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A review by thoughtsstained
The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey
5.0
Originally posted at Thoughts Stained With Ink:
**Copy of The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey graciously given by Literary Agent Lisa Rodgers in exchange for an honest review**
Last night, I was sitting in the living room while my friend was building a project for work. I had a little more than 100 pages of The Bloodforged left to devour and boy, did I devour them, to the amused concern of my friend. More than once, I made a frustrated grunt or whispered, "What the shit?" as page by page, my mind was blown, repaired and then blown again.
Yeah, this book puts you through some shit.
I won't exactly describe what that shit is, because you need to read this book--and this series--for yourself. It seriously is fantastic. This series draws you in with the wonderful, inspiring and realistic characters in the first book, The Bloodbound, and then leaves you utterly speechless by the time you finish the second, leaving you desperate for the third (which, luckily for me, I already have and will be reading as soon as I get off work. Oh Lisa, do I owe you some chocolate).
Actually, the events in The Bloodbound were so gut-punchingly wowing that I literally threw the book to the ground, I was so pissed and awed. My friend, bless him, just snorted, not understanding the turmoil I just went through at the hands of a paperback. Oh boy, was I pissed.
Pissed, but also super impressed.
This book made me feel a lot of things. Frustration and anger at some of the choices characters made, which in turn made me question how I felt about some of those characters (Alix, in particular, had me questioning, which was difficult, considering how much I admired her in the first book; difficult, but also great, because it just made her that much more real to me, that much more human and made me connect with her that much more). I experienced suppressed giggling (thanks, Liam). Empathy. Sorrow. And most of all, after taking a day to reflect on what just bloody happened, being completely, totally and utterly impressed.
With The Bloodforged, I think we got a wider view into the world Alix navigates. We got a few more perspectives we didn't get previously, which made my liking for Rig turn into a fierce, protective love. We were introduced to new cultures and government structures that reflected just how complicated the war they are fighting truly is. I found myself having conflicting emotions about the characters involved, which adds a layer of depth I love to find in books.
But what impressed me the most was how this entire book continued to baffle me on how difficult every decision was; how felt the consequences were of every action, choice or hell, even inaction. Just when I was lured into a false comfort that aid for the war was coming or that Eric, Alix or Liam had made the right call, I'm thrown back into the fray of despair and questioning as something else gets thrown at them, making their already dark and hopeless situation even worse.
And then you introduce the twists in the last 100 pages...
I wasn't kidding. This book makes you feel some shit.
Now, I'm left as a really weird middle ground. I need to know what happens next. You can't just drop Bombs A, B and f-ing C and not be aching for closure. Yet at the same time, if I thought shit was going down in this book, I feel like I'm not even remotely prepared for what I'll have to go through in The Bloodsworn. And there is only one way to find out...
*stares at the clock on the wall waiting for the weekend to start and the epic conclusion to begin*
Read on!
**Copy of The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey graciously given by Literary Agent Lisa Rodgers in exchange for an honest review**
Last night, I was sitting in the living room while my friend was building a project for work. I had a little more than 100 pages of The Bloodforged left to devour and boy, did I devour them, to the amused concern of my friend. More than once, I made a frustrated grunt or whispered, "What the shit?" as page by page, my mind was blown, repaired and then blown again.
Yeah, this book puts you through some shit.
I won't exactly describe what that shit is, because you need to read this book--and this series--for yourself. It seriously is fantastic. This series draws you in with the wonderful, inspiring and realistic characters in the first book, The Bloodbound, and then leaves you utterly speechless by the time you finish the second, leaving you desperate for the third (which, luckily for me, I already have and will be reading as soon as I get off work. Oh Lisa, do I owe you some chocolate).
Actually, the events in The Bloodbound were so gut-punchingly wowing that I literally threw the book to the ground, I was so pissed and awed. My friend, bless him, just snorted, not understanding the turmoil I just went through at the hands of a paperback. Oh boy, was I pissed.
Pissed, but also super impressed.
This book made me feel a lot of things. Frustration and anger at some of the choices characters made, which in turn made me question how I felt about some of those characters (Alix, in particular, had me questioning, which was difficult, considering how much I admired her in the first book; difficult, but also great, because it just made her that much more real to me, that much more human and made me connect with her that much more). I experienced suppressed giggling (thanks, Liam). Empathy. Sorrow. And most of all, after taking a day to reflect on what just bloody happened, being completely, totally and utterly impressed.
With The Bloodforged, I think we got a wider view into the world Alix navigates. We got a few more perspectives we didn't get previously, which made my liking for Rig turn into a fierce, protective love. We were introduced to new cultures and government structures that reflected just how complicated the war they are fighting truly is. I found myself having conflicting emotions about the characters involved, which adds a layer of depth I love to find in books.
But what impressed me the most was how this entire book continued to baffle me on how difficult every decision was; how felt the consequences were of every action, choice or hell, even inaction. Just when I was lured into a false comfort that aid for the war was coming or that Eric, Alix or Liam had made the right call, I'm thrown back into the fray of despair and questioning as something else gets thrown at them, making their already dark and hopeless situation even worse.
And then you introduce the twists in the last 100 pages...
I wasn't kidding. This book makes you feel some shit.
Now, I'm left as a really weird middle ground. I need to know what happens next. You can't just drop Bombs A, B and f-ing C and not be aching for closure. Yet at the same time, if I thought shit was going down in this book, I feel like I'm not even remotely prepared for what I'll have to go through in The Bloodsworn. And there is only one way to find out...
*stares at the clock on the wall waiting for the weekend to start and the epic conclusion to begin*
Read on!