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thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
I have so many mixed emotions!!! The Blood Gift is book two in The Blood Gift Duology and boy was it an epic conclusion. Things pick up right where we left off at the end of The Blood Trials with Ikenna and her newly formed squad. Once you’re on the ride, you don’t get off until the very end. Grievances are sorted out, evils are slain, and justice is finally served, but for all the action you can feel that this was intended to be more than a duology. Davenport does an amazing job at tying up the story while keeping you on the edge of your seat, but we miss out on seeing a lot of character development. With there being a new team and budding romance there just wasn’t room for us to really see how deeply those relationships formed which is what I desperately craved for Ikenna. Overall I loved the story and appreciate how the author left hints for more to come from these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Genocide, Gore, Murder, War, and Blood
lqvekanej's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, War, Violence, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Murder, Racial slurs, and Sexism
alyanna_dm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
I love this duology. Would've given it 5 stars except I feel like it was too fast-paced and would've been better off as a trilogy. It just didn't feel like a finale, I was hoping to see a third book was announced!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
tinyjude's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very solid sequel. I liked the growth in the interpersonal relationships and the vulnerable moments between the characters. I feel elated that I was so right about Caiman and Greyson asdfghjkl
Some plots didn't get resolved or weren't used at all after being important in the first half of the book. The writing was also repetitive at a lot of points, with the metaphors becoming exhausting and some constant phrasing interrupting the reading flow. At some points it resembled more a typical chosen-one narrative seen in young adult stories, than a new adult one but that's okay as I enjoyed the rage and violence and vindication we got. Not a biggest fan of the chosen-one narratives and unbreakable plot armor, but it was a fun read and for that I might check more from this author in the future.
Some plots didn't get resolved or weren't used at all after being important in the first half of the book. The writing was also repetitive at a lot of points, with the metaphors becoming exhausting and some constant phrasing interrupting the reading flow. At some points it resembled more a typical chosen-one narrative seen in young adult stories, than a new adult one but that's okay as I enjoyed the rage and violence and vindication we got. Not a biggest fan of the chosen-one narratives and unbreakable plot armor, but it was a fun read and for that I might check more from this author in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Racism, Torture, Genocide, War, Sexual content, Sexism, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Death, Xenophobia, and Gore
Moderate: Slavery
teaqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this series and loved that the main character was strong and confident and such a badass. I feel like we don't get that enough from female protagonists, though I wish she didn't feel the need to remind us she was a confident badass every other sentence.
I don't understand how this series hasn't received more hype, and hope more people pick up these books!
The first book was definitely better due to the plot and story progression, I could tell this one wasn't going to be as good from around 20% in. The found family aspect was great I really enjoyed that, and the progression the other members of the group was really nice to see.
It felt like it started with an intended plot but as soon as an event happened not far into the book (behind the spoiler)they got picked up by Ajani, I felt the book loose itself a little. It felt like a massive detour from what the book was supposed to be and as it was drawn out and became the bulk of the book, it was such a weird and disappointing turn of events.
Every interaction with people not in the group was quite annoying and Ikenna did come across like a petulant child, in a very annoying way which made it seem very YA. The whole exchange in Lusian with Edryssa was so stupid and ridiculous and her internal and external monologues during the interactions about how much of a threat she was became very boring and repetitive.
The writing during both books was a little confusing or hard to read at times.
Some sentences need to be reread a few times, they do make sense but they don't flow very well and it feels like you have to stop to jump a fence to make the sentence make sense in the context - kind of like this sentence. It was hard to get through because it felt like the author was trying to put words together in a different more obscure way but it just made it quite clunky to read and understand.
Plot threads seemed to be confused when coming across - almost like the author hadn't gone back to edit in the "need to know" info so the reader could fully understand and make sense of a situation. You could understand what was going on and work out what the author forgot to mention, but it was a bit frustrating and happened across both books.
Towards the end of the book the author repeated things over and over - gave you a full recap on someone to make a point e.g. X person, my greatest supporter, my greatest confidant, bringer of all that is pure in the world, and 3 times winner of the master baker award for example but this happened way too frequently towards the end.
There was a really cringy scene at the end of the book which was wholly unnecessary and I really wish it wasn't included. If you finished this book, you know what I'm talking about.
The Dramatis Personae felt completely pointless and the last page of the book was right next to it so for someone that doesn't like to read the end of a book first
1. I'd never know it was there and
2. I don't want to accidentally read anything from the last page.
-
I know it sounds like I hated the book but overall I loved the series and am excited to read more from this author, but I am disappointed there wasn't much growth between the first and second books, it did feel a little like second book syndrome.
I don't understand how this series hasn't received more hype, and hope more people pick up these books!
The first book was definitely better due to the plot and story progression, I could tell this one wasn't going to be as good from around 20% in. The found family aspect was great I really enjoyed that, and the progression the other members of the group was really nice to see.
It felt like it started with an intended plot but as soon as an event happened not far into the book (behind the spoiler)
Every interaction with people not in the group was quite annoying and Ikenna did come across like a petulant child, in a very annoying way which made it seem very YA. The whole exchange in Lusian with Edryssa was so stupid and ridiculous and her internal and external monologues during the interactions about how much of a threat she was became very boring and repetitive.
The writing during both books was a little confusing or hard to read at times.
Some sentences need to be reread a few times, they do make sense but they don't flow very well and it feels like you have to stop to jump a fence to make the sentence make sense in the context - kind of like this sentence. It was hard to get through because it felt like the author was trying to put words together in a different more obscure way but it just made it quite clunky to read and understand.
Plot threads seemed to be confused when coming across - almost like the author hadn't gone back to edit in the "need to know" info so the reader could fully understand and make sense of a situation. You could understand what was going on and work out what the author forgot to mention, but it was a bit frustrating and happened across both books.
Towards the end of the book the author repeated things over and over - gave you a full recap on someone to make a point e.g. X person, my greatest supporter, my greatest confidant, bringer of all that is pure in the world, and 3 times winner of the master baker award for example but this happened way too frequently towards the end.
There was a really cringy scene at the end of the book which was wholly unnecessary and I really wish it wasn't included. If you finished this book, you know what I'm talking about.
The Dramatis Personae felt completely pointless and the last page of the book was right next to it so for someone that doesn't like to read the end of a book first
1. I'd never know it was there and
2. I don't want to accidentally read anything from the last page.
-
I know it sounds like I hated the book but overall I loved the series and am excited to read more from this author, but I am disappointed there wasn't much growth between the first and second books, it did feel a little like second book syndrome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
nerdy_book_mom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Death
onthesamepage's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So, the good news is, compared to the first book, Ikenna frustrated me a lot less. The bad news is, this left space in my head to start noticing a lot of things about the writing, and none of it made me very happy.
Plot-wise, this is a complete departure from book one, which makes sense considering where we left off. There's no mystery left. Ikenna and her team are hellbent on getting rid of the corruption within Mareen. Before they can do that, they need to take care of the Blood Emperor, who is once more terrorizing the planet. It's a very straightforward plot of "how are we going to defeat the bad guys", but it's fairly fast-paced and overall entertaining enough. And I mostly liked the characters. But a lot of this doesn't feel like it's the end of a series. This is reinforced by the end of the book, which basically implies there's a whole new story waiting to happen. Things are set up by the author that never get any payoff. For example, the book starts off with Ikenna trying to broker an alliance with someone on the wrong side of the law. She demands soldiers and weapons, only she doesn't really do much with either of them afterwards, or with the alliance in general. There's maybe one or two off-hand mentions, and that's it, which makes me wonder why the author bothered to include it at all. It also leans a lot more fantasy than science fiction compared to The Blood Trials.
Other than all the major plot conveniences that riddle this story, I have two major criticisms.
The first has to do with Ikenna. Look, I get that she was always going to be special as our main character. She has the Blood Gift and all of that. But her level of special receives like three upgrades over the course of this book, and I guess it's not something I expect to see if we're talking about an adult fantasy. This much Chosen One-ness is something I see more often within YA, and it irked me. I also had trouble buying into her supposed development. One of my biggest issues with the first book was how little she thought things through, and how she kept deciding that people were murderers based on very flimsy "evidence". Only now I'm supposed to believe that she has become some sort of strategic mastermind.
But I could've ignored that, because I didn't have very high expectations for her anyway. However, I couldn't ignore all the issues I had with the writing.
The author relies very, very heavily on similes/comparisons, whether they're necessary or not. Ikenna can never just be angry, she has to be angry like a thousand raging suns. Something can't just hurt, it hurts like fifty daggers stabbing into her stomach one after the other, the last one dragging her intestines out of her, so a final blade can twist into them until twenty gallons of blood come pouring out. Here are a few examples so you can get a sense of what to expect:
So, the good news is, compared to the first book, Ikenna frustrated me a lot less. The bad news is, this left space in my head to start noticing a lot of things about the writing, and none of it made me very happy.
Plot-wise, this is a complete departure from book one, which makes sense considering where we left off. There's no mystery left. Ikenna and her team are hellbent on getting rid of the corruption within Mareen. Before they can do that, they need to take care of the Blood Emperor, who is once more terrorizing the planet. It's a very straightforward plot of "how are we going to defeat the bad guys", but it's fairly fast-paced and overall entertaining enough. And I mostly liked the characters. But a lot of this doesn't feel like it's the end of a series. This is reinforced by the end of the book, which basically implies there's a whole new story waiting to happen. Things are set up by the author that never get any payoff. For example, the book starts off with Ikenna trying to broker an alliance with someone on the wrong side of the law. She demands soldiers and weapons, only she doesn't really do much with either of them afterwards, or with the alliance in general. There's maybe one or two off-hand mentions, and that's it, which makes me wonder why the author bothered to include it at all. It also leans a lot more fantasy than science fiction compared to The Blood Trials.
Other than all the major plot conveniences that riddle this story, I have two major criticisms.
The first has to do with Ikenna. Look, I get that she was always going to be special as our main character. She has the Blood Gift and all of that. But her level of special receives like three upgrades over the course of this book, and I guess it's not something I expect to see if we're talking about an adult fantasy. This much Chosen One-ness is something I see more often within YA, and it irked me. I also had trouble buying into her supposed development. One of my biggest issues with the first book was how little she thought things through, and how she kept deciding that people were murderers based on very flimsy "evidence". Only now I'm supposed to believe that she has become some sort of strategic mastermind.
But I could've ignored that, because I didn't have very high expectations for her anyway. However, I couldn't ignore all the issues I had with the writing.
The author relies very, very heavily on similes/comparisons, whether they're necessary or not. Ikenna can never just be angry, she has to be angry like a thousand raging suns. Something can't just hurt, it hurts like fifty daggers stabbing into her stomach one after the other, the last one dragging her intestines out of her, so a final blade can twist into them until twenty gallons of blood come pouring out. Here are a few examples so you can get a sense of what to expect:
Conversely, the Blood Emperor allows his savagery, the utter barbarism that comprises him, to ooze from his skin like an open sore he doesn’t bother to bandage. It washes over him and coats him like an exoskeleton he clings to and dons as an additional weapon to spread fear and terrorize all who have the misfortune of stumbling into his orbit.
His cheekbones and jawline are pronounced, sharp as the Khanaian blade pressed against my hip and concealed beneath the black tactical pants and shirt Ajani first captured me in.
It’s so glacial it feels like icicles punch through my insides while my heart and blood and muscle and tissue and sinew freeze over.
I can't confirm this, but I wouldn't be surprised if every page had at least one sentence similar to these.
The author also really likes to use sentences with extra full stops/periods:
I grip the edge of the seat. “Be. More. Succinct. Immediately.”
Seriously, nobody talks like that.
Then there are sentences that are weird/nonsensical:
“What do you have for us?” Reed asks, his low, steady tone exuding all I could want from a voice.
This may sound like nitpicking, but I wouldn't have noticed all of this if it wasn't all over the book. I just don't think the writing is very good in general, and if you're someone who tends to see patterns and stylistic choices within the writing, you might be bothered.
(All quotes are from an ARC of the book and may not match with the published version. They are only included as an indication of the writing style.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gore, Murder, and Violence
rbz39's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Sadly, I found the second book of the duology underwhelming and a frustrating anticlimax after being wowed by the first book. Everything zips along to an unsatisfying end and the characters all behave like cardboard cutouts. Ikenna is childish and homicidal and constantly sporting a “savage smile” while she gets proven wrong until the universe decides that she should win. The villains are mustache twirling and flat. The ending left me wanting so much more. The first big letdown of the year for me!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and War
Moderate: Death of parent
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
nroberts016's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: War and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment