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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
ravenspire has become one of my favorite series in like,,,, three days, hi
Now that was just a lot of fun! I’d forgotten how much I love CJ Redwine stories. The adventure, the sweet romance bits, the fairytale nods, the courageous characters….so much fun!
All of CJ Redwines farie tale inspired books are amazing. The last of the standalone series delievers just as the rest. If you read all of them in order, then you have met Kellan briefly in the Traitor Prince. As Jivans best friend Kellan is the charming youth that always swoops a girl off her feet.
Heres the reason why you should read the series:
If you didnt see the cover it would be hard to know that Redwine is deciding to retell the tale of Cinderella. Even I had a hard time figuring out is it Cinderella, or Beauty and the beast? And i love the fact that you dont know which tale it is, because it gives you more time to guess where the story is going. Redwines's retelling always encompass more than one story elements so I loved this book even more because i had to figure out which elements she was retelling from the classic tales.
If you like diverse characters who are completely different than their fairy tale verison, then definitely get ready to meet Blue, Dinah, Kellan and Nessa.
Blue de la Cour is just your average alchemist with magic, thinking of ways to help the poor. She lives a simple life with her Papa, trying to make a living for herself. She has her entire life planned out but things spur into motion when she tries to turn lead into gold.
The faint reminesce of gold catches the eyes of Dinah who wants power and finds a way to get it by using Blue. Dinah accomplishes this by the only way she knows how, with savage, brute, unrelentless wit. She finds a way to make Blue do the things she wants. Dinah makes the story twist, turn and dips allowing your heart to sway every single time she tries something new.
The crown prince Kellan, after graduating from boarding school he is ready to navigate the poltical dangers of Balavata. Hes ready to charm every single girl to find the one who has to be his queen. Yet, he finds love in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected person.
Nessa, the lovely princess who is unable to speaks, signs and Redwine finds a way to encompass this in her book. Nessa a character that isnt just a side character plays the role of saving her friend. But also trying her best to do whats right. She is the one to spur help into motion and that is beyond amazing. Bonus: I love seeing fierce love shared between the two siblings.
And to make the story more fascinating, the terrible echo of the Blood Wraith that you hear everywhere. The echos in the bells that the creature still survives after 15 years. But how? Isn't it suppose to be locked away for good? Locked away to starve? Only time will tell.
Heres the reason why you should read the series:
If you didnt see the cover it would be hard to know that Redwine is deciding to retell the tale of Cinderella. Even I had a hard time figuring out is it Cinderella, or Beauty and the beast? And i love the fact that you dont know which tale it is, because it gives you more time to guess where the story is going. Redwines's retelling always encompass more than one story elements so I loved this book even more because i had to figure out which elements she was retelling from the classic tales.
If you like diverse characters who are completely different than their fairy tale verison, then definitely get ready to meet Blue, Dinah, Kellan and Nessa.
Blue de la Cour is just your average alchemist with magic, thinking of ways to help the poor. She lives a simple life with her Papa, trying to make a living for herself. She has her entire life planned out but things spur into motion when she tries to turn lead into gold.
The faint reminesce of gold catches the eyes of Dinah who wants power and finds a way to get it by using Blue. Dinah accomplishes this by the only way she knows how, with savage, brute, unrelentless wit. She finds a way to make Blue do the things she wants. Dinah makes the story twist, turn and dips allowing your heart to sway every single time she tries something new.
The crown prince Kellan, after graduating from boarding school he is ready to navigate the poltical dangers of Balavata. Hes ready to charm every single girl to find the one who has to be his queen. Yet, he finds love in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected person.
Nessa, the lovely princess who is unable to speaks, signs and Redwine finds a way to encompass this in her book. Nessa a character that isnt just a side character plays the role of saving her friend. But also trying her best to do whats right. She is the one to spur help into motion and that is beyond amazing. Bonus: I love seeing fierce love shared between the two siblings.
And to make the story more fascinating, the terrible echo of the Blood Wraith that you hear everywhere. The echos in the bells that the creature still survives after 15 years. But how? Isn't it suppose to be locked away for good? Locked away to starve? Only time will tell.
Kellan is HERE! I missed him in [b:The Traitor Prince|35068678|The Traitor Prince|C.J. Redwine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497973960l/35068678._SY75_.jpg|56364120] !
RTC
RTC
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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:
Complicated
I have read all 4 books of the Ravenspire series and this was probably my favorite. I loved the twisted and dark tale of Cinderella via Blue and her Grandmére. The love of father/daughter plays heavily in the book, which was a heart tug. Blue is probably my most favorite character next to Ari from The Wish Granter. Not a moment was I ever wishing I was reading or doing something else with my time.
3.5 Stars
Based loosely on the tale of Cinderella, The Blood Spell is the fourth standalone installment for the Ravenspire series of fairytale retellings.
On the surface, this book is in the same vein as many a dark YA fantasy. The magic system involves fae, wands, and transmutation; with a refreshingly hefty emphasis on the alchemical. On deeper levels, the story explores themes of grief, guilt, self-sacrifice, negative coping mechanisms, abuse, healing… and even touches on aspects of PTSD and suicidal ideation.
This version of Cinderella bears about as much resemblance to the original tale as Redwine’s Snow White retelling. Which is to say… not much resemblance at all. You still get a few key elements—grand ball, glass slippers, mice and pumpkin transfigurations toward the end—but the rest of the content is heavily original. Much like with her take on Snow White, this heroine has a lot more agency than her original namesake. And Kellan (a.k.a Prince Charming) IS indeed charming… but it’s all a diplomatic façade.
It cannot be said that Redwine doesn’t offer a wide variety in her heroines. While not a fighter like Lorelei from The Shadow Queen or Sajda from The Traitor Prince, Blue holds her own in her own way. I don’t think I’ll remember her as one of my favorites from the Ravenspire series. She spent too much of the first 1/3rd of the story a little too sanctimonious and irritatingly judgmental for my tastes. I often felt sorry for her more than I was able to like her. But thankfully she did show a significant amount of character growth and adaptability by the end. I did, however, relate to Blue’s sleep ethic:
“Blue didn’t know what it took to wake up at dawn and be cheerful about it, but whatever it was, she didn’t have it.”
This reader is a big fan of a slow burn romance, particularly a rivals-to-friends-to-lovers transition. The Blood Spell handles this romantic aspect incredibly well—helped by the fact that the hero and heroine have known each other their entire lives. That pre-established relationship, which then undergoes a few massive redefining moments of empathy and revelation, makes for some truly organic feeling chemistry.
At times, the worldbuilding felt a touch contrived. While it helps to have read a few others in this series to get a feel for the range of magical influences across kingdoms, there were still a number of times that supranatural things occurred without prior allusion to them being possible.
Note: I mean this largely in regard to the Blood Wraith and its abilities—as the alchemy side of things was given a good bit of example and foreshadowing. When Hansel and Gretel put in a welcome appearance (and when do we get THEIR story, by the way?!) I expected their expertise to lend more insight to the Wraith’s strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. But their knowledge and advice didn’t seem to add quite enough to the equation. And sadly, the mysterious siblings don’t make a reappearance.
Readers will likely appreciate how well rounded most of the peripheral characters end up feeling. A solid investment is made into fleshing out Blue’s father and grandmother, Kellan’s mother, and even some of Kellan’s would-be bride options. Princess Nessa, Kellan’s mute-yet-sassy younger sister, was easily my favorite side character addition. I sincerely hope she will get her own book or novella at some point in the future.
If you’re a fan of inventive retellings, triumph after tragedy, and snappy verbal sparring between love interests, The Blood Spell may be right up your alley.
Based loosely on the tale of Cinderella, The Blood Spell is the fourth standalone installment for the Ravenspire series of fairytale retellings.
On the surface, this book is in the same vein as many a dark YA fantasy. The magic system involves fae, wands, and transmutation; with a refreshingly hefty emphasis on the alchemical. On deeper levels, the story explores themes of grief, guilt, self-sacrifice, negative coping mechanisms, abuse, healing… and even touches on aspects of PTSD and suicidal ideation.
This version of Cinderella bears about as much resemblance to the original tale as Redwine’s Snow White retelling. Which is to say… not much resemblance at all. You still get a few key elements—grand ball, glass slippers, mice and pumpkin transfigurations toward the end—but the rest of the content is heavily original. Much like with her take on Snow White, this heroine has a lot more agency than her original namesake. And Kellan (a.k.a Prince Charming) IS indeed charming… but it’s all a diplomatic façade.
It cannot be said that Redwine doesn’t offer a wide variety in her heroines. While not a fighter like Lorelei from The Shadow Queen or Sajda from The Traitor Prince, Blue holds her own in her own way. I don’t think I’ll remember her as one of my favorites from the Ravenspire series. She spent too much of the first 1/3rd of the story a little too sanctimonious and irritatingly judgmental for my tastes. I often felt sorry for her more than I was able to like her. But thankfully she did show a significant amount of character growth and adaptability by the end. I did, however, relate to Blue’s sleep ethic:
“Blue didn’t know what it took to wake up at dawn and be cheerful about it, but whatever it was, she didn’t have it.”
This reader is a big fan of a slow burn romance, particularly a rivals-to-friends-to-lovers transition. The Blood Spell handles this romantic aspect incredibly well—helped by the fact that the hero and heroine have known each other their entire lives. That pre-established relationship, which then undergoes a few massive redefining moments of empathy and revelation, makes for some truly organic feeling chemistry.
At times, the worldbuilding felt a touch contrived. While it helps to have read a few others in this series to get a feel for the range of magical influences across kingdoms, there were still a number of times that supranatural things occurred without prior allusion to them being possible.
Note: I mean this largely in regard to the Blood Wraith and its abilities—as the alchemy side of things was given a good bit of example and foreshadowing. When Hansel and Gretel put in a welcome appearance (and when do we get THEIR story, by the way?!) I expected their expertise to lend more insight to the Wraith’s strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. But their knowledge and advice didn’t seem to add quite enough to the equation. And sadly, the mysterious siblings don’t make a reappearance.
Readers will likely appreciate how well rounded most of the peripheral characters end up feeling. A solid investment is made into fleshing out Blue’s father and grandmother, Kellan’s mother, and even some of Kellan’s would-be bride options. Princess Nessa, Kellan’s mute-yet-sassy younger sister, was easily my favorite side character addition. I sincerely hope she will get her own book or novella at some point in the future.
If you’re a fan of inventive retellings, triumph after tragedy, and snappy verbal sparring between love interests, The Blood Spell may be right up your alley.