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locpressedbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
This book was an absolute thrill ride straight from page one! We join our MC Ikenna on the eve of her graduation and she’s got a lot of emotions going on right now after just losing her grandfather, Vern Amari, the legendary Legatus of the Republic of Mareen. She learns that he was murdered from a close friend of his and Ikenna has to gather the strength to not give up on herself as well as her grandfather’s love and legacy. She decides to join the Praetorians to get close to those who might have had a hand in his death. Not only does she have to face these gruesome trails where life and limb hang in the balance, Ikenna has to battle the suffocating fools that love to use misogyny and racism to try and discredit and deem her by any means necessary.
She’s fighting for her life trying to survive these trials, investigating her grandfathers death and on top of all that she carries a secret that could not only get her kicked out of the trails but killed for simply being who she is! This is a military science fiction/ fantasy story set in a dystopian society. It’s action pack, full of fight, and some seriously creepy creatures of the night. High tech battle gear and magic mix in this young adult debut novel. I’m so happy that it lived up to this amazing cover.
I got the audiobook (I listened at 1.4x speed) and I really loved it, Jeanette Illidge is the narrator and she’s done some of my other favorites such as The Good Luck Girls and A Blade So Black. She really brought these characters and the story to life for me I never wanted to miss a word. Inflections in the voice, mannerisms, I never got confused on who was speaking. I thought she did a great job and I will definitely be picking up the sequel, The Blood Gift, next year. Thank you again @nia.davenport, @harpervoyagerus and @b2weird for this opportunity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Cannibalism
Moderate: War, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Vomit, and Sexual content
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: War, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Racism, Blood, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
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: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Abandonment, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Colonisation, Grief, Bullying, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Torture, War, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Misogyny
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