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reading_ani's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was absolutely amazing! Someone described it as “if Slytherins fought in the Hunger Games” and this description honestly hits the nail on the head. Although the children in this book seem innocent-ish (some, not all), no one and I mean not a single one of them is! It’s perfect! Can’t wait for the sequel to be published! ❤️❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Alcohol
bottleblondebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I think that just made it all the more enjoyable. The Magic system is very well done and different than what I’ve read before. There are definitely similarities to The Hunger Games in regards to the tournament and fight to the death deal, but the world and tournament itself is different enough that it doesn’t feel at all like THG. The world building and history of the town and seven families is done really well considering there are so many people and families involved. The book does jump right in with the magic system and doesn’t give too much explanation of how things work, but I found it easy to figure out.
As for our four main characters, where to begin?! Alistair Lowe has my heart. He is such a rich, complex character, and yeah, a bit of a cliché, but really, who doesn’t love a dark, broody villain?? Isobel is a strong character. I really liked her backstory, and the challenges she had to face in the tournament, definitely a surprise to me! I did get somewhat annoyed with her choices, and I’m interested to see what happens with her in book two! Gavin, beautiful, tortured Gavin. I didn’t connect with him as much the other two, but I still enjoyed his story and again, can’t wait until book two to see how far he’ll go to prove himself. Our fourth MC, Briony, was a bit difficult for me. I didn’t like her that much at first, but she grew on me, and towards the end of the book, I was rooting for her.
The plot was somewhat predictable. I had strong suspicions at the beginning of the book on what was going on, and I was correct. However, I was still on the edge of my seat reading it all unfold. For me, the predictable-ness didn’t detract from the story or my enjoyment one bit.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this stunning story!
As for our four main characters, where to begin?! Alistair Lowe has my heart. He is such a rich, complex character, and yeah, a bit of a cliché, but really, who doesn’t love a dark, broody villain?? Isobel is a strong character. I really liked her backstory, and the challenges she had to face in the tournament, definitely a surprise to me! I did get somewhat annoyed with her choices, and I’m interested to see what happens with her in book two! Gavin, beautiful, tortured Gavin. I didn’t connect with him as much the other two, but I still enjoyed his story and again, can’t wait until book two to see how far he’ll go to prove himself. Our fourth MC, Briony, was a bit difficult for me. I didn’t like her that much at first, but she grew on me, and towards the end of the book, I was rooting for her.
The plot was somewhat predictable. I had strong suspicions at the beginning of the book on what was going on, and I was correct. However, I was still on the edge of my seat reading it all unfold. For me, the predictable-ness didn’t detract from the story or my enjoyment one bit.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this stunning story!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Suicide, Grief, and Emotional abuse
sunsetcity's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I will admit, this book is difficult to put down once you start it. But fair warning: this one ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, so you'll probably be desperate for book 2! If you're looking for a character driven fantasy story filled with magic and curses and plenty of morally gray characters, this one definitely fits the bill.
The magic system is probably one of the best aspects of this story. It felt really unique and interesting. However, some of the overall world building in the book felt a bit disjointed and it became a little confusing overall. With that cliffhanger, though, I might be interested enough to pick up the rest of the series!
The magic system is probably one of the best aspects of this story. It felt really unique and interesting. However, some of the overall world building in the book felt a bit disjointed and it became a little confusing overall. With that cliffhanger, though, I might be interested enough to pick up the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Confinement and Suicide
mmccombs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Hunger games meets morally gray magicians. Neat! I thought this one was fun and the characters were interesting. The magic system was complex and I felt confused about its exact limits, but it was definitely original and compelling. I didn’t realize it was a series so I was a bit confused about how abruptly it ended, especially because the lead up to the tournament felt a bit slow. Some things could have felt a bit more resolved even with a cliff hanger, but this was enough to keep me on board with with the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Grief
enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This would have been an easy 5star read if the first 30% matched the last 70%. It was a struggle to make it that far. The pacing was slow, there was a ton of info and backstory. Which I mean, yes, we needed, but it wasn’t that interesting to me.
Now when we got about 35% in and the villains all started interacting and got into the tournament, that’s when it got good. The heat turned up, petal to the metal and they did not slow down. If possible it was even more tense the last 10%. I need the sequel like now!!
I loved the enemies to lovers between two characters. I was buddy reading with a friend and thought it would have been even better ifGavin and Alistair got together and I gotta agree with her.
There was betrayal, sabotage, action, and murder. I’m not sure how much more you could want.
Recommend for any fantasy lover!
Now when we got about 35% in and the villains all started interacting and got into the tournament, that’s when it got good. The heat turned up, petal to the metal and they did not slow down. If possible it was even more tense the last 10%. I need the sequel like now!!
I loved the enemies to lovers between two characters. I was buddy reading with a friend and thought it would have been even better if
There was betrayal, sabotage, action, and murder. I’m not sure how much more you could want.
Recommend for any fantasy lover!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Cursing
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This ya fantasy has an intriguing premise where common magic is woven into everyday existence, and high magic, thought exhausted, is hoarded by seven families. A tell-all from within their midst outed that magical repository to the world a year ago, in addition to details of how under a blood moon, teenagers battle to the death on behalf of their families to capture the use of that magic for the next generation. The book boasts four well-crafted POVs from among the families, giving a more complete view of the brutal proceedings than you would get with one protagonist. They all have conflicted feelings towards the tournament, some more enthusiastic and others embittered. But none have a choice about whether they will compete.
The story is atmospheric and tense, moving along at a fast pace with emphasis on action and survival, while big questions about the curse powering the game swirl around. Even the most dedicated champion will question the murderous tournament once the blood veil actually falls. Expect twisted bargains, desperate alliances, and high-cost strategies to dominate as both characters and readers wait for the first of seven to fall. Curses will fly, and not all will survive.
My only quibble is that the more human components of the book, especially relationships, are rushed, too tangled up in the power plays and festering emotions of the tournament to be truly viable. The story relies on shorthand among characters who knew each other before the tournament began, and one moment of empathy is meant to convince us of a deeper connection among new relationships. In the romantic plot, there's too much revenge and betrayal floating around for even the lovely "only one bed" trope to vanquish single-handedly.
I admit I couldn't look away. The drama is intense, the outcome still up in the air. And I very much want to know where it will all end up. The writing is immersive, and I have high hopes that the relationships will deepen and take on more meaning in the second half of the duology. Pick this up if you're looking for a ya fantasy steeped in darkness and moving along at breakneck speed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Suicide, and Vomit
kilic'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, and Murder
emma985's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, and Blood
Moderate: Grief
rachrreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Every generation the Blood Veil hits the town of Ilvernath. Seven families are trapped in this curse, but only one wins the prize. Each family names a champion to fight in a tournament to the death. The last champion standing wins full control of the high magick for their family until the next Blood Moon rises.
No one outside of these seven families knows about it—well that is until this year. Someone has released a tell-all book about the families and the history of the tournament. Now all the champions are put in the spotlight and tourists are drawn to the town of Ilvernath for the upcoming tournament. This newfound publicity has given each of the families insight into the others. It also has caused quite a stir—some are intrigued by the tournament, some think of them as monsters.
This book is told from 4 of the 7 champions perspectives. I love multiple POV books as they provide insight you never get from a singular POV.
One criticism I have about this book is that I found myself only caring about Alistair. I found the other characters to lack personality or depth. Yeah we get it you want to win, but what else? Yeah the Lowe’s always win and you think their cruel— okay? Alistair was thought to be the monster by everyone, but his character is so much deeper than that. I loved seeing his character arc through the tournament.
Another criticism I have is that the last 10% of the book felt rushed. I felt like too much happened in those last few chapters and a lot of the character development I had seen was thrown out the window. The ending was also super predictable, which was a let down.
Overall I really loved the build up of the tournament as well as the writing from multiple POVs. I’m really excited to read book 2, even though I didn’t like the way the plot turned.
ALSO TO MY THG FANS— THERE ARE EVERLARK PARALLELS!! MY EVERLARK HEART ♥️ I would definitely recommend picking this one up just for that
Every generation the Blood Veil hits the town of Ilvernath. Seven families are trapped in this curse, but only one wins the prize. Each family names a champion to fight in a tournament to the death. The last champion standing wins full control of the high magick for their family until the next Blood Moon rises.
No one outside of these seven families knows about it—well that is until this year. Someone has released a tell-all book about the families and the history of the tournament. Now all the champions are put in the spotlight and tourists are drawn to the town of Ilvernath for the upcoming tournament. This newfound publicity has given each of the families insight into the others. It also has caused quite a stir—some are intrigued by the tournament, some think of them as monsters.
This book is told from 4 of the 7 champions perspectives. I love multiple POV books as they provide insight you never get from a singular POV.
One criticism I have about this book is that I found myself only caring about Alistair. I found the other characters to lack personality or depth. Yeah we get it you want to win, but what else? Yeah the Lowe’s always win and you think their cruel— okay? Alistair was thought to be the monster by everyone, but his character is so much deeper than that. I loved seeing his character arc through the tournament.
Another criticism I have is that the last 10% of the book felt rushed. I felt like too much happened in those last few chapters and a lot of the character development I had seen was thrown out the window. The ending was also super predictable, which was a let down.
Overall I really loved the build up of the tournament as well as the writing from multiple POVs. I’m really excited to read book 2, even though I didn’t like the way the plot turned.
ALSO TO MY THG FANS— THERE ARE EVERLARK PARALLELS!! MY EVERLARK HEART ♥️ I would definitely recommend picking this one up just for that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Violence