I had trouble following this because I have not read book one. I'm sure it would have been better if I had .

Firstborn by Tosca Lee is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller with a historical aspect. I really enjoyed again returning to the interesting story of Audra Ellison and Luka Novak. A couple who proves love can withstand any trial humans put it through. Once the novel starts, Lee does not let up. Audra and Luka are on the run, hunting for a way to kill the Historian and return to a life where they don't have to keep running from the Hunters. Filled with intrigue, I had a really hard time putting the novel down. I came to an end of a chapter with the intent to do something else, but the chapter ended in a cliffhanger, so I had to keep reading. I really enjoyed learning more about Audra's past and more information about Elizabeth Bathory's history this time. My only issue is with the ending. After watching the untimely demise of the Historian, Audra and Luka jump in a car to chase someone, then the story jumps into a happily-ever-after moment for all the characters. I was confused. Did I miss something? Since this incident happens so close to the end, I thought it would be a prelude to another book, but the happy ending makes it appear that this is the end of the series. I could be wrong, and I hope I am. Fans of The Progeny by Tosca Lee and Steven James should pick this novel up.
I received a complimentary copy of Firstborn by Tosca Lee from Howard Books and the opinions stated are all my own.

"I remember what it is to die. To be afraid. To hate. To want to kill. To compel out of need, or want, or fear. I know what it is to let the extraordinary destroy you. When a gift becomes a weapon and a legacy of hate. But I also remember what it is to live. To love and surrender. To wonder and believe."

[bookcover:Firstborn|30753791]

Firstborn

"My name is Audra Ellison. I am twenty-one years old... and you have just poked the mother bear."

The theme of a legendary supposed serial killers' descendants is sure to have your proverbial tongue hanging out in eagerness! The first book in this series, The Progeny, followed Audra and Luka as they reacquainted with each other. Firstborn picks of right where it left off, and if you remember that last revealing revelation, you'd understand the longing to know what happened next.

"There are moments that both shatter and restore your existence at once. That hollow you out as your entire life up to that instant— and your entire life from that instant on—collides inside you and leaves you gasping for air."

Alot of truths are revealed in Firstborn, accompanied by striking revelations with both the hero and heroin of the story. This novel was intriguing and kept you at seats edge throughout! The race against time, country hopping and plot twists were well placed. The story progressed well.

“A life of true power, when ours is gone. Because when you’re Progeny, those moments of persuasion—of power over another—are the only power you ever feel. Because you never feel powerful yourself. Not really. There is only power over. It’s the loveliest deception, the easiest form of abuse, thinking you’re powerful because you can make someone else do something. The sign of the truly weak,”

Audra, character that was a good combination of heart-soft and head-strong. Her need to protect those she loves, often at the expense of herself, was admirable considering the cost. It would have been nice if Tosca gave us brief glimpses here and there of Luka's point of view.

"They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. But they don’t tell you that every detail comes screaming back to life. That you taste each bite of every meal you savored, feel the shower of every rain you walked in . . . smell the hair against your cheek before that last parting kiss. I will come back for you."

I did find some things abit predictable such as <spoiler> who the Historian is, their marriage etc</spoiler> however, one of the scenes I thought as creepy as it was, it was also eerily beautiful <spoiler> when Luka harvested her memory to hold on to her. That was definitely an awe-struck kind of a moment because it allowed her to get her memory back and reverse the procedure that erased her memory </spoiler>


“A life so mundane that we would search for meaning. Imagine! A life so secure, that we have to search for meaning because staying alive is such a given that we don’t even know what it is for.”

Alliances were tested and new friendships were formed in this unique story shadowed by Elizabeth Bathory herself. Definitely a good read.

"We assign stories to everyone around us out of our own need to feel that we understand."

It was great uncovering the history of each character and their friendship with Audra, I loved Jester. The understanding that comes with being Utod and having to keep friendships and arms length didn't hinder the story or make it seem like it didn't flow because of gaps. Rather it complimented it.

I would recommend this book, if for nothing else than the unique story. I do think that Tosca writes Biblical fiction better than this genre, however, its always admirable when we move out of our comfort zone.

Actual rating- 3.5-3.75 Stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. All views expressed are my own.

Firstborn picks up right where The Progeny ends and it is action packed and suspenseful. When I finished The Progeny last year I couldn't wait for book two, and while I had to wait it was worth the wait. Audra is facing the past she tried to get rid of and racing against the clock to save the man she loves. This race takes you all over Europe and Tosca's descriptions are so vivid and real you can not only see them, all of your senses are engaged.
The main thread through these two books are acceptance of yourself, who you are. Realizing you can't change the past but you can change your future.
Tosca is a favored author for me. I anxiously await her next book, and I try not to read it in one sitting.
Highly recommended!

Audra's memory has come back and now those that she loves the most are in danger. Audra tries to distance herself from the people that mean the most to her, but Luka refuses to let her fight this battle on her own. As long as the Historian is alive no Progeny is safe. Can Audra make a deal with the devil in order to save more Progeny lives from being lost? Can she protect the one thing that would give the Historian the most power? And what about Audra's own powers? As a Firstborn she has yet to tap into all that she is capable of, but as her desperation and desire to keep Luka safe increases so do her abilities. Can Audra somehow stop a centuries-old vendetta by exposing the powers-that-be?

Firstborn was fast-paced and intense. I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the Progeny and Scion's etc. It might have helped if I had read The Progeny and then moved right into Firstborn, but it has been quite a while since I read The Progeny. I loved Luka and Audra's characters. Their love for each other and their desire to protect each other is romantic even when the situations that they find themselves in aren't romantic. There were some surprises throughout the story that had me saying, "Whoa!" There were also several secondary characters that were quite entertaining. I loved all of Audra's friends that helped her along the way, Jester, Piotrek and Claudia were a tight-knit group of friends that anyone would love to have. Lot's of emotions, lot's of killings, lot's of history and lot's of action round out this entertaining read.

This review will post on my blog on May 2, 2017, it will also post on Goodreads and Amazon and on my facebook pages on that day.

I am a huge Fan of Tosca Lee and as any of the luminaries know, we have been waiting on Firstborn rather impatiently since the Progeny was released. (As in trying to bribe Tosca with bacon. It is a real thing) Firstborn did not disappoint and it is a gearshift in expectation. Where The Progeny was full of background and putting together a puzzle, Firstborn was a frenzied race against time.

If you have not read the Progeny, you will need to go back and do so. Even with the synopsis in the beginning you will have no idea what is happening if you try to jump into book 2.

Once again we join the main character, Audra as she comes to terms with the revelation of why she decided to have her memory erased. This knowledge sets off a dizzying, dangerous game of cat and mouse with her nemesis, The Historian, and even those of her own kind that would bring her down.

What you will like: The non stop action, Audra is always on the move, and each step of the way heightens the tension as she makes her way towards trying to save the Progeny from destruction.

The descriptions, the scenery, the characters (likeable and unlikeable alike), the puzzling mystery behind the identity of the Historian.

The idea that sometimes who 'the bad guy' is might be based on your particular perception of the situation.

What you may not like: Audra is a young adult and sometimes her decisions are rash and seemingly self centered. She often forgets how her decisions affect others. Even though you understand her 'why', for some readers you may not like this character trait.

Spiritual/religious overtones- Tosca is a Christian author and God is mentioned and present throughout the book. Not in an overwhelming in your face way, but noticeable. If that isn't something you like, you may not like this book.

Unanswered questions. While part of the story for Audra is wrapped up, you will have questions about the 'what next' and 'what about' to the bigger picture.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it.

Really, this book was a 3 1/2 stars review for me. Since it has been a while from when I read The Progeny, I was very glad for the short summary at the beginning of the book. Even with that summary, I felt a bit lost as the book careens through the very fast paced plot. The first book had action but it was tempered with the depth of the plot, also. This book seemed to be all action with hardly any time to slow down and allow us to savor the all of the complexities it offered. I so wish that these books had a deeper spiritual aspect to them. To me, both were very sadly lacking in the spiritual area. I realize it was set in a bit of a distopic society but the Lord and the Gospel could have been seamlessly woven into the fabric. There is no real cliff hanger - so one doesn't know if it's over or another installment is coming. If one does come, I hope it comes soon on the tails of Firstborn, so many will not loose the momentum of the story line. If it comes, I will read it.

So, I'm a big fan of Tosca Lee, and loved the first book in the series was very good. This second book was kind of disappointing. I don't know if it was the time between the first volume and this one, but I felt lost for most of the book. Aside from a few surprises, it felt like I was stuck in a game of World of Warcraft: running, running, running, talk a few minutes, running, running running, talk a few minutes... you get the idea.

I'll probably reread this series from the start when the final book is released. There's too much story/plot to lose waiting for the next volume to be published.