Name: Holly's review of The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport
Item: The Blood Trials
Rating: 5
Author: Holly

N. E. Davenport

Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport's fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior. It's all about blood. The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen's deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive. The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered. 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. Who trained her to keep that a secret. But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order. Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials--a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that--if found out--would subject her to execution...or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather...and then she needs to kill them. Mareen has been at peace for a long time... Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that. Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself--and one's blood--is more important than anything.

The Blood Trials

Sophia 

My grandfather believed in détente. He also believed the best way to strike down an enemy was for them to never see you coming when you launched your assault. I don't believe in either. I want my enemies to see me coming, and I want them to tremble when they do. I want them to shit themselves while I cut them down, gut them, then carve them apart. 

We are forged by adversity. We are tempered in perseverance. 

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

HOW DOES THIS NOT HAVE MORE READS???? Genuinely astounded. This is so good, it goes places other fantasy books with similar presences do not go. Some of the world-building is shaky and a bit cloudy/confusing, but with the more you read the easier it is to grasp. I would also say this is more new adult than young adult.

Ikenna is an absolute badass. She's also flawed, and I like that she's hotheaded, impulsive, and doesn't back down. Her resilience is commendable and I think she's incredibly complex. She shows a lot of growth, but I also think a lot of other characters show growth as well, which I think can often get lost in other books. Several characters have some big changes and I am glad to see that growth. 

The pacing is a little slow at first, but once the Trials start, they Start™. One of the twists is kind of obvious, but I think that the details of it are well executed and are shocking. I won't say more because spoilers. Speaking of, TW in spoilers:

racism, sexism, gore, violence, death, murder, body horror(?), cannibalism (?), mentions of slavery, death of a parent/parental figure, griefI think that covers most of the major ones.

I loved this book and I will not stop thinking about it for the foreseeable future

Holly

HOW DOES THIS NOT HAVE MORE READS???? Genuinely astounded. This is so good, it goes places other fantasy books with similar presences do not go. Some of the world-building is shaky and a bit cloudy/confusing, but with the more you read the easier it is to grasp. I would also say this is more new adult than young adult.

Ikenna is an absolute badass. She's also flawed, and I like that she's hotheaded, impulsive, and doesn't back down. Her resilience is commendable and I think she's incredibly complex. She shows a lot of growth, but I also think a lot of other characters show growth as well, which I think can often get lost in other books. Several characters have some big changes and I am glad to see that growth. 

The pacing is a little slow at first, but once the Trials start, they Start™. One of the twists is kind of obvious, but I think that the details of it are well executed and are shocking. I won't say more because spoilers. Speaking of, TW in spoilers:

racism, sexism, gore, violence, death, murder, body horror(?), cannibalism (?), mentions of slavery, death of a parent/parental figure, griefI think that covers most of the major ones.

I loved this book and I will not stop thinking about it for the foreseeable future

I feel conflicted about this book. I liked the premise of it - sort of a mix of Hunger Games x Roman Empire x Star Wars vibes. A blend of sci-fi and fantasy. 

What lost me was the amount of violence in every single scene. Ikenna escalates every interaction to the point where her character felt flat. It was the same one note of fighting to the death. I also felt like her backstory and overall world building was lacking. The pace of the book felt rushed, cramming too many plot developments into one book. It didn’t work for me. 

Despite that, I did finish the book, because I truly did enjoy what the author was trying to accomplish with the story. I just felt like the vision wasn’t executed well. It’s a 50/50 chance if I’ll read the sequel.

I feel conflicted about this book. I liked the premise of it - sort of a mix of Hunger Games x Roman Empire x Star Wars vibes. A blend of sci-fi and fantasy. 

What lost me was the amount of violence in every single scene. Ikenna escalates every interaction to the point where her character felt flat. It was the same one note of fighting to the death. I also felt like her backstory and overall world building was lacking. The pace of the book felt rushed, cramming too many plot developments into one book. It didn’t work for me. 

Despite that, I did finish the book, because I truly did enjoy what the author was trying to accomplish with the story. I just felt like the vision wasn’t executed well. It’s a 50/50 chance if I’ll read the sequel.

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ikenna is still grieving the loss of her grandfather, and considers taking a reprieve from their shared dream of her joining the elite Praetorian ranks, when she learns the life-altering news. Her grandfather, the former Legatus Commander and highest ranking official in the Republic of Mareen, didn't just die of a heart attack. He was assassinated. Most likely by his own Tribunal.

This information changes the trajectory of Ikenna's life, convincing her to pledge herself as a Praetorian aspirant to get close enough to those responsible for her grandfather's death. Though to become a full-fledged Praetorian, she'll have to face the deadliest trials in the Republic—all while hiding the deadly secret she's been harboring. 

-----

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I could not put it down. This is the perfect book for adults who grew up loving the Hunger Games and Divergent. Davenport brilliantly weaves together fantasy, science fiction, and dystopian themes in her debut novel. And boy are we blessed. 

The Blood Trials offers a compelling look at grief, war, race and ethnicity, the patriarchy, and classism in a book that is action-packed, gritty, and fun to read. Ikenna is a heroine who contains multitudes. She's loyal to a fault, fiercely empathetic, stubborn, deadly, and she's on a path for justice. 

The cast of side characters are also equally compelling. I love seeing many of the other Praetorians and aspirants grapple with what it means to be a soldier of the Republic. Does a good soldier blindly follow orders, or consider what's best for their nation?

I can already see this being one of the most talked-about books of 2022. Give it all the hype and love it deserves! I look forward to reading it again, as this was definitely an un-edited version. 

I might say more when it gets closer to release, because omg. So good you guys.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Blood Trials

Author: N.E. Davenport

Book Series: The Blood Gift Book 1

Rating: 3.5/5

Diversity: Black MC, Biracial side character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi, fantasy, revenge

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Sci-fi

Age Relevance: 16+ (alcohol consumption, violence, torture, gore, death, language, racism, misogyny)

Explanation of Above: The book has a lot of violence, including torture, and gore in the book, especially blood and vomiting. The book shows alcohol consumption and mentions death. There is a lot of cursing in the book as well as racism and misogyny shown.

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 448

Synopsis: It's all about blood.

The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen's deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.

The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.

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.

Who trained her to keep that a secret.

But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials--a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that--if found out--would subject her to execution...or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather...and then she needs to kill them.

Mareen has been at peace for a long time...

Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.

Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself--and one's blood--is more important than anything.

Review: Overall, this was a good book. I love a good revenge-seeking book and this one had it locked down! I loved how the action kept rolling in the book and the book blended fantasy magic elements with sci-fi. The book had well written characters and the world building was amazingly well done as well. I flew through the book and liked it well enough.

However, the beginning of the book is super confusing and it immediately jumps into the story with little backstory. I feel like some of that backstory is in the synopsis, which is unfortunate. And while the action was rolling continuously in the book, I felt like there was a lot of slow moments.

Verdict: It was good!


Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport

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Join the club

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport