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The Blood Code #1
The Blood Code: Book 1
The next book of the series!
The Blood Code (Book 2):
In my past life, I heeded the Blood I rescued people, slaying monsters from the inner plane. For my trouble the Inquisition condemned me for blood lust and burned me at the stake.
And in my current life my family is dishonored in the eyes of the emperor, there’s a bounty on my head, and I’m the subject of a divine dispute. Well then, no better time than now to surprise them all. Give me but a drop of blood—and the hunter will become the prey.
I am Mikhail Komarin. The Blood of my bloodline guards my back! And I still heed the Code.
The Blood Code (Book 2):
In my past life, I heeded the Blood I rescued people, slaying monsters from the inner plane. For my trouble the Inquisition condemned me for blood lust and burned me at the stake.
And in my current life my family is dishonored in the eyes of the emperor, there’s a bounty on my head, and I’m the subject of a divine dispute. Well then, no better time than now to surprise them all. Give me but a drop of blood—and the hunter will become the prey.
I am Mikhail Komarin. The Blood of my bloodline guards my back! And I still heed the Code.
- GenresFantasy
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 12, 2026
🩸 OF REINCARNATION, REBEL LORE, AND ROYAL DISPUTES 🩸
Michael Borz blends the visceral thrill of high-stakes monster hunting with the complex, lethal theater of imperial court politics in a refreshing historical progression fantasy that treats blood magic as both a weapon and a sacred oath.
“Give me but a drop of blood—and the hunter will become the prey.”
🏰 The Vibe Check:
If the aristocratic court schemes and flintlock military aesthetic of The Powder Mage Trilogy merged with the brutal, combat-centric monster hunting of The Witcher, all governed by an incremental progression system, you would get The Blood Code. It is atmospheric, strategically complex, and proudly walks its own path.
📖Plot Brief:
Our protagonist, Mikhail Komarin, carries a dangerous double identity. In his past life, he was a dedicated hunter who heeded the "Blood Code," slaying horrific entities emerging from the inner planes. His reward? Betrayal by a paranoid Inquisition that condemned him for blood lust and burned him at the stake.
Reincarnated into a new era, Mikhail finds himself in a desperate, uphill battle. His new noble family, House Komarin, has been utterly dishonored in the eyes of the Emperor. To make matters worse, there is an active bounty on his head, his rapid magical growth threatens to burn out his system, and he has accidentally become the focal point of a major divine dispute. Rather than fleeing the target on his back, Mikhail uses his past-life memories of combat optimization and his family's unique bloodline magic to execute a ruthless counter-offensive. He shifts the family's fortunes, navigates the cutthroat border politics of the Empire, and hunts down the predatory forces that threaten his lineage.
🔥 Why the Progression Works:
Refreshing Historical Aesthetic: Moving away from generic pseudo-medieval fantasy landscapes, the imperial, borderline tsarist/flintlock environment gives the setting immense weight. The social structures, military codes, and aristocratic expectations feel distinct and richly atmospheric.
Earned, Tactical Magic Mechanics: Mikhail's bloodline abilities feel highly mechanical yet logical. Because using his ancestral arts carries immense physical tolls and systemic risks, battles aren't won by simple power surges. They require strategic resource management, timing, and exploiting the vulnerabilities of enemies.
High Faction Stakes: The narrative balances individual combat training with macro-level family politics. Watching Mikhail revive the ruined reputation of House Komarin provides a highly satisfying base-and-reputation-building loop that keeps you turning the pages.
⚠️ A Note for the House:
Translation Cadence: As a translated work, the prose can occasionally feel slightly direct, minimalist, or stark in its early dialogue exchanges. However, the pacing accelerates smoothly once the tactical combat loops and political intrigue lock into place.
Information Density: Balancing past-life mechanics, family lineage dynamics, imperial court hierarchies, and inner-plane monster lore means the early chapters demand close attention to avoid getting lost in the world's terminology.
⭐️ THE VERDICT:
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ ✨ (3.0/5 Stars)
Michael Borz blends the visceral thrill of high-stakes monster hunting with the complex, lethal theater of imperial court politics in a refreshing historical progression fantasy that treats blood magic as both a weapon and a sacred oath.
“Give me but a drop of blood—and the hunter will become the prey.”
🏰 The Vibe Check:
If the aristocratic court schemes and flintlock military aesthetic of The Powder Mage Trilogy merged with the brutal, combat-centric monster hunting of The Witcher, all governed by an incremental progression system, you would get The Blood Code. It is atmospheric, strategically complex, and proudly walks its own path.
📖Plot Brief:
Our protagonist, Mikhail Komarin, carries a dangerous double identity. In his past life, he was a dedicated hunter who heeded the "Blood Code," slaying horrific entities emerging from the inner planes. His reward? Betrayal by a paranoid Inquisition that condemned him for blood lust and burned him at the stake.
Reincarnated into a new era, Mikhail finds himself in a desperate, uphill battle. His new noble family, House Komarin, has been utterly dishonored in the eyes of the Emperor. To make matters worse, there is an active bounty on his head, his rapid magical growth threatens to burn out his system, and he has accidentally become the focal point of a major divine dispute. Rather than fleeing the target on his back, Mikhail uses his past-life memories of combat optimization and his family's unique bloodline magic to execute a ruthless counter-offensive. He shifts the family's fortunes, navigates the cutthroat border politics of the Empire, and hunts down the predatory forces that threaten his lineage.
🔥 Why the Progression Works:
Refreshing Historical Aesthetic: Moving away from generic pseudo-medieval fantasy landscapes, the imperial, borderline tsarist/flintlock environment gives the setting immense weight. The social structures, military codes, and aristocratic expectations feel distinct and richly atmospheric.
Earned, Tactical Magic Mechanics: Mikhail's bloodline abilities feel highly mechanical yet logical. Because using his ancestral arts carries immense physical tolls and systemic risks, battles aren't won by simple power surges. They require strategic resource management, timing, and exploiting the vulnerabilities of enemies.
High Faction Stakes: The narrative balances individual combat training with macro-level family politics. Watching Mikhail revive the ruined reputation of House Komarin provides a highly satisfying base-and-reputation-building loop that keeps you turning the pages.
⚠️ A Note for the House:
Translation Cadence: As a translated work, the prose can occasionally feel slightly direct, minimalist, or stark in its early dialogue exchanges. However, the pacing accelerates smoothly once the tactical combat loops and political intrigue lock into place.
Information Density: Balancing past-life mechanics, family lineage dynamics, imperial court hierarchies, and inner-plane monster lore means the early chapters demand close attention to avoid getting lost in the world's terminology.
⭐️ THE VERDICT:
The Blood Code: Book 1 is a superb, highly imaginative opening salvo to a distinct progression fantasy series. Michael Borz successfully avoids standard genre traps by grounding his high-stakes reincarnation plot in an intriguing, gritty web of imperial politics and unique blood magic rules. It is a fantastic entry for readers seeking a smarter, more structured flavor of progression adventure.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ ✨ (3.0/5 Stars)
September 17, 2026
Super clunky trope mashup. Great cover though!
January 26, 2025
I received a review copy of this book.
Often times, labels placed on books makes or breaks a book. In this case though, I have no idea what historical progression fantasy even means. So far as I can tell, there's nothing historical about this book. The fantasy works for sure, but otherwise, I just don't get the reference to progression other than that the main character is able to handle more and more simultaneous pieces of information at a time, so I'm not sure it qualifies as LitRPG, but progression? Well, maybe. Simple changes in the story could place it clearly in the LitRPG genre, but clearly that's not what the author was aiming for, so friends, I have no idea how to classify this story. On the other hand, the story isn't bad, and perhaps this setup of the world will migrate to something more indepth in later books, but for what it's worth, the story is good, and while it does read like a LitRPG story with the LitRPG elements removed, it's still worth the read if you like magic and fantasy worlds. It's interesting on those aspects alone, add in the almost LitRPG pieces, and the story becomes enjoyable on a whole new level.
Secrets abound in this story where the gods take direct action in the world, although it's generally frowned upon we're told, and having multiple gods combine to help a single individual has never happened before. That too is part of what makes this story interesting.
In any case, if you like fantasy, magic, impossible feats that hide their complexity, then this story might be one you want to add to your to read shelf.
Often times, labels placed on books makes or breaks a book. In this case though, I have no idea what historical progression fantasy even means. So far as I can tell, there's nothing historical about this book. The fantasy works for sure, but otherwise, I just don't get the reference to progression other than that the main character is able to handle more and more simultaneous pieces of information at a time, so I'm not sure it qualifies as LitRPG, but progression? Well, maybe. Simple changes in the story could place it clearly in the LitRPG genre, but clearly that's not what the author was aiming for, so friends, I have no idea how to classify this story. On the other hand, the story isn't bad, and perhaps this setup of the world will migrate to something more indepth in later books, but for what it's worth, the story is good, and while it does read like a LitRPG story with the LitRPG elements removed, it's still worth the read if you like magic and fantasy worlds. It's interesting on those aspects alone, add in the almost LitRPG pieces, and the story becomes enjoyable on a whole new level.
Secrets abound in this story where the gods take direct action in the world, although it's generally frowned upon we're told, and having multiple gods combine to help a single individual has never happened before. That too is part of what makes this story interesting.
In any case, if you like fantasy, magic, impossible feats that hide their complexity, then this story might be one you want to add to your to read shelf.
January 21, 2025
This review is for an ARC. The book has yet to be published at the time of my review, but it is coming.
The translation from Russian to English was top notch. I only found three mistakes.
This is a soul in a just dead body on a different planet thanks to a God style of book.
Multiple Gods talk with the MC during his adventures.
It's the normal last of a noble house type story. He is trying to save the family line and help multiple gods as well as creatures from other planes.
He will have multiple different love interest as well.
I just really enjoyed this story so I gave it five stars. You guys know I have to really enjoy a read to do that.
9/10 frustrated that I have to wait for book two.
The translation from Russian to English was top notch. I only found three mistakes.
This is a soul in a just dead body on a different planet thanks to a God style of book.
Multiple Gods talk with the MC during his adventures.
It's the normal last of a noble house type story. He is trying to save the family line and help multiple gods as well as creatures from other planes.
He will have multiple different love interest as well.
I just really enjoyed this story so I gave it five stars. You guys know I have to really enjoy a read to do that.
9/10 frustrated that I have to wait for book two.
April 27, 2025
Fast paced and entertaining
Another well translated Russian isekai story where an alien entity ends up in the body of a Russian noble from a struggling family.
At the start of the book the protagonist seemed rather evil but that is not the case. I would have prefered to get more context about the protagonist's first life, however.
I found both the protagonist's skills and the totemic gods fresh and interesting. I liked the intrigue plots but found the kitsune plot very contrived.
Another well translated Russian isekai story where an alien entity ends up in the body of a Russian noble from a struggling family.
At the start of the book the protagonist seemed rather evil but that is not the case. I would have prefered to get more context about the protagonist's first life, however.
I found both the protagonist's skills and the totemic gods fresh and interesting. I liked the intrigue plots but found the kitsune plot very contrived.
May 3, 2025
This is very Russian in the sense that if you're not familiar with many specific tropes you'll be very lost, but even if you are the author is extremely rushed for no good narrative reason and you're still lost. MC literally gets minutes with his grandma, is thrown through a portal, and in 48 hours integrates an academy, goes hiking, has a familiar, involved in a major attack, fakes his death, acquires some sort of slave.. Tropes and threads are picked up and dropped at a dizzying pace.
November 25, 2025
Well, this was an exciting isekai novel
The MC escaped his demise at the hands of the inquisition to land in the body of a recently murdered teen. The blood mage concept was unique (to me). After escaping assasins, he is enrolled in an intelligence training academy, before ending up hobnobbing with aristocrats, whilst trying to locate who is behind the assassins that wiped out his family. It gets more and more exciting from there.
The MC escaped his demise at the hands of the inquisition to land in the body of a recently murdered teen. The blood mage concept was unique (to me). After escaping assasins, he is enrolled in an intelligence training academy, before ending up hobnobbing with aristocrats, whilst trying to locate who is behind the assassins that wiped out his family. It gets more and more exciting from there.
February 9, 2025
fast paced and action packed
Very enjoyable I love this sort of book so I might be biased but it’s fast and fun and the mc is enjoyable and charming if a bit generic to this kind of book but sometimes that’s the charm I liked it and as long as the author keeps the harem small I will probably continue to enjoy the next books.
Very enjoyable I love this sort of book so I might be biased but it’s fast and fun and the mc is enjoyable and charming if a bit generic to this kind of book but sometimes that’s the charm I liked it and as long as the author keeps the harem small I will probably continue to enjoy the next books.
June 25, 2025
Interesting magic
This series start did a good job of interspersing strategy, action, and backstory in this first book. It starts off with a bang and the MC walks a fine line figuring out how to survive aristocratic assassins
This series start did a good job of interspersing strategy, action, and backstory in this first book. It starts off with a bang and the MC walks a fine line figuring out how to survive aristocratic assassins
January 28, 2025
10 out of 5.
In other words there should be 10 stars what an epic book.
So glad I found it.
I hope I can read more in the series like now scoob.
Pax
In other words there should be 10 stars what an epic book.
So glad I found it.
I hope I can read more in the series like now scoob.
Pax
January 29, 2025
Quite good
This was an all together fun book to read. There is a bit of an issue with the POV changes, but that's honestly a mi or quibble.
Highly recommended.
This was an all together fun book to read. There is a bit of an issue with the POV changes, but that's honestly a mi or quibble.
Highly recommended.
February 16, 2025
Great Read
Nice world building with lots of action. Characters are vivid and politics make sense. Refreshing to have a gritty LitRPG, but still a fun read.
Nice world building with lots of action. Characters are vivid and politics make sense. Refreshing to have a gritty LitRPG, but still a fun read.
March 16, 2025
Great book
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
April 13, 2025
a complex setting with interesting family choices, but the writing is very choppy. this could use a bit of smoothing over.
July 3, 2025
Good
I got drawn in and it wasn't rinse and repeat either. I look forward to the next book and see how this goes.
I got drawn in and it wasn't rinse and repeat either. I look forward to the next book and see how this goes.
September 21, 2025
Enjoyable nonsense. It definitely has that Russian LitRPG vibe to it, without the stats, but I've read a lot of those and I rather like it.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews