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jasonpatrickg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
An enjoyable thriller of a novel drawing on themes familiar for YA-devotees of the Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent, and more. The main character, Ikenna, possesses piercing insight and an entertaining, indomitable wit. Can’t wait to read the next! Fantastic world building!
pommederinette's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readingbrocks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bookendtobookend's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! So many twist and reveals. I loved the world building. Can’t wait to see how it all wraps up
theawkwardbooknerd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
chaxn_lia's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The author ate with this one. This book definitely got me out of my reading slump. It was well paced and it was actually hard to put down.
fishy27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Allow me to begin by saying that The Blood Trials is absolutely not a Young Adult story–the only reason to tag it as such would be because of the MC’s age, but I would not categorize this book as a appropriate for young readers.
Second, and equally important: I support women’s wrongs.
Onto the point.
N.E. Davenport has crafted such an exciting world that crosses science fiction and fantasy at such a sweet spot for me. I loved how Daveport brought the two genres together and *chef’s kiss*ed her way into a really badass world that felt independent of both.
I am not one to read summaries before picking up a book, so I absolutely thought that this would be a book about survival. To my surprise and delight, though, I was wrong–this is certainly a revenge story carried by a very angry young woman who will claw the Republic apart to exact overdue vengeance.
Ikenna was a real badass, and I appreciated that Davenport wrote her as she did. Ikenna is angry, stubborn, and short-sighted in a way that can be really frustrating. Though I, as the reader, understand why she acts how she does, sometimes her actions were really annoying.
I am kind of a “trials” hater, but Davenport executes on the established SFF construction so well. The Praetorian trials are brutal and wretched and so appropriate for the story.
I was disappointed with Ikenna/the plot on one pretty major point: There was not really one moment, from meeting Reed as co-leader at the trials, where I was truly convinced that he could have killed Verne. I also was deeply, DEEPLY unsurprised at finding out that Reed was part-Khanian. For all Ikenna’s strengths, she’s not the best at strategy, but she certainly isn’t stupid. I don’t know why she didn’t connect that earlier, and I don’t know why she suspected Reed as deeply and as mindlessly for as long as she did. I would’ve found the romance between them much more interesting if Ikenna didn’t think that she was really onto something about suspecting him.
Finally, I think Davenport was a bit heavy-handed with pointing out racism and misogyny. In my personal records, I labeled the audience for this book as New Adult as opposed to Adult because I just got the feeling that Davenport wasn’t fully sure who she was writing for. If this had been a YA book, I’d be more willing to let it slide, but writing for adults means that you have to trust your readers to understand how racism and misogyny are at play here. I know that Ikenna has suffered, I know she’s pissed about it, I don’t need it to be explained and pointed out over and over and over again.
Overall very enjoyable read: a very fast-paced SFF novel where I get to follow a badass woman who’s rightfully pissed at the world.