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arireadsitall's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
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
4.25
saving my review for when the HCP strike ends but wow this was great and I may just have to embrace more fantasy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War, Violence, and Racism
gabbadabbadoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
one of my first few books of the year and it set the bar impossibly high!
i went into this not expecting much -- there's no shortage of protagonists trying to avenge dead family members in the fantasy genre -- but I was extremely pleasantly surprised. i personally haven't read a book that was so consistenly action-packed, there is literally never a dull moment. this book is violent and bloody and cruel and i am obsessed with it!! reading some of the characters injuries and deaths made me wince a bit, but i respect Davenport for being able to come up with so many ways for people to hurt. so, if lots of blood and violence and death are your thing look no further. the brutal nature of the trials initially struck me as a little superfluous, but it makes more sense and the country's history and culture develop more as you read.
the mc also sold this book for me. i typically don't like characters that are easily blinded by rage, but i loooooove Ikenna. there were more than several times where she'd do smt and i thought were unneccessary and would come back to bite her in the ass, but i support women's rights and women's wrongs!!! but fr i'd read and wonder if she was trying to get herself killed, but she never beat someone's ass who didn't deserve that or worse. and she'll do it again!
i also loved that the romance was extremely minor. like eensy teensy weenie minor. a bigger romantic subplot would definitely ruin a book like this, so i loved that the cehemistry was definitely there and i saw it coming, but it never took over the plot. hg has revenge to get and people to kill, she is on a mission.
i went into this not expecting much -- there's no shortage of protagonists trying to avenge dead family members in the fantasy genre -- but I was extremely pleasantly surprised. i personally haven't read a book that was so consistenly action-packed, there is literally never a dull moment. this book is violent and bloody and cruel and i am obsessed with it!! reading some of the characters injuries and deaths made me wince a bit, but i respect Davenport for being able to come up with so many ways for people to hurt. so, if lots of blood and violence and death are your thing look no further. the brutal nature of the trials initially struck me as a little superfluous, but it makes more sense and the country's history and culture develop more as you read.
the mc also sold this book for me. i typically don't like characters that are easily blinded by rage, but i loooooove Ikenna. there were more than several times where she'd do smt and i thought were unneccessary and would come back to bite her in the ass, but i support women's rights and women's wrongs!!! but fr i'd read and wonder if she was trying to get herself killed, but she never beat someone's ass who didn't deserve that or worse. and she'll do it again!
i also loved that the romance was extremely minor. like eensy teensy weenie minor. a bigger romantic subplot would definitely ruin a book like this, so i loved that the cehemistry was definitely there and i saw it coming, but it never took over the plot. hg has revenge to get and people to kill, she is on a mission.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, and War
Minor: Torture and Alcohol
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Blood Trials was a great story set up, and I enjoyed it. There was the right amount of action and just enough character and background to set everything up for a great book two—honestly, a great debut.
Why four stars instead of five? The Blood Gift Duology should be a trilogy. There were clear signposts for an ending after the Praetorian trials, but the book continued for another 150 pages. The next book comes out next year (and I will be reading it!), and I assume there's a similar point that will feel like a transition should have happened. There was a three-act feel to it, and the last third of the book felt disjointed.
That is honestly my only complaint! Otherwise, I liked the lore and the twists (so many twists!), and I eagerly anticipate the bloody, grimy story the next book is sure to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Classism, Racism, Gun violence, Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, and Hate crime
Minor: War
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow! Between this and Queen of Nothing I’ve been reading some of the most vicious, blood thirsty, and VIOLENT books I’ve ever read. It makes for a really intense experience. The backstabbing, betrayal, who can be trusted, political agenda absolute beast this book is took me by storm. I couldn’t put it down! I was gripped and at the end I was staring into space experiencing this book. Incredible storytelling, incredible challenges, incredible strength and resilience in times of adversary. Wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Gore, Racism, Torture, Violence, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Outing, Sexism, and War
martyb80's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Over all the plot is decent, but it falls apart a bit in the details. The word building is a bit rough, and it doesn't feel well lived in. The main characters continued reliance on violence both real and imagined got stale quickly. I like a good twist and it is even better when you don't see it coming but they fall flat and felt over contrived to me. It felt like it wants to be Children of Blood and Bone in space, but it falls short
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content
kkarl3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CAWPILE Review
Characters: 6.5/10
The character work was one of the weaknesses of this book. I liked the character of Ikenna and realated to a lot of her motivations. As a 19 year old girl who has lost EVERYTHING and was being attacked for who she is, Ikenna’s rage is completely valid to me. I wish we could have seen her develop at least a little more logic and critical thinking towards the end of the book. I think just a little more character growth with her could’ve gone a long way but I do not fault her for being the way she was. I really wish we could’ve gotten more screen time from some of the side characters. Some of Ikenna’s thoughts were super repetitive and I think some of that could’ve been replaced with more interaction with some of the other characters.
Atmosphere: 8/10
I really really enjoyed the world that was built in this story. My only qualm is that I wish some of the lore and history of the world could’ve been explored a bit more. I found the forest and mountain scenes very intriguing, especially when it pulled back the curtain to some of the magical and historical world that Mareen tried to squash out of this world. I think this story could’ve benefited from being a trilogy so that more of the details of the world could’ve been fleshed out. I really enjoyed the trials and the war atmosphere that was brewing in the background.
Writing: 6.5/10
The writing felt a little amateur; however, I think this is valid considering this is a debut novel. Some things were extremely repetitive while I felt that other scenes could’ve used more detail. The writer’s voice felt a tad bland and underdeveloped in parts. There was a lot of telling instead of showing throughout the book. This is not to say that the writing was bad because it wasn’t but I think the author has a lot of potential growth for future books.
Plot: 9/10
The plot of this book was INCREDIBLE.I did guess pretty early on about Brock’s and Selene’s guilt against Ikenna However, there were several aspects of the ending that took me by major surprise. The trial scenes were majorly intense and the background murder mystery allowed for a lot of intrigue in the background that kept me wondering about several details all the way through the book. This plot was a rollercoaster ride and I loved it.
Intrigue: 9/10
This book kept me interested and invested the entire way through. I could not put it down and I often could think about little else. This book captured me and captivated me. I was obsessed with reading this and couldn’t get away. It was a very addictive story and I simply cannot wait for April for the second one. If Davenport’s next novel is as addictive as this one, she will be for sure going on my auto-buy author list.
Logic: 6.5/10
There were definitely a couple times were it felt like Ikenna’s powers were used as a cop out to get out of a situation. Her power needed a couple more checks on its abundance I think. She often withstained life threatening injuries that just healed overnight. There were a few reveals at the end that tightened up some of her surges of power and I appreciated that. Overall, a bit lacking logically but it wasn’t so much of an issue that it majorly took away from the story.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I LOVED the experience of reading this book. I had a wonderful time. While it is not the most technically sound novel, it is a debut and a damn good one at that. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride this story took me on and I will be picking up book two once it comes out.
I think it should also be noted that this is a VERY graphic novel and should not be read by the faint of heart. There are some VERY disturbing scenes that caught me off guard. If you can stomach a lot of gore this book is so worth it, but it is not a light read.
Characters: 6.5/10
The character work was one of the weaknesses of this book. I liked the character of Ikenna and realated to a lot of her motivations. As a 19 year old girl who has lost EVERYTHING and was being attacked for who she is, Ikenna’s rage is completely valid to me. I wish we could have seen her develop at least a little more logic and critical thinking towards the end of the book. I think just a little more character growth with her could’ve gone a long way but I do not fault her for being the way she was. I really wish we could’ve gotten more screen time from some of the side characters. Some of Ikenna’s thoughts were super repetitive and I think some of that could’ve been replaced with more interaction with some of the other characters.
Atmosphere: 8/10
I really really enjoyed the world that was built in this story. My only qualm is that I wish some of the lore and history of the world could’ve been explored a bit more. I found the forest and mountain scenes very intriguing, especially when it pulled back the curtain to some of the magical and historical world that Mareen tried to squash out of this world. I think this story could’ve benefited from being a trilogy so that more of the details of the world could’ve been fleshed out. I really enjoyed the trials and the war atmosphere that was brewing in the background.
Writing: 6.5/10
The writing felt a little amateur; however, I think this is valid considering this is a debut novel. Some things were extremely repetitive while I felt that other scenes could’ve used more detail. The writer’s voice felt a tad bland and underdeveloped in parts. There was a lot of telling instead of showing throughout the book. This is not to say that the writing was bad because it wasn’t but I think the author has a lot of potential growth for future books.
Plot: 9/10
The plot of this book was INCREDIBLE.
Intrigue: 9/10
This book kept me interested and invested the entire way through. I could not put it down and I often could think about little else. This book captured me and captivated me. I was obsessed with reading this and couldn’t get away. It was a very addictive story and I simply cannot wait for April for the second one. If Davenport’s next novel is as addictive as this one, she will be for sure going on my auto-buy author list.
Logic: 6.5/10
There were definitely a couple times were it felt like Ikenna’s powers were used as a cop out to get out of a situation. Her power needed a couple more checks on its abundance I think. She often withstained life threatening injuries that just healed overnight. There were a few reveals at the end that tightened up some of her surges of power and I appreciated that. Overall, a bit lacking logically but it wasn’t so much of an issue that it majorly took away from the story.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I LOVED the experience of reading this book. I had a wonderful time. While it is not the most technically sound novel, it is a debut and a damn good one at that. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride this story took me on and I will be picking up book two once it comes out.
I think it should also be noted that this is a VERY graphic novel and should not be read by the faint of heart. There are some VERY disturbing scenes that caught me off guard. If you can stomach a lot of gore this book is so worth it, but it is not a light read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, War, Blood, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Classism, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, and Torture
kingrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
A high sci-fi fantasy new adult novel about a kickass black MC and political drama. Love it!!
I just want to note, that I saw somewhere that this book was labeled as YA, I’m here to tell you it most definitely is not! I learned the hard way as I stomached through the Accursed scenes. Also, check your trigger warnings, there’s a lot of violence and gore, racism, misogyny, bigotry, cannibalism, death, and you know, all the fun stuff my therapist will hear about later.
Can I just say, THANK YOU, Davenport. Thank you so much for writing a sci-fi fantasy that didn’t actively try to hurt my brain. The people have normal dialogue and the world building was explained is a beautiful way that still felt like I was reading about this fantastical world on another planet, without feeling like I wasn’t smart enough to understand and catch on fast enough.
This is likely the first 5 star rating I’ve given to a book where I genuinely don’t care about any shortcomings in the book, that’s how good it was.
The book follows Kenna Amari, 19 year old recruit for a special warrior group called the Praetorians. The trials to becoming a Praetorian are gruesome and deadly, and Kenna must overcome racism and misogyny (and attempts on her life) in addition to the shit tasks she and her fellow recruits are given. Kenna is sort of a legacy Praetorian since her grandfather was one and he was essentially the general for The Republic of Mareen. Her grandfather was a war hero from the war against the Blood Empire (all of the people there are blood-gifted, and having blood-gifts in Mareen is punishable by death) and he eventually rose above the ranks despite the blatant racism and bigotry that was thrown at him for being half-Khanaian (a nation where the population is predominantly black).
Before Kenna graduates from cadet school and can be recruited for the trials, her Grandfather dies suddenly. For three months, she grieves by drinking and getting into fight, and almost not graduating. That is until her grandfather’s friend and Tribunal member, Brock, tells her that her grandfather was murdered, and it was likely an ordered assassination by one of the other Tribunal members. She enters the trials to get close to the murder suspects so she can exact her revenge. She’s does this, while combating adversity, and also hiding the fact that she is blood-gifted. No one knows who Kenna’s father is (her mother never told anyone his identity), but it’s clear he’s from the Blood Empire. There’s a lot of action, a bunch of weird creatures and old, vengeful gods, lots of disturbing events, some mystery, a little bit of heat, and a healthy dose of twists and betrayals.
There’s a good chunk of the book that’s just info dumping, but it’s spaced out between action scenes or dramatic ones in a way that you’re not totally bored or overwhelmed. It’s still a lot to take in, but it’s good shit and it is (mostly) relevant. I like that Kenna is unapologetically herself and she’s not going to reel in her anger for the sake of decorum or “rising above it”. There were a few things that were just repeated too much (like the “I want my knife back…My knives” like the realization of two knives was mentioned too many times). But, it’s whatever in the end.
Kenna struggles with her identity as Mareenian and the fact the country outright hates her for the color of her skin. I think the book does well in diving into the issue of fighting for a country that doesn’t respect or fight for you. And a country that does a lot of messed up shit. As well as what it’s like to be biracial and be white passing. Then there’s the experience of being a woman and being a black woman that’s shown in this book. Where Kenna’s friend, Selene, is expected to be a wife and give heirs to her House, Kenna’s experience is much more violent. Especially since Selene has the added protection of being basically royalty to keep her from actually dying in the trials. I think the range of Kenna’s experience as a black woman in this mostly white nation of bigots, from microagressions to full-on attempts on her life, was written well and didn’t hold anything back. It’s difficult not seeing the parallels between Mareen and the US. The fact that Mareenians are outright racist and are visibly disgusted by Kenna, her grandfather, and all Khanaians, while also adopting Khanaian fighting styles, aircraft, and technology was just…I don’t know how to describe the feeling…but the irony of it in this book and it being a thing in real life…
And I’m sorry, but this is a debut? A DEBUT?! Davenport, I hope you fix some things and make some tweaks, but you did it. This is such a great book! Bless you for making it a duology. My heart and brain can only take so many 5+ book series.
This is also probably the first time a 5-star book has taken me a week to complete. Because I needed to put this book down. Some scenes were too much (again, the Accursed scenes really disturbed me) and some had me so heated I needed a minute to cool down and just do something else or read a lighter book. Kenna is 19 and she’s just had her entire world turned on its head, so she doesn’t make the best decisions, and she shouldn’t be expected to be perfect and avoid mistakes, she’s a human being and she’s NINETEEN!
I was suspicious of everyone and like Kenna, I was ready to kill these characters on the spot, she showed so much restraint, I don’t know if I could in her shoes.
And can I just say, the friggin sexual tension in this book not only kind of came out of no where (in hindsight, it was like a sneaky, slow build), but it was friggin amazing. I loved it. Reed, my expectations for you were low and I had zero faith in you in the end scene, but you surprised me, and I love you. If Kenna won’t have your babies, I will.
So yeah, go read the book. Learn some things and be entertained. Let me know when it’s April.
I just want to note, that I saw somewhere that this book was labeled as YA, I’m here to tell you it most definitely is not! I learned the hard way as I stomached through the Accursed scenes. Also, check your trigger warnings, there’s a lot of violence and gore, racism, misogyny, bigotry, cannibalism, death, and you know, all the fun stuff my therapist will hear about later.
Can I just say, THANK YOU, Davenport. Thank you so much for writing a sci-fi fantasy that didn’t actively try to hurt my brain. The people have normal dialogue and the world building was explained is a beautiful way that still felt like I was reading about this fantastical world on another planet, without feeling like I wasn’t smart enough to understand and catch on fast enough.
This is likely the first 5 star rating I’ve given to a book where I genuinely don’t care about any shortcomings in the book, that’s how good it was.
The book follows Kenna Amari, 19 year old recruit for a special warrior group called the Praetorians. The trials to becoming a Praetorian are gruesome and deadly, and Kenna must overcome racism and misogyny (and attempts on her life) in addition to the shit tasks she and her fellow recruits are given. Kenna is sort of a legacy Praetorian since her grandfather was one and he was essentially the general for The Republic of Mareen. Her grandfather was a war hero from the war against the Blood Empire (all of the people there are blood-gifted, and having blood-gifts in Mareen is punishable by death) and he eventually rose above the ranks despite the blatant racism and bigotry that was thrown at him for being half-Khanaian (a nation where the population is predominantly black).
Before Kenna graduates from cadet school and can be recruited for the trials, her Grandfather dies suddenly. For three months, she grieves by drinking and getting into fight, and almost not graduating. That is until her grandfather’s friend and Tribunal member, Brock, tells her that her grandfather was murdered, and it was likely an ordered assassination by one of the other Tribunal members. She enters the trials to get close to the murder suspects so she can exact her revenge. She’s does this, while combating adversity, and also hiding the fact that she is blood-gifted. No one knows who Kenna’s father is (her mother never told anyone his identity), but it’s clear he’s from the Blood Empire. There’s a lot of action, a bunch of weird creatures and old, vengeful gods, lots of disturbing events, some mystery, a little bit of heat, and a healthy dose of twists and betrayals.
There’s a good chunk of the book that’s just info dumping, but it’s spaced out between action scenes or dramatic ones in a way that you’re not totally bored or overwhelmed. It’s still a lot to take in, but it’s good shit and it is (mostly) relevant. I like that Kenna is unapologetically herself and she’s not going to reel in her anger for the sake of decorum or “rising above it”. There were a few things that were just repeated too much (like the “I want my knife back…My knives” like the realization of two knives was mentioned too many times). But, it’s whatever in the end.
Kenna struggles with her identity as Mareenian and the fact the country outright hates her for the color of her skin. I think the book does well in diving into the issue of fighting for a country that doesn’t respect or fight for you. And a country that does a lot of messed up shit. As well as what it’s like to be biracial and be white passing. Then there’s the experience of being a woman and being a black woman that’s shown in this book. Where Kenna’s friend, Selene, is expected to be a wife and give heirs to her House, Kenna’s experience is much more violent. Especially since Selene has the added protection of being basically royalty to keep her from actually dying in the trials. I think the range of Kenna’s experience as a black woman in this mostly white nation of bigots, from microagressions to full-on attempts on her life, was written well and didn’t hold anything back. It’s difficult not seeing the parallels between Mareen and the US. The fact that Mareenians are outright racist and are visibly disgusted by Kenna, her grandfather, and all Khanaians, while also adopting Khanaian fighting styles, aircraft, and technology was just…I don’t know how to describe the feeling…but the irony of it in this book and it being a thing in real life…
And I’m sorry, but this is a debut? A DEBUT?! Davenport, I hope you fix some things and make some tweaks, but you did it. This is such a great book! Bless you for making it a duology. My heart and brain can only take so many 5+ book series.
This is also probably the first time a 5-star book has taken me a week to complete. Because I needed to put this book down. Some scenes were too much (again, the Accursed scenes really disturbed me) and some had me so heated I needed a minute to cool down and just do something else or read a lighter book. Kenna is 19 and she’s just had her entire world turned on its head, so she doesn’t make the best decisions, and she shouldn’t be expected to be perfect and avoid mistakes, she’s a human being and she’s NINETEEN!
I was suspicious of everyone and like Kenna, I was ready to kill these characters on the spot, she showed so much restraint, I don’t know if I could in her shoes.
And can I just say, the friggin sexual tension in this book not only kind of came out of no where (in hindsight, it was like a sneaky, slow build), but it was friggin amazing. I loved it. Reed, my expectations for you were low and I had zero faith in you in the end scene, but you surprised me, and I love you. If Kenna won’t have your babies, I will.
So yeah, go read the book. Learn some things and be entertained. Let me know when it’s April.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Grief, Racism, Xenophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, Vomit, and War
thereadingskeleton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
Thank you to B2Weird Book Club and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
Rep: Black MC, biracial LI, Black side characters
What. A. Ride.
Honestly, what else can I say?
Actually, a lot.
First of all, this book is extremely violent, bloody, and gory. It follows Ikenna Amari as she enters the Praetorian Trials, a brutal military initiation, to search for her grandfather’s murderer. With a premise like that (not to mention a name like The Blood Trials, amiright?), I went in expecting violence—but, even so, there was A LOT. I wasn’t particularly bothered by it, but if you’re squeamish, you might want to skip this one.
If I had to choose one thing about the book to gush over, it would be the blending of science and magic. I love science fantasy; it’s a genre I never get enough of. In The Blood Trials, Kenna’s home country of Mareen has eschewed magic in favor of technology—so much so that they’ve executed anyone in the country born with magic. This is a big problem for Kenna, since she secretly has a blood gift—one of the most reviled forms of magic. Throughout the novel, Kenna embraces her gift more and more, and I’m hoping that, in Book 2, that extends to the world and we get to see more mixing of magic and technology.
There were a couple of things I wasn’t as big a fan of. For one, Kenna hardly experiences any character growth. I expect we’ll see more in the second book, but it was frustrating to see her consistently making the same kinds of mistakes without learning a single thing. I was extremely frustrated with her for most of the book. That honestly didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of the story, because I was really here for the action-packed (if not always the least predictable) plot, and I’m excited to see the plot threads that were left dangling get picked back up in the sequel.
I also highly recommend the audiobook version! The narrator, Jeanette Illidge, did a fantastic job.
As a last note, this book is not YA. It is firmly in the adult category, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for younger teens. Some older teens will probably enjoy it, though.
Rep: Black MC, biracial LI, Black side characters
What. A. Ride.
Honestly, what else can I say?
Actually, a lot.
First of all, this book is extremely violent, bloody, and gory. It follows Ikenna Amari as she enters the Praetorian Trials, a brutal military initiation, to search for her grandfather’s murderer. With a premise like that (not to mention a name like The Blood Trials, amiright?), I went in expecting violence—but, even so, there was A LOT. I wasn’t particularly bothered by it, but if you’re squeamish, you might want to skip this one.
If I had to choose one thing about the book to gush over, it would be the blending of science and magic. I love science fantasy; it’s a genre I never get enough of. In The Blood Trials, Kenna’s home country of Mareen has eschewed magic in favor of technology—so much so that they’ve executed anyone in the country born with magic. This is a big problem for Kenna, since she secretly has a blood gift—one of the most reviled forms of magic. Throughout the novel, Kenna embraces her gift more and more, and I’m hoping that, in Book 2, that extends to the world and we get to see more mixing of magic and technology.
There were a couple of things I wasn’t as big a fan of. For one, Kenna hardly experiences any character growth. I expect we’ll see more in the second book, but it was frustrating to see her consistently making the same kinds of mistakes without learning a single thing. I was extremely frustrated with her for most of the book. That honestly didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of the story, because I was really here for the action-packed (if not always the least predictable) plot, and I’m excited to see the plot threads that were left dangling get picked back up in the sequel.
I also highly recommend the audiobook version! The narrator, Jeanette Illidge, did a fantastic job.
As a last note, this book is not YA. It is firmly in the adult category, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for younger teens. Some older teens will probably enjoy it, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Torture, Confinement, Misogyny, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Death of parent, Racial slurs, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Colonisation and Genocide
rebeccajost's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Confinement, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Body horror, Sexism, War, Blood, Torture, and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
antonique_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gore, Racial slurs, War, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail