I don’t know what to rave about first: the deftly designed magic system, immersive world-building, or rich characters.
The magic system is logical, complex, and the source of numerous plot twists and turns. It centers on the manipulation of thoughts. That’s powerful sorcery and hard to pull off. I loved the way it was tightly integrated into the world building and characters.
The world-building? Landscapes were lovely, but it was the book’s intricately developed culture that had me mesmerized. It was profound in many ways, hard and tender, occasionally humorous, often dangerous, and rich with tradition and honor.
The first-person narration enhanced the depth of the culture and characters, and it was my deep connection to the main character’s heart and soul that swept me off my feet.
Raised a warrior in the harsh winter country, Ryo inGara has always been willing to die for his family and his tribe. When war erupts against the summer country, the prospect of death in battle seems imminent. But when his warleader leaves Ryo as a sacrifice -- a tuyo -- to die at the hands of their enemies, he faces a fate he never imagined.
Ryo's captor, a lord of the summer country, may be an enemy . . . but far worse enemies are moving, with the current war nothing but the opening moves in a hidden game Ryo…
This is an amazing fantasy duology and for very good reason—the first thing the two authors did was make me care about these terribly flawed characters. That set up some incredible tension as the story’s competition began. I found all the characters distinct, terribly tragic, and emotionally engaging.
The magick, identified as spells and curses, was designed with tons of imagination. Some were made to backfire. Some were incorrectly designed, and several of the strongest ones required blood in their crafting.
The worldbuilding is thorough, but the human story is what kept me glued to the pages. There are secrets, plots, manipulations, lies, alliances, friendships, betrayals, and distrust. The competitors’ families are despicable, which made my heart go out to the doomed characters even more.
You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games. Now Prepare To Meet The Villains Of The Blood Veil.
After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters alike flock to its spellshops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city's high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.
This is a beautifully written and heartfelt historical fiction. The US Civil War officially ended a year ago, but on both sides, the wounds of war are deep and lasting, and this is true in Missouri, in the home of Hester Cain.
I like dark reads that make me feel deeply, and there’s a tangible sense of melancholy pervading this story. The war’s psychological damage is profound. The main characters are sympathetic, as are the story’s children though their life’s wounds are slow to heal. Even some of the men who commit despicable acts earned some sympathy.
The terrible misery endured on both sides of the war was thought provoking, and it stuck with me for weeks. The story ends with a dose of hard-earned hope that I appreciated.
The Civil War is over, but the hostilities continue to rage. Can she protect her home from the ravages of divided loyalties?
Missouri, 1865. Hester Cain’s world is unraveling. With her father and brother still off waging a guerilla fight against the victorious Union, the quiet young woman tries to keep the three orphans in her charge safe from the local militia’s harassment. And though she has no reason to trust the other side, she shocks herself by opening the door to a wandering Yankee soldier.
Struggling to balance the rejection of her childhood sweetheart and a growing bond with…
Barus, a healer and dabbler in the dark arts, is forgotten in the dying queen’s chamber. He spirits away her stillborn infant and breathes life into the wisp of a child. Raised as the necromancer’s daughter, Aster, too, learns to heal death.
As the king’s life nears its end, he defies the fiery Red Order and summons his only heir. For his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade. And the Red Order rides, vowing to cleanse the land of evil.
To save her father’s life, Aster flees into a wilderness of dragons and barbarian tribes. Unprepared for a world rife with danger and unchecked power, she must choose whether to trust the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.
