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blut_binden 's review for:
The Blood Spell
by C.J. Redwine
(More of a 3.5)
(I listened to this as an audiobook)
Blue is an alchemist trying to make gold in order to help the poor and mistreated in the land of Balavata, and she must keep her experiments secret to avoid being executed for use of magic. Kellan is Balavata’s prince who must play the political game in order to keep his right for the throne, but he doesn’t want to play the political game. When Blue’s father is murdered, Blue’s property and her freedom are controlled by an “evil stepmother” who forces Blue to continue the golden experiments for quick coin. Now, the only person who can help Blue is Kellan—the boy she’s hated for most of her life.
Khristine Hvan’s performance is alright. She does well with a variety of character voices, however, I do not believe her voice matched with the ethnicity of the characters. Yes, the accents were done alright, but I was not completely convinced.
The writing style was expertly crafted and is reminiscent of the lilting tones of a fairy tale. The plot itself was average. I disliked that there were certain “clues” throughout the novel that the reader and the characters can decipher easily, and yet the characters take until the very end of the novel to piece the clues together. The main two character’s romance was the most interesting part of the novel, which I believe should not have been the focus. I was also hoping that the villain would be less two dimensional and given more depth. The Blood Spell is the fourth standalone installment of the Shadowspire series. I am not certain as to whether reading the previous three novels would have heightened the experience of reading The Blood Spell, but I would let teens know about the series itself if they are interested.
(I listened to this as an audiobook)
Blue is an alchemist trying to make gold in order to help the poor and mistreated in the land of Balavata, and she must keep her experiments secret to avoid being executed for use of magic. Kellan is Balavata’s prince who must play the political game in order to keep his right for the throne, but he doesn’t want to play the political game. When Blue’s father is murdered, Blue’s property and her freedom are controlled by an “evil stepmother” who forces Blue to continue the golden experiments for quick coin. Now, the only person who can help Blue is Kellan—the boy she’s hated for most of her life.
Khristine Hvan’s performance is alright. She does well with a variety of character voices, however, I do not believe her voice matched with the ethnicity of the characters. Yes, the accents were done alright, but I was not completely convinced.
The writing style was expertly crafted and is reminiscent of the lilting tones of a fairy tale. The plot itself was average. I disliked that there were certain “clues” throughout the novel that the reader and the characters can decipher easily, and yet the characters take until the very end of the novel to piece the clues together. The main two character’s romance was the most interesting part of the novel, which I believe should not have been the focus. I was also hoping that the villain would be less two dimensional and given more depth. The Blood Spell is the fourth standalone installment of the Shadowspire series. I am not certain as to whether reading the previous three novels would have heightened the experience of reading The Blood Spell, but I would let teens know about the series itself if they are interested.