What do you think?
Blood Demands Blood #1
The Blood Plagues
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.
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.
383 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
August 15, 2026
I don’t even know where to start. This book is so unique in its plot, its setting and magic. This was an extremely dark fantasy full of dark secrets, oppressive systems, brutal torture, human sacrifice, feminine rage with a healthy dose of yearning and romantic tension just to take the edge off 😅. Ending had my jaw ON THE FLOOR (IYKYK) and I cannot wait for book two!! Anavrin you are incredible!
August 11, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
Damn Anarvin, that ending?! What are you doing to us.
This book was an interesting one, because it took me a minute to get into it. At first I was like, wait? Is this going to be my cup of tea? And then once I was in, I was in.
I could not get enough of The Butcher, HOT DAMN. That is a fine man right there.
Very excited for book two and to see where this story goes and to also explore different parts of the realm.
Damn Anarvin, that ending?! What are you doing to us.
This book was an interesting one, because it took me a minute to get into it. At first I was like, wait? Is this going to be my cup of tea? And then once I was in, I was in.
I could not get enough of The Butcher, HOT DAMN. That is a fine man right there.
Very excited for book two and to see where this story goes and to also explore different parts of the realm.
August 16, 2026
I am extremely disappointed.
I wanted to love this as much as everyone else. Unfortunately, the week after I purchased this ebook I found out the author had Instagram photos with chatgpt open in the background asking for synonyms & passage feedback...which have since been taken down. The cover is gorgeous and I was close to purchasing a physical trophy for my shelf, but I cannot ignore the fact that there is actual evidence of ai use in the making of this book yet no one seems to care. This book is still getting trad published & special editions, while other authors are being canceled or having book deals revoked for ai allegations with far less evidence than this.
I wanted to love this as much as everyone else. Unfortunately, the week after I purchased this ebook I found out the author had Instagram photos with chatgpt open in the background asking for synonyms & passage feedback...which have since been taken down. The cover is gorgeous and I was close to purchasing a physical trophy for my shelf, but I cannot ignore the fact that there is actual evidence of ai use in the making of this book yet no one seems to care. This book is still getting trad published & special editions, while other authors are being canceled or having book deals revoked for ai allegations with far less evidence than this.
April 21, 2026
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 🩸❤️🔥
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 🩸❤️🔥
July 26, 2026
These reviews below must be fake or sponsored (if you read the reviews, you can hear how fake they sound). Poorly written book, mostly AI slop, don’t believe Booktok scams
May 22, 2026
WTF! (complimentary). 😌
This one's for the Sleep Token girlies and no, I won't be elaborating on that statement ... you'll have to find out for yourself.
The Blood Plagues by Anavrin Jay is a debut dark romantasy and the first book in the Blood Demands Blood series. And I'm so happy to share that this one delivers on promised darkness. I have no idea when book two is coming but you better believe I'll be ditching my plans to read it.
To be completely honest, I still don't understand the prologue.. but the writing is rich, the world carefully crafted, unique and disturbing, the horror elements 10/10. At one point I felt such a mix of nausea and sadness that I had to take a break and if that isn't effective writing, idk what is. The romance dynamic is JUICY and definitely meant for readers who like a story to take them to unexpected places. I'm dying to know how things evolve for our main characters!
What to expect:
- dark fantasy world
- gothic atmosphere
- religious corruption
- rituals and sacrifice
- trauma and angst
- COMPLEX YEARNING
- forbidden romance
- feminine rage
- a love triangle.... perhaps?
- multi-POV
This read was such a pleasant surprise and a really impressive debut. It wasn't perfect for me; at times the pacing felt slow and the writing too dense for my little brain, but I'm really glad that I stuck with it. Its originality left a lasting impact and I am still thinking about it weeks later.
This one's for the Sleep Token girlies and no, I won't be elaborating on that statement ... you'll have to find out for yourself.
The Blood Plagues by Anavrin Jay is a debut dark romantasy and the first book in the Blood Demands Blood series. And I'm so happy to share that this one delivers on promised darkness. I have no idea when book two is coming but you better believe I'll be ditching my plans to read it.
To be completely honest, I still don't understand the prologue.. but the writing is rich, the world carefully crafted, unique and disturbing, the horror elements 10/10. At one point I felt such a mix of nausea and sadness that I had to take a break and if that isn't effective writing, idk what is. The romance dynamic is JUICY and definitely meant for readers who like a story to take them to unexpected places. I'm dying to know how things evolve for our main characters!
What to expect:
- dark fantasy world
- gothic atmosphere
- religious corruption
- rituals and sacrifice
- trauma and angst
- COMPLEX YEARNING
- forbidden romance
- feminine rage
- a love triangle.... perhaps?
- multi-POV
This read was such a pleasant surprise and a really impressive debut. It wasn't perfect for me; at times the pacing felt slow and the writing too dense for my little brain, but I'm really glad that I stuck with it. Its originality left a lasting impact and I am still thinking about it weeks later.
April 19, 2026
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:
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 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...
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 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...
April 22, 2026
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 🩸
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 🩸
May 11, 2026
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.
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.
May 1, 2026
What the actual f***
May 20, 2026
What a masterpiece even if this book did finish me off 😭
August 25, 2026
This is a very dark book where the ruling church uses an external threat in the form of a mysterious plague to control the population, keeping everyone in a constant state of fear. Any form of disobedience is met with brutal punishment, from beatings to mutilation. In the very first chapter, for example, a man has his tongue cut out. But women, as usual in pretty much any religion, suffer the most.
The story is told from the perspectives of three characters: Ashara, Demetri, and Lycandor, so naturally, we get a love triangle. On one side, we have the cheerful childhood friend, and on the other, a mysterious, sarcastic enemy whose motives and identity are a complete mystery. I mean, the choice is obvious, right? 😂 At least it was for me, because whenever Lycandor was licking Ashara’s wounds or drinking blood from her finger, it felt much hotter and more intimate than any of the actual spice scenes.
The romance is actually almost secondary, though, because the main focus is the mystery surrounding the origins of the plague and the secrets the druids are hiding. The writing is also really beautiful. The characters use archaic words like “thou” and “yestermorn,” and the oppressive atmosphere is absolutely on point. We even get a psychopathic villain with the ironically Shakespearean name Falstaff. He is an absolute piece of shit, and I genuinely can’t remember the last time a fictional character made me this angry. 😡
That said, the pacing drags in places, and the author, much like me, clearly favors Lycandor. He has surprisingly few POV chapters, yet we learn much more about him than we do about Demetri, who sometimes feels like he exists mainly so we can learn certain secrets through him.
And that final chapter... what the actual fever dream was that? I literally had to reread one part twice because... wtf was that???
But I still really enjoyed this. Against the backdrop of so many formulaic stories, this one definitely stands out, even though it does have its share of familiar tropes, like the morally grey, dark-haired man with daddy issues and all that.
...for the Dendralis and the Blood God confused mercy for change; they’d swap one pain for another and call it a kindness.
The story is told from the perspectives of three characters: Ashara, Demetri, and Lycandor, so naturally, we get a love triangle. On one side, we have the cheerful childhood friend, and on the other, a mysterious, sarcastic enemy whose motives and identity are a complete mystery. I mean, the choice is obvious, right? 😂 At least it was for me, because whenever Lycandor was licking Ashara’s wounds or drinking blood from her finger, it felt much hotter and more intimate than any of the actual spice scenes.
The romance is actually almost secondary, though, because the main focus is the mystery surrounding the origins of the plague and the secrets the druids are hiding. The writing is also really beautiful. The characters use archaic words like “thou” and “yestermorn,” and the oppressive atmosphere is absolutely on point. We even get a psychopathic villain with the ironically Shakespearean name Falstaff. He is an absolute piece of shit, and I genuinely can’t remember the last time a fictional character made me this angry. 😡
That said, the pacing drags in places, and the author, much like me, clearly favors Lycandor. He has surprisingly few POV chapters, yet we learn much more about him than we do about Demetri, who sometimes feels like he exists mainly so we can learn certain secrets through him.
And that final chapter... what the actual fever dream was that? I literally had to reread one part twice because... wtf was that???
But I still really enjoyed this. Against the backdrop of so many formulaic stories, this one definitely stands out, even though it does have its share of familiar tropes, like the morally grey, dark-haired man with daddy issues and all that.
April 15, 2026
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.
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.
September 11, 2026
Do yourself a favour and type "Anavrin Jay ChatGPT" on Google.
April 15, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (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.”
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.”
April 18, 2026
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 🫶✨️
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 🫶✨️
July 17, 2026
My lovers of the dark, the disturbing and the divine... If ye read but one book this year, let it be this one.
'Blood demands blood.'
The blood plagues held me transfixed from the first chapter. It is so dark, so macabre, and so completely MESMERISING.
I cannot stop thinking about it.
I loved the completely unique premise of the story, the medieval dialogue and the creepily religious vibes.
I loved Demetri, with his big heart, and his generous usage of the word c*nt. But it was the Butcher who made me pay attention from the moment he appeared on page. Mysterious, helmed and so intriguing, he and his sharp tongue now live rent free in my mind.
*Honourable mention goes to him deliberately never getting Demetri's name right, what a diva.
I had SO MANY thoughts while reading, and here are just a couple of tempting teasers that will make so much more sense once you read it yourself:
🩸F*ck Falstaff and f*ck the acolytes.
🩸Esioul needs to be protected at all costs.
🩸Demetri and his apples were the light in the dark I didn't know I needed.
🩸I'd play two truths and a lie in the Unmantle with the Butcher any day of the week.
🩸The turn the story takes at exactly the halfway point is a 'WAIT, WHAT' moment, that had me screeching in horrified glee.
In amongst the many horrors, there is yearning and tension and heart wrenching sadness, mixed with surprisingly sassy banter, and best believe I ate up every single moment and left no crumbs.
The brutality of the ending saw me with my hand over my mouth, unable to look away. I'm still speechless.
Now we all know I read the trigger warning list like a menu, but when taking a rec from me that's on the darker side, when I say check the trigger warnings, I say it with my whole chest. This is not an easy read. Prepare to be shocked, sickened, and scarred. It is so so worth it though.
Unlike anything I have read before, and absolutely delicious in the most disturbing of ways, I have been fed and need more.
At risk of sounding like Falstaff, this tome hath carved its name upon my soul - I beseech thee, Anavrin Jay and the Blood God, bring forth the second.
'Blood demands blood.'
The blood plagues held me transfixed from the first chapter. It is so dark, so macabre, and so completely MESMERISING.
I cannot stop thinking about it.
I loved the completely unique premise of the story, the medieval dialogue and the creepily religious vibes.
I loved Demetri, with his big heart, and his generous usage of the word c*nt. But it was the Butcher who made me pay attention from the moment he appeared on page. Mysterious, helmed and so intriguing, he and his sharp tongue now live rent free in my mind.
*Honourable mention goes to him deliberately never getting Demetri's name right, what a diva.
I had SO MANY thoughts while reading, and here are just a couple of tempting teasers that will make so much more sense once you read it yourself:
🩸F*ck Falstaff and f*ck the acolytes.
🩸Esioul needs to be protected at all costs.
🩸Demetri and his apples were the light in the dark I didn't know I needed.
🩸I'd play two truths and a lie in the Unmantle with the Butcher any day of the week.
🩸The turn the story takes at exactly the halfway point is a 'WAIT, WHAT' moment, that had me screeching in horrified glee.
In amongst the many horrors, there is yearning and tension and heart wrenching sadness, mixed with surprisingly sassy banter, and best believe I ate up every single moment and left no crumbs.
The brutality of the ending saw me with my hand over my mouth, unable to look away. I'm still speechless.
Now we all know I read the trigger warning list like a menu, but when taking a rec from me that's on the darker side, when I say check the trigger warnings, I say it with my whole chest. This is not an easy read. Prepare to be shocked, sickened, and scarred. It is so so worth it though.
Unlike anything I have read before, and absolutely delicious in the most disturbing of ways, I have been fed and need more.
At risk of sounding like Falstaff, this tome hath carved its name upon my soul - I beseech thee, Anavrin Jay and the Blood God, bring forth the second.
May 14, 2026
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?"
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?"
April 18, 2026
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 🩸
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 🩸
June 2, 2026
Just, wow. Anavrin really knocked her debut out the park with this cause 🤯
A dark, twisted, and gritty fantasy, with elements of romance, and horror. The blood plagues is an absolute must read for anybody who likes their reads with a darker side.
The chemistry between the characters (I won’t spoil between who), the tension, and the insanely detailed world building was second to none and I fear I will have a severe book hangover after eating this up.
Blood two when?? Cause that ending was just … 🤌🏻
A dark, twisted, and gritty fantasy, with elements of romance, and horror. The blood plagues is an absolute must read for anybody who likes their reads with a darker side.
The chemistry between the characters (I won’t spoil between who), the tension, and the insanely detailed world building was second to none and I fear I will have a severe book hangover after eating this up.
Blood two when?? Cause that ending was just … 🤌🏻
April 24, 2026
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
●
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
May 5, 2026
I think someone finally put words to my fever dreams. I’m so confused and I need more.
More articulate review to come (maybe)
More articulate review to come (maybe)
April 25, 2026
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.
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.
August 25, 2026
This is a very difficult review to write. My (high) four star review is for the novel as it stands on its own, away from any other issues.
Firstly, as a novel that I stumbled across with an interesting dark fantasy premise, I loved it. The world is deeply unsettling. There is violence across the pages, both blatant and subtle. The chemistry that Jay writes between her characters is excellent, managing to create a believable, loving and passionate relationship between Ashara and Demetri within three chapters that other authors are unable to emulate within entire novels. The themes of religion, power and control are both obvious and uniquely striking, in a way that is powerfully heavy without ironically feeling preachy. The feminine rage, particularly feminine rage that is constrained by patriarchy and powerlessness, is excellent. I have never read a book with different first person points of view that manage to consistently hold onto unique voices. Usually, that is something I despise, but here, Jay has worked wonders.
For those considering reading this novel, there are two major issues that you need to be aware of.
1. The Blood Plagues has been tagged and is marketed as “romantasy.” This is not a romantasy novel. Romantasy is a subgenre of Romance, and as such, as part of the genre contract, has to either have a Happy Ever After or Happy For Now ending. This novel does not have that. This is a dark fantasy novel that contains romantic elements and explicit sex scenes. The sequel might become dark romantasy, but the sequel isn’t here.
2. There are allegations of Jay using AI to check synonyms and to ask for writing feedback. Contrary to other reviewers, The Blood Plagues has not been created using generative AI. This is a human-written novel, complete with formatting and word errors (“horde” is used instead of “hoard” at one point, as an example). I learned this after reading. This could be treated as an error of judgement, but it seems that Jay has been vocally anti-AI, which is hypocritical. On the other hand, dismissing the novel as “AI slop” is intellectually dishonest and an outright lie. There is a massive difference between generative AI slop and inappropriately using ChatGPT for (hypocritical) hand-holding.
If those issues disappeared, The Blood Plagues is an excellent dark fantasy novel, set in a grim world where wrath is hope, and the twists and turns will leave readers voraciously devouring it. It would have been perfect if another (human) editor took another pass through it to fix minor issues.
I wish that there was not a single drop of potential AI usage here. The alleged hypocrisy grinds my gears more than anything else. At the same time, female authors are pilloried enough, and I can personally give the benefit of the doubt. Jay very clearly has talent, and I want to see how this world grows, as well as how she further grows as an author.
Firstly, as a novel that I stumbled across with an interesting dark fantasy premise, I loved it. The world is deeply unsettling. There is violence across the pages, both blatant and subtle. The chemistry that Jay writes between her characters is excellent, managing to create a believable, loving and passionate relationship between Ashara and Demetri within three chapters that other authors are unable to emulate within entire novels. The themes of religion, power and control are both obvious and uniquely striking, in a way that is powerfully heavy without ironically feeling preachy. The feminine rage, particularly feminine rage that is constrained by patriarchy and powerlessness, is excellent. I have never read a book with different first person points of view that manage to consistently hold onto unique voices. Usually, that is something I despise, but here, Jay has worked wonders.
For those considering reading this novel, there are two major issues that you need to be aware of.
1. The Blood Plagues has been tagged and is marketed as “romantasy.” This is not a romantasy novel. Romantasy is a subgenre of Romance, and as such, as part of the genre contract, has to either have a Happy Ever After or Happy For Now ending. This novel does not have that. This is a dark fantasy novel that contains romantic elements and explicit sex scenes. The sequel might become dark romantasy, but the sequel isn’t here.
2. There are allegations of Jay using AI to check synonyms and to ask for writing feedback. Contrary to other reviewers, The Blood Plagues has not been created using generative AI. This is a human-written novel, complete with formatting and word errors (“horde” is used instead of “hoard” at one point, as an example). I learned this after reading. This could be treated as an error of judgement, but it seems that Jay has been vocally anti-AI, which is hypocritical. On the other hand, dismissing the novel as “AI slop” is intellectually dishonest and an outright lie. There is a massive difference between generative AI slop and inappropriately using ChatGPT for (hypocritical) hand-holding.
If those issues disappeared, The Blood Plagues is an excellent dark fantasy novel, set in a grim world where wrath is hope, and the twists and turns will leave readers voraciously devouring it. It would have been perfect if another (human) editor took another pass through it to fix minor issues.
I wish that there was not a single drop of potential AI usage here. The alleged hypocrisy grinds my gears more than anything else. At the same time, female authors are pilloried enough, and I can personally give the benefit of the doubt. Jay very clearly has talent, and I want to see how this world grows, as well as how she further grows as an author.
July 30, 2026
oh my GOD, I-
I've never been more disturbed yet riveted in my LIFE
This is like if Empire Of the Vampire was woman POV and more graphic? Loved it.
I've never been more disturbed yet riveted in my LIFE
This is like if Empire Of the Vampire was woman POV and more graphic? Loved it.
June 7, 2026
Well this was errm very different to my normal reads - Dark… not sure about fantasy - like a weird mix between handmaidens tale/hellraiser and something just unholy!! This was compelling twisted and a world of wtf have I just read I’m not sure how to rate it… I’m going to check all my bits and pieces first 🤐😳
August 23, 2026
4.25 Stars — Why Lycandor has ruined me for all other morally grey MMC’s: A thinkpiece…
Initial thoughts: what did I just read and why is Lycandor now the ultimate in broody morally grey MMCs?
What is happening?! I'm still trying to digest. This book was crazy.
Lots of blood because “blood demands blood” (obvi), lots of gore, definitely not for the squeamish or maybe religious-cult-sensitive people? This makes The Handmaid's Tale look like a picnic in the park. Not kidding.
I loved this book. The story was so unique and the writing just *flowed* in a way that was so well done. It honestly took me a while to get into, about 50%, I kind of had to vibes my way through a little bit because I wasn’t sure what was happening and was kind of left guessing... but its done on purpose and I had all these theories that I needed to know if I was right on. And then at about 50% it got so insanely crazy good and did not let up.
The spice was so delicious…. *blushing*. It’s kind of set up for a love triangle, which you know I hate…but without giving away too much, it abruptly gets…cut off. 😬 So now I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s a non issue. 🤷♀️🙈
We’re definitely set up for a sequel (Anavrin what are you doing to me?!), we are left dangling by our fingers on a cliffside, but it's such a good cliffside! This book is pure unadulterated female rage, literally, and I am here for it. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.
Mind those trigger warnings though. She's dark... and delicious... and just my type.
Friends. FRIENDS. Read this book. I beg of you!
Initial thoughts: what did I just read and why is Lycandor now the ultimate in broody morally grey MMCs?
What is happening?! I'm still trying to digest. This book was crazy.
Lots of blood because “blood demands blood” (obvi), lots of gore, definitely not for the squeamish or maybe religious-cult-sensitive people? This makes The Handmaid's Tale look like a picnic in the park. Not kidding.
I loved this book. The story was so unique and the writing just *flowed* in a way that was so well done. It honestly took me a while to get into, about 50%, I kind of had to vibes my way through a little bit because I wasn’t sure what was happening and was kind of left guessing... but its done on purpose and I had all these theories that I needed to know if I was right on. And then at about 50% it got so insanely crazy good and did not let up.
The spice was so delicious…. *blushing*. It’s kind of set up for a love triangle, which you know I hate…but without giving away too much, it abruptly gets…cut off. 😬 So now I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s a non issue. 🤷♀️🙈
We’re definitely set up for a sequel (Anavrin what are you doing to me?!), we are left dangling by our fingers on a cliffside, but it's such a good cliffside! This book is pure unadulterated female rage, literally, and I am here for it. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.
Mind those trigger warnings though. She's dark... and delicious... and just my type.
Friends. FRIENDS. Read this book. I beg of you!
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
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.
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