Blood Healing

Healers of Meligna #2

by K.J. Colt

Banished to the healer city of Meligna, fourteen year old Adenine must adapt to the strange customs and fickle personalities of its citizens. The Queens have but one goal: to create a perfect city. But when Adenine pulls at the loose threads that bind the city together, what she unravels shocks and angers her.

The populace is brainwashed and delusional. When Jemely, her loyal friend, becomes a victim, Adenine takes a stand against the Queens.

But Adenine has no power, and her strong ideals injure the few friends she has. When she stumbles upon the Queens’ most shocking secret, she risks everything to save the lives of those she loves.

Genres: Fantasy

463 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2013

About the author

U.S.A Today Bestselling author Kylie J. Colt writes fantasy with a psychological twist. By threading common psychological pathologies such as anxiety, depression and mood disorders, into her storytelling she creates deeper, more dynamic characters.

Located on the sunny Gold Coast of Australia, she has been writing for three years. Her favourite writers are Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb, Trudi Canavan and Maria V. Snyder. She has an honours degree in psychology and counselling, enjoys road trips, gaming (Skyrim / Civilisation / Assassin's Creed / Bioshock / Banished), music festivals (electronica), playing pool, meditation, yoga, bushwalking, and gobbles up anything fantasy-related. Her favourite shows include Game of Thrones, Homeland, Dark Mirror, Downton Abbey, X-Files, House of Cards, Hannibal, Trueblood, IT Crowd and anything created by Hayao Miyazaki.

Reviews

[J.L. Dobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Healing(The Healers of Meligna, Book2)by K.J. Colt

I received this in ARC form from the author and read it immediately and should probably have had this review posted much earlier.

I was busy waiting for other events of my own to unfold on my end and then became distracted, which might have been to some benefit. As it was I was distracted into reading The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova which has some parallels to issues I struggled with in these two books of K.J. Colt's. These books are a bit out of my genre although I could almost imagine them to take place on some other world and bring the element of science fiction fantasy to them I felt more that they were about some era long ago. Not being inclined to history, I sometimes found extra sleep in those classes, I was at a loss to what era this might depict where they treated children so poorly. After reading the memoirs it would be easy to place these close to or earlier than the same time that Casanova was alive. Although I had a feeling Casanova exaggerated his life and exploits the whole does seem to give one a feel for life and society of that time.

I purchased this and reread it to refresh my memory. As I've mentioned with the past book I was moved to great anger with the parents of our heroine Adenine. I felt they did terrible things to her and though it took a while in the story I felt K.J. had acquitted herself well with a fair explanation for all of the circumstance. If you have not read that book I would recommend reading it before you read this one. This one stands well alone though, so if you are not inclined I think you will still find this one quite entertaining and thought provoking.

There is a thread or plot point that is the main thread around which everything is woven, which is a trope that I have seen in many of my favorite genre. You will have to read to recognize this because it's a major part of the story that makes it interesting and drives the main character. It is the way that it is developed here and how in this story it begins to be partially resolved that make this piece precious.

Our main character is just turning fourteen and is facing some things in life that would be troubling to many young teens today. This is one of the elements that I picked up from the memoirs if Casanova in that it seems parallel to how the children of that era were treated, especially the young girls. This goes a long way in explaining the parents but not yet acquitting them in my eyes. What they are guilty of is still severe and I find it amazing that Adenine has come to forgive them, though as I read I could easily see that in her nature that is what she would do.

As the story begins, where the last one left off, Adenine is en-route to her new life as a healer with her friend Jemely, a protector Hawrald and her nemesis Healer Euka. There are some interesting things pertaining to character development that go on in the first few pages especially when we meet Absylam with whom Hawrald seems acquainted with and has apparent reservations about, but despite this he finally relinquishes his protection over Adenine to Absylam.

In this book Jemely undergoes some hardships that make her character seem less important to the story, but it's the very hardships and their outcome that lead to the best of plot twists that will take us into the next book.

In her new life in Meligna, Adenine is shown one way of life that is quite easy and free and not at all as expected. But it is because she is being shielded from knowing all of the truth that she gets this impression. When fortune turns on her she will see things in a much different light. Adenine has grown much from the past book but, she is far from finished with her development. She has qualities that could make her a great leader, but she is naive and too trusting, which gets her into no end of troubles. This is something she shares with Casanova who, though always seeming to be so clever and accomplished in fooling others, often found himself caught up by those less intelligent but more crafty than he. It is a character flaw that stays with her throughout the book but in the end she might be better for all that has occurred. There seems no end to the drama and the intrigue that unfold in her life while Adenine goes through it unaware of the tenuous thread that holds her where she is.

Adenine spends almost too long a time rushing into things that have all sorts of catastrophic effect on her friends. Part of this might be forgiven in that she has, at the beginning, a long road to finding out who her true friends are. It seems at some point that her concern for Jemely and her refusal to be betrothed to someone she can never love will lead to her ruin, but there are other things in the mix that are bringing things to a climax.

This book contains all the twists and turns, intrigue and plotting, romance and danger that I often found in such classics as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.

This is yet another well told tale by K.J. Colt in a series that has garnered my attention. I think anyone who loves the old classic masterpieces of romance and who loves good world building in Fantasy should enjoy both of these books while at the same time enjoying some interesting thought provoking ideas that may well prove too real toward our past, even though fanciful in many ways, it's possible that some of these notions might have been entertained at some distant time and had similar consequences.

J.L. Dobias

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Healing, the second installment in K. J. Colt’s “Healers of Meligna” series, is a strong sequel in the story of Adenine and her fight against the Healer Queens. In many ways, this book is a marked improvement over its predecessor; Adenine takes on a more active role in her subversion of the Healer Queens’ dominance, and the cast of characters expands to include nascent love interests, uncertain allies, and the enigmatic Queens, the self-proclaimed rulers of Meligna.

In Blood Healing, Adenine and Jemely are taken to the city of Meligna, the northern stronghold of the Queens. Meligna is said to be the perfect city, one whose inhabitants want not for food, shelter, or comfort goods. When Adenine arrives, she is greeted by festivities in her honor, and she only sees smiling faces in Meligna. However, not everything is as it seems, and the Healer Queens are harboring a dark secret that could destroy their carefully crafted cult of personality.

Adenine lies to everyone around her while she is the Queens’ captive, knowing that to trust is to expose herself to more pain and disappointment. Her secret mission from King Erageo—to spy on the Queens and report back to him—is her only objective. However, she quickly loses the ability to contact him, and her only friend Jemely is taken away from her almost as soon as they arrive. On top of everything, Adenine is being pressured to fulfill her role as a Healer and the duties it entails—something she has had recurring nightmares about since childhood.

As I said before, a whole new cast of characters is introduced in Meligna, and many of them are more believable and engaging than those of the first book. My favorite is Skelkra, the larger-than-life warrior who seeks to rule Ruxdor. His alternately charming and menacing demeanor makes him an unpredictable foe, and the abrupt conversational style he shares with all Ruxdorians lends itself to several amusing lines of dialogue from an otherwise intimidating leader.

The city of Meligna itself will have a very familiar feel to anyone who has seen the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The citizens are segregated by colored clothing that indicates their social status and the duties they perform. Adenine, as a Healer, is treated with the highest respect and has almost unlimited access to the city and its resources. However, it takes her a while to realize the true degree to which the Queens’ mad vision has been perverted; she spends a lot of time following orders to fit in, rather than actually helping Jemely or the others who have been mistreated.

One issue I felt was obvious with this book is the matter of its pacing. The first few days spent in Meligna are a whirlwind of social events and actions designed to make Adenine believe the Queens’ regime is benign, even benevolent. The book then moves in disjointed segments, with weeks mentioned as going by in a single paragraph, presumably when Adenine falls into her daily Healer routine trying to fit in with the other girls. Then, so much happens that it seems incredible when Adenine states she has only been away from home for a month. It felt like only a few days were actually important and relevant to the story, and then a set amount of time was included as filler for her training in the dutiful ways of a Healer. While I understand the necessity of skipping past the potentially tedious minutiae, it seemed like a lot more time might have passed than a mere month.

One of the reasons I preferred this sequel is because Adenine takes up a much more involved role, actively seeking out answers to the mysteries that plague her and often facing harsh consequences for her actions. In Concealed Power, it seemed like much of the story was physically driven by Klawdia, or Jemely, or even Frooby, and Adenine was just a person that things happened to. Blood Healing ups the ante, forcing Adenine into situations where she must take control of her own life and deal with the repercussions of her actions. From infiltrating the Outer Ring to discovering the nefarious acts of the Queens, Adenine truly comes alive in this book.

I also enjoyed the expansion of the plot with regards to the war between North and South Senya and how it implicates the neighboring nations of Bivinia and Ruxdor. The Queens are accelerating their plan to conquer the remainder of Senya from King Erageo, and Adenine is forced to discover some means of protecting her homeland from the inevitable invasion force. Coupled with the power of Ruxdor, though, the Queens seem all but unstoppable.

Unfortunately, as with Concealed Power, the plot seems to wobble a bit in the later chapters, and I found the ending to be wholly unsatisfying. Not that the plot is going anywhere that I dislike, nor have I lost interest in Adenine’s story, but because the final sentences were completely lacking in power. Rather than a dramatic bit of dialogue, or a sudden event that creates an unbearable cliffhanger, the ending scene is just a sudden end to what felt like normal narration. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the third book in the series has already been released, but it was a disappointing moment after such a strong showing through the bulk of the novel.

At this point, Adenine is developing a true sense of self identity (as well as gathering and alienating others to her cause), and I am interested to see where the story will continue to take her as the skies ahead only seem to darken.

4.5/5 stars.

[Carole Eddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m Hooked!

Book 1 hooked me, and I sailed through Book 2 really fast, my interest never diminishing. It’s a fascinating story, highly original, well written, and intriguing! I’m now into Book 3!

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as enthralling as the first book, I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days!

[eLPy eLPy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Healing, by K.J. Colt
4/5 Stars

After reading the first installment in this series, Concealed Power, I looked forward to getting to part two. For the most part this sequel did not let me down, it was entertaining and intriguing. Blood Healing by K.J. Colt is the second in her Healers of Meligna series. This rather unique series follows a young teen girl as she discovers the true nature of the gift she was born with and the restrictions placed on her and others like her by those who seek to control their lives. The main protagonist, Adenine, not only learns to cope with the trauma she experienced in her past but also her need to protect her family, friends & her home, learning who and how to trust others, as well as her first romantic relationship. She's forced to face her trauma in light of the nature of 'healing' and come face to face with the hatred others have for all Healers.

This book has even more action, conspiracy, and deceit than the first installment. We also witness the 'filling out' of Adenine's character, a very important aspect to this and well, any story. I do struggle a bit with the fact that Adenine is only 14 years old; I think I would appreciate the story even more if she were at least a couple years older. Not that I think young people can't achieve mighty things, rather her age coupled with her naivety - not only because of her age but also because her parents tried to keep her blind (literally and figuratively) to the world for part of her childhood given her healer status - makes much of what she gets away with seem implausible. I feel as though I lose touch with her age, and thus the whole of Adenine's character due to these facts. That said Colt herself doesn't forget that Adenine is only 14 and succeeds in reminding us from time to time through her actions, emotions, and the views of others. That said I can't overlook her relationship(s) with significantly older boys, especially given that sometimes her 'main squeeze' if you will seems more her age than less, at times. All in all it's not so distracting that it ruins the story.

The new characters we meet in this book are interesting and dynamic. I think their additions actually help us to get to know Adenine a lot more. Now that she's no longer trapped in her parents' home she's experiencing the world, people, and all their cruelties. These are the things that teach us just how clever she is, how persistent, and at times impulsive. So much happens to her in what seems a relatively short period of time that she's forced to mature beyond her years. It's this maturation that, as I mentioned above, sometimes feels like a stretch. In some of these instances - for example when she's sent for her first 'healing' lesson - the scene feels opportunistic, like Adenine gets away with more for the sake of the story and not because she should or even can. This is where often Colt successfully shows Adenine's immaturity through her impulsive comments and/or actions.

With that said I really really like Colt's understanding of psychology, including the psychology of trauma, and use of it in her characters through the story. While for some the constant reminder of trauma may be too much I think many will appreciate its realness. A person who has experienced a trauma constantly relives it, whether they want to or not. The attention she brings to psychological issues brings this story of fantasy into real time for me. I applaud this tactic in story-telling, after all what is our character without our issues? Only half the story. And this is one way in which Adenine becomes real for me.

I can also appreciate that Colt does not bog the story down with loads of description but gives just enough to provide a sense of place. Some people who might want to connect more with the locale may find some weaknesses in the settings and place, although I think the story and characters are strong enough to hold onto any audience.


So beyond some 'hard-to-believe-she-got-outta-that' scenarios the plot and character twists are exciting, engaging and certainly held my attention. There's not a lot of down time in this story - which I like - it's always moving and progressing. There's twists when you expect they might appear and when you don't. The more you read the better it gets until you just have to know what happens. I'm impressed with Colt's writing and anxious to get into the grit of the third book: Blood Sacrifice, and that's why as soon as I finished book two I picked up the Kindle edition of Book Three and began reading.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was too icky for me to like. It was ok. I love the concepts of what a society would be like if people had to sacrifice themselves in order to heal others, (in this case, certain women can heal men by sleeping with them), the power politics, the roles of men and women. But the constant themes of rape and child molestation were not good and I ended up skimming a good portion of the book. Also because it was such a slow moving book, I kept skimming to see if something would happen.

Likes: ...

Well, I guess I liked the theme of healing although this book had next to nil of that and all the healing there was for the most part was very negative. The main character was not that likable, she's very inconsistent. I absolutely hate all the ways she allowed herself to be manipulated. In the whole book, there were very few times that Adenine caused things to happen; mostly things just happened TO her. Except for the foray into the outer rings, which I couldn't even understand why she was willing to risk so much to do that.

Dislikes: I think a lot of my problems with the book's story and pacing and plot would have been solved by a good editor. I admire an author who is able to put their story out there and in some ways, this organic, true vision of the author has some real strengths and benefits. But sometimes a story with a good premise really suffers. The slow moving plot was super annoying. I had a hard time keeping track of time. I would think months had past when it was only a few weeks or days. I kept reading because the characters would SAY something was about to happen, like Adenine would learn about healing, or she's in a new environment where she would meet other young healers and it would never happen. Or it would happen and she' would quickly be moved again the next day, and nothing really happened while she was there. I think she moved living places three or four times.

Or she was promised to an enemy king and would be forced to be his bride, but that never happened. Because they would do everything he wanted and he demands a virgin bride but because plot what he doesn't know won't hurt him. And the whole plot line with Butter, the dog, was so completely pointless. Any time he was brought up, the characters just had a reason why he wasn't around. Why even have him then? I think an editor would have cut out the whole story. And Jemely was brought up at really random times. She came against everyone's protests and then she really resented Adenine for being treated well while she received punishment for being a criminal. I thought she was just going there for a trial?

And just as a side question... why did everyone just assume that Adenine's blood was the only blood that could heal people instead of being something common to all healers? They have no reason to think that. Also, there were all these minor characters that Adenine would interact with and start to form a relationship with, and it would suddenly just drop it and change tracks. Instead of having so many, just pick one or two and develop them a little better.

Overall, this book was not my cup of tea. I really want to see how the series resolves, but I'm going to have to really consider before I pick up the next one.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Healing, book two of The Healers of Meligna, delves into the intrigue and insanity of the Queen’s court. Adenine is placed in the inner circle of the court with the favored Healers and is faced with her first love, discrimination for her birthplace, and the truly wicked plans the Queens have for Meligna, its people, and the surrounding countries.

The story is woven flawlessly and Ms. Colt continues an insanely fun and multi-plotted fantasy series. Adenine is an amazingly plucky and real character that continues to survive the shocking life she is thrust into. She is resilient and her discovery will literally rewrite history. Readers will enjoy the sudden change in store for Healers and the upcoming battles and mysteries that Adenine will have to face.

Readers should be warned that some squeamish topics arise in the book and may be difficult for some to read. (For example, girls become Healers at puberty and some are made to heal at that young age through sleeping with the sick or wounded. This conflict is resolved in book two.) The author handles these topics well and it’s bearable and fits within the cultural world she has created and Adenine lives in.

I look forward to continuing the series and can’t wait to see Adenine get older and continue changing the world around her one small step at a time.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should note that I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Healing arrived soon after I finished the first installment, Concealed Power, and I was fast to devour it. (Not so fast on writing the review, unfortunately.) It was a very satisfying sequel. I'd been interested to read what would happen to Adenine in the city of healers, and Colt did not disappoint. It managed to have a solid plot, which is often lacking in second installments. It could even be read stand alone (although I have no idea what anyone would want to skip the first one).

Adenine continues to be faced with some incredibly tough choices and issues, and at times she seemed a bit mature for her years, but it fits: she had to grow up incredibly quickly. She's also able to see Meligna from an outsiders perspective that healers who grow up in the city don't have. Most remarkably: she manages to escape a pitfall that often irritates me about young adult fiction: she's not perfect. I hope Colt continues in this vein and doesn't transform her into The Heroine Who Is Good At Everything, Fears Nothing, And Always Does What Is Right. That gets tiresome.

I don't want to have to flag this review for spoilers, but I want to add this: the Queens are incredibly well written. They're distinct in their personalities, voices, and motivations. Particularly Queen Silica. She surprised me, and that's hard to do.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book in the series, Concealed Power, and was impressed enough to then read Blood Healing. I am not really a fantasy genre reader because I don't care for all the magic and spells that are rife in the fantasy books I have read. However, K.J. Colt has really made me reconsider this genre.

Ms Colt has written a very well crafted story with excellent strong characters. I am personally extremely impressed with the writing style. This book is a definite 5 star story set in an an alternate reality. The fantasy genre allows the author to incorporate some really interesting aspects to the story. In truth, the underlying story could be written into many genres and still be wildly entertaining.

I read the author's website in which she says that she want to be the best writer she can be. My opinion is that she has already reached a level that would allow he to keep writing without apologizing for anything. I consider her writing to be equal to and better than many mainstream authors.

This series of books is so well written that I feel very comfortable recommending this author to everyone. Give Ms. Colt a trial and you will fall under her spell. (Yes, that is my homage to the fantasy genre.)

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book, right after I finished Book 1. I wish that I had seen the Box set, I could have saved myself some money, BUT with that said, I find it worth every penny! So far, this is my favorite book of the series, mind you I am only 3 books in now, but this one had me wanting to keep reading, not work, not do anything but read. Adenine is amazing, I love how she's grown in just 1 book. Not that she had much choice. I love how in this book there was more action, and decisions, and even amusing parts. I continually, even in the 3rd book forget that Adenine is so young. I am loving the story line, where it is leading us to, and the characters. I found myself reading even when I was somewhere, I'd bring my Kindle and read. For being a 2nd book in a series, that was surprising.

Well done K.J!!

[Verity Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than your average second-in-a-trilogy. Adenine's experiences in Meligna move a lot quicker than the events in the first book. Between that and the fact that just about every person Adenine meets has both public and hidden (and sometimes shifting!) motivations, at times I felt like I was getting whiplash trying to follow what was going on. But I appreciated that the author wasn't afraid to present a socialist/communist society--run by women, no less--that is rotten to the core. The main thing that bugged me about this book was that it was hard to believe that Klawdia actually had the number of layers to her plans that she did. The occasional odd word or strange assertion (digging for mushrooms in the snow?) persists in this book, but not enough to be off-putting.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of a series, but it doesn't fall short where other second books do. I found myself just as engrossed and excited as I was with the first book. With the setting change in this book from the first, it opens a whole other world that the author creates. Through the plots twists and turns you see the characters grow. I am excited to see where book 3 takes us.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first book. It moves at a much faster pace. I was a little concerned that with the way healers healed people the book might turn into something I didn't want to be reading. However, that's not the case. There is one sex scene, and some mature dialogue. Not something for a younger audience

[Delphia L. Slover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Healing (The Healers of Meligna Book 2)

Adenine really matured in book 2 and much to my surprise became a leader. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and learning about some of the newer characters that were introduced near the end of Blood Healing.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I'm not sure what to say...

The story was almost good, the writing was almost good, the price was almost acceptable. Just not good enough. I won't waste my resources on finishing.

[Erica McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing!

After reading the first book of the series, I automatically wanted to dive into the second. The storyline is very well thought out and keeps your interest in what's to come.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, can't wait for the next one to get here.

Second book as good as the first. I am looking forward to the next one. I also will read the others.