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A review by loreandlullabies
Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein, Katie Hayoz
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? No
3.5
This book confirmed my thoughts that old French men are skeezy and not to be trusted. Just kidding... kinda
Of Wicked Blood is the first in The Quatrefoil Series. We follow the dual POV of MCs Cadence, the well-mannered, well off, 17 year old daughter of a university head in Brume, France. And Slate, an orphaned, thief who has been summoned to the university with the promise of knowledge about his parents and his past, and a scholarship to the university. However, thieves gon' thieve, and Slate's latest acquisition finds him cursed and in a world of hurt that will kill him by the new moon if he can't find a way to assemble the quatrefoil.
I listened to the audio of this book and found it just as, if not more enjoyable than I would've had I read it.
The premise of this book is what drew me in as both authors are new to me. A cursed bloodstone ring that brings together an unlikely group of people (well just Slate really) to find artifacts to break the curse. YES!
Of Wicked Blood is the first in The Quatrefoil Series. We follow the dual POV of MCs Cadence, the well-mannered, well off, 17 year old daughter of a university head in Brume, France. And Slate, an orphaned, thief who has been summoned to the university with the promise of knowledge about his parents and his past, and a scholarship to the university. However, thieves gon' thieve, and Slate's latest acquisition finds him cursed and in a world of hurt that will kill him by the new moon if he can't find a way to assemble the quatrefoil.
I listened to the audio of this book and found it just as, if not more enjoyable than I would've had I read it.
The premise of this book is what drew me in as both authors are new to me. A cursed bloodstone ring that brings together an unlikely group of people (well just Slate really) to find artifacts to break the curse. YES!
The world-building is beautiful. The old architecture, the never ending fog set the scene for old magic and lore nicely. I really enjoyed the way each POV from the MCs was different and fit with their personalities. It was believable and added to the continuity of the characters and their traits.
The characters themselves were realistic. Cadence was kind and mild but had a strong core and I love a nice girl that isn't afraid to swear but doesn't do so just for the sake of it. Slate was very much an anti hero in this story and to be honest, a bit of an arrogant prick and yet... You couldn't help cheering for him. He is so protective of his younger brother I couldn't help but see past his unlikeable traits and cheer him on. The good girl vs Bad boy/ enemies to lovers trope evident. There were a couple of moments that I was annoyed at Cadences jealousy but it didn't detract from the plot.
By far the best parts of the book were the Quatrefoil scenes. They were full of action and the pacing was perfect. I couldn't stop reading/ listening needing to know how it went down immediately. Everything from the writing to the short chapters and changes in POV fit well and had the pacing on point
The only thing I didn't really like was the ending. It was a bit anti-climatic for me. I was left with more questions than answers. I kept thinking I had missed something and had to go back. As this is a series I'm hoping it all is explained. I would've preferred a cliffhanger ending in this one which is something I haven't said EVER.
I really enjoyed this urban fantasy and have no idea where it is going next. I'm not dying to read the next one but I will be reading it. (view spoiler)
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you so much!) All opinions are my own