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A review by sammys_shelves
The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I thought the concept sounded fun and the cover looked really cool but this book has been an amazing read! The magic system is fascinating and despite the book being about a bunch of teenagers (and I am definitely NOT a teenager) I did not find it difficult or annoying to read (which I often do, especially when the book mentions specific modern references, I once DNFed a book for it's early mention of a Fae playing candy crush 🫣) I'm actually found the opposite, I'm found the modern references relatable and fun.
I cannot get over how good this book was! I completely fell in love with all the characters, which, by the way were refreshingly diverse.
Blythe was at times selfish and a little annoying but was strong, a natural disaster and had great growth throughout the book.
Cordelia was a hard ass bitch with a hidden heart of gold.
Daniel was timid, shielded and naive but surprisingly brave, incredibly smart and fiercely loyal.
Antonio, the "soft boy" (total positive attribute btw) was just the sweetest little thing that you just constantly wanted to hug.
Storm was hard and isolated but secretly protective and sweet, especially with the quieter members of the team
Caspian was the total oddball who's humour really appealed to me.
And Jays flirty, charming nature and spicy humour had me giggling more often than I could count. I loved how diverse these characters were and how they broke so many stereotypes.
Ashias writing and natural flowing banter made this found family, coming of age type story an absolute joy to read, the teens were realistic and relatable and very much reminded me of my old social group and how different we all were and how our personalities all bounced off each others.
There was a really strong concept there too which was excellently executed. It felt quite different to anything I've read recently and I truly thrived off it! I honestly cannot wait to read the next installment!
I'd also like to say that Ashia gave very specific and detailed content warnings at the beginning, which I thought was a fantastic addition. I'm thankful that I'm not easily triggered by anything but I see the value in having very specific content warnings like this in a book. Fantastic 😊
I cannot get over how good this book was! I completely fell in love with all the characters, which, by the way were refreshingly diverse.
Blythe was at times selfish and a little annoying but was strong, a natural disaster and had great growth throughout the book.
Cordelia was a hard ass bitch with a hidden heart of gold.
Daniel was timid, shielded and naive but surprisingly brave, incredibly smart and fiercely loyal.
Antonio, the "soft boy" (total positive attribute btw) was just the sweetest little thing that you just constantly wanted to hug.
Storm was hard and isolated but secretly protective and sweet, especially with the quieter members of the team
Caspian was the total oddball who's humour really appealed to me.
And Jays flirty, charming nature and spicy humour had me giggling more often than I could count. I loved how diverse these characters were and how they broke so many stereotypes.
Ashias writing and natural flowing banter made this found family, coming of age type story an absolute joy to read, the teens were realistic and relatable and very much reminded me of my old social group and how different we all were and how our personalities all bounced off each others.
There was a really strong concept there too which was excellently executed. It felt quite different to anything I've read recently and I truly thrived off it! I honestly cannot wait to read the next installment!
I'd also like to say that Ashia gave very specific and detailed content warnings at the beginning, which I thought was a fantastic addition. I'm thankful that I'm not easily triggered by anything but I see the value in having very specific content warnings like this in a book. Fantastic 😊