#wildblood

I'll render this probably, when I have the time. Holidays have been hellish,,

Release date | Feb 7, 2023 Goodreads

📖AUTHOR EVENT📖 I enjoyed a lovely evening at @littleshopofstories with authors Lauren Blackwood and Jordan Ifueko. Blackwood’s new book, Wildblood, was one of my most anticipated YA fantasies for February. I can’t wait to dive into this “Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.” I don’t know why I enjoy listening to authors discuss their writing process, but I do. Maybe it’s because I find the act of creative writing to be so intimidating. The best events are those with two writers in conversation. I’d love to see Jordan Ifueko lead more author discussions. Her energy and enthusiasm were absolutely delightful. And now I’m ashamed it’s taken me so long to read Raybearer. YA readers in Atlanta are pretty spoiled by the number of authors in the metro area. And they are so supportive of each other! There’s almost always at least one bestselling YA author in the audience. (Last night I found myself sitting behind Mark Oshiro.) Looking forward to more great author events soon! ❓What was the last fun event you attended? (Any event, not necessarily book related.) #wildblood #laurenblackwood #raybearer #jordanifueko #fantasybooks #yafantasy #ireadya #authorevent #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #supportindiebookstores #littleshopofstories #decaturga #newbookrelease #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CofL_xkLyw5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

3.5/5 stars Recommended for readers who like: fantasy, magic, adventure, magical woods, healing stories Big thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! TW rape (mentioned, brief non-graphic flashback), abuse I'm disappointed because I really wanted to like this book. I really liked the concept of blood magic and venturing through a sentient, magical, vengeful jungle. Unfortunately, while I do think Blackwood did a good job bringing the forest to life, I don't really think the rest of it hit the mark. There's also the issue with the instalove. The summary makes it sound like Victoria and Thorn grow to respect and care for one another when in reality they see one another and instantly start drooling. Some of the book is also predictable, but predictability can be more easily forgiven. I will say that I really liked the depiction of the forest. Blackwood promised us a forest full of spirits and deadly magic and then delivered. I felt the magic and the danger from the get-go and really believed Victoria's warnings that even the forest road was a dangerous place to be, let alone the heart of the woods. I liked the different fantastical elements/creatures that were brought in. I enjoyed that we got 'traditional' dangerous creatures (i.e., insects) as well as the more 'mystical' ones (i.e., the burning bull, River Mumma, etc.). I was very happy that most of the book took place in the woods because it was such a fun, rich setting. While the jungle provided a good backdrop for the story, I don't really feel like the plot was all the way there. We're presented with this challenge of getting to the heart of the forest in order to get gold...yet from the outset we already sort of know that's not going to happen. Victoria says it, the forest says it, and there are too many adversaries for that to be the true plot. And yet most of the book is spent with that as the 'goal'/plot. It's only toward the ending that the plot pivots and we get into the new idea that the system has to change, and even that is resolve fairly quickly. Victoria's transformation is a big thing, but in order for that to be the whole plot, there needed to be more introspection throughout the entire book, and there's not. The wildblood magic was a little confusing to me. I understand that the magic is pulled from the blood, and you need some sort of blood source in order to make it work (though it also sounds like you can pull blood out of people or animals via their pores or mucosal areas, so...). However, I would've liked a bit more description or explanation in terms of how it manifests. At first it seems like it just involves forming weapons of blood since Dean and Victoria both make needles, daggers, etc. Then later on Victoria mentions she has lightning? I don't feel like I got enough of an explanation of the magic to understand how magic manipulating blood results in electrokinesis. Some additional information in this department would've cleared things right up, especially since it's an interesting concept you don't really see that much. In terms of the characters, I think Victoria works as a protagonist. She's got an end goal of keeping her brother, Bunny, safe and getting him away from the tour company. She wants to move up the hierarchy in order to achieve that, but is otherwise content to stay on the sidelines, away from the brutality of the boss. Her transformation over the course of the book is largely subtle and has more to do with how she transforms inside herself than anything else. This change feels believable and has a couple of natural triggers. Thorn is an interesting character for me since I think he's written a certain way on purpose. He's very sweet to Victoria, and very chatty. He's an easy character to like for most of the book, but there's definitely a moment when my perception of him sort of...slipped sideways. He's still likeable, but looking at it from a different angle there are times when you go, 'okay, I don't think you're as nice and accommodating as you make yourself out to be,' and I definitely think that was purposeful on Blackwood's part. I do like that about the character. It gives a depth and complexity to him that I think is very interesting. Of course, with Victoria and Thorn there's a very instalove-y thing going on. I've mentioned before in reviews that I don't like instalove but can tolerate it so long as it feels believable (i.e., you get a build up of trust and respect first and without the love aspect). Unfortunately, we don't get that here. Thorn and Victoria run into each other very briefly inside the boss' office and immediately get heart eyes, and it's all 'I'm attracted but shouldn't be' from there. If there had been a slower buildup I think it would've worked better, but as it is I have this sense that Victoria feels very deeply for him (and vice versa), but there's such a short history there that it almost feels like a betrayal. Dean is another major character, and is Victoria's vicious, cruel ex-boyfriend. This is definitely a case where a character is made out to be terrible and then actually is. He takes nearly every opportunity to make Victoria feel small, even when she's right and being helpful and, you know, trying to make sure they don't all die in the magical jungle. In the last 30% of the book it does feel like there's a major personality change for his character and, to be honest, I don't believe it (and neither, I think, does Victoria, not completely at least). I think there is definitely complexity there that could be explored, but it happens too fast and isn't explored enough. Additionally, I feel like Dean gives so many different excuses for his past sins that they all just feel like lies. I can't really tell if this is on purpose or if Blackwood genuinely struggled with why this character would do some of the things he did. Bunny is Victoria's brother, a 14-year-old who is in a terrible situation and uses his magic to try and gain some control over his life, despite the detrimental effects it has on him. While he can be annoying and dismissive at times, I do feel like Bunny is written to be his age. He's very teenager-y, which fits. Despite him brushing off Victoria's concerns, he genuinely cares about her and her wellbeing. Samson is another brother-like figure for Victoria and has known her for basically her entire time with the tour company. I liked Samson's character and that he looked out for Victoria. He's definitely got his own flaws, but overall he's a pretty enjoyable, jovial character. One of the issues with this book is that none of the characters that are close to Victoria actually look out for her fully. They may worry about certain things and warn her and try to protect her, but none of them manage to achieve the full outcome. Thorn does a good job worrying and protecting, but he doesn't heed her advice about the forest and he doesn't truly listen when she talks about taking the gold as a form of violence. Samson cares for her and protects her, but he doesn't apologize when he's wrong. Yet these people are, by and large, presented as viable, good options. I did like the ending, and I'm glad that's the direction the author went with it instead of the one it seemed like it was going. I think it's true to Victoria and the message of the story. I was worried for a bit since it seemed like Blackwood was going to go a more traditional route, either HEA or something else ((view spoiler)), but the one she went with works perfectly. It does actually deal with some of the stuff I'd worried about as I was reading and the kinds of things I'd thought didn't fit well with Victoria, so I was pleased about that as well. Overall, I went into this book wanting to like it more than I did. The premise is good and I think there are definitely aspects of it that are promising, but it just falls flat. For one, the plot isn't really where it needs to be, which is recoverable if the characters and magic are where they need to be, but they weren't. I did like the setting, though, and I think the ending really hits the mark.

Title: Wildblood | Author: Lauren Blackwood | Publisher: Wednesday Books (2023)

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