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antonique_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to B2 Weird Bookclub and Harper Voyager for an arc in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
4.5/5 Y’all this book took me on a ride.
This was so bloody, but I loved it all! The Blood Trials is an immersive, bloody military fantasy that follows Ikenna Amari. She has just graduated her training and is planning to take time off to grieve the loss of her beloved Grandfather. When she learns he was murdered, she decides to pledge to the Praetorians to find out who killed him. But she’ll only find out if she survives the fatal trial process.
There is so much action in this story, and a shit ton of graphic and violent content. I loved going on this journey with Ikenna. She was a character I enjoyed getting to know. She doesn’t have everything figured out, but she has a goal in mind and nothing will stop her from getting there.
The magic and world building was really well done. There are so many cool parts to the societies to explore and I cannot wait to learn more about them all in the sequel! I really hope we get to see more of the other countries besides Mareen, because I am so curious about them all. Especially Ikenna's friendship with the Crown Prince. I need more details Ikenna!
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Rep: Biracial Black cishet female MC, white cishet female side character, biracial cishet male side character, various Black male side characters.
CWs: Racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, violence, gore, blood, injury/injury detail, cursing, death, cannibalism, misogyny, sexual content (on page and discussions), classism, sexism, grief, war, bullying/hazing, torture, murder, death of grandparent/parent, gun violence, medical content. Moderate: vomit, alcohol, alcoholism, confinement, gaslighting, colonisation, genocide, abandonment.
4.5/5 Y’all this book took me on a ride.
This was so bloody, but I loved it all! The Blood Trials is an immersive, bloody military fantasy that follows Ikenna Amari. She has just graduated her training and is planning to take time off to grieve the loss of her beloved Grandfather. When she learns he was murdered, she decides to pledge to the Praetorians to find out who killed him. But she’ll only find out if she survives the fatal trial process.
There is so much action in this story, and a shit ton of graphic and violent content. I loved going on this journey with Ikenna. She was a character I enjoyed getting to know. She doesn’t have everything figured out, but she has a goal in mind and nothing will stop her from getting there.
The magic and world building was really well done. There are so many cool parts to the societies to explore and I cannot wait to learn more about them all in the sequel! I really hope we get to see more of the other countries besides Mareen, because I am so curious about them all. Especially Ikenna's friendship with the Crown Prince. I need more details Ikenna!
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Rep: Biracial Black cishet female MC, white cishet female side character, biracial cishet male side character, various Black male side characters.
CWs: Racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, violence, gore, blood, injury/injury detail, cursing, death, cannibalism, misogyny, sexual content (on page and discussions), classism, sexism, grief, war, bullying/hazing, torture, murder, death of grandparent/parent, gun violence, medical content. Moderate: vomit, alcohol, alcoholism, confinement, gaslighting, colonisation, genocide, abandonment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Genocide, Vomit, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
hownovelofher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Blood Trials
Alternate Title: Hello, my name is Ikenna Amari, you killed my grandfather, prepare to die.
Wow. N.E. Davenport really chose violence. This book snuck up on me! I happened to see it on NetGalley and was drawn in by the cover and description and it lived up to my assumptions!
If you’re a fan of science fiction, magic, camaraderie, revenge plots with tons of twists and secrets, and underlying themes of social justice, this mixed bag will be something you look forward to.
Ikenna Amari is the granddaughter of the recently deceased Verne Amari, Legatus Commander of Mareen. His death was sudden and reeks of foul-play, though when we find Ikenna, she is far from coherent enough to even consider this a possibility. Drowning in grief, she spends her free time succumbing to the oblivion that drinking offers.
When she learns of the suspicious circumstances under which her grandfather’s death took place, her renewed sense of purpose propels her down the path to become a Praetorian, a highly-skilled military combatant for The Republic. Even though she deeply resents The Republic for its racism and bigotry, her mission to find her grandfather’s killer outranks her weariness to join the ranks.
After a series of grueling tests known as The Blood Trials, she will become a Praetorian and finally have the power to avenge her grandfather.
-
Things I thoroughly enjoyed while reading The Blood Trials:
1.) The worldbuilding is fantastic. It’s clean and confident, full of complex politics, peoples, and customs. The amount of information to take in about this world is abundant, as the author spares few details.
2.) I appreciated the amount of sincerity that is put into the struggle of this character due to racism. It really cuts and grinds on you throughout the book, as its easily relatable to real-world issues. Ikenna faces countless taunts concerning her heritage and the color of her skin. Because she is part Khanaian, she has many enemies amongst the Mareenians who are full of racist hatred. Still, she has an amazing amount of restraint in the face of all this adversity as her main goal drives her forward.
3.) Action with a side of romance instead of the other way around. I was a bit nervous whenever a “love interest” was introduced, but it was little more than a brief tryst at first, with a layered and complicated after-math that made it more intriguing. Sometimes attraction just leads to sex, not a fully-developed relationship. And I love that the author chose the path less traveled in YA and NA these days.
4.) Non-apologetic violence. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the violence can be overdone, but in this story it served a purpose. Everything about this book seeps violence and anger from its pores. From Ikenna’s rage over her grandfather’s murder, to the silent fuming over racist comments, to the brutality of the trials. There’s a ton of dying in this book and much of it is cloaked in strong emotion.
5.) The scenes in Onei’s Expanse. It was horrific and at one point very much disturbing, but it was so full of fast-paced action and plot development that I couldn’t put the book down during that stretch.
Things I struggled to get past:
1.) Ikenna is strong and unapologetic, that I admire. However, at times she borders on completely irrational and flies off the handle at minor confrontations, yet keeps her cool under other more serious forms of duress. She was difficult to root for and even more difficult to like. Her allegiance flip-flops FAR too easily. If I could describe her in one sentence I would be, “Jumps to conclusions like she’s auditioning for Frogger.”.
2.) Her frequent, long-winded introspective monologues were redundant at times, enough so that I found myself skimming bits.
3.) Special Girl Syndrome. Too much power given under not enough detailed development, with little to no checks.
4.) Pacing. Whew, it was all over the place. Slow to start, action packed, then slow again, rinse and repeat. In the last 1/3 of the book suddenly, and without much preamble, we get a change of setting as Ikenna and her crew head to another location. The transition is so jarring that I had to go back several times just to be sure I didn’t accidentally skip a chapter. For some reason it felt like the book should have ended with Ikenna making it out of the trials alive. It seemed the natural conclusion and I was very confused when the story progressed even further from there. Because of this, we get another round of heavy info-dumping that would have been better served (in my opinion) at the start of the next book.
Still, I got a lot of enjoyment from this story and it didn’t feel like a repeat of anything else I’ve read in the past. I believe Nia Davenport is a wonderfully skilled writer and I will be reading book two. Look out for this author, I don’t think you’ll wanna miss her!
Extra Notes:
Take care of yourself if you are a POC, especially black, while reading this.There is so much racism in this book that it’s almost constant. Many of the slurs are world-specific, but obviously you can derive what they are meant to insinuate.
Read this if you’re a fan of: The Hunger Games, Divergent, Dystopia and Sci-Fi + Magic
Trigger and Content Warnings: A LOT of racism, misogyny, blood, gore, violence, use of guns and various other weapons, torture, death, grief, explicit sexual content (one scene, about halfway in)
Alternate Title: Hello, my name is Ikenna Amari, you killed my grandfather, prepare to die.
Wow. N.E. Davenport really chose violence. This book snuck up on me! I happened to see it on NetGalley and was drawn in by the cover and description and it lived up to my assumptions!
If you’re a fan of science fiction, magic, camaraderie, revenge plots with tons of twists and secrets, and underlying themes of social justice, this mixed bag will be something you look forward to.
Ikenna Amari is the granddaughter of the recently deceased Verne Amari, Legatus Commander of Mareen. His death was sudden and reeks of foul-play, though when we find Ikenna, she is far from coherent enough to even consider this a possibility. Drowning in grief, she spends her free time succumbing to the oblivion that drinking offers.
When she learns of the suspicious circumstances under which her grandfather’s death took place, her renewed sense of purpose propels her down the path to become a Praetorian, a highly-skilled military combatant for The Republic. Even though she deeply resents The Republic for its racism and bigotry, her mission to find her grandfather’s killer outranks her weariness to join the ranks.
After a series of grueling tests known as The Blood Trials, she will become a Praetorian and finally have the power to avenge her grandfather.
-
Things I thoroughly enjoyed while reading The Blood Trials:
1.) The worldbuilding is fantastic. It’s clean and confident, full of complex politics, peoples, and customs. The amount of information to take in about this world is abundant, as the author spares few details.
2.) I appreciated the amount of sincerity that is put into the struggle of this character due to racism. It really cuts and grinds on you throughout the book, as its easily relatable to real-world issues. Ikenna faces countless taunts concerning her heritage and the color of her skin. Because she is part Khanaian, she has many enemies amongst the Mareenians who are full of racist hatred. Still, she has an amazing amount of restraint in the face of all this adversity as her main goal drives her forward.
3.) Action with a side of romance instead of the other way around. I was a bit nervous whenever a “love interest” was introduced, but it was little more than a brief tryst at first, with a layered and complicated after-math that made it more intriguing. Sometimes attraction just leads to sex, not a fully-developed relationship. And I love that the author chose the path less traveled in YA and NA these days.
4.) Non-apologetic violence. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the violence can be overdone, but in this story it served a purpose. Everything about this book seeps violence and anger from its pores. From Ikenna’s rage over her grandfather’s murder, to the silent fuming over racist comments, to the brutality of the trials. There’s a ton of dying in this book and much of it is cloaked in strong emotion.
5.) The scenes in Onei’s Expanse. It was horrific and at one point very much disturbing, but it was so full of fast-paced action and plot development that I couldn’t put the book down during that stretch.
Things I struggled to get past:
1.) Ikenna is strong and unapologetic, that I admire. However, at times she borders on completely irrational and flies off the handle at minor confrontations, yet keeps her cool under other more serious forms of duress. She was difficult to root for and even more difficult to like. Her allegiance flip-flops FAR too easily. If I could describe her in one sentence I would be, “Jumps to conclusions like she’s auditioning for Frogger.”.
2.) Her frequent, long-winded introspective monologues were redundant at times, enough so that I found myself skimming bits.
3.) Special Girl Syndrome. Too much power given under not enough detailed development, with little to no checks.
4.) Pacing. Whew, it was all over the place. Slow to start, action packed, then slow again, rinse and repeat. In the last 1/3 of the book suddenly, and without much preamble, we get a change of setting as Ikenna and her crew head to another location. The transition is so jarring that I had to go back several times just to be sure I didn’t accidentally skip a chapter. For some reason it felt like the book should have ended with Ikenna making it out of the trials alive. It seemed the natural conclusion and I was very confused when the story progressed even further from there. Because of this, we get another round of heavy info-dumping that would have been better served (in my opinion) at the start of the next book.
Still, I got a lot of enjoyment from this story and it didn’t feel like a repeat of anything else I’ve read in the past. I believe Nia Davenport is a wonderfully skilled writer and I will be reading book two. Look out for this author, I don’t think you’ll wanna miss her!
Extra Notes:
Take care of yourself if you are a POC, especially black, while reading this.There is so much racism in this book that it’s almost constant. Many of the slurs are world-specific, but obviously you can derive what they are meant to insinuate.
Read this if you’re a fan of: The Hunger Games, Divergent, Dystopia and Sci-Fi + Magic
Trigger and Content Warnings: A LOT of racism, misogyny, blood, gore, violence, use of guns and various other weapons, torture, death, grief, explicit sexual content (one scene, about halfway in)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, Vomit, and War
Minor: Confinement and Cannibalism
onthesamepage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to start this review off by saying that this is NOT a YA book but definitely adult, and the book goes to some pretty dark places accordingly.
We follow Ikenna as she undertakes the Praetorian trials, a brutal initiation at the academy that trains the elite soldiers of Mareen. Her goal: to find out which of the Praetorian guards murdered her grandfather, and who commanded it. Statistically, only a quarter of the participants survive the full trials, something that quickly becomes clear. Yes, a lot of characters will die. No, your favourites aren't guaranteed safe. Be prepared for a lot of blood and chaos.
The story is action-packed, and most of it focuses on the trials and how Ikenna deals with them. We quickly find out that Mareen has a racist attitude towards her because of her heritage and the colour of her skin, and this racism is also found among the Praetorians. She is often singled out and treated unfairly, but she never lets it get her down. If we're talking about strong female characters, Ikenna can kick major ass. Her stubborn refusal to go down without a fight was my favourite part about her.
Unfortunately, she's also extremely hot-headed, and clearly not a fan of logical thinking. She easily suspects people of being involved with her grandfather's death without a single shred of proof, and then sets about plotting their demise. Innocent until proven guilty is not something she knows. I found this pretty frustrating to read about, and kept wanting to shake some sense into her so she'd stop being so rash and foolish. I do think this was intentional and just part of who she is as a character though. I wish this hadn't been written in first person POV; that would've probably frustrated me less. There's some uneven writing here and there, specifically phrases that didn't make much sense and subsequently pulled me out of the story. We also get a minor romantic subplot; I didn't really buy into their chemistry, but I am intrigued by Reed as a character.
The last part of the book suddenly speeds up and gets even more hectic. I did really like where the plot ended up going because it's something I wasn't expecting, so I look forward to the sequel.
I'm going to start this review off by saying that this is NOT a YA book but definitely adult, and the book goes to some pretty dark places accordingly.
We follow Ikenna as she undertakes the Praetorian trials, a brutal initiation at the academy that trains the elite soldiers of Mareen. Her goal: to find out which of the Praetorian guards murdered her grandfather, and who commanded it. Statistically, only a quarter of the participants survive the full trials, something that quickly becomes clear. Yes, a lot of characters will die. No, your favourites aren't guaranteed safe. Be prepared for a lot of blood and chaos.
The story is action-packed, and most of it focuses on the trials and how Ikenna deals with them. We quickly find out that Mareen has a racist attitude towards her because of her heritage and the colour of her skin, and this racism is also found among the Praetorians. She is often singled out and treated unfairly, but she never lets it get her down. If we're talking about strong female characters, Ikenna can kick major ass. Her stubborn refusal to go down without a fight was my favourite part about her.
Unfortunately, she's also extremely hot-headed, and clearly not a fan of logical thinking. She easily suspects people of being involved with her grandfather's death without a single shred of proof, and then sets about plotting their demise. Innocent until proven guilty is not something she knows. I found this pretty frustrating to read about, and kept wanting to shake some sense into her so she'd stop being so rash and foolish. I do think this was intentional and just part of who she is as a character though. I wish this hadn't been written in first person POV; that would've probably frustrated me less. There's some uneven writing here and there, specifically phrases that didn't make much sense and subsequently pulled me out of the story. We also get a minor romantic subplot; I didn't really buy into their chemistry, but I am intrigued by Reed as a character.
The last part of the book suddenly speeds up and gets even more hectic. I did really like where the plot ended up going because it's something I wasn't expecting, so I look forward to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, and Cannibalism
bookinitwithahtiya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book here, y’all! I loved Ikenna within the first ten pages, point blank period. She’s bullheaded, driven, rash, and can definitely back up anything that comes out her mouth, no questions asked. I definitely feel like her and Rue from Wings of Ebony would get along or be the most dynamic sister duo 🤣 Kenna’s evolution is realistic and understandable, and I’m super excited to see her journey continue in Book 2. This (New) Adult SFF novel jumps right in and gives us the mission right in Chapter One; there’s no unnecessary exposition and it’s packed full with fleshed out and memorable characters. I’m excited for whatever N.E. Davenport puts out next. THE BLOOD TRIALS is already out in the world, so make sure to go grab your copy from your local bookstore or put in a request at your library; you’re not gonna wanna miss out on this one. That’s a promise 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Death of parent
amivireads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an arc, here is my honest review.
Give me book 2 now!!
The blood trails put me through so much stress and I loved every second of it. This was an anticipated release of mine and is the first adult black fantasy book I’ve read and I was disappointed. Everything about this book is bloody and violent. The author doesn’t hold back about details on violence or racism/sexism.
Ikenna is one of the best female characters I’ve read in a while. She never holds back and at times makes rash and selfish choices that she deals with throughout the book. None of the female characters hold back and instead push toward even with all the sexism thrown their way.
There is also a small romance plot line that doesn’t take away from the main focus of the story.
If you’re looking for a fantasy/sci-fi book that’s like blood scion but adult, then The Blood Trials is the perfect book.
Give me book 2 now!!
The blood trails put me through so much stress and I loved every second of it. This was an anticipated release of mine and is the first adult black fantasy book I’ve read and I was disappointed. Everything about this book is bloody and violent. The author doesn’t hold back about details on violence or racism/sexism.
Ikenna is one of the best female characters I’ve read in a while. She never holds back and at times makes rash and selfish choices that she deals with throughout the book. None of the female characters hold back and instead push toward even with all the sexism thrown their way.
There is also a small romance plot line that doesn’t take away from the main focus of the story.
If you’re looking for a fantasy/sci-fi book that’s like blood scion but adult, then The Blood Trials is the perfect book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
musingsonliving's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
If you have been looking for an amazing adult sci-fi fantasy novel with a vibrant strong Black female lead, then this is the book you need to read!
While grieving after the death of her beloved grandfather, Ikenna learns that he was murdered. Seeking revenge she enters the Praetorian Trials in the hopes of uncovering the people behind the murder. The more she gets close to the Praetorians the more she has to hide, for if they discover her forbidden secrets, she will be marked for death.
These trials are dark and not for the faint at heart, there is violence, blood, death, gore, backstabbing, political intrigue, racism, misogyny and more. I was really impressed that when these things happen whilst it was shocking, it never felt forced or added in just for a dramatic impact. The plot was incredibly impressive and fast paced, exactly what you want in SFF!
The book is full of a bunch of interesting characters and it all starts with Ikenna who is head strong, impulsive and laser focused on getting her revenge. At times, all of her jumping to conclusions really got on my nerves and was quite frustrating but that didn’t stop my enjoyment and when we discover her secret magic abilities, it adds a whole new amazing dynamic to this wild action packed story. Ikenna has such a fun group of friends (and enemies) around her, who all have fully fleshed personalities and make you root for them (or not) throughout these trials. And the budding romance, yes! Give me more!
This world is one that I want to explore further, I wish this series was more than a duology but I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book! This is a fantastic debut for Davenport.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, and Violence
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mikayreadsandwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Classism
e_flah's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The copy of The Blood Trials I received for review was an un-edited ARC, which feels particularly worth emphasizing. The overall summary of my feelings about The Blood Trials can be distilled into the following -- the premise is super cool but the book itself felt like a work-in-progress.
The Blood Trials is part murder mystery, political intrigue, and violent tournament. The story follows Ikenna who signs up to endure the contest to become a Praetorian, the most elite soldiers, as a means of investigating the murder of her grandfather. The prominence of the various elements of The Blood Trials ebbs and flows over the course of the story. There would be periods where I would wonder if Ikenna forget about her search for answers as there hadn't been so much of a mention of the mystery for huge chunks of the story.
Ikenna is a tough-as-nails, loyal protagonist. Watching her grow through her interpersonal relationships with her friends and Praetorian competitors was really satisfying. She is a protagonist who makes mistakes but isn’t afraid to grapple with them in an attempt to do better next time. Ikenna endures a lot of racism and sexism over the course of the story but never wavers in her conviction that she deserves to be a Praetorian. Through her character development, we see how predominantly white institutions impact people of color, which added a powerful emotional component to Ikenna's quest for belonging and answers about her grandfather.
That said, Ikenna felt all over the place as the narrative voice of this story. Her internal dialogue often swung from logical to filled with rage in ways that could be hard to follow. These mood swings were conveyed through telling, rather than showing, which made them seem almost performative on Ikenna's part in a way that didn't make sense. There’s also a lot of internal narrating, which often popped up in the middle of a scene that otherwise had a lot of action going on. Ikenna’s musings usually restated information that the reader had already been told numerous times while completely ignoring obvious questions or further areas of investigation.
The Blood Trials felt like 2 books smushed together rather than one cohesive whole. The first portion of The Blood Trials focused heavily on Ikenna’s time competing for a place among the Praetorians and a bit of her investigation into the murder of her grandfather. (view spoiler)
I found the world-building really frustrating. The world of Iludu sounds beyond intriguing. Some people have gifts that are legacies of special talents bestowed by the gods before the gods were banished. This is a world with a long history of war that it seemed like the reader was supposed to be familiar with but was never explained in a comprehensive way. The first portion of the book swung from huge passages filled with info-dumping to situations where explanation would’ve been helpful but was notably absent. The synopsis of The Blood Trials explains the situation in Mareen better than the book itself, which about sums up my frustration with how world-building is handled in the book.
The Blood Trials has an interesting concept and a lot of potential. I think some of my issues with the book are probably due to the fact that this ARC seemed more on the un-edited side.
The copy of The Blood Trials I received for review was an un-edited ARC, which feels particularly worth emphasizing. The overall summary of my feelings about The Blood Trials can be distilled into the following -- the premise is super cool but the book itself felt like a work-in-progress.
The Blood Trials is part murder mystery, political intrigue, and violent tournament. The story follows Ikenna who signs up to endure the contest to become a Praetorian, the most elite soldiers, as a means of investigating the murder of her grandfather. The prominence of the various elements of The Blood Trials ebbs and flows over the course of the story. There would be periods where I would wonder if Ikenna forget about her search for answers as there hadn't been so much of a mention of the mystery for huge chunks of the story.
Ikenna is a tough-as-nails, loyal protagonist. Watching her grow through her interpersonal relationships with her friends and Praetorian competitors was really satisfying. She is a protagonist who makes mistakes but isn’t afraid to grapple with them in an attempt to do better next time. Ikenna endures a lot of racism and sexism over the course of the story but never wavers in her conviction that she deserves to be a Praetorian. Through her character development, we see how predominantly white institutions impact people of color, which added a powerful emotional component to Ikenna's quest for belonging and answers about her grandfather.
That said, Ikenna felt all over the place as the narrative voice of this story. Her internal dialogue often swung from logical to filled with rage in ways that could be hard to follow. These mood swings were conveyed through telling, rather than showing, which made them seem almost performative on Ikenna's part in a way that didn't make sense. There’s also a lot of internal narrating, which often popped up in the middle of a scene that otherwise had a lot of action going on. Ikenna’s musings usually restated information that the reader had already been told numerous times while completely ignoring obvious questions or further areas of investigation.
The Blood Trials felt like 2 books smushed together rather than one cohesive whole. The first portion of The Blood Trials focused heavily on Ikenna’s time competing for a place among the Praetorians and a bit of her investigation into the murder of her grandfather. (view spoiler)
I found the world-building really frustrating. The world of Iludu sounds beyond intriguing. Some people have gifts that are legacies of special talents bestowed by the gods before the gods were banished. This is a world with a long history of war that it seemed like the reader was supposed to be familiar with but was never explained in a comprehensive way. The first portion of the book swung from huge passages filled with info-dumping to situations where explanation would’ve been helpful but was notably absent. The synopsis of The Blood Trials explains the situation in Mareen better than the book itself, which about sums up my frustration with how world-building is handled in the book.
The Blood Trials has an interesting concept and a lot of potential. I think some of my issues with the book are probably due to the fact that this ARC seemed more on the un-edited side.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
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