Seventh Born by Monica Sanz is the first book of the young adult paranormal fantasy The Witchling Academy. Really this series has a bit of everything wrapped into it with some romance, a historical feel and a murder mystery.

Seraphina Dovetail is a seventh born, and seventh borns are not exactly at the top of the list in the witch community. Despite her unlucky birth order and being abandoned as a child Sera has managed to fulfill her dream of studying at Aetherium’s Witchling Academy.

Things are not easy for Sera at the academy however and when pushed a bit too far Sera finds herself caught using magic without a wand. However instead of punishment Professor Barrington proposes an offer to make Sera his assistant to help with solving murders.

Nope, not for me at all. I really wanted to love this one as it had such an intriguing mix of elements to the story but there were a few things holding me back. First, I felt like this is one that the world and character building were lacking and it was more like being thrust into the deep end without a life jacket. On the other hand I also felt the story dragged and could get a little overly wordy so figure that out, not enough but too much. Then I’m really not a fan of pushing towards a teacher/student relationship so I think I will be skipping any more of the series unfortunately.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Seventh Born is a book full of surprises. You think at first that this book might not be everything you thought it to be but you’re quickly proven wrong. It’s addicting. Fast paced. Suspenseful. Gory. Scary. Full of twist and turns that leaves your jaw on the floor and keeping it that way until the last page.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I finally found a Witch book that was addicting and exciting. One that is still on my mind. I loved it so much that I dreamt about dead girls being raised from the dead and the mysterious Professor Barrington. You may think that sounds like a nightmare but to me it wasn’t. When a book gets under your skin that much that you dream about it, to me, is a great book.

This book is about seventh born witches. They are born of death and therefore hated. The prejudice is real in this book and I found myself seriously pissed off at some of the side characters. My emotions were everywhere. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and sometimes I did both.

I loved Sera so much. She’s lost everything and went through some horrible things but she was so strong. She’s like a willow tree bending in the wind. You think it might break but it still stands strong and tall. My heart went out to her so much. I was also proud of her. She’s a strong feminine character. She’s really a badass. Lol

Professor Barrington is book boyfriend material. He’s mysterious, strong, handsome, and a bad boy we all love to hate. At first you think he’s a jerk but there’s so much behind his tough guy exterior. I have so much hope for him in the next book.

Overall, this is one book you don’t want to miss out on. The writing isn’t perfect by any means but I think it added to the eerie feel of the book. Book 2 can’t come quick enough. I’m itching to read more!

Seventh Born is a book I initially wanted to read based on the cover (isn’t that cover GORGEOUS?!). But then I read the summary and I knew this was a book I was going to like. Turns out, Seventh Born is a book I ended up loving.

Her whole life, Sera has been told she is nothing but an abomination and that her life will amount to nothing. But she’s determined to live the life she wants and to not be everything she has always been told. Sera wants to be an Inspector, a witch of high ranking, a rank that very few seventh-borns ever reach. And though people at school degrade her and aim to emotionally torture her, she tries to not let that affect her (though there are moments where her fiery anger gets the best of her).

“Her hand tightened on the doorknob, a fierce ache in her heart. She yearned to locate her family, but now there were monsters to find. There would always be monsters to find.”

I really enjoyed the complexity of Sera as the main character. She has a troubled past that still haunts her. She has a family she wants to find. And she has a life she wants to live, even though all odds are against her. She overall is a very complex character, who has magic that’s quite fiery and sometimes unstable. Seeing her navigate through this new chapter in her life, even when her past comes to light, she’s still a strong and brave character, one I feel I would befriend almost instantly.

One of the main reasons Seventh Born hooked me from the beginning was the beautiful writing. Monica Sanz did a wonderful job combining the many aspects needed to bring this book to life: mystery, suspense, magic, tension, and more. Though there was a lack of world building (which I hope to see more of in the second book), it was made up for in suspense and tension. The plot does come together nicely, but, like all great plots in the first book, it doesn’t tie together in a nice bow. Questions remain unanswered that will leave you guessing until book two comes out. If anything, the plot only thickens and leaves a ton open for the series.

“I’ll admit, I’m as confounded by your abilities as you are, but you’re in luck that I’m quite fond of mysteries and that I’m a rather magnificent magician.”

But I have to admit, I instantly fell in love with Professor Barrington. Professor Barrington is the type of character people would deem mysterious and intriguing. He has a life he hides from most and emotions he would prefer to keep hidden. So it was a complete surprise to Sera when he offered her a referral for her program in exchange for her assistance in solving a string of murders. Over the course of the book, Sera sees multiple sides of him, which makes him all the more intriguing. Barrington is an overall great character that adds to the suspense and tension and, of course, the magic. He’s one of those book boyfriends that would keep you entranced. And he sure does in Seventh Born. I can’t wait to see what Barrington brings to book two!

I finished this book in two days, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. I’m ready for more Barrington, suspense, and romantic tension. I can’t get enough of that wonderfully moody professor! Seventh Born is in stores now, so get your copy today!

Yet another book that was nothing like I had imagined (in a good way)! I have no idea why, but for some reason I thought this was going to be a witch story set in present day. In my head it was like the girl version of The Covenant, but with less nudity and more actual plot. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this actually leans more toward historical fiction, which I loved!

I admit that I was a little unsure in the beginning, mostly because I couldn’t tell what Professor Barrington’s intentions were. Both his age and position gave him power over Sera and I was worried he would take advantage. Luckily I had nothing to fear! And as I kept reading, I was captivated by this world and the mystery they were trying to solve so much that it became easy to forget about my initial hesitations.

Actually I really loved both Sera and Professor Barrington! Sera is so fiesty and she doesn’t take anyone’s bad mouthing, so obviously she was my favorite. She’s a seventh born and in this world, every seventh child born causes their mother to die. Because of this, all seventh borns are looked down upon and lead harsh lives filled with prejudice. Just to give you a taste, Sera has to constantly deal with horrid comments like this on a regular basis:

“Unlike you, the students in this school hope to contribute to the magical community. At least have the dignity to appreciate you mother’s sacrifice… or stupidity.”

WHOA. Watching Sera deal with this kind of hostility made me feel for her and I loved that she didn’t lose that fire to fight back. I think that’s really what made me fall for Barrington because he’s the only one that treats her with respect and kindness. Watching their relationship slowly grow over the book was so great and now I’m dying for more! They’re so cute together and I like watching them lean on one another for support.

I also really had fun with the story itself. It’s cool combination of historical fiction meets Sherlock Holmes mystery meets romance. But with witches!! And I’m totally here for it. I can’t wait for the next installment!

↬ FINAL WORD
This was a super fun book that I totally recommend to anyone who loves mysteries, witches, and historical fiction!

I have NEVER read a book more like Harry Potter than this one. Picture Hogwarts (yes, this series is set at a magical school) with a murder mystery and a female Harry Potter witchling all in a totally unique story.

The magic system is mysterious and was a little confusing with who the Seventh Borns actually were, but once I got deeper into the story, I really got into how it intertwines with their world. Which in truth was sad in how the society views them and the prejudices they immediately have on each other.

The writing in this book immediately caught my attention. The main character has a snarky, sarcastic dialogue especially between her and the professor. She is definitely the character who likes to speak her mind.

And then there are spooky paranormal elements to the murder mystery that is perfect for a gloomy, Fall reading day. It fit very well with magic vs non magic worlds which I also loved reading. It gave hints of A Darker Shade of Magic vibes as well.

And the ending. Whoa, it was a real plot twist that I never would have seen coming. And I was left wanting more of the cult-like Brotherhood. Yes, there are a ton of different paranormal elements in this story from ghostly photos to magical wands to a lethal cult.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I really can’t wait to see where this series goes. There are so many questions that I now have linking to her past and what will happen with her future murder-solving skills.

I highly recommend this book is you like YA Fantasy books with mystery, spooky moments, and witches!!

I enjoyed it so much more than I expected!
Listen up, folks. Seventh Born is definitely neither a miracle nor a flawless piece of art. One of my biggest pet peeves (aside from love triangles, instalovetriangles, love squares and every other variation of love geometry) is the lack of solid worldbuilding, and in this case there was zero. Zilch. Nada. Rien. There were also some things about seventhborns, their power and the hatred towards them that were fuzzy to say the least, and Sera was your typical act first-think of consequences later YA heroine. I am sure you're perplexed by now, but there are some serious reasons to grab Seventh Born, since it was an utterly fun and addictive ride.

✔️ Professor Nikolai Barrington
✔️ Witchling Academy
✔️ Mystery
✔️ Magic
✔️ Barrington
✔️ Gruesome murders
✔️ Necromancy
✔️ Slow burn romance
✔️ Dangerous cult
✔️ Cute supernatural pet
✔️ BARRINGTON

“Safety, companionship, and adventure with the possibility of blood, murder, and death, all the while investigating love.”

Monica Sanz inadvertently (or not so much?) described her novel in the above sentence. Seventh Born emanates a sinister vibe, coated in mist, smoke, and scars, smelling of burning flesh and sulfur, touching forbidden aspects of magic. It's the story of a seventhborn, a pariah constantly bullied because of her birth order and things out of her control; about a girl who wishes nothing but to became an investigator and find her family, and is brought one step closer to her goal when her moody and brooding professor asks her help in order to solve some mysterious deaths. Their research will bring them to dangerous paths that will uncover secrets that may shake their beliefs to the core, but they cannot stop, or else more bodies will pile up. And Sera might be one of them.

“There would always be monsters to find.”

And oh my, this novel was full of monsters of all kinds. Most of them were human, embracing cruelty over compassion, power over gentleness, prejudice over justice. And you simply wanted to wear a cape, shed your glasses and defend Sera and all those unfortunate souls like her. But enough with the somber tone, let's focus on other aspects of the story. Namely, Barrington.

The boorish professor clad in black is definitely made of book boyfriend material. That is if you like your book boyfriends shady, mysterious and dangerous but also big softies when it comes to all the things that matter. I loved how he respected Sera, gave her space and time and treated her like a partner (most of the times). There was swooning involved, which arised out of simple gestures and light touches.

Setting Barrington aside, the writing flow was fluid, and the combination of crime, suspense and magic made it difficult to put it down. Mind, though, that there are aspects of the lore that will left you confused, and questions about the world outside the Academy that will not be answered, cue minor frustration. In my case, though, these deficiencies, albeit important, did not deter me from savoring all the things that were done right. Seventh Born is a delicious lil' candy waiting to be relished, and I had a great time doing so!

*ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Note: The quotes used in this review are from an uncorrected text and subject to changes.

seraphina dovetail hasn't had an easy life. the seventh born child of a witch, she's cursed with being the cause of her mother's death and labeled a second class citizen for the rest of her life. her status is marked on her body with a tattoo at her wrist and scars on her back.

when professor nikolai barrington takes her under his wing, it's meant to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. he wants her help in seeking out a murderer. her seventh born status gives her the ability to communicate with spirits, and the magic she holds in reserve only needs to be properly controlled in order to allow her strength as a witch to truly shine.

their relationship is forbidden, and yet everything about their friendship, their feelings for each other simmers beneath the surface of their interactions. barrington fights for sera because he cares, because he wants her to be safe, because there is something about her that calls to him, that inspires him to be a better man.

this book was a very enjoyable read, and if you are into witches and magic and unspoken love, it's got all the right elements.

**seventh born will publish on september 4, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

Seventh Born was like visiting an old friend. It had those elements from the stories and series we love. For me it was pulling inspirations from Harry Potter and Vampire Academy, taking place at a boarding school, magic, mystery, a dab of romance & forbidden love . Not to say I am comparing it to those books, but it was definitely reminiscent of those stories for me and gave me those warm fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. Monica Sanz worked some of her own magic in developing a setting and backstory that was so intriguing and mixed with the elements of magic and mystery, it kept me on the edge of my seat, devouring the book.

Sera was an amazing main character that has her own flaws, but is really trying to find herself and her place in this world in which she doesn't belong/wanted. I loved her determination and loyalty. I think her confidence and strength are exactly the qualities that a female lead should have in a book to be a great role model for young girls. She is my favorite character, but I quite enjoyed some of the others, they were complex and well thought out with depth that also gave you a concern for what would happen to them in the end regardless of some events that took place.

This book definitely came as a shock to me and surprised me with how quickly I got drawn into the story and how much I need to rest of the series like last week. Overall I don't know how I can wrap up my feelings about this story without it being a complete gush. From the backstory and history of this world to the present day happenings and unsolved mystery, It created such an atmosphere and places you within the story trying to figure out what is happening right along Sera. There was a wide array of characters each with their own struggles and personalities that have you invested in the people as much as the plot. The overall atmosphere is what you would expect from a mystery novel, it is dark and a little creepy and then add in the fantasy elements, creating such an unknown which drives forward the story. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I think it has elements that could appease a wide audience and believe the story deserves attention!

Seventh Born is the magical story of Seraphina Dovetail, cursed at birth to cause her mother to lose her powers and eventually her life. As a "Seventh Born " she is looked down upon by teachers and fellow students alike , and is often the victim of cruel pranks and abuse. If she is to have any kind of a future she must advance to the next level of training , but in order to do that she will need the help of a tutor. When the tall , darkly brooding and slightly mysterious Professor Barrington requests her assistance with an investigation, she soon finds herself in grave danger, and under attack.
I really liked the world building in this book, and would love to know more about the setting and the magical systems. The character of Seraphina herself is a little unlikable at first, quick to anger and slow to trust, but these characteristics are perfect for her, given what we know about her and her position in society, and as the book develops so too does her character. The love triangle between the Professor, Seraphina and her classmate is well handled , something that could have been difficult to achieve given the relative ages of the professor and student. The mystery of her past is teased throughout the book , and the eventual reveal is dramatic if not unexpected. While the book may have been something of a slow burn, I really enjoyed it, and felt that the slower pace really allowed both character development and a clever plot.

This book was such a roller coaster ride. At times you fell in love with the main character in her actions and her thoughts and her believes, and it times you just wanted to slap her and tell her to stop being so stupid. She was portrayed realistically mistakes and all. Her actions were noble and it times selfish. In the end there was a huge plot twist that I did not see coming. It may the story that much more interesting and had me completely consumed. The secondary plot which was not resolved in the first book has me excited to read anything else this author writes.

A seventh born is considered to be the lowest of the low. They have to fight for everything they want, and are discarded like trash. This book seems to follow along with the Harry Potter craze. They go to school to learn the ways of magic so they can make their way in the magical world. The story was hard to get into for me. It seemed slow and daunting. The story did pick up eventually and I really enjoyed the twists and turns. The ending was great, it was just getting there. If you liked Harry Potter, you will probably like this book. Three stars for Seventh Born.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I'll always give books about magical schools with witchcraft and wizardry a chance because I'm a huge Potterhead. Have I found a book or series that even comes close to the greatness of Harry Potter? No, not yet...and that includes this book here. Seventh Born had glimpses of greatness, and even some stark similarities to the plotline of Harry Potter, but there were some flaws and issues I found within its pages as well.

So right off the bat you're pretty much dropped into the story. There's not much background provided on the characters. There's absolutely no world-building. And problems just sort of arise out of nowhere. It was messy and hard to get into because while you're reading you're trying to form a picture in your head with very little information. It actually reads more like the second book in the series...you know, the one you read after the first book sets the stage for the overall plot to build upon. But I digress.

Have you ever read Harry Potter fanfic? No? Me neither, but I imagine this is what it could be like. Professor Barrington bares a striking resemblance to Professor Snape, just younger and more attractive. Sera is like Hermione, except with shittier circumstances and no Harry and Ron to pal around with. And I guess we could even venture to say that Timothy has some Cedric Digory tendencies with the situations he finds himself in. That doesn't mean I didn't like the characters, I just wish they had been a bit more unique, especially for this particular genre when there are already so many parallels to the world of Hogwarts. I mean, even the baddies were similar.

But despite all that, the story did eventually pull me in. Sure, I skipped through some parts that dragged, but the meat and bones of the story were interesting and grabbed my attention. You might have to wait until around 60% of the book for that to happen, but it does, so....that's not terribly disappointing.

I didn't want the book to end when it did. Everything was finally synching up and Sera and Professor B were kindling their fire, and then it ended. And surprisingly, I DO want to read the next book in the series. I think there's an 83% chance that it's one of those series that gets better as you go, so I'll definitely be on the lookout for that in the next year.

I was super excited to read Seventh Born, but it was unfortunately a miss for me. I ended up skimming large portions because it didn't hold my interest. The world building was practically nonexistent and what we did know was via large info dumps. Rules and history seemed to be added solely for plot movement or because the author needed an outcome. The secondary characters were flat and I found Sera annoying. Just didn't work for me.

I unfortunately did not like this. I mean it started off interesting and I got kind of Harry Potter vibes from it, but the world (and loads of other stuff) were kept so extremely vague to me that I could not keep my attention anymore. I had to kind of skim the last 50% of the book. I just could not get into it. I cared a little bit about the romance, but not the witchy/murdery stuff. It was just so vague.

Review

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy novel, the first in the Witching Academy series.  Basically Sera is an outcast, only accepted into the Academy because of an 'outreach' program of sorts, which is trying to reinforce that seventhborns aren't quite the cursed witches as they were perceived years ago.  Sera was found two years prior to the events in the book, having escaped from a year of abuse at the hands of an evil Warlock who held her captive - she knew nothing other than her name and age and doesn't know where she came from.  Her only friend, a friendly witch named Mary, brings joy into her otherwise lonely life, until a chance encounter with the mysterious Professor Barrington *swoon* brings some intrigue too. 

And so Sera and Barrington begin to work together to try to discover who is using seventhborns to raise the dead, and Sera may just discover a bit more about herself in the process...

Age Range

I’d say that this book is marketed at the YA category; so would suit ages 13+

Summary

This YA fantasy novel is well written, I found the characters very likeable and the story engaging.  Whilst I was reading it, the one thing I thought to compare it as would be Sherlock with witches - which is great because I love Sherlock, and witches.

Also can we just take a minute to talk about Barrington? Aside from the fact that he shares the name of a character in The Raven Boys which is only one of my favourite series ever (though TRC Barrington isn't...well...very nice); I just loved the character!

Finally – Would I Recommend It?

Yes definitely – my only issue is that it isn't even out yet so I have a while to wait for the sequel!

4/5 ✰

Seraphina Dovetail is a witch. But not just any witch. She is a seventh-born one and in order for her to live, her mother had to die. Thus, she’s subject to a lot of hostility. All kinds of horrible names are hurled at her on a daily basis at the academy she’s training at, but Seraphina willingly puts up with all that because she has one dream. She wants to become an inspector and find her real family. For that to happen though she needs a referral for the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy to start training there and getting a referral sounds easier than it is for someone like her. But one of her professors seems to have a solution. He needs her help with one of his projects and in return, he’ll give her the referral she needs. But will that really be as easy as it sounds?

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I originally requested it because I thought the premise of “Seventh Born” sounded very promising and like something I might really enjoy but there were just so many things that ultimately resulted in me losing interest in this novel quite quickly.

My main problem with the book was definitely that there was almost zero world-building and that a lot of information and context I would’ve needed to fully understand the story was just missing. Quite early in the book, I already started feeling pretty lost and the whole plot just began being very confusing because it often just wasn’t explained what they’re doing and how things work in the magical world Sanz created. It was a little like starting a good fantasy series but deciding to skip the first few books and just reading the third or fourth part right away. Due to this, the story also dove right into action and the first half of the book was just way too rushed and the pacing was really off.

But not only the world wasn’t properly introduced, I also felt like a proper introduction of most of the characters was missing completely and thus I just didn’t care about any of them. This also meant that the romance in this book wasn’t really that interesting to me. Also, quite early on it is said that Seraphina is actually scared of closeness to men due to something that happened in her past and so I found it extremely weird and random that suddenly from one chapter to the next one, she completely trusted her professor and even began fancying him. Furthermore, she also just let one of her classmates kiss her and didn’t seem to have any problem with that which I think just didn’t make sense when you keep in mind how scared she’d still been of men just a few pages earlier.

So due to all of this, I just didn’t enjoy reading the book and lost interest in it quite quickly. I actually just skimmed the last 40% of it and it’s definitely a series I unfortunately won’t be continuing. I have to say though that I actually liked the author’s writing style and that I wouldn’t be averse to reading some of her future work if she ends up publishing a new series at some point. However, “Seventh Born” ultimately just wasn’t for me and even though I always hate giving only one star to a book, I just can’t give this a higher rating.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for review.

Seraphina Dovetail is a Seventhborn, the seventh child born of a witch, will spend their lives connected with the power of death and the aether because of their entrance in the world, the ending of their mother's lives upon birth.
Believed to be cursed and treated as second class citizens, they face a high amount of prejudice and persecution for merely existing. But the history of the Seventhborn is even worse, shrouded in plague, and murders of the worst kind at the hands of Purists. A sect who abused and absorbed Seventhborn's powers until death, all in a quest to gain control over time.
Things may have changed, but history has a way of repeating its self...

And soon Seraphina, finds herself in the middle of a dark plot. As a student at the Aetherium's Witchling Academy all she wants to do is make it though her exams, and get a referral to move on to have a chance to become an Inspector. With her classmates and professors making her life harder than necessary and keep a lid on her powers from blowing the place up she's already well occupied.

I really enjoyed this one, It's a story of two people racing into the unknown to clear the mystery surrounding their pasts and family. Friends come in the most unlikely forms, betrayal, intrigue, and a generations long murder plot await you.
I look forward to seeing where her, and Barrington's story and partnership take them next.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great twist on the 7th child theme. The 7th son of a 7th son is always very positive for male wizards – but here the 7th daughter is marked (literally) as socially undesirable, cursed, and is to have her magic constrained. The same does not applied to seventh sons, so definitely some misogyny here. Reportedly, the mother dies giving birth to the seventh daughter – thus accenting the daughter’s maliciousness. Personally, I am always amazed that women chose to give birth even once, being such a painful and fraught affair – so dying after the seventh birth seems pretty logical to me (This world definitely needs some birth control and celibacy!). In former days, the seventh born daughters were persecuted, hunted and killed, so there has been some little progress on the moral front.
The book’s heroine, Sera Dovetail, is seventh born, a trainee witch enrolled in the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. She is limited in which courses she may take, and which books she may read. Any trouble, and – guilty or no – she gets the blame. It does not help that picking on the seventh-born is an accepted Academy pastime, and that she is very quick to react and retaliate.
Because of her painful past experiences (not all of which she can remember), Sera has serious trust issues, and repulses most attempts to connect with her. Only her one true friend, Mary, is allowed to get close – and certainly not the highly desirable Timothy Delcourt.
When the tall, dark, handsome and brooding Professor Barrington (a romantic hero in waiting if ever there was one – Mr D’arcy eat your heart out!) offers Sera private lessons and the much needed referral for future studies, in exchange for her working as his assistant, she reservedly agrees. Their relationship has to remain secret, as it is completely inappropriate for a professor to be alone with a pupil – especially a derided seventh born.
Family plays a huge part for all the main characters. Sera needs to become an inspector, to find her family and uncover her history. Barrington is an unofficial inspector, and is determined to absolve his dead father and brother of the crimes of which they are accused. Both are driven by a desire to bring to justice the necromancers and murderers who are leaving a trail of exhumed and burned corpses behind them.
Timothy and Mary are driven by the demands of their respective families, pushing them against their true desires, and leaving them feeling inadequate and hopeless.
The world and its characters are beautifully drawn, and you quickly become involved. Even the minor characters – such as Mrs York, Lucas Davenport (cf John Sandford?) and the Barghest – really grab your attention. There is romance (just the right amount for me), mystery, friendship and betrayal. While you may guess the eventual outcome, you would be hard-pressed to work out how the ending is reached. Although much is resolved, there is still enough left for many more books in this series. I can hardly wait.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A fantastic ride of a fantasy!! I loved the romance and magic. If you need something fun I recommend reaching for this book!

This is one of those guilty pleasure reads - there were a few glaring flaws that detracted from the quality of the story, and yet I was having such a good time reading this that I wilfully overlooked them!

The writing flowed smoothly, the main characters were engaging, and the plot took a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. I was legitimately shocked by some of the developments, which is novel for me in YA where I've come to find a lot of storylines predictable. I like that the author took some chances and made a few creative choices!

Let's get this out of the way: a few reviews have questioned the professor/student romance angle, but if you're squeamish about abuse of authority, that never comes into play here as the chemistry between Barrington and Sera isn't consummated. Instead, there is this perfectly delightful rapport that builds between them outside of the classroom as they work together to solve the serial murder of seventhborns. They grow to respect each other's talent and abilities and forge a strong bond while protecting each other in the face of danger.

I love this kind of blurring of boundaries when it's done right, ie. the student is of age (Sera is over eighteen), the teacher isn't grading her work so there's no conflict of interest (she isn't in Barrington's class) and he isn't acting in a morally dubious or predatory manner. Nothing that Barrington does is in the least bit skeevy, he is the perfect gentleman and behaves with honor and the best of intentions; he wants to apprehend the killers at large to keep seventhborns safe, and he wants to protect Sera in particular and help her overcome the burdens she faces at school with practically everyone working against her. Honestly, the man is swoonworthy! And his patience in the face of Sera's constant aggression and hostility is remarkable.

Which isn't to say that Sera is out of line for being under the misapprehension that he was trying to proposition her - for someone with a heart of gold, he really did work hard to portray himself in the worst light by offering her the much coveted referral that would allow her to become an inspector...in exchange for having her 'services' whenever he required. Come on! Sera hasn't had an easy life, what with being seriously abused by someone she thought she loved and was loved by, prior to coming to the academy where she continued to be abused, if to a lesser degree, by students and teachers alike who all thought of her as sub-human. So as much as I felt frustrated with her constantly misjudging Barrington and flying into a fit of rage with him, I could see how it made sense with her jaded worldview of expecting the worst of people, due to her history. And it made her growing trust and faith in him all the more touching because she had so much to overcome to get to the point where her feelings would lead her to risk her life for him!

Basically, the romantic tension was one of the best things about this book for me, because it wasn't insta-love and it's so slow-burn that there hasn't been so much as a kiss yet! Instead there was a solid foundation laid with the  partnership between Sera and Barrington leading to tender feelings between the two of them, which could easily lead to more in the sequel. I really appreciate when an author doesn't feel the need to pull the trigger when it isn't right for the characters yet, it was enough to see them move from strangers to allies to friends. 

Speaking of friends, Sera's only peer who went against the grain and supported her was Mary, a bright and bubbly girl who was a constant at Sera's side throughout the story. I did appreciate that she added a bit of lightness to the otherwise neverending cycle of disdain and outright vicious bullying that Sera had to endure. Another student who defied the common attitude towards seventhborns was Timothy, who fancied himself in love with Sera despite barely even knowing her - I had a hard time with his character because I rolled my eyes at how desperately he pursued her and wished he'd just leave her alone. I do wonder if this was the author poking fun at traditional love interests in the YA genre...they're only seen as romantic because the female protagonist returns their feelings and encourages their interest, but when you have Sera steadfastly denying him any hope of a relationship and brutally rejecting him over and over, it highlights how romantic in one context turns to creepy and problematic when a guy just can't take no for an answer. 

Now to the real problem of this story...the whole seventhborn stigma. It is just so ridiculous and defies rational belief, and unfortunately it's the underpinning of the plot - it's even the TITLE, for goodness sake! I can accept that there is a world where a woman bearing a seventh child will die in childbirth, that's fine, and even the concept that those seventhborns will have special powers makes sense as there is historically symbolic significance to this status. But the widespread contempt and abuse of seventhborns in society to the point where it's considered odd NOT to belittle and despise them is crazy.

A father grieving his wife's loss and blaming the child makes sense on an emotional level; all of society condemning every single seventhborn for merely being alive when they had no choice in the matter is completely absurd. People blame all seventhborns for hypothetical scenarios like a father becoming alcoholic and non-functioning, leading to him neglecting his children...instead of holding the father himself accountable! Why do so many families even HAVE seven children to begin with? And what couple would knowingly carry a child to term knowing the inevitable outcome would be the woman dying and their child living a life of misery and suffering? 

So that was a pretty massive obstacle for me to get past when reading this, but I just turned my brain off and kept reading because it was so addictive and fun. :)