The Blood Plagues

Blood Demands Blood #1

by Anavrin Jay

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Dark, Romance

487 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2026

Reviews

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anavrin really knocked on fantasys door, then decided nah f that and kicked it open "I'm here"

This was phenomenal honestly, I need to write a better review once my flabbers are less gasted but wow I ate this up and licked the plate

[Luke Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a f*****g book!
Anavrin Jay is a force to behold, an absolutely insanely well done debut.
This isn’t your standard fantasy romance, it’s dark, gritty, witty, heavy, lyrical prose, so descriptive, and DELICIOUS.

A solid and well thought out plot, characters you can root for, a tasty bit of romance, comic relief and an immersive setting sets The Blood Plagues up to be an absolute masterpiece.
I haven’t read anything like this and I don’t think I ever will, it feels incredibly original.
The work that Anavrin put in to make sure that the dialogue feels of its time and stays consistent through out was much appreciated.
The heat between the love interests had me barking on all fours.
I love love loved the almost Jekyll and Hyde feel to a certain character towards the end, it was unsettling and I could visualise it in my head so well.
THE ENDING? Absolutely wild.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Anavrin and The Blood Plagues 🩸❤️‍🔥

[Samantha Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX STARS!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

What an exceptional debut from Anavrin Jay; I am genuinely in shock and awe over how much I loved this book.

The Blood Plagues may be a dark romantasy at its core, but its lyrical prose, unique plot, and horror-esque happenings propelled this to one of my absolute favourite reads of this year.

We are treat to not one, BUT TWO, incredible MMCs and our FMC’s relationships with both are tense, filled with yearning, and extremely well-written. I loved the multiple POVs between the three main characters, and the banter across the board was top notch.

If you want a book that’s going to keep you hooked throughout, has two MMCs you’d be on your knees for and an FMC with a sinister side 👀 that you’ll adore, I beg you to pick up The Blood Plagues. And remember, Blood Demands Blood 🩸

[Anni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The feminine rage, lyrical prose, and dark fantasy laced with moments of humour we all need… The Blood Plagues is perfection. Anavrin Jay’s writing style is incredibly unique; if you’re a fan of Rachel Gillig, this is absolutely one to add to your list.

Short snippet from the blurb:
‘Ashara and Demetri dare only the briefest of touches, each kiss stolen under the cover of dusk. Tired of crumbs, they make a vow to indulge in the sin they both crave the night before their offering; one final act as living flesh before they are sacrificed to the Blood God.
But that was before. Before the acolytes. Before the inquisition. Before the penance.
Estranged for eight years, they reunite within Dendra’s Grand Templum mere hours before they are destined to die. When a druid is found slain inside its sacred walls, the sanctity of the Last Rite twists into a vicious hunt for answers only a brutal awakening can provide.’

Ashara is a headstrong, empowered protagonist I couldn’t help but root for, while Demetri’s quick-witted humour offers the perfect relief from the darker elements of the story. Their character development was so well done, and on top of that, I completely fell in love with The Butcher.

As the first book in a trilogy, I’m both thrilled and devastated… I need the next instalment immediately, but this was more than worth the wait.

Forever grateful to Anavrin for the ARC and for letting me be part of the street team. This story is something truly special, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

[Brionna Bell-Scotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the actual f***

[Lizardley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you very much to author Anavrin Jay for the ARC. It was a pleasure to receive your emails!

The Blood Plagues is a somewhat difficult book for me to review. I do not think that I self-selected away from this enough, but the summary is also somewhat misleading, and there were genuinely things that I enjoyed here, to the point where I could easily see myself reading the next book in this series. I think (perhaps presumptuously) this review could very much be one of those negative reviews that convinces you to read the book.

Romantasy tends to be a bit of a dicey proposition for me. I like the idea of a fantasy novel with a heavy focus on romance, but in practice, romantasy, particularly het romantasy, frequently annoys me. I tend to not like many of the tropes that are almost omnipresent in the most popular works in genre (plucky and snarky female protagonist, dark edgy boy with whom she shares much quippy and sexually tinged dialogue, pet names, etc., all of which appear in this book). With that said, I do like darker fantasy, I enjoy complicated relationships between the romantic leads, I love a riff on Christianity in fantasy because I am Normal about growing up Christian, and I love weird sexual blood stuff because I am a freak.

I decided to take a risk on The Blood Plagues mainly based on the promise of weird freak stuff and cool worldbuilding, comforted by the novel-seeming premise. Goodreads doesn't yet have the plot summary in yet, so I will quote the one from Amazon:

Dying women care not for the rulebooks of men, living women less still.

Ashara and Demetri dare only the briefest of touches, each kiss stolen under the cover of dusk. Tired of crumbs, they make a vow to indulge in the sin they both crave the night before their offering; one final act as living flesh before they are sacrificed to the Blood God.

But that was before. Before the acolytes. Before the inquisition. Before the penance.

Estranged for eight years, they reunite within Dendra’s Grand Templum mere hours before they are destined to die. When a druid is found slain inside its sacred walls, the sanctity of the Last Rite twists into a vicious hunt for answers only a brutal awakening can provide.

The druids will learn how a woman’s rage can rival the wrath of a god.

From this summary, I assumed that I would be getting a sort of murder mystery situation, where Ashara and perhaps Demetri are somehow recruited into solving this mysterious death, and along the way, restart their relationship with each other, grappling with how they've changed over the years. This was an intriguing proposition! There's lots of fun that can be had with that premise, and the romantic relationship didn't look like it would be almost identical to every other big name romantasy book's romantic relationship.

The summary unfortunately fails to mention the third main character. I will be so honest, if I had known that there would be a brooding and distractingly handsome druid as a character, I would not have read this book. I've been around the block; I know who tends to win in the "childhood romantic interest vs. dark brooding new boy" wars. I also know that I tend to find such characters insufferable.

I think the Butcher is a pretty good example of a lot of what I didn’t like about The Blood Plagues: a great idea on paper, but with teeth-grinding execution. The Butcher’s whole deal is that he is one of the highest ranking druids, and he’s a religious leader with a reputation for being a merciless defender of the faith. But, we come to discover that he hates the church he works for, is working on some kind of rebellion, and is doing his damndest to avoid The Mysterious Drug (I want to avoid spoilers as much as possible, though I think from his first POV chapter, it’s fairly easy to put together what’s going on). As a guy with a crippling weakness for priests who commit atrocities and feel bad about it, this could have been right up my alley, and indeed, while reading his first POV chapter, I was intrigued! Unfortunately, he began talking to Ashara, and that’s when I decided to hate him.

I just really don't care for when an MMC starts making incredibly sexual comments even when the FMC doesn't know him well and expresses discomfort with it. From my consultation with friends who are more familiar with dark romance as a genre, I’m told that dialogue that would border on/be sexual harassment in real life is a genre staple. However, I did not care for it at all particularly because the trigger warnings in the ARC that I received stated that “the MMCs will never be the perpetrators of non-consensual sex/sexual acts or willful abuse”. I feel like this is a bit on the edge though, and perhaps is not covered by the trigger warnings. Even if this doesn’t count, I could not stand basically any of the banter between him and Ashara. It was just them having basically the same argument about lying for 150 pages, with occasional interludes of the Butcher acting like Ashara was crazy for being upset about a druid approaching her with an item that she just saw kill, at minimum, dozens of people. I guess that’s fine as a character trait in a vacuum, but the problem is that instead of Ashara or even the Butcher getting to learn anything about Ashara’s power or the world in general, we spend pages and pages listening to them fight about who’s lying or telling the truth. I was begging him to start being an asshole about how many questions she had asked him, just so that we could get on to some lore about the setting or some information that could lead to a deeper understanding of what all the druids have going on. I could not stand this man so much that I could not enjoy the erotic “licking blood from a puncture wound on Ashara’s thumb as cunnilingus” scene. Genuinely, I’m so mad at myself for this. This is the kind of content that we need in more romance novels, but I was too busy casting malicious spells at the Butcher with my mind to get lost in the moment. Alas!

These endless circular Butcher/Ashara conversations are an example of my other major problem with The Blood Plagues: the pacing is very strange. The best description I can give is that it feels like the first third to half of a longer book that was padded out to hit the length of a book, and not all the padding is added in particularly helpful places. We spend the first eight or so chapters with teenaged Ashara and Demetri, learning about their relationship and why it ended, then we time-skip eight years, in which seemingly nothing happened to Ashara other than the death of her mother and not seeing Demetri. She feels exactly the same as she did eight years ago: she has no additional connections to people and experienced no major changes to her routine. She slides back into her relationship with Demetri with basically no friction that isn’t resolved in a brief conversation. I was looking forward to the friction! I was looking forward to these two people figuring out how their separate lives had changed them and what their relationship could look like, and it was all fine! I was very sad!

Then a Plot Event happens (I’m being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers), and at least so far, it does not seem to have much to do with the murder of the druid. Then we get the aforementioned 150 pages of Ashara and the Butcher arguing and revealing very little new information, with a quick POV chapter from the Butcher that gives a lot of the game away on why the druids are doing All Of That. For me, knowing all that information this early made the Ashara/Butcher conversations even more frustrating, as it became increasingly clear that Ashara wasn’t going to find out any of it. There’s a further POV shift, where after several weeks of extreme torture, a different character gives us more detail about why the druids are doing All Of That. Even though it’s a little confusing, I don’t mind this sudden POV shift, because it does put us in the POV character’s shoes of wondering what’s going on with Ashara, but so much of it is an extended torture scene that tells us that the druids are evil, which we definitely already know. There’s also a hint in here that one of the druids might have a greater motivation than just upholding the status quo, which is awesome, except nothing comes of it. Then it’s back to Ashara to reveal that she spent the intervening time basically doing nothing. She’s hanging out with the Butcher, but apparently

The pace does pick up from here on, until we hit the climax, and shortly thereafter slam into the wall that is the novel just ending on one of the most abrupt cliffhangers I’ve encountered outside of one of the later Maximum Ride books. I call it the climax, because while it is the big confrontation at the end of the book, nothing really gets resolved. Ashara is the only one to have gone on any kind of character arc (and it's a bit clumsy to boot), it feels like we’ve just forgotten that druid whose murder was important enough to put in the plot summary, I can’t tell if the stuff around the druid is real or not, I still have only a vague idea at what’s actually going on with the Butcher, and we have basically no idea of who survived the whole situation. I imagine that a fair amount of this will be covered in a future book, but the lack of any resolution beyond the book simply ending feels messy. I wonder if part of the reason that I feel this way is due to not particularly liking either romance in practice, so much of the relationship-building felt like annoying faffing around, but I have to believe that there was a way to have more plot with the relationships.

I feel like I’ve been going on a ten minute hate in this review, and while I do have a lot of problems with The Blood Plagues, there are many things that I genuinely liked. I was really surprised by how much I liked the side characters! Esioul is my overall favorite character, but I also quite liked Maxius and Rodriq. It was nice to get hints at other features of the setting through them, and, to be very honest, I like gay people. I’m very intrigued by the religious lore about the Blood God and the Other. One thing about me is that I took a class on Gnosticism during undergrad, and it was a significant part of my personality for awhile, so a story about how the true creator was sidelined by an evil creation always has my attention. The sex scenes are well-written; while I was annoyed enough at the characters that I wasn’t getting the emotional impact, they were objectively very good. The importance and cost of looking at various atrocities as explored in the novel is very interesting; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a novel examine the act of looking at state violence as both a source of power, and as an anti-social and self-destructive act. I’m a little nervous that this may not have been intentional, but I really hope it was, because I’d love to watch Ashara find a way of managing that divide in a future book. While I didn’t like the ending itself, I’m really interested in where the story could go from here. Everything has gone to shit for Thromarra in a way that has me utterly at a loss for what could happen next, which is exciting!

Ultimately, I’m left in the somewhat baffling position of actively disliking this book, yet being very excited to find out what happened next. Godspeed to Jay, and good luck in the writing process!

I cannot believe this review is over 2000 words and I stayed up until 3 AM to write the bulk of it, what happened to me...

[Nawelle Feral Reader Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6 stars)

I didn’t just read The Blood Plagues - I devoured it. This is an incredibly strong debut that had me completely hooked from the first page… to the point I was sending Anavrin live reactions after almost every chapter—sorry Anavrin, but I simply could not keep my thoughts to myself.

Anavrin Jay’s writing is immersive, confident, and deliberately paced in a way that builds tension without ever losing momentum. The atmosphere is rich and at times oppressive, pulling you fully into a world shaped by sacrifice, power, and consequence.

At its core, the story follows Ashara and Demetri—bound by a past filled with stolen moments and unfinished longing. Reunited after eight years within Dendra’s Grand Templum, and facing imminent sacrifice to the Blood God, their dynamic carries both urgency and emotional weight. What begins as something tender quickly unravels as acolytes, inquisition, and penance twist fate into something far darker.

Ashara is a standout protagonist she is resilient, complex, and driven by survival, rage, and defiance. Her journey feels both brutal and empowering, and I was fully invested in her from the start. Loved Ashara, and I fell for the Butcher the minute he hit the story. I fear I’ve unlocked new tropes—licking, chainmail, covered faces… and apparently touching/tracing someone’s face because when did that get so attractive?! IYKYK 👀

Demetri, in contrast, brings a softer edge to the story. He was unexpectedly cutesy (yes, I said it), with a silver tongue and a warmth that made his connection with Ashara genuinely endearing. Their relationship balances the darker elements of the plot with moments of tenderness in such a bleak world. All I’ll say is buttons 🥹

But my word there’s the Butcher my Chainmail daddy, an immediate and commanding presence who shifts the tone of every scene he enters. There’s control, danger, and an undercurrent of tension that makes every interaction so tense and charged and impossible to ignore. Some moments genuinely caught me off guard in the best way subtle, unexpected, and somehow far more intense than they had any right to be 🥵

Thematically, the novel explores devotion, sacrifice, power, and the consequences of both love and rage. The tension is sustained throughout, with a tone that feels both poetic and brutal. It’s one of those books where even the quieter moments feel loaded, and the stakes are constantly simmering beneath the surface - I seriously was anxious at numerous points within the story.

Also a special shoutout to certain chapters because they deserve their own moment:
Chapters 28, 29, 30 had me completely locked in, Chapter 33 had me cackling, and Chapter 35… oh my word.

My only criticism? I now have to wait for book two 😭 This devoured me and ruined me in the best way. For a debut, it left me completely reeling and I already know the next instalment is going to be incredible.

Out of context quotes:
🩸 “If I tell you to bark, you bark. Or else nought but agony for every meagre turn you have left.”
✨ “No bath, actually. You can stay coated in your need for him. I ordain it as penance for having such blasphemous dreams.”
🩸 “Why did her touch feel like starlight?”
✨ “Dying women care not for the rulebooks of men.”
🩸“Wrath begets wrath, and all will blaze in its rapture.”

[Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an arc copy of this book! ✨️

The first 30% of this book had me absolutely obsessed. This is such a unique & fresh book. I absolutely loved the old English used and it was really nice that it was prominent through out the book.

I did struggle with the monologuing in this book, I'm not the type of reader to enjoy pages of it, most likely due to my ADHD and wondering mind and it did take me out of the book a few times. I would compare this authors writing to Carissa Broadbent & Jennifer L Armentrout when I speak of the monologuing.

The ending was everything I love in a book, heartbreaking, weird and down right WRONG. Wrong in all of the best ways, this is not a love story, this will hurt you.

Overall this is a really well written and amazingly executed book, it reads like it's written by a well seasoned author.

If you love;

✨️ Dark Fantasy
✨️ love triangle...maybe?
✨️ rituals
✨️ Gods/Goddesses
✨️ moments of humour (my fave)
✨️ yearning upon yearning
✨️ blood/gore/unhinged chaos

You will love this 🫶✨️

[⚔️Caitlyn✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ This wasn’t entirely what I expected it to be, but not in a bad way!

I really enjoyed the story, though it moved a tad slow at times and the writing lowkey made me feel stupid. At times, it seemed as if I was reading a medieval history book it was really dense and I couldn’t keep up or keep straight what the characters were trying to say 😅

I did really like the main characters, their evolution, and the premise I found super original and interesting. I think I just need a higher IQ to understand it LOL. I can’t even begin to theorize what’s really going on or where the book is going.

Some of the lines were pure lyrical and literary genius I reread some of them several times while kicking my feet. Also loved having multiple POV’s it added so much depth and excitement to the overall story. It felt very vivid and real and the depictions of violence were unguarded and raw, which I absolutely adored.

Overall, I thought this book was very well executed (sometimes literally) but I just didn’t find myself picking it back up once I set it down and I really had to think hard about what I was reading I couldn’t really get lost in it.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so lucky to have an ARC of this book. I went into it hardly knowing anything, but I was absolutely blown away. I absolutely devoured this masterpiece. The dark atmosphere, the almost lyrical prose, and the insanely descriptive writing had me absolutely absorbed, wincing and going feral. I felt transported to this gritty and terrifying world (but luckily not actually because I would definitely be one of the first to be sacrificed)

Anavrin has an incredible talent for building tension that had me on the edge of my seat, whether it be interactions with the druids or Ashara and the Butcher sharing a touch that felt like so much more. I absolutely adore the Butcher, and I cannot wait to see his development in the next instalment. “If you weren’t injured, and I hadn’t a Druid to penance, the blood god himself wouldn’t be able to stop whatever in the hottest fucking pits this is”

I felt attached to Ashara from the jump. She was headstrong, smart, and knows the oppressive regime in place to suppress anyone not within the Druid ranks is not all as it seems. The feminine rage will shake this world. “The wrath of a laurel, the wrath of a woman, the wrath of me”

The final 3 chapters had me crashing out, I almost threw my kindle across the room, and my partner had to listen to my gasps and tears as he tried to get to sleep at midnight. I absolutely cannot wait for the next instalment. I absolutely cannot believe that this is Anavrins Debut! Insane. Justice for the owls though 🦉

Blood Demands Blood 🩸

[Booksandmoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow wow wow!!! New fave author alert!

I didn’t know what to expect when going into this one, but all the teasers made me feel like this would essentially be my perfect dark romantasy and my god did this deliver! I will say this does get very dark, you should definitely check out the trigger warnings before going into this one.

Firstly, the writing was beautiful. Anavrin’s prose is enchanting but haunting at the same time and I was immediately sucked into this world from the first chapter.

The world-building is equally impressive. It feels unique and unpredictable, and I genuinely could not anticipate where the story was heading. Looking back at where it began and how the narrative expands, I am amazed by how much depth is packed into a setting that initially seems contained. The interplay of politics and legacy adds layers of complexity, and I am excited to see how it all develops in future instalments.

Now for the characters, of my darling Ashara, she’s an FMC that you cannot help but root for, and watching her journey from a meek and powerless pawn to a truly wrathful being , the embodiment of feminine rage, was truly so satisfying! We get not one but two MMCs that, while very different, are equally as loveable, both tortured souls and I could not decide who to root for more. I felt connected to them all intimately as we got their POVs but also to the side characters we meet along the way. Anavrin somehow made me want to weep for a character that probably has like 2% page time, because I could feel our characters emotions so viscerally. Truly her character work was done so masterfully.

The ending of this book is diabolical and I will not be able to rest until I have book 2 in my hands.

[Oana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advanced reader copy received from the author
●
I finished this 2 days ago and had to sit with my feelings for a bit because that was CRAZY
●
This dark fantasy has a brutal and ingenious world building, and I'm a sucker for it. The world was very interesting, and I'm sorry the story had such a slow pace as I wanted to explore more of it! The characters were intriguing, and your patience is rewarded with multiple POVs that surprise you, especially THAT one in the middle of the book 👀
●
The author has a distinct poetic writing, but I personally found the dialogue a touch difficult to follow - however something I want to overlook as it's very embedded into the worldbuilding.
●
This being said, the story falls a bit short for me as I feel conflicted, I've been through a lot in these 500 pages, I feel like my treat at the end could have been sweeter 🫣
●
I shall leave you with some random thoughts and observations I had throughout the book ~
The audacity of men
A couple that slays (literally)
Yearning and tension
Licking for a specific purpose 👀🫦 lol

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think someone finally put words to my fever dreams. I’m so confused and I need more.
More articulate review to come (maybe)

[Steph 🫶🏻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC READ! Thank you Anavrin for the ARC of this ❤️

INFINITY STAAAAAARSSSSSSS oh my god. I devoured this like I could NOT STOP READING.

Check your triggers - this is absolutely a ‘dead dove, do not eat’ with child death so you have been warned!

After being in a slump of romantasy being samey and boring and nothing hitting a spot this delivered at a time when it was SO needed. One of my top books of the year and I’m
Already chomping at the bit for book 2. Very dark, Very gory.

I felt SO many emotions reading this, I laughed, I sobbed multiple times, I screamed and cursed the author whilst simultaneously celebrating her. Gorgeous prose, descriptive writing and such an original plot and story. The story felt like listening to music.

The female rage was magnificent and I can’t wait to watch that progress in book 2

Anyone who’s read this will know that ‘by his ears’ is nothing short of a hate crime I fear.

Deliciously wicked and beautiful MMCs and Demitri will always hold my heart ❤️

Stunning debut and such a perfect read and I have been in a major slump since.

[Liza Buss · Rating 5 out of 5]

UMMM… I think I have to give The Blood Plagues 5 stars.

I genuinely do not even know how to explain my experience reading this book because I’m still recovering from it. Is it romantasy? Horror? Dark fantasy with spice and religious horror elements? All I know is that I could not put it down. I read this in 48 hours and there was never a single dull moment.

Anavrin Jay… respectfully, what were you drinking when you wrote this??? Because this book is INSANE in the best possible way. I still don’t know if I was turned on, horrified, emotionally devastated, or all three at the same time. And somehow this author managed to make finger sucking hot??? Witchcraft.

Ashara was such a compelling FMC. She’s a seamstress born with gray hair, carrying so much wrath and feminine rage, and honestly? Every emotion she felt made perfect sense considering the world she’s trapped in.

And then there’s Demetri… the childhood connection, the longing, the history. But ALSO the Butcher?? The man whose face we don’t even fully see until the LAST PAGE because he’s hidden behind chainmail the entire time??? Anavrin, you cannot describe someone as godlike and then deny me answers for an entire book 😭

At its heart, the story follows Ashara and Demetri, whose shared past is filled with longing, devotion, and unfinished feelings. When they reunite years later within Dendra’s Grand Templum, where sacrifice to the Blood God looms over everything, their connection becomes tangled in religion, punishment, and something far darker than either of them expected.

This book explores devotion, sacrifice, power, religion, rage, and desire in such an intense way. The druid-inspired religious system honestly felt closer to a cult at times, which made the entire atmosphere feel unsettling and claustrophobic in the best way possible. Even the quieter scenes carried this constant sense of dread simmering beneath the surface, and there were multiple moments where I genuinely felt anxious while reading.

Also… the torture scenes? I had to skim some parts because the pain in this book feels visceral. But somehow alongside all the brutality, there’s also yearning and forbidden desire woven through everything. It’s chaotic, addictive, poetic, and completely unhinged.

And now I desperately need book two immediately because I still don’t fully know how to process what I just read.

If you love:

✨ Dark Fantasy
✨ rituals & cult-like religion
✨ Gods/Goddesses
✨ yearning upon yearning
✨ forbidden desire
✨ horror elements
✨ blood/gore/unhinged chaos
✨ possible love triangle vibes
✨ moments of humor between emotional destruction

Some quotes that absolutely wrecked me:

“Darling, you feel like the dip of my heart every time I glance you across the pews… You feel like something the chappellums failed to inspire… divine, fucking rapture.”

“A wrath that only awakens when it senses injustice of the highest sort.”

“Try as I might, the riddle I cannot crack is not your blessing, or your blood, but why I feel so compelled to you.”

“They need fear, Lycandor, fear, for without it, hope becomes a weapon rather than a tool.”

“Yet… fuck. Which was worse? The bloodlust of a god, or the cruelties of men?"

[Sarah Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece of dark, gothic, atmospheric writing. I can’t believe this is a debut book. The world building and religious lore, the character building and development, the plot twists, the feminine rage, the tension, oh god the tension is all absolutely top notch. It’s dark, and has lots of gore and death so make sure to check your trigger warnings.
We’re given not one but two MMCs, one Carrion Swift coded and the other if villain why hot! Also good luck unlocking your new chain mail kink.
Big Thanks to Anavrin for providing our book club with eARCs of this book, I feel very privileged to have been one of the first to read it.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Plagues is unlike anything I’ve read before—biblical, lyrical, grim, yet somehow tantalisingly rich.

I’m genuinely in awe of how Anarvin Jay wrote this novel. It feels as though an entirely new sacred text was written alongside it. The depth of world building and the intricate understanding of biblical law are staggering. You can’t help but wonder: how does one even begin to build something so complex?

This is, at its core, a dark romance, so do check the trigger warnings. That said, the violence and brutality never feel performative. Instead, they are grounded in the world of the story, woven seamlessly into its horror, grit, and emotional weight.

The prose is lyrical and completely unique. I’ll admit, this was my only challenge with the book—and more a reflection of my own brain fog issues than the writing itself. (Spoonie friends be warned) It demands your attention. But once you settle into its rhythm, it becomes utterly absorbing. You’re pulled into a tense, plot-driven narrative shaped by power, sacrifice, and twisted fate.

The tension between the two main characters is palpable. Anarvin builds anticipation in ways I didn’t think possible—no spoilers, but truly, who knew a wooden box could feel so sensual?

If you enjoy a strong, powerful female protagonist, mysterious yet controlling chainmail daddy leads, and a supporting character with a softer edge, this story will absolutely draw you in.

But be warned: the ending will leave you reeling.
Anarvin Jay—you owe us book two immediately!

But remember, blood demands blood.

Thank you to Anarvin for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

[sam | sammylou.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Demands Blood

I just love this book so much. I went in blind with it, which I honestly think is the best move!! & I was CONSUMED — I didn't want to put it down and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since I finished it. It was unlike anything I've ever read!! It was dark and gruesome — yet lyrical, poetic, full of yearning, and somehow still delivered some hilarious moments. I never once knew where the story was going, but I was living for it!!

“If I tell you to bark, you bark."
AND BABY WOULD I BARK FOR THE BUTCHER!!! ON MY HANDS AND KNEES!! 😩

Read if you enjoy:
-Dark fantasy - check TW!!
-2 MMCs 👀 (one is masked AYEEE)
-Feminine rage
-Blood magic
-Yearning
-Multi-POV

[DeathReye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC for an honest review.

This book has a lot of potential and it's very not bad for a debut.
I felt like the story needed more meat to engross me. By the end of the book I felt like it kind of fell flat but I also think its because the story itself didn't have enough built up to conclude nicely.

What I didn't like:
Demetri, at the start of the book to him and Ashara first meeting back up after 8 years I thought was sweet, I was quite touched by what he was saying. Afterwards though (for a very specific reason I'll get to) I really didn't enjoy his chapters and I felt like he didn't really provide anything of substance besides showing the reader what the Druids/Acolytes/Silent Sisters were really about.

I Want More From:
Ashara, I did enjoy reading her perspective sometimes because there were times where she had a really commanding presence which I so fucked with but she made some really questionable choices. I felt that every interaction with Demetri was forced and even their intimate scene...I wasnt convinced.
Now let's talk about feminine rage, because I felt like Ashara was becoming another person altogether or possessed rather than letting feminine rage fuel her actions. I get having a psychotic break can result in personality switches but this book didn't convince me of her rage and rather some external force was using her to do their bidding for a couple of minutes (unless that's what was happening and we don'tfully know yet 🤔).

What I Loved:
Butcher/Lycandor Vetrius, this man absolutely stole the show for me. Whenever it was his perspective or if he was in a scene i was HOOKED ✨️ This man had depth, presence, intrigue and ✨️yearning✨️. I loved that he was shrouded in secrecy and I loved even more that he was besotted with Ashara. Never seeing his face for 99% of the book, I LOVED, he was so true to himself and what I look for with a dark/mysterious male lead. I'M SO FUCKING UPSET SHE CHOSE WRONG - I pretty much threw my phone across the room.

Lycandor and Ashara's banter is the reason I kept reading, IT WAS EVERYTHING and I'm wanting to continue with the series for them. Everytime I was reading them I was convinced I was wrong about everything else because it was written so beautifully.

The aesthetic was really fun and I really enjoyed the tiny world building and the religious lore.

Despite how negative I might sound, I'm keen for the 2nd book.

[Giorgia - whatgiorgiaisreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts on this book!
It's not 100% my usual genre but I still really enjoyed it. Plot-wise, I firstly felt like not much happened but then towards the end realised loads had happened 😅. The world building was excellent & I enjoyed the lore & the scriptures, and I enjoyed Ashara & Lycandor's interactions. I've definitely got more questions than answers, and it definitely reeled me in! It was slightly confusing and very mysterious but i liked the twistiness of it all and I am very eager to read the next book. It feels quite hard to describe, but I think that's partly why I enjoyed it - I haven't read anything like this, so the uniqueness of it intrigued me. The concept of the Blood Plagues is extremely original & I'm looking forward to seeing what's next! Thank you for the sneak peek 🫶🏻

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this book and it did not disappoint. Such a riveting and entertaining plot with complex systems and characters with unique and well written personalities.
I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!
I loved every second of reading this book.
The Dark Fantasy themes and feminine rage were so perfectly executed and I felt like I was along for every change of emotion, ups and downs.
What a brilliant read!

[Laura | 📖✨🫶🏻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Advanced Copy Received From Anavrin Jay.

WOW.

Sacrifice. Religious Fervour. Dark Gothic Fantasy.

FEMALE RAGE to me is like eating the most delicious and decadent Cake. And boy, did Anavrin deliver. Womanhood between the Women was visceral on a level I’ve not read before.

THE SPICE. It felt earned. Not rushed. Raw. Emotional in a way that makes you wonder what’s around the corner.

This book will traumatise you. You will fall in love with the poetic way Anavrin writes, and it will all leave you questioning EVERYTHING.

Reading TBP is an experience in itself, and being lucky enough to read this before its official release to the World, felt incredibly special.

[Missfit]

‎Can you DNF a book you’ve been anticipating, and even beta read the opening for?
‎
‎Apparently, for me, you can.
‎
‎Let me start this yapping by saying that The Blood Plagues is not a bad book. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the writing is one of the best I’ve seen in an ARC (and I’ve read 30+ so far!!) Anyone who says otherwise is like saying vanilla is better than chocolate (total bullshit).
‎
‎I could go on and on about the writing because it really is THAT good, y'all. I’m not kidding when I say it took my breath away. I remember reading the unedited first ten chapters and thinking, holy meatballs??? This is what happens when someone writes when they’re truly ready. This is an author who knows exactly what they’re capable of and tackles heavy themes in their debut because they fully understand what they’re doing and not just following the market.
‎
‎But after weeks of waiting, emails full of teasers, shifting dates, and lots of information from the author (who I totally get was excited, but it ended up overwhelming me 🙂) I surprised myself by not being able to get into it.
‎
‎I tried to read this book for over a week before realizing I kept finding excuses not to. I’d be scrolling fb, telling myself to pick it up, and still couldn’t bring myself to do it. Why, you might ask?
‎
‎Ashara’s characterization is one of the main issues.
‎
‎When I beta read this, I told the author that Ashara felt passive. She kindly replied that ooooh I should wait, that Ashara isn’t really passive. But I got halfway through and ... Nothing changed. She’s still the same quiet Ashara, except now she has this mysterious power she doesn’t really understand. We’re talking about a girl who always knew she would be sacrificed before she turned a certain age. But instead of doing something about it, she just accepts her fate. There’s no mention of her trying to run away after her mother died, no sneaking into forbidden rooms, no hiding a dagger, just ... Nothing. It needs extremely strong internal justification to feel believable. Otherwise it reads as plot convenience disguised as personality. She had years. YEARS. And she did nothing. Girl, pls 😭
‎
‎I guess I was craving a feistier heroine. Someone who would fight tooth and nail for her freedom, especially when she has nothing left to lose. And since most of the book is from her POV, I got exhausted pretty quickly. I didn't asking for her to win, just to ✨ try ✨ Hide something. Plan something. Even fail spectacularly. Passivity without resistance? That kills engagement fast.

Oh, Esioul, what a wasted opportunity you are :((

She was more interested than Ashara.
‎
‎Second: the love triangle.
‎
‎I genuinely believe my past self was either blind or half asleep when I applied for this ARC because I hate love triangles hehe 😬 It’s either one love interest or poly for me, no in between. But this was one of the first ARCs I ever applied for, and clearly I was just excited about free books and clicked "apply" on everything. Meh.
‎
‎Third: Lycandor.
‎
‎THIS. This is what killed it for me.
‎
‎I decided to DNF RIGHT AFTER reading his POV. The second love interest. I thought I could push through the love triangle if the characters were compelling, and to be fair, Demitri is fun. He’s that slightly psycho golden retriever childhood friend. But Lycandor? He’s the typical brooding shadow daddy: dark, mysterious, looks dangerous (read: sinfully attractive), but hohoho wait!!! He’s actually had a tragic past and complicated family dynamics. I'm??? Screaming??? ☺️
‎
‎Give me two Demitris. Give me sunshine boys. Give me anything except the "villain-but-not-really-just-misunderstood" trope. I’m tired.
‎
‎What frustrated me more is that we barely get anything about Demitri, not his family, not his time away from Ashara, but then Lycandor shows up for one chapter and suddenly we learn about his father, the druids, the disease ... He becomes more important in one. Single. Chapter. than Demitri has been the entire time. What???
‎
‎At that point, I started feeling uneasy because I was afraid this would turn into another "bad boy gets the girl while the good guy gets sidelined bleh 😝" situation. I’ve seen that too many times, and honestly, I didn’t want to risk it.
‎
‎To make it worse, the POVs all sound the same. Ashara, Demitri, and Lycandor have identical voices. If their names weren’t at the start of each chapter, I wouldn’t be able to tell who’s speaking. I’m not saying the author should change their writing style, but the characters NEED distinct voices. Give one dark humor, another self deprecating insecurity, make another stupidly optimistic, just ... Something. Right now, they all sound like elegant triplets narrating in the same angsty tone. It’s beautiful, but also tiring.
‎
‎In the end, I realized this is a classic "it’s me, not you" situation, which is why I’m not giving it a rating. Just look at those glowing reviews. Normally, near perfect ratings make me suspicious, but in this case, I believe it deserves them ... If it finds the right audience.
‎
‎And unfortunately, that audience isn’t me.
‎
‎Thank you so much to the author for the opportunity. Maybe next time.

[Haley Deppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

⟡ ݁𐙚 ˖.𖥔.*:* ♡

um, hello?! genuinely what the fuck was that. in a good way, though. y’all know i am so stingy with my five star ratings so please do not take this lightly!

this is a dark fantasy romance, not a romantasy, so make sure you check the description and also the triggers because it’s extremely dark. definitely not a book for the faint of heart.

this book ate all the way down. the writing definitely gives me the knight and the moth. it’s very similar in its dark, almost lyrical prose that is somewhat difficult to get used to at the start of the book. however, once you’re in it, oh baby, you’re in it!!!

okay, but we GOTTA talk about the mmcs. YES, i said mmcs PLURAL! *insert me biting the tip of my index finger in my mouth in lust like that one meme picture of sabrina carpenter* anyways, DUDE, omg the romance aspect of this book was just a grand old time. i don’t wanna give anything away but the second guy???? oh, i need that. i need that bad. and, he’s masked! we haven’t even seen bro’s face but trust me when i say that i already know he’s fine.

i mean, what can i say, i was hooked almost immediately. the pacing is phenomenal, not too fast and not too slow, but just right. i literally could not put this book down. all i thought about these past few days was when i would be able to pick it back up and see what was gonna happen next.

i must also note really quickly that this is anavrin jay’s debut! i am truly so impressed and cannot wait to see where she takes the rest of this series!

[Shan Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I’ve been WAITING to talk about this one! I didn’t think this book would be my thing. As soon as I saw that this book would centre around biblical themed ritualistic horror I did not think this would be my cup of tea but BOY was I wrong! Following the love story and yearning of the 2 main characters whilst also following their unjust inevitability of sacrifice mapped out for them, was quite beautifully unfair to endure. But to progress from that to some kind of forbidden lust ; supporting the sympathetic villain and then so many moral twists and turns come the end that I lost sense of my compass in every sense of the word, was an exceptional turn of events and one, quite frankly, worth the pure heart ache of the main characters’ arcs.

[Marte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start.. I feel completely empty after this..

The beginning? Intriguing and mysterious and It really pulled me in. But I’ll be honest.. The first half felt a bit slow for me and landed somewhere in the middle. Maybe also because my expectations were so high after seeing almost only 5 stars reviews.

BUT.
The second half??? I read it in one sitting.. It picked up so much, and I was completely hooked. Especially Ashara.. What a character. We meet her as innocent and almost childlike, and then we get to follow her growth as everything unfolds. She’s strong, complex, and such a compelling FMC.
And that ending.......
Did I mention I feel completely empty now?
I need book 2 ASAP.

[thevelvetthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BLOOD PLAGUES
A brutal world where survival is futile.
The Church controls all.
Living is punishment.

How do you love when death is already waiting?
How do you hold someone in the final breath
a man you haven’t touched in eight years?

There is no time left.
No hours. No minutes. No seconds.

Only the question
what do you say before the end?

Are you ready to face the Blood God?
Have you obeyed? Have you earned his grace?
If not, step out of line, and you will be punished.

Because blood demands blood.
For laughter, a tongue.
For touch, a hand.
For love, a womb.

The other gods are silent here.
The Blood Plague takes everything.

This is not a story of hope.
Check your triggers.
Say your prayers.
.

Thank you for the ARC

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so confused, and I loved it. Honestly, this book is so dark it made me worry for the author’s mental health, but I licked up every twisted drop of it. It took me a while to find my footing in this world, the language is a struggle at the start, but it fits the vibes perfectly.

Ashara and the Butcher were incredible, and while Demetri wasn't my favorite, he did eventually grow on me (especially a certain scene involving perky apples). This world is so unique; I’ve truly never read anything like it. It felt like a dark, distorted version of Pompeii, at least that's what I imagined in my head. It’s a heartbreaking journey fueled by genuine female rage, and that ending had me screaming at the wall. Give me more, thank you!

[Abbeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

INFINTY STARS 🌟♾️

‘𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.’
This was the most unhinged book I’ve read in my life, and I’m not sure if I need therapy or a week in a dark hole, but it was so worth it. The way Anavrin writes is pure magic; I felt like I was hypnotised at times. I could have needed resuscitating and they couldn’t have pried this from my hands. ☠️

‘𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬’ is a horrifying dark fantasy that reads like religious scripture. I’ve literally never read anything like this before and unless it’s her future books, I never will again! It surpasses perfection and it’s beyond my comprehension that someone can think up such an insane narrative.

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳.“

Do not even get me started on the yearning and the tension that will haunt you until the end of time. Female rage at its absolute peak, and we bow at the altar of our queen Anavrin (after the therapy bill has been paid).

[Lauren Brodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unlike anything I have ever read before and Anavrin opened up the dark fantasy hand book, threw it at a wall and rewrote the whole damn thing!

Beautifully written, intoxicating and heart wrenching.

I messages the author to tell her she had given me blue balls from the first lick of the butcher to the very last cliff hanging word.

If you like your dark romantasy with a hint of religious ritualistic horror, throw in some torture, some comedy, huge sexual tension and characters you honestly wish you could take to the dais and gut… this needs to be in your tbr immediately!