Reviews

Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows

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qwerqsar's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad 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

4.5

This was a review copy sent to me.
Let me start the review with the commentary that this is not something I'd normally read, so my review may be biased.
This is a very interesting book about you g adults with magical powers, something akin to Final Fantasy VIII, with its own story, of course. The story may be a little easy to guess, but the real strenght of the story is in the feelings and conflicts of the characters that are part of the story. There are even point that grt intense and I really got to feel the struggles. The hero characters were very interesting, although the really evil ones were a bit flat (maybe we get to know them more in the second book).
The narrator was excellent and he really put feeling in his reading. Even in the funny moments he put in the levity and in the really serious one there was the necessary gravitas to make one's heart almost break.
A side note that does not affect the score at all was the lengthy disclaimer at the beginning of the book, but I may have disliked it because I am too used to stronger material and it was not really intended for me.
All in all, it is a great exploration of conflict and feeling set in a world with magic in it that has even some anime vibes. If that is your jam, go for it, you will not regret it!

helynalc's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I knew I was going to love this book, tbh, the moment I saw things about it. It's an intriguing, action-filled, but emotional story that follows characters who immediately felt like friends. A lot of other reviewers say it's very "anime", and it's true: the magic system, the powers, the "logistics" of the group of heroes, and the action all have this sort of connotation which is pretty awesome for me because I love anime. I really enjoyed the whole world, it felt alive, even if we only get to know one city...one pretty important city at a pretty important time.

I loved loved loved Ellen, I just wanted to protect her, but she's so strong too, while staying gentle and joyful. I honestly expected a more "tsundere" Iori, the sassy catboy that he is, but he ended up so much more wholesome and vulnerable, and I loved it a lot (of course, he was also sassy :D). I did love Alexander too, I did feel for him especially towards the end, but even back when he was at the same time understandably and aggravatingly annoying. x) There were a lot of side characters too, and while not all of them got too much space to show themselves or evolve, everyone was distinct and a personality, and it just helped to make the story even more alive. The antagonists were fearsome and cruel, and now even more so, closing in towards the second novel of the duology. There's a lot of mystery still remaining after the first book's final confrontation and I can't wait to see where this story goes (even if I suspect it's going to be painful...)

In true anime fashion, a lot of things were told about the world and the characters, and a lot of other things were also taken as knowledge someone living in this world should already have--but it was a good balance of navigating the book, and I wasn't bothered too much by either extremes, to be honest. The writing was clear, heartfelt, and easy to read--I got sucked in pretty quickly. All in all just a lovely read if you're looking for action, heartbreak, mysteries and a group of diverse characters fighting for good.

(Also, that aspec slowburn? Hell yeah.)

megana's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book reminded me a lot of RWBY, not in the plot or characters being the same but just the whole vibe. When I visualized different characters and scenes, they came out in a very RWBY style. Otherwise, the book got pretty dark at times but handled it in a way that wasn’t overwhelmingly depressing. Even when terrible things were happening I kept expecting it to be okay in the end. Maybe that’s because it’s YA. At any rate, it was a great story.

claudiearseneault's review

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

harborwriter's review against another edition

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4.0

If you like manga and anime, you'll probably like this book! Bloody Spade has a great cast of characters and a fun card-inspired magic system. I really enjoyed the development of the characters' relationships, which felt authentic, sweet, and interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how they continue to grow in the second half of the duology.

My thanks to the author for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

andreannechat's review against another edition

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5.0

So so so good! It's been a while since I devoured a book like that. The magic and world building are compelling, the characters are interesting, everyone's queerness is treated like the most normal thing in the world, whats not to love? I can't wait to read the second part.

thewordyhabitat's review

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2.0

while it had some nice elements, it was very predictable which made the book less entertaining. i guessed two of the biggest twists way beforehand and they had no impact on me. oh well.