Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 19/01/2024
Published by: HarperVoyager
ISBN: B09RTB8BKQ
Cover:
The gorgeous illustrations and colours make this a stunning design, which I loved staring at. This design also gives a subtle glimpse of the action-packed story it represents and nicely conveys the fantasy and science fiction genre.
Writing:
Despite some information dumps, I was utterly impressed by the detailed world that is established and infused with a creative mix of sci-fi and magic. Besides this, the casual writing style was easy to follow and filled with sufficient details and descriptions to bring the characters and story to life.
You can’t control what you don’t understand
Storyline:
My attention was immediately grabbed by an opening burst of action, even as the characters and world were introduced. The brutal storyline that emerged remained gripping, with high-stakes trials, mystery and complex themes (racism and sexism) heavily explored. Only the politics-heavy moments towards the end of the story caused my attention to wane slightly, but the final twists and reveals made up for this.
Main character(s):
Ikenna Amari is a realistic and complex character who seemed caring and loyal, yet also (frustratingly!) headstrong. I was honestly surprised by how much I liked her character in spite of her stubbornness, violent tendencies and excessive swearing. It was likely the well-detailed emotions and internal conflicts that her character experiences which made it easy for me to connect with and root for her.
Blood is my gift. And blood is what they’ll get if anyone gets in my godsdamned way.
Secondary characters:
A dynamic group of supporting characters brilliantly shape Ikenna’s journey in this story. However, though these characters were memorable because of their roles, they had little depth beyond a few personality traits.
Romance:
The friction between Ikenna and another character did little to make their connection any less predictable when it eventually surfaced. Sadly, this aspect of the story was given very little focus, which meant the transition from “enemies” to something else seemed weak despite a few cute moments between the characters.
“You really have an aversion to the words ‘thank you.’” “I do. But I adore the words ‘fuck you,’ ‘kiss my ass,’ and ‘go to hell.’”
Narration & Audio:
The narration by Jeanette Illidge is perfect for this story! She skillfully uses distinct voices for the various characters and works hard to infuse the words with personality and emotions.
In brief, ‘The Blood Trials’ is a high-stakes, action-packed story with a fierce protagonist and creative world. Even though my attention waned slightly towards the end, things are nicely set up for the sequel and I cannot wait to see what happens! Those who enjoyed would also love The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
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