A review by gem114
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-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? No

4.0

Damn. There's a warning at the beginning of this book that while the story itself is fiction the experiences of the characters are based on the real experiences of child soldiers, and Falaye doesn't hold back. This book is dark.  Many of the scenes are hard to read because the content is brutal. Still, Falaye does an amazing job packaging these hard truths in a way that pushes readers to grapple with them and keep reading rather than turning away.

This book reminded me a lot of Children of Blood and Bone since that's the only other book I've read that is based in the same mythology, but Falaye does a better job at developing complex, morally gray characters. Sloane is a great main character. She's a strong young woman with badass ancestral magic taking on an oppressive monarchy while struggling to balance her own humanity with her survival instincts. 

The whole book is a roller coaster, but the last 50 pages or so are absolutely wild. So much happens. Almost too much. Definitely too much given the number of questions I still have and the fact that the next book isn't out yet. This is me impatiently waiting for a sequel.
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