Blood of the Prophet

The Fourth Element #2

by Kat Ross

Visionary. Alchemist. Savior. Saint.

The Prophet Zarathustra has been called many things. Now he spends his time drawing pictures of weird-looking goats. That's what happens when you've been stuck in a prison cell for two hundred years. But the man who might be mad, and is definitely supposed to be dead, has suddenly become very valuable again…

It's only been a few weeks since Nazafareen escaped the King's dungeons with her daēva, Darius. She hoped never to set foot in the empire again, but the search for the Prophet has led them to the ancient city of Karnopolis. They have to find him before Alexander of Macydon burns Persepolae, and Darius's mother with it. But they're not the only ones looking.

The necromancer Balthazar has his own plans for the Prophet, and so does the sinister spymaster of the Numerators. As Nazafareen is drawn in to a dangerous game of cat and mouse, her newfound powers take a decidedly dark turn. Only the Prophet understands the secret of her gift, but the price of that knowledge may turn out to be more than Nazafareen is willing to pay…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

337 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2016

About the author

Kat Ross is an award-winning and bestselling fantasy author whose series range from the Persian-inspired Fourth Element to the cozy Ravencroft Hall books. She lives in Connecticut with her son and a gang (clowder?) of anarchist cats. When she’s not writing, you can find Kat wandering in the woods or poring over maps in the cartography turret. For more info, check out her website: www.katrossbooks.com

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

I was very pleased when I got the chance to read the sequel of this series! The setting, the world-building and the mythology behind the story had me hooked from the first book and I am pleased to say that the sequel doesn't disappoint!

As Nazafareen and Darius race against time to save the Prophet, dark forces gather in the upcoming battle between empires but also good against evil. The surprises don't stop here and while I was expecting more to the plot, Kat Ross gave more importance to the details and the character development. We have more POVs in the sequel and each turn of the events marks the movement of the other players in this game of cat and mouse.

The romance was sweet and I loved the moments between Nazafareen and Darius who despite their wounds and scars still complete each other in a unique way!

The ending was again a cliffhanger for me and I will make sure to read the third book of this series, because Kat Ross knows when to make you addicted into a very well written story!

[Lillian ☁ Cloud 9 Books ☁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

***** 4 Stars *****

Blood of the Prophet has less action compared to the first book. The first half of the journey is about Nazafareen and her friends waiting, planning, and searching for the Prophet.

The story also occasionally switches to Balthazar's POV. I enjoyed going into his mind and discovering his past. Understanding his thirst for knowledge and learning about his relationship with the evil queen.

For me, I wish this story moved a little faster. Some areas could of been condensed or omitted. Nazafareen's actions in certain parts of the story also annoyed me, but she is still an amazing character. There are more surprises as we get closer to the inevitable fight with the evil queen. I can't wait to read Queen of Chaos.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A little slower than the first book but still very good. I did not skim.

Finally the hero and heroine fall in love and much happens. War, and the heroine's true power is revealed.

Again we have some really great antagonists who you can totally hate and even have a touch of sympathy for. Odd I know.

I love this series and although it is KU I am buying them.

Only one small criticism. The author forgets about the hero and heroine's disabilities in a few small sentences. One line says how Darius puts his arms around the heroine (one is supposed to be limp and useless) and the other sentence says how the heroine puts her hands on the heros chest(she only has one now).

Still that's something most would hardly notice.

You can probably read this as a stand alone, but I would not recommend that. This is not a cliffhanger, but you need to keep reading to find out the outcome. Which I plan to do.

Safety:

Hero- I believe was a virgin although it is not spelled out, but all clues lead me to that conclusion
Heroine-Virgin
Cheating-No
OM/OW-No
Sex-Off camera
ILY's-Yes
Violence, torture, abuse-Yes with minimum detail

[Lalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of the e-book from Xpresso in exchange for an honest review*

With Blood of the Prophet Kat Ross delivered another fantastic installment in her enthralling fourth element series.

"I knew all too well that it did no good to bolt the door against one's grief. It would simply lurk on the threshold and if you didn't come out it would kick the door down and things would go much harder for you"

The book starts right where The Midnight Sea had left us, with Alexander reading his troops, Victor and Lysandros trying to get the holy fire from creepy Neblis and Myyrri, Tijah, Nazafareen & Darius in a quest to find the prophet before he ends up in (very) questionable hands.
The second episode of the saga continues to be mercifully free of love triangles, and *drum roll, please* the romance is free of excessive melodrama. Let me explain, Darius & Nazafareen romance is slow and steady, they don't go out and about telling the world how much they love each other, how perfect soul mates they are and all that jazz. Still, how deeply they care for each other is clear and skilfully written between the lines. In fact, Kat Ross magnificently show us their love in the best way possible: through their words and actions.

I simply loved how Darius & Nazafareen were supporting of each other, sticking together no matter what. What Kat Ross describe is probably one of the most relatable and real relationship out there; in real life people aren't together because they're perfect (and Naza & Darius aren't) but because they're better together, they compensate each other’s faults, willingly choosing to stay together no matter what.*too many feels, I can't even...*
With their banter and dark humor, Nazareen & Darius managed - in no time- to become one of my favorite OTP ever!

"I always be yours, cuffs or not"

Let’s put the romance aside for now.

In The Midnight Sea, religious belief and loyalties were questioned a fact that gave the book a certain depth, Blood of the Prophet simply continues along this line, a fact that I greatly appreciated. Another factor I extremely liked of the world created by Kat Ross was how magic had a price, different for each kind of elemental magic, and by no means “small”. Even the rare fire magic was no exception to the rule.

Nazafaren was really cool (good girl! *pats her on the shoulder*) and I loved how her power is shown as a living thing to the point that - sometimes - it is not even sure who is in control, her or the magic. Besides, I loved to see how she didn't throw herself headlong against Neblis promising immediate destruction but actually questioned Neblis's reasons first. For once, it’s really nice to get a main character with some common sense and a good head over her shoulders. At first, she is even frightened of her power and she doesn’t want to use it---as I said, this girl is really sensible! *claps*
Her loyalty to Darius, to Myrri and - generally speaking - to her friends is and was really commendable. All of them make for such a spectacular team----as a reader, I am awed. *Please, top hats off to Kat Ross*

Balthazar (the necromancer) point of view was a revelation; it was highly intriguing and you could see he was not so evil but neither was he good. I'm pretty curious about him. *smirks*

What about Neblis? Well I find her a real creeper but she makes for a wonderful crazy-creepy-evil-queen-antagonist. I went as far as nicknaming her "Queen of Creepers"

Last but not least, Blood of the Prophet introduces us to interesting backstory of the origins of daevas. We will have to wait for Queen of Chaos to know more about it but - at least - the book will come out in December and, luckily for my poor heart, it is not that far away.

"Why was it always the good ones to get themselves killed?"


So---What’s my final verdict? This book is fantastic and it's a must read and a must have! (*^*)

Actual rating: 4.5 stars (and well deserved at that)

Giveaway and details of the blog tour here:
http://fieldofbookishdreams.blogspot....

[Lonna | FLYLēF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Post: Blood of the Prophet at FLYLēF (www.flylef.com)

MY ADMIRATION FOR Kat Ross grows with each new book I have the pleasure of reading. In her follow-up to The Midnight Sea—Blood of the Prophet—comes an intricately plotted fantasy where she spins an incredible tale of self-discovery, survival, and justice, set in a gorgeously cinematic, alternative Persia.

After narrowly escaping death, Nazafareen and Darius, along with friends, Tijah and Myrri, immediately find themselves racing to the ancient city of Karnopolis in search of the Prophet Zarathustra—the alchemist and visionary who forged the cuff that has enslaved the daēva, including Darius and Myrri. They must find him in the hopes of breaking the magical cuffs, before Alexander of Macydon destroys Persepolae, along with every daēva bonded to the empire, chief among them is Darius’s mother. But, the necromancer Balthazar has every intention of finding the Prophet first.

Built inside this book, is an original and compelling fictional world with a magic system that is well defined. I appreciated that I’m not lost in the details of the world-building, but rather, I absorb it through the eyes of her characters and their experiences. She hints at the origins of the daēva, yet still holds back, lending a kind of mystery that spurs my curiosity.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed the adventure—fast-paced and full of surprises—it is the luminous insights into the characters and their complicated and nuanced relationships that I find most moving. From Darius’s unflinching decision toward his bond with Nazafareen when his freedom is within reach, Myrri’s utterly heartwenching sacrifice for Tijah, Balthazar’s misguided intentions to please his Undead Queen, to an unreciprocated love that has spurn a hatred centuries in the making—it is the love and turmoil of these characters that run deep and flow wide creating a remarkable story that readers will take to heart.

Though I thought the book had a slow start, with Nazafareen and Darius uncharacteristically waiting and allowing the enemy to outwit them at almost every turn, the ending is well-worth the wait and will leave you thirsty for more. Blood of the Prophet is an awe-inspiring achievement from a writer adept at writing a page-turner that is undeniably also heartfelt. Kat Ross will recruit admirers with each new book, as she has with me.

{ I received this title in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, especially to the author and publisher, for kindly giving me an opportunity to review this title. }

[Chelsies Reading Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was quick and easy but there was also some meaningful themes such as prostitution, slavery and religion that added some depth to the story. The characters were all well written with little quirks and traits that made them stand out. I loved the world but it could have been explained a bit better. Some of the confusion I had in the first book about the differences between species was clarified early in this sequel but in chapter 16 I got a little confused again.

Im assuming Revenants are Druj but Im still not sure if Necromancers can raise anyone they want from the dead. Is everyone raised from the dead by a Necromancer considered a Revenant or are Revenants a different kind of undead? Are Necromancers considered Druj? I know that Necromancers are also known as Antimagi and they can command undead Revenants to fight for them. They can also control humans and feed off their life force by chaining them. Theres other Druj like lithes and wights who can possess humans or kill with one touch.

I discovered that Daevas are fey creatures with elemental powers who are different from Druj but were still enslaved by humans based on the belief that they are evil Druj. They were enslaved using golden bracelets forged by the supposedly long dead prophet using alchemy. The bracelet bonds them to a human who can then command them to kill Druj. Water Dogs are trained to do this as well as the Kings army called the Immortals.

The main character Naza is a former Water Dog who after connecting with her bonded Daeva Darius and discovering some of the High Magi lies starts to question what shes been told about Daevas being evil and the decency of enslaving an entire race. Set on freeing Daevas from their human masters Naza, Darius and two more former Water dogs Tijah and Myrri journey to the heart of the empire in search of the Prophet who created the bracelets.

Just like in the first book I really loved the main character Naza. It was nice to see a strong female character who could think for herself and stands up for what she believes in. Shes also impulsive and says whats on her mind which keeps things unpredictable. Shes just an all around awesome and well developped character. Theres a bit more romance in this sequel but its not the main focus because we also get strong female friendships and a great plot.

I enjoyed seeing Naza and Tijah friendship develop and how they interacted with each other. I also thought that Tijah and her bonded Myrri made an awesome duo. I really like them as characters and Im happy I got to see more of them in this sequel. They complement each other well and their loyalty to each other is admirable. I loved how Myrri could be level headed and calm but fierce when the occasion called for it . If you want kick butt females with a side of romance and friendship you should definitely check this book out.

The death in the first book broke my heart but the death in this sequel went one step further and ripped it out of my chest. I really wasnt expecting it and I was in total denial for a couple chapters after. In the first book I didnt mind Darius as a love interest but I wasnt swooning over him or anything. However by the end of this book he had grown on me quite a bit. I thought Illyas made a better antagonist but I still thought the antagonists in this sequel were pretty good and Im looking forward to seeing more of the Druj Queen in the third book.

I wasnt expecting the antagonists Balthazar and Araxa point of view. I found it interesting to get an enemy Necromancers and a Numerators perspective. I think the antagonists were very well written and fleshed out. The author did a great job of humanizing them so they felt more real and not just some evil creature who randomly does evil things for the sake of being evil. I actually understood their reasoning and motivations for what they were doing and I think thats really important when creating a great antagonist.

I enjoyed exploring the whole new city of Karnopolis and the world of the Numerators in this sequel but it was a little slower while they sat around and waited to find out where the prophet was. I had a hard time keeping my attention on the story but that wasnt completely the books fault. The realm of Queen Neblis was really interesting and I thought the Queen of the Druj herself was super intriguing. I kept wanting to know more about her and the veil. Im really excited for the third book. Its definitely one of my most anticipated.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review -Thank you Kat*

[Gelisvb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Major case of second book syndrome and it surprised me because this had a generally higher rating than the first book.
The major problem here was that it felt like we spent the major part of the book in the minds of the evil guys. There is the fact that for a short book there were too many villains with different agendas. It can be fantastic having several antagonist, as it is brilliantly demonstrated in Red Rising, Game of thrones or Black Prism, but this is a 300 pages book and and at least one of the evil mastermind felt completely unnecessary.
This was a quest for freeing Zarathustra, you don't need a too complicated plot, there is no Kaz Brekker or Locke Lamora or Gen involved in here. Simple would have been better.
I was disappointed because I expected to see more from the characters that were introduced at the end of book one. Let's be honest, you promised me Alexander the great and I wanted to see him.
Also I feel like the reader had no real chance to know better Darius, who felt more like a supporting character that a main one.
That said I liked the book and still think that more people should try this serie.

[Glory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тот случай, когда, перевернув последнюю страницу, хочется схватить за грудки первого попавшегося бедолагу и потрясти с воплем: "Не, ну ты представляешь?!"
И потом долго-долго искать единомышленников, с которыми можно обсудить прочитанное.

Кэт Росс продолжает расширять свой удивительный мир и открывать новые подробности жизни героев и злодеев. Она по-прежнему не лезет в дебри и пишет по сути простую историю, с понятными мотивами и очевидными опасностями, но благодаря мелким деталям и очень реалистичным чувствам и поступкам роман цепляет и не отпускает.
Герои все так же прекрасны, только теперь нам дана возможность узнать Дария получше. Он раскрывается и расцветает, и хотя по-прежнему остается в тени Назафарин, все же обретает новые грани и краски. Сама Наза тоже чуть-чуть взрослеет, набирается уверенности, учится принимать сложные решения, делать немыслимый выбор.

Повествование опять от ее лица, но! В этой части трилогии добавились вставки от третьего лица с POV двух злодеев. Нет, не так, антагонистов. Противодействующей силы.
Потому что даже злодеи у Росс не картонные и однотипные, а живые люди, которых никто не просит любить, понимать или уважать, но которые тем не менее имеют право на "свою правду".
А еще есть Королева демонов. Боже, она прекрасна))

Отношения Дария и Назафарин развиваются медленно, без соплей, сахара и тонны ненужного ангста. За героев говорят поступки, а не слова, и это чудесно.
Второстепенные персонажи дополняют картину, пророк Заратустра после двухсотлетнего плена добавляет нотку безумия, борьба за власть, тайна происхождения дэвов, маги и некроманты, люди и нелюди, каждый идет к цели своей дорогой, ниточки опутывают весь мир, атмосфера нагнетается, и что будет, когда все они сойдутся в одной точке?

В общем, это было круто. Не без минусов - я немного запуталась с терминами, и хотелось бы все же подробностей о дэвах и некроманатах, но, уверена, в последней книге все раскроется. В остальном же, я прекрасно провела время, финала трилогии жду с дрожью в коленях и даже не подумаю снижать оценку из-за всяких мелочей)))

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

And ... Goodreads decided to delete my review, keeping only the dates read & the 'Read' status ... because I criticized GR recently in a comment? The HELL?

[Jessica The Ink Spell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Datemi. Il. Terzo. Ora!

[Alyssa Janine Busia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood of the Prophet is a gripping story full of lessons and exciting revelations.

On this second installment of The Fourth Element, the story takes to turn into more exciting and more dramatic events. After Nazafareen, Darius, and Victor escaped and went to the young king of Macydon named Alexander, they soon need to go again and searched for the Prophet. The only problem was that they need to go back to the empire, on the ancient city of Karnopolis, where she never wanted to set foot again. On their journey, they will encounter obstacles that they didn’t prepare on, and it was what will make the story more interesting until the end.

This was a great continuation of the book, The Midnight Sea. I liked how it was still written because of how the author vividly describes each scene and emotions. I also wanted how the author inserted some topics like slavery and prostitution during those times. It was like enjoying the story while learning something about history.

The characters were still the same as before, they were all likable, and I like how the author shows their own stories. I think Balthazar got the most exposure here. He was one of the enemies, but his story will make you decide whether to hate him or not.

What I only dislike was how it made me want more. The story was getting more exciting, and it just leaves me there, needing the next book again and open it so I can follow the story.

I am still recommending this series to everyone, especially to the fantasy readers!

Disclaimer: I received a reader copy from the author via Xpresso Book Tours.

BLOG POST LINK: http://bit.ly/2jryISl

[Sabrina au Barca · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this took me a day and maybe 2 hours to finish and I'm so glad I have the final book sitting on my shelf waiting for me because OH BOY

Despite having way less action than book 1, I think I enjoyed Blood of the Prophet a lot more because the first half of the book is basically all about planning, scheming and lots of intrigue, which I'm a big fan of.
I can see why many might find it boring because, yes, it is slow and could have been compressed a little but I personally didn't mind it at all.
I especially enjoyed Balthazar's POV the most because I'm a sucker vor villains or the "bad people" and it was really interesting getting to know his past better and exploring his motives and also getting some insight into his inner conflicts!
I still hope to get an answer to one question and still have a question about something that I will probably not get an answer for (wow I felt like Bilbo Baggins writing that) but I can't wait to see how this story will end!

[kate. · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually 3.5 stars. the plot in this book was a bit slow and lacked depth but just like the first book the characters are amazing!!!!!!

[Rê · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 “Don’t break my bond” Stars

ARC provided by the author

Thank you!

Last May I read this super cool fantasy book about daevas, Drujs, Magis, Necromancers, Water Dogs, and I loved it. Once again, Kat Ross takes us back to this great world with awesome characters and unique elements, and she does a great job keeping as interested and wanting more.

For my review of the first book, go here.

In this sequel, we get to follow Nazafareen, Darius, Tijah and Myrri as they embark in a new adventure: rescuing Prophet Zarathustra from wherever he’s been kept for the last couple hundred years. The Prophet is Nazafareen and Darius’ only hope of stopping the destruction of all daevas bonded to the empire, like Alexander promised he’d do if the cuffs weren’t broken. Since Prophet Zarathustra was the one who created this cuffs in the first place, they hope to get him to break them.

Of course getting their hands on the Prophet won’t be easy, and they certainly can’t freely look for him when the Empire has put a price on their heads. So Nazafareen and her friends have to count on the help of an interesting new character – the owner of a brothel – to get things done.

While they try to get a plan together, Balthazar (the Undead Queen’s most loyal follower) travels to the same place to get his hands on the Prophet before anyone else does.

There’s also a third guy playing this game—Araxa, an ambitious Numerator who takes a lot of pleasure from torturing people in order to get the truth out of them.

In this book we get chapters from Naza, Balthazar and Araxa’s POV, meaning we get to see how the pieces are being moved by all the three main players at that point. While it doesn’t leave much room for surprises, it serves a good purpose because we get to see inside the villains’ minds and understand their motivation a little better.

I expected Alexander and the Undead Queen to have bigger roles, but Balthazar and Araxa are complex and rich characters, and they keep the story moving when we are pulled away from Nazafareen and her group’s adventures.

Things here don’t move as fast as it did in the first book, but we get to see a little more of Nazafareen and Darius’ relationship (yay! I’m always here for that) and the friendship between the three girls, Nazafareen, Tijah and Myrri. Let’s just say I’m glad that happened because unfortunately we won’t get much more of that in the future.

I missed Victor, but I’m guessing he’ll be a much bigger character in book 3 since the story ended with Nazafareen, Darius and his mother going after his father. I’m curious to learn more about the Undead Queen’s world and the Queen herself.

One of my favorite things about this sequel was Darius. I really loved how he showed glimpses of this fun guy with a great sense of humor. He made me laugh when he dressed up as a woman and made jokes about it. He made me swoon when he refused to break the bond. And that scene when he asks Nazafareen to take off her cuffs just for a while? *fans self*

Nazafareen continues to be a badass, super likable MC. I love how she doesn’t back down from a fight and how her temper is serving a new purpose now that she found a way to manipulate the most dangerous element to daevas. I can’t wait to see what else she does with her powers.

Overall, this was a solid sequel that made me anxious for the next book. BTW, is there any chance we’ll get chapters from Tijah’s POV? And Darius’? A girl can hope.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so, I officially love this series. This second volume starts off a bit disjointed thanks to the multiple switching viewpoints (I admit, I had a little trouble at first telling the two sociopathic POV antagonists apart, despite their different backgrounds), but it opens up the world and the magic system tremendously, and is just a damn good read.

One of the strengths of the books so far (besides the cool setting and the thought that has clearly gone into the world-building) are the sympathetic and intersting characters, both male and female. It's always disappointing to me when a story makes the female characters strong and interesting at the expense of the males (don't get me wrong, I love interesting and well-written ladies! Ladies of all kinds, doing all kinds of kick-ass things!), but that is not a problem here: we've got guys and gals of all descriptions, doing their different things, being good or evil or hot-headed or logical and generally just complex and nuanced and awesome, and I love it.

It really is a delight to stumble on to a new-to-me author and series that is engrossing and good. I'm happy to have found these books, and I'm definitely heading onwards to book three!

[Jessica Therrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than book one!! Gosh, I'm so glad I got to read this sooner than the rest of the world...one of the perks of being an author is getting my hands on good reads before they are released. Seriously, this series is original & page-turning in a world so big and real it feels like LORD OF THE RINGS meets 300! I LOVE IT!! Bring on book 3!

[❥ Azzurra · Rating 4 out of 5]

12.18.2016: Great great great...and now?! 18th of January?! *_*

12.07.2016: I can't believe this...I'm so frigging excited right now. *_* I would have happily bought it because the first one was great but now they're giving it for free on amazon as the first in the series!!!!!!!

[Violet Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may be giving it 3 stars but I am enjoying this series. It doesn't invoke a lot of emotion out of me, but that's alright. Its just a good book to read and I'm looking forward to the third and final one.

And, I have already started buying the spin off series.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟

[Kasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slower than the previous book, and Nazafareen got on my nerves at times, but I still want to know what will happen.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for a review.***

What's Good: picks up right after the first book leaves off, so it doesn't take much to fall right back into the flow. Kat Ross has a definite feel for portraying the scapes of Persia, and if you're not careful you'll miss more than a few historical references she slips in. The story is predictably straightforward but there's enough curves, angles and even a few revelations to keep you interested.

Character growth is mostly steady, if a bit slow. Layers and depths to both main & secondary figures are revealed & explored, making some of them more alive and others simply stagnant.

Life, death, triumph & loss come together within the story as Nazafareen & company continue to question their beliefs and place in the world.

What's Bad: the magic system is still not fully explained and it's still not entirely clear what daevas, etc, can and can't do and why- particularly when a new form of magic is being introduced. Their powers are rooted in elementalism, and it's a little hard to fathom how no daeva ever gets within arm's reach of any kind of fire at any time in their lives- not even a candle or a campfire.

Nazafareen's shift into an utterly reckless hothead feels forced, especially when she's fully aware of the consequences her rashness can- and does- have. It just felt like a cheap plot device.

The alternating POV between Nazafareen, Balthazar and Araxa can put you off a little, mostly because Nazafareen is First Person and the other two are Third. It always takes a moment to understand which of the two antagonists you're catching up with, and then you're back inside Nazafareen's head.

The pacing slowed down once they reached Karnopolis and we're stuck waiting for all the key players to move into place. Could've pared some of the daily drudgery without missing anything.

What's Left: a solid continuation of the series. Kat Ross continues to develop an interesting milieu for the characters to inhabit, with more layers being discovered in every chapter.

[Elsa Carrion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard start since it has been a month since I read the first one and have read several other books in-between, I kind of had to go back and review my notes. Once I retrieved names, characters, events from my memory, I was set.

This one has several POV, which I liked, not to many that would make the story long and drawn out. It has two main story lines, Naz & her gang and Crazy queen and Baltazar. I was wondering what this book was going to be about since I really didn't read the summary I was just going with the flow of the story until bam the plot was in my face! I did not see that coming.

Really enjoyed the story will definitely read the last story in the series.

[M.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

(English below)

Макар и по-бавна като темпо, втората част на поредицата не разочарова. Тя е напрегната и мъчителна, от гледна точка на това какво сполетява героите. Всяка страница е капка надежда, всяка следваща - попарването ѝ. Рос въвежда гледните точки на двама нови персонажи, които обогатяват света допълнително. Прави го много по-истински и реалистичен.

Назафарийн открива неподозирани способности, които обръщат хода на събитията. Неблис държи в ръцете си почти всичко, от което се нуждае, за да изсипе ужасите на главите на смъртните. Последната съставка са тези неподозирани способности, а Назафарийн ще отиде при нея на крака.

Оковите са разкъсани, ала Дариус не желае свободата си. Единствено иска да е близо до любимата си, да я следва и обича безпрекословно. Но дали това, което ги очаква в Бактрия, ще им позволи? Аз лично нямам търпение да разбера и веднага се потапям в третата книга. А всички останали съветвам да се потопят в света на "The Fourth Element" и да последват Назафарийн и нейния даева сред невероятните им приключения. Цялото ревю на втората книга може да прочетете тук, но ви предупреждавам, че съдържа спойлери!

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Although slow in pace, the second book does not disappoint. It is excruciatingly intense. Each page gives a glimmer of hope, and each next smothers it. I am happy Ross gave us two different POVs in addition to Nazafareen's, this made the world times more vivid and realistic. I love all of her characters. They have enough depth to be believable and good for the storytelling.

Nazafareen uncovers what hides within her, and Neblis wants it. Now that our heroes are marching into Bactria, she just might get it. I can't wait to learn what happens next. The challenges for our beloved characters are enthralling and exciting. I have some minor issues with how Myrri was misused and the fact that we saw nothing of Victor and Lysandros before the end of the book. But I have high hopes for the last part and I am eagerly immersing myself in it right now!

[Jessamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did a much better job with character development and even did some better world and lore building! The story overall is compelling and fun to dive into! The theme is a bit on the nose in a lot of ways and sometimes makes it hard for me to completely fall into the universe but I’m definitely enjoying myself overall 😌

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this book a bit more than the first one, although not quite enough to bump it up to 4 stars. I like the main characters and the world well enough, but my predictions were right and I am forever cursed to obsess over side characters instead. It's an interesting enough story and I get why Nazrafeen has to be the main character, but still every time it mentions Victor, Alexander, or Lysandros my ears perk up and I'm like why aren't we following them instead. I do plan on finishing the series but honestly it's just making me want to read something about Alexander the Great instead. I am painfully predictable lol

[Diana Gugel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good part 2.

Interesting second installment. Keeps you interested and sets you up to want more. “To be continued”— frustrating and exciting at the same time.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Maria Mantovani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: The Mantovanis Blog

“Blood of the Prophet” is the second volume of Kat Ross’ fantasy trilogy “The Fourth Element”, published by Acorn Publishing.


The book, published in 2016, starts where we left the main characters at the end of the first, so we find a tormented Nazafareen and Darius, as well as Tijah and Myrri, their friends. While in the previous volume the actions always took place in their kingdom, with only the perfidious Persian king as authority, here we see very well deepened also the other neighboring empires. So we see King Alexander of Macedonia, a naive and deadly conqueror, but also Queen Neblis, a dark creature who seems to live in a world of death and darkness.

In this book, the protagonists must try to save Prophet Zarathustra, imprisoned for hundreds of years and, albeit with a compromised mind, the only one able to give answers to how to solve once and for all the slavery of the daeva. Nazafareen is not the only one looking for him, however, in fact, new forces are coming and will complicate things.

The novel is enriched by two new points of view, namely Balthazar, the necromancer we met in the first book, and Araxa, one of the most inflexible and critical Numerators, who hates daevas and magic in general. I think this is an important part of the book, because both characters, evil and indeed villains, could not be more different from each other, showing us different ways of “being bad”, even opposed. Both of them have a very clear personality with which, although they are quite horrible, it’s easy to empathize (when you’re not hating them).

The novel seems to be divided into two distinct parts: the first, where the various formations are arranged as pieces on a board, the second where the action starts and we see the clashes between the various characters. Although the first part is very important because it outlines well the personalities, ambitions and what is at stake, I found it very slow and I struggled to move forward. The second, however, it’s faster with action, fighting and emotions, like “The Midnight Sea”. Although the first part made me work hard (very focused also on the love story, which I always find boring), I arrived at the end with a great desire to go on reading the third.

The original story, the well-defined characters, the plot full of twists and details make this book a pearl of fantasy you cannot miss.

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and author Kat Ross for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

Blood of the Prophet is the second novel in The Fourth Element series by Kat Ross and follows on where its predecessor left off; drawing readers into another wonderfully depicted tale of danger, magic and exhilarating romance!

Having escaped the King’s clutches, former Water Dog Nazafareen and her daeva Darius set out in search of the Prophet Zarathustra before Alexander of Macydon invades their land and burns the city of Persepolae to the ground. Joined by their friends Tijah and Myrri, Nazafareen and Darius journey across sea and desert to a small city believed to house the Prophets prison, hoping to discover his whereabouts. Hiding in plain sight, Nazarfareen and Darius bide their time before they can act, even as a dangerous enemy also seeks the prophet and Nazafareen battles the unexpected powers that seem to surface within her. With lives on the line and danger looming, will Nazafareen be able to protect those she loves or are she and Darius doomed to be torn apart forever?

Kat Ross is back with a very addictive sequel in the form of Blood of the Prophet! Blood of the Prophet sees readers join Nazafareen once again after the events of the first book, The Midnight Sea saw Nazafareen reassess her loyalties and decide upon following her instincts and her heart rather than her Kings instructions.

As she did with the first novel, Ross continues to depict an alluring desert world within this story. Religious sects, powerful individuals and demonic creatures abound in this instalment and I continue to love the overall feel of the series. Ross keeps the stakes high and the plot forward moving, weaving romance, danger and unexpected loss into the story with our heroes doing everything in their power to locate the Prophet before Alexanda invades Persepolae.

Nazafareen continues to be a strong lead to follow. She’s deeply in love with her daeva-- even though the two of them are still navigating their recently acknowledged feelings, trying to protect innocent people who will die if Alexandra invades, even if it’s the only way to stop their brutal king and also beginning to notice changes within herself as a result of the bond. In Blood of the Prophet Nazafareen begins to display abilities she never has before and Ross indicates big things in store for Nazafareen with the next book.

I continue to adore Nazafareen’s friends and the supporting cast in their series. Darius and Nazafareen have such a sweet and strong relationship and I love seeing them in all their glory together. A loss of someone close throws the characters, but I’m intrigued to see more of Tijah who I believe has a larger role in the third and final book.

Fast paced, exciting and endlessly well written, Blood of the Prophet ends a little too abruptly for my taste, but leaves me none-the-less dying to get my hands on the final novel Queen of Chaos as soon as it releases to see how Kat Ross concludes Nazafareen and Darius’s story!

[ValeReads Eltahawy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come il primo ho amato da impazzire questo secondo volume e non vedo di leggere l'ultimo!