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lilim9999's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
I’m delighted to share my review of Blood Song by Johana Gustawsson with you today, even though I’m pretty sure I won’t be doing it justice. It’s no secret I loved Block 46 and Keeper, I was really late to the Roy and Castells party but I’ve been a huge fan ever since listening to the first chapters of Block 46 and I didn’t think it was possible but I believe I’ve become an even bigger fan with each book.
As with the previous books, Johana has woven a tale with two very different strings: one contemporary thriller, one historical fiction. As always, the challenge is in figuring out how all the pieces fit together, how the past is tied to the present, and as always, I completely failed to see the full picture until Johana was waving it in my face.
Blood Song starts a few months after Keeper. I’m fairly certain you can read Blood Song as a standalone without getting lost, but I do think you’ll have a better understanding of the characters if you’ve read the previous books. Aliénor has been training to become a profiler under the wings of Emily Roy when the devastating news comes that her parents and sister have been murdered in their home. Those of you who have read Keeper will know that Aliénor is on the autism spectrum. Dealing with her emotions, processing them, is never easy, least of all now, in the face of this tragedy. Aliénor is portrayed with so much love and respect, I absolutely adore her and my heart bled for her. But why were her parents killed? Was it personal or did it have something to do with their IVF clinic? True-crime writer Alexis Castells, who should really be focusing on her upcoming wedding, once again joins Emily and commissioner Bergström in their investigations, which lead all the way to Spain. This part of the story is nothing short of riveting. I was caught up in the investigation right away and I was dying to know the who and why.
The historical storyline takes us to Francoist Spain in 1938. I can’t believe how little I knew about Franco and how much I’ve learned from Johana’s foreword alone. Yes, I learned about Franco in history lessons in secondary school but to my mind “el Caudillo” was on a par with Hitler. They were always named in one breath for their atrocities committed in the 1940s and somehow I never realised that Franco’s reign of terror lasted all the way into the 1970s. I also had no clue about just how atrocious his rule really was, how many people suffered in Francoist Spain, and how much. Blood Song gives those people a face, and that makes it a really tough read at times. It shows us executions, rape, prisoners practically stacked on top of each other because there just isn’t enough space for everyone, small children in orphanages drinking from puddles and toilets so they won’t die of thirst, girls whipped and abused, and all of this in the name of the leader. Heart-breaking, absolutely, but well worth it, because victims such as these have been buried in history for far too long and they deserve to be given a face. Regardless of its importance, this historical part of Blood Song is suspenseful, nerve-wracking, simply outstanding.
Like I told Johana on Twitter: I loved this story so much and I’m not even your average historical fiction lover. Somehow she makes me enjoy it, she makes it fun, although I’m not sure that’s the right word to be used in this context…
A very personal story told with so much love and kindness, despite the devastating nature of some of the events, I feel this is Johana’s best novel yet and I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next!
As with the previous books, Johana has woven a tale with two very different strings: one contemporary thriller, one historical fiction. As always, the challenge is in figuring out how all the pieces fit together, how the past is tied to the present, and as always, I completely failed to see the full picture until Johana was waving it in my face.
Blood Song starts a few months after Keeper. I’m fairly certain you can read Blood Song as a standalone without getting lost, but I do think you’ll have a better understanding of the characters if you’ve read the previous books. Aliénor has been training to become a profiler under the wings of Emily Roy when the devastating news comes that her parents and sister have been murdered in their home. Those of you who have read Keeper will know that Aliénor is on the autism spectrum. Dealing with her emotions, processing them, is never easy, least of all now, in the face of this tragedy. Aliénor is portrayed with so much love and respect, I absolutely adore her and my heart bled for her. But why were her parents killed? Was it personal or did it have something to do with their IVF clinic? True-crime writer Alexis Castells, who should really be focusing on her upcoming wedding, once again joins Emily and commissioner Bergström in their investigations, which lead all the way to Spain. This part of the story is nothing short of riveting. I was caught up in the investigation right away and I was dying to know the who and why.
The historical storyline takes us to Francoist Spain in 1938. I can’t believe how little I knew about Franco and how much I’ve learned from Johana’s foreword alone. Yes, I learned about Franco in history lessons in secondary school but to my mind “el Caudillo” was on a par with Hitler. They were always named in one breath for their atrocities committed in the 1940s and somehow I never realised that Franco’s reign of terror lasted all the way into the 1970s. I also had no clue about just how atrocious his rule really was, how many people suffered in Francoist Spain, and how much. Blood Song gives those people a face, and that makes it a really tough read at times. It shows us executions, rape, prisoners practically stacked on top of each other because there just isn’t enough space for everyone, small children in orphanages drinking from puddles and toilets so they won’t die of thirst, girls whipped and abused, and all of this in the name of the leader. Heart-breaking, absolutely, but well worth it, because victims such as these have been buried in history for far too long and they deserve to be given a face. Regardless of its importance, this historical part of Blood Song is suspenseful, nerve-wracking, simply outstanding.
Like I told Johana on Twitter: I loved this story so much and I’m not even your average historical fiction lover. Somehow she makes me enjoy it, she makes it fun, although I’m not sure that’s the right word to be used in this context…
A very personal story told with so much love and kindness, despite the devastating nature of some of the events, I feel this is Johana’s best novel yet and I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next!
btpbookclub's review
4.0
Blood Song is book three in the Emily Roy and Alexis Castells series and yet again I’ve come into a series LATE! Ahhh. Nevertheless, it read perfectly fine as a standalone and now I need and want to go back to the previous books, yes I already have them.
Beautifully translated by David Warriner. What a brilliant story! The story flicks from between Spain 1938 to Sweden 2016 but each part is clearly stated at the beginning of each chapter. I found the Spain 1938 parts absolutely heartbreaking, upsetting and dark. They really got to me. The 2016 parts are an indepth investigation into in the deaths of a family… But what links these different times and stories together? You’ll have to read to find out!
Thrilling, clever, bold, brave, emotional and edge of your seat reading. There’s not enough words to describe this story. Johana has a unique writing skill in how she has told this story and I loved it. One that will be hard to forget. Some of these characters are going to haunt me forever.
A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend and I can’t wait to go back and see what the rest of this series has in store for me.
Beautifully translated by David Warriner. What a brilliant story! The story flicks from between Spain 1938 to Sweden 2016 but each part is clearly stated at the beginning of each chapter. I found the Spain 1938 parts absolutely heartbreaking, upsetting and dark. They really got to me. The 2016 parts are an indepth investigation into in the deaths of a family… But what links these different times and stories together? You’ll have to read to find out!
Thrilling, clever, bold, brave, emotional and edge of your seat reading. There’s not enough words to describe this story. Johana has a unique writing skill in how she has told this story and I loved it. One that will be hard to forget. Some of these characters are going to haunt me forever.
A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend and I can’t wait to go back and see what the rest of this series has in store for me.
mpr2000's review
5.0
When are we ever going to stop mopping up all the blood Franco spilled? And that damned pact of silence – the left and the right pouring layer after layer of concrete over the bodies, burying all those war crimes. They should have been digging them up. How else will we see justice? How else can we repair our country, our history? our heritage? We never had our Nuremberg trials here. Franco died shaking Juan Carlos by the hand. The king is dead. Long live the king…’
It’s so sad that I have to read these words in a book, they are so true and they hurt so much!
I think this is the most special book I’ve read this year, it touched me deeply; and I would like to thank the author, Johana Gustawsson for how she has talked about the “tabu” themes we have in Spain; it’s time the world discovers the real Spain, not the clean one that they try to share.
Yes, this is a crime mystery told between three different voices; during the dictatorship in Spain, the voice of a really damaged woman and the present, based in Sweden in which someone killed a family brutally. I know that it doesn’t seem that there’s a connection between them, but let me say that there is, profound and painful, called Blood Song.
I usually like stories in the present, where the detectives investigate the case and try to discover the truth; not this time, I wanted to know more about the past, because the story it was not so strange to me, but it’s something deeply hidden and not easy to read. There was a sentence on the book that sounded so familiar and sad at the same time…
‘Where were you before?’ Dulce asked.
‘In another orphanage, in Barcelona.’
‘Whatever you do, don’t speak Catalan,’ said Lados, ‘or Sister Fernanda will wash your mouth out with soap.’
This is something that not everyone knows, Catalan was forbidden, the school was totally in Spanish; and let’s not talk about the power that the church had everywhere. Because everyone had to go to the church every Sunday, at school everyone was questioned the next day about the sermons, the poor ones that didn’t know the answers were bullied by the nuns (teachers). The author has done a really deep research on how the people lived during the dictatorship, how everyone was scared and had secrets to hide. What the author didn’t explain is that there are hundred of graves around Spain with bodies without identification that the government refuses to exhume and let the families know where are their disappeared loved ones.
The book touches too the delicate world of the IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation), how difficult is for the couples and some more grey things about it… I really liked this part of the story too, how couples suffer month after month with the treatment and with positive results. I will not say more, I don’t want to make any spoiler!
This is the third book of the series Emily Roy & Alexis Castells, if you haven’t read any of the previous ones you can read it as standalone, but they are so good that I would recommend you to read all of them, you’ll love them, I am sure!
This is a book I will recommend to everyone, but it’s not an easy read, it will give you goose bumps and you’ll want to stop reading and forget what you’ve read, but that’s why it’s so special. I don’t have words to say how much I like it, it’s not a beautiful book, it’s an interesting book with a lot of insights in so many different themes that it will not let you indifferent. Now it is time to start Blood Song and let the story abduct you…
It’s so sad that I have to read these words in a book, they are so true and they hurt so much!
I think this is the most special book I’ve read this year, it touched me deeply; and I would like to thank the author, Johana Gustawsson for how she has talked about the “tabu” themes we have in Spain; it’s time the world discovers the real Spain, not the clean one that they try to share.
Yes, this is a crime mystery told between three different voices; during the dictatorship in Spain, the voice of a really damaged woman and the present, based in Sweden in which someone killed a family brutally. I know that it doesn’t seem that there’s a connection between them, but let me say that there is, profound and painful, called Blood Song.
I usually like stories in the present, where the detectives investigate the case and try to discover the truth; not this time, I wanted to know more about the past, because the story it was not so strange to me, but it’s something deeply hidden and not easy to read. There was a sentence on the book that sounded so familiar and sad at the same time…
‘Where were you before?’ Dulce asked.
‘In another orphanage, in Barcelona.’
‘Whatever you do, don’t speak Catalan,’ said Lados, ‘or Sister Fernanda will wash your mouth out with soap.’
This is something that not everyone knows, Catalan was forbidden, the school was totally in Spanish; and let’s not talk about the power that the church had everywhere. Because everyone had to go to the church every Sunday, at school everyone was questioned the next day about the sermons, the poor ones that didn’t know the answers were bullied by the nuns (teachers). The author has done a really deep research on how the people lived during the dictatorship, how everyone was scared and had secrets to hide. What the author didn’t explain is that there are hundred of graves around Spain with bodies without identification that the government refuses to exhume and let the families know where are their disappeared loved ones.
The book touches too the delicate world of the IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation), how difficult is for the couples and some more grey things about it… I really liked this part of the story too, how couples suffer month after month with the treatment and with positive results. I will not say more, I don’t want to make any spoiler!
This is the third book of the series Emily Roy & Alexis Castells, if you haven’t read any of the previous ones you can read it as standalone, but they are so good that I would recommend you to read all of them, you’ll love them, I am sure!
This is a book I will recommend to everyone, but it’s not an easy read, it will give you goose bumps and you’ll want to stop reading and forget what you’ve read, but that’s why it’s so special. I don’t have words to say how much I like it, it’s not a beautiful book, it’s an interesting book with a lot of insights in so many different themes that it will not let you indifferent. Now it is time to start Blood Song and let the story abduct you…
noveldeelights's review against another edition
5.0
I am broken. Good grief.
I apologise upfront for this review but words completely fail me and I can only hope that what little I say next will convince you that this book, and the rest of the series, is an absolute must-read for any crime fiction fan who also doesn’t mind being educated somewhat.
Few crime fiction series leave me feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut numerous times, wanting to curl up into a tiny ball under my duvet, but Johana Gustawsson manages it every single time. You’d think I would have learned my lesson from her previous books but apparently I hadn’t because I wasn’t all prepared for the emotional impact Blood Song would have on me.
Blood Song is the third instalment in the Roy and Castells series and it is even stronger than its predecessors, proving this series only goes from strength to strength. In Falkenberg, Sweden, a wealthy family is found murdered in their home. The hunt for the killer leads Roy and Castells right back to the terror of Franco’s regime in Spain.
Cue some of the most harrowing chapters I’ve ever read in my life! I wasn’t at all familiar with this devastating period in Spanish history and it made me feel remarkably uncomfortable to realise that it actually wasn’t all that long ago. I don’t want to give anything away, obviously, but I will say that some events are extremely brutal, disturbing and dark and I have no doubt whatsoever that these chapters will haunt me forever.
As if that wasn’t enough, Johana Gustawsson also tackles the topic of inferitily and the measures some people will go to to obtain what Mother Nature is denying them, while also laying bare the unscrupulous side of infertility clinics.
Basically, Blood Song left me utterly reeling and feeling completely heartbroken. I don’t have the words to do this story justice at all. It is devastating and yet, there is also a tiny glimmer of hope and a sense of empowerment of women who have dealt with the worst of the worst.
Johana Gustawsson is a remarkable talent and I continue to be absolutely impressed by the way she manages to combine modern crime fiction with some of history’s most shocking eras and the atrocious things humans are capable of. I can’t recommend this powerful read and this entire series enough and I absolutely can’t wait for more! And as always, shout-out to David Warriner for the seamless translation!
I apologise upfront for this review but words completely fail me and I can only hope that what little I say next will convince you that this book, and the rest of the series, is an absolute must-read for any crime fiction fan who also doesn’t mind being educated somewhat.
Few crime fiction series leave me feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut numerous times, wanting to curl up into a tiny ball under my duvet, but Johana Gustawsson manages it every single time. You’d think I would have learned my lesson from her previous books but apparently I hadn’t because I wasn’t all prepared for the emotional impact Blood Song would have on me.
Blood Song is the third instalment in the Roy and Castells series and it is even stronger than its predecessors, proving this series only goes from strength to strength. In Falkenberg, Sweden, a wealthy family is found murdered in their home. The hunt for the killer leads Roy and Castells right back to the terror of Franco’s regime in Spain.
Cue some of the most harrowing chapters I’ve ever read in my life! I wasn’t at all familiar with this devastating period in Spanish history and it made me feel remarkably uncomfortable to realise that it actually wasn’t all that long ago. I don’t want to give anything away, obviously, but I will say that some events are extremely brutal, disturbing and dark and I have no doubt whatsoever that these chapters will haunt me forever.
As if that wasn’t enough, Johana Gustawsson also tackles the topic of inferitily and the measures some people will go to to obtain what Mother Nature is denying them, while also laying bare the unscrupulous side of infertility clinics.
Basically, Blood Song left me utterly reeling and feeling completely heartbroken. I don’t have the words to do this story justice at all. It is devastating and yet, there is also a tiny glimmer of hope and a sense of empowerment of women who have dealt with the worst of the worst.
Johana Gustawsson is a remarkable talent and I continue to be absolutely impressed by the way she manages to combine modern crime fiction with some of history’s most shocking eras and the atrocious things humans are capable of. I can’t recommend this powerful read and this entire series enough and I absolutely can’t wait for more! And as always, shout-out to David Warriner for the seamless translation!
yvo_about_books's review
5.0
Finished reading: September 10th 2019
"We all see the world through our own lens, which is shaped by our past and our upbringing, our desires and our fears."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Anne Cater and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I have lost count of the times the Emily Roy & Alexis Castells series has been recommended to me in the past, and with the first two books waiting impatiently on my shelves I thought joining the blog tour would be the perfect excuse to finally binge read all three books. And guess what? I have definitely joined #TeamRoyandCastells and #TeamJohana! I already reviewed Block 46 and Keeper recently, and now it is time to gush about book number three: Blood Song. I admit it doesn't happen often, but every once in a while I come across a story that is able to blow me away to such extent that I find myself unable to put a coherent sentence on paper, let alone write a review that would do it justice. This is exactly what happened when I finished reading Blood Song. Not only did I find myself staring at that last page and unable to process what I just read, but the story also gave me one of the biggest book hangovers I've had in a long time. After being unable to read or blog for three days straight, I've now decided to sit down, get my thoughts on paper and hopefully start the road to recovery. Oh yes, such is the power of this book!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: one of the reasons this series has quickly turned into one of my all time favorites is the fact that it represents a perfectly balanced combination two of my favorite genres: historical fiction and crime thriller. Both genres are combined in an expert and intricate way, making time fluid as you find yourself floating between the past and present. Johana Gustawsson is able to incorporate not only historical facts as well as the present situation, but also a variety of different settings that truly gives this series its international and timeless essence I've come to treasure. Not a small feat, as it is extremly hard to juggle so many different storylines without us readers getting lost along the way... But Johana Gustawsson not only makes it work, she turns this multilayered, complex and well crafted plot into a true masterpiece.
Block 46 and Keeper were already excellent reads, but the impossibe happened and Blood Song really took the essence of this series to the next level. The writing is simply sublime and the plot development of both past and present chapters is both thorough, intricate and well researched. On the one hand, we have the historical chapters set during a very difficult period in Spanish history: the Spanish Civil War and Franco's dictatorship. I've always had a special interest in Spain and its history and I have actually studied the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath during Uni... And Johana Gustawsson does a fantastic job describing the atrocities committed against those against general Franco's ideas and regime. Heartbreaking, appalling and horrifying: the historical chapters will both thoroughly unsettle you and chill you to the bone. Brutality, child abuse, families torn apart... All used to give a (sadly) extremely realistic view on a very dark chapter of Spanish history.
The present doesn't give you much respite though, as we both have to deal with a shocking murder case involving the parents of a new favorite character of mine, Aliénor Lindbergh, and the heart-rending and moving topic involving parents struggling to conceive and IVF treatment. I applaude the author for being brave enough to tackle such a personal topic and using her personal experiences in general in her books. It truly makes the stories come alive and really took Blood Song to the next level for me. The murder case really hit me hard as I have grown really fond of Aliénor and it was heartbreaking to have that happening to her. That said, her development in this third books was on point and I loved meeting up with Emily, Alexis and the others again as well. Having a profiler and a true-crime writer as our main character duo gives this series a unique touch and it's easy to say they are one of my favorite crime duos out there. Especially Alexis, but Emily as well will also experience development on a personal level, and some new details will definitely leave you astounded.
There are so many different elements in Blood Song, each already fascinating on its own, but all combined together they turn this story into one hell of a read. The detailed historical chapters filled with appalling and realistic facts about a dark period in Spanish history, the present day murders, the elements related to the fertility clinic, the personal development of the main characters, the current chapters set in Spain and Sweden... All woven together masterfully into an absolutely brilliant and harrowing story with an ending that will leave you flabbergasted. A big round of applause is also due for the translator David Warriner, who has given us the chance to meet Emily Roy and Alexis Castells and bring this fantastic series into our lives. Blood Song will always have a special place in my heart, and not just for bringing back memories of my time living in Madrid... It's a book that was able to give me the biggest book hangover in a long time and without doubt a worthy addition to my list of 2019 favorites. Of course I cannot recommend both Blood Song and the rest of the series highly enough! This series is simply an absolute must-read.
thebooktrail88's review
5.0
BookTrail Travel to the locations in Blood Song
If this is not one of the most emotional books you’ll read, then I don’t know what is. There are some dark and very emotive subjects interwoven here but it’s such a gripping read, you really do come out of it with a deeper understanding of war, the consequences of war and how it has ripple effects in ways you might never have thought of.
This is a deeply affecting novel. Issues of Franco’s Spain and children’s homes during this time, babies being taken from their families, families themselves being shot…..That’s just the story set in the past. Present day sees a massacre in a home linked to one of the police officers. OF course, both stories intertwine, no check that – knot – themselves together so they grip you tightly and drag you into their grasp.
Blood Song is shocking and difficult to read in parts – war scenes in Franco’s Spain are never going to be postcard perfect of course – but there are sad and tragic scenes which will stay in my mind for a long time. Remembering that this is all based on true fact and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
There is so much emotion in these pages, issues such as fertility and child abductions, child abuse….and the effects of all that across time. The scenes in the Spanish prison are grim and raw. Visceral writing from not just the heart but the gut. Oh I was torn one way and then the other. How the stories mix together is a work of art if that’s the right expression. It made me think of the painting ‘Guernica’. This symbolised war; with the crowds, the scenes of war, the bull, the lightbulb – symbolic moments of war and this book, if a painting, would be just like that. So much to look at but each part stands strong on its own.After reading, stand back and experience the full picture.
What I love about this series, and this book in particular, is the mix of Swedish, French heritage and culture. The author explains about her own mixed heritage and culture and how issues in her novels come from her past. The story of Block 46 for example is the story of her own paternal grandfather and how he fought in the International Brigades. He, like many others, tried to save the Spanish Republic before being deported to the Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp.
Blood Song ramped up everything I love about Johana Gustawsson and more. The sharp writing, the unfolding of a gripping plot, dark subjects dealt with care and attention yet never shying away from the horrific truth.
Top marks to the translator too! Seamlessly done and that text shines.
ljwrites85's review
5.0
(rounded up from 4.5)
This is the third in the Roy & Castells series but it can easily be read as a standalone.
So I really enjoyed Keeper by Jo Gustawsson, so I jumped at the chance to read Blood Song and I can say I wasn’t disappointed!
Blood Song is a dark and intense yet utterly compelling novel!
If you don’t know this series, it’s part police procedural, part historical novel, the two are expertly interwoven throughout the novel. The modern day investigation follows Emily Roy, a criminal profiler, and Alexia Castells, a true crime author, and their team, as they hunt for the brutal killer of a wealthy family in their own home.
The historical part of the novel focuses on the Franco regime in Spain. I have to confess I don’t know much about this era in Spain’s history but it was absolutely brutal and heartbreaking! They didn’t seem to distinguish between men and women, if you were seen as the enemy, you were tortured then killed no matter what. What was especially interesting was the fact this novel followed the children of these ‘traitors’ and their lives in the orphanages.
There are some really powerful themes running through the novel, like infertility and child abuse that may make it a little tough for some readers.
My only slight quibble was I felt the modern day investigation wasn’t quite as strong story wise, with a coincidence or two but that of course is just my opinion.
Blood Song is masterful piece of storytelling that will stick in my mind for a long time after I’ve read it. I can’t wait for more from Johana Gustawsson.
This is the third in the Roy & Castells series but it can easily be read as a standalone.
So I really enjoyed Keeper by Jo Gustawsson, so I jumped at the chance to read Blood Song and I can say I wasn’t disappointed!
Blood Song is a dark and intense yet utterly compelling novel!
If you don’t know this series, it’s part police procedural, part historical novel, the two are expertly interwoven throughout the novel. The modern day investigation follows Emily Roy, a criminal profiler, and Alexia Castells, a true crime author, and their team, as they hunt for the brutal killer of a wealthy family in their own home.
The historical part of the novel focuses on the Franco regime in Spain. I have to confess I don’t know much about this era in Spain’s history but it was absolutely brutal and heartbreaking! They didn’t seem to distinguish between men and women, if you were seen as the enemy, you were tortured then killed no matter what. What was especially interesting was the fact this novel followed the children of these ‘traitors’ and their lives in the orphanages.
There are some really powerful themes running through the novel, like infertility and child abuse that may make it a little tough for some readers.
My only slight quibble was I felt the modern day investigation wasn’t quite as strong story wise, with a coincidence or two but that of course is just my opinion.
Blood Song is masterful piece of storytelling that will stick in my mind for a long time after I’ve read it. I can’t wait for more from Johana Gustawsson.
feedthecrime's review
5.0
4.5 rounded up to 5
Yes Yes Yes! Another Nordic Noir series for me to sink my teeth into! If you don’t already know, Nordic Noir is one of my absolute favourite genres, so as soon as I saw this book I just knew that I had to get involved.
So first let me just say that I didn’t realise that this was third book in a series (my bad), thankfully this reads well as a standalone without me feeling at too much of a disadvantage. After reading this though I definitely want to start from the beginning
Read the rest of my review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/2019/09/24/reviewing-blood-song-by-johana-gustawsson-annecater-jogustawsson-orendabooks-blogtour-randomthingstour-bloodsong-nordicnoir/
Yes Yes Yes! Another Nordic Noir series for me to sink my teeth into! If you don’t already know, Nordic Noir is one of my absolute favourite genres, so as soon as I saw this book I just knew that I had to get involved.
So first let me just say that I didn’t realise that this was third book in a series (my bad), thankfully this reads well as a standalone without me feeling at too much of a disadvantage. After reading this though I definitely want to start from the beginning
Read the rest of my review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/2019/09/24/reviewing-blood-song-by-johana-gustawsson-annecater-jogustawsson-orendabooks-blogtour-randomthingstour-bloodsong-nordicnoir/
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
5.0
When I read my first book by Johana Gustawsson it was one that contained facts that still upset me now. Her second book was just as good but didn’t have the same impact. Blood Song left me devastated by what I learned about the atrocities committed during Franco’s regime.
Once again she uses fact and fiction. It was the events concerning Teresa, Gordi and all her young friends that upset me. Much more than the fictional events in modern day. I find it very difficult to accept the levels of cruelty displayed but when reading the author notes and articles I found on google I felt it was an honest account. They were hard to read but when I saw how she combined the past and present I was stunned into silence, unable to think about anything apart from what I had just read.
It is powerful, it is a novel where none of the characters over shadow the story. It is a novel where I was left hoping that I would get to meet them all again, even Olofosson who I took a huge dislike to previously, I managed to have some sympathy for this time.
Just wonderful.
Once again she uses fact and fiction. It was the events concerning Teresa, Gordi and all her young friends that upset me. Much more than the fictional events in modern day. I find it very difficult to accept the levels of cruelty displayed but when reading the author notes and articles I found on google I felt it was an honest account. They were hard to read but when I saw how she combined the past and present I was stunned into silence, unable to think about anything apart from what I had just read.
It is powerful, it is a novel where none of the characters over shadow the story. It is a novel where I was left hoping that I would get to meet them all again, even Olofosson who I took a huge dislike to previously, I managed to have some sympathy for this time.
Just wonderful.