Scan barcode
azrah786's review
dark
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Harper360YA in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, injury, death, child death, death of parent, grief, murder, torture, war, genocide, rape/sexual assault, fire, emotional abuse, racism, cultural appropriation
--
This book is intense, it is dark and it is one hell of an addictive debut.
Blood Scion is a story inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology following a child soldier, Sloane as she is forcibly conscripted into the army of a colonist regime known as the Lucis. They have occupied the continent Nagea after slaughtering many of its native people and have a particular animosity towards those known as Scions, descendants from the Orisha gods who have been gifted some of their magic.
Sloane, who is a Scion herself, manages to hide her identity and slip under their radar when she is drafted and is determined to uncover records on her mother’s disappearance, which she is sure the Lucis, are behind. It also provides her with the opportunity to bring the Lucis down from within but as she fights to survive, each day comes with the threat of her losing more and more of her humanity.
**I received a proof copy from Harper360YA in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, injury, death, child death, death of parent, grief, murder, torture, war, genocide, rape/sexual assault, fire, emotional abuse, racism, cultural appropriation
--
This book is intense, it is dark and it is one hell of an addictive debut.
Blood Scion is a story inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology following a child soldier, Sloane as she is forcibly conscripted into the army of a colonist regime known as the Lucis. They have occupied the continent Nagea after slaughtering many of its native people and have a particular animosity towards those known as Scions, descendants from the Orisha gods who have been gifted some of their magic.
Sloane, who is a Scion herself, manages to hide her identity and slip under their radar when she is drafted and is determined to uncover records on her mother’s disappearance, which she is sure the Lucis, are behind. It also provides her with the opportunity to bring the Lucis down from within but as she fights to survive, each day comes with the threat of her losing more and more of her humanity.
"When I was a child, Momma always taught me to fight for those too weak to raise their fists. Scream for those too afraid to find their voice. And stand for those too tired to rise on their feet."
Falaye’s writing immediately draws you into to a world and a story that reads like the perfect blend of An Ember in the Ashes and The Hunger Games - both big favourites of mine and if you loved any or both of those series you'll really enjoy this book too - but also brings something totally new to the YA genre. Not only are we introduced to elements of Yoruba-Nigerian culture and lore (which I really hope is further expanded on in the sequel along with the magic) but we are pulled along on a storyline that meticulously explores the brutal realities of war, colonialism and the cost of survival.
Sloane is a fierce and strong-willed protagonist and like pretty much everyone in this book doesn’t make the most moral of decisions throughout the story, but you can’t help but root for her.
My favourite aspect of the book has got to be the relationships and alliances that form between the various characters. Not only were the supporting characters fleshed out really well but by using that air of mistrust and reluctance that floated around Sloane and her fellow recruits, Falaye carefully shaped some really interesting dynamics between them all that really invests you with their stories too.
"Sometimes, you have to walk in the dark before you can see the light."
The only real issue I had with the book was the age of the characters or more so how often we were reminded of Sloane being 15 years old. The themes within this book and just how deeply they were being explored are definitely more characteristic of the adult fantasy genre and I’m not trying to say that they can’t be used in YA. It’s just that the way the characters were written made them feel older that being reminded of the ages on page threw me off at times - it felt as though it was constantly being pointed out as a way to box the book in as YA more than anything else.
All that aside I really enjoyed this one and though I’ll admit I did see some of the reveals coming, the ending was such a gripping set up for book 2 and I can’t wait!
If you like morally grey characters, twisty storylines with intriguing magic and high stakes then this book is for you.
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Genocide, Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Rape, Child death, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Cultural appropriation
lettuce_read's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual assault, Gore, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
antonique_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Gore, War, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Blood
More...