Originally posted on Goodreads 2/6/21:

DNF'd around 33%.

I guess my unspoken reading goal for the year is to stop reading books that aren't "sparking joy". I gave it until Charlotte met Seth, then skipped to the end and found I really didn't care enough to keep reading the middle.

There was nothing glaringly wrong except that there was nothing fresh or unique enough to keep me interested. I've read this book many times before, and it was much better executed.

General issues with some slight spoilers ahead:

- I have a high tolerance for a real-world setting that suddenly contains a magic system of sorts, but I was expecting a "normal" reason for the Crimson plague, and so part of my problem was adjusting my expectations that this pandemic was because of a magical-esque curse, but then also...it didn't make enough sense for my buy-in. The story behind the curse, the way it spread, WHAT people turn into when it spreads. It's a weird hierarchy where you go from vampire thing to zombie thing, and I kept waiting for better clarification that never came.

- The timelines really confused me, and while that won't matter to many readers, I expect there to be a certain logic to completely made-up events that you as an author had total control over. I THINK Charlotte is supposed to be seventeen and the Crimson hit when she was fifteen, so that's only two years of post-apocalyptic time. The way it was written made it seem like their compound had been around a lot longer than that, that they'd lived in this awful world for ages. In the beginning she also talks about when they had to move in with her grandmother and when she met Dean and it was just a mess of ages that don't easily add up.

- When Charlotte meets her eventual love interest, she's immediately defensive and super snippy to him, and so in turn he snarks back and right away starts calling her "princess" and acting superior. Despite appearances he's bad news, this dude and his crew literally save her life without coercion and yet she's ungratefully pissy about it. Everything about their interaction just reeked of "this is what readers want, the enemies-to-lovers trope!" without any proper build-up or logical sense behind it. I don't want to deal with half-ass swoon.

- There's a lot of emphasis on this being a "feminist" fantasy, which I would argue many YA fantasy books with female protagonists who are well-written individuals getting shit done naturally are. I know exactly why it's being touted as such because of the way the end plays out (which I wasn't overly impressed with anyway), and it all feels kind of empty and showboat-y.

I received a free advanced copy for review and all my opinions and thoughts are my own.

"Kindness, in this world, is the only thing that shows that we're worth the survival we're fighting for. You should accept it as the precious and rare thing that it is. We can't save humanity if we lose ours".

I knew this was going to be a good one when my heart was already racing within the first 40 pages! This was an amazing, captivating apocalyptic fantasy! I really liked the worldbuilding and Blair's version of "zombies". There was plot twist after plot twist that kept me fully invested and dying to know what happened next!
The characters are great and it was so easy to become attached to each of them. The women are smart and strong and of coure there are swoon worthy men (hello Seth!). I enjoyed the character development of the MC and how she continued to fight for those she loved.
This was a well paced story filled with action, legends and romance that I think has a little something for every reader to enjoy.

This is one of those books that leaps straight into the action and takes you along for the ride, whether you are ready or not. I loved the post apocalyptic setting, and I found the unique take on zombies to be refreshing. I loved all of the characters and I thought that the MC's development was fantastic. The plot was also super well done and twisty enough to keep you guessing! Overall I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it!

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐰.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

Unchosen is a unique twist on the chosen one troupe, with Charlotte Halloway who's felt nothing more than mediocre when compared with her sisters, Harlow, the popular and fiery commander, and Vanessa - the Chosen One - the only speck of hope left in the face of the apocalypse. The world as they knew it ended when the Crimson hit the surface, a morbid virus spreading through eye contact, turning humanity into flesh-eating monsters.

When their settlement is raided by the Runners - the ones who've gained immunity to the virus by inflicting it to three others and earn their livelihoods by selling off the Curseclean - Char throws in herself claiming to be the Chosen One, thereby giving time for the sisters to steer away from the Vessels - the red-eyed, flesh-eating monsters the Curseclean become once their humanity dies. And now, it's all up to Charlotte to figure out a way to save the ones whom she holds close to her heart.

It honestly took me a minute to get into the world and get used to the terminologies, but once I was into it, there was no going back. It'd felt like watching an action-packed sci-fi movie unfurl in front of my eyes and the brooding sea-captain had been the icing on the cake. Charlotte finding her place in the world and finding the strength to fight her demons had been fascinating. And not to mention the angsty, slow-burning between the two MCs? so well done. I binge-read the entire book in a day and it's been quite a while since that has happened which says a lot about the book! This had been my first attempt at a post-apocalyptic, urban fantasy, and I'm already yearning for MORE!!

Unchosen by Katharyn Blair is a story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic era whereby humanity is threatened by the vast spread of infection that can turn them into flesh-eating monsters via eye contact. The infection is called Crimson. Ones who have seen the eyes of the infected one shall turn into zombies that tear limbs to limbs.

The story navigates three sisters who are trying to survive against those monsters and on a quest to end the curse that leads to the said infection. Their life after the catastrophe has undergone through a huge turning point ever. Harlow the eldest sister (once guitarist but now a commander), Vanessa (a gymnast but now she's deemed as the Chosen One) and lastly, Charlotte, nothing is special about her, the same old thing. She always feels that her presence is overshadowed and underwhelmed by the grandeur attributes her sisters have exuded. Worse thing ever, she's still in love with her childhood friend Dean, Harlow's boyfriend.

Charlotte's resilience in forgetting her one-sided love is quite palpable throughout the story. I could feel how she yearns for him so much that she could literally risk her life for this man. For me, it's a turn-off because almost every occasion that has put her life on the line is because of that guy. However, I think, her action contributes a lot to the plot even though its storyline is not to my liking. I didn't feel the apocalyptic atmosphere enough, just some mere mentions of people being eaten and that's it. I was actually looking forward to seeing some gruesome graphic descriptions but to no avail, this book is more invested in romance tropes.

However, don't be discouraged by my review, this book might sound right up your alley. The fascinating takeaways for me about this book are the idea of the unchosen one who'll be going to save the world and a new wave of infection that can turn a flesh-eating monster into an extremely strong and freakishly agile being. It's a book that's worth your time to delve into your own escapism. A fast-paced read it is!

"You will not choose my end, for this heart is mine," - Charlotte, Unchosen.

Unchosen, by Katharyn Blair, was a super pleasant surprise, and I mean that in the best way possible. While the synopsis had made it sound like it was everything I wanted in a book, I was scared the execution wouldn’t live up. But I am so happy to write that it absolutely did for me.

I’m not usually the biggest zombie book fan, though I certainly don’t shy away from them if it sounds interesting enough. I liked how different this book is. The zombies aren’t totally mindless, and the way it’s spread—through eye contact—was totally unique. So while it is a dystopian book in some senses, it’s also partially a pirate book, as after being taken as prisoner, Charlotte begins an adventure on the open seas trying to keep her secret while figuring out how to save those she loves.

This book was so many things: scary, funny, emotional, romantic and thrilling. It had so many wonderful characters, was well-paced and totally intriguing. I had a hard time putting it down and loved how everything came together at the end.

OMG GUYS, THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK. It made my heart beat like a thousand times per minute the whole time I was reading it. Give me all the feminist fantasies, cause I’m so in love with Unchosen by Katharyn Blair! Five happy stars.

There are some books that capture your attention from the very beginning with their captivating storytelling style – Unchosen is definitely one of them. The book had spooky vibes through and through, which didn’t let me put it down at all. The world-building was spot-on. There were many layers to the Unchosen world, and I loved exploring every aspect of it. I was fascinated by everything that was happening in the book - it was different from anything I’ve ever read. The plot was PURE INTRIGUE. I HAD to keep turning the pages as fast as I could to know what happened next in Charlotte’s life.

Speaking of Charlotte, I loved how fierce-less and brave she was. Bad-ass heroines are my favorite things in books, so yeah, Char has my whole heart. The supporting characters were perfectly written as well. All of them had their own quirks, which made reading Unchosen such an amazing adventure! ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW GORGEOUS SETH WAS?? He was everything that Charlotte needed in her life, and I loved the romance that blossomed between them. The angst, the banter – honestly, every Seth and Char moment made me swoon.

Unchosen had the perfect balance of adventure, mystery and romance. The story had a lot of depth, which made me connect to the characters and their struggles very easily. The feminist side of the book was like a cherry on top of an already beautiful cake.

I’d like to end my review by saying that I’m obsessed with the Unchosen world. Where do I sign up to ask the author to continue writing Charlotte’s story as a series? I NEED MORE!!!

Unchosen's premise reminded me of the classic late 2000s/early 2010s dystopia settings that have fallen to the wayside in recent years, and the zombie apocalypse meets pirate adventure story was a fun and unique setting to play in. The books draws readers in immediately and every chapter is stuffed with high stakes. The story doesn't slow for a minute, really allowing you to understand the dire situation and root for these characters.

The book's "fiercely feminist" advertising rings true, albeit a little too much at times. The sisterly-love-driven story and the cast of strong female characters are a joy, though their dialogue can come off as preachy or forced. I also found it ironic that Charlotte's main motivation throughout the novel was her love for Dean, since chasing after a man kind of negates that whole idea.

Though our main characters were well-rounded, many of the secondary protagonists and villains were very underdeveloped, and I had a hard time differentiating what the author's intent was in terms of how much I should care for or trust them. It took re-reading many of the passages multiple times to understand what was really going on.

Charlotte was a great protagonist for this world, and her struggles with anxiety and feeling inferior were realistic and worked wonders for her journey.

Overall, Unchosen was a decent book that I'm happy I took the time to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. After I started it, I looked up the author and realized I had read another of her titles, and I think I have the same complaint after this one that I did the last one: why can't it be a series? The story and the world she created, and the characters, DESERVE MORE CHAPTERS! I love the stories she creates and am always slightly disappointed when I realize that the end of the book is the end of the story. But, that's not really that bad of a complaint, is it?

Charlotte has always been the sister in the middle. She isn't as brave as her older sister Harlow, and she isn't as talented as her younger sister Vanessa. Even when the world was normal, she was ordinary. So now, when the world is ending, and the Crimson is taking over, she is used to being forgettable. So when the Runners come and are looking for the Chosen One, the one who is prophesied to be the one who end the Crimson, Charlotte takes the place of the Chosen One. Because it's her fault that they are there looking for her sister Vanessa in the first place.

As Charlotte is taken, she is determined to give her sisters time to get to a safe house, and to find a way to save Dean, the boy she loves who just happens to be her sister's boyfriend. And, if she has to lie and claim to be someone she's not, well that is the price she is willing to pay. But eventually, the weight of the lie will become too much. Because what use is life if you're not living your own?

Highly recommend this one. Some readers will enjoy the fact that it is a complete story without having to have a series or wait on more books to publish. Strong first purchase contender.

Charlotte's life has been ruined twice. She's always been infatuated with Dean, yet he stupidly fell for her older sister Harlow! Then, perhaps not quite as bad but still a touch aggravating, most everybody turned into these flesh-eating monsters. According to the survivors, the Crimson curse afflicts anybody who looks directly into the eyes of another who already has the curse. Criminy. Of course, Harlow now commands a group of survivors battling the hungry monsters, and Vanessa, Charlotte's younger sister, is supposed to lead humanity into a bright future by eradicating the Crimson. What can Charlotte do with such exceptional sisters around her, and nobody who loves her back? She offers herself as tribute, naturally, when raiders burst into their community demanding that the Chosen One, a.k.a. Vanessa, be handed over. Charlotte claims she is Sparta- (ahem) Vanessa, and the raiders take her away in hopes of ending humanity's collective affliction. Lies eventually unravel, so Charlotte must escape if she hopes to return to Dean and her sisters. Even though Charlotte may be the unremarkable middle child, she must seize her own destiny, rather than letting fate assign her one, and fight for the love and purpose she craves.

An apocalyptic complex zombie story about a girl who's not the hero, or even remarkable, or at least that's what the world has told her so far. That's an interesting premise! I liked how Charlotte is selfless and wants to do the right thing, even if she doesn't expect to receive much recognition for what she's doing. She just wants to be useful and needed, and for her, finding that niche is harder than for her sisters. The zombie-esque concept has layers to it, which I thought was a nice touch, and it even has some echoes of the chain letter phenomenon in biological form. I felt like Charlotte and Dean's relationship definitely improved throughout the book, though I think its outcome was somewhat ambiguous, perhaps on purpose. The trio of sisters overall have a good relationship, in spite of Charlotte's misgivings about her place as the unchosen middle child, and I appreciated their interactions and commitment to each other throughout the story. Unchosen is a different, somewhat complex look at a potential apocalyptic future that features a protagonist who is not the hero you'd normally expect, and for my part, I considered that a good thing.

Ohmyword, y'all. This book is a bit of Fable, Hunger Games, Zombies, with a dash of Harry Potter and Bird Box. What a great ride of a story that was! I feel like it was a breath of fresh air! It felt like a story I hadn't heard before and that was refreshing! But wow, what a ride! Girl doesn't have magic. All she has is her love for her sisters and her wanting to save those she loves, all the while not wanting others to risk thier lives for her. Charlotte is one of my fave characters and I cried several times, because that unrequited love gets me EVERYTIME. I almost think of Carol from the Walking Dead, from season one to now? How she changed? This is it. Charlotte reminds me of Carol. And I'm here for it. LOVED this story and highly recommend it!

I’m not a huge fan of post apocalyptic novels. It’s been a while since I read one actually. So I wasn’t entirely sure how my experience with this one would be but honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

Not gonna lie, it took me about 30% to really get into the story but I really liked the plot. There were parts of the story that seemed a little too convenient and I kinda wish the setting was a little bit different to give it a more post apocalyptic feel, considering the fact that it starts 2-3 years after the zombies take over.

Can I just say that I’m so glad that this isn’t too cliched? I was so convinced that she’d end up with Dean or be the Chosen One that I was surprised with the fact that none of those things happen. I love how the main character is trying to figure out her place in this world with everything going on. The flawed aspect of her personality and self discovery was something I really liked.

Anyway, if you’re going to pick up a dystopian novel then I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you Katherine Tegen Books, MB Communications, and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

I don’t know where to start. Some people will be surprised that I picked up this book to read since I do not like post-apocalyptic, dystopian, or zombie books. But this book...I loved it so much. What made me take such a huge chance on this book was solely based on one line when it was pitched:

“UNCHOSEN is a fiercely feminist story about finding freedom and being the hero in the way you’re meant to be. ”

Something about that line stuck with me for a few days and I just couldn’t shake the take a chance feeling that I had. I am so happy that this time I listened to that feeling.

The women in this book are some of the best female characters I have seen in forever. I loved how this book points out how each one is different and yet they are all strong in their own way.

Charlotte threw herself into danger to save her younger sister because she thought she was expendable only to learn throughout the story how strong she is.

This book is like a war cry for any girl that thought she wasn’t enough.

If anything about this book appeals to you I say pick it up! Take a chance.

In Unchosen, we enter into post-apocalyptic South California, where Charlotte, her sisters, and Dean are trying to stay alive. A strange illness has turned much of the population into zombies and the illness is transmitted through eye-contact - a little Bird Box there, it felt. Readers who enjoy adventures on the high seas, teenage angst, love, and oh, zombies will enjoy this title. The writing is fun and very contemporary in the language used by the characters. While some of the events were a little predictable, it did not stop my heart from thumping wildly as I neared the end. I read the entire work in almost one sitting. That is how much I was enjoying it. Some of the language may be more appropriate for older teens, however, I think most YA groups would find this a great story.

While I'm not a fan of zombies, I loved this book. I found myself absorbed from the first chapter, unable to put the book down, because I had to know what was going to happen next. I love the Medusa style infection (if you stare into an infected persons eyes, you become infected yourself) - which is terrifying yet also really cool. Everyone has to strap themselves down with mirrors because similar to Medusa, the curse doesn't affect a person if they're seeing the reflection of an infected person. 

Imagine fighting through a mirror. Not fun. 

There was a lot I loved from this book. The backstory, the plot, the characters, and the fight scenes were awesome! I found myself enjoying the book more than it terrified me and that's honestly what kept me reading. I really hate zombies and hearing about how these infected people go rabbid was really scary for me. I wouldn't let myself read the book at night in order to prevent the oncoming nightmares. 

While I had some issues with pacing towards the end and wishing for more representation, this book checks off a lot of boxes for me. It's an action-packed, thrilling story that also has substance between characters and gives more to the plot than just fight scene after fight scene. I loved Charlotte's love for her sisters and the message that anyone "average" can save the world, even if you're the sister of the Chosen One, but I found that Charlotte was repetitively put herself down during this book. It was heartbreaking but also kind of sucky to read. 

I get not feeling special, especially compared to siblings, but this was just down right obsessive. It was like Charlotte's whole identity had become her just being Harlow's sister or Vanessa's/Chosen One's sister. It also made it difficult to get through certain parts as she whines that she's nothing special. But, thankfully, Charlotte learns that she's not just a sister, she's her own person. And once she found her identity, I found myself even more engaged in the plot lines. Plus, the love interest is a rugged "pirate" type and I was all for that!

Even with its faults, I adored this book and was so sad when it was over. I loved the overall message and found myself starting to care a lot for Charlotte and was so happy when she found who she finally was.

On paper, it may sound tricky to make a dystopian/zombie-ish/pirate fantasy book work, but this book somehow pulls all those things together for an entertaining read.

Charlotte has always felt like the odd one out. She had no outstanding talent like her older and younger sisters. Even after the essential end of the world, both of her sisters come shining through as valuable entities in the new world, but Charlotte resumes her supporting role. It’s only when she makes a grand gesture intended to save her younger sister that her true worth starts to be revealed.

The premise of the Crimson originally feels a bit like Bird Box (the novel by Josh Malerman, and followed up with the movie starring Sandra Bullock): they can only look strangers in the eye through mirrors, to prevent their tragic and horrifying human death. Sure, it’s an existence, but it feels like they’re just waiting for the attack they can’t stand against. Soon enough, their walled village is invaded and everything changes in a hurry.

The evolution of Charlotte as she struggles to survive, and maybe save the world, was a compelling read. Each interaction with another potential enemy forced her to change the story she was telling, and keep track of more lies to stay alive. While some of it may have leaned toward a bit far-fetched, the story-telling and unique characters were enjoyable and worth a bit of suspension of disbelief.

Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The pirate legend and mindless-diseased (zombie?) enemies had a fantasy flair, but being set in a recognizable world before the Crimson made it a bit more like speculative fiction. The plot was definitely imaginative, but not overly graphic, making it an acceptable YA read as well. With so many overlapping genres, I think it would be a good read for many people.

Charlotte has seen the world end twice. The first time was when the guy she liked started dating her older sister. The second time was when the Crimson started infecting people and turning them into cannibalistic monsters. This novel is incredibly original for essentially being a zombie novel - it manages to combine pirate history, apocalyptic what-ifs, and romance into a captivating novel that I couldn't put down.

This book was everything! It had wonderful fantasy aspects that blended beautifully with the post-apocalyptic bits, swoony romance (with handsome sea captains), and just enough violence to give me a good scare at times.

UNCHOSEN had a strong start! It began with an exciting and nerve-wracking scene and then introduced the characters at a good pace. Things seemed to move at a good speed throughout the whole book really.

The plot was so intriguing! I never felt like things were dragging or dull. I was also very happy with how well things were balanced. Things were swoony and romantic when needed and then action-y and violent. I loved it!

Also, I felt the need to point out that I might have squealed when things started to move to the water. There were so many battles taking place on ships and on the water and I was getting pirate vibes and I was so here for it! If you've ever wondered how a book can combine zombie-like people with pirates, check this book out because it does so flawlessly.

Moving on to my favorite topic...the romance!! Let me just talk a second about our resident sea captain. Seth was everything this book needed. He added heart, some angst, and the ever needed shirtless scenes. But apart from his physical features (which were gorgeous), he was a great character and counterpart to our main character, Charlotte. I loved their verbal spares and the moments when they could just be themselves, even amidst a fallen world. Their relationship was so well-balanced and had just enough angst to make it perfect.

Speaking of this book being perfect, it had plot twist after plot twist. I love a good plot twist, something to make me gasp, and this book had a few. Just as I would think I could relax a twist would get thrown at me and I would be sucked back into the heart-pounding action. They were thrilling and infuriatingly wonderful.

Lastly, the feminist aspect of this book was spot-on. Like the rest of the book, the topic/theme was well balanced. I felt the strong females in the book and I heard the message it was conveying and loved it. These things all stood out without being shoved my face or being overbearing in any way.

Overall, this book was perfect. It combined so many different elements and genres beautifully and did so in one book. I'm so glad this was a standalone. I wish there were more fantasy/sci-fi standalones like this. No matter what genre you most enjoy, you have to check this book out!!!

3 stars, an enjoyable read with some promise

Well first off, that cover is absolutely gorgeous. Being completely honest, it's 60% of why I picked up the book at all. The other 40%? Feminist post apocalyptic fantasy with unusual zombies? Well that sounds up my alley and sure enough, I did have a fun time with this book. Blair has a really unique flair for her specific take on zombies and I can't help but like her self-sacrificing heroine, Charlotte, who is caught in the unenviable position of being the younger sister of an important military leader protecting humanity and the older sister of the Chosen One who may save humanity. It's unenviable being the odd child out and living in the shadows of both of your siblings but Charlotte handles it well and doesn't hesitate to sacrifice herself to save her sister when her compound is unexpectedly attacked and heroines who still love their sister's enough to die for them are definitely worth reading about. The romance element with the runner captain Seth is well realized too. I think it could use some more room to develop but I did find them to be a believable and pretty cute couple.

The big downside of this book is a weird compound issue of it taking the plot a little too long to start up (she doesn't even meet her main love interest until nearly 40% of the way through the book) but also requiring a lot of frantic setup and rushing around for Charlotte to get to where she needs to be for the main story to kick in. It's pretty wild when she alternately runs or gets captured or rescued and brought to a new location in a far too rushed series of events that takes her from Point A to B to C to D to E and it's only when she finally gets to E that the main plot gets going all in the span of 8ish chapters (and they're pretty short chapters too). I think there needed to be an easier, quicker way to get Charlotte to meet up with Seth. Sadly this element did drag the book down significantly but was not bad enough to ruin my enjoyment outright.

Overall, a really interesting read that I enjoyed well enough. It's an easy book to admire for its creativity and its themes even if its basic structure may be a bit messy.

UNCHOSEN is a fantastic and completely captivating YA apocalyptic fantasy, filled with feminism, friendship, sisterhood, and romance. Charlotte is the middle sister, who has always fallen in the shadows of her older and younger sisters, Harlow and Vanessa. Charlotte felt like the world ended, when her BFF and long-time crush fell in love with her older sister, Harlow. It ended again when the Crimson struck her town and family in one horrible night. That night marked Vanessa as the Chosen One.

Harlow is the commander of the forces at their outpost, keeping the monsters at bay. Vessels as they are called are those infected with the Crimson (a zombie twist). They seek to destroy and/or turn humans who have not yet been infected, called Cursecleans. When raiders come into the settlement looking for the Chosen One, Charlotte pretends that she is the one they are looking for, protecting Vanessa. This sets off a cascade of events where the world hangs in the balance.

What I loved: The premise of the Crimson is about a pirate, Anne, who threw herself off the bow of her ship rather than be forced into marriage with a man she did not want. It was said that she spoke a curse, and when her remains were found and desecrated by greedy treasure hunters, the Crimson began. The way that this ends up unfolding was really unique and does have some strong feminist tones. The way this and the Chosen One pieces came together throughout the book and at the end definitely gave me chills. It's really brilliantly and intricately plotted- the mark of an excellent fantasy read.

I also really appreciated the character growth we see in Charlotte during the story. She seems to be just the extra one, but as she is forced into the world, she begins to learn who she is and who she wants to be outside of the way her sisters have defined her. That being said, I also appreciated the sister-love that is contained throughout, and the way that they always have each others' backs no matter what.

The romance, and the way that it evolves as Charlotte does, was definitely a win for me. From where she begins, in love with her BFF and her sister's boyfriend, to where she lands, it definitely showed her character growth- and was also totally swoony. I was there for it.

There are some great themes in the book about power, misogyny, fate, and ethics/morality that would be really interesting to discuss in a book group. At the end of the world, how an individual defines themselves and the roles they choose to take are really telling and definitely thought-provoking.

Final verdict: UNCHOSEN is an intricately plotted and masterfully told story of sisterhood, self-realization, and internal power that is sure to captivate readers. Highly recommend for fans of FABLE, SEAFIRE, and/or LEGEND.

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