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Dead Magic #1
The Black Veins
In a world where magic thrives in secret city corners, a group of magicians embark on a road trip—and it’s the "no-love-interest", found family adventure you’ve been searching for.
Sixteen-year-old Blythe is one of seven magicians powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a snap of their fingers. But Blythe spends her days pouring latte art at her family’s coffee shop, so why should she care about having apocalyptic abilities?
She’s given a reason when magician anarchists crash into said coffee shop and kidnap her family.
Heartbroken but determined, Blythe knows she can’t save them alone. A war is brewing between two magician governments and tensions are too high. So, she packs up her family’s bright yellow Volkswagen, puts on a playlist, and embarks on a road trip across the United States to enlist the help of six strangers whose abilities are unparalleled—the other Guardians.
Sixteen-year-old Blythe is one of seven magicians powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a snap of their fingers. But Blythe spends her days pouring latte art at her family’s coffee shop, so why should she care about having apocalyptic abilities?
She’s given a reason when magician anarchists crash into said coffee shop and kidnap her family.
Heartbroken but determined, Blythe knows she can’t save them alone. A war is brewing between two magician governments and tensions are too high. So, she packs up her family’s bright yellow Volkswagen, puts on a playlist, and embarks on a road trip across the United States to enlist the help of six strangers whose abilities are unparalleled—the other Guardians.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2019
69 people are currently reading
8321 people want to read
About the author
Ashia Monet
6 books278 followersAshia Monet is a novelist and essayist from Pennsylvania. As a lifelong fan of myth and poetry (especially Sappho), her fantasy novels explore various forms of magic and monsters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
July 13, 2019
ARC provided by the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
“The magic wakes at midnight. It arrives in the form of a song.”
The Black Veins is a YA debut that you are not going to want to miss. This story is set in an alternate version of our world, where a young girl and her family have planted secure roots to protect themselves, their home, and their magic. They run a magical coffee shop that only other magic wielders can see, because if you speak about magic to Common people, the Erasers will come and... erase you. You will never be heard from again, and they are always watching. But the world seems relatively safe.
That is, until one night when Blythe, our main character, is dreaming about a voice in her head, one that is also trying to get her to do something that she does not want to do. Blythe has always known that she was destined to do great things with her magic, even if she doesn’t harness that magic yet. But after her family is attacked and kidnapped, she is forced to get any and all help that she can.
And in this world, there are two magical governments, and a war is beginning:
➽ Black Veins - Old government, who rules the majority, and they have a city called Frost Glade which is supposed to be the safest city of them all, where the Sages’ castle sits.
➽ Trident Republic - New government, the rebels, and they only have one city: Electric City.
And there are seven types of magic that magicians can harness. Yet, when Blythe and six others were little, their families ensured that they would do great things with their magic, but setting them on the path to one day be the Seven Guardians:
➽ Blythe - Ether Guardian. Black, bisexual, and willing to do anything to get her family back.
➽ Cordelia - Mind Guardian. Chinese, great at hacking and coding, and has always worked extremely too hard at being perfect.
➽ Daniel - Nature Guardian. Very sheltered, because his parents have kept him exclusively on their property for most of his life. Oh, and something may be following him.
➽ Antonio - Animal Guardian. Puerto Rican, queer, and the sweetest cinnamon roll and bright light. Oh, and he has wings!
➽ Storm - Time Guardian. Black, and has a secret mission of her own and she is always on rollerblades. And she was probably my favorite character besides Blythe.
➽ Caspian - Death Guardian. Trans, asexual, and who has many secrets and much more story to be told.
➽ Jay - Body Guardian. Black, bisexual, and very charming. Also, he comes from a very famous and prestigious family.
And...
➽ Katia - Lead Imperial Advisor for the Sages, and she is supposed to locate and transport all seven kids to Frost Glade safely, even if they would rather go to Electric City.
And Blythe feels like if she can get this group together, she just might stand a chance at being able to rescue her family from this rebelling government. And we are whisked away on the adventure alongside her, where she will travel all over the country via the Tempore, which is a magical forest that folds time and space and can teleport you quickly around the world, but it is temporarily shut down and a huge risk to use.
I promise you that you will fall in love with ALL of these characters. And I truly think that it’s a testament to Ashia Monet's talent and craft that they were able to evoke so much emotion and empathy from me over every single one of their characters.
This is obviously a very inclusive story, and it is ownvoices for the Black, queer, and nonbinary rep. There is a side character who you meet (and will also fall in love with) named Jamie, who is Black, nonbinary, and adopted. This book truly just has so much good in it, I wish I could put it into so many hands, and it was nothing short of a joy to read.
I really do think that the heart of this first installment is family, both blood and found, and the things one is willing to do to protect that family. There is no stronger force in this universe than unconditional love, and Blythe proves that from the first to the last page. Throughout the entire novel Blythe proves that her family is her world, but we also get to see this ragtag group somehow also find room inside her heart.
Yet, I also think this is a story about being brave, and how bravery can take so many shapes and forms. Sometimes the only way to feel like you're brave is to try your best, sometimes it’s to feel safe, sometimes its to not let anyone in, and sometimes it’s to magically travel across the country to recuse your family. There is no right way to be brave and I really loved seeing all these teens truly be some of the bravest characters I’ve ever read.
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
Overall, I just loved this. I loved the story, being on a magical road-trip adventure was everything, I loved the characters, and was rooting so hard for Blythe and her hockey stick, I loved the twists and turns that occurred throughout, I loved the magic system and how it was complex but familiar at the same time, and I obviously loved how inclusionary this book was, too. Oh, and I’m biased, and I loved spending a little time in Vegas as well. But I just recommend this story with my whole heart and soul, and I really hope you all will give it a try, because it truly is such a magical debut and a bright shining star in 2019 releases.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Content and Trigger Warnings:
(This is all from the author at the start of the book and… what a blessing!)
Discussion of deceased parents, siblings, and potential parental and familial death Description of mild bloodshed in violent scenes
Mention of drugs and drug use, primarily marijuana
Gun use Supernatural horror in the form of monsters, primarily found in Chapters 6, 12, and 25
Car accident in Chapter 19
Discussion of anxiety disorders and panic disorders primarily found in Chapters 22, 23, and 25
Racial n-word slur, ending in-a, found in Chapter 21 (before you drag me, yes, I am Black)
Mild anxiety attack in Chapter 25.
✨ Thank you so much CW @ The Quiet Pond for putting together this blog tour. I was so very honored to be a part of it and to help celebrate this beautiful story.
✨ BONUS: Ashia is doing a really cool thread on Twitter, where they are breaking down the characters way better than I did, letting you know their astrological signs, and they are also showing off some breathtaking art, too! I really recommend checking it out!
✨ Buddy read with Fadwa ~ فدوى from Word Wonders! ❤
July 16, 2019
"You were going to take your shirt off? Antonio teases. "Dude, at least take me to dinner first"
"Just thought I'd show you what was coming after the main course" Jay replies.
"Oh my Goooood, you're corrupting my sweet boy and turning him into you" Blythe whines.
The Black Veins is an inventive and exciting new release that has so many of the qualities I see people asking for in YA lit. I’ve been following Ashia on twitter for a long time and watching them write this story, post about the characters and the plot, and to finally see it all come together in THE BLACK VEINS has been really special. The culmination of all Ashia’s efforts into this book was even better than I could have ever dreamed, and I genuinely loved reading this urban fantasy, character-driven road trip book which was so much fun and filled with thoughtful, inclusive representation and loveable characters.
The Black Veins begins with Blythe Fulton, a sixteen-year-old girl who’s completely normal except for the fact she is a Guardian. The Guardian’s are some of the worlds most powerful magical users, elected by their parents as birth to be a user of one of the seven magic types – Ether, Mind, Body, Death, Nature, Animals and Time. When the Guardian’s lives are threatened by the Trident Republic, a rebel group challenging the government of The Black Veins and her parents are kidnapped from their family-owned coffee shop, Blythe sets out on a quest to unite the Guardians and rescue her parents.
The first thing that struck me about The Black Veins was the strong character focus. Monet weaves a tapestry of characters, who are all unique and interesting in their own rights. We follow seven main characters: ),
✧ Blythe – Our main character and the Guardian of Ether. She is black and bisexual. She is determined, friendly and warm, and the leader of the group.
✧ Cordelia – The second Guardian we meet, who is the Mind Guardian. She is Chinese-British. Cordelia likes nice things and can be a bit uppity, but she’s intelligent and loyal.
✧ Daniel – Nature Guardian. He’s the youngest of the group, and pretty naive and innocent due to living a very sheltered life.
✧ Antonio – Animal Guardian. Puerto Rican, queer, and the sunshine heart of the group. He has strong surfer boy energy and a gift for baking.
✧ Storm – Time Guardian. She is Black, has a mysterious past and is easily the funniest member of the group. Her lines made me laugh out loud.
✧ Caspian – Death Guardian. Trans, asexual, and literally a ghost. Adorable, loves Ramen, and not what anyone expects.
✧ Jay – Body Guardian. Black and unstoppably bisexual. Charming, charismatic, the hot bitch and a hoe but proud of it. He was my FAVOURITE AND I WOULD DIE FOR HIM.
"My friends leave me on read"
"I'd never leave you on read, bro" Jay says
Antonio grasps his heart. "Bro."
One thing I loved about this cast was how distinctive and unique each character felt. I thought each character was extremely fleshed out, not just in terms of giving each character a strong motivation and a character arc, but also for smaller details, like their hobbies, personalities, likes and dislikes. This made every character feel real and relatable to me, and it was easy to invest in the squad. While having this many characters could have felt crowded, Monet perfectly balances each voice and character, to give each an important role without creating a story that felt clustered and confused.
The group dynamics and banter was easily my favourite part of this book. I am a major sucker for a strong group dynamic and The Black Veins had it in SPADES. The jokes were genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, but there was also soft and tender moments between the characters that highlighted their genuine affection for eachother and I loved that. Also, no friendship and no romance – what a blessing! Monet has a great sense of timing and humour, dropping jokes that are genuinely funny in just the right places. And on top of that, each characters unique brand of humour just adds more to their characterisation.
"when chaos is constant, it starts to feel like comfort"
The reason I gave this a four-star and not a five is that for me, I felt the beginning took a bit to get going. The scenes as Blythe is travelling before meeting all the Guardians dragged a little for me, and lacked the strong character focus and fun that the second half of the book had. That said, the second half of the book easily made up for the earlier chapters and I loved the rush, fun-filled run to the end that book carried me on.
“The magic wakes at midnight. It arrives in the form of a song.”
All in all, The Black Veins is a highly enjoyable and well-crafted debut from an exciting new author. Ashia Monet has created something unique and beautiful with The Black Veins. High energy, fun, character-driven urban fantasy that values inclusion, friendship and family over all else. I promise if you read this you’ll find yourself in love with each and every one of these characters – and you’ll put down the book but won’t be able to stop thinking about them. I genuinely urge every single person who has told me they want more character-driven stories, more stories without romance, more fun in fantasy, and more group dynamics to pick up The Black Veins when it releases on July 17.
A big thankyou to Ashia for providing me with the ARC. These quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change on publication.
November 10, 2019
This book is going to change urban fantasy as we know it. Y'all aren't ready for this incredible book.
- Follows Blythe, a Black teen who is also one of seven Guardians, the most powerful magicians in the world -- except she just wants to be with her family, make coffee at her parents' cafe, and just... be a teen.
- When her parents are kidnapped, Blythe goes on a roadtrip to save her family. But first, she must find and recruit the other six Guardians to help her save them.
- The characters in this story are amazing; their character developments are brilliant and organic, and you'll love the banter that feels authentic and meaningful.
- This story is full of magic, adventures, friendships, no romance arcs, and just teens being teens while also trying to save their families and the world.
- I had so much fun reading this, and I can't wait for you all to read it!
-
Holy shit. I'm breathless.
This book was SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD.
Short review to come once I get my breath back.
- Follows Blythe, a Black teen who is also one of seven Guardians, the most powerful magicians in the world -- except she just wants to be with her family, make coffee at her parents' cafe, and just... be a teen.
- When her parents are kidnapped, Blythe goes on a roadtrip to save her family. But first, she must find and recruit the other six Guardians to help her save them.
- The characters in this story are amazing; their character developments are brilliant and organic, and you'll love the banter that feels authentic and meaningful.
- This story is full of magic, adventures, friendships, no romance arcs, and just teens being teens while also trying to save their families and the world.
- I had so much fun reading this, and I can't wait for you all to read it!
-
Holy shit. I'm breathless.
This book was SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD.
Short review to come once I get my breath back.
June 26, 2023
Blythe es una adolescente que es hechicera y una guardian, y aunque nunca ha podido acceder a su magia, sabe exactamente lo que es y como se usa. Pero una noche cuando una fuerza dentro de su mente casi la obliga a lanzarse al vacia, se da cuenta que su vida corre peligro. Asi que su familia decide llamar a los sabios de Venas Negras para pedirles proteccion y se decide que ella, junto con los otros 6 guardianes debe dirigirse a la capital, pero el dia antes de su partida sus padres y sus hermanas son secuestrados por el General de Ciudad Electrica. Asi que Blythe decide dirigirse a Ciudad Electrica y rescatar a su familia, pero sabe que no puede hacerlo sola, asi que decide reclutar al resto de los guardianes para que la ayuden en su mision. Pero en el camino Blythe y los guardianes deberan madurar, confiar en los otros y aprender a usar su magia, mientras luchan por completar su mision.
No me esperaba que el libro fuera tan interesante, el universo es extremadamente complejo y sencillo a la vez, los magos/hechiceros son todos diferentes, y sus poderes son tambien diferentes. El asunto de los 7 guardianes por las 7 piedras de poder, es algo que no es comun, pero resulta bastante basico. Me gusto principalmente el sistema magico, pero me parece que les falto una figura "paterna?", alguien que realmente supiera de magia y quisiera ayudarlos, y, aunque no se donde entraba Katia en todo ese tema, espero que en libros posteriores aprendamos un poco mas de ella.
La cuestion de la rivalidad entre Ciudad Electrica y Las Venas Negras, solo lo hablan por encima, ademas de que parece que el culpable de todo parecen ser los Venas Negras. Hay mucho de la historia y de la politica de estos gobiernos que no se explica en el libro, y que espero que se trate en libros posteriores.
Y si, se que este libro es mas sobre la amistad y el descubrimiento de este grupo de adolescentes, pero siento que le falto algo, no conecte con ninguno de los protas, e inclusive hubo momentos en que todos me parecieron niños malcriados.
En fin, es un libro entretenido, con un universo interesante que promete mucho, esperemos que cuando salgan los proximos libros de esta saga, aclaren mucho de los temas que quedaron abiertos en este.
No me esperaba que el libro fuera tan interesante, el universo es extremadamente complejo y sencillo a la vez, los magos/hechiceros son todos diferentes, y sus poderes son tambien diferentes. El asunto de los 7 guardianes por las 7 piedras de poder, es algo que no es comun, pero resulta bastante basico. Me gusto principalmente el sistema magico, pero me parece que les falto una figura "paterna?", alguien que realmente supiera de magia y quisiera ayudarlos, y, aunque no se donde entraba Katia en todo ese tema, espero que en libros posteriores aprendamos un poco mas de ella.
La cuestion de la rivalidad entre Ciudad Electrica y Las Venas Negras, solo lo hablan por encima, ademas de que parece que el culpable de todo parecen ser los Venas Negras. Hay mucho de la historia y de la politica de estos gobiernos que no se explica en el libro, y que espero que se trate en libros posteriores.
Y si, se que este libro es mas sobre la amistad y el descubrimiento de este grupo de adolescentes, pero siento que le falto algo, no conecte con ninguno de los protas, e inclusive hubo momentos en que todos me parecieron niños malcriados.
En fin, es un libro entretenido, con un universo interesante que promete mucho, esperemos que cuando salgan los proximos libros de esta saga, aclaren mucho de los temas que quedaron abiertos en este.
Want to read
February 12, 2019urban fantasy, found families, no romance, cool magic powers and road trips? THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR ME, I FEEL SO BLESSED
July 17, 2019
Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner!
Beware spoilers ahead!
Trigger Warning(s): Content warnings are included in the book.
Rep: Blythe is Black and bisexual. Cordelia is British Chinese and will soon identify as queer and questioning. Daniel is white and cishetallo. Antonio is Puerto Rican and will soon identify as demiromantic, demisexual, and only attracted to boys. Storm is Black and straight. Caspian is trans and asexual. Jay is Black and bisexual. Katia is described as Middle Eastern. Jamie is white, non-binary, agender, and is attracted to females.
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. When Ashia put the E-ARC request form on Twitter, I was ecstatic! I wasn’t chosen as a part of the blog tour and saw this as an opportunity to read the arc. I am happy to say that not only was I chosen and I also really enjoyed The Black Veins!
My Synopsis: Blythe lives an ordinary life. Her parents own a coffee shop, which she also works at. Her twin sisters Lily and Lena keep the family on their toes. Her sort of friend Jamie keeps her company. This all changes the night Blythe and two other Guardians are spelled to walk off their roofs.
Her family calls their magical government and come to an agreement. In a few days Blythe will be leaving her family to go to Frost Glade. Blythe wants to spend more time with her family and Jamie.
Two days before her scheduled departure a mysterious man attacks the coffee shop, kidnaps Blythe’s family and critically injures Jamie. Blythe finds herself caught up in a war that she wants nothing to do with. Upon Jamie’s suggestion, Blythe decides to take a road trip to gather the rest of the guardians. The end goal being to rescue her family.
Book Format: The Black Veins is written third person limited following Blythe. Before the actual story there is a table of contents and content warnings. There are also chapter numbers.
Where I Heard About This Book: I came across Ashia advertising The Black Veins. I was hooked when she promised a road trip story with no romance! And instead a large focus on family.
I kept on eye out on Twitter for more information and came across the blog tour form and the E-ARC request form.
My Thoughts Before Reading: I remained ecstatic for The Black Veins! I had no doubt that I would really like it. I am happy to say that I was proven right!
What I Liked: I loved the family aspect! Both blood and found. Blythe’s family was such a joy to read about! I loved how close they were. Blythe’s whole world is ripped apart when her family was kidnapped. You can really feel for and her situation.
I really liked Jamie! They were awesome and so supportive of Blythe. You did get to learn some more information regarding the world building through Blythe explaining everything to Jamie. I hope that Jamie will make an appearance in the other books.
I admire Blythe! I have no idea how she managed to have a good head on her shoulders, while searching for her family. I loved how she was a photographer and has a very large appreciation for the arts. And that Blythe actually read like a teenager. She made some really dumb mistakes but owned up to them. Unlike so many YA books that have the adult mentality in the body of a teenager. Ashia really did an excellent job fleshing Blythe out!
The guardians surprised me. To be honest I didn’t really have any expectations or any assumptions off what they would be like. Still I was not expecting them to be so unique or that diverse! I thoroughly enjoyed each guardian and their relationship to one-another.
Cordelia is the first guardian you meet. She’s very rude and a hacker, whose only goal is to get away from magic. While I really didn’t like her in the beginning, she grew on me. And had some of best character development I’ve ever seen! I loved her friendship with Blythe.
Daniel is the second guardian, and he is a super magical genius. The only thing he lacks is social skills and knowledge about the world. I loved reading about his knowledge! And it was so much fun to read about the rest of the characters educating Daniel on the world/technology.
Antonio is a wonderful cook and the most supportive guardian. He’s extremely nice and can make friends with anyone! All the food that he made sounded amazing. I got hungry every now and then. I especially loved reading his interactions with Blythe.
Storm is tough as nails and speaks her mind without holding back. Which I really appreciated. It was nice that she asked all the important questions. She’s quite secretive and is very caring.
Caspian is a ghost. He can easily move in and out of other places without getting caught. He’s very sarcastic and doesn’t like it when the characters don’t laugh at his jokes. I really liked reading about his development! And how he became more open.
Jay is definitely the most fun out of all the guardians. He is a flirt and spends most of the time denying magic. You know the least about him. I really liked how Ashia described him! I’ve never read about a Black character being called ‘Angelic’. It was so nice to read that!
There is no romance! Instead a large focus on the slow burn friendship with the guardians. The road trip to Electric City takes up most of the book. While the guardians do still learn new information and continue searching for Blythe’s family, the characters spend a long time on the road. Just in case anyone doesn’t like journey books.
The world building is so cool! I love how the magic system is rooted within our world. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Tempore. A magical time warped forest. It was interesting to learn about the differences between The Black Veins and the Trident Republic.
I particularly loved how humor! I didn’t know that there was a comedic aspect before I started reading. Considering the plot I didn’t think it would work, but it did.
My Criticism(s): I found the pacing to be all over the place. Sometimes it was really fast, other times it was quite slow. It might’ve been better had I actually taken my time reading. The world building could sometimes get info dumpy. And I had a hard time remembering everything.
What I’m Looking Forward To: The ending is a very brutal cliffhanger. I am excited to read the sequel. And learn more information about the characters and the political system.
I’m particularly anxious for information regarding the Trident Republic and the stone The Black Veins forcefully took. I’m curious to see how Katia and Oliver Walden are linked.
Conclusion: Overall I thorough enjoyed The Black Veins! I highly recommend it.
Beware spoilers ahead!
Trigger Warning(s): Content warnings are included in the book.
Rep: Blythe is Black and bisexual. Cordelia is British Chinese and will soon identify as queer and questioning. Daniel is white and cishetallo. Antonio is Puerto Rican and will soon identify as demiromantic, demisexual, and only attracted to boys. Storm is Black and straight. Caspian is trans and asexual. Jay is Black and bisexual. Katia is described as Middle Eastern. Jamie is white, non-binary, agender, and is attracted to females.
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. When Ashia put the E-ARC request form on Twitter, I was ecstatic! I wasn’t chosen as a part of the blog tour and saw this as an opportunity to read the arc. I am happy to say that not only was I chosen and I also really enjoyed The Black Veins!
My Synopsis: Blythe lives an ordinary life. Her parents own a coffee shop, which she also works at. Her twin sisters Lily and Lena keep the family on their toes. Her sort of friend Jamie keeps her company. This all changes the night Blythe and two other Guardians are spelled to walk off their roofs.
Her family calls their magical government and come to an agreement. In a few days Blythe will be leaving her family to go to Frost Glade. Blythe wants to spend more time with her family and Jamie.
Two days before her scheduled departure a mysterious man attacks the coffee shop, kidnaps Blythe’s family and critically injures Jamie. Blythe finds herself caught up in a war that she wants nothing to do with. Upon Jamie’s suggestion, Blythe decides to take a road trip to gather the rest of the guardians. The end goal being to rescue her family.
Book Format: The Black Veins is written third person limited following Blythe. Before the actual story there is a table of contents and content warnings. There are also chapter numbers.
Where I Heard About This Book: I came across Ashia advertising The Black Veins. I was hooked when she promised a road trip story with no romance! And instead a large focus on family.
I kept on eye out on Twitter for more information and came across the blog tour form and the E-ARC request form.
My Thoughts Before Reading: I remained ecstatic for The Black Veins! I had no doubt that I would really like it. I am happy to say that I was proven right!
What I Liked: I loved the family aspect! Both blood and found. Blythe’s family was such a joy to read about! I loved how close they were. Blythe’s whole world is ripped apart when her family was kidnapped. You can really feel for and her situation.
I really liked Jamie! They were awesome and so supportive of Blythe. You did get to learn some more information regarding the world building through Blythe explaining everything to Jamie. I hope that Jamie will make an appearance in the other books.
I admire Blythe! I have no idea how she managed to have a good head on her shoulders, while searching for her family. I loved how she was a photographer and has a very large appreciation for the arts. And that Blythe actually read like a teenager. She made some really dumb mistakes but owned up to them. Unlike so many YA books that have the adult mentality in the body of a teenager. Ashia really did an excellent job fleshing Blythe out!
The guardians surprised me. To be honest I didn’t really have any expectations or any assumptions off what they would be like. Still I was not expecting them to be so unique or that diverse! I thoroughly enjoyed each guardian and their relationship to one-another.
Cordelia is the first guardian you meet. She’s very rude and a hacker, whose only goal is to get away from magic. While I really didn’t like her in the beginning, she grew on me. And had some of best character development I’ve ever seen! I loved her friendship with Blythe.
Daniel is the second guardian, and he is a super magical genius. The only thing he lacks is social skills and knowledge about the world. I loved reading about his knowledge! And it was so much fun to read about the rest of the characters educating Daniel on the world/technology.
Antonio is a wonderful cook and the most supportive guardian. He’s extremely nice and can make friends with anyone! All the food that he made sounded amazing. I got hungry every now and then. I especially loved reading his interactions with Blythe.
Storm is tough as nails and speaks her mind without holding back. Which I really appreciated. It was nice that she asked all the important questions. She’s quite secretive and is very caring.
Caspian is a ghost. He can easily move in and out of other places without getting caught. He’s very sarcastic and doesn’t like it when the characters don’t laugh at his jokes. I really liked reading about his development! And how he became more open.
Jay is definitely the most fun out of all the guardians. He is a flirt and spends most of the time denying magic. You know the least about him. I really liked how Ashia described him! I’ve never read about a Black character being called ‘Angelic’. It was so nice to read that!
There is no romance! Instead a large focus on the slow burn friendship with the guardians. The road trip to Electric City takes up most of the book. While the guardians do still learn new information and continue searching for Blythe’s family, the characters spend a long time on the road. Just in case anyone doesn’t like journey books.
The world building is so cool! I love how the magic system is rooted within our world. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Tempore. A magical time warped forest. It was interesting to learn about the differences between The Black Veins and the Trident Republic.
I particularly loved how humor! I didn’t know that there was a comedic aspect before I started reading. Considering the plot I didn’t think it would work, but it did.
My Criticism(s): I found the pacing to be all over the place. Sometimes it was really fast, other times it was quite slow. It might’ve been better had I actually taken my time reading. The world building could sometimes get info dumpy. And I had a hard time remembering everything.
What I’m Looking Forward To: The ending is a very brutal cliffhanger. I am excited to read the sequel. And learn more information about the characters and the political system.
I’m particularly anxious for information regarding the Trident Republic and the stone The Black Veins forcefully took. I’m curious to see how Katia and Oliver Walden are linked.
Conclusion: Overall I thorough enjoyed The Black Veins! I highly recommend it.
July 15, 2019
I am literally blown away. This book has magic and action right from the start. It reads like a movie. I absolutely LOVED it!! More than once, I laughed out loud, I cried, I cringed, I hid behind my hands....
Each of the characters is so well-defined that I could visualize them like I was with them, physically. They are so lovable in their own unique way! There is Black, queer and nonbinary representation too.
I loved Ashia Monet's writing. Some ironic remarks here and there were funny and were like candy for me.
Many thanks to the author for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Each of the characters is so well-defined that I could visualize them like I was with them, physically. They are so lovable in their own unique way! There is Black, queer and nonbinary representation too.
I loved Ashia Monet's writing. Some ironic remarks here and there were funny and were like candy for me.
Many thanks to the author for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 9, 2019
Okay I'm so torn. I loved the characters! The plot was fine, the world building excellent. But there were inconsistencies, typos, grammatical errors. They were frequent enough I was jarred from the story. Some of the scenes had continuity issues and the spatial awareness was a little off. Things like talking while on the back of a motorbike. That's pretty hard to do, especially going full speed on a loud Harley. The characters redeemed the story. The pacing was good, though there is no breather at the very end.
Like I said, conflicted. So conflicted. Worth a read? Yes, if you're okay with typos.
Like I said, conflicted. So conflicted. Worth a read? Yes, if you're okay with typos.
February 12, 2019
I was lucky enough to get to read The Black Veins and when I say that this book is going to change YA I /MEAN/ IT. Found family, no romantic arc, URBAN FANTASY. This book is one of my all time FAVORITES.
Just you wait for July and I'll be throwing copies of this book at everyones face and be screaming about the children.
Just you wait for July and I'll be throwing copies of this book at everyones face and be screaming about the children.
February 11, 2021
content warnings:
rep:
★ 2.5 stars ★
NOTE: Lots of people like this book and it has plenty of selling points, so if you're interested in this book maybe check out some of the more positive reviews — especially from ownvoices readers!
Honestly, I think this reads like MG — which is not meant to be a putdown of MG or of this book but does explain why it didn't really work for me:
- Only one of the characters (Blythe) is really the "main" character; the rest are distinguishable by 1-2 archetypal personality traits each and relegated to sidekick status throughout. Not inherently bad, but it's not quite the ensemble-of-equals cast I was hoping for.
- Dialogue is either set to "wholesome pep talk" or "teenage banter/memes" or "exposition."
- Worldbuilding is presented in monologues and mini-lectures, carefully spelled out [pun intended]. (There are also a lot of jokes about fourth-wall breaks, I guess to balance it out?)
- The plot itself is pretty simplistic, with heavy foreshadowing and tropey twists. There's even .
- Morality is also presented as pretty simplistic, and of course Blythe is the ultimate judge of what's right or wrong. Villains are villains, apparently undeserving of any sympathy or redemption; they do bad things because they're bad people. Meanwhile, sometimes heroes mess up, but they're trying and of course they'll do better next time.
While Blythe is definitely a believable teenager and at heart a good person, I just didn't find her a very sympathetic protagonist. Part of might be that we're told so many times in the beginning that she's good at making friends because she's cute and friendly, that the fact that she doesn't have friends is a matter of choice, but to me this all came across as snobby, especially coupled with . Part of it is definitely that she's a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to swearing (direct quote: "What the fuck?! Watch your language!") and, more importantly, keeping secrets from the group. Lashing out is understandable, she's young and scared and under a lot of pressure, but she doesn't seem to have a ton of empathy for others either.
Of course protagonists don't have to be likable or always do the right thing — that would be boring — but there's gotta be a middle ground.
I do like the casual diversity of the cast. It's refreshing that some characters are specified as white since it subverts "assume white unless otherwise stated," though this is inconsistent; in some cases a character's ethnicity is unspecified and they're just described as having "copper skin" or something of the sort, and Cordelia is introduced as "East Asian" but . Also, I'm a little tired of the single Asian MC always being the hacker of the group.
The LGBTQIAP+ rep is pretty great too, very matter-of-fact since there's flirting but minimal actual romance (and ) throughout. Though I wouldn't call it totally no-romance since certain characters are pretty infatuated — not to the point of eclipsing the action/adventure plot, but not insignificant.
I try not to hold minor language errors against the book or author, but there are just so many of them: missing or extraneous apostrophes, incorrect idioms/turns of phrase, and lots of good ol' fashioned typos. Plus a scene where dialogue is attributed to a character who isn't even present. These are particularly disappointing because I actually really liked the prose in the opening section and in certain descriptive scenes.
-----------
CONVERSION : 7.2 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 3 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: N/A
rep:
★ 2.5 stars ★
NOTE: Lots of people like this book and it has plenty of selling points, so if you're interested in this book maybe check out some of the more positive reviews — especially from ownvoices readers!
Honestly, I think this reads like MG — which is not meant to be a putdown of MG or of this book but does explain why it didn't really work for me:
- Only one of the characters (Blythe) is really the "main" character; the rest are distinguishable by 1-2 archetypal personality traits each and relegated to sidekick status throughout. Not inherently bad, but it's not quite the ensemble-of-equals cast I was hoping for.
- Dialogue is either set to "wholesome pep talk" or "teenage banter/memes" or "exposition."
- Worldbuilding is presented in monologues and mini-lectures, carefully spelled out [pun intended]. (There are also a lot of jokes about fourth-wall breaks, I guess to balance it out?)
- The plot itself is pretty simplistic, with heavy foreshadowing and tropey twists. There's even .
- Morality is also presented as pretty simplistic, and of course Blythe is the ultimate judge of what's right or wrong. Villains are villains, apparently undeserving of any sympathy or redemption; they do bad things because they're bad people. Meanwhile, sometimes heroes mess up, but they're trying and of course they'll do better next time.
While Blythe is definitely a believable teenager and at heart a good person, I just didn't find her a very sympathetic protagonist. Part of might be that we're told so many times in the beginning that she's good at making friends because she's cute and friendly, that the fact that she doesn't have friends is a matter of choice, but to me this all came across as snobby, especially coupled with . Part of it is definitely that she's a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to swearing (direct quote: "What the fuck?! Watch your language!") and, more importantly, keeping secrets from the group. Lashing out is understandable, she's young and scared and under a lot of pressure, but she doesn't seem to have a ton of empathy for others either.
Of course protagonists don't have to be likable or always do the right thing — that would be boring — but there's gotta be a middle ground.
I do like the casual diversity of the cast. It's refreshing that some characters are specified as white since it subverts "assume white unless otherwise stated," though this is inconsistent; in some cases a character's ethnicity is unspecified and they're just described as having "copper skin" or something of the sort, and Cordelia is introduced as "East Asian" but . Also, I'm a little tired of the single Asian MC always being the hacker of the group.
The LGBTQIAP+ rep is pretty great too, very matter-of-fact since there's flirting but minimal actual romance (and ) throughout. Though I wouldn't call it totally no-romance since certain characters are pretty infatuated — not to the point of eclipsing the action/adventure plot, but not insignificant.
I try not to hold minor language errors against the book or author, but there are just so many of them: missing or extraneous apostrophes, incorrect idioms/turns of phrase, and lots of good ol' fashioned typos. Plus a scene where dialogue is attributed to a character who isn't even present. These are particularly disappointing because I actually really liked the prose in the opening section and in certain descriptive scenes.
-----------
CONVERSION : 7.2 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 3 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: N/A
July 2, 2019
me: finishes this book
me: methodically goes through my Goodreads and drops all my 5 star ratings to 4 because nothing else is as good as this
REVIEW TO COME
me: methodically goes through my Goodreads and drops all my 5 star ratings to 4 because nothing else is as good as this
REVIEW TO COME
February 12, 2019
oh my god, let me tell you, i was fortunate enough to read this book and listen. this book is absolutely FANTASTIC. a masterpiece. does not let you down. it's a charming bop of an urban fantasy adventure with a diverse, to-die-for cast, and i love it with my whole heart.
i can genuinely say that i have never been more hyped for a book to come into existence so!!! get ready folks, YA lit will be shaken.
i can genuinely say that i have never been more hyped for a book to come into existence so!!! get ready folks, YA lit will be shaken.
July 17, 2019
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
Blythe Fulton is part of a family of magicians but she has no idea what her power is. During her spare time Blythe works as a barista at her family’s cafe The Full Cup and hangs out with her friend Jamie who is non-binary—agender and tries to make her mundane life together. This all changes one day when her family is kidnapped and her bestfriend Jamie is injured in the process.
With nothing but an old van and a small stash of supplies Blythe sets out to Electric City, a place devastated by the magician’s ongoing war, to save her family; but first she’ll have to find the remaining Guardians so they can use their collective powers to save her family.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Blythe Fulton is not a girl who hides. She is a girl with white fire in her veins. She is a girl who fights.”
WOW. Where do I even begin with this story?!? I was sent this as an ARC from the author Ashia Monet (prounouns: she/they) and I was overjoyed to experience a fantasy full of POC, that had absolutely no romance arc to it. Blythe has to find 6 other Guardians that each control different kinds of elements. Ether, Body, Mind, Nature, Animals, Time & Death. Each of the characters in this novel were so well characterized and each had a fully realized personality that lent a part to the novel. As the novel goes on you start to see that without each piece of the puzzle it just doesn’t seem right! I could sit here and give an in-depth review of each character but I want to let the reader experience each one organically.
This novel was full of action, humor, original magical elements but with a fun urban and INCLUSIVE twist. It’s fully of LGBTQ+ representation and you’re sure to find yourself represented within its pages. I found the main character Blythe to be full of all of the flaws that a teen learning how to wield magic should have had. Nothing was ever easy, and there was never a time that Blythe’s impulsive decision making didn’t lead to some kind of harebrained situation. It was truly endearing to follow the kids on this journey.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Somehow, through some weird twist of gate, these people have not deserted her. She has shown them the worst sides of herself, and yet here they stand, refusing to abandon her.”
It’s a story about learning that found families are just as important as your biological ones, a story about learning to lean on other people instead of trying to stay strong by yourself, a story about learning to be brave, and a story about sacrificing for the ones you love. I have no doubt in my mind that this book will change fantasy reader’s minds on how it should be done. It was absolutely refreshing, and such a great addition to my TBR. If you love a magical and messy road trip, if you’re looking for a new magical story to obsess over, or even if you want an inclusive fantasy to sink your teeth into then pick up this book and get to READING.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
Blythe Fulton is part of a family of magicians but she has no idea what her power is. During her spare time Blythe works as a barista at her family’s cafe The Full Cup and hangs out with her friend Jamie who is non-binary—agender and tries to make her mundane life together. This all changes one day when her family is kidnapped and her bestfriend Jamie is injured in the process.
With nothing but an old van and a small stash of supplies Blythe sets out to Electric City, a place devastated by the magician’s ongoing war, to save her family; but first she’ll have to find the remaining Guardians so they can use their collective powers to save her family.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Blythe Fulton is not a girl who hides. She is a girl with white fire in her veins. She is a girl who fights.”
WOW. Where do I even begin with this story?!? I was sent this as an ARC from the author Ashia Monet (prounouns: she/they) and I was overjoyed to experience a fantasy full of POC, that had absolutely no romance arc to it. Blythe has to find 6 other Guardians that each control different kinds of elements. Ether, Body, Mind, Nature, Animals, Time & Death. Each of the characters in this novel were so well characterized and each had a fully realized personality that lent a part to the novel. As the novel goes on you start to see that without each piece of the puzzle it just doesn’t seem right! I could sit here and give an in-depth review of each character but I want to let the reader experience each one organically.
This novel was full of action, humor, original magical elements but with a fun urban and INCLUSIVE twist. It’s fully of LGBTQ+ representation and you’re sure to find yourself represented within its pages. I found the main character Blythe to be full of all of the flaws that a teen learning how to wield magic should have had. Nothing was ever easy, and there was never a time that Blythe’s impulsive decision making didn’t lead to some kind of harebrained situation. It was truly endearing to follow the kids on this journey.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Somehow, through some weird twist of gate, these people have not deserted her. She has shown them the worst sides of herself, and yet here they stand, refusing to abandon her.”
It’s a story about learning that found families are just as important as your biological ones, a story about learning to lean on other people instead of trying to stay strong by yourself, a story about learning to be brave, and a story about sacrificing for the ones you love. I have no doubt in my mind that this book will change fantasy reader’s minds on how it should be done. It was absolutely refreshing, and such a great addition to my TBR. If you love a magical and messy road trip, if you’re looking for a new magical story to obsess over, or even if you want an inclusive fantasy to sink your teeth into then pick up this book and get to READING.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
September 8, 2020
4 stars
This one has been on my list for a while and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it because I had such a great time with this novel!
This is truly the found family adventure story that I have been on the hunt for. I will absolutely not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the found family dynamic because that’s definitely a major part of the story here and it’s executed incredibly well!!
I absolutely loved the friendships formed over the course of this book and that was definitely my favorite aspect of this reading experience. All of the characters feel like fully developed people with their own lives outside of the story and I really appreciated that and I also loved what each of them brought to the group dynamic. Everything about the character work in this novel is absolute perfection.
I also really loved the pacing and the way the plot was structured. I found that it always kept me on the edge of my seat and I never wanted to put the book down because there was always something that was keeping me invested in the story. And that ending leaves me very anxious for the second book, so I’m wondering who I have to bribe to get an early copy.
I do wish that there had been more of a development when it comes to the world of this novel because there were some things that I was still confused by, despite the fact that they had been explained and acknowledged in the text. Then again, this might just be me being not the smartest person out there and missing something that was mentioned in the text.
While I also really loved this writing style, I do wish that the spelling errors had gotten a little more attention paid to them because I found a lot of them and some of them did interfere with my understanding of the story. Outside of that, though, I thought Monet did an excellent job nailing down the voice of the main character and crafting a compelling story through her writing.
Overall, I absolutely cannot recommend this one enough, especially if you’re looking for a fun adventure and friendship story featuring many messy characters.
This one has been on my list for a while and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it because I had such a great time with this novel!
This is truly the found family adventure story that I have been on the hunt for. I will absolutely not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the found family dynamic because that’s definitely a major part of the story here and it’s executed incredibly well!!
I absolutely loved the friendships formed over the course of this book and that was definitely my favorite aspect of this reading experience. All of the characters feel like fully developed people with their own lives outside of the story and I really appreciated that and I also loved what each of them brought to the group dynamic. Everything about the character work in this novel is absolute perfection.
I also really loved the pacing and the way the plot was structured. I found that it always kept me on the edge of my seat and I never wanted to put the book down because there was always something that was keeping me invested in the story. And that ending leaves me very anxious for the second book, so I’m wondering who I have to bribe to get an early copy.
I do wish that there had been more of a development when it comes to the world of this novel because there were some things that I was still confused by, despite the fact that they had been explained and acknowledged in the text. Then again, this might just be me being not the smartest person out there and missing something that was mentioned in the text.
While I also really loved this writing style, I do wish that the spelling errors had gotten a little more attention paid to them because I found a lot of them and some of them did interfere with my understanding of the story. Outside of that, though, I thought Monet did an excellent job nailing down the voice of the main character and crafting a compelling story through her writing.
Overall, I absolutely cannot recommend this one enough, especially if you’re looking for a fun adventure and friendship story featuring many messy characters.
July 15, 2019
(I received this book as part of the blog tour. This has not impacted my review which is honest and unbiased).
The Black Veins is wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric. There's care and tenderness in every word. At the heart of the story is a quest for family, reconciliation, and recovery. It is a story that features diversity at the forefront with themes of found family and friendship at its core. Once you finish you'll want to immediately dive into more because Monet will make you care about these characters. You will want to protect them at all costs.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
The Black Veins is wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric. There's care and tenderness in every word. At the heart of the story is a quest for family, reconciliation, and recovery. It is a story that features diversity at the forefront with themes of found family and friendship at its core. Once you finish you'll want to immediately dive into more because Monet will make you care about these characters. You will want to protect them at all costs.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
April 7, 2021
4.5 stars
I 100% thinks this book has its flaws. I don't mind minor editing problems, especially not in self-published books, but I know some people do. What was the most obvious flaw to me was that the plot was a little shaky at times, especially in the first 25/30%.
But you know what?
I didn't care AT ALL!
I'm not a very plot-focused kind of reader anyway. I'm a characters, settings, vibes reader and I loved everything about those in this book. What truly shines is the characters and their relationships and the potential for more of that in the future books.
My favourites were Antonio (sweet boy, caring and funny and adorable, I love you so much) and Caspian (hilarious emo trans boy, the worst, I love you so much). Caspian is probably my top character though, if only for that secret reveal scene that made me laugh out loud for like 5 minutes.
And that's another thing, this book made me genuinely smile and laugh out loud MANY TIMES, and I'm not a very expressive reader most of the time. It's easier to make me laugh than to make me cry but STILL, it'd been a while since I had so much fun reading a book.
Also, no romance!! I don't know if it's going to stay that way for the whole series, and I wouldn't mind if it didn't to be honest, but having a focus on building strong platonic relationships made me feel Soft Aro Feelings.
I'm soooo excited about the rest of the series! And anything the author chooses to write next tbh.
I 100% thinks this book has its flaws. I don't mind minor editing problems, especially not in self-published books, but I know some people do. What was the most obvious flaw to me was that the plot was a little shaky at times, especially in the first 25/30%.
But you know what?
I didn't care AT ALL!
I'm not a very plot-focused kind of reader anyway. I'm a characters, settings, vibes reader and I loved everything about those in this book. What truly shines is the characters and their relationships and the potential for more of that in the future books.
My favourites were Antonio (sweet boy, caring and funny and adorable, I love you so much) and Caspian (hilarious emo trans boy, the worst, I love you so much). Caspian is probably my top character though, if only for that secret reveal scene that made me laugh out loud for like 5 minutes.
And that's another thing, this book made me genuinely smile and laugh out loud MANY TIMES, and I'm not a very expressive reader most of the time. It's easier to make me laugh than to make me cry but STILL, it'd been a while since I had so much fun reading a book.
Also, no romance!! I don't know if it's going to stay that way for the whole series, and I wouldn't mind if it didn't to be honest, but having a focus on building strong platonic relationships made me feel Soft Aro Feelings.
I'm soooo excited about the rest of the series! And anything the author chooses to write next tbh.
January 20, 2021
5 stars. "Those kids are my family too"
I didn't know how badly I needed a no romance adventure until I read this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. Seven different guardians, all of different genders, races and sexualities. If you're looking for the opposite of the white man solo savior book - THIS IS IT.
Blythe is kind, humble, sweet and most importantly loving. She may start the book with the sole intent of saving her family but it becomes clear as the story goes on that she would do anything to help her friends too. Even if it takes things from her. Blythe is the single greatest friend you could ever ask for. I want to be her friend.
Also seeing the growth of all the other guardians is incredible. While the book spans at most a few weeks, we see these teenagers grow into the best versions of themselves, because they're able to be around each other. Because friendship brings out the best of them. I loved the ending of this book and I can't wait for the next one!
Find me on: instagram
I didn't know how badly I needed a no romance adventure until I read this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. Seven different guardians, all of different genders, races and sexualities. If you're looking for the opposite of the white man solo savior book - THIS IS IT.
Blythe is kind, humble, sweet and most importantly loving. She may start the book with the sole intent of saving her family but it becomes clear as the story goes on that she would do anything to help her friends too. Even if it takes things from her. Blythe is the single greatest friend you could ever ask for. I want to be her friend.
Also seeing the growth of all the other guardians is incredible. While the book spans at most a few weeks, we see these teenagers grow into the best versions of themselves, because they're able to be around each other. Because friendship brings out the best of them. I loved the ending of this book and I can't wait for the next one!
Find me on: instagram
Read
July 21, 2019Thank you so much to CW and Ashia Monet for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for being on The Black Veins blog tour.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and loved the characters! Check out my full review and author Q&A here:
https://readingthroughinfinity.com/20...
I had a lot of fun reading this book and loved the characters! Check out my full review and author Q&A here:
https://readingthroughinfinity.com/20...
June 18, 2020
This is my favourite book of 2020 so far and perhaps my third favourite of all time?? I'm fully in love with everything about these characters and Ashia's writing and I can NOT wait to read book 2 holy heck.
August 2, 2019
The Black Veins is proof that YA Fantasy can be diverse af. The main character, Blythe is a bisexual black girl, her best friend is a nonbinary agender magician who can control water. On the way to save her parents, Blythe comes across Katia who’s on her way to collect Blythe and take her to Frost Glade where her and the other Guardians will be safe. But Blythe has plans that don’t involve hiding away and hoping that someone else will save her parents. So with the help of Candice, Gaudian of the Mind and Charlie, Guardian of Nature they set off to find the rest of the seven Guardians and her parents.
My favourite guardian was probably Storm. if some girl showed up and said can you come to help me fight against the people that kidnapped my family I’d probably be like “Good luck but I’m not coming with yall.” Regardless, she pulled through and really became a part of the group.
I loved the writing. It was amazingly descriptive and immersive. I loved everything about it. I felt like I was part of the gang, you know, driving around in a beat-up Volkswagen, fighting monsters. The writing flowed easily and was succinct.
My favourite guardian was probably Storm. if some girl showed up and said can you come to help me fight against the people that kidnapped my family I’d probably be like “Good luck but I’m not coming with yall.” Regardless, she pulled through and really became a part of the group.
I loved the writing. It was amazingly descriptive and immersive. I loved everything about it. I felt like I was part of the gang, you know, driving around in a beat-up Volkswagen, fighting monsters. The writing flowed easily and was succinct.
Read
August 28, 2019DNF @ 62%
I put this book down with the hope that i will come back to it but it's been a month and it's just...not happening. Everytime I look at it the last thing I want to do is pick it back up again. We just didn't vibe unfortunately no matter how much I wanted to love it, the plot unfolded way too easily and was too predictable for my liking so the stakes didn't come off as high as they should have been.
I put this book down with the hope that i will come back to it but it's been a month and it's just...not happening. Everytime I look at it the last thing I want to do is pick it back up again. We just didn't vibe unfortunately no matter how much I wanted to love it, the plot unfolded way too easily and was too predictable for my liking so the stakes didn't come off as high as they should have been.
November 18, 2021
"Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one."
★★★★★
Full review to come later when it's not 2 AM, but The Black Veins was an absolutely delightful read, and I highly recommend it!
Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Book Blog | Twitter
★★★★★
Full review to come later when it's not 2 AM, but The Black Veins was an absolutely delightful read, and I highly recommend it!
Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Book Blog | Twitter
May 14, 2021
OH MY GOD THIS WAS AMAZING AND SO UNDERRATED
the black veins is an experience. it is a novel full of diverse characters, hilarious banter and quips between found family to rival six of crows, and the writing is extremely engaging for a self published and unedited book. it's a book full of action and fight scenes that makes you feel like you're watching an anime or an animated show. it's full of cliches, but in a good way. it's amazing and so so underrated. this is definitely THE qpoc found family book that you all need to read NOW.
basically, this is set in a modern setting in a world where there are seven elements: body, mind, animals, nature, death, ether and time. every magician has a specific power that lets them have one ability in one or two of the fields, but these people called guardians have control over one entire field. there are two warring magical governments called the black veins and the trident republic, and the trident republic has decided to kidnap blythe's family, a guardian with dormant magic. she decides to embark on a road trip of a lifetime to recruit all the guardians and bribe them to help her get her family back. they are:
>> blythe. sixteen years old, black, and bisexual. she's the guardian of ether (manipulate material of the world), determined, and a natural leader, but her abilities are dormant unlike the rest of the group. she has a very confident aura about her that causes her to bond with even the prickliest of her companions and she's the glue that holds them all together.
>> cordelia. fifteen and chinese-british. sexuality unconfirmed but i heard rumors of her being queer from other reviewers. she's a Rich Bitch and has been described as English Regina George. she's also a very talented hacker with a superiority complex. guardian of the mind (mindreadering, and controlling other people's minds to an extent). blythe has like, romantic tension with her, but there's no romance in this book but blythe really needs to stop commenting on how beautiful and cute and pretty she is lmao
>> daniel. fourteen, white, tiny, and terrified. he's been sheltered in a singular house his entire life and does not get Jokes TM. the small, innocent boy of the group. guardian of nature (big ass vines)
>> antonio. fourteen, puerto rican, and queer. he's the sunshine, adhd coded, energetic and never stop talking one of the group. pure and basically a golden retriever. he's my favorite i wish everything good for him and beyond. makes friends with EVERYONE. guardian of animals, has big ass wings
>> storm. black and straight BADASS on rollerskates/motorcycle. she's another favorite, she's sooo hot. she's like the cool older sister of this little group and the most powerful besides one other character. she has a natural grasp of her powers, snarky and blunt, but caring in that cool aunt kind of way. guardian of time (very fast)
>> caspian. trans, white, aromantic asexual, guardian of death. he pretends he's a ghost for funsies. dramatic and emo as fuck, i adore him. he loves ramen
>> and lastly, another favorite, JAY. black, bisexual, and flirtatiously smooth as hell. he's another rich boy but he's also the guardian of the body, which means he's fucking gorgeous and strong as hell. he's so hot everyone in the group has a crush on him except for caspian
two other and side characters i love:
>> katia. middle eastern, and tired babysitter who keeps getting ditched by the children. cut her a break besties
>> jamie. nonbinary and agender. socially awkward in a way that comes off as really fucking charming. they're blythe's best friend back home we better get more of them bc i have a crush on them omg
anyways they're found family. like they would do anything for each other even though they all hated each other's guts in the beginning, but i LOVED it, especially the humor. this book is self published btw, which means the author has to promote this herself and there are a couple of typos (no editor), and plenty of scenes that felt very choppy and the relationships went very quickly from we hate each other to we would die for each other for no reason, and sometimes the characters' motives are unreasonable and contrasting, and the worldbuilding is a little contradicting sometimes, but you know what, those weren't big enough of a problem to me. this book was really fucking fun and engrossing and im obsessed with all of the characters. i can't count how many times ive laughed throughout this.
there are a couple real problems that i got uncomfortable with that knocked off a star. there are a lot of scenes referencing sex between minors (14 year old and 16 year old), or even between a minor (16) and an adult (20s), which i definitely was really goddamn uncomfortable with. but they are references. they never even say the word sex.
but otherwise than that, this is a really underrated queer poc book, so please please please read it!!
rep: black bisexual protag, black mc, trans aroace mc, puerto rican mlm mc, chinese-british mc, bisexual black mc 2, nb sc, middle eastern sc
the black veins is an experience. it is a novel full of diverse characters, hilarious banter and quips between found family to rival six of crows, and the writing is extremely engaging for a self published and unedited book. it's a book full of action and fight scenes that makes you feel like you're watching an anime or an animated show. it's full of cliches, but in a good way. it's amazing and so so underrated. this is definitely THE qpoc found family book that you all need to read NOW.
basically, this is set in a modern setting in a world where there are seven elements: body, mind, animals, nature, death, ether and time. every magician has a specific power that lets them have one ability in one or two of the fields, but these people called guardians have control over one entire field. there are two warring magical governments called the black veins and the trident republic, and the trident republic has decided to kidnap blythe's family, a guardian with dormant magic. she decides to embark on a road trip of a lifetime to recruit all the guardians and bribe them to help her get her family back. they are:
>> blythe. sixteen years old, black, and bisexual. she's the guardian of ether (manipulate material of the world), determined, and a natural leader, but her abilities are dormant unlike the rest of the group. she has a very confident aura about her that causes her to bond with even the prickliest of her companions and she's the glue that holds them all together.
>> cordelia. fifteen and chinese-british. sexuality unconfirmed but i heard rumors of her being queer from other reviewers. she's a Rich Bitch and has been described as English Regina George. she's also a very talented hacker with a superiority complex. guardian of the mind (mindreadering, and controlling other people's minds to an extent). blythe has like, romantic tension with her, but there's no romance in this book but blythe really needs to stop commenting on how beautiful and cute and pretty she is lmao
>> daniel. fourteen, white, tiny, and terrified. he's been sheltered in a singular house his entire life and does not get Jokes TM. the small, innocent boy of the group. guardian of nature (big ass vines)
>> antonio. fourteen, puerto rican, and queer. he's the sunshine, adhd coded, energetic and never stop talking one of the group. pure and basically a golden retriever. he's my favorite i wish everything good for him and beyond. makes friends with EVERYONE. guardian of animals, has big ass wings
>> storm. black and straight BADASS on rollerskates/motorcycle. she's another favorite, she's sooo hot. she's like the cool older sister of this little group and the most powerful besides one other character. she has a natural grasp of her powers, snarky and blunt, but caring in that cool aunt kind of way. guardian of time (very fast)
>> caspian. trans, white, aromantic asexual, guardian of death. he pretends he's a ghost for funsies. dramatic and emo as fuck, i adore him. he loves ramen
>> and lastly, another favorite, JAY. black, bisexual, and flirtatiously smooth as hell. he's another rich boy but he's also the guardian of the body, which means he's fucking gorgeous and strong as hell. he's so hot everyone in the group has a crush on him except for caspian
two other and side characters i love:
>> katia. middle eastern, and tired babysitter who keeps getting ditched by the children. cut her a break besties
>> jamie. nonbinary and agender. socially awkward in a way that comes off as really fucking charming. they're blythe's best friend back home we better get more of them bc i have a crush on them omg
anyways they're found family. like they would do anything for each other even though they all hated each other's guts in the beginning, but i LOVED it, especially the humor. this book is self published btw, which means the author has to promote this herself and there are a couple of typos (no editor), and plenty of scenes that felt very choppy and the relationships went very quickly from we hate each other to we would die for each other for no reason, and sometimes the characters' motives are unreasonable and contrasting, and the worldbuilding is a little contradicting sometimes, but you know what, those weren't big enough of a problem to me. this book was really fucking fun and engrossing and im obsessed with all of the characters. i can't count how many times ive laughed throughout this.
there are a couple real problems that i got uncomfortable with that knocked off a star. there are a lot of scenes referencing sex between minors (14 year old and 16 year old), or even between a minor (16) and an adult (20s), which i definitely was really goddamn uncomfortable with. but they are references. they never even say the word sex.
but otherwise than that, this is a really underrated queer poc book, so please please please read it!!
rep: black bisexual protag, black mc, trans aroace mc, puerto rican mlm mc, chinese-british mc, bisexual black mc 2, nb sc, middle eastern sc
Read
December 13, 2020DNF @ 65%
just for now,, not tryna end the year with any 3 or below stars 😌
just for now,, not tryna end the year with any 3 or below stars 😌
September 25, 2020
[i tried to keep this review spoiler-free. i do talk a bit about the friendships and the lore, but i believe reading about those before starting the book won’t ruin your experience as a first time reader]
I ordered this book because I saw the author promote it on Twitter and thought “I have money, I want a no-romance YA novel, and emerging authors can always use some help”, so I ordered it.
Did I like it? I did! The characters are really lovable, and I liked the way the world of magic is slowly revealed to us readers-- the fact that Blythe doesn’t know everything, but has still been brought up in a magical environment forces the readers to take information in fast to try and catch up, and it’s a great way to keep the audience on their toes.
I also want to point out now two things I really liked, because I’m gonna forget otherwise:
- it’s rare to see such beautiful covers on self-edited books, and the cover and back cover of TBV are beautiful, so kudos to that!
- TBV has a Trigger Warnings page at the beginning of the book, which I found very great and sensitive. You can absolutely skip it if you don’t have triggers and don’t want to be spoiled (that’s what I did).
So I liked it alright!
Now, did I love the book? I wish I did, but not really. I hope the parallel won’t seem too far-fetched, but I found myself a bit torn when reading it the same way I was as a child when watching the movie “Atlantis”:
- The cast is great, the found-family trope is heartwarming and *great*, but I feel like there isn’t enough exposition or action that dwells upon each member of the crew. It’s like, as a reader you get to meet them, and if you don’t love them and consider them a part of the family straight away, well, you’ve kinda missed the boat. This is why I had a bit of trouble liking Antonio at first-- I feel like the transition between the OG 3 and the rest of the crew is a bit messy and rushed.
- Regarding the found family trope, I feel like the author forgot a bit about the “show, don’t tell” advice. which is a bit weird, because regarding that matter the rest of the book is really well-constructed, but when it comes to the interaction between the Guardians, it feels a little forced.
For example, I am *all* for Storm and Daniel’s friendship, but weren’t it for Blythe obligingly telling the readers “they started to form an unconventional but sweet friendship”, I wouldn’t have guessed they got along so well!!
It’s too bad, especially considering some of the relationships are very well-written: I feel like Daniel & Antonio, or Blythe & Cordelia, are two friendships that *are* actually shown in development (as well as Caspian's character as a whole), and I think this is why as of now Cordelia is my favourite character. Apart from the fact that she is a bitchass beauty that learns to let down her guard (which is my jam), you really get to see her grow, and I wish the others could have had what she had.
- I spotted a few typos along my read, and I hate to be this person, but because of that you can see the book isn’t edited through a real, traditional publishing house. Now I don’t have anything against self-published authors, but I should advise Ashia Monet to hire a professional reviewer/proofreader for her next book. It’s not ill-spent money. And if she’s reading my review rn and she did hire one -- they didn’t really do their job right, hire a new one!!
Now, I’m only writing a long review because I think it good to point out flaws and not only good points-- but I still enjoyed the book, and I look forward to reading the second one.
Oh also, one of the greater points is, I think the last third of the book is easily its best part: the story gets more fluid, the characters are better-written, the stakes become clear, etc. So I’d advise to push through until the end if at some point (around the middle, for my part) you get cold feet about finishing. It does get really better and it made me pass from an that’s-okay-reading-experience to an oh-i’m-enjoying-myself-reading-experience.
AND FINALLY, if Ashia Monet is reading this: hello, I took note of all the typos and I can send my notes to you in case you ever want to republish TBV and want to get rid of them! Just message me, and also congrats on the book!
I ordered this book because I saw the author promote it on Twitter and thought “I have money, I want a no-romance YA novel, and emerging authors can always use some help”, so I ordered it.
Did I like it? I did! The characters are really lovable, and I liked the way the world of magic is slowly revealed to us readers-- the fact that Blythe doesn’t know everything, but has still been brought up in a magical environment forces the readers to take information in fast to try and catch up, and it’s a great way to keep the audience on their toes.
I also want to point out now two things I really liked, because I’m gonna forget otherwise:
- it’s rare to see such beautiful covers on self-edited books, and the cover and back cover of TBV are beautiful, so kudos to that!
- TBV has a Trigger Warnings page at the beginning of the book, which I found very great and sensitive. You can absolutely skip it if you don’t have triggers and don’t want to be spoiled (that’s what I did).
So I liked it alright!
Now, did I love the book? I wish I did, but not really. I hope the parallel won’t seem too far-fetched, but I found myself a bit torn when reading it the same way I was as a child when watching the movie “Atlantis”:
- The cast is great, the found-family trope is heartwarming and *great*, but I feel like there isn’t enough exposition or action that dwells upon each member of the crew. It’s like, as a reader you get to meet them, and if you don’t love them and consider them a part of the family straight away, well, you’ve kinda missed the boat. This is why I had a bit of trouble liking Antonio at first-- I feel like the transition between the OG 3 and the rest of the crew is a bit messy and rushed.
- Regarding the found family trope, I feel like the author forgot a bit about the “show, don’t tell” advice. which is a bit weird, because regarding that matter the rest of the book is really well-constructed, but when it comes to the interaction between the Guardians, it feels a little forced.
For example, I am *all* for Storm and Daniel’s friendship, but weren’t it for Blythe obligingly telling the readers “they started to form an unconventional but sweet friendship”, I wouldn’t have guessed they got along so well!!
It’s too bad, especially considering some of the relationships are very well-written: I feel like Daniel & Antonio, or Blythe & Cordelia, are two friendships that *are* actually shown in development (as well as Caspian's character as a whole), and I think this is why as of now Cordelia is my favourite character. Apart from the fact that she is a bitchass beauty that learns to let down her guard (which is my jam), you really get to see her grow, and I wish the others could have had what she had.
- I spotted a few typos along my read, and I hate to be this person, but because of that you can see the book isn’t edited through a real, traditional publishing house. Now I don’t have anything against self-published authors, but I should advise Ashia Monet to hire a professional reviewer/proofreader for her next book. It’s not ill-spent money. And if she’s reading my review rn and she did hire one -- they didn’t really do their job right, hire a new one!!
Now, I’m only writing a long review because I think it good to point out flaws and not only good points-- but I still enjoyed the book, and I look forward to reading the second one.
Oh also, one of the greater points is, I think the last third of the book is easily its best part: the story gets more fluid, the characters are better-written, the stakes become clear, etc. So I’d advise to push through until the end if at some point (around the middle, for my part) you get cold feet about finishing. It does get really better and it made me pass from an that’s-okay-reading-experience to an oh-i’m-enjoying-myself-reading-experience.
AND FINALLY, if Ashia Monet is reading this: hello, I took note of all the typos and I can send my notes to you in case you ever want to republish TBV and want to get rid of them! Just message me, and also congrats on the book!
July 20, 2019
[review originally posted on em's bookish musings on 17/07/19]
Family, friendships, road trips, self discovery and magic; The Black Veins is the platonic YA urban fantasy you didn't know you needed...
I don't think I can accurately describe how I feel about The Black Veins by Ashia Monet in this review because I have so many thoughts and emotions, and I can't properly put them to words, but the bottom line is that I absolutely love this book.
The Black Veins follows Blythe Fulton, a sixteen year magician and one of the seven Guardians, as she journeys to assemble the rest of the Guardians after her family is taken. Blythe and the six other Guardians travel, explore their magic, build a powerful friendships, fight monsters and find themselves in the process.
The Black Veins is an absolutely brilliant book from the wonderful plot, concept to the pacing and writing style. I absolutely love the concept of TBV, especially as a black person, seeing the importance of family, both family of origin and found family, and the extent anyone would go for their family. Blythe and the Guardians do the impossible for newbie magicians and teenagers to find Blythe's family.
Another part of the concept and plot of The Black Veins I absolutely love, is the world building and the Elemental magic system. Admittedly, Avatar the Last Airbender and a few books is the extent of my experience with elemental magic, it doesn't take away the love I have for the magical system. Magic in the TBV world is based on the ability to control the seven Elements of Magic — Nature, Death, Time, Ether, Animals, Mind and Body — every magician is able to control one or more of this Elements but with more expertise in one Element, but the Guardians are embodiment of their individual element, the peak of its power. The magic system, while being awesome isn't the best part of this magical world, well at least to me, the amazing Tempore is. The idea of a place or phenomenon that breaks the laws of space and time to me was simply to my nerdy self one of the best things about TBV.
The plot and structure being amazing didn't give an excuse for the writing style was lacking. The writing style was amazing too, I absolutely love Ashia Monet's writing style. A mix of lyrical and simple, they managed to properly convey the emotions of the characters and the magic of the story.
The Black Veins is a book about magic and the magic of family and friendship.
The characters were the real magic of the book...
While the plot itself was amazing, the characters were everything.
I loved each and every one of the Guardians, they were all unique with individual struggles and personalities.
From shy, introverted Daniel; to fiercely loyal Blythe, to sweet, sunny bright faced Antonio (aka my baby, my son, my favourite character); sharp witted and equally sharp tongued Cordelia; witty, emo Caspian; quick and fierce Storm; to charismatic and mysterious Jay. And seeing as their characters develop so beautifully, the Guardians themselves were substance of the book. The magic of the story.
Queer, POC and mental illness rep...
The Black Veins had pretty much bought my interest with the “no love interest”, found family and road trip book with a black MC pitch, but the extensive queer, POC and mental illness rep was what won me over.
I can't express how happy seeing such extensive representation made me, and even though I don't have many queer books and books with mentally ill characters on my radar, but for the first time I was seeing someone like me in a book. And as a black, queer, mentally ill person, seeing myself in a book was so important to me. There were so many times in this book I felt seen and understood while reading TBV.
An amazing debut, a new favourite, a magical story...
From its plot, structure, writing and characters, The Black Veins is overall an amazing book and a fantastic book. I've found a new fave. 200% recommend.
Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.
Family, friendships, road trips, self discovery and magic; The Black Veins is the platonic YA urban fantasy you didn't know you needed...
I don't think I can accurately describe how I feel about The Black Veins by Ashia Monet in this review because I have so many thoughts and emotions, and I can't properly put them to words, but the bottom line is that I absolutely love this book.
The Black Veins follows Blythe Fulton, a sixteen year magician and one of the seven Guardians, as she journeys to assemble the rest of the Guardians after her family is taken. Blythe and the six other Guardians travel, explore their magic, build a powerful friendships, fight monsters and find themselves in the process.
The Black Veins is an absolutely brilliant book from the wonderful plot, concept to the pacing and writing style. I absolutely love the concept of TBV, especially as a black person, seeing the importance of family, both family of origin and found family, and the extent anyone would go for their family. Blythe and the Guardians do the impossible for newbie magicians and teenagers to find Blythe's family.
Another part of the concept and plot of The Black Veins I absolutely love, is the world building and the Elemental magic system. Admittedly, Avatar the Last Airbender and a few books is the extent of my experience with elemental magic, it doesn't take away the love I have for the magical system. Magic in the TBV world is based on the ability to control the seven Elements of Magic — Nature, Death, Time, Ether, Animals, Mind and Body — every magician is able to control one or more of this Elements but with more expertise in one Element, but the Guardians are embodiment of their individual element, the peak of its power. The magic system, while being awesome isn't the best part of this magical world, well at least to me, the amazing Tempore is. The idea of a place or phenomenon that breaks the laws of space and time to me was simply to my nerdy self one of the best things about TBV.
The plot and structure being amazing didn't give an excuse for the writing style was lacking. The writing style was amazing too, I absolutely love Ashia Monet's writing style. A mix of lyrical and simple, they managed to properly convey the emotions of the characters and the magic of the story.
The Black Veins is a book about magic and the magic of family and friendship.
The characters were the real magic of the book...
While the plot itself was amazing, the characters were everything.
I loved each and every one of the Guardians, they were all unique with individual struggles and personalities.
From shy, introverted Daniel; to fiercely loyal Blythe, to sweet, sunny bright faced Antonio (aka my baby, my son, my favourite character); sharp witted and equally sharp tongued Cordelia; witty, emo Caspian; quick and fierce Storm; to charismatic and mysterious Jay. And seeing as their characters develop so beautifully, the Guardians themselves were substance of the book. The magic of the story.
Queer, POC and mental illness rep...
The Black Veins had pretty much bought my interest with the “no love interest”, found family and road trip book with a black MC pitch, but the extensive queer, POC and mental illness rep was what won me over.
I can't express how happy seeing such extensive representation made me, and even though I don't have many queer books and books with mentally ill characters on my radar, but for the first time I was seeing someone like me in a book. And as a black, queer, mentally ill person, seeing myself in a book was so important to me. There were so many times in this book I felt seen and understood while reading TBV.
An amazing debut, a new favourite, a magical story...
From its plot, structure, writing and characters, The Black Veins is overall an amazing book and a fantastic book. I've found a new fave. 200% recommend.
Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.
Want to read
July 18, 2019did someone say ARO REP
June 13, 2020
“The magic wakes at midnight. It arrives in the form of a song.”
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
3.5 stars. Ashia Monet’s The Black Veins is as fun and clever as a novel about a queer found family full of POC deserves to be. This is one of those books that caught my attention around the time it first came out, I bought it, and subsequently read the first chapter and let it sit on my shelf for a while. I tried picking it up again several times but each time I tried, I put it back down. I'm glad I actually read this all the way through because it became a book I not only really enjoyed, but a book that I'm actively excited for the sequel of. There's this repeated emphasis on QPOC and the found families they inadvertently create and I have to say, I fuck with it.
I think Monet's mentioned it, but the shining star of this novel is the amazing group dynamic created by the ensemble cast of characters, or Guardians, in this book's specific case. There are a grand total of seven guardians, one each for every element in existence in this novel: Blythe (our main protagonist), Cordelia (a character who embodies one of my favorite tropes), Daniel (the youngest and most precious of the cast), Antonio (literal sunshine with wings), Storm (badass queen who is the funniest of the cast, don't @ me), Caspian (emo ghost boy), and Jay (who, despite the tagline of "no romance," I ship with ). Each of these characters have incredibly distinct personalities and I'm in awe of how well Monet managed to not just balance them, but use the dynamic to create incredibly funny and well-written interactions between a found family.
As far as plot goes, it was actually fairly slow to start but not enough to detract from my reading experience. The plot structure is primarily dedicated to two things: Blythe gathering all of the Guardians and then the seven of them going on the rescue mission to save Blythe's parents. The first half, as is the case with most first halves, is slow but is carried by the charm of each character that Blythe meets and subsequently recruits into her team. The second half is more plot-driven, and it is then that all of the exciting payoff from the first half comes into focus. Overall, a neat execution of a tried and true plot structure that I enjoyed.
Now, the main problem I have with the book lies in the self-aware quality it has; this book does attempt to be self-aware of the tropes being played with, and mostly succeeds. However, there are times when the self-awareness and the jokes that accompany it became a bit grating and caused the novel to fall into almost "campy" territory. While the book never did veer too far into that territory, it was enough that I was taken out of the story sometimes by it. However, I will say that the excellent group dynamic plus the jokes that did land mostly made up for it. Additionally, the paperback I had had a few errors such as a ";" in the place of a letter or a character speaking when that character wasn't in the scene in the last half.
Overall, a solid debut and one that warrants attention. I eagerly await the second Dead Magic book as well as any other books Ashia Monet has in store for us.
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
3.5 stars. Ashia Monet’s The Black Veins is as fun and clever as a novel about a queer found family full of POC deserves to be. This is one of those books that caught my attention around the time it first came out, I bought it, and subsequently read the first chapter and let it sit on my shelf for a while. I tried picking it up again several times but each time I tried, I put it back down. I'm glad I actually read this all the way through because it became a book I not only really enjoyed, but a book that I'm actively excited for the sequel of. There's this repeated emphasis on QPOC and the found families they inadvertently create and I have to say, I fuck with it.
I think Monet's mentioned it, but the shining star of this novel is the amazing group dynamic created by the ensemble cast of characters, or Guardians, in this book's specific case. There are a grand total of seven guardians, one each for every element in existence in this novel: Blythe (our main protagonist), Cordelia (a character who embodies one of my favorite tropes), Daniel (the youngest and most precious of the cast), Antonio (literal sunshine with wings), Storm (badass queen who is the funniest of the cast, don't @ me), Caspian (emo ghost boy), and Jay (who, despite the tagline of "no romance," I ship with ). Each of these characters have incredibly distinct personalities and I'm in awe of how well Monet managed to not just balance them, but use the dynamic to create incredibly funny and well-written interactions between a found family.
As far as plot goes, it was actually fairly slow to start but not enough to detract from my reading experience. The plot structure is primarily dedicated to two things: Blythe gathering all of the Guardians and then the seven of them going on the rescue mission to save Blythe's parents. The first half, as is the case with most first halves, is slow but is carried by the charm of each character that Blythe meets and subsequently recruits into her team. The second half is more plot-driven, and it is then that all of the exciting payoff from the first half comes into focus. Overall, a neat execution of a tried and true plot structure that I enjoyed.
Now, the main problem I have with the book lies in the self-aware quality it has; this book does attempt to be self-aware of the tropes being played with, and mostly succeeds. However, there are times when the self-awareness and the jokes that accompany it became a bit grating and caused the novel to fall into almost "campy" territory. While the book never did veer too far into that territory, it was enough that I was taken out of the story sometimes by it. However, I will say that the excellent group dynamic plus the jokes that did land mostly made up for it. Additionally, the paperback I had had a few errors such as a ";" in the place of a letter or a character speaking when that character wasn't in the scene in the last half.
Overall, a solid debut and one that warrants attention. I eagerly await the second Dead Magic book as well as any other books Ashia Monet has in store for us.
June 21, 2019
*I received a copy via the author in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
After Blythe witnesses her family being kidnapped right in front of her and her best friend injured, she’s forced into a road trip like no other. In search of other powerful magicians like her or “Guardians”, she must make her way to Electric City. But in a world where magic thrives and an imminent war between the two magician governments forces Blythes and her new friends to think on their feet and discover magic in a new way.
I found The Black Veins an interesting read. The writing is easy and enjoyable, and I found myself barrelling through the book with much ease, despite my own issue with the pacing. I particularly enjoyed the way Monet brings together all these teens who seemly have nothing in common. It was hilarious and sweet, watching them fall apart and come back together as a team. All the guardians have their own quirks that make them stand out. At first, I wasn’t too sure about the comedy aspects of this book, but I found it so funny, and I really loved how realistic all these teens came alive.
Blythe is the leader whose family kidnapping kickstarts her journey across the states. Slowly, she comes in contact with the guardians. Cordelia is a stuck up hacker, Daniel has never left his parents side, Antonio is confident and brash with a hilarious comedic flair. The last three I’ll keep unnamed were equally exciting and fun to experience.
I found the pacing to be quite the biggest pitfall for this book, and the lack of consistency in its pacing is where I struggled the most in the book. The overall journey we witness was quite exhilarating, and Ashia Monet is clearly a talented writer, but the story felt quite long and what we’re given in terms of worldbuilding doesn’t feel the gaps as well as I expected it to. Given the number of Guardians we meet, I feel like I didn’t really connect with the last three as much. But I do believe this is something that will most likely be worked upon in the sequel.
Overall, I found The Black Veins to be a strong debut. A YA urban fantasy that follows a group of teenagers. I found their journey to becoming a found family quite sweet, and I would definitely recommend this book. I might just chalk my negativity as the result of myself never really enjoying the first book as much as the rest of the series. If you’re interested in an urban fantasy road trip that follows a ragtag group of teenagers with enough power to destroy the world basically, then The Black Veins is definitely a treat for readers. And considering the ending of The Black Veins, I’m excited to see what happens next.
After Blythe witnesses her family being kidnapped right in front of her and her best friend injured, she’s forced into a road trip like no other. In search of other powerful magicians like her or “Guardians”, she must make her way to Electric City. But in a world where magic thrives and an imminent war between the two magician governments forces Blythes and her new friends to think on their feet and discover magic in a new way.
I found The Black Veins an interesting read. The writing is easy and enjoyable, and I found myself barrelling through the book with much ease, despite my own issue with the pacing. I particularly enjoyed the way Monet brings together all these teens who seemly have nothing in common. It was hilarious and sweet, watching them fall apart and come back together as a team. All the guardians have their own quirks that make them stand out. At first, I wasn’t too sure about the comedy aspects of this book, but I found it so funny, and I really loved how realistic all these teens came alive.
Blythe is the leader whose family kidnapping kickstarts her journey across the states. Slowly, she comes in contact with the guardians. Cordelia is a stuck up hacker, Daniel has never left his parents side, Antonio is confident and brash with a hilarious comedic flair. The last three I’ll keep unnamed were equally exciting and fun to experience.
I found the pacing to be quite the biggest pitfall for this book, and the lack of consistency in its pacing is where I struggled the most in the book. The overall journey we witness was quite exhilarating, and Ashia Monet is clearly a talented writer, but the story felt quite long and what we’re given in terms of worldbuilding doesn’t feel the gaps as well as I expected it to. Given the number of Guardians we meet, I feel like I didn’t really connect with the last three as much. But I do believe this is something that will most likely be worked upon in the sequel.
Overall, I found The Black Veins to be a strong debut. A YA urban fantasy that follows a group of teenagers. I found their journey to becoming a found family quite sweet, and I would definitely recommend this book. I might just chalk my negativity as the result of myself never really enjoying the first book as much as the rest of the series. If you’re interested in an urban fantasy road trip that follows a ragtag group of teenagers with enough power to destroy the world basically, then The Black Veins is definitely a treat for readers. And considering the ending of The Black Veins, I’m excited to see what happens next.
August 31, 2020
3.5 ⭐️
Trigger warning: violence
I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but the amount of typing errors is just too big to ignore.
It's a good book, very engaging and with action that develops quite quickly once you've met everyone. The stakes are high and the adult vs teen thing is realistic. Bonus points for the diversity. But it kinda ends there.
This book should have gone through another round of copy edit. We'll never say it enough: if you want to self-publish, you NEED editors to read through your work. There comes a point where I lose interest in a book if there are money typing mistakes than I can count.
I appreciated the characters, but it took soooooo long to introduce all of them! By the middle of the book, you're still missing two. And, frankly, I didn't really warm up to them until the very end. The banter was good, but that's about the extent of it.
And I really have a bone to pick with the author about Quebec. First, someone needs to explain how 5 teenagers managed to take a Greyhoung bus across the border without their passport (since there's no mention of that anywhere) or a parent's signature, and not get arrested?!?! I know Canadian border patrol is more chill than the US officers, but they're not THAT lax... Second, Quebec is more than French architecture and poutine. I was super happy about them crossing into Canada, but their stop was pretty bland. If you're gonna stop by Quebec City, you would probably notice that people have a French accent when they answer you, and most won't understand teen American English that well. Also, where the hell is Lavender Heights? Was that an imaginary city like Frost Glade and Electric City? Or is it supposed to be a real town? Cause we got plenty cute little Quebec towns that could have been a perfect setting for their stop...
It was an interesting enough read for Black History Month, and I'm happy to support self-published authors. I know my review sounds like a rant, and it kinda is, but it's because I was expecting a lot more from that book. I'm gonna see if my budget allows for book 2...
Trigger warning: violence
I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but the amount of typing errors is just too big to ignore.
It's a good book, very engaging and with action that develops quite quickly once you've met everyone. The stakes are high and the adult vs teen thing is realistic. Bonus points for the diversity. But it kinda ends there.
This book should have gone through another round of copy edit. We'll never say it enough: if you want to self-publish, you NEED editors to read through your work. There comes a point where I lose interest in a book if there are money typing mistakes than I can count.
I appreciated the characters, but it took soooooo long to introduce all of them! By the middle of the book, you're still missing two. And, frankly, I didn't really warm up to them until the very end. The banter was good, but that's about the extent of it.
And I really have a bone to pick with the author about Quebec. First, someone needs to explain how 5 teenagers managed to take a Greyhoung bus across the border without their passport (since there's no mention of that anywhere) or a parent's signature, and not get arrested?!?! I know Canadian border patrol is more chill than the US officers, but they're not THAT lax... Second, Quebec is more than French architecture and poutine. I was super happy about them crossing into Canada, but their stop was pretty bland. If you're gonna stop by Quebec City, you would probably notice that people have a French accent when they answer you, and most won't understand teen American English that well. Also, where the hell is Lavender Heights? Was that an imaginary city like Frost Glade and Electric City? Or is it supposed to be a real town? Cause we got plenty cute little Quebec towns that could have been a perfect setting for their stop...
It was an interesting enough read for Black History Month, and I'm happy to support self-published authors. I know my review sounds like a rant, and it kinda is, but it's because I was expecting a lot more from that book. I'm gonna see if my budget allows for book 2...
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