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Hierarchy of Blood: A YA Dystopian Romance
When you’re living inside a dwarf planet in the cold abyss of space, life is only easy if you’re rich. 17-year-old Marishel Vance works as a seamstress – but when she’s selected to compete in a brutal contest for the Ambassador’s hand in marriage, she’s quickly catapulted into a life-threatening struggle. Marishel hates the idea of fighting for some stuck-up rich guy – no matter how handsome he is. But after her attempts to escape are thwarted, she becomes desperate to find a way to end the Blood Match and save the lives of the girls she’s training with. The key could lie in Ambassador Quin himself ... but as she tries to win his friendship, her growing feelings for him only complicate the matter. As the Blood Match looms closer, Marishel spirals deeper into a world of intrigue, danger, punishment, and secrets. Trusting the wrong people means game over. If Marishel wants to save herself – and the other fifty-nine girls sentenced to death – she’ll have to break every rule in the book to do it... As a riveting and imaginative science fiction novel that expertly weaves exhilarating action and nail-biting suspense with a futuristic death game like no other, Hierarchy of Blood is a page-turning read that’s perfect for fans of books like The Selection and The Hunger Games. Scroll up and grab your copy today...
Southern California Book 2022 Winner--Young Adult
Paris Book 2022 Second-place Runner up--Young Adult
New England Book 2022 Second-place Runner up--Science Fiction
New York Book 2022 Honorable Mention--Science Fiction
Hollywood Book 2022 Honorable Mention--Science Fiction
Southern California Book 2022 Winner--Young Adult
Paris Book 2022 Second-place Runner up--Young Adult
New England Book 2022 Second-place Runner up--Science Fiction
New York Book 2022 Honorable Mention--Science Fiction
Hollywood Book 2022 Honorable Mention--Science Fiction
342 pages, Hardcover
Published November 4, 2022
51 people are currently reading
1514 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Haskin
7 books50 followersJennifer Haskin has a passion to help other authors with their writing journey, as well as achieving their publishing goals. She spent a few years learning the ropes of the publishing world as a literary agent, and then a publishing consultant, helping authors ready their submission materials to get the best shot at the contract of their dreams. An author herself, she works on marketing her YA fantasy romance trilogy and writing a new series, all while helping authors perfect their books as Associate Editor for Touchpoint Press. Her WIP is a dark YA Steampunk series and she blogs her own journey weekly with writing, editing, publishing and marketing advice. Books are pretty much her thing. Jenn lives in Kansas with her hubsalot and five teenagers, who provide plenty of YA angst to help her writing come alive. When she is not drinking a grande iced white mocha and writing a book or editing manuscripts, she's running a weekly writers' workshop. She is honored to be a new judge for the annual writing contest Ink & Insights in 2020. Come find her on social media and say hi @haskinauthor, and if you enjoy her books, she would be, like, Nutella-Ice-Cream-Happy if you’d leave a review.
www.amazon.com/author/jenniferhaskin
www.amazon.com/author/jenniferhaskin
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 11, 2022
I LIKED THIS BOOK!! Marishel showed tremendous courage for a teenager when her named was called in the Blood Match contest I thought The First, Ambassador Quinn's mother, was self absorbed and driven by power to want this tradition to continue. How could she live with herself with sixty girls fighting and killing each other just to be Quinn's match?
January 24, 2023
There should be a warning label on the cover of this book. Something like “CAUTION: Readers should clear their calendars before opening this book.” Trust me. Within a few pages, you’ll be carelessly ditching class, ignoring social media, pretending the mountain of laundry doesn’t exist, calling into work, and screening your phone calls. Once you fall into this rabbit hole, you’re on a journey that can’t be ignored for such mundane tasks as eating or sleeping.
Meet Marishel. She’s a bright and happy 16-year-old living with her family in the frozen depths of a mining colony on a dwarf planet. She and the others in their strange world are remnants of the colonists who left Earth because it was no longer able to sustain life. Living here isn’t easy, as they actually live a subterranean existence. The surface isn’t habitable. Marishel and the other colonists of Haumea have never seen the sun or the stars.
But all of those little differences are minor compared to the social aspects of living in Haumea. They have a royal family, and now that the eldest son is of marrying age, it’s time for the Blood Match. This bizarre ritual contains elements of “The Hunger Games” except all the contestants are female, and the winner marries the eldest royal son, titled the Ambassador.
As you can imagine, Marishel is “chosen” to take part in this ritual she wants no part of. She’s not interested in getting married yet, doesn’t like the Ambassador based on the little she’s seen of him, and hates the idea that a wife/future queen would be chosen based on her ability to kill all the other contestants. This is when we begin to realize Marishel may not be an average teenage girl. Her family, especially her grandmother, has given her uncommon wisdom and a determination to make the best of life. She’s not the type to simply accept a tough situation as though she has no choice. She believes she always has a choice as well as the ability to change things.
The characters in this work are more than 2-dimensional props for the story. They’re complex, engaging, diverse, and genuine. The plot is well-paced, driven by greed, deceit, jealousy, hope, and sometimes even love. Marishel is a lone voice crying out against the wind when she arrives at the royal estate to prepare for the Blood Match. But she keeps voicing her hopes and dreams, and slowly she discovers others who want to make a change. They just can’t imagine how.
This story is a virtual storm of emotions, as nearly all good YA reads are. It’s beautiful, exciting, gritty, suspenseful, and maddeningly addictive. The contestants are a mixed bag of young women from different parts of the colony who share very different views on what is right, good, and fair. Therefore, their reactions to their situation are equally diverse.
This book is highly recommended for fans of fantasy/dystopian stories featuring royalty and romance. This is “The Hunger Games” meets “The Selection.” Although the target audience is young adults, I admit I left that age many decades ago and still found this book not only entertaining, but intense, provocative, and even profound.
Meet Marishel. She’s a bright and happy 16-year-old living with her family in the frozen depths of a mining colony on a dwarf planet. She and the others in their strange world are remnants of the colonists who left Earth because it was no longer able to sustain life. Living here isn’t easy, as they actually live a subterranean existence. The surface isn’t habitable. Marishel and the other colonists of Haumea have never seen the sun or the stars.
But all of those little differences are minor compared to the social aspects of living in Haumea. They have a royal family, and now that the eldest son is of marrying age, it’s time for the Blood Match. This bizarre ritual contains elements of “The Hunger Games” except all the contestants are female, and the winner marries the eldest royal son, titled the Ambassador.
As you can imagine, Marishel is “chosen” to take part in this ritual she wants no part of. She’s not interested in getting married yet, doesn’t like the Ambassador based on the little she’s seen of him, and hates the idea that a wife/future queen would be chosen based on her ability to kill all the other contestants. This is when we begin to realize Marishel may not be an average teenage girl. Her family, especially her grandmother, has given her uncommon wisdom and a determination to make the best of life. She’s not the type to simply accept a tough situation as though she has no choice. She believes she always has a choice as well as the ability to change things.
The characters in this work are more than 2-dimensional props for the story. They’re complex, engaging, diverse, and genuine. The plot is well-paced, driven by greed, deceit, jealousy, hope, and sometimes even love. Marishel is a lone voice crying out against the wind when she arrives at the royal estate to prepare for the Blood Match. But she keeps voicing her hopes and dreams, and slowly she discovers others who want to make a change. They just can’t imagine how.
This story is a virtual storm of emotions, as nearly all good YA reads are. It’s beautiful, exciting, gritty, suspenseful, and maddeningly addictive. The contestants are a mixed bag of young women from different parts of the colony who share very different views on what is right, good, and fair. Therefore, their reactions to their situation are equally diverse.
This book is highly recommended for fans of fantasy/dystopian stories featuring royalty and romance. This is “The Hunger Games” meets “The Selection.” Although the target audience is young adults, I admit I left that age many decades ago and still found this book not only entertaining, but intense, provocative, and even profound.
July 27, 2023
So pleased my friend told me to read this book!!
Inside the dwarf planet Haumea, well into the future, 17-year-old Marishel’s life is turned upside-down when she’s selected in the lottery with 59 other girls, to fight to the death in the Blood Match to win the 17-year-old Ambassador’s hand in marriage (who is thankfully very handsome. At least they don’t have to kill each other for an ugly guy). The girls stay as guests in the Ruling Family’s estate where they learn how to fight and take classes on behavior & diplomacy, dine on luxurious food, and take turns going on dates with the Ambassador, Quin. This is how they live for a month before they’re all thrown into the arena and forced to fight to the death. The last one standing wins the honor of becoming Quin’s bride. The whole month is televised and viewers at home love to tune in and make bets on who will be the first girl to die and who will be the last one standing. Viewers get to watch the nightly group feasts, Quin’s dates, the girls’ lessons, and the training sessions. They learn which contestants are in the top-tier, or winner’s pool.
The whole time, Marishel takes it upon herself to try to come up with a way to stop the Blood Match. She makes friends, enemies, allies, and learns who she can trust and who ultimately does not have her best interest. Marishel herself is certainly not in the winner’s pool and doesn’t have much talent for fighting. But she does have a lot of courage and heart. However, her boldness gets her into a lot of really sticky situations, and also a lot of trouble. Her determination to end the Match leads her to making some foolish decisions and reckless moves, putting herself in harm’s way — especially considering the Ambassador’s mother, the First, is so cruel and ruthless, and does not tolerate disobedience. Marishel’s first impression of Quin was that he was cold and aloof and seemed unsympathetic to the girls’ dismal situation. But as they befriend each other and she learns what Quin is really like, she discovers that he’s so much more than the face he shows the world. Their scenes together are really beautifully written, and they bring levity and feel-good fuzzies to an overall bleak and tense story, along with Marishel’s two new best friends. The last few chapters are really intense and keep you on the edge of your seat. There are surprises throughout, especially towards the end, where the story concludes very satisfyingly.
This book is filled with great characters (some lovable, some you’ll really hate), intriguing world-building, a very gripping story, and every emotion you could possibly want a book to provoke!
Inside the dwarf planet Haumea, well into the future, 17-year-old Marishel’s life is turned upside-down when she’s selected in the lottery with 59 other girls, to fight to the death in the Blood Match to win the 17-year-old Ambassador’s hand in marriage (who is thankfully very handsome. At least they don’t have to kill each other for an ugly guy). The girls stay as guests in the Ruling Family’s estate where they learn how to fight and take classes on behavior & diplomacy, dine on luxurious food, and take turns going on dates with the Ambassador, Quin. This is how they live for a month before they’re all thrown into the arena and forced to fight to the death. The last one standing wins the honor of becoming Quin’s bride. The whole month is televised and viewers at home love to tune in and make bets on who will be the first girl to die and who will be the last one standing. Viewers get to watch the nightly group feasts, Quin’s dates, the girls’ lessons, and the training sessions. They learn which contestants are in the top-tier, or winner’s pool.
The whole time, Marishel takes it upon herself to try to come up with a way to stop the Blood Match. She makes friends, enemies, allies, and learns who she can trust and who ultimately does not have her best interest. Marishel herself is certainly not in the winner’s pool and doesn’t have much talent for fighting. But she does have a lot of courage and heart. However, her boldness gets her into a lot of really sticky situations, and also a lot of trouble. Her determination to end the Match leads her to making some foolish decisions and reckless moves, putting herself in harm’s way — especially considering the Ambassador’s mother, the First, is so cruel and ruthless, and does not tolerate disobedience. Marishel’s first impression of Quin was that he was cold and aloof and seemed unsympathetic to the girls’ dismal situation. But as they befriend each other and she learns what Quin is really like, she discovers that he’s so much more than the face he shows the world. Their scenes together are really beautifully written, and they bring levity and feel-good fuzzies to an overall bleak and tense story, along with Marishel’s two new best friends. The last few chapters are really intense and keep you on the edge of your seat. There are surprises throughout, especially towards the end, where the story concludes very satisfyingly.
This book is filled with great characters (some lovable, some you’ll really hate), intriguing world-building, a very gripping story, and every emotion you could possibly want a book to provoke!
February 14, 2023
This book was given as an ARC for an honest review, I didn’t gel with it at all but it may be aimed at a younger audience.
The Hunger Games meets City of ember- an underground city on another planet where they’ve never seen the sun, have their names in a poll (‘lottery’) where they have to compete to the death to become the Ambassadors bride.
The writing, paragraph spacing and formatting isn’t great, and all has a very YA or younger feel to it. It’s not very well explained and lacks any world building. Any information or history is given by the characters telling it at each other.
The sentence structure is fairly erratic and dialogue is clunky.
Rocky start without any introduction to characters or world, I kept zoning out and getting bored, it’s very slow paced and not very plot driven, I also had to keep checking back to the synopsis to figure out who’s who /what’s going on.
Simplistic telling the story and world at you through stunted dialogue, very juvenile and simple.
Not very good or clear world building or descriptions.
The Hunger Games meets City of ember- an underground city on another planet where they’ve never seen the sun, have their names in a poll (‘lottery’) where they have to compete to the death to become the Ambassadors bride.
The writing, paragraph spacing and formatting isn’t great, and all has a very YA or younger feel to it. It’s not very well explained and lacks any world building. Any information or history is given by the characters telling it at each other.
The sentence structure is fairly erratic and dialogue is clunky.
Rocky start without any introduction to characters or world, I kept zoning out and getting bored, it’s very slow paced and not very plot driven, I also had to keep checking back to the synopsis to figure out who’s who /what’s going on.
Simplistic telling the story and world at you through stunted dialogue, very juvenile and simple.
Not very good or clear world building or descriptions.
February 24, 2023
For starters, the premise is absolutely guaranteed to suck in fans of the genre. You've got a forced contestant in a bloody battle, unlikely friendships, adorable romance--it's a wonderfully designed book. Plus, there are similarities to be found everywhere that link it back to our genre favorites. Fight to the death--that's Hunger Games for you. Dating the Ambassador to win him over--that's The Selection. Even the characters line up with tropes! Some people might not like how closely it's aligned to the market, but I didn't mind a bit.
Speaking of the characters, I really like how unique each and every one of them are. Marishel is phenomenally written. She's feisty and strong (very Katniss-like), but at the same time, she's flawed (overambitious, sometimes). She becomes a very unwilling symbol of change but takes it all in stride. I appreciate how true to the cause the was throughout the entire story. Then you've got her friends and the Ambassador--all of which have their own role and play it very, very well. I enjoy an eclectic cast.
And may I just say that Quin is the Himbo we all needed in a YA dystopian novel, lol.
Full review here: https://aejohnsonwrites.wordpress.com...
Speaking of the characters, I really like how unique each and every one of them are. Marishel is phenomenally written. She's feisty and strong (very Katniss-like), but at the same time, she's flawed (overambitious, sometimes). She becomes a very unwilling symbol of change but takes it all in stride. I appreciate how true to the cause the was throughout the entire story. Then you've got her friends and the Ambassador--all of which have their own role and play it very, very well. I enjoy an eclectic cast.
And may I just say that Quin is the Himbo we all needed in a YA dystopian novel, lol.
Full review here: https://aejohnsonwrites.wordpress.com...
March 1, 2023
🪐🪨🔪 A mysterious and dark youth dystopia.
Haumea Dwarf Planet:
Marishel had come to pick up her best friend Yolenie at work.
The holidays were on the horizon.
What were they going to do this summer?....
------------------
I had a hard time getting into the story.
I had a hard time imagining the places and the fact that they lived underground, in the soil of the planet.
Then, the plot remained a little bit confusing for me, despite the explanations.
But, I found the main character of Marishel very successful.
I could not help but be drawn into this dark story, from the end of the first third of the book.
And the suspense is unbearable throughout the book: what else will happen to Marishel?....
I recommend this mysterious and dark youth dystopia.
Haumea Dwarf Planet:
Marishel had come to pick up her best friend Yolenie at work.
The holidays were on the horizon.
What were they going to do this summer?....
------------------
I had a hard time getting into the story.
I had a hard time imagining the places and the fact that they lived underground, in the soil of the planet.
Then, the plot remained a little bit confusing for me, despite the explanations.
But, I found the main character of Marishel very successful.
I could not help but be drawn into this dark story, from the end of the first third of the book.
And the suspense is unbearable throughout the book: what else will happen to Marishel?....
I recommend this mysterious and dark youth dystopia.
February 3, 2023
4.5 Stars
A YA dystopian Sci-fi romance set in a futuristic timeline, this one was exciting and fun to read. It definitely has some strong Hunger Games similarities, but with a beauty pageant incorporated into the plot. The world-building is original and fascinating, the storyline keeps readers enthralled (seriously, the novel is hard to put down), And the plot and subplots flow consistently. The characters can sometimes be predictable, but these are typical YA characters (they behave as you would think they would behave). Social issues are represented well too. Overall, A great start to a new YA series. Looking forward to the next one. Gorgeous cover art!
LibraryThing Early Reviewer
A YA dystopian Sci-fi romance set in a futuristic timeline, this one was exciting and fun to read. It definitely has some strong Hunger Games similarities, but with a beauty pageant incorporated into the plot. The world-building is original and fascinating, the storyline keeps readers enthralled (seriously, the novel is hard to put down), And the plot and subplots flow consistently. The characters can sometimes be predictable, but these are typical YA characters (they behave as you would think they would behave). Social issues are represented well too. Overall, A great start to a new YA series. Looking forward to the next one. Gorgeous cover art!
LibraryThing Early Reviewer
January 11, 2024
I like the storyline, missing a lot of the story
I loved the story. I thought that some of the story was missing and confusing at times. I would recommend reading it, though, if you love this kind of book.
I loved the story. I thought that some of the story was missing and confusing at times. I would recommend reading it, though, if you love this kind of book.
September 23, 2024
really
A city has hr for its citizens? Nothing happened in this book. The Ambassador was quite dim. The main character just told someone about something and that turned from a news article to a protest? We didnt get a lotnof scenes about training or fighting.
A city has hr for its citizens? Nothing happened in this book. The Ambassador was quite dim. The main character just told someone about something and that turned from a news article to a protest? We didnt get a lotnof scenes about training or fighting.
February 7, 2023
Exciting
Keeps you on your feet. Not what I was expecting. I enjoyed reading this. I kept waiting for more. Keeps you guessing. I was shocked by what she did at the end. Some people are just ungrateful but she overcame it all.. Happy with the ending but I want more.
Keeps you on your feet. Not what I was expecting. I enjoyed reading this. I kept waiting for more. Keeps you guessing. I was shocked by what she did at the end. Some people are just ungrateful but she overcame it all.. Happy with the ending but I want more.
November 23, 2025
A great read
This was a great read. Looking forward to the next installment. I think Quin and Risha make a great couple.
This was a great read. Looking forward to the next installment. I think Quin and Risha make a great couple.
Read
June 7, 2025I really enjoyed this book-it had me at the edge of my seat!! It is the story of a young girl, living inside a dwarf planet, who gets picked to compete in the Blood Match against 59 other girls for the Ambassador's hand in marriage. Only problem, to win his hand, the others have to die. Marishel is a planner, and a doer, so she tries to figure out how to stop the killing, but the First, the Leader's wife and Mother of the Ambassador, won't hear of it. She's been planning this event since her son was born. Marishel finds herself falling in love with Quinlan, the Ambassador, as they try to figure out a way to save all the girls. It has a great twist at the end, and I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews