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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."
Oh boy. This was a terrible duology conclusion. The things that I had been promised in these books were non-existent. Tell me why there is a horse on the cover when the phoenixes were in the book briefly once. I also continued to hate the elements of the book that were present in the first book, such as the fact that the three different POVs are written in three different ways, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person narratives. This was bad and I was bored. I'm surprised I didn't DNF it.
Oh boy. This was a terrible duology conclusion. The things that I had been promised in these books were non-existent. Tell me why there is a horse on the cover when the phoenixes were in the book briefly once. I also continued to hate the elements of the book that were present in the first book, such as the fact that the three different POVs are written in three different ways, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person narratives. This was bad and I was bored. I'm surprised I didn't DNF it.
SO good! Ashlords was fantastic, and Bloodsworn continues the story started there, but goes deeper into the history, the mythology of the gods, and the truth of how all of this really started. It's fantastic, and I love the shifting between perspectives throughout the book. This is definitely a fantasy duology I'll be recommending to students a lot.
YA mostly for violence - lots of descriptions of battle, war and blood. It'd still be fine for mature middle schoolers too.
YA mostly for violence - lots of descriptions of battle, war and blood. It'd still be fine for mature middle schoolers too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
Bloodsworn is a fantastic conclusion to the Ashlords duology. When I read Ashlords, I didn't have many expectations for the story, so I was blown away by how the story grabbed my interest and wouldn't let me go. Having experienced this previously, Bloodsworn delivered on what Ashlords promised and I loved being sucked into the story once more. If you have not read Ashlords yet, continue reading this review at your own risk. There are no spoilers for Bloodsworn, but since this is book 2, there might be spoilers for book 1.
Bloodsworn is again told from our three protagonists' points of view: Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa. The storyline picks up after the races are over and the conflict between the three peoples is heating up. Pippa is now the general of the Ashlords army, Adrian is the face of the Longhands troops, and Imelda has teamed up with the Dividian rebels. Through these conflicts, though, our three characters come to realize they might have more in common than they previously thought. Their individual paths are twined together for an explosive adventure with new discoveries, long-lost secrets, and tentative alliances.
I absolutely loved seeing how the author brought all the story threads he set up in Ashlords through to Bloodsworn. He developed and explored them more before bringing them together for the series climax. I could easily read more books set in this world, so I hope it's not the last we see of the Ashlords, though Bloodsworn does conclude this specific storyline very well. The worldbuilding for this duology is so rich and interesting - the alchemy and rebirths of the phoenixes is so amazing - but I can tell this is a case of the author only showing the reader the 10% of the worldbuilding they need to grasp the story. It feels like there could be so much more to explore. In the meantime, I will be recommending this duology left and right because it was just so much fun to read.
Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: This one was a buy for me! I originally borrowed Ashlords from the library, but I liked it so much I needed my own copy. If you liked The Hunger Games, and if you read books for epic adventures, then you have to read the Ashlords series. The fast pacing and action-packed plot will keep you turning the pages until the very end, and the covers are so stunning too! I highly recommend adding this duology to your shelf collection.
Bloodsworn is a fantastic conclusion to the Ashlords duology. When I read Ashlords, I didn't have many expectations for the story, so I was blown away by how the story grabbed my interest and wouldn't let me go. Having experienced this previously, Bloodsworn delivered on what Ashlords promised and I loved being sucked into the story once more. If you have not read Ashlords yet, continue reading this review at your own risk. There are no spoilers for Bloodsworn, but since this is book 2, there might be spoilers for book 1.
Bloodsworn is again told from our three protagonists' points of view: Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa. The storyline picks up after the races are over and the conflict between the three peoples is heating up. Pippa is now the general of the Ashlords army, Adrian is the face of the Longhands troops, and Imelda has teamed up with the Dividian rebels. Through these conflicts, though, our three characters come to realize they might have more in common than they previously thought. Their individual paths are twined together for an explosive adventure with new discoveries, long-lost secrets, and tentative alliances.
I absolutely loved seeing how the author brought all the story threads he set up in Ashlords through to Bloodsworn. He developed and explored them more before bringing them together for the series climax. I could easily read more books set in this world, so I hope it's not the last we see of the Ashlords, though Bloodsworn does conclude this specific storyline very well. The worldbuilding for this duology is so rich and interesting - the alchemy and rebirths of the phoenixes is so amazing - but I can tell this is a case of the author only showing the reader the 10% of the worldbuilding they need to grasp the story. It feels like there could be so much more to explore. In the meantime, I will be recommending this duology left and right because it was just so much fun to read.
Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: This one was a buy for me! I originally borrowed Ashlords from the library, but I liked it so much I needed my own copy. If you liked The Hunger Games, and if you read books for epic adventures, then you have to read the Ashlords series. The fast pacing and action-packed plot will keep you turning the pages until the very end, and the covers are so stunning too! I highly recommend adding this duology to your shelf collection.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I do love a pretty horse cover. This cover artist has done amazing for this series. I have got to say this book may have been even more exciting than the first!
I absolutely loved the transition from the races to this new war. The war between humans was cool but the most interesting aspect of this book was the war with the gods.
With all the characters we got a huge spurt of growth whether it was Pippa or Adrien each character grew into their potential. I loved how Adrien and Pippa opened their eyes to what was really going on around them while Imelda learned to grow her confidence. Even the side characters had some great parts teaming up with Pippa as she learned to grow allies out of the people she originally thought of as expendable pawns. That plot twist almost caught me but I figured out the difference! The writing and twists were absolutely amazing, there wasn't a single character I hated when it switched POVs.
The plot was a bit slow at the beginning just because it had a lot of war information but it picked up quickly and never slowed down after that. The whole premise of the gods was so fascinating that I couldn't put it down until I was finished. My one thing was a couple of times it seemed like the characters had a bit of an easy way out, especially in some fights. The plot twists and fast paced adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. I did like the way that most of the plot stayed separate until he slowly weaved them together into one perfect moment.
The worldbuilding is where this book really shines. The gods very much take a front seat in this book and it was so interesting. From the lore to each individual god, everything had a place that fit it perfectly. I found some of them more fascinating than others but the creepiness and ruthlessness was cranked to the max for each one. The horses still had a place in this book with the new mysterious version but I do wish they had a bit more of a center seat (that may just be the horse lover in me talking).
Overall this was a wonderful ending to this duology that smashed every expectation I had and went far beyond. This is definitely a book to be waiting for in 2021!
I do love a pretty horse cover. This cover artist has done amazing for this series. I have got to say this book may have been even more exciting than the first!
I absolutely loved the transition from the races to this new war. The war between humans was cool but the most interesting aspect of this book was the war with the gods.
With all the characters we got a huge spurt of growth whether it was Pippa or Adrien each character grew into their potential. I loved how Adrien and Pippa opened their eyes to what was really going on around them while Imelda learned to grow her confidence. Even the side characters had some great parts teaming up with Pippa as she learned to grow allies out of the people she originally thought of as expendable pawns. That plot twist almost caught me but I figured out the difference! The writing and twists were absolutely amazing, there wasn't a single character I hated when it switched POVs.
The plot was a bit slow at the beginning just because it had a lot of war information but it picked up quickly and never slowed down after that. The whole premise of the gods was so fascinating that I couldn't put it down until I was finished. My one thing was a couple of times it seemed like the characters had a bit of an easy way out, especially in some fights. The plot twists and fast paced adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. I did like the way that most of the plot stayed separate until he slowly weaved them together into one perfect moment.
The worldbuilding is where this book really shines. The gods very much take a front seat in this book and it was so interesting. From the lore to each individual god, everything had a place that fit it perfectly. I found some of them more fascinating than others but the creepiness and ruthlessness was cranked to the max for each one. The horses still had a place in this book with the new mysterious version but I do wish they had a bit more of a center seat (that may just be the horse lover in me talking).
Overall this was a wonderful ending to this duology that smashed every expectation I had and went far beyond. This is definitely a book to be waiting for in 2021!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
To those new to the crew, ye should know that horses were me first love before the sea stole me heart. So obviously I wanted to read this series about magical horses, known as phoenixes. Basically these horses were gifts from the gods, are powered by the sun, and last a day before bursting into flames and turning into ashes. The riders save the ashes and when they are set back out in the rising sun, the phoenix horse is reborn. Of course there be a catch. If ye mix certain chemicals into the ashes, the phoenix's properties can change. They can become faster, grow armor, etc. Cool.
This is the second book of a duology. War is at hand and the three classes - ruling Ashlords, middle class Longhorns, and Dividians at the bottom wait to see who is going to get the upper hand. But it seems like the Gods are also at war and the consequences are interesting and unexpected.
This story continues with the three points of view - one from each of the three classes. One thing to note about the points of view are that they change tenses: third person, first person, second person present tense. Ashlord Pippa and Longhorn Adrian are at opposite sides of the conflict. Imelda continues to be the surprising wildcard. Like in the first book, I liked the two girls but found Adrian to be rather bland.
Unlike the first book, the phoenix horses do not play much of a real part in the plot. I missed them. The tone and focus of this book was completely different to book one. It sometimes felt like another world altogether. I did think the pacing was a bit off and the book could have had some restructuring or trimming to strength it. I did, however, enjoy the better understanding of how the gods worked and did not expect the plot to go in the direction it did. I would have liked more focus on the specifics of each god. I was glad that the romance aspects were very lightly done.
Though I wasn't thrilled with the rebellion aspect of this book, I am glad I finished the duology. I just wish the phoenix horses had played as much of a part in this book as they did in the first. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Crown Books for Young Readers!
To those new to the crew, ye should know that horses were me first love before the sea stole me heart. So obviously I wanted to read this series about magical horses, known as phoenixes. Basically these horses were gifts from the gods, are powered by the sun, and last a day before bursting into flames and turning into ashes. The riders save the ashes and when they are set back out in the rising sun, the phoenix horse is reborn. Of course there be a catch. If ye mix certain chemicals into the ashes, the phoenix's properties can change. They can become faster, grow armor, etc. Cool.
This is the second book of a duology. War is at hand and the three classes - ruling Ashlords, middle class Longhorns, and Dividians at the bottom wait to see who is going to get the upper hand. But it seems like the Gods are also at war and the consequences are interesting and unexpected.
This story continues with the three points of view - one from each of the three classes. One thing to note about the points of view are that they change tenses: third person, first person, second person present tense. Ashlord Pippa and Longhorn Adrian are at opposite sides of the conflict. Imelda continues to be the surprising wildcard. Like in the first book, I liked the two girls but found Adrian to be rather bland.
Unlike the first book, the phoenix horses do not play much of a real part in the plot. I missed them. The tone and focus of this book was completely different to book one. It sometimes felt like another world altogether. I did think the pacing was a bit off and the book could have had some restructuring or trimming to strength it. I did, however, enjoy the better understanding of how the gods worked and did not expect the plot to go in the direction it did. I would have liked more focus on the specifics of each god. I was glad that the romance aspects were very lightly done.
Though I wasn't thrilled with the rebellion aspect of this book, I am glad I finished the duology. I just wish the phoenix horses had played as much of a part in this book as they did in the first. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Crown Books for Young Readers!
Bloodsworn // by Scott Reintgen
When I first saw this cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, I didn't really have a choice of course. I was THRILLED when my request was approved and promptly used it to buy the first book of the series, which has a cover that is just as amazing. I can't wait to eventually have both of these on my shelves.
I already said it in my review for Ashlords but I have really struggled with YA books this year so while I was very excited about reading this series, I was also a little nervous as well that maybe my expectation were a bit too high going in. Thankfully that was not true at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and having them available back-to-back was a great plus. Neither one is extremely long, which made for a few fun low-stress days. While I generally like sweeping epics with highly detailed descriptions, it was also a nice breath of air to not have that in this series. Just like book 1, Bloodsworn was packed full with action. There was enough description to easily be able to picture the worlds above and below, but not enough to slow you down and keep you in one spot for too long. Most of the chapters are relatively short, which has you feeling like you're moving at a crisp pace as well. This is not to say that anything feels rushed but rather that this is a book that has constant movement and never leaves you yearning for more action.
While there was not a whole lot more that we learned about the magical system, we did get to see a few more applications of it that were really fun. It did surprise me that sometimes the opposing side was surprised and unprepared for certain attacks as you would think that after having phoenix horses for multiple generations, their utilization would be more studied and prepared for. But overall, the battles were still interesting and fun. While sometimes situations seemed a bit too easy to get through, once you think about it more deeply, it does work well with the history of the populations to work out the way it does.
The multiple point of views continued the same way as in book 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed the cleverness of the author in this later on. While I struggled a bit with the 2nd person POV in book 1, it really ended up growing on me and I did not have any issues at all with it this time. I loved being able to see the war from each characters' view, especially once things got a little more heated and delicate. Several times did I find myself doubting what I was reading because I couldn't fathom the characters acting a certain way but eventually, everything came together perfectly. I am impressed at how well Reintgen played the characters off each other and kept me guessing throughout again and again.
While I personally would have loved to find out much more about this world and especially the phoenix horses, this series is a solid 4 star read for me. I find this a fun read for adults and also very appropriate for YA readers as it has some great themes that can encourage great conversations. I'm not a huge fan of perfect endings and love that this one leaves room for imagination and growth for its characters. Since this is a duology and we won't hear how the characters fare beyond the ending, it does show that things don't always have to be perfect down to the last little detail to be better than before.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw this cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, I didn't really have a choice of course. I was THRILLED when my request was approved and promptly used it to buy the first book of the series, which has a cover that is just as amazing. I can't wait to eventually have both of these on my shelves.
I already said it in my review for Ashlords but I have really struggled with YA books this year so while I was very excited about reading this series, I was also a little nervous as well that maybe my expectation were a bit too high going in. Thankfully that was not true at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and having them available back-to-back was a great plus. Neither one is extremely long, which made for a few fun low-stress days. While I generally like sweeping epics with highly detailed descriptions, it was also a nice breath of air to not have that in this series. Just like book 1, Bloodsworn was packed full with action. There was enough description to easily be able to picture the worlds above and below, but not enough to slow you down and keep you in one spot for too long. Most of the chapters are relatively short, which has you feeling like you're moving at a crisp pace as well. This is not to say that anything feels rushed but rather that this is a book that has constant movement and never leaves you yearning for more action.
While there was not a whole lot more that we learned about the magical system, we did get to see a few more applications of it that were really fun. It did surprise me that sometimes the opposing side was surprised and unprepared for certain attacks as you would think that after having phoenix horses for multiple generations, their utilization would be more studied and prepared for. But overall, the battles were still interesting and fun. While sometimes situations seemed a bit too easy to get through, once you think about it more deeply, it does work well with the history of the populations to work out the way it does.
The multiple point of views continued the same way as in book 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed the cleverness of the author in this later on. While I struggled a bit with the 2nd person POV in book 1, it really ended up growing on me and I did not have any issues at all with it this time. I loved being able to see the war from each characters' view, especially once things got a little more heated and delicate. Several times did I find myself doubting what I was reading because I couldn't fathom the characters acting a certain way but eventually, everything came together perfectly. I am impressed at how well Reintgen played the characters off each other and kept me guessing throughout again and again.
While I personally would have loved to find out much more about this world and especially the phoenix horses, this series is a solid 4 star read for me. I find this a fun read for adults and also very appropriate for YA readers as it has some great themes that can encourage great conversations. I'm not a huge fan of perfect endings and love that this one leaves room for imagination and growth for its characters. Since this is a duology and we won't hear how the characters fare beyond the ending, it does show that things don't always have to be perfect down to the last little detail to be better than before.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
A neat end to the duology - maybe too neat. If I said the previous book that featured YA characters wasnt really YA, this one kind of went the YA route. Things fell in place rather neatly, the concept of gods and the conflict was handled rather comfortably and the ending while satisfying was rather predictable.
Book 1 was good, book 2 ended up coming from a comfort zone
Book 1 was good, book 2 ended up coming from a comfort zone
Well this was a fun crazy ride. It took a minute to remember what happened in the first one, but once I remembered who knew what I was sucked right back in. And I mean... alternate world?!? I'm all in
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really good but I did like book one better. The covers for these books are gorgeous.