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daychaser's review
3.0
3.5/5
Overall a pretty solid fantasy vampire romance, if that's what you're in to. There was enough angst and spiciness to keep you entertained.
The main character, Seri was not meek or grating, which I appreciated. The central conflict came from the fact that she is from an oppressed group, the Vidari, and she basically struggles with her love for the prince of her enemies, and being loyal to her people. I think in certain ways the plot moved the characters instead of the characters moving the plot.
The ending wrapped up a bit too nicely and was a little cheesy, but let's face it, we're here for the romance not the politics so it's not a big deal. One thing I thought was a bit strange was that the prince really seemed to have no clue about the suffering of her people- for being such a good guy and for those lands to be his you kinda think he'd be a bit more in tune to that sort of stuff.
Anyway, it was a solid and enjoyable read.
Overall a pretty solid fantasy vampire romance, if that's what you're in to. There was enough angst and spiciness to keep you entertained.
The main character, Seri was not meek or grating, which I appreciated. The central conflict came from the fact that she is from an oppressed group, the Vidari, and she basically struggles with her love for the prince of her enemies, and being loyal to her people. I think in certain ways the plot moved the characters instead of the characters moving the plot.
The ending wrapped up a bit too nicely and was a little cheesy, but let's face it, we're here for the romance not the politics so it's not a big deal. One thing I thought was a bit strange was that the prince really seemed to have no clue about the suffering of her people- for being such a good guy and for those lands to be his you kinda think he'd be a bit more in tune to that sort of stuff.
Anyway, it was a solid and enjoyable read.
b00kr3vi3ws's review
4.0
Seri is a simple Vidari goose girl. All she cares about is taking care of her family and getting married to Rilen in the spring. But when the Athonite court arrives, and Seri is given an opportunity to work for an Athonite noblewoman, she goes into the enemy’s castle to earn some money and to spy on the Prince. She soon finds out that the curse of The Blood is real and that the reigning royals are literal monsters who live on blood. When a twist of fate lands Seri and Prince Graeme together – bonds are forged, loyalties are tested and they each have to find a way to make things work.
I liked Seri from the beginning. She comes across this normal village girl who works hard to take care of her family. Her world revolves around her father, sister and her love interest, Rilen. She is pretty much resigned to the life that has been dealt to her. Later in the book though, I was really mad at Seri when she had the chance to get her parents out and up to the castle for a better life, she really dragged her feet. Her father had been sick and could have had a cure and medicines, yet she really did not do much to get them there. She did send for them, though a bit late, but never really followed up on it. It just did not feel right to me that she was enjoying the grandeur of the castle while her family was left behind. Rilen on the other hand came off as a really good guy in the beginning. He seemed to care for Seri and even gave up his daily earning to make sure she and her family had enough food. He also seemed to be an idealistic, who wanted to fight for his freedom from the oppression of the Athonites. But his ideas and fight for freedom took him down the wrong path… I really stopped liking Rilen when he sent Seri back to the castle. Prince Graeme made an ‘okay’ impression on me. He could do more… really more if he wanted to. But I guess after growing up under the expectations, he needed time. I also liked Prince Graeme’s sister, she is such a darling. I wish she had a bigger role to play.
The world building was fascinating. The concept of Athonites and Vidari and their difference in cultures was interesting. Also the concept of mortal and immortals were handles in a different manner. The book has Vampires, yet the word Vampire was never used. I would have liked more details and more history though… Like about the rest of Graeme’s family and even more about Graeme before he came to the Vidari lands. Also, I do understand the author’s need to explore the bond between the two main characters, but I sure wish there was less sex and more talking between the two.
I do not know if there is going to be a sequel, (there is no mention and this book works as a standalone with an acceptable ending) but I hope for more. I would like to know more about how Graeme and Seri end up ruling their people and about Seri’s daughters. I am left wanting more…
I liked Seri from the beginning. She comes across this normal village girl who works hard to take care of her family. Her world revolves around her father, sister and her love interest, Rilen. She is pretty much resigned to the life that has been dealt to her. Later in the book though, I was really mad at Seri when she had the chance to get her parents out and up to the castle for a better life, she really dragged her feet. Her father had been sick and could have had a cure and medicines, yet she really did not do much to get them there. She did send for them, though a bit late, but never really followed up on it. It just did not feel right to me that she was enjoying the grandeur of the castle while her family was left behind. Rilen on the other hand came off as a really good guy in the beginning. He seemed to care for Seri and even gave up his daily earning to make sure she and her family had enough food. He also seemed to be an idealistic, who wanted to fight for his freedom from the oppression of the Athonites. But his ideas and fight for freedom took him down the wrong path… I really stopped liking Rilen when he sent Seri back to the castle. Prince Graeme made an ‘okay’ impression on me. He could do more… really more if he wanted to. But I guess after growing up under the expectations, he needed time. I also liked Prince Graeme’s sister, she is such a darling. I wish she had a bigger role to play.
The world building was fascinating. The concept of Athonites and Vidari and their difference in cultures was interesting. Also the concept of mortal and immortals were handles in a different manner. The book has Vampires, yet the word Vampire was never used. I would have liked more details and more history though… Like about the rest of Graeme’s family and even more about Graeme before he came to the Vidari lands. Also, I do understand the author’s need to explore the bond between the two main characters, but I sure wish there was less sex and more talking between the two.
I do not know if there is going to be a sequel, (there is no mention and this book works as a standalone with an acceptable ending) but I hope for more. I would like to know more about how Graeme and Seri end up ruling their people and about Seri’s daughters. I am left wanting more…
caresreading's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
withherheadinabook's review
2.0
Originally posted on my blog With Her Head in a Book.
Thank you Netgalley and Jill Myles for this ARC edition of Queen of Blood.
Thousands of years ago, the daughter of a ruthless king swore to devote her life to the Goddess against her father’s command. In the king’s rage, he took revenge on all the priests and priestesses in his kingdom, including his daughter, for being traitors. The Goddess became outraged and cursed the king and his lineage. He would never again conceive a daughter and all of his sons would be as cursed as him, unable to thrive underneath the sun and compelled by a powerful thirst for blood. The spell will only be broken if an Eterna is found, but people are beginning to believe they are a myth.
Queen of Blood is a novel dipped with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Goose Girl references. Seri is a Vidari young woman scrambling to make ends meet as a goose girl. With her father frightfully ill and her sister blind, she is left to tend to their farm on her own. When possible her husband-to-be, Rilen, lends a hand, but he’s more caught up in the rebellion against the Athonite which has only grown in size as Prince Graeme of Athon recently moved into the nearby Vidari castle.
The best part of the novel is the world building which shows best in the very different cultural expectations of the Vidari and Athonite. The two countries are severely divided by their cultures. Rumors fly and create wicked stereotypes. For example, the Vidari are said to be wild savages. The women must be whores because their knees and necks are clearly visible. Some even say Prince Graeme is one of the Blood, a group of men that survive by sucking on blood, avoid the sun, and all around resemble a vampire, but you’ll never see mention of such in the novel.
Of course, Seri and Graeme fall in love, Their relationship isn’t exactly healthy, but their sex life sure is! They don’t talk about their issues, but instead rough it out over the bed. Romance is the number one aspect of the novel despite other plot elements screaming with potential. The rebellion and soon-to-arrive King of Athon (and evil dictator) are both heavily neglected. Pure romances are perfectly acceptable, but I expected a bit more since the rebellion was made out to be an important issue and ultimately wasn’t.
It’s a quick read. Without realizing what I was doing, I was done with the book in a day. There are no twists. Each moment that is supposed to be an unexpected development is very cliche and mimics earlier scenes. The novel also suffers from “saying the wrong thing at the wrong time repeatedly for plot development.” Again, there were some very interesting aspects to the story that could have made up for the weak plot devices, but unfortunately the author didn’t take advantage of her story’s strengths. The use of two points of view doesn’t exactly add to the story either, but there aren’t too many chapters where we see from Graeme’s side of things so his POV isn’t distracting. It would have been good if his chapters included information about his family and life before coming to the castle.
The ending is also very abrupt and not very satisfying. It left me wanting to know more about how the events smoothed out. I wanted reassurances for the future more detailed than the epilogue. What about their daughters? How does the world change by their union? And the King wasn’t even a jerk! I was expecting something on the level of King of Adarlan from Throne of Glass. He’s had thousands of years to hone his evilness, which he is said to have, but in actuality, he’s all bark and no bite (with some evil laughter).
The idea of Queen of Blood is truly exciting. I couldn’t wait to pick up the novel. It has it’s fair share of issues, but was an enjoyable read. All things considered, I would recommend this for those that enjoyed The Selection, another novel that I truly wanted to like but couldn’t (even though I read every single novel and novella as quick as I humanly could). So if you liked the rebellion and royal romance of The Selection and want to add a dash of steamy sex scenes, pick up Queen of Blood.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
All Around Idea: 4/5
Final Score: 2/5
Thank you Netgalley and Jill Myles for this ARC edition of Queen of Blood.
Thousands of years ago, the daughter of a ruthless king swore to devote her life to the Goddess against her father’s command. In the king’s rage, he took revenge on all the priests and priestesses in his kingdom, including his daughter, for being traitors. The Goddess became outraged and cursed the king and his lineage. He would never again conceive a daughter and all of his sons would be as cursed as him, unable to thrive underneath the sun and compelled by a powerful thirst for blood. The spell will only be broken if an Eterna is found, but people are beginning to believe they are a myth.
Queen of Blood is a novel dipped with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Goose Girl references. Seri is a Vidari young woman scrambling to make ends meet as a goose girl. With her father frightfully ill and her sister blind, she is left to tend to their farm on her own. When possible her husband-to-be, Rilen, lends a hand, but he’s more caught up in the rebellion against the Athonite which has only grown in size as Prince Graeme of Athon recently moved into the nearby Vidari castle.
The best part of the novel is the world building which shows best in the very different cultural expectations of the Vidari and Athonite. The two countries are severely divided by their cultures. Rumors fly and create wicked stereotypes. For example, the Vidari are said to be wild savages. The women must be whores because their knees and necks are clearly visible. Some even say Prince Graeme is one of the Blood, a group of men that survive by sucking on blood, avoid the sun, and all around resemble a vampire, but you’ll never see mention of such in the novel.
Of course, Seri and Graeme fall in love, Their relationship isn’t exactly healthy, but their sex life sure is! They don’t talk about their issues, but instead rough it out over the bed. Romance is the number one aspect of the novel despite other plot elements screaming with potential. The rebellion and soon-to-arrive King of Athon (and evil dictator) are both heavily neglected. Pure romances are perfectly acceptable, but I expected a bit more since the rebellion was made out to be an important issue and ultimately wasn’t.
It’s a quick read. Without realizing what I was doing, I was done with the book in a day. There are no twists. Each moment that is supposed to be an unexpected development is very cliche and mimics earlier scenes. The novel also suffers from “saying the wrong thing at the wrong time repeatedly for plot development.” Again, there were some very interesting aspects to the story that could have made up for the weak plot devices, but unfortunately the author didn’t take advantage of her story’s strengths. The use of two points of view doesn’t exactly add to the story either, but there aren’t too many chapters where we see from Graeme’s side of things so his POV isn’t distracting. It would have been good if his chapters included information about his family and life before coming to the castle.
The ending is also very abrupt and not very satisfying. It left me wanting to know more about how the events smoothed out. I wanted reassurances for the future more detailed than the epilogue. What about their daughters? How does the world change by their union? And
The idea of Queen of Blood is truly exciting. I couldn’t wait to pick up the novel. It has it’s fair share of issues, but was an enjoyable read. All things considered, I would recommend this for those that enjoyed The Selection, another novel that I truly wanted to like but couldn’t (even though I read every single novel and novella as quick as I humanly could). So if you liked the rebellion and royal romance of The Selection and want to add a dash of steamy sex scenes, pick up Queen of Blood.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
All Around Idea: 4/5
Final Score: 2/5
bluekaren's review
4.0
I haven’t read a good vampire romance in a while. Queen of Blood was much better than I dared to hope. It was about a prince and a princess who must choose between their desires and their loyalty.
I enjoyed the fact that these people come from very different backgrounds. Despite Seri being a “savage” from the tribe of Vidari, she is fiercely proud of her heritage. Her people have been enslaved for a hundred years to a cursed people called the Athonites. They really brought the curse down upon themselves by being so terrible to the daughters of the Goddess. She cursed them until someone actually worthy would find love in a person called an Eterna. The Eterna is chosen by the Goddess. Those that don’t find their Eterna are doomed to wander forever in the dark, with a hunger that won’t be quenched. All of the Athonites are cursed until they can find a leader worthy of an Eterna.
My description sounds really technical and a bit boring, but this book was anything but boring. The differences between the Vidari and the Athonites was so profound. The Athonites are in power. They have royalty, money, and only one God(dess). The Vidari are poor, enslaved to the Athonites, and they worship four Gods. The Vidari are enslaved near a Athonite ruin of a castle, happy to be far away from the kingdom, but not far enough to be free. When the Athonite Prince decides to take up residence in the ruined castle to keep a closer eye on the Vidari, these two cultures clash.
Seri and Graeme are magical together. From a chance meeting in town to the choosing ceremony, those two have no idea that the Goddess means for them to break the curse. At first, they really don’t like each other. Graeme is royalty and Seri bows to no man. Graeme and his family are of the blood. The author was careful not to use the word vampire throughout the story. These blood are immortal and insatiable. They choose partners based on their ability to satisfy the hunger, but the thirst is never really quenched. Seri and Graeme have this undeniable attraction that just makes them need each other. The Goddess made them choose each other, but it won’t be easy.
I loved that Seri didn’t give in to her desires. In this story, she fights tooth and nail to not succumb to her instant attraction. To her it doesn’t make sense. The goddess that set that desire in motion was not hers and so she needed a lot of convincing. I felt like these two were very different but they both wanted the same things. Unfortunately for them they must either betray their desires, or betray their own people.
I have to mention that there were some sex scenes. (oh my gosh, my virgin imagination) This is not a YA paranormal romance. I really enjoyed a more mature look at lust with vampires (yaas please!), but the scenes were honestly tame enough. This isn’t erotica at all.
I think the characters were well developed, even if the world they were living in wasn’t. The rules for both cultures was well laid out as well. And hey, VAMPIRES! Even though to me it didn’t make sense that the Athonites were so frightened of the Vidari. They really didn’t want to get their hands dirty with those savages. The author did a fantastic job of translating the frustration and wants of the characters, but I would have liked to see more of the terrain. That’s just me. Except for the world building, this was a great read. I devoured it in two days. I would definitely like to see more from this author.
jessicabeckett's review
4.0
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As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. You can find my full review of QUEEN OF BLOOD here on BOOKED J's Blogspot location.
I’ve found my newest book love and obsession. That’s the only thing I can start my review with because realistically speaking, that’s my first thought. Queen of Blood (previously released as Betrothed) is consuming me right now and has left me with a massive book hangover.
I'm just -- it was so good.
Initially, my first thought upon seeing Alloy Entertainment’s newest fantasy-romance-paranormal novel was “WOW! This is gonna be excellent!” because the summary alone blew my fucking mind. Excuse my language, but I’m serious: it blew my fucking mind. And unsurprisingly, I was intrigued and ready to dive into this promising novel.
There’s so much intrigue in the summary for Queen of Blood that will make readers wonder if the novel itself can live up to all it promises. And I’m happy to say that yes, it most certainly can, in all its magical and intriguing young adult glory. Alloy has, once again, published an incredibly fun and fast paced story that will leave readers scrambling for an adaption or a sequel.
Like, pronto.
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. You can find my full review of QUEEN OF BLOOD here on BOOKED J's Blogspot location.
I’ve found my newest book love and obsession. That’s the only thing I can start my review with because realistically speaking, that’s my first thought. Queen of Blood (previously released as Betrothed) is consuming me right now and has left me with a massive book hangover.
I'm just -- it was so good.
Initially, my first thought upon seeing Alloy Entertainment’s newest fantasy-romance-paranormal novel was “WOW! This is gonna be excellent!” because the summary alone blew my fucking mind. Excuse my language, but I’m serious: it blew my fucking mind. And unsurprisingly, I was intrigued and ready to dive into this promising novel.
There’s so much intrigue in the summary for Queen of Blood that will make readers wonder if the novel itself can live up to all it promises. And I’m happy to say that yes, it most certainly can, in all its magical and intriguing young adult glory. Alloy has, once again, published an incredibly fun and fast paced story that will leave readers scrambling for an adaption or a sequel.
Like, pronto.
arireavis's review
4.0
*Received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
This book was soooo good. Great pace and romance. At first I was concerned there would be a love triangle from the blurb, but there wasn't. Just one loser, who showed his true colors in the end, and a prince Seri and I both grew to love. Plus, he bites your neck.. what girl doesn't love that? I loved how strong and proud Seri was, no matter how others looked at her. She made some not to smart decisions at times in the book, but they were with good intentions, so I can't fault her much for them. And Prince Graeme... well, well. Although he tried to seem cold at times in the book, his heart and kindness always shined through his façade. There wasn't anything left unanswered, but I hope there's a book 2 just to show what happens between Seri and Graeme and what happens with the Vidari lands.
This book was soooo good. Great pace and romance. At first I was concerned there would be a love triangle from the blurb, but there wasn't. Just one loser, who showed his true colors in the end, and a prince Seri and I both grew to love. Plus, he bites your neck.. what girl doesn't love that? I loved how strong and proud Seri was, no matter how others looked at her. She made some not to smart decisions at times in the book, but they were with good intentions, so I can't fault her much for them. And Prince Graeme... well, well. Although he tried to seem cold at times in the book, his heart and kindness always shined through his façade. There wasn't anything left unanswered, but I hope there's a book 2 just to show what happens between Seri and Graeme and what happens with the Vidari lands.
jacattack13's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
What a interesting read. Saw this while flipping through Netgalley and I didn't even need to be approved! LOVE IT!
This story follows Seri, a Vidari girl whose people have been conquered by the Athonites 100 years ago. A new Athonite Prince has moved into the run down castle and skirmished have put everybody on edge. All Seri cares about though is marrying her childhood sweetheart, Rilen and taking care of her sick father and blind sister. While trying to sell wares at the Night Market one of the Athonite high class lady wanted Seri as her wild and savage handmaiden to use to impress the Prince. Seri says yes because of the money but that is only when her troubles began. Meeting the prince, Seri never thought much beyond getting her money but when a white light surrounds her everything begins to change.
Things I liked:
Seri was a great character. She started out as naive and maybe just a tad bit too much but she had spunk and a temper that I connected with really well. I was so in tuned to what she was going to say next and how she was going to act. (don't know if that's because it was predictable or because I just really connected with her)
The pacing was great. No slow parts and I liked how it switched POVs when the time was right. It wasn't throughout the whole novel where one was alternatively speaking, it was just when it was needed and I really liked that a lot.
The backstory was really interesting and a new take on the whole vampire thing and it didn't take away from the story. It was more of an afterthought and though I wish for more history of the Prince, it was a good start.
The steamy scenes were awesome! ;) *wink*
Things I didn't like:
I wish for more of a world setting. The descriptions were great but I wanted more about the whole world and its inhabitants.
I felt like this could have been so much more in the sense that it felt a little rushed at the end. A second book would have been nice.
What a interesting read. Saw this while flipping through Netgalley and I didn't even need to be approved! LOVE IT!
This story follows Seri, a Vidari girl whose people have been conquered by the Athonites 100 years ago. A new Athonite Prince has moved into the run down castle and skirmished have put everybody on edge. All Seri cares about though is marrying her childhood sweetheart, Rilen and taking care of her sick father and blind sister. While trying to sell wares at the Night Market one of the Athonite high class lady wanted Seri as her wild and savage handmaiden to use to impress the Prince. Seri says yes because of the money but that is only when her troubles began. Meeting the prince, Seri never thought much beyond getting her money but when a white light surrounds her everything begins to change.
Things I liked:
Seri was a great character. She started out as naive and maybe just a tad bit too much but she had spunk and a temper that I connected with really well. I was so in tuned to what she was going to say next and how she was going to act. (don't know if that's because it was predictable or because I just really connected with her)
The pacing was great. No slow parts and I liked how it switched POVs when the time was right. It wasn't throughout the whole novel where one was alternatively speaking, it was just when it was needed and I really liked that a lot.
The backstory was really interesting and a new take on the whole vampire thing and it didn't take away from the story. It was more of an afterthought and though I wish for more history of the Prince, it was a good start.
The steamy scenes were awesome! ;) *wink*
Things I didn't like:
I wish for more of a world setting. The descriptions were great but I wanted more about the whole world and its inhabitants.
I felt like this could have been so much more in the sense that it felt a little rushed at the end. A second book would have been nice.
josie's review
3.0
This book started off SO GOOD, just the kind of cliches that I like. I enjoyed the idea of the curse, the world that was built, and the characters involved. Where this book fell short was pacing. Dear god the last 40% of the book DRAGGED and it felt like it was going absolutely nowhere. For a 290 page book it shouldn't have felt so long, this could have been 100 pages shorter and I probably would have loved it. Also the amount of times the word "Vidari" appears is too many. WE GET IT YA'LL ARE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES MOVE ON. Once the issues of MC's differences in heritage was solved it would then immediately be unsolved and this would repeat itself over and over again to give the book length (which was unnecessary). Could've been great, was just so-so.