Book Shelf: Seventh Born (The Witchling Academy #1) by Monica Sanz

Abomination. Curse. Murderer. All names hurled at eighteen-year-old Seraphina Dovetail. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, she’s the cause of her mother losing her powers and, in turn, her life.

Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.

The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he’ll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she’ll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn’t the only thing that makes a witch burn.

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Review:

Seventh Born by Monica Sanz is a well written and highly enjoyable novel that will bewitch readers with its tangible characters, murder mystery and haunting ambiance.

Eighteen year old witch Serephina Dovetail is an outcast amongst her people. As the seventh daughter born and the cause of her mother’s death at her birth, Sera is used to being seeing as cursed. She been called an abomination, ostracised and treated with cruelty but as a student of the Aetherium Witchling Academy, Sera is determined to get into the Advanced Studies Program and become an inspector. Yet to do so, she needs a referral and given how people perceive her, Sera is sure no one will take a chance on her. Until she is approached by Professor Nikolai Barrington, a young, handsome but brooding teacher at the Aetherium Witchling Academy who approaches Sera with a proposition; he will give Sera the referral she so desperately craves in exchange for her assistance on a case he is working on. Faced with no other options, Sera agrees but as she and Professor Barrington delve into the case of murdered seventh born women, painful memories of her past begin to resurface and soon Sera will have to accept that the monsters that haunt her may not be as dead and buried as she thought….

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Seventh Born. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting when I began this novel but whatever it was Seventh Born definitely exceeded my expectations. Beginning the novel, I was immediately entranced by this magical world of mystery and discovery that was set in a Victorian-era-esq world. Though author Monica Sanz never mentions the specific time period in which the story is set, her use of language and propriety paints a clear picture of what society is like when Seventh Born takes place.

Mixing elements of mystery, magic and danger, I really liked the world Monia Sanz has created within Seventh Born. I found the concept of seventh born witches to be intriguing and feel Sanz went into the perfect amount of detail to describe the persecution and treatment they had experienced throughout the years. I do feel like we’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg where the Aetherium Witchling Academy was concerned although I did really like what I’ve seen so far.

Seventh Born is depicted through the vivid voice of protagonist Serphina “Sera” Dovetail, someone I really enjoyed following. Monica Sanz makes it clear early on in the novel that Sera has painful secrets about her past and as the novel progresses the atrocities she experienced are revealed. Sera is a scared individual, both figuratively and literally, but I do feel this actually gives her so much more substance as a character. Sera is a determined and capable young woman and I felt for her as she struggled to harness her abilities. Sera has been treated so cruelly by so many people and as a result her ability to trust are lacking. I highly enjoyed seeing her begin to come into her own though and can't see where she does.

The driving force of the storyline is the series of gruesome murders Sera and her Professor Barrington investigate and while I appreciated the way this was explored and depicted, I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the relationship that is developing between Sera and Barrington. They are adorable! Theirs is the kind of slow burning romance that is a subtle undertone to the overall story that burns through the novel. Barrington is gruff and brooding but the soft moments of tender touches and kind gestures really make me swoon. Sera and Barrington really have such potential to soar and as things hopefully continue to heat up and develop, I for one can wait to see where their relationship progresses to.

Building to an exciting and thrilling ending that leaves me dying for more, Seventh Born was a very promising start to what I’m sure will be a wonderful series. Moncia Sanz has very much piqued by interest with this series and I cannot wait for more of Sera and Barrington. I’m already hankering to get my hands on their next tale!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: September 4th 2018
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository
Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved this novel and can't wait for more!