danicapage's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a bit confused to see a reviewer marked this as a mature read. It felt very much like a tame YA novel to me. There are hints and suggestions that sex has occurred but just that. And that’s not a mature read.
Content warnings: some violence, some tame references to sexual scenes
This book presents complicated questions of morality. The characters are neither all good nor all bad. But an interesting mix and blend.
I find it to be intriguing. I agree with others that things feel rushed at times. You’re not given much time to process what has happened before you’re propelled to the next scene.
I also find it interesting as others have said that two of the major tension points have already been resolved, so now I’m curious what the third book will bring.
Content warnings: some violence, some tame references to sexual scenes
This book presents complicated questions of morality. The characters are neither all good nor all bad. But an interesting mix and blend.
I find it to be intriguing. I agree with others that things feel rushed at times. You’re not given much time to process what has happened before you’re propelled to the next scene.
I also find it interesting as others have said that two of the major tension points have already been resolved, so now I’m curious what the third book will bring.
whatsarahread's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Passage picks up right where Exquisite Captive left off, and I was so thrilled to discover that I loved the second book just as much as I loved the first. I went into Blood Passage with a healthy dose of reality. I’ll admit it, there have been many times where I have been seriously underwhelmed by a second book in series, and I always get a little nervous when I start in on a sequel to a book I love so much. Imagine my excitement when I ended up absolutely loving Blood Passage.
In book two we find that Nalia is still trying to uncover her destiny. She knows she is meant for so much more, but the how and why of getting there is still a mystery at the beginning of Blood Passage. I can’t tell you how thought-provoking and engrossing it was to watch as Nalia’s understanding of the world around her grew, and how she could use her own “power” to affect change that she desperately wants to see brought to her world. I was cheering for Nalia throughout this whole book and was in awe of how Demetrios managed to not only grow her as a character, but also take the entire story to the next level. Nalia spends so much of book one being driven by her pain and anguish. I felt like book two gave me a Nalia that was starting to discover how she could channel her pain and form it into a fierce and determined cause. It was such a great feeling as a reader to see so much growth from an already complex character. Basically, what I’m trying to say is…TEAM NALIA!
But, that doesn’t mean I’m not Team Raif as well. I fell for him HARD in Exquisite Captive, and Blood Passage only further deepened that obsession. His devotion and dedication for Nalia, and their shared cause, is so evident and he literally BROKE.MY.HEART at one (or two, or more) points in this book, when their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Raif’s bravery, determination and focus brought so much to the story and provided a constant for me to come back to when things started getting intense and overwhelming.
We also learn more about Malek in Blood Passage, what drives him, what made him and ultimately, what haunts him. It was an intense reading experience to go through some of his past and I will say that even though he is a perfect example of every person having a story, I still had a hard time with so many of the things he did. Interestingly enough, his type of character is the kind I find most fascinating in so many books I love, and Blood Passage was no exception. Learning about him was difficult and so much of it isn’t pretty, but give me the opportunity to understand WHY a bad guy is the way he is, and I’m a happy reader.
As usual, with Demetrios, the writing is gorgeous and cinematic, and I was swept away into the vast beauty of the Moroccan desert that acts as the stunning backdrop to this book. Heather actually travelled to Morocco to research for Blood Passage, and it was so clearly evident how much research and passion went in to Demetrios’ writing and I applaud her for dedicating herself so much to getting that aspect of the story right, along with everything else she wanted to accomplish with this book.
The precise detail, inspiring character growth and absolutely gorgeous writing perfectly combine in ‘BLOOD PASSAGE’ to continue the epic journey of Nalia and her quest to shatter the bonds that enslaved her.
In book two we find that Nalia is still trying to uncover her destiny. She knows she is meant for so much more, but the how and why of getting there is still a mystery at the beginning of Blood Passage. I can’t tell you how thought-provoking and engrossing it was to watch as Nalia’s understanding of the world around her grew, and how she could use her own “power” to affect change that she desperately wants to see brought to her world. I was cheering for Nalia throughout this whole book and was in awe of how Demetrios managed to not only grow her as a character, but also take the entire story to the next level. Nalia spends so much of book one being driven by her pain and anguish. I felt like book two gave me a Nalia that was starting to discover how she could channel her pain and form it into a fierce and determined cause. It was such a great feeling as a reader to see so much growth from an already complex character. Basically, what I’m trying to say is…TEAM NALIA!
But, that doesn’t mean I’m not Team Raif as well. I fell for him HARD in Exquisite Captive, and Blood Passage only further deepened that obsession. His devotion and dedication for Nalia, and their shared cause, is so evident and he literally BROKE.MY.HEART at one (or two, or more) points in this book, when their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Raif’s bravery, determination and focus brought so much to the story and provided a constant for me to come back to when things started getting intense and overwhelming.
We also learn more about Malek in Blood Passage, what drives him, what made him and ultimately, what haunts him. It was an intense reading experience to go through some of his past and I will say that even though he is a perfect example of every person having a story, I still had a hard time with so many of the things he did. Interestingly enough, his type of character is the kind I find most fascinating in so many books I love, and Blood Passage was no exception. Learning about him was difficult and so much of it isn’t pretty, but give me the opportunity to understand WHY a bad guy is the way he is, and I’m a happy reader.
As usual, with Demetrios, the writing is gorgeous and cinematic, and I was swept away into the vast beauty of the Moroccan desert that acts as the stunning backdrop to this book. Heather actually travelled to Morocco to research for Blood Passage, and it was so clearly evident how much research and passion went in to Demetrios’ writing and I applaud her for dedicating herself so much to getting that aspect of the story right, along with everything else she wanted to accomplish with this book.
The precise detail, inspiring character growth and absolutely gorgeous writing perfectly combine in ‘BLOOD PASSAGE’ to continue the epic journey of Nalia and her quest to shatter the bonds that enslaved her.
rikuskey's review against another edition
3.0
It was a good read but also... Seriously, did you HAVE to kill off Malek? He was shaping up to be one of those really well developed characters that battles the darkness inside of him and becomes good! He's the only charcter that really had any development in this series. Everyone else has just been kinda shallowly bumming along. Raif is just this kid that got shoved into a leader role he doesn't even want... and he's just such a BORE when it comes to being a lover. "I'll always choose you... Pikachu! (Oops, I mean, Nalia)". Nalia after a dream became the rightful heir to the throne she didn't even want... and its called fate from the gods (What?). And Zanari has such a forced "I'm here for my brother and nothing else" and "Finally I found love just by looking into someones eye's" personality and very little backstory. (Blargh.)
This book made me really like Malek. And now he is dead. I'm going into the third book slightly unsure if I'll enjoy it as much as I could have. And its not just that I think Malek was a much more suitable character for Nalia to end up with, despite his misgivings. Everything else is just kinda sudden and no one has depth. Hopefully I am pleasantly suprised. But either way, I am loving this author, her ideas and themes, and will for sure read more of her works. I have enjoyed this series thus far, even if it just becomes a one-time read series.
This book made me really like Malek. And now he is dead. I'm going into the third book slightly unsure if I'll enjoy it as much as I could have. And its not just that I think Malek was a much more suitable character for Nalia to end up with, despite his misgivings. Everything else is just kinda sudden and no one has depth. Hopefully I am pleasantly suprised. But either way, I am loving this author, her ideas and themes, and will for sure read more of her works. I have enjoyed this series thus far, even if it just becomes a one-time read series.
tiareleine's review against another edition
5.0
Blood Passage was worth the wait.
I don't know what else to say besides that it was amazing, mostly because everything I said in my review of Exquisite Captive holds true.
Nalie is a great heroine. She's strong, she's faced with difficult choices and difficult situations but she doesn't let anything break her.
The supporting cast is also fantastic. Raif (who I thought was a little bland in the first book got a huge personality booster), Zanari, and Phara, especially. Malek, of course, was still a massive asshole, but he's not painted as a viable love interesting or romantic because of his violence. A lot of YA books are guilty of having borderline abusive guys who are considered romantic. Malek crosses that borderline (which I think is something readers should be aware of) but Nalia and her friends all recognize his behavior for what it is and hate him for it.
The world continues to be extremely vivid. Heather Demetrios did a lot of research and it shows.
The series focuses a lot on a revolution. Normally, I don't like revolution plots in YA books. Normally, I find it completely beyond the suspension of disbelief that a couple of teenagers could stage a successful revolution, or even organize one. This series, however, has a couple of features that make me buy it. For one, Nalia and Raif are people who have been in positions of power for their entire lives. People (even people who are older than them) listen to them because they have authority. Nalia is the last of the Ghan Aisouri, the former ruling class of Arjinna (the jinni world); Raif is the son of the former leader of the revolution, and he was appointed leader after his father's death. These are two people who could actually incite a massive, well organized change. They're not just randoms who somehow because the face of the revolution. For two, they recognize that they need a massive army to have any chance of success. I won't say how they get that army, since that would be a spoiler, but I will say that it makes sense.
I'm also happy with this book because it felt completely necessary to the series. There wasn't a hint of second book syndrome, nor was there the classic "second book separation" where the MC and the love interest spend the whole book apart. There was a bit of relationship angst (some "I can't be with you because love is a weakness!" and a bit of a star-crossed lovers, former ruling class vs. revolutionary leader thing) but it didn't overtake the plot.
I am really looking forward to Freedom's Slave. I wish I could read it ASAP, but I will wait as long as it takes for it to be written. And, in the meantime, I'm going to read whatever else Heather Demetrios writes (whether it's fantasy or realistic fiction, since she can do both so well) and whatever of hers I haven't read yet to tide myself over. I highly recommend the Dark Caravan Cycle to fans of high fantasy, especially if you want a break from Euro-inspired medieval fantasy.
I don't know what else to say besides that it was amazing, mostly because everything I said in my review of Exquisite Captive holds true.
Nalie is a great heroine. She's strong, she's faced with difficult choices and difficult situations but she doesn't let anything break her.
The supporting cast is also fantastic. Raif (who I thought was a little bland in the first book got a huge personality booster), Zanari, and Phara, especially. Malek, of course, was still a massive asshole, but he's not painted as a viable love interesting or romantic because of his violence. A lot of YA books are guilty of having borderline abusive guys who are considered romantic. Malek crosses that borderline (which I think is something readers should be aware of) but Nalia and her friends all recognize his behavior for what it is and hate him for it.
The world continues to be extremely vivid. Heather Demetrios did a lot of research and it shows.
The series focuses a lot on a revolution. Normally, I don't like revolution plots in YA books. Normally, I find it completely beyond the suspension of disbelief that a couple of teenagers could stage a successful revolution, or even organize one. This series, however, has a couple of features that make me buy it. For one, Nalia and Raif are people who have been in positions of power for their entire lives. People (even people who are older than them) listen to them because they have authority. Nalia is the last of the Ghan Aisouri, the former ruling class of Arjinna (the jinni world); Raif is the son of the former leader of the revolution, and he was appointed leader after his father's death. These are two people who could actually incite a massive, well organized change. They're not just randoms who somehow because the face of the revolution. For two, they recognize that they need a massive army to have any chance of success. I won't say how they get that army, since that would be a spoiler, but I will say that it makes sense.
I'm also happy with this book because it felt completely necessary to the series. There wasn't a hint of second book syndrome, nor was there the classic "second book separation" where the MC and the love interest spend the whole book apart. There was a bit of relationship angst (some "I can't be with you because love is a weakness!" and a bit of a star-crossed lovers, former ruling class vs. revolutionary leader thing) but it didn't overtake the plot.
I am really looking forward to Freedom's Slave. I wish I could read it ASAP, but I will wait as long as it takes for it to be written. And, in the meantime, I'm going to read whatever else Heather Demetrios writes (whether it's fantasy or realistic fiction, since she can do both so well) and whatever of hers I haven't read yet to tide myself over. I highly recommend the Dark Caravan Cycle to fans of high fantasy, especially if you want a break from Euro-inspired medieval fantasy.
mollymortensen's review against another edition
3.0
Chapter one starts up right after Exquisite Captive ended. (Seventeen hours before the prologue told by Malek)
The first quarter of the book was great! Unfortunately it just went downhill after that.
Most of Blood Passage felt unnecessary.
Just when I thought this book couldn't get any worse,
The cave was excruciating. And lasted FOREVER.
The Good:
We heard how great a warrior Nalia was, nice to finally see it! She kicked butt! The action scenes in the beginning were great!
Malek's funny bickering lines with Nalia and when he "acts" the villain were great. (He's still irredeemable, even if he can make me laugh)
The Bad:
She totally ruined Malek's character from book one! He lost quite a few IQ points. And it was completely out of character for him to I'm not one for sympathetic Malek, or emotional depressed Malek. Give me the evil megalomaniac.
Zanari's POV reveals her to be a whinny annoying girl. She constantly jealous of her brother, wanting to leave the resistance, and feeling guilty about it. (Which is ironic since she's always nagging Raif how he has to act for the good of their people) I really loved Phara though.
Celar being a makes her far less scary. I thought the ifrit had sort of secret weapon or power that let them beat the Aisouri. I don't see how even guns could beat an entire army or Nalias.
Who died?
Bashil
Umbek
Malek
The first quarter of the book was great! Unfortunately it just went downhill after that.
Most of Blood Passage felt unnecessary.
Spoiler
I don't know why the siblings didn't just go to the cave the minute they were free. If Raif already has the ring, there's nothing that can take it away.Just when I thought this book couldn't get any worse,
Spoiler
Nalia lost her magic. At least it didn't last too long. (20-25%)The cave was excruciating. And lasted FOREVER.
The Good:
We heard how great a warrior Nalia was, nice to finally see it! She kicked butt! The action scenes in the beginning were great!
Malek's funny bickering lines with Nalia and when he "acts" the villain were great. (He's still irredeemable, even if he can make me laugh)
The Bad:
She totally ruined Malek's character from book one! He lost quite a few IQ points.
Spoiler
Malek from book one would've negotiated a deal with the Ifrit and gotten freed. And be so would've made sure Calar was dead.Spoiler
sacrifice himself. I know that's why we got his POV but I still don't buy it. He'd have let Raif kill himself and continue as he had been.Zanari's POV reveals her to be a whinny annoying girl. She constantly jealous of her brother, wanting to leave the resistance, and feeling guilty about it. (Which is ironic since she's always nagging Raif how he has to act for the good of their people) I really loved Phara though.
Celar being a
Spoiler
teenagerWho died?
Spoiler
Bashil
Umbek
Malek
lacyduckie's review against another edition
2.0
I loved Exquisite Captive so much. Blood Passage was a chore to get through. Every time I put it down, it would be days before I picked it up again. I had to force myself to finish the last 100 pages in one go. And then you kill off the most interesting character???
stackattack's review against another edition
5.0
that was great. I think I was reading it for too long because I was kind of getting bored at the end, but I wasn't bored of the story, I was just bored of not starting new books. I was really sad that Malek died. I didn't want him to die. He was really great.
The ending was a huge cliffhanger. They were trying to get back to Arjinna and all the guys that were trapped in the bottles were saying that they were fighting for Nalia to be queen and not for Raif's
revolution. The Ifrit closed the portal so they had to go through that really dark empty place and they had just arrived there when the story ended. that was it. the darkness swallowed them(the line was something like that)
ALSO BASHIL IS DEAD!!!! EVERYONE DIED IN THIS BOOK!!! AND I WAS REALLY SAD!! HOW COME RAIF DIDN'T DIE!! THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING! but then Nalia would be useless. I don't know...
The ending was a huge cliffhanger. They were trying to get back to Arjinna and all the guys that were trapped in the bottles were saying that they were fighting for Nalia to be queen and not for Raif's
revolution. The Ifrit closed the portal so they had to go through that really dark empty place and they had just arrived there when the story ended. that was it. the darkness swallowed them(the line was something like that)
ALSO BASHIL IS DEAD!!!! EVERYONE DIED IN THIS BOOK!!! AND I WAS REALLY SAD!! HOW COME RAIF DIDN'T DIE!! THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING! but then Nalia would be useless. I don't know...
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This book was just so fantastic! I enjoyed it so much, and I can't wait to read the end of the trilogy!
koops333's review against another edition
3.0
DNF at 90%
Put it down and just didn't want to pick it up again. But considering I got to pretty much the end I'll go ahead and rate this one.
Put it down and just didn't want to pick it up again. But considering I got to pretty much the end I'll go ahead and rate this one.
bookishmews's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know if I enjoyed this so much more than average because of the audio book narrator or because of the unique themes... but I love this series.