This was an interesting read. There is a LOT of world-building in this book, which felt like it took a little away from the story itself. I think book 2 may be stronger simply because so much of this will already be in place.

The characters felt wishy-washy, which was also frustrating. Each of them went from good to bad or from one love to another faster tHan I could keep up with. I like the premise of the story, but I never really came to care for the characters because at any moment they might turn , and then turn back, and then turn back again. It was hard to follow who was good and who was bad at any given moment.

Overall, I wanted to love this book, but it fell a bit short. I did like it and will most likely give book 2 a try because this debut author can definitely write. Looking forward to reading more of her work.

Unblemished is a breathtaking story of love and bravery wrapped in a magical, fairytale world with elements of truth for all.

Sara Ell's imagination is boundless. From the minute I opened the pages of this book until the very end I was transported to a world where anything is possible, nothing is as it seems, and love conquers all.

I loved Eliyana's character and transformation through this story. From her struggle with wanting to be loved to her passion for music, I resonated with her and couldn't wait to see what would happen.

And oh what a journey. I won't say much here because I don't want to spoil anything but MY OH MY Sara killed it with regards to this books amazing plot. There is a lot to set up and understand when creating a fantasy novel, but she did so in such an amazing, imaginative way. I found myself talking out loud to the book (I can't be the only one who does that...) during some parts just wondering what was going to happen.

I also really loved Sara's writing style. It's fresh, relatable, and deeply personal. After reading this book I feel like I know Eliyana--that we're friends. To me, that's what makes or breaks a first person story - the main character. I so appreciated how Eliyana's character was written in a way that allowed me to know her and to struggle with her, but not to be burdened by her (if you know what I mean).

If you love YA Fantasy's you will flip over this book - seriously! That ending - oh man! But, even if you aren't usually a fan, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. There is a beautiful truth written into these pages and a deeper sense of strength and bravery woven throughout the story that all will enjoy.
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I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

Sara is a new author for me. This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. The world building and characters were superb! She did a great job weaving spiritual truth throughout the story without being overwhelming.

3.5 Stars

Unblemished is an original young adult fantasy that will have readers dreaming of Reflections for days to come. I loved the world building in this story - there were Reflections (similar to parallel universes) that some people were able to travel between using Thresholds. This concept was fascinating and I enjoyed learning about it as much as I could. The author does a fantastic job of bringing these elements to life and making them almost seem plausible. I've always been intrigued by the thought of parallel universes, so this was right up my alley and fed my imagination. The Reflections and their inhabitants were all detailed with vivid imagery and descriptions that allowed me to easily picture them in my mind. I loved meeting all of the various people and learning about their "Callings" - abilities they are given early in life. Some were shape shifters, others healers, and some had creepy abilities like causing others pain and paralyzing people just by locking eyes with them. These traits made the characters all the more fascinating and fun to read about. Eliyana was a good main character for the book. She was realistic and easy to connect with right from the beginning. I liked how the author made her "flaw" - the red birthmark on her face and neck - into a powerful symbol in the other Reflections. Some parts of Eliyana's attitude bugged me - it seemed like she was pitying herself a lot and was pretty depressing for most of the book. I understand that it's part of her character and was caused by her hatred for the birthmark and how people treated her because of it. It just felt like she was throwing herself a pity party for most of the story, which did annoy me enough to make it hard to slip inside the story completely. The other aspects of the novel were all well done and were great additions to the book. I definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy and science fiction!