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ebbi_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book. The world is colorful, rich, and brutal. I feel like I was never really able to settle into the story and that maybe it would have been served by slower pacing and an extra 100 pages so that the plot and relationships between the characters could develop.
karenaparker's review against another edition
4.0
Many thanks to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Ehigbor Okosun for allowing me to review this book. Slight spoilers ahead!
FORGED BY BLOOD is exactly what its back cover copy says it is. It’s a classic YA tale and the first book in an “action-packed” duology that features a badass female protag; destined lovers inside a love triangle; Nigerian-inspired magic; youth rebelling against established political systems; and even a masquerade ball in its third act, to name a few things. Its characters, setting, style, and thematic resonance were all on point, and I enjoyed being inside Demi’s head while she struggled to decide tearing Jonas, the white-coded prince, to pieces or letting her feelings for her in childhood get to her.
What prevented me from rating is as a perfect 5/5 was its pacing. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with it being action-packed or adventurous, but for a book with a world of this size and scale, where we are introduced to its gods and kings all in one book, some slower beats might have helped space things out. To me, when I read it, it felt like I was in a car ride, and Okosun was taking me along. The beautiful scenery brushed past me, and I wished we had taken our time to enjoy it. I also wished that more inspiration from Nigerian culture was taken instead of just its mythos and food customs. Again, nothing wrong with a YA fantasy with Nigerian-inspired elements. I just like my fiction to go a little harder, you know?
Anyway, a debut fantasy novel is no small feat to write, and I applaud Okosun for the magnificent effort she took at crafting what will no doubt become a classic. I eagerly look forward to the second book in the duology and her future works as a writer partly out of enjoyment as a reader and as further inspiration for me as a writer.
FORGED BY BLOOD is exactly what its back cover copy says it is. It’s a classic YA tale and the first book in an “action-packed” duology that features a badass female protag; destined lovers inside a love triangle; Nigerian-inspired magic; youth rebelling against established political systems; and even a masquerade ball in its third act, to name a few things. Its characters, setting, style, and thematic resonance were all on point, and I enjoyed being inside Demi’s head while she struggled to decide tearing Jonas, the white-coded prince, to pieces or letting her feelings for her in childhood get to her.
What prevented me from rating is as a perfect 5/5 was its pacing. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with it being action-packed or adventurous, but for a book with a world of this size and scale, where we are introduced to its gods and kings all in one book, some slower beats might have helped space things out. To me, when I read it, it felt like I was in a car ride, and Okosun was taking me along. The beautiful scenery brushed past me, and I wished we had taken our time to enjoy it. I also wished that more inspiration from Nigerian culture was taken instead of just its mythos and food customs. Again, nothing wrong with a YA fantasy with Nigerian-inspired elements. I just like my fiction to go a little harder, you know?
Anyway, a debut fantasy novel is no small feat to write, and I applaud Okosun for the magnificent effort she took at crafting what will no doubt become a classic. I eagerly look forward to the second book in the duology and her future works as a writer partly out of enjoyment as a reader and as further inspiration for me as a writer.
tjkhappy's review against another edition
5.0
Forged By Blood gets all the love from me! I absolutely loved it! From beginning to end, you’re immersed in a world of magic and adventure with a bit of romance. The writing is excellent and the story engaging. There are so many things going on in the book, literally never a dull moment…I had a hard time putting it down.
Demi is a young woman filled with magic and a lot of questions. She and her best friend Colin go on a quest to kidnap the King’s nephew Jonas for the sake of helping their people. From there more questions arise and the truth slowly begins to unfold.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request to read such a good book. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the second book.
Demi is a young woman filled with magic and a lot of questions. She and her best friend Colin go on a quest to kidnap the King’s nephew Jonas for the sake of helping their people. From there more questions arise and the truth slowly begins to unfold.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request to read such a good book. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the second book.
thescarletraven's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
3.5
ronim_reads's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.5
It was my first book with elements of Nigerian mythology. I can say it is definitely an original read with magic which is forbidden and a lot of politics. main characters likeable. beginning of the book a bit confusing but later on everything makes sense. highly recommend and can't wait to read second book which is Exciled by Iron.
lyss_life_books's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and was instantly intrigued.
The world and magic concepts are both unique and I wanted to love the book but I really struggled with the names and info dumping that happened. It seems like a lot of people are known as 1-2 different names but I might have just gotten confused.
I think a glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book would help a lot.
A lot of fantasy books will have different languages in them but I didn’t think it added anything to this story to have it thrown in there.
If those were added I think this could be a 4 star for me but it was a little too long and a little too confusing as it currently stands. Also, spelling errors and typos don’t typically bother me in an ARC but this book had more and more errors throughout that became distracting.
Rating: 3/5 stars
The world and magic concepts are both unique and I wanted to love the book but I really struggled with the names and info dumping that happened. It seems like a lot of people are known as 1-2 different names but I might have just gotten confused.
I think a glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book would help a lot.
A lot of fantasy books will have different languages in them but I didn’t think it added anything to this story to have it thrown in there.
If those were added I think this could be a 4 star for me but it was a little too long and a little too confusing as it currently stands. Also, spelling errors and typos don’t typically bother me in an ARC but this book had more and more errors throughout that became distracting.
Rating: 3/5 stars
niseyrae's review against another edition
3.0
There were entirely too many characters and I truly couldn’t keep up with names vs cities. I may try it again but a hard copy so I can reference back.
kotareadsbooks's review
3.0
So i like the main couple but im definitely confused about how some of the things turned out. No hate for the book, it was interesting, but i won’t be continuing the series. It was really cool though. Just too hard for me to follow for some reason.
readwithjuna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5