The Blood Trials: A Novel: 1 (The Blood Gift Duology, 1)

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For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her. It irritates me so much that marketing + people's misconceptions of ~women writing fantasy must mean its young adult~ + the cover are causing people to either undervalue or misrepresent this book. It's a very violent, very adult, very messy piece of sci-fi that's pretty damn good. This is.… an amazing debut. I will be shouting from the rooftops about The Blood Trials for quite some time. Ikenna has my HEART and her science fiction world mixed with old magic has set my expectations for the genre that much higher.

We meet Ikenna Amari in a bar. She's getting rip-roaring drunk with her two friends the night before their graduation from the academy—and it's not working. She's trying to forget, she's trying to stop time... and she's spoiling for a fight. Ikenna has a magical gift bestowed upon her from the gods of their enemies, that she must hide while also using it to keep herself alive as her mixed heritage makes her a target. I am recommending it to my daughters and everyone who enjoys action and social commentary. It’s a fun read.What The Blood Trials pulled off well, though, was making you root for a character who, as I said, is pretty selfish. Because why wouldn’t she only care about herself when there are people in her training class who are actively trying to kill her? When she lives in a society that hates her? So it was a kind of self-preservation induced selfishness. As I said, though, there are scenes that make it clear that she’s not always allowed to get away with it. Which was where the good balance came in. My biggest gripe would be that the author harps on pointing out that everything is either because of racism or misogyny. Readers are able to tell from character actions and don't need the constant reminder. There also could've been a little more nuance in the racism discussions. Chapter one is very lengthy which might deter readers at first but the story finds it's footing once you move past it. Blood spilled long ago between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor, ending all blood magic.

And of course the best parts of this book was the secrets, twists, and betrayal. Some of them actually got to me. I really can’t wait for the next book. This girl needs answers and more! It's their last night out before they set out for military academy and Ikenna is on edge over the recent loss of her grandfather. After learning his death was no accident she decides to head to the academy and avenge his death by finding out who his killers are. At this military academy thousands are competing for a spot on the special ops team in a fight to the death. The Blood Trials is definitely bloody and fierce and full of rage and I really liked it despite some issues I had. The book opens with a bar fight and that gives you a sense of how it’ll continue. We follow Ikenna Amari as she joins the Praetorians for a chance to investigate and avenge her grandfather’s murder. Ikenna is headstrong and impulsive and, even as you wince over some of her decisions, a character you can’t help but root for.

eBook Details

And the cards she has in her hand are older and steeped in the blood of the gods. It's not a fair fight, Ikenna won't even pretend—her arsenal is loaded for bigger beasts.