Blood Trials Review

Blood Trials
By N.E. Davenport

Sometimes you start a book and wonder…why am I reading this? Or you read a scene that’s so unsettling that you wonder if you can read another word of the book? What do you do?

Most of the time, I call timeout. Is the book horribly written? Is it offensive? Then I’ll stick a fork in it. Otherwise, I’ll give it another chance, but I may put it down for good if it doesn’t grab me soon. Some of my favorite books get off to a slow start but turn out to be terrific once the story gets into gear.

It’s not uncommon to throw in scenes for their shock value. When done right, a shocking scene can be terrific. Well-written scenes make sense in the setting and with the characters involved. The challenge comes when a scene fits, but I’m not sure I want to handle more scenes like that. I’ve got a strong stomach, and I am not offended by violence, language, or sex. Blood Trials was a real question mark for me. It was well-written and absolutely fit, but I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle anything worse. I really wanted to get back into the story, and I reminded myself that I could always put down the book later. 

One day when my kids were little, my younger son was sadly holding a book. I asked him if he enjoyed the book, and he shook his head. Then I asked him if he had to read the book for school, and he shook his head. I told him to put down the book and pick another one. His eyes grew wide as he said, “Can you do that?” I smiled and said he could definitely do that. He grinned, ran out of the room, and returned with a different book. He sat down in his favorite chair and happily started reading.

So, if you’re wondering if it’s OK to stop reading one book and start a different one? Of course!

TW: Graphic violence, gore, death, sex, language

Blood Trials is the first book of a duology. It’s challenging to write a solid foundation while presenting a story that stands out on its own. It needs to wrap up the loose ends while teasing a tantalizing plot that will compel the reader to grab book 2.

Blood Trials succeeds on all counts.

Ikenna Amari has been reeling since the death of her grandfather. When she learns he may have been murdered, she makes the dangerous decision to investigate his death. Ikenna joins the Praetorian Trials, a training program for Mareeners that ends with either acceptance into the elite military faction or death. Even though her grandfather had held a high government position, he and Ikenna were looked down upon because of their Khananian heritage. While she can withstand the insults about her skin color, she would be executed if anyone knew that she also carried the magical blood gift. Will Ikenna survive the grueling trials and solve her grandfather’s murder? Was her grandfather killed for personal reasons, political reasons, or both? And the best mystery of all – who can be trusted?

It should be obvious from the title that this is not a pretty book. The violence is amped up to 11 and included one of the most gruesome deaths I’ve ever read.  The gore and violence aren’t gratuitous, though. Most of the book takes place in a war academy, so the applicants would need to be prepared for deadly situations. It takes place in a universe where bigotry, misogyny, and classism are rampant without being used as a stereotypical prop. The academy is male-dominated, and where anyone descended from the war houses feel entitled to abuse anyone different who doesn’t belong in their view. Conflict and paranoia are pervasive.

Blood Trials kept me up at night, because I could not put the book down. As loose ends were tied up, my thoughts of “where did that come from” quickly turned into “why didn’t I see that coming”. The answers were all there, carefully woven to build the fulfilling story without bashing me over the head with obvious hints. It all made sense, because as the resolution clicked together, each character was reasonably motivated and consistent. A complex storyline turned out to be even more complicated than expected. I mean that as a compliment.

I can’t wait for book two!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a review copy of the book.