Reviews

Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows

thetomatowriter's review against another edition

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5.0

I think this was my favorite book of the year?????? Oh my goodness it was so enjoyable. The author has talked about the book being anime inspired, both on Twitter and in the acknowledgements, and it truly reads like watching an anime. If you like Promare, for instance, I think you'd love this book.

The characters are incredibly endearing and the world is so exciting. It's just a FUN book to read, with a whole lot of heart to it. I don't think I've shipped anything like I shipped Ellen and Iori in a LONG LONG time. Also, the ace and aro rep in this book was so refreshing in that it felt seamless? You didn't get some social media soapbox-esque monologue, the characters just WERE ace/aro/demi and navigated their lives as such. They made jokes about it. They wore T-shirts about it. They had a brief clearing up with a new friend that things weren't going to get romantic because they were aro. It felt very true to my experiences and the experiences of people I know.

Basically I finished this book already so excited to read the next book and then got very sad that there are only two books so when that's done, it will be over.

soulfullyalex's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-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

4.0

 Thank you to the offer for a review e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t read a lot of YA anymore, I always seem to struggle to get into it, but this one wasn’t a struggle. I’m almost mad at myself for not reading it sooner, but I know that I was in the right mood to read it when I did. I didn’t know what to expect from it other than magic and queer main characters. I like to go into books with a relatively loose idea of what they are about. I like to be surprised. And boy was I surprised!

I really enjoyed this! It was fast paced and gripping, which was exactly what I needed. For starters I loved Iori’s character. He was funny and witty and a little bit wild, but the more we got to know him the more we saw that there were deep layers that needed to be worked through. I felt so much for Iori. He had such a rough life and it felt like he just couldn’t catch a break, the poor kid.

Ellen was also a really great character. She was really sweet and caring, and I loved that she wanted to see the best in people and could see past the surface level situation. It was a huge contrast to her brother, Alexander. I will be honest, Alexander made me angry for a lot of this book, but I think in a good way. He was just so stubborn and so sure of his own opinions of people and situations that he couldn’t see that his views were based on his personal feelings and his need to blame someone. I had that kind of anger that if he had listened to his friends and the people that loved him he could have avoided a lot of the pain he had to go through later on.

In the end, I loved how things ended and were wrapped up, but also how the little bit of a cliffhanger left things with a eerie sense about what’s to come next. I can’t wait to read the completion of this duology. 

literarydelirium's review

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thank you to the author for the arc !!

super fun and it gave me anime vibes? anyway i have so many thoughts so i’ll do a full review soon hopefully

bombsandflowers's review against another edition

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5.0

LOVE. Can't wait to read the next one

clank's review

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5.0

Obviously, this had me at anime inspired, and that is a very accurate description. This was a super self indulgent read and I loved the magical girl transformations, the cat boy, and the heavily themed world based around playing cards. This also has really good casual lgbtq+ rep, and one of the best tropes, grumpy x sunshine.

themargherita_s's review against another edition

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5.0

This book has been on my TBR for so long and I’m mad at myself for not getting to it sooner 😤
The story was really interesting and Iori and Ellen were so freaking precious!!! I need the sequel RIGHT NOW! 🥺💕

(I hope we get to see Iori and Alexander become friends in book 2 eheh) 👀

caranox's review against another edition

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5.0

This book met all my expectations and then some for an anime-inspired story that took me straight to a quirky, urban fantasy laced with a touch of nostalgia. Willows did an amazing job at pulling together a wonderful cast of messy, loveable characters I won't forget any time soon. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

gabriele_queerbookdom's review against another edition

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4.0

DRC provided directly by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: protagonist on the asexual spectrum, queer Asian-coded protagonist, aromantic secondary character, demisexual demiromantic secondary character, queer Asian-coded tertiary characters, amputee Asian-coded tertiary character, trans tertiary character, queer tertiary character, Asian-coded tertiary character, Slavic-coded tertiary character, Black tertiary character, non-binary tertiary character.

Content Warning: death, violence, trauma, forced kiss, panic attacks, torture, bullying.

Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows is an adventurous fantasy set in a semi-fictional world in which a mysterious and cataclysmic event brings magic back.

Seven years have passed since the Reemergence, a bewildering event which brought death and unimaginable powers on the streets of Hildegrand and the reign of Amberlye. On the seventh anniversary of the occurrence a new influx hits Elysian Tower where numerous dangerous creatures are trying to escape a pit to run amok and cause disasters. It is there that Ellen and Iori meet for the first time.

I quite enjoyed reading Bloody Spade and I am very interested in knowing how this story will continue and conclude. There are a couple aspects I did not completely like though.

Firstly, the mixture of imaginary elements and real ones. This characteristic of the book is not something I disliked per se, but it is something I am not sure how I feel about. It is probably a me-thing and my preconceptions about urban fantasy, which I always thought had to be set in the real world with a fantasy element hidden from the general public.

Secondly, the mention of a star-crossed romance between the Heart and Spade suits, which is an aspect I will not discuss as it could spoiler parts of the story. I am just going to say it felt as an unnecessary piece of lore.

What I liked most about the story was the originality of the premise and the magical system, and the diverse ensemble of characters, among whom Ikkei stood out. He had my heart from the moment he called Alexander a b*tch, which is exactly what I called him in my mind for most of the book and I wish he will get a bigger role in the second book.

Bloody Spade is a literary adventure you should really think about reading and pre-ordering!

mqbaughman's review against another edition

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5.0

A genuinely impressive book with unforgettable characters. There are strong RWBY and Soul Eater vibes in this story (both of which I adore), but it's a story all its own. I love Iori and Ellen so much. It's clear there's going to be a bit of slow burn angle here, but it's clearly going to be SO GOOD when it finally pays off. The fight scenes are good and the magic is awesome...but damn if I don't want sound-powered skates.

rainbow_kitten_five's review against another edition

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This book is just, really boring. I love the idea but I know exactly what is going to happen and I don't truly care about any of the characters.