Crystal Smith

"Enchanting, visceral, and twisty." --New York Times best-selling author of Ash Princess, Laura Sebastian "Bloodleaf feels like a classic in the making." --Sarah Holland, New York Times best-selling author of Everless Now in paperback, Bloodleaf is a roar of a dark and luscious epic fantasy that's layered with heady romance, bloodthirsty magic, and ghostly intrigue--an absolutely wicked delight.

Bloodleaf

“Enchanting, visceral, and twisty”— New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess, Laura Sebastian “BLOODLEAF feels like a classic in the making.” – Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless A roar of a dark and luscious epic fantasy that’s layered with heady romance, bloodthirsty magic, and ghostly intrigue—an absolutely wicked delight. Aurelia is a princess, but they call her a witch. Surrounded by spirits and burdened with forbidden magic, she lives in constant fear of discovery by the witch-hunting Tribunal and their bloodthirsty mobs. When a devastating assassination attempt reveals her magical abilities, Aurelia is forced to flee her country with nothing but her life. Alone and adrift in an enemy kingdom, Aurelia plans her revenge against the Tribunal, desperate to bring down the dark organization that has wrought terror upon her people for hundreds of years. But there's something deeply amiss in her new home, too, and soon she finds herself swept into a deadly new mystery with a secretive prince, the ghost of an ancient queen, and a poison vine called Bloodleaf. Aurelia is entangled in a centuries-long game of love, power, and war, and if she can't break free before the Tribunal makes its last move, she may lose far more than her crown.

Aundreya Rich

** spoiler alert **
           What an interesting read to say the least. 
Overall I really did enjoy this book. 
I felt the climactic moments were extremely high and other points in the narrative was a little stale. 


I read some reviews about people feeling that the love story seemed like it happened out of no where, and I somewhat agree. Aurelia definitely showed peaks of interest in her thoughts but other than that there was no flirting or growth of a relationship to find them falling in love.
However I loved them as a DUO. Both strong characters even alone which I enjoyed since sometimes I a love story one of much weaker than the other.


Nathanial and Kate..... for the record I listened to this on audible and I cried SOOOOOOO MUCH. Pure ugly sobs.


The whole story was well done from building old history to how it has effected their current day was colorful and visually easy to imagine.

Strong characters all in all even the villains you want to hate! 

I did get a little lost here and there but I’m going to chalk that up to driving.
There were a lot of villains who were appearing in the end that I didn’t see coming or felt somewhat forced.


Overall excited to read the 2nd book.

If you love a book set in a different world and magic I think you’ll find this one enjoyable

Aurelia, the first princess born in Renalt in 200 years, is destined to marry the mysterious prince of Achelva, Valentin, but her treacherous lady-in-waiting, Lisette, plots to take her crown.

Lila Harrison

4 Stars
Trigger Warning: Blood magic/self harm, loss of a loved one, violence and gore, brief instances of ableism

What a treat, y'all! I'm sad this book seems to be flying under the radar because honestly I need someone to scream and spazz out and theorize with! If you like intrigue, action, slow burn romance, and dark fantasy, then Bloodleaf is ABSOLUTELY for you

WHAT I LIKED
- 
  Aurelia!
 I loved Aurelia—she was spunky, stubborn, and refreshingly teenager-ish for an upper YA fantasy book! What I mean is that Aurelia acted like a realistic teenager. She was moody and rebellious, but in the end she learned and grew and changed and she had a good heart. I loved how much depth she had and how we got to see her journey with battling her internalized prejudice.

- 
  Zan!
 My sweet baby cinnamon roll! Aaagh! Where to begin? I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved how much depth and history Smith showed us for Zan's character. He was far from perfect, but he was good, and that's what I loved about him. I can't wait to see where he'll go in book two!

- 
  The Side Characters!
 One thing I believe is that a good supporting cast has two roles: first, to make the main characters stand out, and second to be added incentive for readers to invest in the story. And, boy, did Smith do a good job with that! Nathaniel, Kate, and even Kellan, Lisette, and Aurelia's younger brother shine in their own rights! They added such warmth, humor, and dimension to the story and I fell for them hard.

- 
  The Plot And The Pacing!
 Smith's plot is intricate, but her pacing is impeccable! Measured and intentional, the pace never skips a beat. And what a story Smith told! I wasn't too familiar with the fairy tale The Goose Girl (which Bloodleaf is based on) so I looked it up right before reading. I found that you don't need to be familiar with the tale to understand Bloodleaf, but that being said, Smith's retelling is incredibly compelling. She diverges from the original enough that her work seems almost entirely it's own thing, but leaves enough of the original tale's elements within the story for fairy tale lovers to be satisfied with the easter eggs.

- 
  Disability Representation!
 The love interest, Zan, is differently abled. He has a heart condition and we get to see how it impacts his life. I loved that Zan wasn't treated like anything other than an ordinary boy who happened to have to do things a little differently sometimes. Zan didn't feel sorry for himself, nor did others feel sorry for him because of his heart condition. Instead, Zan lived life as fully as he could, and pushed himself to live as "ordinary" a life as possible.

WHAT I DISLIKED
- 
  Two Brief Instances of Ableism.
 I do want to say that, while the disability rep was good overall, there were two instances of unchecked ableism on Aurelia's part. They were brief, but they were still there, and as someone who is differently abled and has a heart condition myself, it stung a little. I was able to move past it, but I understand if other readers can't and/or don't want to.

- 
  Mildly Predictable
 There were a few things that I saw coming, but, personally, it didn't stop me from enjoying the read.

All in all, I really enjoyed Bloodleaf! It had me on the edge of my seat and biting my nails in anxious anticipation so many times. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced, action-packed, intrigue-filled read!

Sophia De La Garza

This was a super quick high fantasy book. 

I loved the magic system and the complexities of it. However, I hated the instalove. Like the romance (for me) had barely any development. Hopefully, book two will remedy that. 

But yeah, I definitely enjoyed it because of the plot. Overall, 4 stars.

laura

* I got this book for review from the publisher*

This book was such a refreshing read. I really loved the how this story took the goose girl myth and really made it unique fast pace story. I was super invested in this story and the characters. I was also really invested in the court politics and they world building around the blood magic. This book was a lighter fantasy but one that really captured my heart. I thought the ending was rushed and could have been fleshed out a tad more but I am def excited for book 2!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this from NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5/5

Publication Date: March 12, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (gore, blood, murder, violence, animal violence, curses, witchcraft)

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 384

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

Review: For the most part I thought this book was really good! The plot was intriguing and I really liked the magic system. I thought the world building was really well done and this book was very well paced. I felt like I could really get into this world if there were more books in the series.

However, I do have a couple of complaints about this book. I felt that the characters, aside from the main, weren’t that well developed. Some were actually downright forgettable until the end. I felt that the book didn’t explain all the aspects of the world and while it was built beautifully I still had questions at the end. I felt that the ending was rushed as well.

Verdict: A strong, solid release for 2019.

Samantha Bass

everlinet

Very enjoyable and nice fantasy! I liked the world + the characters. It was easy to read, the characters are cute and relatable. I had tears in my eyes sometimes, too. 
It felt magical and mysterious sometimes. Even though there were parts i didn’t quite understand properly, or the meaning behind them, i overall really enjoyed reading this! It was fun, no boring parts, quite exciting.

So i can only say “read this!”, 4*

Cori McCarthy

After finishing this book within a day, it has left me with a hollow feeling that will not be filled until the next book comes out in June! From the very first page, this book took me on an adventure that I want to relive again and again and I will be counting down the days until the next book comes out. I completely fell in love with the characters in this story! This book was just so well written and it gripped me from the first page and never let go until the last! Honestly, I think this series will end up being one of my favorites of all time. I can’t wait to see what Smith comes up with next! Somewhere in the future, there is a very happy Cori with the next book in her hands!

Jessica 

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Review also found here at Booked J. 
  I was sent a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form. 


When I requested Bloodleaf, I knew I would like it. Not just because I'm shallow and ADORE that cover. Not even just because I love retellings. I just had that spark of interest that never faded as I read the synopsis. It never left as I read the novel, either. I was hooked from the start and now I'm making grabby hands at my screen because I need the second installment, like, yesterday.

The world is very intriguing and I'm looking forward to comparing the worldbuilding in the trilogy as it goes. I have a feeling that it's only going to grow more and more complex, and enthralling, as the series continues. Something tells me, too, that the characters will have the same treatment. I am beyond excited to see how Aurelia grows, as I think she is very much so a good nod to her age.

(Seriously, do people forget that YA is, yenno, YA?) 

While I think there are some flaws in the story and development, I still found it to be compelling and magical. A fantastic introduction to the world that is in Bloodleaf. This is the kind of novel that you can read very, very quickly and by the end you'll be left with that feeling of desire for the sequel. I am not exaggerating when I say, "I NEED THE SECOND BOOK NOW!"

Do you feel that? Me? Still making grabby hands?

Bloodleaf's biggest weakness, unfortunately, is in the romantic subplot. This isn't to say that it is a bad quality, it's just my least favourite topic to note in the novel itself. I don't feel especially attached to it and it is what it is. Its biggest strength is in having a teenage character sound like a teenager and the new quality it brings to the fairytale, Goose Girl.

I'm a massive fan of YA and fairytales, so it's only natural that I flocked to Bloodleaf almost instantly. I loved that it had the lyrical tone to it and a darkness that kept me on the edge of my seat in complete captivation. I do think that this will be one of those novels you either love or hate, depending on the reader's personal preference, but I found it be an incredibly vivid and enjoyable fantasy that kept me wanting so much more.

Bloodleaf

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