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thebookhaze's review against another edition
2.0
Well, I was hoping that the story would redeem itself, but nope, it only got worse. I wanted more character development; maybe Malek would redeem himself, maybe Raif would become a stronger leader and a worthy love interest, but nope.
Obviously, Malek was already at a disadvantage previously being an abusive slave owner, but I still had hope for him. Unfortunately, the moment it was revealed that he killed his own brother and turned his sil and nephew into a widow and an orphan, in order to become immortal, he become completely and utterly irredeemable. Which of course, made the author's decision to kill him off understandable. However, that's where I got mad because... how convenient.
And Raif... I really, really, dislike him very much. So this "leader" of the revolution chooses to stay with Nalia even if it jeopardizes thousands of lives, but the moment Nalia revealed a mistake she made years ago, suddenly he leaves her when she needs him most? Nice, Raif, real nice. And she still chooses to be with Raif?
Look, again, I'm not advocating for Nalia to choose Malek, what with his whole irredeemable arc, but she can very well be her own person without needing to be with that useless sob Raif.
Fine, let's move on to the last book, maaaayybe it gets better.
Obviously, Malek was already at a disadvantage previously being an abusive slave owner, but I still had hope for him. Unfortunately, the moment it was revealed that he killed his own brother and turned his sil and nephew into a widow and an orphan, in order to become immortal, he become completely and utterly irredeemable. Which of course, made the author's decision to kill him off understandable. However, that's where I got mad because... how convenient.
And Raif... I really, really, dislike him very much. So this "leader" of the revolution chooses to stay with Nalia even if it jeopardizes thousands of lives, but the moment Nalia revealed a mistake she made years ago, suddenly he leaves her when she needs him most? Nice, Raif, real nice. And she still chooses to be with Raif?
Look, again, I'm not advocating for Nalia to choose Malek, what with his whole irredeemable arc, but she can very well be her own person without needing to be with that useless sob Raif.
Fine, let's move on to the last book, maaaayybe it gets better.
saphibella's review against another edition
5.0
My definition of a good book is a book that it touch me and make me feel what the characters are feeling.
Furthermore the storyline have to catch me and hold me fast so I cannot let go until I'm done.
This book accomplish both, the storyline is well assembled and the characters are very much alive and tangible.
Furthermore the storyline have to catch me and hold me fast so I cannot let go until I'm done.
This book accomplish both, the storyline is well assembled and the characters are very much alive and tangible.
bookfever's review
2.0
I'm pretty sad to say that Blood Passage was a bit of a disappointment to me. I've been almost waiting two years to read this sequel to Exquisite Captive but I was really frustrated through most of the book, which made me not like it much.
I struggled with rating this book two or three stars. I ended up rating it two because for the bigger part of the book I was really annoyed by the characters and how the story went. I don't know if it's just me or maybe because it's been almost two years since I the first book but I had expected more considering how big a fan of Exquisite Captive I was.
My main problem lay with the characters. Especially Nalia, Raif and Malek. The love triangle was so annoying, but more than that they all bored me to death. Even Malek!
I actually liked most of the story in general but the characters ruined it for me with their whining and bitching about each other. Nalia and Raif loving each other but then finding out Nalia killed Raif's best friend which causes problems for only a few pages and then there was Malek loving Nalia although she doesn't want anything to do with him but yet feeling that dark pull towards him. UGH!
I did like the writing, though. Heather Demetrios is a great writing, in my opinion. There was loads of action, and I did love a good few of them. But in the end it wasn't enough for me. The one character I actually like was Raif's sister Zanari. She was actually interesting to read about and I also liked her love interest. I do hope they will find a way to be together somehow.
Overall, Blood Passage was a disappointing sequel. I really had expected to love this book but there were just too many things that annoyed me, especially the romance. Too much love drama that wasn't entirely needed that made the characters sound weaker than they were. I do want to read the next book because of course I want to find out how it all will end. I hope it will be a lot better than this one was.
I struggled with rating this book two or three stars. I ended up rating it two because for the bigger part of the book I was really annoyed by the characters and how the story went. I don't know if it's just me or maybe because it's been almost two years since I the first book but I had expected more considering how big a fan of Exquisite Captive I was.
My main problem lay with the characters. Especially Nalia, Raif and Malek. The love triangle was so annoying, but more than that they all bored me to death. Even Malek!
I actually liked most of the story in general but the characters ruined it for me with their whining and bitching about each other. Nalia and Raif loving each other but then finding out Nalia killed Raif's best friend which causes problems for only a few pages and then there was Malek loving Nalia although she doesn't want anything to do with him but yet feeling that dark pull towards him. UGH!
I did like the writing, though. Heather Demetrios is a great writing, in my opinion. There was loads of action, and I did love a good few of them. But in the end it wasn't enough for me. The one character I actually like was Raif's sister Zanari. She was actually interesting to read about and I also liked her love interest. I do hope they will find a way to be together somehow.
Overall, Blood Passage was a disappointing sequel. I really had expected to love this book but there were just too many things that annoyed me, especially the romance. Too much love drama that wasn't entirely needed that made the characters sound weaker than they were. I do want to read the next book because of course I want to find out how it all will end. I hope it will be a lot better than this one was.
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/02/10/blood-passage-by-heather-demetrios/
Blood Passage is the much-anticipated sequel to Exquisite Captive, a novel about a young jinni whose life parallels that of Anastasia Romanov. I’ve been sitting on this ARC for a while now, and it’s been very hard for me to wait until reasonably close to the publication date to start talking about it.
Nalia is a Ghan Assouri, which means she’s part of a race of jinn who can access powers from all of the elements, rather than just one. The Ghan Assouri had ruled the jinni homeland of Arijinna with an iron fist, and eventually were slaughtered for it. Now, Arijinna is largely under the control of the Ifrit, a cruel race of fire jinni that are even worse than the Ghan Assouri, and there’s a revolution that’s fighting against the Ifrit and losing.
Nalia was the only survivor of the attack that decimated the Ghan Assouri, but she escaped death only to be tricked into enslavement on Earth to a half-jinn named Malek. The bottle, the cuffs, the whole nine yards. Then she meets Raif, the leader of the revolution, and falls in love with him despite the fact that he tries to hate her because of who she is. At the end of Exquisite Captive, Nalia managed to regain her freedom, but at a price: she still has to fulfill Malek’s third wish, to take him to the location of Solomon’s Sigil, a relic that grants control over all of the jinni. She’s also promised to take Raif there in the hopes that he manages to get the Sigil instead, and can use it to win his revolution.
As Nalia, Malek, and Raif get closer to the location of Solomon’s Sigil, the story takes on a very Indiana Jones vibe as the characters explore the ruins of an underground magical city. And as they do so, they also have their own internal struggles as they dwell on what’s happen in the past.
Solomon’s Sigil serves as somewhat of a McGuffin in the story–it’s a magical plot device whose existence doesn’t necessarily make sense, and yet creates the central conflict of Blood Passage. I did enjoy the twist on the legend of King Solomon, because in this version, he was a despot rather than the benevolent biblical leader, but the existence of a ring of power that can control an entire race of people seemed like a bit too much of a suspension of disbelief.
As with the last book, Malek ended up being my favorite character to read about. In Exquisite Captive, he was the asshole slave owner, but he was also portrayed as a complex character with his own motivations to justify what he did. In Blood Passage, this became even more evident as Malek struggled with his Ifrit nature and with the choices he made in his past to pursue power while sacrificing the people he cared about. Although he has some very clear Daddy issues, Malek isn’t beyond redemption, and throughout the story, we see him continue to step up and act like a good person against his better judgement. This made me so happy, because it’s so rare to see an antagonist who exists as more than just a foil for a hero.
Blood Passage was an excellent continuation of Exquisite Captive, and I’m excited to see how Demetrios continues the story. Will the revolution succeed? Will Solomon’s Sigil corrupt those who hold it? What kind of leadership will be needed to create a better world? I’m impatiently waiting for book 3!
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/02/10/blood-passage-by-heather-demetrios/
Blood Passage is the much-anticipated sequel to Exquisite Captive, a novel about a young jinni whose life parallels that of Anastasia Romanov. I’ve been sitting on this ARC for a while now, and it’s been very hard for me to wait until reasonably close to the publication date to start talking about it.
Nalia is a Ghan Assouri, which means she’s part of a race of jinn who can access powers from all of the elements, rather than just one. The Ghan Assouri had ruled the jinni homeland of Arijinna with an iron fist, and eventually were slaughtered for it. Now, Arijinna is largely under the control of the Ifrit, a cruel race of fire jinni that are even worse than the Ghan Assouri, and there’s a revolution that’s fighting against the Ifrit and losing.
Nalia was the only survivor of the attack that decimated the Ghan Assouri, but she escaped death only to be tricked into enslavement on Earth to a half-jinn named Malek. The bottle, the cuffs, the whole nine yards. Then she meets Raif, the leader of the revolution, and falls in love with him despite the fact that he tries to hate her because of who she is. At the end of Exquisite Captive, Nalia managed to regain her freedom, but at a price: she still has to fulfill Malek’s third wish, to take him to the location of Solomon’s Sigil, a relic that grants control over all of the jinni. She’s also promised to take Raif there in the hopes that he manages to get the Sigil instead, and can use it to win his revolution.
As Nalia, Malek, and Raif get closer to the location of Solomon’s Sigil, the story takes on a very Indiana Jones vibe as the characters explore the ruins of an underground magical city. And as they do so, they also have their own internal struggles as they dwell on what’s happen in the past.
Solomon’s Sigil serves as somewhat of a McGuffin in the story–it’s a magical plot device whose existence doesn’t necessarily make sense, and yet creates the central conflict of Blood Passage. I did enjoy the twist on the legend of King Solomon, because in this version, he was a despot rather than the benevolent biblical leader, but the existence of a ring of power that can control an entire race of people seemed like a bit too much of a suspension of disbelief.
As with the last book, Malek ended up being my favorite character to read about. In Exquisite Captive, he was the asshole slave owner, but he was also portrayed as a complex character with his own motivations to justify what he did. In Blood Passage, this became even more evident as Malek struggled with his Ifrit nature and with the choices he made in his past to pursue power while sacrificing the people he cared about. Although he has some very clear Daddy issues, Malek isn’t beyond redemption, and throughout the story, we see him continue to step up and act like a good person against his better judgement. This made me so happy, because it’s so rare to see an antagonist who exists as more than just a foil for a hero.
Blood Passage was an excellent continuation of Exquisite Captive, and I’m excited to see how Demetrios continues the story. Will the revolution succeed? Will Solomon’s Sigil corrupt those who hold it? What kind of leadership will be needed to create a better world? I’m impatiently waiting for book 3!
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Passage is book two of The Dark Caravan series by Heather Demetrios and I was pretty excited to get an early copy of this book as this one picks up right where Exquisite Captive left off and we are pulled right back into Nalia’s story.
There is so much I like about these books. Demetrios has built out these characters so well that they aren’t just one thing and as I was pulled along in the wake of their stories, I decided I really enjoy these books.
If you are looking for a book/series that takes you into the world of Jinni and exotic locations, consider checking these books out. I am excited to see where Demetrios takes the rest of this series with the next book.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy!
There is so much I like about these books. Demetrios has built out these characters so well that they aren’t just one thing and as I was pulled along in the wake of their stories, I decided I really enjoy these books.
If you are looking for a book/series that takes you into the world of Jinni and exotic locations, consider checking these books out. I am excited to see where Demetrios takes the rest of this series with the next book.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy!
robynrussell's review against another edition
4.0
Book two dives more into the fantasy adventure side of the story.
danicapage's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a bit confused to see a reviewer marked this as a mature read. It felt very much like a tame YA novel to me. There are hints and suggestions that sex has occurred but just that. And that’s not a mature read.
Content warnings: some violence, some tame references to sexual scenes
This book presents complicated questions of morality. The characters are neither all good nor all bad. But an interesting mix and blend.
I find it to be intriguing. I agree with others that things feel rushed at times. You’re not given much time to process what has happened before you’re propelled to the next scene.
I also find it interesting as others have said that two of the major tension points have already been resolved, so now I’m curious what the third book will bring.
Content warnings: some violence, some tame references to sexual scenes
This book presents complicated questions of morality. The characters are neither all good nor all bad. But an interesting mix and blend.
I find it to be intriguing. I agree with others that things feel rushed at times. You’re not given much time to process what has happened before you’re propelled to the next scene.
I also find it interesting as others have said that two of the major tension points have already been resolved, so now I’m curious what the third book will bring.
whatsarahread's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Passage picks up right where Exquisite Captive left off, and I was so thrilled to discover that I loved the second book just as much as I loved the first. I went into Blood Passage with a healthy dose of reality. I’ll admit it, there have been many times where I have been seriously underwhelmed by a second book in series, and I always get a little nervous when I start in on a sequel to a book I love so much. Imagine my excitement when I ended up absolutely loving Blood Passage.
In book two we find that Nalia is still trying to uncover her destiny. She knows she is meant for so much more, but the how and why of getting there is still a mystery at the beginning of Blood Passage. I can’t tell you how thought-provoking and engrossing it was to watch as Nalia’s understanding of the world around her grew, and how she could use her own “power” to affect change that she desperately wants to see brought to her world. I was cheering for Nalia throughout this whole book and was in awe of how Demetrios managed to not only grow her as a character, but also take the entire story to the next level. Nalia spends so much of book one being driven by her pain and anguish. I felt like book two gave me a Nalia that was starting to discover how she could channel her pain and form it into a fierce and determined cause. It was such a great feeling as a reader to see so much growth from an already complex character. Basically, what I’m trying to say is…TEAM NALIA!
But, that doesn’t mean I’m not Team Raif as well. I fell for him HARD in Exquisite Captive, and Blood Passage only further deepened that obsession. His devotion and dedication for Nalia, and their shared cause, is so evident and he literally BROKE.MY.HEART at one (or two, or more) points in this book, when their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Raif’s bravery, determination and focus brought so much to the story and provided a constant for me to come back to when things started getting intense and overwhelming.
We also learn more about Malek in Blood Passage, what drives him, what made him and ultimately, what haunts him. It was an intense reading experience to go through some of his past and I will say that even though he is a perfect example of every person having a story, I still had a hard time with so many of the things he did. Interestingly enough, his type of character is the kind I find most fascinating in so many books I love, and Blood Passage was no exception. Learning about him was difficult and so much of it isn’t pretty, but give me the opportunity to understand WHY a bad guy is the way he is, and I’m a happy reader.
As usual, with Demetrios, the writing is gorgeous and cinematic, and I was swept away into the vast beauty of the Moroccan desert that acts as the stunning backdrop to this book. Heather actually travelled to Morocco to research for Blood Passage, and it was so clearly evident how much research and passion went in to Demetrios’ writing and I applaud her for dedicating herself so much to getting that aspect of the story right, along with everything else she wanted to accomplish with this book.
The precise detail, inspiring character growth and absolutely gorgeous writing perfectly combine in ‘BLOOD PASSAGE’ to continue the epic journey of Nalia and her quest to shatter the bonds that enslaved her.
In book two we find that Nalia is still trying to uncover her destiny. She knows she is meant for so much more, but the how and why of getting there is still a mystery at the beginning of Blood Passage. I can’t tell you how thought-provoking and engrossing it was to watch as Nalia’s understanding of the world around her grew, and how she could use her own “power” to affect change that she desperately wants to see brought to her world. I was cheering for Nalia throughout this whole book and was in awe of how Demetrios managed to not only grow her as a character, but also take the entire story to the next level. Nalia spends so much of book one being driven by her pain and anguish. I felt like book two gave me a Nalia that was starting to discover how she could channel her pain and form it into a fierce and determined cause. It was such a great feeling as a reader to see so much growth from an already complex character. Basically, what I’m trying to say is…TEAM NALIA!
But, that doesn’t mean I’m not Team Raif as well. I fell for him HARD in Exquisite Captive, and Blood Passage only further deepened that obsession. His devotion and dedication for Nalia, and their shared cause, is so evident and he literally BROKE.MY.HEART at one (or two, or more) points in this book, when their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Raif’s bravery, determination and focus brought so much to the story and provided a constant for me to come back to when things started getting intense and overwhelming.
We also learn more about Malek in Blood Passage, what drives him, what made him and ultimately, what haunts him. It was an intense reading experience to go through some of his past and I will say that even though he is a perfect example of every person having a story, I still had a hard time with so many of the things he did. Interestingly enough, his type of character is the kind I find most fascinating in so many books I love, and Blood Passage was no exception. Learning about him was difficult and so much of it isn’t pretty, but give me the opportunity to understand WHY a bad guy is the way he is, and I’m a happy reader.
As usual, with Demetrios, the writing is gorgeous and cinematic, and I was swept away into the vast beauty of the Moroccan desert that acts as the stunning backdrop to this book. Heather actually travelled to Morocco to research for Blood Passage, and it was so clearly evident how much research and passion went in to Demetrios’ writing and I applaud her for dedicating herself so much to getting that aspect of the story right, along with everything else she wanted to accomplish with this book.
The precise detail, inspiring character growth and absolutely gorgeous writing perfectly combine in ‘BLOOD PASSAGE’ to continue the epic journey of Nalia and her quest to shatter the bonds that enslaved her.
rikuskey's review against another edition
3.0
It was a good read but also... Seriously, did you HAVE to kill off Malek? He was shaping up to be one of those really well developed characters that battles the darkness inside of him and becomes good! He's the only charcter that really had any development in this series. Everyone else has just been kinda shallowly bumming along. Raif is just this kid that got shoved into a leader role he doesn't even want... and he's just such a BORE when it comes to being a lover. "I'll always choose you... Pikachu! (Oops, I mean, Nalia)". Nalia after a dream became the rightful heir to the throne she didn't even want... and its called fate from the gods (What?). And Zanari has such a forced "I'm here for my brother and nothing else" and "Finally I found love just by looking into someones eye's" personality and very little backstory. (Blargh.)
This book made me really like Malek. And now he is dead. I'm going into the third book slightly unsure if I'll enjoy it as much as I could have. And its not just that I think Malek was a much more suitable character for Nalia to end up with, despite his misgivings. Everything else is just kinda sudden and no one has depth. Hopefully I am pleasantly suprised. But either way, I am loving this author, her ideas and themes, and will for sure read more of her works. I have enjoyed this series thus far, even if it just becomes a one-time read series.
This book made me really like Malek. And now he is dead. I'm going into the third book slightly unsure if I'll enjoy it as much as I could have. And its not just that I think Malek was a much more suitable character for Nalia to end up with, despite his misgivings. Everything else is just kinda sudden and no one has depth. Hopefully I am pleasantly suprised. But either way, I am loving this author, her ideas and themes, and will for sure read more of her works. I have enjoyed this series thus far, even if it just becomes a one-time read series.
tiareleine's review against another edition
5.0
Blood Passage was worth the wait.
I don't know what else to say besides that it was amazing, mostly because everything I said in my review of Exquisite Captive holds true.
Nalie is a great heroine. She's strong, she's faced with difficult choices and difficult situations but she doesn't let anything break her.
The supporting cast is also fantastic. Raif (who I thought was a little bland in the first book got a huge personality booster), Zanari, and Phara, especially. Malek, of course, was still a massive asshole, but he's not painted as a viable love interesting or romantic because of his violence. A lot of YA books are guilty of having borderline abusive guys who are considered romantic. Malek crosses that borderline (which I think is something readers should be aware of) but Nalia and her friends all recognize his behavior for what it is and hate him for it.
The world continues to be extremely vivid. Heather Demetrios did a lot of research and it shows.
The series focuses a lot on a revolution. Normally, I don't like revolution plots in YA books. Normally, I find it completely beyond the suspension of disbelief that a couple of teenagers could stage a successful revolution, or even organize one. This series, however, has a couple of features that make me buy it. For one, Nalia and Raif are people who have been in positions of power for their entire lives. People (even people who are older than them) listen to them because they have authority. Nalia is the last of the Ghan Aisouri, the former ruling class of Arjinna (the jinni world); Raif is the son of the former leader of the revolution, and he was appointed leader after his father's death. These are two people who could actually incite a massive, well organized change. They're not just randoms who somehow because the face of the revolution. For two, they recognize that they need a massive army to have any chance of success. I won't say how they get that army, since that would be a spoiler, but I will say that it makes sense.
I'm also happy with this book because it felt completely necessary to the series. There wasn't a hint of second book syndrome, nor was there the classic "second book separation" where the MC and the love interest spend the whole book apart. There was a bit of relationship angst (some "I can't be with you because love is a weakness!" and a bit of a star-crossed lovers, former ruling class vs. revolutionary leader thing) but it didn't overtake the plot.
I am really looking forward to Freedom's Slave. I wish I could read it ASAP, but I will wait as long as it takes for it to be written. And, in the meantime, I'm going to read whatever else Heather Demetrios writes (whether it's fantasy or realistic fiction, since she can do both so well) and whatever of hers I haven't read yet to tide myself over. I highly recommend the Dark Caravan Cycle to fans of high fantasy, especially if you want a break from Euro-inspired medieval fantasy.
I don't know what else to say besides that it was amazing, mostly because everything I said in my review of Exquisite Captive holds true.
Nalie is a great heroine. She's strong, she's faced with difficult choices and difficult situations but she doesn't let anything break her.
The supporting cast is also fantastic. Raif (who I thought was a little bland in the first book got a huge personality booster), Zanari, and Phara, especially. Malek, of course, was still a massive asshole, but he's not painted as a viable love interesting or romantic because of his violence. A lot of YA books are guilty of having borderline abusive guys who are considered romantic. Malek crosses that borderline (which I think is something readers should be aware of) but Nalia and her friends all recognize his behavior for what it is and hate him for it.
The world continues to be extremely vivid. Heather Demetrios did a lot of research and it shows.
The series focuses a lot on a revolution. Normally, I don't like revolution plots in YA books. Normally, I find it completely beyond the suspension of disbelief that a couple of teenagers could stage a successful revolution, or even organize one. This series, however, has a couple of features that make me buy it. For one, Nalia and Raif are people who have been in positions of power for their entire lives. People (even people who are older than them) listen to them because they have authority. Nalia is the last of the Ghan Aisouri, the former ruling class of Arjinna (the jinni world); Raif is the son of the former leader of the revolution, and he was appointed leader after his father's death. These are two people who could actually incite a massive, well organized change. They're not just randoms who somehow because the face of the revolution. For two, they recognize that they need a massive army to have any chance of success. I won't say how they get that army, since that would be a spoiler, but I will say that it makes sense.
I'm also happy with this book because it felt completely necessary to the series. There wasn't a hint of second book syndrome, nor was there the classic "second book separation" where the MC and the love interest spend the whole book apart. There was a bit of relationship angst (some "I can't be with you because love is a weakness!" and a bit of a star-crossed lovers, former ruling class vs. revolutionary leader thing) but it didn't overtake the plot.
I am really looking forward to Freedom's Slave. I wish I could read it ASAP, but I will wait as long as it takes for it to be written. And, in the meantime, I'm going to read whatever else Heather Demetrios writes (whether it's fantasy or realistic fiction, since she can do both so well) and whatever of hers I haven't read yet to tide myself over. I highly recommend the Dark Caravan Cycle to fans of high fantasy, especially if you want a break from Euro-inspired medieval fantasy.