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The Blood, Sun, and Moon. #1

The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women

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Astrid the White isn't an average princess. She has always stayed by the side of her father, King Kol, and learned warfare and weaponry from the best Vikings in the land. When she awakens in the city of Birka and hears the sounds of war, she rushes proudly into the fray. She is more than capable of taking down any enemy wishing to disturb the peace.

This enemy, however, isn't what she expected. Before Astrid even gets outside the walls, a golden light knocks her out.

She comes to in the snow, in full battle armor. Astrid first suspects that this is a challenge from her father--or even the gods themselves. By acting correctly, she can gain the favor of Odin, the Allfather.

Astrid wants to complete the test, but it becomes more and more difficult as she explores this new part of the world and encounters both monsters and monstrous men. As creatures from the darkest legends reveal themselves, Astrid will discover that her journey isn't about acting correctly or passing Odin's test. It's about pure survival. Before she can even think about finding Birka, she will have to defend herself against the demons of this new world.

391 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2017

3 people are currently reading
590 people want to read

About the author

Kevin James Breaux

19 books210 followers
Kevin James Breaux is an award-winning author and artist. His professional writing credits span over fifteen years and include short stories and novels. He has held memberships in the Horror Writers Association, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and the Paranormal Romance Guild. He lives by the motto “Write Makes Might!”© and sees each new page as an opportunity to improve and advance.

Formerly represented by Marisa A. Corvisiero the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

"Kevin Breaux takes no prisoners! This is raw, funny, edgy, unapologetic and highly weird. Buckle up." -Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Patient Zero and Kill Switch.

For more information, a current publishing history, interviews and signing schedules please visit Kevin's author site.

www.kevinbreaux.com

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Arely.
163 reviews3 followers
February 8, 2017
3.5 stars

This author always has books that make me step out of my comfort zone. Normally, this isn’t the kind of book I go for. However, this author makes it so that the book is so interesting that it doesn’t even matter. The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women is no different. There were many different twists and turns within this book that I never knew what to expect.

It starts out with Astrid being awoken by her sister, Yrsa, because there is a battle where they were sleeping. Astrid gets up, goes out to fight, and then passes out. When she wakes up, she’s in a completely different place, dressed completely differently, and nothing is what it’s supposed to be. Astrid thinks that the gods are testing her but she doesn’t know who to trust.

I spent most of the first half of the book completely confused along with Astrid, wondering what was happening, why she was where she was, and if she should trust Warren, the handsome man. I figure that was the author’s point—to make us just as confused as Astrid—but it was still slightly off-putting not knowing what was true and what was false.

One thing that was definitely difficult for me was the slow pace throughout the beginning. Because there was so much background building, it made for a slow plot. However, once that was done and the story was set, the action could take off—and take off it did!

Warren, Astrid’s love interest, is kind and sweet. Sometimes I doubted that he was truthful because of how kind he was. I got myself into Astrid’s mindset—does he truly mean it, or does he have some sinister plot? However, I did feel like sometimes Astrid and Warren got a bit too close too quickly. There wasn’t much buildup with them, it was just BAM! Instantaneous attraction.

Many of the secondary characters in this book weren’t as fleshed out as I’d like them to be, especially because they seemed interesting. Take Yrsa, for example. She seems interesting, but we don’t really see her much until the second half of the book. Even then, she isn’t really fleshed out. And Yrsa is supposed to be a strong Viking woman, and spends most of the time seeming… meek. However, I didn’t really mind, especially since this is meant to be a series. I feel like the fleshing out of other characters will be done throughout the next books in the series.

Emmerich, however, didn’t need more fleshing out. He was the vilest person in this book, and I thoroughly hated him. Just when I thought that maybe he was okay—nope never mind, he’s still an asshole. I really loved how the author was able to make this character so hate-able. That’s definitely a skill that most authors haven’t honed, but Breaux most definitely has.

I applaud Kevin Breaux for being able to write characters that I fully empathize with. He has definitely created a unique world with an interesting spin on Norse Mythology. I really enjoyed the world-building throughout this book, and am looking forward to the next books in the series. I recommend this book to people who don’t mind gore and love unique takes on mythology, surprising events, and strong women.
Profile Image for Cassandra **The Bibliophagist**.
199 reviews17 followers
January 30, 2017
This book was astounding! I hated to put it down. From the very beginning the reader is sucked into an epic Viking age fantasy. As I read the book played in my mind as a movie. I look forward to seeing this in theaters some day!
Kevin did his background research on Viking history, mythology, and proper use of terminology. For those terms that not everyone may be familiar with he added footnotes. As I previously mentioned, the book played like a movie in my mind. Given so much detail, I could picture each character and the setting without hesitation. This along with the action and mystery within the book leaves the reader longing for more.
The characters are ones that bring you to feel sympathy for, but you find your self hoping they win their perilous battle. I felt sadness about Astrid in the beginning, but that was removed and replaced with feelings of great hope. She is a strong willed character. Each character was thoroughly thought out and I feel their roles in the plot were played very well. I did not feel that any one character took away from the overall plot. They each play an important role.
In the end this books leaves me in agony, patiently awaiting the next book. I yearn to read what happens next. I am left with joy and sadness as I close the cover on this book.
If you look for a book that will pull your attention in, both men and women, this is for you! This Viking age fantasy is different from most "popular" fantasy novels out right now. It is an easy read. The plot moves very well and you will find it hard to put the book down. Do not hesitate to read this book. You will not regret your choice to do so.
I was gifted this book by Kevin and my review is in no way influenced by that. This is a completely unbiased review and I thank Kevin for the chance to yet again be amazed at his talent as an author.
Profile Image for M.L. Sparrow.
Author 22 books164 followers
May 9, 2017
For more reviews, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrow

This book was reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women by Kevin James Breaux follows the journey of warrior-woman Astrid the White, Daughter of Kol, after she wakes up after her home of Birka was raided. She doesn’t know where she is, how she got to be there, or what has happened to her family. Walking to a nearby town, she befriends Warren, an ex-soilder who gives her a place to stay and attempts to help her figure out the mystery that surrounds her…

This book was a great read. Not only does it have an awesome, attention-grabbing cover, but it is full of twists and turns and bloody action. To begin with Astrid was a hard character to feel connected to, however, as the story wore on and we got to know her, she became more relatable, until, at the end, she’s a heroine you’re cheering for. I loved the fact that this story had so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes all the way to the end. All the characters tie together effortlessly in the end and little things that I thought were insignificant to the larger mystery all came together.

This book ends on a cliff-hanger and I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series, which is apparently due to be out in 2018!
Profile Image for Van.
680 reviews18 followers
March 22, 2017
Disclosure: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

3 1/2 stars.

I’m not an expert on Norse Mythology or Vikings but I definitely like reading about it and anything related to the two. Breaux has written various types of fantasy from High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy and now Historical Fantasy. And I must say I am digging Breaux’s jump into Historical Fantasy. In The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women Breaux introduces readers to Astrid, a warrior princess who is brave as she is impulsive, always running head first into battle and danger. Within the opening chapter Astrid’s home is invaded and somewhere amongst the chaos Astrid ends up far, far away from Birka, her home. With her family missing, her memories wiped and lost, Astrid reluctantly accepts help from Warren, a farmer and ex-soldier. With Warren by her side, Astrid starts to uncover what happened that fateful night, who she really was and that there may be more to life besides pillaging and war.

The book started with a bang. I immediately felt the urgency as Astrid and her sister Yrsa tried to gather the family as intruders encroach on their land. But Astrid is never one to run away from a fight and it is there that things took a turn for the worst. Astrid woke up alone and far from home in a strange land called Gromstad. But then the story dramatically slowed down as Breaux sets up the world and the characters through Astrid’s interaction with the people of Gromstad and multiple flashback scenes. I was a little bit confused in the middle of the book, since there was a lot going on but things weren’t being explained right away. It wasn’t till I got towards the end of the book that everything started to make sense…we find out the truth about Astrid and her family and her true purpose for waking up in the location that she did.

I like how brave and strong Astrid was, no doubt a fierce heroine. But at times It was hard to relate to her. She was raised a certain way and even she herself said her brothers saw her more as a guy than a girl. She’s not used to asking for help or for things she needs…she usually just took whatever she needed. But one thing I could relate to is the strong bond and love she had for her family and how she would do anything for them. I liked that about her. And though the book is mainly focus on Astrid, I still felt that there was something that kept me from truly connecting with her. What? I’m not sure. I can’t exactly pinpoint it. I also didn’t think the secondary characters were as developed as Astrid. I thought the characters could’ve had more background/history to make them more realistic and memorable but I honestly forgot them as soon as they came and went. The only other character that came close to being as interesting as Astrid was probably her sister, Yrsa…but even then she didn’t have much page time.

Overall, The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women is a good start to a brand new series. I enjoyed Breaux’s spin on Norse Mythology and the general concept of the novel. I haven’t read many Norse or Viking novels, so I highly recommend this book for those looking for a fresh and unique read! It was a nice change of scenery in my usual paranormal reads.
117 reviews8 followers
April 3, 2017
I recently won The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women from a goodreads contest. I like paranormal-fantasy books, and this one did not disappoint. Kevin really thought out the plot to this book and how the characters interact. I enjoyed reading Astrid's story and seeing her character evolve into a more moral and just character, not just being out for the next plunder and kill. I love the fact that there are Valkyrie in this book!!! I had been trying to read an hour each night before bed, but as soon as the weekend hit I was up all night reading wanting to find out what happens to Astrid and her human lover Warren (and their families also). I had no idea I would love such gore in book form. Thank you Kevin James Breaux for a copy of this wonderful book and I can't wait for the next, there has to be a next as there was a huge cliffhanger, even if it does mean a totally sleepless night of reading non-stop!!!
Profile Image for Pearse.
16 reviews
September 15, 2017
Sword fights, sex and Vikings. These are all some of the ingredients that Kevin James Beaux-Arts has liberally included in “The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women”. A book that wouldn't look out of place between Neil Gaiman's 'Norse Mythology' and Peter V Brett's ‘Demon Cycle’ series. In ‘The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women’ we start with Astrid waking up in a strange land. Her memory is not all there and you follow her as she pieces things together. Kevin like a master craftsman weaves together a plot which like a roller-coaster takes you slowly up as the book progresses only to bring you down in a sudden rush leaving you wanting more just as it ends. And then like any blockbuster film you then get a page saying book 2 out next year in 2018 (sigh). Hurry up Kevin and get that book out dammit!
Profile Image for Christina Sng.
13 reviews193 followers
November 23, 2017
Intriguing, engaging, and fast-paced! I finished it in one sitting. Astrid is a heroine like no other. I can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Jason Hubbard.
Author 16 books13 followers
July 10, 2017
On the surface, this book seems to have it all ...
Bloody violence that'll make Grandma call the cops on you for reading such filthy material ...
Steamy sex scenes that'll earn you funny looks on the bus ...
Mysterious circumstances in the beginning that'll make you keep reading to find out what's going on ...
And at least one character whom you can relate to, whether it's Astrid, the Viking woman warrior whose vanity comes from her strength, Warren, who's learned the simple values of hard honest work, or Hammond, who could have been Hugh Hefner had he only lived a few hundred years later.
But in the end, a compelling story is what I was looking for, and it wasn't what I got. What could have been an interesting psychological fantasy thriller turned into a simple monster fest. It's not the author's fault his book went against my expectations, but I think there's more he could have done with it.
I'll give Breaux credit for having better prose than some other indie titles I've read, but I wish he had better follow-up after a certain night when our heroes encounter the grim leavings of a battle. The scene was horrifying and mysterious, yet the characters never bother to talk about it afterward; it's as if it was completely normal to them and not worth discussing.
Profile Image for Graham.
68 reviews2 followers
July 1, 2019
I was lucky enough to recieve this book from the author himself (Kevin Breaux) and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The book kicks off with a warrior woman Astrid the white (someone who you wouldn't want to mess with) The picture in my head when I think of Astrid is the main character in Horizon called Aloy anyway onto the review

Astrid has awoke in a strange place that she's never heard of. Even upon awakening Astrid has to defend herself and let her warrior skills take over.

Astrid walks to a town and is befriended by a warrior called Warren who takes Astrid in and tries to help her find her way back to her family and her homeland.

Astrid doesn't take to her new surroundings she's always getting into trouble and arguing with the elders about her homeland and they don't believe a word she is saying.

For me Astrid was a person I could connect with straight away and enjoyed the character development of Astrid and her companions that she met on her way.

The book does have you gripped straight away. As I'm always thinking ahead to see how it will pan out but it never seems to go the way I think. That's what I like about Kevin's books. You're literally sitting on the edge of your seat looking forward to the next page/paragraph and word to see whats going to happen.

If you haven't read this or any other of Kevin's books please go and check them out. Also one last thing the cover looks amazing. I want the actual book just to have in my book shelf 😂
Profile Image for Ray Simmons.
Author 8 books27 followers
May 9, 2017
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

I love mythology. Greek mythology is the type most seen in pop culture, but for me all mythologies are interesting. My favorite is Norse mythology. There is something brave and tragic built into it and it is built around a very fierce warrior culture. For all those fans of Vikings and other things Norse, The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women by Kevin James Breaux is a great book to read. I loved it. I am a fan of history and warrior cultures and this book features enough action to satisfy my love of historical times and my love of a good fight. I found it well written and action oriented. And my favorite aspect is that the protagonist is a woman.

Astrid is fierce and loyal from the very beginning of The Lifeblood of Ill-fated Women. But what is so enjoyable about her is that she has plenty of room for personal growth and Kevin James Breaux guides us along her personal journey with the pen of a master craftsman. The plot and her personal journey are well written and done skillfully. All the characters are totally believable for the time and culture in which the story takes place. A great book all round. I think this one will be a surprise sleeper. It has all the characteristics of a book that will grow in reputation and popularity until it becomes a best seller. Good writing, good characters, and a great tale will keep Kevin James Breaux moving steadily up the bestseller ranks.
Profile Image for Sophia McGonigal .
87 reviews
January 6, 2025
Ok wow this book was incredible. As someone who's of Norse heritage I was so excited to read this book. I was a little confused at the beginning and even towards the middle part of the book when Astrid couldn't figure out where she was and what happened to her family but i was most definitely hooked from the start. I felt so horrible for Astrid and Yrsa but I'm glad Astrid and Warren became a couple. I thought the characters were as fleshed out as they could be given the length of the book. I do hope there's a sequel simply because the epilogue left off on somewhat of a cliffhanger that I could definitely see being turned into another book. I thought the author was pretty accurate when it came to historical information as well as having an understanding of the Norse gods and goddesses. This book was so incredibly good and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys viking, Norse or Valkyrie books
4 reviews
Read
September 26, 2025
This book pulled me into its Viking-inspired world from page one and refused to let me go. It’s dark, thrilling, and strangely beautiful.
Profile Image for Nate.
29 reviews
February 17, 2017
Breaux does it again. This is not like his other works. Or his old works. This is new and visceral. He builds a world and then plunges an axe in its back. While it does hold the similar themes of his work, he really took it to the next step. He thanks his editor in the early pages for helping his not hold back. Its obvious in the book. I would say it can be read by men and women, it has action and blood and gore for action fans and it has romance and intrigue and mystery for those genre lovers too. Great book.
15 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2017
The best book ever! This book leaves you wondering what happens to Yrsa's baby. Astrid is a wonderful woman, she is so much depicted like a goddess and yet proves to the men she is strong and can hold her own during battle. She went on a long wondering journey and I can not wait to see what the next book hold. Thank you Kevin for giving me not only a free copy to read in the kindle app, but for giving me my urge to read back!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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