The Guilded Survivor The Blood Tournaments Book 1

When The Prison Healer and The Hunger Games meet… “No matter what, you do not surrender.” Carmen Asbaje only needed two things in her life: her closest friend and her Flamenco shoes. Shelter was optional, and love was a lie used to inflict pain on others. Born with Blood Magic that she wasn’t supposed to have, Carmen lived with fatal secrets. When the fiercely competitive Blood Tournaments drew near, Carmen was forced to meet with the former Tournament Champion, Antonio Castillas, to save her friend’s life. After that meeting, a spark of passion ignited inside of her. Forbidden infatuation. When her accidental Blood Magic audition was leaked, Carmen received national attention and was entered into the upcoming Blood Tournament. Impersonating an Elite was a crime punishable by death, yet there was no escape. She never should have been elevated to Elite status, but if she refused to compete or her past was uncovered, she would be endangering the life of everyone connected to her. Leading up to the Tournament, Carmen discovered the Elite culture was savage, venomous and relentless. If she didn’t win, the streets would run gold with her blood. Be captivated by Carmen's story as it intertwines with classic themes of social status and family loyalty, as well as courage under fire in order to survive against all odds.

Reviews

Ariel Johnson@ariel790

Jun 5, 2023

The Gilded Survivor was better than I expected, and I expected quite a lot to start with given the promise of being similar to Hunger Games.

It is an intense, extremely character driven story. Following Carmen Asbaje, a flamenco dancer, we learn about the dystopian society that she lives in. If you are not part of the elites, you are controlled or killed. She is considered privileged within the lower dregs of society because of her dancing talents. Even this is a cutthroat business as if she screws up, there is someone just as hungry to take her place. The depths of her fears living the way she has and how much she can lose if even the most minor things goes wrong becomes very clear, very quickly.

Her world is turned even more upside down when an visiting elite, Antonio Castillas, discovers her secret: she has blood magic. Not only that, it's worthy of the past royals who are all supposed to be dead! She ends up being thrown into the Blood Tournament for this reason alone. Welcome Carmen, to the political games. Ready or not, fight you must.

The way this book is written, Carmen is very easy to understand. Her narrative is very detailed. She was an instant hit with me, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Due to the deep narrative, the plot is slower, but it pays off. All the intricate lines placed out by the author come together epically in the end, with a promise for more. Even with a cliffhanger I enjoyed the experience and already want the second!

This was my first dive into Daniela A. Mera's work, and she has me hooked!