Winterborne [NOOK Book]

First off I’m going to be completely honest. The synopsis

First off I’m going to be completely honest. The synopsis for Winterborne mildly perked my interest and therefore it was truly the cover that sold me. Don’t get me wrong, I love YA books that feature power-wielding teens, trying to navigate their way through basins of lies and secrets–leading to dangerous escapades. However, sometimes I need an extra nudge in order to give a book a chance. There’s just something about the cover that drew my quizzical brow and kept my eyes glued to the screen. The bird image is so simple but yet, complex as well, in an artistic way. With only four colors, white, black, red, and grey, the cover comes off sleek and clean, as well as visually appealing. Okay, enough about my cover-induced drool. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expecting when I first began Winterborne. Like any book, I take a leap of faith, hoping to at least like it. I’m happy to say that the stakes rose and my like jumped to love.

From the get-go Winterborne spun a surprising twist. You read the synopsis and the first thing you see is a description of a girl named Mia whose expecting a dose of awesome powers come her seventeenth birthday. Then there comes a small blurb about Mia’s best friend, Loie who’s described as a “eternal sidekick extraordinaire”. I don’t know about you but I figured that the narrator would be Mia because as far as the synopsis goes, she seemed like the more-interesting girl within the duo. Wrong! In what I referred to as a “surprising twist” Loie is the girl who navigates us through Winterborne through her narration. Just because Mia is the one who’s to inherit mad-gifts, doesn’t mean Loie misses out on the action. Like two peas in a pod, Loie and Mia are together through thick and thin, even when “vertically-inclined Irish men” i.e. Leprechauns attempt to hijack Mia out of her bedroom in the middle of the night. Loie, although powerless, is right there fighting to protect Mia. One of the things I loved most about Winterborne was the deep and true friendship between Mia and Loie. There’s plenty of situations and people who come between Mia and Loie but in the end they come out together, in some cases, even stronger than they were going in.

Winterborne is a refreshing read. It takes some usual elements and plots, whisks them up, and serves them in new, delicious ways. It’s easy to the follow along and keep up with the storyline. There’s also a great mixture of characters (very important). Loie and Mia are amazing and real while Andreas is just as smoldering as a British hottie is expected to be.

Although I eventually got thoroughly-engrossed within the story, with the bait, it took quite while for me to bite. Maybe around page 80 or so I was really hooked. This in turn, kind of bummed me out because that’s almost half the book. Another small tidbit that rubbed me the wrong way was the references to Mia’s impending powers as “mutant” ability. Once again, don’t get me wrong, I do love me some x-genes but half the time the book talked about magical powers and the other half, mutant. I feel like these are two different domains when it comes to extraordinary gifts and therefore I would have liked it to be one or the other.

When I finished Winterborne I had a mixture of feelings floating around in my head. On one hand I was thrilled with the turnout because the book delivered an ending I in no way was expecting. There was a major cliffhanger so of course I was anxious to get my hands on book two. Also, although I found some faults with book one I had a huge feeling of confidence that book two could rise up and be even better than it’s predecessor. I give Winterborne a 3.5/5 rating.

Loved this book!

I loved this book! Perfect for readers who like fast-paced, inventive YA paranormal with a healthy dose of humor. I can't wait for the next one!

Winterborne is a Must!

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Winterborne is the story of two life long best friends, Loie and Mia. The girls were even born on the same day in the same hospital during a blizzard. Tragedy and magic have bound these two together. On the eve of their 17th birthday, things begin to change drastically. One of them will ascend to great power while the other will be nothing more than a mere human.


Winterborne was a pleasant surprise. Often you don't know what to expect when you take on a review request from an unknown, Indie writer. However, trust me when I say that I am so glad I took the time to give Winterborne a chance. It was a fun and creative reading experience. I enjoyed the characters, plot, and lore created by Blythe. She took the standard issue magical being concept and turned it on its head pitting the Universals, a group of evolved humans with magical powers, against the Ancients, the more traditional beings of myth such as pixies. As the rumblings of war are beginning in the magical world, Loie and Mia may be drawn into the crossfire.


In addition to the supernatural aspects - there is also a love triangle. This seems to be a big trend in YA literature, but this one is a little different mainly because it is two girls who are in love with the same boy. I haven't read that type of love triangle in awhile so it was a nice chance. I also think Blythe did a beautiful job with it as she made the feelings come to life.


I think one of the biggest strengths of this book is Loie. She is such an interesting character - smart, sarcastic, self conscious. Loie is trying to discover her own identity. For so long she has only been Mia's sidekick, but as their birthday approaches she realizes that at some point she will have to learn to stand on her own as an equal to Mia. I loved watching Loie's confidence in herself grow throughout the course of the novel. I also was Loie in high school. I felt like my best friend was much prettier and popular than I could ever hope to be. I always followed her lead and watched the boys fall all over themselves trying to get her attention. I would have loved reading this book at that point in my life to see how others dealt with being in the shadow of a good friend.


I didn't give it 5 birdies because there was some dialogue that annoyed me. Katie, in particular, with her faux Spanish made me cringe. Loie also speaks in colloquialisms and cliches quite frequently which got tedious after awhile. I also thought some of the dialogue wasn't true to the age group; it almost sounded antiquated in parts. However, that is really my only major complaint with the novel. If that had been tweaked then I could easily have rated this one a 5.


Winterborne is a magical voyage that I highly recommend. Blythe's writing is solid and the story kept me wanting more. I am hoping this one is a series because I have so many lingering questions. Fans of paranormal stories - particularly those with fey like elements - will love this book. Augusta Blythe is an Indie author to keep your eye on.

Must Read Fantasy

I loved the way the story is told from Loie's point of view instead of Mia. They were born on the same day at the same time and grew up best friends. When they were five both of their lives changed. Loie lost both of her parents in an accident and Mia's father disappeared. Since that time Loie has pretty much grown up in the Winterborne house. Her grandmother believes Mia's father had something to do with the death of Loie's parents. She has become very bitter and appears to not really love Loie. A few months before their seventeenth birthday, a gorgeous guy shows up. Both girls fin themselves in love with him. It is Mia he has eyes for. Loie believes it should be this way because Mia is going to inherit her special powers when she turns 17 and she will be just plain old Loie. But there are many secrets, mythical creatures and a battle that neither girl could see coming their way.

I read this book straight through. I am sorry it took so long to get to it. A backlog of reviews was the reason. I can guarantee you that I won't wait that long for the sequel and I hope that isn't long at all. This was a very clean cut young adult novel and one I will put on my shelves when it becomes available in print. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy.

Great book!

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is the plot and story line. The story line for one, is good. I loved the feel of it. It gave off the impression of girl who is nothing but normal. Nothing good every happens to her. And then BAM! It hits you out of now where. I love it, as the reader, to get surprised by elements like this. To get hit from the side, unexpected it makes me giddy! The way the plot unfolded slowly letting me more and more into the world, it was like I was seeing everything differently. So new and fresh.

Secrets.Betrayals. Love. This book contains them all and then some. I loved how Ms. Blythe uses all of these elements making the reader even more enticed by the world that she created. A world filled with magical creatures, secrets stories, and lies. So many lies (good ones) that had me devouring the book faster. Ms. Blythe really kept the reader on their toes as she uncovered so many elements left and right. It was easy to keep up since everything was given to you little by little. Nothing was given to you right away, just enough to keep you reading more and more.

The love interest in this book is very interesting and torturing. Ugh! What is up with tortured lovers lately? Anyway, I love it. It give a whole new twist to the book and makes the characters real in their decision. They really have to examine their heart to see if that person is meant for them or to love them enough to let them go. Very hard decisions, but life changing ones as well.

If you haven't read this book you should. It is a whole new world, a whole new reading experience that you will enjoy. Winterborne is your read of all reads. Simply fantastic, beautiful, and very enjoyable!

From Missy's Reads & Reviews

The first thing that popped out to me about this book is that it's from Loie's perspective instead of Mia's, which I had originally thought. This makes for an interesting change of pace, though I felt that it waned sometimes because Loie's a little less interesting. However, Loie is a much more relatable character and much more empathetic than Mia, who seems to be a bit selfish and sometimes just as equally inconsiderate. Then again, she is the typical girl-who-has-it-all, so I can't really put fault on her because she knows no different. Loie and Mia's friendship is a good friendship, though I think I would change Loie's passiveness just a little - she seems to just accept that Mia is "better" and that Mia will get everything, yet she does nothing to try to make the situation better for herself. Andreas was a good character to bring into the equation and I think the romance was pleasant in the story, but I can't say that I found him as swoon-worthy as the girls did. He just didn't stick out to me all that much. I don't know if my indifference comes from the fact that I felt like he was leading Loie on a little because they did have some semi-sweet moments together, or he just fell flat personality-wise for me. Or maybe there's really more there with Andreas and Loie? I guess we will know with time. In any case, he's a good character.. I just feel like maybe I need to know him a little better before I can really understand him and maybe actually like him more.

I found the plot and twists in this story completely unique from others in the genre. You actually learn a lot right along with the characters instead of the characters knowing about themselves already and then you just discover it on down the road, which was a nice little feat. The best part of the story was that it kept me guessing. I didn't know as much as I thought I did as I was reading and was pleasantly surprised with the curve balls that were thrown through the novel.

Even though it's not written from the main character's point of view, Loie is a great narrator and, from her descriptions, you know that she definitely knows Mia very well - which kept the feel of the story very genuine. This is a great read with some interesting features that I think readers will absolutely love. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Book Review: Winterborne

I love being surprised by self published books. Although, I wonder when I enjoy a book as much as I did this one, I wonder why it hasn't been picked up my a publishing company.

I do have to be honest that I wasn't drawn to the story at first. The story is told from Loie's point of view, and she's really kind of boring. Mia is the star of this story and Loie is content to live in her shadow. But, the truth of their relationship was actually a lot more complicated than that. It was more like Mia couldn't help it. And while it does go to her head once in awhile, she's really just as devoted to Loie and Loie is to her. I enjoyed the love triangle with Andreas. I often wondered if he was really in as love with Mia as he appeared. He really did have some touching moments with Loie that made me wonder. And I don't think Loie ever fully gave up the idea that one day he might choose her.

I really enjoyed the range of supernatural characters in the story. It actually reminded me a lot of Carrie Jones Need series. Only, it's a lot better. I liked how the story unfolds for us. While we have the same back story that Mia and Loie do, we get the full facts while they are also learning the truth. Mia's father didn't really just disappear and Loie's parents' death was more than what it seems. While many people might be surprised by the twist in the story, I totally saw it coming. But, it didn't ruin the story for me it all. It just added to the appeal of it all.

I ended up really liking this story overall. I'm hoping there will be a sequel because I feel like the characters have more tell. I also hope that this will get the recognition it deserves, it's well worth the read!

A mesmerizing fantasy story!

Winterborne is the debut novel from Augusta Blythe and the first in the Universe Unbound series. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started it! I expected it to be told from the standpoint of Mia because of the title, but it was instead narrated by Loie, Mia's best friend.

The two girls were more sisters than friends, having known each other literally since birth. Through loss and tragedy, Loie has become as much a part of the Winterborne family as Mia herself. While both of the girls' characters were likeable, it was Loie I most loved and related to. Forever cast as Mia's faithful and supportive sidekick, she always felt second best to Mia. Mia's character, while likeable, came off as a little arrogant sometimes, a little self-centered and insensitive to Loie. They had spent their entire lives preparing for their shared 17th birthday and the moment that Mia's long awaited powers would finally manifest themselves. Loie's entire world revolved around Mia and helping her and Mia had grown too used to be the center of it all. When Andreas entered the picture, that dynamic only magnified. I truly loved how real the characters felt, even in the midst of a fantasy story. Whether you liked them or were annoyed by them, the characters felt as if they were flesh and blood people, instead of fictional characters on paper.

While most of the real action happened in the second half of the story, the first half set the story and built the mystery and suspense. At first, I thought that it was going to have a bit of the typical YA teen drama of two best friends falling for the same hot guy, and it did, but it certainly didn't end the way I thought it would and THAT was refreshing! But the book is so much more than that. The suspense was built beautifully, with hints dropped throughout the story that led you in all different directions. There was a little bit of everything in this book: suspense, intrigue, love, loss, fantasy, friendship, struggle. There were lots of twists and turns as the story unfolded and secrets were revealed. When it was all brought together in the end, I was not expecting it to turn out the way it did. I love being surprised and I most definately was! I highly recommend picking this book up, and I can't wait for the next book!

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.