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A review by cloudedreads
Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I‘ve been looking forward to reading „Bloody Spade“ since I first heard about it in spring, so imagine my absolute joy when I found it on BookSirens and took the last reviewers spot. I devoured the book in just a couple of days and can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am glad I have already preordered it and will have my own personal copy come September.
The story begins less than a decade after magic returns to the world; after the Reemergence, some people gained powers and became Empowered, separating them from everyone else, able to do a lot of good – or a lot of evil. Iori is a thief and the Keeper of Spades, one of the four legendary keepers of Suits, but ever since the manifestation of this power, his life has been one tragedy after another. Ellen is an Empowered who lost her parents during the Reemergence and has just become a Joker, part of the ‘magic police’, whose job is to make sure that no one else suffers from a fate like hers. When their paths cross, a criminal and an officer, both have to make hard choices that might influence more than their own lives…
The story is written from multiple perspectives, which made it very easy to get familiar with the characters and the world, and paired with a visual writing style, this was a book that grabbed me by the neck and did not let go until I finished (seriously, I even read it at the breakfast table and during my lunch breaks). I found myself caring about the characters, main and side, due to how genuine they were. An especially important role in that played the different relationships characters had – whether they were siblings, family, friends or romantic partners, I believed them.
Another crucial part of this book for me was the representation, of LGBTQA+ group and of disabilities. Not only was the representation varied (and accurate, from what I, very subjectively, can say), it also felt nice to see more than one character on the ace spectrum in the same story.
All in all, “Bloody Spade” brought me a lot of joy (and the chicken scene at the end of the book made me laugh out loud) in the form of a good story with lovable characters. I can’t wait to return to this world in “Bleeding Heart”!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story begins less than a decade after magic returns to the world; after the Reemergence, some people gained powers and became Empowered, separating them from everyone else, able to do a lot of good – or a lot of evil. Iori is a thief and the Keeper of Spades, one of the four legendary keepers of Suits, but ever since the manifestation of this power, his life has been one tragedy after another. Ellen is an Empowered who lost her parents during the Reemergence and has just become a Joker, part of the ‘magic police’, whose job is to make sure that no one else suffers from a fate like hers. When their paths cross, a criminal and an officer, both have to make hard choices that might influence more than their own lives…
The story is written from multiple perspectives, which made it very easy to get familiar with the characters and the world, and paired with a visual writing style, this was a book that grabbed me by the neck and did not let go until I finished (seriously, I even read it at the breakfast table and during my lunch breaks). I found myself caring about the characters, main and side, due to how genuine they were. An especially important role in that played the different relationships characters had – whether they were siblings, family, friends or romantic partners, I believed them.
Another crucial part of this book for me was the representation, of LGBTQA+ group and of disabilities. Not only was the representation varied (and accurate, from what I, very subjectively, can say), it also felt nice to see more than one character on the ace spectrum in the same story.
All in all, “Bloody Spade” brought me a lot of joy (and the chicken scene at the end of the book made me laugh out loud) in the form of a good story with lovable characters. I can’t wait to return to this world in “Bleeding Heart”!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.