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A review by lovelymisanthrope
Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I received a copy of this book as part of my subscription to FairyLoot.
"Forged by Blood" is the first in a new duology about magic, survival, and fighting for what is yours. Dèmi has spent her whole life hiding her magical abilities so that she can remain safe. This becomes especially important after Dèmi places her trust in the wrong person and her mother is brutally murdered. Years later, Dèmi and her childhood friend, Colin, team up to kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, under the advisement of Lord Ekwensi. Now, Dèmi plans to return Jonas to the king, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and help give a voice to the Oluso people. Unfortunately, there is more betrayal Dèmi will have to face and more she must uncover about her magic.
I was really excited to give this story a read because I have not read much from Nigerian mythology. I do think this book does a great job at delving into the mythology and presenting it in a factual and entertaining way.
Unfortunately, this book simply did not work for me. The writing was a little dense for me to get into personally, and I was not in love with the characters. Although I think Dèmi is a strong main character and her plotline was semi-interesting for the most part, there were moments I did not enjoy her perspective. For me, I felt like the inevitable love triangle was highly unnecessary and so out of left field. I do not think Dèmi's interest in either Jonas or Colin helps to move the story along. Additionally, this book reads way too Young Adult for me.
Although this series is not for me, I would still recommend it to people who are looking for a fresh fantasy.
"Forged by Blood" is the first in a new duology about magic, survival, and fighting for what is yours. Dèmi has spent her whole life hiding her magical abilities so that she can remain safe. This becomes especially important after Dèmi places her trust in the wrong person and her mother is brutally murdered. Years later, Dèmi and her childhood friend, Colin, team up to kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, under the advisement of Lord Ekwensi. Now, Dèmi plans to return Jonas to the king, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and help give a voice to the Oluso people. Unfortunately, there is more betrayal Dèmi will have to face and more she must uncover about her magic.
I was really excited to give this story a read because I have not read much from Nigerian mythology. I do think this book does a great job at delving into the mythology and presenting it in a factual and entertaining way.
Unfortunately, this book simply did not work for me. The writing was a little dense for me to get into personally, and I was not in love with the characters. Although I think Dèmi is a strong main character and her plotline was semi-interesting for the most part, there were moments I did not enjoy her perspective. For me, I felt like the inevitable love triangle was highly unnecessary and so out of left field. I do not think Dèmi's interest in either Jonas or Colin helps to move the story along. Additionally, this book reads way too Young Adult for me.
Although this series is not for me, I would still recommend it to people who are looking for a fresh fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship