I haven't heard a book like this for a very long time
594163
I haven't heard a book like this for a very long time.  I started reading it and couldn't put it down til I finished it. You felt like you were part of the story.  Could feel the pain that king Ellwood was feeling.  Shiloh getting hurt.  Can't wait for the author to get her next book out. I'm a fan.
2868896
I have not enjoyed a book this much in a very long time.  I feel like I'm having flashbacks to my youth as the author and I share many embarrassing life events in common.

There were so many times while reading this book that my husband asked me what was so funny....I just pointed to my kindle...because I couldn't speak from laughing so much.  I was a little sad when I came to the last page...I've had such a wonderful time reminiscing with an old friend...at least that's what it felt like for me.
3993736
I have never, in all my years of reading hundreds and hundreds of books, read a book like this one. It is, as the show itself, bizarre and excellent, as if Dali took a class in narrative structure or Lovecraft a course in racial sensitivity and adequate prose writing. It attempts, at many points, to explain to you the inexplicable, and it manages to put just enough in your head to feel the bits that won't quite fit in all their mindbending extra dimensions. The characters are written in such a way that you feel them, and understand them, and see yourself in them, and their development and relations are excellently presented. The book is at turns sad, strange, reflective, exciting, poignant, insightful, joyful, comforting and disquieting. It also occasionally causes showers in the real world to scream, so do be cautious.
2667251
I am a voracious reader and it's been a LONG time since I've read anything in the sci-fi/fantasy genre that is truly unique.  The writing is superb - the world created is totally different, ritualistic, and fascinating.  The  same-sex relationship in the book does not detract from the story - even  for those of us that are not oriented that way.  The writing and the story  are gripping!
4495125
I bought this book years ago before doing reviews but it's one I reread from time to time. I'm really surprised that I haven't reviewed it. I just finished reading 'Red Rose' by this author and was so disappointed that I turned to this book yet again. What is surprising is that it does contain elements in a story that I can't bear but are easy to overlook because Ms Balogh's writing is so superb.

+++Spoilers+++
The h is a widow and believes herself to be barren. Warning bells usually go off for me when I read this i.e. unprotected sex to follow without consequences. Very early on the H offers the h carte blanche. It's a theme I detest because I can never get past that - she wasn't good enough in the beginning what's changed. Let me tell you that the story is so wonderfully done and turned around so much because the H changed so much throughout the book. The sex scenes are not explicit and there are only 2 in total.

I cannot recommend this more highly

Audible Update: 25/04/2017 - I recently purchased the audio version and downloaded it. This is my favourite HR and so I know the story really well. I loved the narration and I will definitely be listening to this again.
695994
Like the other reviewers, I first read this book about 50 years ago and have never forgotten it.  My Mom brought it home from the library when I was about 12 (smart lady). It was so different from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys books (that I filched from my brother).  I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book when I was in my 20's so I have read it often, as I have grown up.  And it never seems to lose its charm, danger, romance, excitement and above all, mystery.  One thing I do not understand, the plot twists and revelations at the end do seem to indicate that there might have been room for at least one sequel, but I have never been able to find one.  That's too bad, as I would, even today, be very interested in reading one if it exists.  This was one of those books that took the reader away to a completely new world in its pages.  I hope young readers will always be able to lose themselves in the worlds of their authors' creations for ages to come.
955686
I did not read this book when it came out. I was sure that I
would be influenced by ongoing events and I wouldn't have
really enjoyed it. So I left on my library and forgot about it
until now.  Now that the USA is trying to pull out of Afghanistan
the way it does, and the upcoming resurgence of the
enemy, it caught my eye. And what an eye opener it is.
He makes things plain and simple
I am amazed how this book hasn't become a must read text book
for most governments on the so called WOT. Although the book
has its flaws, especially if you read it after 6-7 years, still
it can still teach people today how to go about while fighting
Islamists, because the same mistakes described in the book
are the ones that are continuously committed now.

One must remember that this is an older book so the reader
must keep in mind that for example Osama Bin Landen is alive at the time
it was written or that the drones did not have the great
devastating effect that they have now
2116289
This is an amazing book.  I can't believe it was written so many years ago.  The bad thing is the way it ended.  It is begging for a sequel, and so am I.
1907108
What a surprise this book has been! It can't be summed up easily but I won't forget it soon. Beautiful.
4411770
MY THOUGHTS
A few years ago, I picked up this book, read the first chapter, and just stopped. I have no idea why, I guess I wasn't in the mood, but I turned it back into the library, never intending to finish it. Fast forward to a few months ago and I see this book at a cheap book sale. Obviously, it's a sign from fate telling me that I need to read this book, so I took it home. And now I am quite happy that I picked it up again!

This book is probably one of the oddest books I have ever read and I absolutely loved it! This book takes place almost a decade after the Detonations, the bombings that destroyed a majority of the world. Those who were outside during the Denotations, and survived, now live harsh lives and all have deformities. The bombings melded their flesh with other objects and, sometimes, other creatures. Pressia is one of those who lives on the outside. She lives with her grandfather and she has completely forgotten what life was before the Denotations and only has her grandfather's stories. But her 16th birthday is coming closer, meaning that the militia will take her from her home.
Then, there's the Dome. Few 'lucky ones' remain perfectly safe in the Dome. Partridge is one of the few living here and his father is a prominent figure in the Dome. Partridge soon begins to question his father and the Dome, especially when he finds out that his mother might still be alive. That she might be living outside the Dome.

What is really interesting about this book is how complex and unique the world-building is. I mentioned how those outside the Dome have deformities earlier and this was a really weird factor about the book, but it was actually really great. Pressia has a doll's head as a head, her grandfather has a electric fan in his throat, there's a boy with birds in his back, and there's another person who has his own brother attached to his back. That's not even all of it. There are even Dusts, who melded with dirt or rubble and basically will kill anyone who will come across them. Another popular one is the Groupies, those who melded with other people. All of this sounds really weird, and it is, but it actually is easy to just consider it normal when reading this book! Also, the author does such a great job defining how dangerous and destroyed the world outside is!

This book also has alternating perspectives, not just Pressia and Partridge, This was actually very easy to follow and made the book so much more interesting! I also really liked all of the characters and got incredibly invented in all of them! As for romance, this is not a romance heavy book, but there are some ship-worthy couples!

IN CONCLUSION
This was a really great dystopian and so very unique!! I am so glad that I picked this book up again! If you want a very dark, odd, but amazing dystopian, then please read this. Meanwhile, I'll be reading the sequel!
1613596
This book is amazing! I haven't read a book in a while, then I came across this book and can't stop reading.
1635920
I must say, I haven't read a book like this since "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham. Although this is a work of fiction it could very easily be true to life. I'm not going to disclose any information about the story but I can honestly tell you that it had me so upset at times that I just wanted to put it down and try to forget it. But I couldn't. I was spellbound from the beginning to the very end. I gave this book five stars because it is very well written and delivers a powerful message. Except for some areas that would not seem plausible in real life, this story could easily be nonfiction. And that is "scary".

Quite a few readers gave this book one star for a variety of reasons. Some were legitimate and some were just plain idiotic.
Some said that there were parts of the story that couldn't possibly happen in real life. Hello out there; this is a work of fiction .
Some said this is a book that the author is flaunting religion. I'm not a religious person and I was not offended at all. This particular book with the story line it intoned was perfect for the religious intonation.
Some were upset because they bought this book by mistake, thinking they were getting a "John Grisham" book. I don't think it's fair to rate a book one star because you didn't look who authored it before purchasing it. To blame Amazon or the author is equally ridiculous.

This is a book of fiction. It's an outstanding book that Will test your emotions all the way through.
1405444
I haven't read anything like it! Great book
2783973
Haven't had a book that I enjoy this much in some time.  I'm seeing myself rereading this a few times at least.  To describe as "Excellent" or giving a "5-Star" rating really doesn't to this book / the company of Patagonia or the insights of founder Yvon Chouinard justice.

God bless!
2756487
I must admit that it has been years since I read it. Most of the reviews (already published on here) do a good job of describing the book. I don't want to sound like a broken record redescribing the book.

I Love this book! I love reading all kinds of books, especially, books that are sci-fi or historically based. You can imagine how excited I was reading about Ryan and her long history. She was rasied as a boy due to the way girls were treated (very disrespectfully) in the time period she grew up in. (She was raised in a small village, by a loving couple.) If it was known that she was a girl her whole story would have been very different, alot more tragic. I love how the author goes in to such depth with Ryan's story. This is a wonderfully written piece. I was drawn in to this book in a way I never have before. I was upset that the book ended. I wanted to read more of Ryan's story right then.

It says alot when a book sticks with someone so well after a long period of time, and I'm an avid reader. (When I finish one book, I immediately pick up a new book and start reading it.)

By the by, The name of this book is Blood Legacy: The Story of Ryan. The title you have it under is the second book in the series.
1017916
What a fantastic book.

I cannot believe I've never heard of this book until recently. It has every element of what I love in a book. The quirky, humorous writing, the interesting characters, the fantastic descriptions and best of all.. the promise of an ending that can be unique and personal to every reader.

It was NOT a book I could just breeze through. I chewed and worked my way through this book at a pace much slower than other novels I'm able to read that are about the same length.

Fantastic book.
2525021
Incredible!!!!!!
How is it I have not heard of it until now!