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The Blood Saga #1
Blood Slaves
For readers of Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, this ingenious reimagining of the vampire origin story set during the early days of American slavery blends alternate history with supernatural horror, as the last surviving member of an ancient African vampire tribe meets a slave desperate for freedom, and together, they lead an army of enslaved people in a cinematically blood-soaked battle for freedom and revenge.
What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?
In the Province of Carolina, 1710, freedom seems unattainable for Willie, for his beloved Gertie, and for their unborn child. They live, suffer, and toil under their brutal master, James “Big Jim” Barrow, whose grand plantation was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved. To flee this hell on earth is be hunted and killed. Until one strange night Willie is offered a dark hope by Rafazi, an enigmatic slave with an irresistible and blood-chilling path to liberation.
Hailing from the Kingdom of Ghana, Rafazi is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an African vampire tribe rendered nearly extinct by plague. Rafazi has roamed the world for centuries with an undying desire to replenish the power that once defined his heritage. In Willie, Rafazi has found his first biddable subject to be turned and to help in a hungry revolt. And Willie desires nothing more than to free his people from malicious bondage. Whatever it takes.
One by one, as an army of blood slaves thirsting for revenge is gathered, the headstrong Gertie fears that no good can come from the vampiric legacy that courses through Rafazi’s veins. Willie knows that only evil can fight evil. And when the woman he loves stands between the reemergence of the Ramanga and the justified slaughter of the oppressors, Willie must make an irreversible decision. Only one thing is on the Barrow plantation, and beyond, blood will spill.
Part historical drama, part supernatural horror, and part alternate history, Blood Slaves is an ingenuous and defiant new creation myth of the vampire, one rooted in both justice and the sometimes-violent means necessary to achieve it.
What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?
In the Province of Carolina, 1710, freedom seems unattainable for Willie, for his beloved Gertie, and for their unborn child. They live, suffer, and toil under their brutal master, James “Big Jim” Barrow, whose grand plantation was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved. To flee this hell on earth is be hunted and killed. Until one strange night Willie is offered a dark hope by Rafazi, an enigmatic slave with an irresistible and blood-chilling path to liberation.
Hailing from the Kingdom of Ghana, Rafazi is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an African vampire tribe rendered nearly extinct by plague. Rafazi has roamed the world for centuries with an undying desire to replenish the power that once defined his heritage. In Willie, Rafazi has found his first biddable subject to be turned and to help in a hungry revolt. And Willie desires nothing more than to free his people from malicious bondage. Whatever it takes.
One by one, as an army of blood slaves thirsting for revenge is gathered, the headstrong Gertie fears that no good can come from the vampiric legacy that courses through Rafazi’s veins. Willie knows that only evil can fight evil. And when the woman he loves stands between the reemergence of the Ramanga and the justified slaughter of the oppressors, Willie must make an irreversible decision. Only one thing is on the Barrow plantation, and beyond, blood will spill.
Part historical drama, part supernatural horror, and part alternate history, Blood Slaves is an ingenuous and defiant new creation myth of the vampire, one rooted in both justice and the sometimes-violent means necessary to achieve it.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2025
509 people are currently reading
22828 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
August 22, 2025
You know a horror novel’s doing something right when the vampires are the least horrifying thing in it.
Firstly, this book is excruciatingly painful to read. If you plan to pick it up, please take care and be mindful of content warnings. I don’t say this lightly. Nearly every major trigger is present here and it’s depicted on page including sexual violence, abuse and 🍇 against both men and women. This is a confronting depiction of life on plantations that came about due to the transatlantic slave trade and it doesn’t sugarcoat or sanitise the truth and the scenes are frequent. There’s also heavy use of the “n” word throughout.
Reading this hurt and it was supposed to I guess, because pain can be a form of witness. Because the historical aspect of this book isn’t exaggeration. It's documented history. And it's paramount to understand how fucked up history was, so it doesn’t repeat itself and so we know how far we’ve come and understand the trauma responses still happening.
I learned recently that George Washington stole teeth from a Black person’s body for his dentures, that slave owners used Black skin for lamps and their hair to stuff pillows, that Black babies were used as alligator bait, that people were literally eaten, bred for labor and treated as commodities. This isn’t in Redmond’s book. This is documented reality. And it went on for hundreds of years. And yet, reading fiction that channels even a fraction of that horror hits differently. It forces empathy and reflection in a way mere facts sometimes can’t.
But yeah anyway. Back to the book. I found myself asking how much horror is too much and who gets to decide that? As the reader, your mileage may vary. My interpretation is that it doesn’t shock for the sake of it but it asks us to remember.
There were moments I wasn’t sure I could finish. I had to put it down multiple times because the content made me feel physically ill. It brought me to tears. And yet, that discomfort stems because it's grounded in truth.
Redmond makes no attempt to dilute the cruelty and perhaps that’s intentional. Because it seems it's more important now than ever to explore how hatred spreads and how white supremacy infects, mutates and persists and why it feels especially relevant in today’s climate.
We're seeing the echoes of these ideologies in politics, in celebrities promoting eugenics through denim ads, people who still have their weddings at plantations and in real-world horrors.
I realise I haven’t said much about the plot, because it feels secondary to what the book accomplishes on a thematic level. There is some cool and unique stuff done with the African vampire folklore of Ramanga... If you wanna know more you can just read the blurb.
Just know, there’s catharsis here. Fiction, at least, lets the oppressed fight back.
Blood Slaves is cinematic as hell and someone needs to make it into a horror film immediately.
Do I recommend this book? 100% yes, but only if you’re in the right headspace.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Kensington Publishing | Dafina for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
〰〰〰〰〰
Heard that if you liked the movie Sinners and Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, then you'll like this... So here I am.
Firstly, this book is excruciatingly painful to read. If you plan to pick it up, please take care and be mindful of content warnings. I don’t say this lightly. Nearly every major trigger is present here and it’s depicted on page including sexual violence, abuse and 🍇 against both men and women. This is a confronting depiction of life on plantations that came about due to the transatlantic slave trade and it doesn’t sugarcoat or sanitise the truth and the scenes are frequent. There’s also heavy use of the “n” word throughout.
Reading this hurt and it was supposed to I guess, because pain can be a form of witness. Because the historical aspect of this book isn’t exaggeration. It's documented history. And it's paramount to understand how fucked up history was, so it doesn’t repeat itself and so we know how far we’ve come and understand the trauma responses still happening.
I learned recently that George Washington stole teeth from a Black person’s body for his dentures, that slave owners used Black skin for lamps and their hair to stuff pillows, that Black babies were used as alligator bait, that people were literally eaten, bred for labor and treated as commodities. This isn’t in Redmond’s book. This is documented reality. And it went on for hundreds of years. And yet, reading fiction that channels even a fraction of that horror hits differently. It forces empathy and reflection in a way mere facts sometimes can’t.
But yeah anyway. Back to the book. I found myself asking how much horror is too much and who gets to decide that? As the reader, your mileage may vary. My interpretation is that it doesn’t shock for the sake of it but it asks us to remember.
There were moments I wasn’t sure I could finish. I had to put it down multiple times because the content made me feel physically ill. It brought me to tears. And yet, that discomfort stems because it's grounded in truth.
Redmond makes no attempt to dilute the cruelty and perhaps that’s intentional. Because it seems it's more important now than ever to explore how hatred spreads and how white supremacy infects, mutates and persists and why it feels especially relevant in today’s climate.
We're seeing the echoes of these ideologies in politics, in celebrities promoting eugenics through denim ads, people who still have their weddings at plantations and in real-world horrors.
I realise I haven’t said much about the plot, because it feels secondary to what the book accomplishes on a thematic level. There is some cool and unique stuff done with the African vampire folklore of Ramanga... If you wanna know more you can just read the blurb.
Just know, there’s catharsis here. Fiction, at least, lets the oppressed fight back.
Blood Slaves is cinematic as hell and someone needs to make it into a horror film immediately.
Do I recommend this book? 100% yes, but only if you’re in the right headspace.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Kensington Publishing | Dafina for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
〰〰〰〰〰
Heard that if you liked the movie Sinners and Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, then you'll like this... So here I am.
April 13, 2025
1.5 ⭐
Oof. The more I think about this book the more I dislike it.
Let me preface this by saying:
- I read a lot of horror
- Vampires are my fave supernatural creature (especially vampires from different cultures)
- I am not typically very sensitive to trigger warnings in books (ex: tender is the flesh is one of my faves lol)
HOWEVER, as a Black woman, this was PAINFUL to read. I am SHOCKED more of the early reviews do not begin with glaring warnings about the abuse of the enslaved people and the many exhaustive scenes of sexual abuse against men, women, and minors.
Of course this is a story set on a plantation about enslaved people getting their revenge, so I expected violence to be done against them and was prepared for it. However, 90% of this was trauma porn, 5% was revenge, and maybe like 5% was about the vampire lore. The author spent SO MUCH TIME on violent scenes of the masters treating the Black characters poorly. The majority of these scenes truly added nothing character development or plot development wise, and I'm sitting here wondering why so much of it was needed.
I would have LOVED it if more care had been given to exploring the history of the Ramangan people and their vampire lore. The beginning of the book opens with one of our main characters, Rafazi, and an info-dump of his vampirism. Why couldn't we spend more time here?!! Showing the Ramangan vampires skills, relationships, etc. instead of having one character just telling another a few quick facts would have been a great way to enrich this story.
There is one main couple in the story and the woman has perfectly reasonable concerns(!!) throughout, but the male MC who is supposed to be the hero never really takes them seriously and it's obvious her mind needs to be changed for the story to round out, which I hated.
ALSO - there is a scene that infers that the enslaved people and the language they used was inferior, but once they were enlightened they started talking like the white people. WHAT! I thought we were past this! "A stronger mind speaks strongly and clearly in any language." I'M SORRY NO. This is the type of rhetoric that has people thinking anyone that speaks using AAVE is inferior and dumb.
The author throws in a couple scenes with native people showing that the enslaved people would unite with them. I liked the intent here but it felt lazy and wasn't explored enough to be meaningful.
The ending went against everything I feel like the book was supposed to be about.
Unfortunately would not recommend.
*Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Oof. The more I think about this book the more I dislike it.
Let me preface this by saying:
- I read a lot of horror
- Vampires are my fave supernatural creature (especially vampires from different cultures)
- I am not typically very sensitive to trigger warnings in books (ex: tender is the flesh is one of my faves lol)
HOWEVER, as a Black woman, this was PAINFUL to read. I am SHOCKED more of the early reviews do not begin with glaring warnings about the abuse of the enslaved people and the many exhaustive scenes of sexual abuse against men, women, and minors.
Of course this is a story set on a plantation about enslaved people getting their revenge, so I expected violence to be done against them and was prepared for it. However, 90% of this was trauma porn, 5% was revenge, and maybe like 5% was about the vampire lore. The author spent SO MUCH TIME on violent scenes of the masters treating the Black characters poorly. The majority of these scenes truly added nothing character development or plot development wise, and I'm sitting here wondering why so much of it was needed.
I would have LOVED it if more care had been given to exploring the history of the Ramangan people and their vampire lore. The beginning of the book opens with one of our main characters, Rafazi, and an info-dump of his vampirism. Why couldn't we spend more time here?!! Showing the Ramangan vampires skills, relationships, etc. instead of having one character just telling another a few quick facts would have been a great way to enrich this story.
There is one main couple in the story and the woman has perfectly reasonable concerns(!!) throughout, but the male MC who is supposed to be the hero never really takes them seriously and it's obvious her mind needs to be changed for the story to round out, which I hated.
ALSO - there is a scene that infers that the enslaved people and the language they used was inferior, but once they were enlightened they started talking like the white people. WHAT! I thought we were past this! "A stronger mind speaks strongly and clearly in any language." I'M SORRY NO. This is the type of rhetoric that has people thinking anyone that speaks using AAVE is inferior and dumb.
The author throws in a couple scenes with native people showing that the enslaved people would unite with them. I liked the intent here but it felt lazy and wasn't explored enough to be meaningful.
The ending went against everything I feel like the book was supposed to be about.
Unfortunately would not recommend.
*Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
July 29, 2025
When I first read the description of Blood Slaves, I was immediately struck by the power of its premise. The idea of blending vampire mythology with an alternate history of enslaved people rising up against their oppressors felt both bold and necessary. When I was approved to read an early copy, the author’s note made the story’s impact even stronger. Markus Redmond initially set out to write an incredible vampire novel, and he absolutely succeeded. However, the events of summer 2020—particularly the murder of George Floyd and the continued injustices faced by the Black community—deeply influenced the direction of the book. Redmond channeled that energy into creating an African-origin vampire myth, the Ramanga, within a story that powerfully reimagines resistance and liberation.
This novel resonated with me on many levels, especially given the social climate we find ourselves in once again. The fusion of African mythology and history felt fresh and unique, and I loved seeing it unfold. In recent years, I’ve been drawn to African mythology and folklore, and I’m not sure if it’s becoming more mainstream or if I’m simply noticing it more—but either way, I’ve really enjoyed exploring stories influenced by it.
Growing up in the South, the historical realities depicted in Blood Slaves are all too familiar, making parts of the novel difficult to read. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Stories like this aren’t meant to be easy—they’re meant to be powerful, unsettling, and thought-provoking. The novel doesn’t shy away from brutality, but it also delivers moments of deep satisfaction. Without giving away spoilers, I found the reclaiming of certain aspects of history and the alliances formed by the end to be incredibly rewarding.
A few random thoughts: When I first saw Markus Redmond’s name, I knew it sounded familiar, and then his author’s note reminded me—of course, I recognize him from his acting career! Another random thing—throughout the eARC, Blood Slaves was repeatedly printed in the middle of sentences (probably a formatting issue for the physical book), and I couldn’t help but read it out loud every time like it was some kind of ominous chant.
As for the writing itself, I think Redmond’s background in acting played a role in how vividly descriptive his storytelling is. Every death at the manor was gruesome and visceral, yet after witnessing the cruelty endured by the enslaved characters, I found the vengeance to be deeply satisfying. There were also a few things I was left wondering about—like what Kwadzo ultimately became and how they managed to do that to the dog (seriously, I need answers!).
Overall, I really enjoyed Blood Slaves. It was a tough read at times, but it was also a necessary one. If this is Markus Redmond’s debut novel, I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Dafina for the early eARC of this work.
I’m following up on this about two important things:
1: I just found out that Barnes and Noble is considering dropping this incredible book if they don’t get enough interest in the next week or so- and that would be a shame.
2: Kensington just posted a giveaway for this book and
there are 100 copies up for grabs, so go enter besties!!!
Happy pub day!!!!!!
This novel resonated with me on many levels, especially given the social climate we find ourselves in once again. The fusion of African mythology and history felt fresh and unique, and I loved seeing it unfold. In recent years, I’ve been drawn to African mythology and folklore, and I’m not sure if it’s becoming more mainstream or if I’m simply noticing it more—but either way, I’ve really enjoyed exploring stories influenced by it.
Growing up in the South, the historical realities depicted in Blood Slaves are all too familiar, making parts of the novel difficult to read. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Stories like this aren’t meant to be easy—they’re meant to be powerful, unsettling, and thought-provoking. The novel doesn’t shy away from brutality, but it also delivers moments of deep satisfaction. Without giving away spoilers, I found the reclaiming of certain aspects of history and the alliances formed by the end to be incredibly rewarding.
A few random thoughts: When I first saw Markus Redmond’s name, I knew it sounded familiar, and then his author’s note reminded me—of course, I recognize him from his acting career! Another random thing—throughout the eARC, Blood Slaves was repeatedly printed in the middle of sentences (probably a formatting issue for the physical book), and I couldn’t help but read it out loud every time like it was some kind of ominous chant.
As for the writing itself, I think Redmond’s background in acting played a role in how vividly descriptive his storytelling is. Every death at the manor was gruesome and visceral, yet after witnessing the cruelty endured by the enslaved characters, I found the vengeance to be deeply satisfying. There were also a few things I was left wondering about—like what Kwadzo ultimately became and how they managed to do that to the dog (seriously, I need answers!).
Overall, I really enjoyed Blood Slaves. It was a tough read at times, but it was also a necessary one. If this is Markus Redmond’s debut novel, I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Dafina for the early eARC of this work.
I’m following up on this about two important things:
1: I just found out that Barnes and Noble is considering dropping this incredible book if they don’t get enough interest in the next week or so- and that would be a shame.
2: Kensington just posted a giveaway for this book and
there are 100 copies up for grabs, so go enter besties!!!
Happy pub day!!!!!!
Read
August 12, 2025Ok, I don't have a problem with graphic stories, I read splatterpunk/extreme horror routinely and enjoy the creativity, but this book was straight up trauma porn for so much of it that it really got tedious.
Unless the sex is the point of the villainy, I find it really hard to take sex crazed villains seriously and the SLAVE OWNER here was a trashy sex maniac. He's a slave owner, you don't need to make him clownishly evil to convince me that he's bad, I don't need him to rape every woman, let alone to see him rape them to be convinced, I have a moral compass (though these days I can certainly understand why the author would think that most people might not have one). Here I think making these people a little more mundane would have actually made their evil more chilling, banality of evil and all, you know? It would have helped immensely with pacing too.
The fact that the slaves started speaking the slave owner's English after drinking their blood angered me to end.
The romance had 0 chemistry.
The most interesting characters were the ones we didn't spend nearly enough time with. I wanted Tussy's whole story, she seemed like such an impressive woman but alas we only saw a little bit of her and while it goes to show that Redmond can create interesting characters it also went to make the MCs feel bland.
I think I'm so frustrated with this book because there's a lot of potential in it and Redmond definitely had good ideas but the delivery just really wasn't it.
Unless the sex is the point of the villainy, I find it really hard to take sex crazed villains seriously and the SLAVE OWNER here was a trashy sex maniac. He's a slave owner, you don't need to make him clownishly evil to convince me that he's bad, I don't need him to rape every woman, let alone to see him rape them to be convinced, I have a moral compass (though these days I can certainly understand why the author would think that most people might not have one). Here I think making these people a little more mundane would have actually made their evil more chilling, banality of evil and all, you know? It would have helped immensely with pacing too.
The fact that the slaves started speaking the slave owner's English after drinking their blood angered me to end.
The romance had 0 chemistry.
The most interesting characters were the ones we didn't spend nearly enough time with. I wanted Tussy's whole story, she seemed like such an impressive woman but alas we only saw a little bit of her and while it goes to show that Redmond can create interesting characters it also went to make the MCs feel bland.
I think I'm so frustrated with this book because there's a lot of potential in it and Redmond definitely had good ideas but the delivery just really wasn't it.
May 27, 2025
4.25/5✨
when I first read the synopsis of this book I knew I was going to love it. slaves turned blood thirsty vampires who seek freedom & revenge, count me in! except, little did I know how much this book was going to trigger me. it was so emotional!
the story starts slow but around 40% it picks up & it doesn't let up or disappoint so please just stick with it! the writing is so vivid, I could literally visualize what was happening throughout the book
the author does not sugarcoat or shy away from the day to day horrors of slavery...it does get graphic & hard to read at times but it's necessary to truly grasp the things they experienced & by the time the fight came along I was hooting & hollering reading the chaos unfold!
I loved all the characters but especially Willie, he was going to be free or die trying & his determination to free himself & his people really pulled at my heart strings. I'm conflicted on Gertie, at one point she was really getting on my nerves but in her own way she was also determined & stayed hopeful until the end.
I also loved how the author weaved the real African folklore of the Ramanga into the story to create an alternative history. if there's going to be a second book I need it in my hands right now!
trigger warnings; violence, murder, torture, heavy sexual, physical & emotional abuse, racism, hate speech & child abuse.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
when I first read the synopsis of this book I knew I was going to love it. slaves turned blood thirsty vampires who seek freedom & revenge, count me in! except, little did I know how much this book was going to trigger me. it was so emotional!
the story starts slow but around 40% it picks up & it doesn't let up or disappoint so please just stick with it! the writing is so vivid, I could literally visualize what was happening throughout the book
the author does not sugarcoat or shy away from the day to day horrors of slavery...it does get graphic & hard to read at times but it's necessary to truly grasp the things they experienced & by the time the fight came along I was hooting & hollering reading the chaos unfold!
I loved all the characters but especially Willie, he was going to be free or die trying & his determination to free himself & his people really pulled at my heart strings. I'm conflicted on Gertie, at one point she was really getting on my nerves but in her own way she was also determined & stayed hopeful until the end.
I also loved how the author weaved the real African folklore of the Ramanga into the story to create an alternative history. if there's going to be a second book I need it in my hands right now!
trigger warnings; violence, murder, torture, heavy sexual, physical & emotional abuse, racism, hate speech & child abuse.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
July 30, 2025
This novel is INTENSE. There's a lot of graphic violence, abuse of all kinds (verbal, physical, psychological, sexual, you name it), and a level of realism to American slavery that's gut-wrenching, nauseating, and absolutely disgusting.
You've been warned.
In a way, I'm really glad that the author, his editor, and publisher didn't sanitize or censor the realities of the transatlantic slave trade. At times it read like trauma porn, but maybe that was just me trying to justify the need for everything to be written out in explicit detail.
Anyway, if you love/like Sinners, but you want to see Black folks use vampirism to their advantage, then I'd recommend this as a great addition to the horror and supernatural genres. It's a bit of a slowburn, but the ending is definitely worth it. Think Roots, but with African vampires and vengeance.
Thank you to Dafina and NetGalley for this arc.
You've been warned.
In a way, I'm really glad that the author, his editor, and publisher didn't sanitize or censor the realities of the transatlantic slave trade. At times it read like trauma porn, but maybe that was just me trying to justify the need for everything to be written out in explicit detail.
Anyway, if you love/like Sinners, but you want to see Black folks use vampirism to their advantage, then I'd recommend this as a great addition to the horror and supernatural genres. It's a bit of a slowburn, but the ending is definitely worth it. Think Roots, but with African vampires and vengeance.
Thank you to Dafina and NetGalley for this arc.
August 15, 2025
I wish I could say I’m utterly speechless after reading 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, because it truly left me stunned, but that wouldn’t be accurate. I absolutely have words… and they’re ones filled with awe and admiration. Some books upend your reading world: they arrive unexpectedly, outside your usual genres, and surprise you. That wasn’t the case here.
Horror is a comfort genre for me, and vampires are one of my greatest reading loves. 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 delivered exactly that: blood, vengeance, and supernatural darkness. But what sets this book apart isn’t just its genre tropes. Yes, the plot, the pacing, and the characters are compelling, but it’s the emotional depth and the profound message that really carved the story into my heart.
Markus Redmond doesn’t shy away from the centuries of soul-crushing trauma born from slavery. The narrative bleeds history: the dehumanizing brutality, whispered horrors in the fields, stolen families, and the generational wounds passed down from grandparent to parent to child. The prose feels carved from sweat and suffering; every page carries the weight of ancestral pain. It’s not merely a horror novel … it’s a testament.
Redmond’s storytelling is unflinching yet deeply human. He doesn’t simply place vampires into a historical backdrop for shock value — he uses them as both a metaphor and a weapon. The horror here is twofold: the supernatural terror of creatures who thrive on blood, and the all-too-real horror of slavery itself. The vampire mythos amplifies the rage, resilience, and hunger for liberation that pulses through the characters, making every act of rebellion feel both righteous and damning. In that way, 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 doesn’t just entertain; it demands you witness, it demands you feel, and it refuses to let you look away. Like I said, it’s a testament.
*If you’re considering picking up 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, please heed this: the book is intensely harrowing. I mistakenly skimmed the trigger warnings and still found myself blindsided by sexual violence and other incredibly graphic scenes. So while I devoured it, the emotional impact hit me hard.
So please don’t gloss over those content warnings like I did. Reflect, assess your emotional readiness, and be prepared for the weight this story carries.
But if you do choose to move forward … 𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭.
(𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙆𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!)
Horror is a comfort genre for me, and vampires are one of my greatest reading loves. 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 delivered exactly that: blood, vengeance, and supernatural darkness. But what sets this book apart isn’t just its genre tropes. Yes, the plot, the pacing, and the characters are compelling, but it’s the emotional depth and the profound message that really carved the story into my heart.
Markus Redmond doesn’t shy away from the centuries of soul-crushing trauma born from slavery. The narrative bleeds history: the dehumanizing brutality, whispered horrors in the fields, stolen families, and the generational wounds passed down from grandparent to parent to child. The prose feels carved from sweat and suffering; every page carries the weight of ancestral pain. It’s not merely a horror novel … it’s a testament.
Redmond’s storytelling is unflinching yet deeply human. He doesn’t simply place vampires into a historical backdrop for shock value — he uses them as both a metaphor and a weapon. The horror here is twofold: the supernatural terror of creatures who thrive on blood, and the all-too-real horror of slavery itself. The vampire mythos amplifies the rage, resilience, and hunger for liberation that pulses through the characters, making every act of rebellion feel both righteous and damning. In that way, 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 doesn’t just entertain; it demands you witness, it demands you feel, and it refuses to let you look away. Like I said, it’s a testament.
*If you’re considering picking up 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, please heed this: the book is intensely harrowing. I mistakenly skimmed the trigger warnings and still found myself blindsided by sexual violence and other incredibly graphic scenes. So while I devoured it, the emotional impact hit me hard.
So please don’t gloss over those content warnings like I did. Reflect, assess your emotional readiness, and be prepared for the weight this story carries.
But if you do choose to move forward … 𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭.
(𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙆𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!)
August 15, 2025
4.5 Stars!
"Isn't it funny how these whip-crackers came to this land in search of freedom for themselves, only to take it away from us?"
Yall!!!!
This book!!!
I loved this book. I did struggle with the beginning because it was so brutal. Markus threw us into the deep end. He did not spare us from the brutality of slavery.
This is a book of vengeance. Righteous vengeance. Someone got their leg ripped off and then got beaten with it....How can I not love this book?
The only thing that kept this book from a full 5 stars was that I thought it was too short..give us 400 pages. Markus Redmond did the damn thing with this book.
Blood Slaves is disturbing, well-written, painful and still hopeful.
I highly recommend Blood Slaves!
"Isn't it funny how these whip-crackers came to this land in search of freedom for themselves, only to take it away from us?"
Yall!!!!
This book!!!
I loved this book. I did struggle with the beginning because it was so brutal. Markus threw us into the deep end. He did not spare us from the brutality of slavery.
This is a book of vengeance. Righteous vengeance. Someone got their leg ripped off and then got beaten with it....How can I not love this book?
The only thing that kept this book from a full 5 stars was that I thought it was too short..give us 400 pages. Markus Redmond did the damn thing with this book.
Blood Slaves is disturbing, well-written, painful and still hopeful.
I highly recommend Blood Slaves!
July 19, 2025
An emotional blend of historical fiction, supernatural horror and alternate history that keeps you on the edge of your seat yearning for vengeance.
Book Stats:
📖: 400 pages
Genre: Adult Horror
Publisher: Dafina
Format: eARC from NetGalley
Series: Standalone
Themes:
💫: Oppression and Freedom
💫: Reclaiming identity
💫: Revenge
Representation:
🩸: All Black cast
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Willie is a slave wanting freedom for his new family when it is offered from an unexpected place. Rafazi is a lone survivor of a plague ravished African tribe that is willing to help Willie and the other slaves obtain vengeance and freedom from their oppressors. All they have to do is embrace eternal life and the desire for blood.
General Thoughts:
This book was fantastic!! The characters were so real and relatable. Wanting freedom and basic human rights is something every human should be able to relate to.
The depictions of slavery and the brutality that Black people went through as a result of the hatred of white people was written so emotionally. I had tears in my eyes many times during this book.
Gertie was so good as a character. Her struggle practically jumped off the page. Watching her character development was a fantastic component to this book.
I can't wait for more by this author.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Book Stats:
📖: 400 pages
Genre: Adult Horror
Publisher: Dafina
Format: eARC from NetGalley
Series: Standalone
Themes:
💫: Oppression and Freedom
💫: Reclaiming identity
💫: Revenge
Representation:
🩸: All Black cast
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Willie is a slave wanting freedom for his new family when it is offered from an unexpected place. Rafazi is a lone survivor of a plague ravished African tribe that is willing to help Willie and the other slaves obtain vengeance and freedom from their oppressors. All they have to do is embrace eternal life and the desire for blood.
General Thoughts:
This book was fantastic!! The characters were so real and relatable. Wanting freedom and basic human rights is something every human should be able to relate to.
The depictions of slavery and the brutality that Black people went through as a result of the hatred of white people was written so emotionally. I had tears in my eyes many times during this book.
Gertie was so good as a character. Her struggle practically jumped off the page. Watching her character development was a fantastic component to this book.
I can't wait for more by this author.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 27, 2025
4,0 ✨✨✨
(Audiobook)
(Audiobook)
April 16, 2025
OMG!!!! This book was everything. There was moments in this book where I either was extremely pissed, upset, worried, and happy at the same time. This is something that I have not read before and I loved every single moment of it. But please keep in mind that there are trigger/content warnings within this book such as: violence, blood/gore, murder, abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, racism, hate speech, racial slurs, and systemic racism. But I will also inform you that this story is not about slavery but a story about a slave. The story takes place during the year of 1710 in the province of Carolina. There many characters in this book that I began to fall in love with. Though there were times where one character named Gertie annoyed the crap out of me (but you will understand why once you read it). The first character that we’re introduced is Willie is enslaved on the Barrow plantation along with Gertie and Rafazi. One thing leads to another where Willie just could not take the foul treatment and the treatment that his love Gertie has been receiving. Once they messed with Gertie that was it for Willie and so he was ready to stand up and fight. This fight let to an uprising where African Vampires do exist. And yes I said it AFRICAN VAMPIRES! Need I say more??? This is a historical black horror story that had me in a chokehold because I had no idea how it was going to end. Truly I loved this book! At times it was hard to read due to how the enslaved were being treated and what was taken place. But as I was reading this I had to also remind myself that these are things that actually happened during the time of Slavery in America and that history should never be sugar coated or watered down. Honestly I recommend that you read this book because you will not be disappointed!
June 7, 2025
“What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?”
Who knew a historical horror would be so good. Book 1 in The Blood Saga series was literally EVERYTHING I hoped it would be‼️
Black vampires ✅
Seeking vengeance ✅
Ancient bloodline ✅
Extensive world-building ✅
Blood-soaked battle ✅
Edge of your seat page-turner ✅
Taking readers through a mind blowing supernatural experience where a slave rebellion uprising gets super bloody in the best way. Redmond reimagines the origin story of vampires setting Blood Slaves at the backdrop of American slavery in the Province of Carolina during 1710.
Being under a mean and hateful master like James “Big Jim” Barrow death was the next best thing to freedom because there was no escaping the Barrow plantation. That is until Willie stumbled across someone who could change his life forever. Rafazi was the last survivor of the Ramangan vampire tribe and together he and Willie would lead an army of the enslaved in an epic battle for their freedom.
From the moment I knew of Rafazi I was ready for EVERYBODY to be turned. In my mind none of them should’ve been against it!!! But there’s always gonna be someone hard to convince. Irene was my girl cause no questions asked she was down and ready for whatever. Gertie, Gertie, Gertie is all I can say cause she stressed me out. And I couldn’t wait for a few characters to FAFO‼️
The pacing starts out slow but the second half will have you on edge. The world-building was absolute perfection I could easily envision everything and the premise is literally golden. Although the book is fictional, Redmond blends history and the supernatural elements together so flawlessly. Slavery itself was a horrific experience but making them vampires was next level. Things in this one get gruesome, gory, and a little graphic so proceed with caution. But I highly recommend this book‼️
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Who knew a historical horror would be so good. Book 1 in The Blood Saga series was literally EVERYTHING I hoped it would be‼️
Black vampires ✅
Seeking vengeance ✅
Ancient bloodline ✅
Extensive world-building ✅
Blood-soaked battle ✅
Edge of your seat page-turner ✅
Taking readers through a mind blowing supernatural experience where a slave rebellion uprising gets super bloody in the best way. Redmond reimagines the origin story of vampires setting Blood Slaves at the backdrop of American slavery in the Province of Carolina during 1710.
Being under a mean and hateful master like James “Big Jim” Barrow death was the next best thing to freedom because there was no escaping the Barrow plantation. That is until Willie stumbled across someone who could change his life forever. Rafazi was the last survivor of the Ramangan vampire tribe and together he and Willie would lead an army of the enslaved in an epic battle for their freedom.
From the moment I knew of Rafazi I was ready for EVERYBODY to be turned. In my mind none of them should’ve been against it!!! But there’s always gonna be someone hard to convince. Irene was my girl cause no questions asked she was down and ready for whatever. Gertie, Gertie, Gertie is all I can say cause she stressed me out. And I couldn’t wait for a few characters to FAFO‼️
The pacing starts out slow but the second half will have you on edge. The world-building was absolute perfection I could easily envision everything and the premise is literally golden. Although the book is fictional, Redmond blends history and the supernatural elements together so flawlessly. Slavery itself was a horrific experience but making them vampires was next level. Things in this one get gruesome, gory, and a little graphic so proceed with caution. But I highly recommend this book‼️
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
May 4, 2025
I went into this book with conflicted feelings because of the reviews, however this was great!!! This is a story that doesn’t shy away from the brutal horrors of slavery and the author doesn’t sugarcoat it either!
Markus establishes a narrative grip that commands the reader’s attention throughout the story! It’s a beautiful story with purpose. He brings you emotional and powerful plus devasting moments throughout the read, that leave you wanting more. Plus, I love good character development and Markus did not disappoint when writing this story. This will be a 5-star read for a lot of people. The story grabs you and doesn’t let go till the very end of the story. The carnage that comes from this vampire tale will leave you wanting more plus, we all love a good revenge story. Be prepared to feel and go through a lot of different emotions!
Markus establishes a narrative grip that commands the reader’s attention throughout the story! It’s a beautiful story with purpose. He brings you emotional and powerful plus devasting moments throughout the read, that leave you wanting more. Plus, I love good character development and Markus did not disappoint when writing this story. This will be a 5-star read for a lot of people. The story grabs you and doesn’t let go till the very end of the story. The carnage that comes from this vampire tale will leave you wanting more plus, we all love a good revenge story. Be prepared to feel and go through a lot of different emotions!
October 24, 2025
I’m blown away. This was fantastic.
In our story we follow a group of slaves that are bound to working the fields and in the home of the Barrow Plantation.
Our main characters consist of a man named Willie, his beloved Gertie, the house slave Irene, and a mysterious and frail looking man named Rafazi.
But Rafazi is no simple man, no he is of the Ramagan Blood, the last of his kind. And he and Willie together hatch a bloody plan to gain freedom for all the slaves working this Plantation.
But Gertie sees only the evil in what could come of this plan, she doesn’t want Willie to go through with it. She is bearing his child and fears for their future if Willie goes through with this transformation.
But hope is hard to come by in the place and situation that they all find themselves in. They need to fight. They and they need the help of the Ramagan blood to do it.
This book is SERIOUS. It is SEVERE. It will make you uncomfortable. But as a white person, I needed the reminder of how horrifying the beginnings of this country were.
Markus Redmond very concisely outlined the horrors of this countries violent beginnings, but the end of this book was more than satisfying.
In our story we follow a group of slaves that are bound to working the fields and in the home of the Barrow Plantation.
Our main characters consist of a man named Willie, his beloved Gertie, the house slave Irene, and a mysterious and frail looking man named Rafazi.
But Rafazi is no simple man, no he is of the Ramagan Blood, the last of his kind. And he and Willie together hatch a bloody plan to gain freedom for all the slaves working this Plantation.
But Gertie sees only the evil in what could come of this plan, she doesn’t want Willie to go through with it. She is bearing his child and fears for their future if Willie goes through with this transformation.
But hope is hard to come by in the place and situation that they all find themselves in. They need to fight. They and they need the help of the Ramagan blood to do it.
This book is SERIOUS. It is SEVERE. It will make you uncomfortable. But as a white person, I needed the reminder of how horrifying the beginnings of this country were.
Markus Redmond very concisely outlined the horrors of this countries violent beginnings, but the end of this book was more than satisfying.
May 27, 2025
trigger warnings are listed at the beginning of the book but HEAVY trigger warnings for sexual abuse on women and children, graphic mutilation and physical abuse of slaves, racist slurs, and more. it’s a vampire story with slaves in the 1700s so i knew what i was getting into in terms of hard to digest content. however, it was mostly trauma porn and not enough vampiric revenge.
i got this arc after watching sinners so i was very excited to read this thinking it would be similar. im not gonna make comparisons to sinners bc they are two very different stories and i think it would be irresponsible for me to recommend this to sinners enjoyers without providing necessary warnings and context.
blood slaves follows willie, a slave on the barrow plantation, who craves freedom for himself, his lover gertie, and their unborn child. he finds an opportunity in an ancient ramangan vampire named rafazi: become ramanga and you will find freedom and seek revenge against your oppressors. i understand a book that takes place on a plantation will have racial abuse all throughout, however, for a vampire story based on revenge, i felt there was too much torture and not enough revenge. the first time we meet willie, he is escaping the plantation and watches one of his comrades get torn apart by dogs. we are a witness to his brutal whippings and beatings. we are a witness to the horrors of the breeding rooms, including a violent description of a woman and a child being raped. i don’t believe we needed that much description for their revenge to be justified. it felt exploitative in a way, especially knowing the author wrote this following the murders of george floyd and breonna taylor. with stories of police brutality and racism-fueled (?) murders flooding the news and social media every day, why must we read yet another story of black men, women, and children being horribly abused and killed indiscriminately?
aside from the above, i had two other minor issues with this book:
1) when willie was turned ramanga, his speech patterns changed. as in, he stopped speaking slave english and spoke the white man’s english. it felt odd to read this switch and have it be presented like willie’s way of speaking english before turning was improper. it’s thinly veiled racism. i liked the aspect of his vampirism allowing him to speak other languages but was his english not a “proper” language too?
2) blood slaves did the same thing as sinners, as in, they introduced native americans as allies and then forgot about them throughout the narrative. i loved the inclusion of the natives in this story to show that the liberation of the slaves also meant the liberation of the natives who fell victim to colonization. but it just felt oddly inserted? idk i really wanted more from that angle.
my favorite part, for some positivity, SPOILERS AHEAD:
when fanna got her revenge against amos, i could have jumped for joy. fanna was my favorite character out of this ensemble and my heart ached for her every time i thought or read about her. saying she experienced horrors is putting it lightly and i really loved reading about how the other slaves rallied around her to protect her against the overseers. to see her liberate herself against her abuser really was the highlight of the book for me.
i don’t know if i can recommend this in all honesty. it has a lot of 5 star ratings which i can understand in a way but they mostly seem to be from non-black readers. it’s not a bad book by any means but it’s definitely one to be cautious reading. it will probably take a long time to get through it with how heavy the material is.
i got this arc after watching sinners so i was very excited to read this thinking it would be similar. im not gonna make comparisons to sinners bc they are two very different stories and i think it would be irresponsible for me to recommend this to sinners enjoyers without providing necessary warnings and context.
blood slaves follows willie, a slave on the barrow plantation, who craves freedom for himself, his lover gertie, and their unborn child. he finds an opportunity in an ancient ramangan vampire named rafazi: become ramanga and you will find freedom and seek revenge against your oppressors. i understand a book that takes place on a plantation will have racial abuse all throughout, however, for a vampire story based on revenge, i felt there was too much torture and not enough revenge. the first time we meet willie, he is escaping the plantation and watches one of his comrades get torn apart by dogs. we are a witness to his brutal whippings and beatings. we are a witness to the horrors of the breeding rooms, including a violent description of a woman and a child being raped. i don’t believe we needed that much description for their revenge to be justified. it felt exploitative in a way, especially knowing the author wrote this following the murders of george floyd and breonna taylor. with stories of police brutality and racism-fueled (?) murders flooding the news and social media every day, why must we read yet another story of black men, women, and children being horribly abused and killed indiscriminately?
aside from the above, i had two other minor issues with this book:
1) when willie was turned ramanga, his speech patterns changed. as in, he stopped speaking slave english and spoke the white man’s english. it felt odd to read this switch and have it be presented like willie’s way of speaking english before turning was improper. it’s thinly veiled racism. i liked the aspect of his vampirism allowing him to speak other languages but was his english not a “proper” language too?
2) blood slaves did the same thing as sinners, as in, they introduced native americans as allies and then forgot about them throughout the narrative. i loved the inclusion of the natives in this story to show that the liberation of the slaves also meant the liberation of the natives who fell victim to colonization. but it just felt oddly inserted? idk i really wanted more from that angle.
my favorite part, for some positivity, SPOILERS AHEAD:
when fanna got her revenge against amos, i could have jumped for joy. fanna was my favorite character out of this ensemble and my heart ached for her every time i thought or read about her. saying she experienced horrors is putting it lightly and i really loved reading about how the other slaves rallied around her to protect her against the overseers. to see her liberate herself against her abuser really was the highlight of the book for me.
i don’t know if i can recommend this in all honesty. it has a lot of 5 star ratings which i can understand in a way but they mostly seem to be from non-black readers. it’s not a bad book by any means but it’s definitely one to be cautious reading. it will probably take a long time to get through it with how heavy the material is.
September 15, 2025
I don’t usually enjoy fantasy, but this was the first novel in the genre that really pulled me in.
The story reimagines slavery in the early 1700s, adding a supernatural twist with Rafazi, an African vampire from the Ramanga tribe, who offers enslaved people the power to fight back. What I loved most was how the author mixed real historical pain with the supernatural, it gave the story weight and meaning while still being exciting and imaginative. The characters, especially Willie and Gertie, felt layered and human, and their choices made me stop and think about freedom, sacrifice, and survival.
The pacing was strong, with moments of raw brutality balanced by hope and resistance. Some parts were intense and difficult to read because of the subject matter, but that’s also what made the book so powerful.
I’m giving it four stars because while it was an amazing experience, a few sections felt a little heavy and I needed breaks to process everything. But overall, it’s a story that stuck with me long after I finished it.
If you like historical fiction, horror, or just want a fantasy novel that feels different and meaningful, Blood Slaves is worth picking up.
The story reimagines slavery in the early 1700s, adding a supernatural twist with Rafazi, an African vampire from the Ramanga tribe, who offers enslaved people the power to fight back. What I loved most was how the author mixed real historical pain with the supernatural, it gave the story weight and meaning while still being exciting and imaginative. The characters, especially Willie and Gertie, felt layered and human, and their choices made me stop and think about freedom, sacrifice, and survival.
The pacing was strong, with moments of raw brutality balanced by hope and resistance. Some parts were intense and difficult to read because of the subject matter, but that’s also what made the book so powerful.
I’m giving it four stars because while it was an amazing experience, a few sections felt a little heavy and I needed breaks to process everything. But overall, it’s a story that stuck with me long after I finished it.
If you like historical fiction, horror, or just want a fantasy novel that feels different and meaningful, Blood Slaves is worth picking up.
September 24, 2025
I picked this up because Sinners is my favorite movie of the year and Blood Slaves has been recommended for fans of the movie... well it def gives the vampire energy needed and perfect for spooky season!
Now, I will warn that the slave imagery is strong and BRUTAL!! And the character building is done really well, although I did NOT like Gertie for most of the book. Willie was a great MMC and I really loved how he reclaimed his name. Honestly, that was such a beautiful piece of the story. Rafazi even showed growth that was needed. And turned out that he was a leader after all.
It took a while to finally get to the climax and that could make this book feel like a slow burn. The payoff was well worth it though!
Not sure how I feel about this becoming a series though... that ending definitely gave the idea that more could happen. I'm not invested in a continuation and honestly think it can end with the stand-alone book.
Now, I will warn that the slave imagery is strong and BRUTAL!! And the character building is done really well, although I did NOT like Gertie for most of the book. Willie was a great MMC and I really loved how he reclaimed his name. Honestly, that was such a beautiful piece of the story. Rafazi even showed growth that was needed. And turned out that he was a leader after all.
It took a while to finally get to the climax and that could make this book feel like a slow burn. The payoff was well worth it though!
Not sure how I feel about this becoming a series though... that ending definitely gave the idea that more could happen. I'm not invested in a continuation and honestly think it can end with the stand-alone book.
June 7, 2025
The first chapter really reeled me in and I was ready for a cool vampire story but boy did I get played..
HEAVY TW: rape of women and children, racial slurs every page, beatings, you name it, it’s in here.
Let me start by saying I am aware that this in the 1700s when slavery is alive and well yes, but the gruesome rape and brutality was too much for me. And the author stayed there for SO LONG. He really stretched it out which was part of why I also hated the pacing. There are parts of the plot that dragged and I needed things to speed up, and there are parts where I wanted him to elaborate more.
I wanted to know more about the Ramangan tribe and the vampire lore back before the plague hit. I wanted to know more about the magic system. Part of this story is supposed to be about slaves getting revenge but it took them so long to come up with a plan to freedom. As it got towards the end I just wanted it to be over. The revenge wasn’t even satisfying for me.
I wanted battle sequences and magic. But it was just sick trauma every other page. People had this book as a rec after watching Sinners this is NOT that AT ALL.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
HEAVY TW: rape of women and children, racial slurs every page, beatings, you name it, it’s in here.
Let me start by saying I am aware that this in the 1700s when slavery is alive and well yes, but the gruesome rape and brutality was too much for me. And the author stayed there for SO LONG. He really stretched it out which was part of why I also hated the pacing. There are parts of the plot that dragged and I needed things to speed up, and there are parts where I wanted him to elaborate more.
I wanted to know more about the Ramangan tribe and the vampire lore back before the plague hit. I wanted to know more about the magic system. Part of this story is supposed to be about slaves getting revenge but it took them so long to come up with a plan to freedom. As it got towards the end I just wanted it to be over. The revenge wasn’t even satisfying for me.
I wanted battle sequences and magic. But it was just sick trauma every other page. People had this book as a rec after watching Sinners this is NOT that AT ALL.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
April 6, 2025
From its opening pages, Markus Redmond's Blood Slaves establishes an irresistible narrative grip that commands attention throughout. Redmond crafts a hauntingly beautiful story that progresses with remarkable fluidity and purpose. His prose demonstrates exceptional narrative control—simultaneously accessible, immersive, and emotionally resonant in its most powerful (and occasionally devastating) moments.
For readers who appreciate sophisticated character development, the redemption arcs in this work are particularly noteworthy. Redmond demonstrates exceptional skill in creating unexpected emotional investments, as characters initially presented with significant flaws evolve in ways that feel both authentic and deeply satisfying.
This novel comes with my highest recommendation for readers prepared to engage with challenging themes, who will find themselves rewarded with exceptional storytelling and multidimensional characterization that resonates long after the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this advanced reader copy.
For readers who appreciate sophisticated character development, the redemption arcs in this work are particularly noteworthy. Redmond demonstrates exceptional skill in creating unexpected emotional investments, as characters initially presented with significant flaws evolve in ways that feel both authentic and deeply satisfying.
This novel comes with my highest recommendation for readers prepared to engage with challenging themes, who will find themselves rewarded with exceptional storytelling and multidimensional characterization that resonates long after the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this advanced reader copy.
August 24, 2025
I am partial to a revenge story and this one is as revengy as they get!
Redmond wrote this book in record time in response to the George Floyd killing. The emotion that propelled his writing is palpable in this story about a slave who is given a sudden dark power.
The latter part of the book is bloody (Texas Chain Saw Massacre style) but not nearly as gruesome as the true-to-life experiences of plantation owners and the enslaved masses that fed their wealth. The disturbing first half of the book is not for the faint of heart.
I would love to see Jordan Peele make this into a movie. But it would have to be a movie I watch on my computer, in the smallest screen possible, with only one eye open!
This was never going to be a subtle book, but the all out gore wasn’t really to my taste. I do prefer the quiet horror of a story like Tender Is The Flesh which really crawls under the skin.
Redmond wrote this book in record time in response to the George Floyd killing. The emotion that propelled his writing is palpable in this story about a slave who is given a sudden dark power.
The latter part of the book is bloody (Texas Chain Saw Massacre style) but not nearly as gruesome as the true-to-life experiences of plantation owners and the enslaved masses that fed their wealth. The disturbing first half of the book is not for the faint of heart.
I would love to see Jordan Peele make this into a movie. But it would have to be a movie I watch on my computer, in the smallest screen possible, with only one eye open!
This was never going to be a subtle book, but the all out gore wasn’t really to my taste. I do prefer the quiet horror of a story like Tender Is The Flesh which really crawls under the skin.
July 24, 2025
I really wanted to like "Blood Slaves" by Markus Redmond. The premise sounded great-enslaved people in antebellum times become vampires and massacre their white masters. Unfortunately, the actual execution of the novel fell flat and I was left disappointed. It isn't particularly well-written; indeed I would have thought it was YA if it wasn't filled with so much violence and sexual assault. The book is a great example of the author telling and not showing and I found a lot of the dialog to be stilted and unrealistic. Honestly, I think it would work better as a graphic novel than a written one. Or maybe as a screenplay.
I read a lot of horror and I love vampire lore, but this book was filled with violence for violence's sake, that is to say much of it didn't really advance the plot in a meaningful manner. It would have been nice if the author had delved more deeply into the Ramangan people and their traditions instead of just the info-dump at the beginning of the book. The characters weren't really three-dimensional and they didn't come alive for me. I get that there is going to be a sequel, but the author definitely needed more character development in the first book of a series.
Finally, did it bother anyone else that, after the enslaved people became vampires, they started speaking like their white slaveowners? Like, now that they are in this "superior state of being" the way they spoke when human was somehow inferior? I'm not Black, but I found this to feed into the racist idea that the anyone who speaks something other than "proper" English is somehow inferior or weak-minded. One of the characters actually says "A stronger mind speaks strongly and clearly." WTF! Who says that the language the slaves used wasn't clear? They certainly could understand each other, the white characters could understand them, and I could understand what they were saying when I read their words. so how can the way they spoke prior to their change not be considered strong and clear? Maybe I'm being too sensitive but this really rubbed me the wrong way.
I won't be recommending this book to any of my friends and I definitely will not be reading the sequel. I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy through NetGalley, but this was definitely not the book for me.
I read a lot of horror and I love vampire lore, but this book was filled with violence for violence's sake, that is to say much of it didn't really advance the plot in a meaningful manner. It would have been nice if the author had delved more deeply into the Ramangan people and their traditions instead of just the info-dump at the beginning of the book. The characters weren't really three-dimensional and they didn't come alive for me. I get that there is going to be a sequel, but the author definitely needed more character development in the first book of a series.
Finally, did it bother anyone else that, after the enslaved people became vampires, they started speaking like their white slaveowners? Like, now that they are in this "superior state of being" the way they spoke when human was somehow inferior? I'm not Black, but I found this to feed into the racist idea that the anyone who speaks something other than "proper" English is somehow inferior or weak-minded. One of the characters actually says "A stronger mind speaks strongly and clearly." WTF! Who says that the language the slaves used wasn't clear? They certainly could understand each other, the white characters could understand them, and I could understand what they were saying when I read their words. so how can the way they spoke prior to their change not be considered strong and clear? Maybe I'm being too sensitive but this really rubbed me the wrong way.
I won't be recommending this book to any of my friends and I definitely will not be reading the sequel. I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy through NetGalley, but this was definitely not the book for me.
October 16, 2025
This book leaned more heavily into historical fiction than the paranormal fantasy aspect. I'm not saying it wasn't there, but I wanted more. It’s steeped in trauma and sorrow, with some very heavy scenes, so proceed with caution. There are a few trigger warnings provided, so be sure to check them out.
As a fan of vampire stories, I was hoping for a stronger supernatural presence. At first, it was just the two vamps for a while. I was ready for it to get on and poppin, lol. I was anticipating more of a full-scale revolt, though, and felt that aspect fell a bit short. It was a lot of division... like HELL NAH, it's time to ride!!!
I really appreciated the moment when Willie reclaimed his true name, Kwadzo. It was powerful and beautifully written. A name and its history is everything. I also found the scenes involving the Native characters to be important to the story.
As a fan of vampire stories, I was hoping for a stronger supernatural presence. At first, it was just the two vamps for a while. I was ready for it to get on and poppin, lol. I was anticipating more of a full-scale revolt, though, and felt that aspect fell a bit short. It was a lot of division... like HELL NAH, it's time to ride!!!
I really appreciated the moment when Willie reclaimed his true name, Kwadzo. It was powerful and beautifully written. A name and its history is everything. I also found the scenes involving the Native characters to be important to the story.
March 30, 2025
5✨
“It was the start of a bloody revolution.”
This book is probably the best book I have read all year!! The story grabs you by the front of your shirt and doesn’t let you go til the very end. It is horrific story two fold-1) real human events which are far more disgusting and disturbing than any fictional story, and 2) the delightful carnage that comes with a vampire tale.
“You ask me ain’t no sense in somethin so foolhardy as sayin’ one skin is good and one
is bad when ev’rything else is the same”
*Big thank you to NetGalley for provided me a ARC copy*
“It was the start of a bloody revolution.”
This book is probably the best book I have read all year!! The story grabs you by the front of your shirt and doesn’t let you go til the very end. It is horrific story two fold-1) real human events which are far more disgusting and disturbing than any fictional story, and 2) the delightful carnage that comes with a vampire tale.
“You ask me ain’t no sense in somethin so foolhardy as sayin’ one skin is good and one
is bad when ev’rything else is the same”
*Big thank you to NetGalley for provided me a ARC copy*
February 3, 2025
This work was incredible, historical fiction at it's best. Where else but the civil war could vampires be better used? The strong emotions, the lore, the incredible cast of characters-there was no part of this that didn't work for me. I particularly loved how descriptive the fight scene was. I feel like it was almost cinematic, and I would absolutely watch a series or movie adaptation for this. I think it's going to a be a huge hit, and this writer has a bright future. 10/10, no notes.
August 11, 2025
No spoilers
This is some of the best storytelling I’ve ever experienced. It grabbed my attention immediately. The author developed the characters very well. Every single one of them had something that they were dealing with. And when shit hit the fan, they had to make emotionally tough decisions based on their individual circumstances. Because the author gives us a great foundation, readers also become invested. Very well done.
This is more than a book about slavery and vampires. It is about people who seized an opportunity for revenge. You know this book is saying something when vampires aren’t the worst monsters around.
This is a historical fiction horror that takes you to the 1700s. Markus Redmond doesn’t hold back. We get a peek at some horrors many of our ancestors had to endure. It’s raw, so check your triggers.
This is the vampire book I didn’t know I needed. I spent half of the year bragging about “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones (which was a great read also), but this one is slightly better. And included Native Americans. It receives a perfect score.
I buddy read this with my wife. We both loved it and couldn’t put it down.
I put this book in the same category as Ring shout (P. Djeli Clark), The Reformatory (Tananarive Due), and The Ballard of Black Tom (Victor LaValle).
This is some of the best storytelling I’ve ever experienced. It grabbed my attention immediately. The author developed the characters very well. Every single one of them had something that they were dealing with. And when shit hit the fan, they had to make emotionally tough decisions based on their individual circumstances. Because the author gives us a great foundation, readers also become invested. Very well done.
This is more than a book about slavery and vampires. It is about people who seized an opportunity for revenge. You know this book is saying something when vampires aren’t the worst monsters around.
This is a historical fiction horror that takes you to the 1700s. Markus Redmond doesn’t hold back. We get a peek at some horrors many of our ancestors had to endure. It’s raw, so check your triggers.
This is the vampire book I didn’t know I needed. I spent half of the year bragging about “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones (which was a great read also), but this one is slightly better. And included Native Americans. It receives a perfect score.
I buddy read this with my wife. We both loved it and couldn’t put it down.
I put this book in the same category as Ring shout (P. Djeli Clark), The Reformatory (Tananarive Due), and The Ballard of Black Tom (Victor LaValle).
July 30, 2025
Real rating: 4.5 stars
If you want your blood pressure to skyrocket to extremely concerning heights, read this book.
If you want your blood pressure to skyrocket to extremely concerning heights, read this book.
August 20, 2025
I had not heard of this book so I was excited to receive it in a book box. The writing was excellent and it made you feel connected to the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.
August 28, 2025
Listen… I was NOT prepared. This book snatched a few of my locs out, drank my blood, and still had the nerve to leave me begging for more. Blood Slaves is dark, wild, captivating, and addictive in the best way possible.
I devoured this book like it was my last meal. Markus Redmond, sir you did THAT.
I devoured this book like it was my last meal. Markus Redmond, sir you did THAT.
June 27, 2025
I wanted to like this so badly but unfortunately, I am not the audience for this. I was expecting a horror story that focused on vampires and violence in that way and not what was actually the content of this book. Granted, there are trigger warnings at the beginning but I don't even think the warning was enough lol.
This book heavily focuses on physical and sexual abuse/violence as a way to show how terrible slavery was and I think that it veered too far into unnecessary territory. I know the horror of slavery was a core part of this narrative, but I don't think we needed on page sexual violence in almost every chapter? There are at least 5 explicit rape scenes in this story and every time it came up I was wondering why. We can deduce that slave owners were evil! I don't know if we need to see a grown man raping a child??? Like, who is that for? How does that serve the narrative?
In addition, the n word is used 138 times in the story. This is a 400 page book. You do that math. It was just overkill for me. Like I got it! They're racist (beyond) and think of black people as animals. I don't think we needed to see the hard r 3x on every page.
There wasn't enough exploring of the actual lore of the Ramanga for me. The book starts off so well and makes you think you're about to get the entire background, but then it switches up and you don't even see a vampire until like halfway in! The first 50% of this story is violence against slaves and the second half is like 25% more violence against slaves and 25% actual uprising with no lore.
Once you get into the Ramanga stuff....the choices were odd. For example, there's a very clear language difference between how the slaves talked and how the white people talked obviously, but once the slaves become vampires, they talk "properly" because they absorb language as their brains get bigger or something like that. Weird choice. Some people also get more powers than others, but it's not clearly explained. Again, needed more lore.
There were just a lot of elements in this that I didn't enjoy. Violence and language aside, the primary romance between Willie and Gertie felt off. Willie basically disrespected her at every turn and I get both of their motivations for feeling the way they felt, but the romance didn't add to their characters in any positive way. It just made them both unlikable.
Watching the slaves get their lick back wasn't even satisfying for me either. That was also dragged out and bordering on ridiculous. Like, these people turned into vampires and the slave owners are still calling them the hard R and telling them they're property?? It went from grossly evil to ridiculously evil.
The tone changed into one that didn't really mix with the overall premise of the book and overall idk! It just left me feeling weird??
I think ...this book wasn't for me and it sucks because I have been anticipating reading this for months. I think the bones of the story are good and the idea is great but the execution left a lot to be desired for me. It definitely needed WAY LESS sexual violence and more backstory on the vampires. More time showing them plotting the rebellion and less time showing them being physically abused! Like over half of this book was day to day torture with nothing else going on?? I don't want to see that!
I think it's irresponsible for people to recommend this for fans of Sinners and I recognize that it's because it's about black vampires but that is the only similarity. I don't know if I'd read the following books.....I know this is a series and I want to support this idea but this book sort of felt anti-black in a way and I feel that it's more for white readers to feel pain and disgust more than anything else. Knowing that it was written during 2020 sort of emphasizes that for me.
Again, I hate that I didn't enjoy this and I suppose I'll keep tabs on the series to see how it pans out but sheesh. This disturbed me in a way I wasn't expecting and in a way that was not enjoyable.
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Dafina!
This book heavily focuses on physical and sexual abuse/violence as a way to show how terrible slavery was and I think that it veered too far into unnecessary territory. I know the horror of slavery was a core part of this narrative, but I don't think we needed on page sexual violence in almost every chapter? There are at least 5 explicit rape scenes in this story and every time it came up I was wondering why. We can deduce that slave owners were evil! I don't know if we need to see a grown man raping a child??? Like, who is that for? How does that serve the narrative?
In addition, the n word is used 138 times in the story. This is a 400 page book. You do that math. It was just overkill for me. Like I got it! They're racist (beyond) and think of black people as animals. I don't think we needed to see the hard r 3x on every page.
There wasn't enough exploring of the actual lore of the Ramanga for me. The book starts off so well and makes you think you're about to get the entire background, but then it switches up and you don't even see a vampire until like halfway in! The first 50% of this story is violence against slaves and the second half is like 25% more violence against slaves and 25% actual uprising with no lore.
Once you get into the Ramanga stuff....the choices were odd. For example, there's a very clear language difference between how the slaves talked and how the white people talked obviously, but once the slaves become vampires, they talk "properly" because they absorb language as their brains get bigger or something like that. Weird choice. Some people also get more powers than others, but it's not clearly explained. Again, needed more lore.
There were just a lot of elements in this that I didn't enjoy. Violence and language aside, the primary romance between Willie and Gertie felt off. Willie basically disrespected her at every turn and I get both of their motivations for feeling the way they felt, but the romance didn't add to their characters in any positive way. It just made them both unlikable.
Watching the slaves get their lick back wasn't even satisfying for me either. That was also dragged out and bordering on ridiculous. Like, these people turned into vampires and the slave owners are still calling them the hard R and telling them they're property?? It went from grossly evil to ridiculously evil.
The tone changed into one that didn't really mix with the overall premise of the book and overall idk! It just left me feeling weird??
I think ...this book wasn't for me and it sucks because I have been anticipating reading this for months. I think the bones of the story are good and the idea is great but the execution left a lot to be desired for me. It definitely needed WAY LESS sexual violence and more backstory on the vampires. More time showing them plotting the rebellion and less time showing them being physically abused! Like over half of this book was day to day torture with nothing else going on?? I don't want to see that!
I think it's irresponsible for people to recommend this for fans of Sinners and I recognize that it's because it's about black vampires but that is the only similarity. I don't know if I'd read the following books.....I know this is a series and I want to support this idea but this book sort of felt anti-black in a way and I feel that it's more for white readers to feel pain and disgust more than anything else. Knowing that it was written during 2020 sort of emphasizes that for me.
Again, I hate that I didn't enjoy this and I suppose I'll keep tabs on the series to see how it pans out but sheesh. This disturbed me in a way I wasn't expecting and in a way that was not enjoyable.
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Dafina!
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