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shaipanda's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Ok this book is bat shit insaneeee - I absolutely loved it but definitely did not expect exactly how dark it is so keep that I mind if you read this. However despite that, I really loved Kenna and this was a superrr engaging book. Despite it being darker than I tend to prefer I’ll almost definitely read the sequel when it comes out cause omg so well doneee :)
However I will say I personally didn’t give it a 5 star because of how unlikeable pretty much every character is at various parts of the story (including Kenna occasionally lol) and I tend to prefer to at least somewhat like the characters I’m reading about
Oh also reallyyyy look at the trigger warnings fr cause this book is insanely dark and has no issues killing off characters
However I will say I personally didn’t give it a 5 star because of how unlikeable pretty much every character is at various parts of the story (including Kenna occasionally lol) and I tend to prefer to at least somewhat like the characters I’m reading about
Oh also reallyyyy look at the trigger warnings fr cause this book is insanely dark and has no issues killing off characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Cannibalism, and War
Minor: Toxic friendship
kingrosereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A high sci-fi fantasy new adult novel about a kickass black MC and political drama. Love it!!
I just want to note, that I saw somewhere that this book was labeled as YA, I’m here to tell you it most definitely is not! I learned the hard way as I stomached through the Accursed scenes. Also, check your trigger warnings, there’s a lot of violence and gore, racism, misogyny, bigotry, cannibalism, death, and you know, all the fun stuff my therapist will hear about later.
Can I just say, THANK YOU, Davenport. Thank you so much for writing a sci-fi fantasy that didn’t actively try to hurt my brain. The people have normal dialogue and the world building was explained is a beautiful way that still felt like I was reading about this fantastical world on another planet, without feeling like I wasn’t smart enough to understand and catch on fast enough.
This is likely the first 5 star rating I’ve given to a book where I genuinely don’t care about any shortcomings in the book, that’s how good it was.
The book follows Ikenna Amari, 19 year old recruit for a special warrior group called the Praetorians. The trials to becoming a Praetorian are gruesome and deadly, and Ikenna must overcome racism and misogyny (and attempts on her life) in addition to the shit tasks she and her fellow recruits are given. Ikenna is sort of a legacy Praetorian since her grandfather was one and he was essentially the general for The Republic of Mareen. Her grandfather was a war hero from the war against the Blood Empire (all of the people there are blood-gifted, and having blood-gifts in Mareen is punishable by death) and he eventually rose above the ranks despite the blatant racism and bigotry that was thrown at him for being half-Khanaian (a nation where the population is predominantly black).
Before Ikenna graduates from cadet school and can be recruited for the trials, her Grandfather dies suddenly. For three months, she grieves by drinking and getting into fight, and almost not graduating. That is until her grandfather’s friend and Tribunal member, Brock, tells her that her grandfather was murdered, and it was likely an ordered assassination by one of the other Tribunal members. She enters the trials to get close to the murder suspects so she can exact her revenge. She’s does this, while combating adversity, and also hiding the fact that she is blood-gifted. No one knows who Ikenna’s father is (her mother never told anyone his identity), but it’s clear he’s from the Blood Empire. There’s a lot of action, a bunch of weird creatures and old, vengeful gods, lots of disturbing events, some mystery, a little bit of heat, and a healthy dose of twists and betrayals.
There’s a good chunk of the book that’s just info dumping, but it’s spaced out between action scenes or dramatic ones in a way that you’re not totally bored or overwhelmed. It’s still a lot to take in, but it’s good shit and it is (mostly) relevant. I like that Ikenna is unapologetically herself and she’s not going to reel in her anger for the sake of decorum or “rising above it”. There were a few things that were just repeated too much (like the “I want my knife back…My knives” like the realization of two knives was mentioned too many times). But, it’s whatever in the end.
Ikenna struggles with her identity as Mareenian and the fact the country outright hates her for the color of her skin. I think the book does well in diving into the issue of fighting for a country that doesn’t respect or fight for you. And a country that does a lot of messed up shit. As well as what it’s like to be biracial and be white passing. Then there’s the experience of being a woman and being a black woman that’s shown in this book. Where Ikenna’s friend, Selene, is expected to be a wife and give heirs to her House, Ikenna’s experience is much more violent. Especially since Selene has the added protection of being basically royalty to keep her from actually dying in the trials. I think the range of Ikenna’s experience as a black woman in this mostly white nation of bigots, from microagressions to full-on attempts on her life, was written well and didn’t hold anything back. It’s difficult not seeing the parallels between Mareen and the US. The fact that Mareenians are outright racist and are visibly disgusted by Ikenna, her grandfather, and all Khanaians, while also adopting Khanaian fighting styles, aircraft, and technology was just…I don’t know how to describe the feeling…but the irony of it in this book and it being a thing in real life…
And I’m sorry, but this is a debut? A DEBUT?! Davenport, I hope you fix some things and make some tweaks, but you did it. This is such a great book! Bless you for making it a duology. My heart and brain can only take so many 5+ book series.
This is also probably the first time a 5-star book has taken me a week to complete. Because I needed to put this book down. Some scenes were too much (again, the Accursed scenes really disturbed me) and some had me so heated I needed a minute to cool down and just do something else or read a lighter book. Ikenna is 19 and she’s just had her entire world turned on its head, so she doesn’t make the best decisions, and she shouldn’t be expected to be perfect and avoid mistakes, she’s a human being and she’s NINETEEN!
I was suspicious of everyone and like Ikenna, I was ready to kill these characters on the spot, she showed so much restraint, I don’t know if I could in her shoes.
And can I just say, the friggin sexual tension in this book not only kind of came out of no where (in hindsight, it was like a sneaky, slow build), but it was friggin amazing. I loved it. Reed, my expectations for you were low and I had zero faith in you in the end scene, but you surprised me, and I love you. If Ikenna won’t have your babies, I will.
So yeah, go read the book. Learn some things and be entertained. Let me know when it’s April.
I just want to note, that I saw somewhere that this book was labeled as YA, I’m here to tell you it most definitely is not! I learned the hard way as I stomached through the Accursed scenes. Also, check your trigger warnings, there’s a lot of violence and gore, racism, misogyny, bigotry, cannibalism, death, and you know, all the fun stuff my therapist will hear about later.
Can I just say, THANK YOU, Davenport. Thank you so much for writing a sci-fi fantasy that didn’t actively try to hurt my brain. The people have normal dialogue and the world building was explained is a beautiful way that still felt like I was reading about this fantastical world on another planet, without feeling like I wasn’t smart enough to understand and catch on fast enough.
This is likely the first 5 star rating I’ve given to a book where I genuinely don’t care about any shortcomings in the book, that’s how good it was.
The book follows Ikenna Amari, 19 year old recruit for a special warrior group called the Praetorians. The trials to becoming a Praetorian are gruesome and deadly, and Ikenna must overcome racism and misogyny (and attempts on her life) in addition to the shit tasks she and her fellow recruits are given. Ikenna is sort of a legacy Praetorian since her grandfather was one and he was essentially the general for The Republic of Mareen. Her grandfather was a war hero from the war against the Blood Empire (all of the people there are blood-gifted, and having blood-gifts in Mareen is punishable by death) and he eventually rose above the ranks despite the blatant racism and bigotry that was thrown at him for being half-Khanaian (a nation where the population is predominantly black).
Before Ikenna graduates from cadet school and can be recruited for the trials, her Grandfather dies suddenly. For three months, she grieves by drinking and getting into fight, and almost not graduating. That is until her grandfather’s friend and Tribunal member, Brock, tells her that her grandfather was murdered, and it was likely an ordered assassination by one of the other Tribunal members. She enters the trials to get close to the murder suspects so she can exact her revenge. She’s does this, while combating adversity, and also hiding the fact that she is blood-gifted. No one knows who Ikenna’s father is (her mother never told anyone his identity), but it’s clear he’s from the Blood Empire. There’s a lot of action, a bunch of weird creatures and old, vengeful gods, lots of disturbing events, some mystery, a little bit of heat, and a healthy dose of twists and betrayals.
There’s a good chunk of the book that’s just info dumping, but it’s spaced out between action scenes or dramatic ones in a way that you’re not totally bored or overwhelmed. It’s still a lot to take in, but it’s good shit and it is (mostly) relevant. I like that Ikenna is unapologetically herself and she’s not going to reel in her anger for the sake of decorum or “rising above it”. There were a few things that were just repeated too much (like the “I want my knife back…My knives” like the realization of two knives was mentioned too many times). But, it’s whatever in the end.
Ikenna struggles with her identity as Mareenian and the fact the country outright hates her for the color of her skin. I think the book does well in diving into the issue of fighting for a country that doesn’t respect or fight for you. And a country that does a lot of messed up shit. As well as what it’s like to be biracial and be white passing. Then there’s the experience of being a woman and being a black woman that’s shown in this book. Where Ikenna’s friend, Selene, is expected to be a wife and give heirs to her House, Ikenna’s experience is much more violent. Especially since Selene has the added protection of being basically royalty to keep her from actually dying in the trials. I think the range of Ikenna’s experience as a black woman in this mostly white nation of bigots, from microagressions to full-on attempts on her life, was written well and didn’t hold anything back. It’s difficult not seeing the parallels between Mareen and the US. The fact that Mareenians are outright racist and are visibly disgusted by Ikenna, her grandfather, and all Khanaians, while also adopting Khanaian fighting styles, aircraft, and technology was just…I don’t know how to describe the feeling…but the irony of it in this book and it being a thing in real life…
And I’m sorry, but this is a debut? A DEBUT?! Davenport, I hope you fix some things and make some tweaks, but you did it. This is such a great book! Bless you for making it a duology. My heart and brain can only take so many 5+ book series.
This is also probably the first time a 5-star book has taken me a week to complete. Because I needed to put this book down. Some scenes were too much (again, the Accursed scenes really disturbed me) and some had me so heated I needed a minute to cool down and just do something else or read a lighter book. Ikenna is 19 and she’s just had her entire world turned on its head, so she doesn’t make the best decisions, and she shouldn’t be expected to be perfect and avoid mistakes, she’s a human being and she’s NINETEEN!
I was suspicious of everyone and like Ikenna, I was ready to kill these characters on the spot, she showed so much restraint, I don’t know if I could in her shoes.
And can I just say, the friggin sexual tension in this book not only kind of came out of no where (in hindsight, it was like a sneaky, slow build), but it was friggin amazing. I loved it. Reed, my expectations for you were low and I had zero faith in you in the end scene, but you surprised me, and I love you. If Ikenna won’t have your babies, I will.
So yeah, go read the book. Learn some things and be entertained. Let me know when it’s April.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, Vomit, and War
rebeccajost's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to B2 Weird Bookclub and Harper Voyager for an arc in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
4.5/5 Y’all this book took me on a ride.
This was so bloody, but I loved it all! The Blood Trials is an immersive, bloody military fantasy that follows Ikenna Amari. She has just graduated her training and is planning to take time off to grieve the loss of her beloved Grandfather. When she learns he was murdered, she decides to pledge to the Praetorians to find out who killed him. But she’ll only find out if she survives the fatal trial process.
There is so much action in this story, and a shit ton of graphic and violent content. I loved going on this journey with Ikenna. She was a character I enjoyed getting to know. She doesn’t have everything figured out, but she has a goal in mind and nothing will stop her from getting there.
The magic and world building was really well done. There are so many cool parts to the societies to explore and I cannot wait to learn more about them all in the sequel! I really hope we get to see more of the other countries besides Mareen, because I am so curious about them all. Especially Ikenna's friendship with the Crown Prince. I need more details Ikenna!
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Rep: Biracial Black cishet female MC, white cishet female side character, biracial cishet male side character, various Black male side characters.
CWs: Racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, violence, gore, blood, injury/injury detail, cursing, death, cannibalism, misogyny, sexual content (on page and discussions), classism, sexism, grief, war, bullying/hazing, torture, murder, death of grandparent/parent, gun violence, medical content. Moderate: vomit, alcohol, alcoholism, confinement, gaslighting, colonisation, genocide, abandonment.
4.5/5 Y’all this book took me on a ride.
This was so bloody, but I loved it all! The Blood Trials is an immersive, bloody military fantasy that follows Ikenna Amari. She has just graduated her training and is planning to take time off to grieve the loss of her beloved Grandfather. When she learns he was murdered, she decides to pledge to the Praetorians to find out who killed him. But she’ll only find out if she survives the fatal trial process.
There is so much action in this story, and a shit ton of graphic and violent content. I loved going on this journey with Ikenna. She was a character I enjoyed getting to know. She doesn’t have everything figured out, but she has a goal in mind and nothing will stop her from getting there.
The magic and world building was really well done. There are so many cool parts to the societies to explore and I cannot wait to learn more about them all in the sequel! I really hope we get to see more of the other countries besides Mareen, because I am so curious about them all. Especially Ikenna's friendship with the Crown Prince. I need more details Ikenna!
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Rep: Biracial Black cishet female MC, white cishet female side character, biracial cishet male side character, various Black male side characters.
CWs: Racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, violence, gore, blood, injury/injury detail, cursing, death, cannibalism, misogyny, sexual content (on page and discussions), classism, sexism, grief, war, bullying/hazing, torture, murder, death of grandparent/parent, gun violence, medical content. Moderate: vomit, alcohol, alcoholism, confinement, gaslighting, colonisation, genocide, abandonment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Genocide, Vomit, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mikayreadsandwrites's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Classism