates the characters in this novel.

I think that True North is an okay sequel to a great first novel. I’m not completely in love, but there is definitely enough intrigue to keep me reading to the third book when it comes out. I give True North 3/5 stars.

True North picks up four months after the events of True Born. We are back with Lucy, Jared, Storm and the crew but without Margot.

The same mystery remains. What is so special about Lucy and Margot. What are the Watchers after, what is everyone after really. As much as Lucy manages to uncover, she is always hit with new questions. Piece by piece things are revealed and slowly slip into places on a puzzle that is nowhere near completed. I really liked this about the story. Although at times I had to reread parts just to make sure I was understanding. It’s a very submersive plot.

Jared and Lucy. I love the push and pull that occurs between these two. When they have their moments the chemistry is off the charts. When they have their low times, well it’s frustrating as all get out. It was my one major annoyance with Lucy. I could not for the life of me understand why she kept going back in forth about Jared’s motivations. I thought they were quite clear by the end of the first book. I’m guessing much of it stems with her insecurities and distrust of the world. I really like how the love word is not thrown around carelessly either.

One thing I really like about Lucy is despite the fact that she is taking charge of her own life. She doesn’t shed her old one overnight like a bad skin. There are still remnants of the way she was in her personality. Yes she’s learning and changing but you can’t just erase 18 years of life that was ingrained into her. It was often as though her Upper Circle self was battling with this new free version of herself. Again though her habit of falling into a need to the proper daughter would get frustrating.

A new mysteriously fascinating character is introduced. For a minute I worried about a love triangle. I’m not a hater of the love triangle but the way Jared and Lucy’s chemistry lights up a page. There really was no room for one. Which thankfully there is not one. Of course there is more than one Fox girl. Hmmm maybe in the future?

True North was a great second installment. I can’t wait to see where things go. Especially with the ending. So many questions…. It’s good though. Keeping you interested but not holding out on you. I also really like the writing and the flow of the story. It keeps a pretty even pace throughout and of course continues to have the high stakes. I can’t wait to see what Lucy does next.

I will start off by saying, if you are new to the series and want to start with a review of book 1, "True Born," you can find my review on Goodreads. I highly recommend reading these books in order, as the second makes so much more sense if you’ve read the first! I went back and re-read "True Born" right before I dove into "True North," and I’m so glad I did, because it was just as exciting and fascinating as the first time I read it.

Now, on to the review of the second book, "True North"! You can see from my review of the first that I was madly in love with the book and gave it 5 stars. So why only 4 stars for the followup? Well, I think this book suffers from some of what may be referred to as “second book syndrome,” where the second book in a trilogy is sometimes much slower than the first (and third) and serves mainly as a bridge from book 1 to book 3, if that makes sense. Basically, for much of this book there is the feeling of not much happening. Lucy even laments that after a few months there doesn’t seem to be movement on Storm’s part to help her find her sister. So we “suffer” through parties and meetings with her, until the action starts to happen at around 45%. From there, it was definitely a faster read, and a more action-packed one as well.

At the same time, especially during that beginning half or so, there are these meetings between Lucy and Storm and some of the other Upper Circle heads of household, and there is a lot of allusion to … I don’t even know what to call it, exactly. But basically, all these questions are raised, and they’re making allusions to conspiracies or machinations happening in the background that I honestly didn’t always understand the point of. I don’t feel like I got very many - if any - actual answers from all that was said, just more questions. I can only assume that Ms. Sterling has all of the answers ready to be given to us in book 3, but I will admit I was a bit frustrated at how in the dark I felt. Especially when it comes to the question of who is really “in charge” and behind everything that’s going on.

That being said, I still love the characters (especially Jared - OMG, I would give anything for him to be real and to be the object of his affection, good gracious me!!!!), and I am rooting for Lucy and Margot. I will absolutely, positively read the third and final book, as I must know how this all ends! There were some pretty explosive revelations toward the end of this book that were only lightly touched on, which I’m sure will be a focus of the final book. There is no question that I am a fan of this series and of Ms. Sterling, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I only wish I didn’t have to wait a year (or however long it may take), but I know that art takes time and creativity cannot be pushed! So I will attempt to wait patiently…and then re-read both "True Born" and "True North" before "True ???" arrives in my hands!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and Ms. Sterling for letting me read an early copy of this book! Thanks also to YA Reads for letting me take part in the tour and share my voluntary review with y’all :-)

Rating: 4 stars!

I liked the story but I felt like it needed more. I kept waiting for something big to happen. All this book did was confirm suspicions left from the first book! I would give it 3 stars.

Raiting this book actually hurt my soul. Finishing this book was even more painful.
I didn't totally love the first book, but I actually still enjoyed it. I also saw lots of potential for the second book. Sadly, all the good things I wanted to happen to the book and the story, didn't happen at all.

I still love the story itself, the idea behind the world this story is set in. It's terrifying but I really love it. The pace just isn't really working for me, cause I still feel we have no answer to any of the questions. I still feel as clueless as I did in the first book. And the characters. They don't work for me. Lucy makes terrible choices and just, I really didn't care about her much this time around. Jared, is just. NO. His behavior and just no. NO. Margot, the only one I actually still care about, wasn't in the book until the very end (the only reason I kept going and didn't dnf the book, because I wanted to see her again and read the reunion between her and Margot. Cause let's be real the relationship between the sisters is my favorite thing about the books and the only thing I still care about).

The last quarter of the book actually picked up it's pace and got much more interesting. But yeah. I'm going to finish the trilogy cause I really hope that the third book will answer all the questions and I feel like I invested to much time reading the two first books, that I wanna finish the series.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆
Lucy is now living with the True Borns under Storm's protection. Storm promised he'd help find her sister, Margot. In return, Lucy's place in the upper circle allows Storm access to the Dominion's elite to make connections and gather information. But Lucy is tired of waiting to learn about her sister's fate and takes matters into her own hands, despite the danger.

There is much we don't know about what is going on in Dominion and the world at large. With True North, I felt like a lot was going on but I wasn't learning a great deal either about what is truly going on or about the truth behind Lucy and Margot's blood. It was frustrating.

I was also frustrated with Jared, who runs hot and cold with Lucy and is just a giant tease. I wanted him to put up or shut up.

I think True North required me to be a more patient reader than I am, but the story picks up towards the end with some good tension and action. It left me wanting to find out what happens now. With one book left in this trilogy, I'm sure the final instalment will give me the pace and answers that I seek.


Erica – ☆☆☆
True North was a book I was highly anticipating, after the events that happened in True Born. Dominion is set in a plague-torn landscape amongst True Born, genetically spliced humans, and Lasters. Political machinations drive the plot.

I’m writing my initial thoughts at 45% into True North. After the large gap in time since reading the previous book, it was a struggle to fall into the story. Perhaps if I’d reread True Born as a refresher, this wouldn’t have been the case. By chapter three, it was smooth sailing. However, I do feel there was a different feel to the writing.

It wasn’t until the 40% mark into the book that anything happened. Prior to that, it felt stalled, bridging the gap from explaining what occurred in book one to what eventually would happen in book two.

There was so much world-building in book one, creating an impressive foundation for the series – True Born was jam-packed with action and originality – that I felt book two was a major letdown, to be quite honest.

The first 40% of the book is Lucy’s inner monologue, not trusting Storm and wanting to find her twin. She visits with the upper crust, as was her bargain with Storm, and crushes hard on Jared. It wasn’t as deep as the first book, more vapid and shallow – like Lucy’s thoughts were just riding the surface, even when thinking of her missing twin, she didn’t seem to show a growth in her emotions. Lucy just thought about how much she missed Margot for a sentence, and then was distracted by other thoughts.

The Lucy I remembered wasn’t the one written on the pages of True North. She was flighty, making stupid, reckless decisions, without a shred of self-preservation. She worried about her needs, not how her actions had consequences. Our heroine turned TSTL (too stupid to live) and dragged others with her.

I do feel for Lucy’s predicament. After a lifetime of knowing her future was in her father’s hands, now that Storm is using the marriage mart as his in, Lucy is terrified and unable to trust him. She wants to be the maker of her own destiny, to make her own choices. The only issue is that Lucy proves her freewill is more to her detriment than the cage others place her in. She doesn’t make choices based on knowledge and logic. Rather, everything she does is in the now, without thought of consequences, all based on emotion, which completely belies the fact that she is written to have a political mind. So while I feel for Lucy, she’s incapable of making choices for herself. This is the adult in me, and I’m positive the young adult reader won’t notice.

Up to 70%, I still feel as if the book is mostly filler, with scenes that don’t truly propel the plot forward. However, after this point, as the reader is moved toward the climax, every page is action-packed.

My final thoughts at the end of True North: Jared shines, and I don’t mean Lucy’s feelings for him – the author seems more connected to the character. While I feel this book was filler as a set-up for the next in the series, I’m glad I read it. I’m curious to see where the story goes, but slightly leery at the same time, fearing it will be drawn-out.

To be honest, I find the True Borns more intriguing, wishing to read from their point of view, instead of Lucy’s or Margot’s. To be inside Storm’s or Jared’s mind would be an interesting journey. Even the newest character, Ali. For me, Lucy just isn’t capturing my interest like she did in True Born.

Young Adult age-range: 12+, depending on the maturity of the reader. Violence, kissing and non-detailed sexual situations.

Book 2 picks up about 4 months after the events at the end of book 1, with Lucy being in Dominion with her self appointed guardian Storm and her parents and sister missing, presuming in Russia. Lucy has been helping Storm break into society, part of the deal she made with him to help her locate her sister. But there has been no news or leads in months, and Lucy is frustrated. If Storm refuses to do anything about it, Lucy is willing to take matters into her own hands to get results.

This book was a good read, but not as intense or as grabby as I found book one to be, most likely due to the fact my expectations were high and I just finished book one when I picked this up to read. That being said, this was not at all a bad book, just a little slower paced build than what I hopped for. Book one was all action and danger and stolen moments, where as this book was politics and mind games to find information. Book one caused me to have so many questions about Lucy and Margot, and for the most part they were kinda sorta not answered here, just vague hints revealed making me need the third book in the trilogy asap. Second books in a trilogy sometimes feel like place fillers in a series and I won't go as far as saying that here because stuff did happen, but I did hope for more. I guess I will just have to wait for book 3... (sigh).

Another thing that drove me crazy (and Lucy too) was Jared. He totally stepped back from the intense, "pick me" Jared that I loved from book one. And sure, he has his reasons (which I am not a fan of), but you can't ask a girl to pick you over her family and then go cold. I wanted a me-and-you-against-the world-I-will-follow-you-to-the-moon aka Russia kind of love, and where there are hints of that, Jared's character kind of took a back seat in this story. I am a lover of romances so of course I push for some love in my books.

On that note, I loved Ali! He was a new character in this story, but now my favorite. He was a complete mystery to both me and Lucy, and his motivations maybe sketchy, but I am so glad he became a part of Lucy's journey. I was afraid that the book was going to turn into a love triangle, but that was not what Ali was about. Nice way to show two character of opposite gender don't need to be romantic for a good relationship dynamic(and I think Jared and Lucy are mates/soulmates/whatever term you want to use that indicates they belong together).
This was a solid chapter in Lucy's battle but there is so much left unsaid that I am desperate for the third book . I have really enjoyed this series and know others will too.
I received this title in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own. Also special thanks to YAReads Blog Tours for having me on this amazing blog tour!

True North was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017 and it definitely did not disappoint! While this book certainly has the "middle book" feeling, it was a great continuation to the series and sets up the story to have a fantastic finale.

Plot:
This book begins about four months after the end of True Born. Margot is still missing and Lucy has no idea where she's gone. Having been abandoned in Dominion City, Lucy has had no choice but to rely on the kindness of the True Borns, namely Nolan Storm who has promised Lucy he will help her find her sister. But Storm has his own agenda that doesn't involve finding Margot, and Lucy gets tired of waiting, so she takes off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard, Jared Price. But Lucy can't help but worry that Jared's loyalty to Storm will hinder her chances at finding her sister. All is not as it appears, and the secret to the Fox sisters' blood must be discovered before they wind up dead. As I said above, this book definitely feels like a middle of the series book. There was a lot of build up to get to the "good stuff" so to speak, and a lot of it felt kind of boring at times, which was unfortunate because I was so excited to read this. Lucy spends a good chunk of the book putting her faith in Nolan Storm and his "promise" to help her find Margot before she realizes he's really not going to help her and she decides to take matters into her own hands. It was a lot of her and her inner monologue that involved either Jared and her frustration with him, where Margot is, and her growing distrust of Storm. Fortunately, however, once they got to Russia and discovered just why the Russians were so interested in Lucy and Margot, I was all about it. This book definitely builds up more on the twins and their "specialness" and I was so excited to read more about them, but the book was over before I knew it! There's a lot more world-building in True North, and you also get to visit new places outside of Dominion City which was really great to experience. At 400 pages, this certainly isn't a short book, but I absolutely flew through it and was dying for more by the end. It perfectly sets up the finale and I am so excited to see just where the story line goes from here!

Characters:
I'm not going to lie, I felt like Lucy wasn't as strong of a character in this book. She didn't act very smart, making reckless decisions such as wandering off from her bodyguard detail only to get pulled into a trap, and a large portion of the time her thoughts were on Jared. I definitely still enjoyed her connection to Margot and how dedicated she was to finding the key to her lock, as they are described several times throughout the book. Now that's not to say I didn't like her, I still love Lucy, but I just felt she wasn't the same Lucy from True Born. Which I suppose I can understand seeing as how she's completely cut off from her sister for such a long period of time. When it came to Jared, he drove me absolutely nuts! I couldn't understand why he constantly pulled Lucy around and was so hot and cold with her, and there were times where I was completely convinced that I was done with him as a whole. Especially the parts where he would comment about smelling Lucy. I just couldn't handle how...odd that was. But again, understandable as he's basically a cat, you know? The tension between the two of them was a huge part of the book and it was enough to make me shout at my Kindle several times. I did enjoy Ali as he was funny and had that something special about him. Although I shuddered at the thought of there being a love triangle introduced because I wasn't sure I could handle that. But he was great and I really wish there was more of him instead of Jared being all possessive about Lucy and then pushing her away. I was also pretty annoyed with Nolan for obvious reasons, but he definitely still had that electric personality that's just so hard to dislike. I think all of the characters were written so very well throughout this entire book and I was so happy to be back in this world with them and exploring more about Margot and Lucy. I have such a soft spot for all of them in their own ways and while I may not have been happy with every single thing they did, I still think they were all fantastic and I can't wait to see where each of their stories goes in the next book.

Writing:
L.E. Sterling has this way of writing that is elegant yet creepy. This entire book gives off the most spooky and dystopian-like vibe I've ever read about, and it's such an incredible experience. You get so much more world building with True North and it's just as desolate and terrifying as it was in True Born, if not more so. There's a constant sense of danger that accompanies Lucy throughout and you really get the feeling that something bad could happen at any time, anywhere. I loved the distinction between Dominion City and the other places that Lucy visits. She makes a comment about how it's always raining in Dominion, and that really gives you an idea of just how torn down and on the brink of complete destruction that place is. It's definitely one of my favorite dystopian cities I've ever read about because it feels so real, almost like I could climb through the pages and visit the alleyways with "Evolve or Die" written on the walls and see the kid gangs that roam the streets lining dead bodies with rocks. Being able to create such a vivid and frightening world that is still somehow beautiful is an amazing thing, and L.E. Sterling does it effortlessly. Her writing is unlike any I've ever read and it's incredible to see the growth from True Born to True North. It's growing and evolving into some of my favorite writing ever and while the wait for the final book is going to be long and hard, I know the words between the pages are going to be more elegant and chilling than ever.

True North is a book that is filled with fantastic characters, a plot that will leave you breathless, and writing that is sure to send shivers up your spine while painting a beautiful picture in your mind at the same time. I highly recommend picking up True Born first if you haven't (not only because it's fantastic but because it will provide all of the backstory you need to appreciate this book) and then having True North next to you to continue your journey. It's an incredible continuation to a wonderful dystopian/fantasy series and definitely cannot be missed!

The beginning was a little slow and hard to get into, but give it a chance because things pick up and you'll be glad you stuck with it.

I enjoyed TRUE NORTH. For a while in the beginning I thought I was going to have to put it down. The story just wasn't grabbing my attention, but when Lucy set off on her adventure it pulled me right back in. Lucy as a characters really stepped up and took the bull by the horns in regards to tracking down her kidnapped sister. She grew quite a bit as a character and really kept me interested in finding out what would happen next in the story.

I loved the way the relationship between Lucy and Jared progressed in TRUE NORTH. I enjoyed watching Jared come out of his shell a little bit. I also enjoyed the addition of Alistair to the storyline. I thought there would be a love triangle type situation, but thankfully there wasn't. There is a ton of mystery surrounding Alistair though and I am very interested in finding out more about him and for his secrets to come out, I think they will be good.

There's only one more book left before the trilogy is complete so I will definitely be looking out for book three.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the first in the series, and this one was interesting, but I just felt like treading water the entire book.

I am looking forward to reading this book, returning to Dominion City to learn more about the twin sisters, Lucinda and Margot Fox and what is happening to them now. Has Lucy made the right decision to join the renegades in the hopes of both changing the world they are living in and at the same time saving her sister Margot.
Once again I was fortunate enough to be sent an invitation to request this book and then sent a widget to access the book via Netgalley from Entangled Teen.

The cover has the same background colour of a washed out pale blue, so it should easily be recognisable as being part of the True Born Trilogy. Once again the central part of the cover is taken up be a skull of some sort. The byline on this book is "It's not you . . . . it's your DNA" which I am sure its relevance to the plot, and certain characters will be revealed within the book. The cover certainly fits well and is as unusual as the cover for True Born. I'd say the antlers on the first book cover and then the skull on this cover have a kind of shock value, which also intrigues as to what they are and how they fit into the books.

In this book the two unique twin sisters have been separated. Margot has left with their parents and the rich and powerful Russian aristocrat, Leo Resnikov. Lucinda is now living with the True Borns, and has Nolan Storm acting as her guardian. Lucinda or Lucy as she goes by now, is helping the True Born cause and Nolan Storm enter and rise within the ranks of the popular and wealthy elite citizens of Dominion City, in exchange for his help find and reuniting Lucy with her sister Margot. Jared Price, the golden haired panther True Born is still acting as Lucy's "merc" which is a powerful guard. Jared is prepared to die protecting Lucy. Is this because he is determined to do his job well or does he have much deeper feelings for Lucinda Fox? They come from totally different backgrounds, and are living in an unsteady, sometimes volatile world where if people were to find out they have romantic feelings it would not only be frowned upon, it could actually put the young fledgling couple in danger.
Neither Margot nor Lucy have yet discovered what they are despite numerous, and sometimes painful protocols and tests done on them. Lucy can feel what is happening to Margot and how she is feeling. The twin girls share a unique and strong bond, they are somehow invisibly connected. The girls have birthmarks, with Lucy's looking like a lock and Margot's looking like a key. You could say the girls fit together like a pair of gloves. Both girls wonder what they actually are. . .they are indeed special, but exactly how and why? Lucy often reflects about how her parents always seemed to look at the girls as if they were some sort of aliens from another place. The rather fanatical Father Wes believes the girls are the answer to a cure for the plague, that the answer to everything is somehow within the girls blood. Serena, the blind salvager's mother, had told Father Wes many years before that twin girls within Dominion City would save it from the plague. The truthfulness of this statement/prophecy is a mystery as Serena's mother seems to have disappeared into thin air after delivering it to Father Wes.

True Born leader, Nolan Storm has Lucinda Fox, daughter of the well known, high status, diplomat Lukas Fox introducing him to the elite people that are still living in Dominion City. They are invited and attend evening parties and engagements within the upper circle. It is at these fancy parties that Nolan Storm gets to roam around the homes and to gather intelligence and information about what is going on within the hierarchy of Dominion City. At times it seems that Nolan Storm is simply using Lucy for her connections and the people she can introduce him to, even though he protests when challenged that he does intend on helping her find her sister Margot when the time is right. But can Lucy tolerate being apart from Margot until the "time is right" for Nolan to make good on his side of their deal and help her rescue Margot? During this book Lucy has to learn to deal with a new alien feeling, which is not experiencing what her sister is going through. Then there are occurrences when Lucy feels exactly what Margot is enduring and it is not pleasant. There are also occasions where Lucy has the knowledge that Margot is involved physically and emotionally with a man that is with her wherever that is.

During the day Lucy is helping Doctor Dorian Raines collect samples from the Prayer Tree in Dominion City. It's during one of these excursions that Lucy meets little Marta and thinks she may be able to help her gain information that could lead her to Margot. Lucy is tired of the endless parties and introductions, keeping up appearances and putting on an act. Lucy thinks rather wryly to herself that her twin sister Margot would call this tiredness "to much glitter". It's maybe because Lucy feels like she has swapped one prison for another and that she isn't learning anything new about Margot's whereabouts. Along with the fact Nolan Storm seems somewhat reticent in his help in finding Margot too, that makes Lucy become a little reckless, and follow the street kid into a warren of streets, ending up lost and in imminent danger. It's around this time we meet a new character called Alistair, who is quite mysterious, and reluctant to reveal many details about himself. It is this new character that helps Lucy begin her long, arduous, sometimes extremely dangerous journey to find Margot herself. Lucy may think this is a journey she has to complete alone but ends up with two companions travelling with her as well as meeting an unlikely friend or two along the way.
A man named Turner who at first seems a little stalker like or overly attracted, and "touchy-feely" towards Lucy. Lucy has to call on her experience as acting as if this overly friendliness is alright. In the end Turner ends up in being a form of benefactor for Lucy. He gives her and her travelling companions a gift that helps them continue on their journey.

Jared finds he has more than one difficult choice to make, he does make one quite clearly within the book. Jared is determined to protect Lucy as much as he can even if it interferes with his commitments to Nolan Storm and the other True Borns. At the very end of the book it seems like Jared may have at last come to a decision regarding his feelings for Lucy. Though they both decide their burgeoning feelings for each other are best kept secret for the time being.

We finally find out quite a bit more about what the twins are in this book. We learn just how special Lucy and Margot are. It is also revealed what has happened to eggs that were taken from Margot the first time she was kidnapped and taken to the splicer clinic, and the horror of what they are being used for.

One of the scenes I love is when Lucy is pretending to be her sister, she really enjoys it. I found it amusing that Jared would be so surprised the twin sisters could pull this off. Lucy kind of laughs it off saying that they used to swap names and act like each other regularly as a game and could even fool their parents!

I loved a phrase from within the book. Lucy is thinking about herself and her sister Margot and what it feels like and what they are apart from each other . . ."What does a lock do without it's key? Keep it's secrets".

I could go on and on revealing much more about the book, but I don't like to do that. I don't want to mess up someone else's reading experience. If you read and loved book one in this series, it is a must to read this, the next installment. I am both looking forward and dreading the third and final part of this fantastic trilogy. I always say I love shifter books, and I do. I would say if you like shape shifters and like dystopian, and post apocalyptic then this is a series you really should give a go as it does have all those genre elements within in.

My "final thoughts" or first immediate thoughts upon finishing this book were that I thoroughly enjoyed the to and fro of the on off fledgling relationship between Lucinda and Jared....Who or What is Alistair and why is he so eager to help on what could be a deadly mission? Will Nolan Storm really help the girls or are they just a means to an end.....? Some questions answered....even more to be asked...looking forward to the next book!

I received this ARC from Entangled Teen in conjunction with YA Reads Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This is a stop on the YA Reads Blog Tour for "True North"!

Lucy's twin sister, Margot, is gone. She vanished with their parents and the mysterious Russian aristocrat when the Laster's attacked their home during their reveal. Since then she's spent all of her waking moments (and then some) worrying about her sister and focusing on finding a solution to the plurality of problems she and her True Born friends face.

"I learned my lesson that day as my raging grief clawed back the tides of death-that the only thing worse than feeling my twin's suffering was the feat of not feeling her at all."

She's relying on Nolan Storm to help her find her sister and her frustration is mounting.

"It's not that I don't trust Storm to help me get my sister, exactly. I expect he'll live up to his side of our bargain. Eventually."

For the first time in her short and pampered life Lucy must make a choice completely on her own, a choice that leads her far from home. In a world where it's survive or die, she takes the ultimate risk in searching for her sister.

Lets not forget the mysterious Jared Price, he's still in play. It seems these two can't or won't escape each other even when the world around them is collapsing. With the introduction of a new friend, Alastair, we have a ragtag trio on our hands.

As Lucy moves beyond the Upper Circle into the world of the Gilt, those with more money than all of Dominion combined, things are't what they seem.

"The Gilt don't play by the same rules. They're above rules..."

I really liked that this story saw Lucy and her friends leaving Dominion. One of the most interesting aspects of this world is that it's divided up in very different ways than our own world. The references to different nations/regions compared to what we call them today was one of my favorite little bits. That and the Watchers who seem dead set on claiming Lucy and Margot for their own twisted reasons.

"Who pulls the Watchers' strings?"

I enjoyed this more than the first book, possibly because I had more information. To say more would fall into the realm of spoilers, so I won't. I will say, pick this one up! It's the perfect read for a sunny Sunday in the park.

4 stars.

Publication Date: April 4. 2017

Pick it up here: True North