This was a great start to a new series. Am really looking forward to the next from Maria. Well done.

I received this on NetGalley for an honest review. Sera was abandoned at birth and dreams of becoming an inspector but she has the disadvantage of being born a seventh born. Seventh born are a curse and said to have caused the deaths of their mothers. Sera is approached by a professor at her school to help him on a case in return for his recommendation as an inspector and to help her find her family. I really enjoyed this book, I loved the characters and cared about Sera and felt sorry for her for the way she was treated. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Seventh Born kind of reminded me of a watered down mash-up of Harry Potter and K E O'Connor's School of Exorcists series. The book overall could use some extra detail, the world is underdeveloped, the magic system isn't really explained, and the characters are one dimensional. I felt sorry for Sera who is treated awfully for being the dreaded "seventh born" child in her family and the cause of her mother's death but at the same time she constantly complains about the things she's not allowed to do as a seventh born which gets annoying fast.

I did like that Sera tried to rebel against her status as a seventh born but I disliked her relationship with her teacher. This is a YA novel and it's a little inappropriate.

Overall, this book holds some appeal but I found myself wanting more from the worldbuilding and plot.

The seventh-born daughter is brought into the world with distaste, her mother is gone and the world is unwelcoming. The seventh-born has to fight for what she wants and will find many doors closed. She is said to be cursed and many will not give her a chance, but the seventh-born daughter is truly special.

Seraphina Dovetail wants to become an inspector. She works hard at her magic, but her temper sometimes gets the best of her. Her past is painful and she doesn't remember her family. Her hopes lie with the witchling school, where she is a scholarship student. She is a seventh-born and people tend to avoid her or make fun of her. Her teachers are cruel and she has to be on her best behaviour at all times. Unfortunately, it isn't easy for Sera to stay out of trouble. The word seems to follow her around. She has a secret best friend who she loves dearly and she tries to keep her head down. Unfortunately, she isn't very successful and becomes a target. She attracts the attention of the cruel boy, Whittaker but also the most desirable boy, Timothy and her Professor.

Professor Barrington is in need of an assistant and after seeing Sera display of anger he approaches her. He offers to help her with her studies and recommendations, in exchange for her help with some murders. This unlikely friendship becomes a bond Sera never imaged she would have.

Timothy Delacort is from a respectable, powerful family. He is destined for great things. Unfortunately, they are not what he wants. Sera catches his eye and he hopes for a chance with her. He doesn't care his family will not approve. Sera doesn't really know what to do with Timothy affections, especially since her best friend Mary has a crush on him. Her friend means the world to her and she doesn't want to do anything that may upset her.

The murders are brutal rituals and the victims suffered a painful death. The authorities are clueless. They cannot link the victims together. It's up to Sera and Professor Barrington to solve the case.

This book is excellent and I was hooked on every word. Luckily there is more to be added to this series. Seventh born is a full-length novel which you can really sink your teeth into. It is dark and Sera becomes the light. She isn't perfect but her actions are understandable. She has had a tough life and she still fights for what she wants. She's a powerful witch in training but not everyone sees the good in her.

There are also some great supporting characters in this book and the plot came together nicely. It can be read as a standalone but the door is left open a slither for more. Seventh born is a fantastic gripping story. It's imaginative and creates a believable world with magic. I could easily read this book again which is unusual for me. A modern-day fantasy Sherlock Holmes. 5 + stars out of 5. Very highly recommended.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Blog tour date 6th September 2018.

Very intense fantasy full of mystery and intrigue! It was my first read from this author, and it won’t be my last.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

This book was a nice surprise. I came across it on Netgalley and decided to give it a go. I was first drawn by its beautiful cover, but I admit I read the blurb before, but in this case it didn’t spoil anything for me, just the opposite. It made me want to read it.

The story is very different. It has a historical background, but it isn’t specified the time, but that is okay because it doesn’t take anything from the story.

If I had to describe Seventh Born, I’d say it’s a mystery-hisyorical-romance combo. But so far it set the base for the upcoming (hopefully) romance brewing between the main characters.

I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t put it down. The story was interesting and different, the characters were not one-dimensional and the plotline was built very well. I definitely recommend the read!

I really enjoyed the magic in this story.



Sera is the seventh-born daughter to her witch mother.  The seventhborns take their mother's magic which in turn kills them.  Seventhborns were looked upon as bad for a long time, beaten, and even killed.  While this changed a bit, they are still looked at as less than human.  Most people won't even talk to them.   Sera was taken in to a school with a program for seventhborns.  Most of the kids are horrible to her.  Even the teachers are.  She does have one best friend, Mary.



Sera has no real memory of her life except the past two years.  She wants to become an inspector and find her family.  She does remember Noah.  Noah took her in and was nice to her at first.  But then he began taking her power and abusing her.  Sera set fire to his house with him inside, but she still fears him.



Professor Barrington is an inspector that asks Sera for her help.  It has to be kept secret, but he promises to give her a referral which she knows she won't get from anyone else.  Barrington is looking into murders of other witches.  He sees the potential in Sera, even when she struggles to control her emotions and powers.  Seventhborns get the second site when they come into their powers and Sera is able to see the ghosts of the dead witches.  The investigation is dangerous and Sera has to confront ghosts of her past, too.



The pacing of the book was a bit slow for me, but I did enjoy how descriptive the writing was.  The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the lead up, so I do wish that would have been a bit more detailed.  But I enjoyed the story, characters, and writing.  I really hope we get a book two because there were definitely things left open and unfinished.



There is a bit of a love triangle in a way.  Also, the teacher/student relationship was definitely heading towards romantic, but it never quite got there.  This didn't bother me because Sera is eighteen, and this obviously took place in a different time.  But just a little warning in case these things bother you.



I gave this book 4 stars.  Thank you to netgalley and Entangled Teen for the chance to read this one early.

I liked this book, but had a couple of issues with it. The first is with the world building aspect of being seventhborn. A seventhborn kills their mother while being born and is generally considered condemned and cursed by the magical society (although they're trying to be more enlightened about it). They're magic users. Why on earth is anyone having a seventh child? Wouldn't you, I don't know, avoid it knowing that you would die and your child would be condemned to a life of misery and hatred and prejudice?

The thing about this book that felt trippy to me--it's very much like reading Harry Potter. And while reading I couldn't figure out if that was a good thing that it reminded me of one of my favorite series, or a bad thing. It's kind of like if a female Harry Potter hooked up with a much younger Professor Snape, and Cedric DIggory had a crush on girl Harry (I'm sure this fanfic exists somewhere out there in the world). I've read plenty of YA fantasy that didn't remind me of HP, but there was just something in the way this world was constructed (like the bad guys are the Death Eaters, er, the Brotherhood) that felt all too familiar. And I couldn't decide if it reminded me in a good way, or in a rip-offy way.

The book does have an ending of sorts (although I suspect the villain is still very much alive, like Voldemort and there will be a final battle between Harry and Voldemort at the end of this series, since it is set up to continue as a series). I also had a bit of an issue with the heroine and her love interest, especially given the age difference and his position of power. Not so good in this #MeToo age.

"Seventh Born" is a YA fantasy that follows the (literally) fiery Seraphina (Sera) Dovetail. Sera is a seventhborn, which is the seventh child born to a witch which saps her magic and kills her. Seventhborns are generally despised and strongly prejudiced against. In the past, they were blamed for plagues and other societal problems and killed. Now, society is trying to move past this and has allowed Sera to enroll in the Aetherium's Witchling Academy in the seventhborn program. The Aetherium rules the witch/wizard world.

Sera has no memory of her life before she was taken and tortured by a warlock, Noah. However, bearing the mark of a seventhborn, she knows that she must have a father and 6 siblings somewhere. She is trying to study hard at the Academy to become an Inspector and thus be able to right wrongs plus find her family. However, with the prejudiced and cruel remarks of her teachers and classmates, Sera's temper often flares and her magic starts fires.

Everything changes when the attractive, young Professor Barrington offers to train Sera as his assistant and in turn, provide the recommendation she needs to enter into the school to become an Inspector. Barrington involves Sera in an investigation he is conducting into the brutal murder of seventhborns at grave sites seemingly unconnected to the seventhborns. Through the investigation, they uncover more than expected with a larger conspiracy that may threaten Sera directly.

While the writing was pretty good and I definitely read the whole thing, I felt like we were missing a lot of background and world-building. This almost felt like the second book in a series or like a couple chapters at the beginning were missing. It's unclear why seventhborns are so hated. Presumably, in a world of magic, people can choose about having kids- if they don't want or hate seventhborns so much, why have them (and why do so many people have seven kids- that's expensive! Not to mention hard on the body...)? Also, if their parents choose to have a seventh, they know what the consequences are. I feel like we needed more reasons/background on this. I would actually expect they would be honored for their mothers' sacrifices plus their immense power. It didn't quite make sense to me, and I feel like I was missing some additional context. Also, about the world, it was not clear if it takes place alongside our own- there are some nonmagical areas revealed later- are those the ones that we know about? Or is this a completely different world?

Beyond that, most of the relationships are preexisting and not explained. For example, the friendship between Sera and Mary- how did they become friends? Why are they so close? It is just preexisting in the book, but it would have been nice to have a flashback to how they met and why they are so devoted to each other. Also, the boy who is "in love" with Sera- they have barely ever spoken and yet he would die for her. We get some explanation at 90% of the way through, but even that did not explain everything. Considering it was also accompanied by some sexual harassment/assault (she said who knows how many times she wasn't interested and he forces her into kisses she doesn't want a few times plus has some unexplained obsession with her that is never prevented or dealt with), I was not sure how I felt about it. I believe this was unnecessary in a YA book and did not feel that I understood what the message was here (stalkers are OK? Allow people to do things to you that you don't want if they seem nice to others?). She forces herself to relax and accepts the kisses she doesn't want, which to me, sends the very wrong message to younger readers.

Finally, the other issue I have is the feelings between Sera and Barrington, which also made me a bit squeamish. Their relationship is teacher/student (formally) and boss/assistant informally. Considering this, the hints of romance throughout did not seem appropriate- there's a big difference in power. However, not much actually happens, so I am not sure if this will be developed in future books.

Regarding Sera, she seems very young with feelings that get out of control and slowly learns to contain them. I think she is appropriate for a YA heroine, and the mysteries of the murders really keeps the plot moving well. I wish the book had more background and explanations for things, plus different romantic relationships.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

5/5 stars!

I absolutely loved this book! I was pulled into the story within the first few chapters. I found it to be a great YA magical novel, with the perfect amount of mystery.

Characters:

I found the characters of Sera and Barrington to be the most complex, each holding their own secrets and burdens with the cards life has given them. Sera is a seventhborn, treated as less of a person due to her birth order. She faces prejudice and finds solace in the presence of her friend Mary, all while trying to find the secrets of her past. Barrington has been given a legacy he didn't ask for, one that was started by rumors of those who new his father. The supporting characters -Mary, Timothy, Gummy, and Rosie- were also great. While they aren't the focus in this first installment of the series, they definitely have a role to play when it comes to Sera and her circumstances given what she is. I found my self loving the ways these supporting characters built up the complexity of Sera and Barrington, adding more character.

Story:

I found the story to be, well, magical. I was pulled in from the very first chapter after getting to learn as to why Sera being a seventhborn was a big deal. Witnessing the bullying and prejudice against her made me feel for her, and seeing how she dealt with it made me want to keep reading. I wanted to see how she would get through it to achieve her dreams, to find any sort of family as she has no memories except for 2 years prior. When we meet Barrington for the first time early on, and see what comes of their encounter, I knew I was in for a ride. The author had a great way of adding tiny bits of humor to the complex and dark storyline. This also makes for Mary being important as she adds relief to Sera, making the tone more light. The author had a great way for describing the scene and thoughts of characters without getting too carried away. When things start to get more dangerous and dark, it became clear that there was more at play than what the first few chapters let on. I was in for a wild rollercoaster of emotions. I was never bored when reading, and could not put it down.

Cons:

While I did give this 5 stars. I do wish that maybe the author would have done the resolution to this first installment a bit more different. I wish it had been held out a bit longer, but the impact of the events was still strong. This is more of a nitpick if anything, though.

Conclusion:

I thought this book was fantastic! I'll definitely be preordering this for myself right away. I can't wait to find out what happens next in the series. I definitely recommend this if you're into the YA magic/witchcraft genre and don't mind a bit of a mystery. Definitely worth a read!

I adored this charming clean YA magical novel and cannot wait for the next book in this series! When we meet Seraphina, she is justifiably wild and easy to set off, as she is unfairly targeted and bullied due to her birth order. She is a likable and relatable character with aspirations, goals, and amazing strength of character.

Professor Barrington manages to be absolutely charming at all times, even when he’s a bit infuriating. As Seraphina learns more about him by working together, she grows to trust him and understand his motives. Barrington is the epitome of a ‘historical romance’ gentleman; gentle and kind, but efficient, effective, and capable of anything to protect those he cares about.

‘Seventh Born’ had elements that reminded me of Harry Potter, which is a good thing. Author Monica Sanz introduces a new system of magic, including magic school for teenagers and advanced education for specific careers in the magical community.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I like the story behind the seventh born child. Even though it not acceptable to hunt and kill them anymore someone is still out there holding the order a child born against them. It was not their choice to be born then. Sera has been through hell even at her young age. She ends up going to Witchling Academy and that is where she gets to know Professor Barrington. She comes against someone who wants witches dead. It is was not what I expected and that is a good thing. Ready for the next one.

Seventh Born tells the story of Seraphina Dovetail, a witch who is attending a witchling academy and is about to graduate. She hasn't it easy because she is a seventhborn. The 7th daughter or son born brings disgrace to the whole family and leads the mother to die. Many regard seventhborns as disguting and Sera is not treated well at the school she goes to because of this, save for a few people. One of these people is Professor Barrington, a handsome professor of the Academy that asks for her help in solving a mystery behind a series of murders.

I liked the story overall. It was a mix of Harry Potter and other fantasy books, so it was 50/50 predictable but it had its surprising moments. There are many sides to this story that are slowly uncovered and the relationship of the main characters, Sera and Barrington, is a slow-burn type. They are professor and student, but he isn't much older than her. We'll see what will happen with them in the next book.

The reason why I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is the style of writing. I am not a fan of third POV narration, because it can be confusing. The scenes were very descriptive but sometimes I got lost in the words. I think that a 1st person POV of either Sera or Sera and Barrington would have been better so the characters would have been deeper. They are not monodimensional, but maybe if we read their thoughts we would have had more insight and connection.

Love, this book by Monica Sanz. At the beginning I thought that it was going to be a Harry Potter wannabe, because of the magic, the academy, the professors, the cloaks, wands and many other things I thought were Harry Potter inspired. However, I was surprisingly surprised when as the story of Sera progressed, I becamed enthralled by her story, wanting her to succeed and suffering along with her as people demonstrated their hate for her. I loved her frienship/ relationship with Barrington, and suffer with her every time he seemed to not pay her any attention. Their working relationship was awesome since she was never cowered by fear, and at times seemed to rise above pain and fear in order save everyone she love. I want more, and really I cannot wait for the next book!

Picked this one mainly because of the cover artwork. Lot of mixed feelings on this one. Well I was right but hoped I wasn’t. The story is old fashioned with carriages and proper manners. The abuse/ persecution was full on. I liked the wandless stuff and the fiery temper. Good plot, great characters. Didn’t actually have a favourite character in this one, just a lot of people I felt sorry for and one I hated.

This was a mix of Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and Magicians and the mix was very entertaining. Sera's character was developed well and as a pace that was fitting to what her past held. Barrington was in my mind a younger Snape/Holmes. Both had pasts that still haunts them but together they seem to be just what the other needs. The mystery was a good one and kept me interested. Overall this first read for me by Sanz was a very good one. Will be looking for more.

Seraphina Dovetail is a seventh-born child of a witch, an abomination, hated by most and used for her power by others. After being saved from an evil warlock who tried to drain her powers, Sera was given the opportunity to attend Aetherium's Witchling Academy as part of a special program. She dreams of one day becoming an inspector to seek out the family she lost, but her inability to control her temper and power may jeopardize her chances. When the dark and brooding Professor Barrington offers her a position as his assistant in exchange for his recommendation, she jumps at the chance. Someone is murdering witches, and Sera might be the key to unlocking the secrets behind the mystery...or she might be his next victim.

I would classify Seventh Born as a YA historical fantasy/mystery. This is the first book in The Witchling Academy series and introduces Seraphina Dovetail, a girl who did not choose her position in life yet is tormented for what she is. Her lack of training and her fiery temper continue to get her in trouble and threaten to take away her chances of becoming an inspector. Professor Barrington, troubled by his scandalous past and the death of his family, chooses Sera to help him with a case involving a series of mysterious murders. The writing is wonderfully done and the characters are easy to like, making this a very enjoyable and entertaining read. I was hoping that each book in the series would incorporate a new arc, a new mystery to piece together, but it appears that will not be the case. The first book ends with parts of the story unfinished to be continued into the next book. Although there is some romantic tension between some of the characters, romance was not a major plot point which I loved. If you’re looking for a new fantasy series I highly recommend giving this one a try. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

What can I say about this novel... To start with I loved it and was charging through it. Then the narrative seemed to just go nowhere for a while. So much so I had to force myself not to DNF it.

I really enjoyed the imagery, I imagined the setting as a sort of steampunk style Victorian London full of shadowy streets and grey weather. I quite enjoyed the inside of Barrington's house in all its chaos - I was however disappointed that there was no explanation as to the contents of the locked room.

Character development was adequate for the main characters, while the secondary characters were forgettable, leading to the unfortunate requirement to constantly search for their name in order to work out who they were...

What I thought would be done well due to Sanz's romance background was the interactions between Sera and Barrington. Unfortunately it felt very PG with the longing stares and brushing of limbs. Envisage Mr Darcy but with magic and a university.

The narrative, while it had promise, lost pace so often, I almost gave up on multiple occassions. The premise of all powerful witches always intrigues me however the execution was sadly lacking. Any twists (except the identity of the next Keeper) were visible from miles away and left me simply waiting for it to occur.

Overall, it was slightly above average and I will be reading the next instalments however I am unsure as to whether they will be met with the vigour in which i prayed for a copy of this book.

Let me start out with saying that this was not what I was expecting in the least. It felt like a mash up of Harry Potter and The Black Mage series. Wands, magic, a school for such things and a hierarchy just waiting for someone to come and break it.
While I enjoyed the main character and her traits. She knew what she was as a seventhborn but rebelled against just blending in. Wanting to find her family and learn magic. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. A teacher/student romance just puts me off and while it is well done I didnt particularly like the way it all panned out.

Great book. Thank you for the chance to review this title. I will be leaving a in depth review closer to release date.