Blood Scion

Blood Scion #1

by Deborah Falaye

A young girl with forbidden powers must free her people from oppression in this richly layered epic fantasy from debut author Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology and perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes.

This is what they deserve.

They wanted me to be a monster.

I will be the worst monster they ever created.

Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.

Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.

Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.

Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, this deeply felt and emotionally charged debut from Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone that will utterly thrill and capture readers.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, High Fantasy

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2022

About the author

Deborah Falaye is a Nigerian-Canadian young adult author. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where she spent her time devouring African literature, pestering her grandma for folktales and tricking her grandfather into watching Passions every night. When she's not writing about fierce Black girls with bad-ass magic, she can be found obsessing over all things reality tv.

Deborah currently lives in Toronto with her husband and their partner-in-crime yorkie, Major.

BLOOD SCION is her first novel.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack]

Whoever designed this cover needs to be found and hugged.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘you have to decide what matters most: your humanity or your survival.’

let me tell you what. this story is hard-hitting and unforgiving.

i honestly cant recall the last SFF book ive read. its either fantasy or sci-fi, but hardly ever both. so i was really impressed with how the african mythology/yoruban religion so seamlessly integrates with the destructive technology of the army. and i think its because both aspects are so powerfully brutal, with the sure potential for characters to lose themselves in both.

‘real monsters are not born. we are made.’

with complex characters who are more than their revenge, fast pacing and accessible writing, lush world-building and a compelling plot, its hard to believe this is a debut novel. and with so many interweaving webs and shocking events, not only making this an impressive first book, but a really promising start to a series.

cant wait to see where the story goes next!

thank you so much deborah falaye and harpercollins for the ARC!!

↠ 4.5 stars

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I’ve had to write in a while. Blood Scion isn’t a book that you necessarily enjoy. The intensity of violence that directly correlates with the experience of children soldiers is not easy to digest, but reiterates the very real experiences for some individuals. At its core, Blood Scion is about betrayal, heartache, lost humanity, anger, suffering, and pain. The story follows Sloane, the descendent of the ancient Orisha gods. Due to the nature of her origins, Sloane is forced to hide her identity or die under the rule of Lucis. She is eventually conscripted into the military where she is forced to commit rather heinous atrocities to prove her worth to the group. It is in this military training that Sloane loses the essence of herself and every thing she thought she knew about her family.

I think that over time many individuals will consider this to be a read alike for The Gilded Ones; however, it is much gritter, much darker, and a lot harder to digest. Falaye does not hold back from expressing, on page, the violence that Sloane must face. It was so dark that I could only consume this book in chunks, taking a step back whenever the violence became too overwhelming. However, never did I once forget that while this may be a fantasy world, it is often the reality of many children. They are exposed to violence, made to commit violent acts/crimes, broken to the point that they no longer reflect the individuals they once were. This is clearly and readily reflected in Sloane who is one of the most fascinating, yet morally grey characters that I’ve encountered. She will not be a fan favorite. Readers will dislike many decisions that she makes, but Falaye forces the reader to consider the question, “what would you do if you needed to survive; if this was a matter of life and death?” I had to remind myself of this when I became infuriated with decisions that she made. Especially decisions that were made towards the end of the novel.

The magic system, based on Yoruba mythology, was quite interesting. However, I’m interested in seeing how Falaye will expand on this in the second novel. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio to hear to the Yoruba language spoken. I loved that this was incorporated into the story and how it directly connected with Sloane’s self-discovery. This book also directly addresses and tackles colonialism in a way that will make teen readers really consider its history and lasting impact. Overall, I think that this book was well-written, but definitely a difficult read. It’s grim. There isn’t really a great feeling of hope once you finish it, but I think it’s intentional and I’m sure that a lot of this will be addressed in the forthcoming book. I wouldn’t say that I’m necessarily rooting for Sloane, but Falaye did a great job displaying the conflicts she has to face and the heart wrenching and awful decisions she makes along the way. This is not an enjoyable read, but it is powerful and pushes the reader to do some self-reflection and consideration for the experiences of others.

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.50 Stars. This was intense! Wow, what a book. I just finished it and I still feel like I’m buzzing a bit. The story has some length to it but it was so gripping that once I started reading it, I knew I would be finishing it in the same day. The fact that this is a debut makes me even more impressed. I did think the story had a few bumps, but overall it was a very good read.

Since I review so many LGBTQ+ books, I do want to mention that this book doesn’t have any queer rep, at least not that I noticed. I picked this book up because I really enjoy YA fantasy, I was in love with the cover, and reading more books by WOC authors was one of my 2022 reading goals. I was also very interested in the blurb and I found that this book gave me a very light The Hunger Games vibe, and a bigger Divergent vibe. While I found both of those to be true, this book was still quite different since this wasn’t a dystopian but was fantasy instead. The fantasy elements and world history are based on Yoruba culture and mythology. I’m a big mythology fan. I love all the different gods and goddess, but I have never before heard about any Yoruba deities. Getting to learn about some, for the first time, was a highlight for me and I hope to find out about many more in book 2.

While this is a YA book, it barely feels like YA to me. There are different types of YA and to me this seems more like the kind of YA that is written mostly for adults. Yes, older children could read this but it was rough in parts. This book is very violent, with lots of beatings, deaths, and multiple attempted sexual assaults. The characters were supposed to be 15, and it was one of the few issues I had because they did not feel 15 at all to me. I honestly think this book works better being New Adult or just Adult. I kept picturing the main as maybe 19 or early 20’s and I just think 15 didn’t fit.

I had just finished a fantasy book that was very slow paced, so I was happy to read a book that was the opposite. Once this book starts, it just doesn’t stop. However, there were a few times that I thought the pace was a little off. Sometimes the book went too fast when it seemed like an important part that needed to slow down, and other times the book might have slowed on a part that didn’t seem to matter as much. I think this is a common debut issue and that the more Falaye writes, the smoother her pace will get. And even with a few pace bumps, the book was so gripping that I could not stop turning the pages anyway.

The overall cast of characters does take a while to get used to. In a book where so many people are enemies, it was hard as a reader to want to get attached to secondary characters since you didn’t know who to trust. The main character will definitely grow on you and I found that she really became not just my main but really my only focus. The book ends up having a good amount of twists and turns. There were a few I didn’t care for, since I felt like they were too obvious, but there were some I did not seen coming and I liked them much more. I loved the last literal handful of pages and it made me really excited to read the second book. It is a cliffhanger yes, but I still felt good about the ending instead of being angry or frustrated at it. I’m also happy that this is a duology so we don’t have to wait years and years before the series is over.

TLDR: A very gripping and intense fantasy book. While this is YA book, there are a lot of violent scenes so I would not recommend this for a younger audience. This is the kind of YA that I definitely think adults would enjoy. I would also recommend not starting this book at night because once you start reading you will not want to put it down. If you enjoy fantasy, and also like the kind of vibe of a Divergent or The Hunger Games, I think you would also enjoy this read. This was a well written debut and I can’t wait for the second book.

A copy was given to me for a review.

[JustJJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and others @Bookerification

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
I am obsessed with this cover! Not only are the colours striking, but the portrait of Scion as a warrior is incredibly stunning. Her headpiece screams power and ferocity, beautifully contrasting her peaceful expression.

Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Steeped in Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, the world Deborah Falaye creates is immersive, graphic and fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the extensive history and culture that unapologetically showcases the Yoruba language. While there is no avoiding the wealth of information needed to establish this complex world, I love that Deborah takes her time to gradually weave this information into the story. This allows the fast pace of the story to be maintained and presents the details in manageable pieces. However, this does lead to some information being repeated, but it did not seem often enough to be irritating. My only other criticism is that the time jumps in the story are not explicit, making it difficult to keep track of the passage of time.

“I am a descendant of Shango, the god of heat and fire. I am a living inferno. I am a dead girl walking.”

Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
The storyline follows the journey of the protagonist, Sloane, in a world that not only wants her dead but forces her to be a child soldier. What unfolds is a complex rollercoaster of events and emotions that I lost myself within. The pace is fast, the storyline violent and unpredictable with numerous twists spread through-out.
The substance and power of the storyline is further strengthened by the brutal themes it presents: rape, child abuse, self-harm, torture, genocide, murder and more. While I am not someone who balks at the harshness of these topics, the brutality of the story eventually began to claw at me. In truth, parts of the story felt like a physical gut-punch while other parts had me crying without warning.

Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Like the storyline, Sloane is a beautifully complex protagonist brimming with rage and violence. She is morally ambiguous - selfish and fierce, yet kind and compassionate. While I usually find such a big contrast annoying, Deborah does it to perfection in this story through Sloane's inner conflicts. Without slowing the story's fast pace, there are constant reflections and a deep exploration of how far Sloane is willing to go to survive. These made it really easy to understand all that drives Sloane's actions and choices. In fact, there were numerous times when Sloane's internal voice perfected matched some of my thoughts while reading. This made her character far more relatable, and I even began sympathising with her.

"Your humanity is worth fighting for"

Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟
There may not be many secondary characters in this story, but most of them are memorable. This is mainly because of the emotional ties each character has with Sloane rather than their complexity or because they are entertaining. In truth, most of these characters are simply used to propel the storyline as they are either involved in the few predictable moments of the story or the numerous twists.

Romance: 🌟🌟🌟.5
The romance has to be the weakest part of this story, but thankfully, it also takes up very little of the storyline. Without a realistic, natural progression, the only clue we have to anything happening between the characters is the strange and questionable behaviour of the male lead. I felt no sparks, no chemistry, no attraction.

In a nutshell, 'Blood Scion' is a brutal, compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed despite the weak romance. With this book, Deborah Falaye has earned herself a place as one of my favourite authors, and I cannot wait to read the sequel!


__________________________________



"The beauty of a fire is that it knows no bounds”
Wow! I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It is violent and intense, yet very powerful.

RTC @ Bookerification

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one but honestly it was a chore to get through and had I not been buddy reading it I would've DNF'd. The world building wasn't making sense. It started out very interesting. Unlike other stories where Yoruba feels like the sauce make a fantasy seem exotic I appreciated how it was actually treated like the religion it is where people get persectured because of their beliefs.

There's brutal beatings and multiple attempted assaults and it became tasking to read because they were every few pages. I never felt like I got to know Sloane because we only see how she reacts to trauma. I understand the message the author was trying to send about child soldiers in Nigeria and sexual violence against women. But while I had empathy for the characters it was hard to actually care about them.

The pacing is strange in that it's fast and slow at the same time. It felt like little action was happening at some parts while so much also took place over the course of a month's time. There's major inconsistencies with how the military operates and it just makes no sense. Tone wise it was like the author started writing this book as a hard hitting adult novel and then switched it to YA.

There were good ideas but the execution just felt hallow to me and the violence wasn't enough to carry the story alone.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

[Elle]

Update: I am now “other people” 😌
________________
I wanna read this so bad to where I get a lil mad when I see other people mark it as currently reading. 🧍‍♀️

[BookishByTammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced, hard hitting masterpiece!

Rich and cultured world building inspired by African gods, magic mixed with a little bit of sci fi with the airships and guns.
Each part of this story was gripping! Its a dark story of child soldiers, war and oppression and definitely has some tear jerking scenes

Sloane is an amazing character to follow, she does what she has to do to survive (reminds me of Ikenna from The Blood Trials)

I would recommend listening to the audiobook while reading along to really immerse yourself in this world and the language

10/10 ive never read a YA book like this!

[Maisha Farzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

꧁ 4.5 stars ꧂

“Sometimes, the things we don’t want to do are exactly what needs to be done."

"Great soldiers are made from pieces of their broken selves."

I am now officially married to the cover. It's so Stunning! But what out-ranks this gorgeous cover is the divine quality of the story Deborah Falaye bestows upon us. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a YA fantasy so much. "Blood Scion" deserves the love it's receiving and much more....

"Blood Scion" is a wonderfully executed revenge story. It follows a young girl named Sloane who carries forbidden Magic in her blood. She is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. The book opens up with a scene where Sloane accidentally incarnates a Nightwalker to defend herself . But reason of crime doesn't matter in this land. The audacity itself is more than enough to get her killed. From there we follow Sloane to her journey as she gets drafted to be a child-soldier. She is forced to leave her entire world behind to join the Lucis army. She hates them. But now she has to fight under their command against her own kind - the Scions.

And for the whole time period, she has to hide the forbidden, dangerous power she posses. Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. However, Sloane is determined to get her revenge at any cost. She is Dexter to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.

Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she abhors.

"Scion. Scion. SCION. The words echoes over and over in my brain. I don't need to hear it to know who I am. Who I am..

I am a descendant of Shango, the God of heat and fire. I am a living inferno.

I am a dead girl walking."

"Only the dead have truly earned the right to do nothing. As long as you live and walk this earth, you must make a mark."

The writing style is so perfect. It perfectly blends with the exquisite narration. I just couldn't believe that it is a debut novel. The prose is insanely beautiful. The dialogues are flawlessly distributed. The author knows exactly what the readers need and where they need that. Deborah has fashioned her debut novel with such a brilliance that it would leave the readers in awe. I loved this African lore inspired world. And it is one of the best one I have ever found in YA fantasy novels so far.

The world Deborah has constructed in this book is absolutely arresting. It has been inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology. The breath taking combination of ancient mythology and the author's innovative imagination is superlative to say the least.

Excellent characterization. Sloane has such a badass, kickass, girl-boss attitude. It's hard to not like her. Her unyielding resonance enthralled me. Sloane is valiant and bold. I was so in love with her fierce persona that I didn't even notice how quickly time passed away and just like that - I've finished the book.

“When the legends of heroes are told,” he says, “they won’t just remember you, Sloane Folashadé. They will fear your name.”

I loved Sloane. But don't get the idea that she's a pure soul cause she's not. Deborah shapes her protagonist as a morally fraudulent character. When Sloane ventures out on a quest to find information about her missing mother, she allows nothing to stop her. She does everything needed to be done to achieve success. Sloane is hot tempered and vicious. Her rage - all consuming and demolishing. She kills uncountable numbers of people throughout the whole book. She abandons others to save herself. She harms and murders her friends to live. So yes, Sloane's character walks the balance of morality and turpitude very delicately. But still it's easy to forgive her, feel sympathy for her. Because the girl has to suffer sooo much at such a young age. I absolutely loved how the author portrayed her grief and guilt.

"Guilt is a tyrant I cannot escape, caging me in a prison of my own making."

Now, the action lovers! Here comes your gem. This bloody brilliant book can be your obsession. It's packed with thrilling action scenes. The sequences are written vividly. They are easy to picture in your head and get chill of anticipation. So grab a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the freak show ...

"Blood Scion" is near perfect in its making. Deborah Falaye does a bloody brilliant job. But I still am reluctant to give it five stars. Here is why.

This book is written in first person. The entire story is told from Sloane's perspective. So obviously it focuses a little too much on her. It's her revenge story and she is the protagonists, so I get. Yet it is a common trend to be found in YA novels which I personally don't like. The subordinate characters always get side tracked and all attention lands on the main character. It is a very common problem to find in the YA genre. It usually works for the younger readers. So I have no complains. Only want to say that these stories don't belong to a singular person; they features so many other characters. Lots of them are even more interesting than the main ones. For example I would love to see more of Sloane's friends. Some of them died but I couldn't get to know them well before that. But Jericho and Nazanin still lives. I really hope the next book gives them the attention they deserve.

There are on page descriptions of murder, violence, torture, abuse, racism and genocide. There are also mentions of rape and mutilation. Though the book is YA, it's very very dark and gore. I mean, the first chapter opens with a murder act. So you imagine the rest. Sensitive readers, please check the trigger warnings before picking this book up.

Thank you. That's all for now. Can't wait for book 2 be released....

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you tore out my heart, it would feel just like this.

Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨4.6

When someone talks about near perfection, you normally think, 'OH, they mean those dreams about owning a bookstore and having a unicorn as a BFF'. Well, for me (it's definitely that, but also-) it's this book. I say near perfection because if I say this is perfect, other books I've said the same about will band together and make away with my fantastic yet deadish looking cadaver.

This book deserves to be hyped.
Let's begin with that.

It deserves the love, and the freaking out rants, the late night spewls, the grunting sounds of pain, the red eyes, the gasps-all of it! Frankly, I still can't believe I haven't seen more people begging for ARCS.

It has:
-Monstrous people
-POC characters
-People striving to break out of slavery
-Girl whose power is as vicious as it is beautiful.
-A FREAKING ROMANCE THAT GAVE ME LIFE-
(even though it wasn't the focus of the story, but I don't care- it was amazing)

SO really.... why aren't more people adding the book-

Before I write a whole essay about why you should undoubtedly give this book permission to tear out your soul and play badminton with it, I'll write a quick overview of the things that left me at the side of the road, crying out for divine help.
Was the help delivered?
AHAHAHAHA no.

I need to start with how savage the world was. This section includes what I think of the worldbuilding and pace (basically me trying to organize my thoughts from weeks ago, when I *actually* read the book). There's angst, the complexity of how gritty everything seemed to be. The ambience of the story came with the scent of a storm brewing, it warned of impending disaster, possible destruction and yet, I was entranced with it. Of course, it had flaws, but they were not what I focused on. My eyes were steady on the action, the powers and how everything just... clicked. You know? The pace was incredibly fast, the kind of fast that I crave. Not the one that feels rushed or that one that missed the whole point since the beginning, but the sort of pacing that captures you from the get go.
And I really,
REALLY liked it. *giggles half way to death*
*she cannot die until she has read the second book*

The twists and action scenes were flipping delicious. Imagine being served a plate full of steak, mashed potatoes, mouth watering gravy- and then told to eat a little every minute. Not eat it all, just bit by bit. It's tortorous, is it not? But you end up eating every crumb, every residue. Because it's just THAT good. I really wished we had been blessed with more training scenes but you never know, maybe the second book will have that gift-

*screams into pillow of how unfair life is*
*continues living said life*

Also, don't even get me started on the plot twists.
I hate you with my very being.
But I don't-
Give me the second book please-

Then we jump onto the writing. Excuse me??? How is this a debut novel??? With that writing??? That's illegal???
No, really, it is. You stole the words I never knew I needed to say straight out of my brain sometimes. And I love you for it (me pretending I'm talking to the book like that's normal- is it not??) Have you ever read a book where the writing kind of makes you stare at the wall for a few seconds while saying 'Holyyyyyy crappppp', because it just hits that hard? This is one of those books.
And it hurts.
But it's the good kind. (me justifying why I like literal red flags-)

The characters can run me over, throw me off a forest trail, snap my bones, destroy my life- and I would ask them how much money` I owe them for that blessing.
Aggressive, but absolutely true.

The MC is my soulmate. It had to be said. In fantasy/ dystopian/ mythological books, the MC is most of the time that one snowflake that is the only one able to do a certain skill, the difference with this MC is that she failed. She failed, and tried and failed. Her frustration went unheeded, agony unheard of, screams ignored, frankly I LOVE when characters are built like that. Not just become the best of the best in 10 chapters. It's difficult to become even decent at something you haven't practiced in a while, and it showed in this story. I loved the raw honesty, the sassy moments and most of all, how all the characters lost a part of themselves. Because it made the story REAL. How would you go into a war that you were forced into, scared and alone, and not sacrifice a part of yourself by the end of it? Who wouldn't become a monster?

Now, the rest of the characters would be spoilers, so the only thing I would blatantly admit is that this book made me feel for a character that was in the story for two pages.
AND THEN THEY DIED-

I'm okay.
Everything is okay.
No, it is not, but we'll cut off some extremities and make it okay.

A special shout out to the romance, lads and gents! A round of bloody applause for the trope that made my heart beat out of rhythm for a week. And freaking donkey on a pole, it made that whole week a blessing.

Like come, on. This?

"You hate me,
Show me how much"

*Booksy is disconnected from life at the moment, dial 348- KILL A PIGEON to revive her*
(I have a battle with those blood suckers-)
(Seriously, I want to electrocute them)
(With human teeth)
(I don't know how, but I will.)

I AM TRYING TO BREATHE, OKAY? I. AM. TRYING.

On a closing note, before I really decide to dedicate a complete thesis to this book. I strongly encourage you to scream out of the window for at least five minutes, so your voice is all hoarse and pained, so you can feel like I do. And want to feel it again because you just let out all the frustrations and worries in that agonizing scream, that's me with this book. The plot is an intricate delicacy, the storyline is capturing a scenic picture of a blood filled path where the characters might suffer and might die, but there's always going to be a speck of hope.

Like me hoping to get a sudden email from the author asking me to read the second book ahead of everyone-
*chokes on toilet paper*

~👑Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!👑~

..................
I am such an emotional mess.

Currently playing Warriors from League of Legends because it just encompasses everything I'm feeling right now.

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to ask you to slide on right by this review because I definitely think I'm going to be an outlier on this one.

Truthfully, the only reason I picked this up was because I attended an event and saw the author pitch it. The pitch immediately hooked me and it was one of the books I was most interested in once the event had wrapped, which was pretty impressive considering I hadn't even heard of it until that moment. So, naturally, I was excited to receive a copy. I did enter with a bit of trepidation as I think I've got one foot out the door when it comes to YA but every now and then they still surprise me and blow me away. I hoped this would be one of those.

Therefore, with those prefaces out of the way, let's dive in.

The bare bones of this story, and many of the details that echo the real world, including the rich history based on the author's own Yoruba culture, was both lovely and rich and completely unfiltered in an unflinching way. This book handles, and describes, dark themes and darker events; from the eradication of the people of this world and the accompanying revisionist history in the victor's favour, to abuse and assault, to the drafting of child soldiers to fight and kill their own, and so much more. I thought it was all so well done (brutal, but well done). I also liked the magic system based around the Orisha gods even though we only got a little taste of this (hoping for more in book two!).

Where, for me, this failed was in the details, the pacing, and unfortunately the romance.

I was constantly losing track of the time that was passing (or, rather, not passing, as this takes place over the course of a month and yet felt like it should've maybe been six). I felt sometimes the details just weren't enough on some parts, too much on others, and while I am not advocating for more horrors, I do feel like certain things just got glossed over and we didn't sit with them to truly feel the impact. Which I think also applies to the romance. In some ways it came out of nowhere (though in others it was hard not to spot coming down the pipeline) but while there was some build, I don't think there was enough. The foundation for it was made of clay. And, again, the timing of it all. I was also frustrated by Sloane's behaviour towards this particular character (basically from the word go) when she should've been acting very differently. This just didn't align. And maybe it's just one of those things we're supposed to accept but.. yeah, I never did.

My one other little gripe was that while I have no issue with Sloane, and her friends, being fifteen, I do have issue with how she felt (ie, read) so much older. I absolutely respect her circumstances, and life in this world in general, would age people differently but it just felt a little discordant.

And as for the big climatic events near the end.. I'm just perplexed. I just don't feel it worked very well after everything that came before it. Having said all that, I almost forgot to mention that I did really like one of the reveals near the end -- but did not appreciate the other one. If you know you know.

Overall, I found the first half of the book to be much stronger than the latter half, but in general I found the writing to be good; especially for a debut. I will absolutely be reading the sequel (yay for duologies!). Also, as always, and while it should go without saying by now, please check out reviews from other readers and take this particular one with a grain of salt.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to say I enjoyed reading this when it is so hard-hitting and full of tragedy. I have never read from this author, I quickly discovered they write is so beautifully. Every sentence is so well crafted and thought out, there isn't a sentences waste in the whole book. This book somehow managed to be lyrical and fast-paced which is a rarity and I loved it. I have to say as a horror reader the action scenes and suspense in this book didn't disappoint either, it isn't that gory but it doesn't shy away from the brutality or war.

The twists and turns in this book are the only reason I aren't giving this 5 stars, because there were multiple twists instead of one big twist so I felt like it lost a little bit of shock factor which was a shame. The only other reason is because of the love element of this story was a little lacking, I would have preferred this book without any romance but I understand that isn't a poplar opinion.

We have a lot of great characters in this book but our main character Sloane is an absolute powerhouse it is hard to keep remembering that her and her war brothers and sisters are only 15, but it shows how war can corrupt such young minds. Sloane is always fighting for what she believes it right, although a little naïve she knows her worth and her power throughout. The way she builds and destroys relationships during this book is so fascinating and every time she had dialogue or inner dialogue I just couldn't stop reading. This book was so hard to put down and the book was sticking to its path and the plot line moved fast but still with such complexity.

This is perfect if you like fantasy but don't want something too big or complex, there isn't too many characters to remember and although there is politic's involved it's pretty easy to comprehend. It's also great for people who normally read action/adventure and want a little more fantasy as this book still has plenty of action. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a love of romance because it isn't a main factor.

I am so glad that this is going to be a series or at least a duology because I can't wait to read more about Sloane and to read more by this author! I can't wait to re-read this book and the next in the series, I keep thinking about it.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

You should know going in that Blood Scion is a fantasy book about child soldiers- how they are treated, what they are forced to do, what they endure. It's pretty horrific and therefore this book can be difficult to read and at times feels quite bleak. Honestly, I would say that Gilded Ones (also a fantasy novel about child soldiers) was significantly easier to read. So if you're picking this up, know what you're getting into.

Inspired by Yoruba mythology, Blood Scion follows a girl who must hide who she is and her magic in order to survive. She is drafted by a colonizing force into a military and undergoes brutal training that forces her to kill a lot, including people she cares for deeply. Her goal is to uncover the truth of her mother's disappearance.

There are definite anti-colonial themes in play here with white rulers appropriating culture, taking resources, and sending children to die in their army. The imagery can be a little heavy handed, but it's also a YA novel so that's not out of line.

I'm seeing a lot of reviews say that the characters read as older than 15, but personally I disagree. While they go through things no 15 year old should have to endure and are affected by that, they still reason and make choices at the level of a 15 year old. The content can be rough, but I would be a lot more critical of the characterization and some elements of the plot if this was an adult novel.

I have complicated feelings about this book. I could nitpick some things that don't make sense with the world-building, or how the romance isn't totally believable, but I feel like that misses the larger point which is to represent that all-to-real experiences faced by children forced to become soldiers. I read an early copy of this without acknowledgements etc, but I hope there is some discussion at the end of the book on this topic and resources for teens to learn more and take action. It's doing something important that young people should talk about.

This wasn't necessarily an enjoyable book for me to read. Which is okay. In some ways this is kind of like The Poppy War but for teenagers. And part of why I make that comparison is Sloane and Ren are both not super likable characters, but they are survivors through horrific circumstances. If you want a book on this topic that is a little more on the enjoyable side (though still quite dark and violent) with a character I found to be fairly likable, I would recommend The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna. Of course, not every character needs to be likable or relatable. But I do think that element adds to how bleak this book ends up feeling. Well, that and the ending. I'm not sure I love the ending and because of how many people end up dying through the course of the book, the stakes for book 2 just don't feel that compelling to me.

I don't know, I'm still processing my thoughts on this one. Other readers seem to be having a better time with it, but for me the story was really heavy. Maybe I just know too much about how closely things parallel real life child soldiers. Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review, all opinions are my own.

[Fanna]

14.06.2021 the cover, omg, the best cover of the year award—
04.06.2020 so very excited for this nigerian ya fantasy! the author says it's wonder woman meets beasts of no nation and i can not wait.

[Deborah Falaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little birdie just told me BLOOD SCION is now up for request on both Edelweiss and NetGalley! After almost a decade alone with these characters, many of you will be getting a chance to meet them for the first time, and it’s starting to set in that this story doesn’t just belong to me anymore.

As you go on this journey with Sloane and co, please read with care. Blood Scion is dark. As much as it’s a story about my Yoruba culture and its beautiful mythology, it’s also a story about child soldiers, about the brutality of war and oppression, and the dehumanization of children. Some scenes may be hard to read, but I hope I’ve done a decent job of balancing the horrors with glimmers of hope and resistance. Certain aspects of this book are also deeply personal, so again, please try to read with care and grace.

Content warning will be coming soon. But for now, I hope you enjoy every bit of this wild ride of a book, and I hope Sloane’s journey sparks all the fire in you.

[Adwoa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read my full blog review here

Sometimes you are encountered with a book that has a predictable plot line but nonetheless is so formulaic you can’t foresee it being much more aggravating than it is bland. From my experience, outcomes typically diverge into one of two paths for books assigned this prediction—the book is heavily derivative but still enjoyable, as the author employed what has managed to work well with reader engagement in existing literature and appended their own unique essence; the less favourable outcome is when the book is an evident marketing ploy to exploit current novel trends. Alas, I didn’t have to breach the 26% mark of the horrendously compiled narrative that was Blood Scion to decipher it was no more than an amalgamation of popularised West-African fantasy tropes saturated with YA banalities. There was little—if any, experimentation or efforts made on behalf of the writer to transgress the bounds and typicalities of mainstream YA fantasy, much less foreground the social issues she attempted to highlight in a way that was meaningful. My eyes glazed over most of the sensitive content in this novel (which comprised essentially all of the story I’d read, emblematic of the author’s lacking comprehension of the fact gratuitous violence does not evoke greater despair or insight than harrowing subtleties; it simply detaches the reader as they become normalised to the offensive content saturation); with the exception of the farewell scene between Baba and Sloane at the book’s inception, Blood Scion was deprived of sentimentality due to its evident incorporation of graphic content for the sake of capitalising off of sensitive contemporary issues in lieu of sincerely platforming them.

Worst of all, this book is depthless. Readers are tasked with following a heroine who lacks any sort of distinctive voice or qualities, as if she were reared under some hivemind instead of being the repeatedly established vengeful teenager who vies for an explanation to her mother’s disappearance. Or to be more accurate, hopes to find incriminating evidence against the imperial army—which is responsible for many war atrocities and is well-acquainted with diminishing their accountability in widespread oppression—which absolves her of the accusations attributed to her Mom’s sudden disappearance, something which has greatly hindered her family’s societal perception and their financial outcomes as a consequence. How people living under an authoritarian regime somehow concocted the most superfluous explanation for a civilian’s disappearance escapes me—with all the purported midnight killings and kidnappings you’d think villagers would be capable of discerning the most patent cause before they concluded more egregious alternatives.

Nonetheless, the protagonist and her equally vacuous counterparts are obtrusively similar in voice and behaviour—if not for the brief physical descriptions and sporadically integrated graphic scenes, it’d be difficult to differentiate most of the cast members from one another. At random intervals throughout the book the characters would talk in an odd type of dated, Medieval-like speech, spouting exclamations like ’Gods!’ in place of our contemporary alternatives (something which, among many other elements of this book, is hevaily derivative of COBAB with how they’d frequently use ’Skies!’—it’s unfortunate plagiaristic creators only grasp the most inane components of popular novels that most people wouldn’t like to see repeated anyways), which would’ve been fine if not for the tendency of the book to revert to more modern forms of speech with the random injection of pejoratives like ’bitch’. The author was so lackadaisical towards constructing her fictional universe to the extent she forwent the most crucial aspect of making it culturally coherent—with all its anachronisms, it was almost as if Blood Scion was intent on satirising the angsty staples of the YA genre, potentially serving as a test by profiteering publishers on how shallow of a story they could produce without revenue losses.

Circling back to how lacking in creativity this book is, I immediately identified many rehashes of iconic scenes and elements in COBAB within just the first few pages of this tome. Deborah tried, and failed, to evoke the same sentimentality seen in COBAB’s Zelie x Amari braiding scene—which was widely cited by the sapphic advocates of the fandom as the foundation for their shippers—with the contrived rendition that was Luna and Sloane’s braid unraveling scene. No connection was built with either of the characters to elicit any sort of poignance during this interaction, and unlike Zelie and Amari neither Luna nor Sloane posessed compelling enough characterizations to make us invested in their bond. It was even more troubling how dependent everyone seemed to be on Sloane from her perspective—Luna couldn’t cope with her anxieties without her presence, Teo desired her as a love interest, Baba would be unable of looking after himself with her gone; everything revolved around Sloane, and she developed quite a righteous complex over it that led her to often prioritise her perspective on others’ matters above their own. This made her irritable personality all the more difficult to resonate with, and I was left questioning what insight this book provided that could not simply be found in a non-fiction alternative that covers the social topics of the novel from an impartial, well-researched lens. We learnt nothing from Sloane’s experience that enlightened us on what child soldiers go through—or at least nothing of her story was presented in such a way that I’d imagine it’d evoke awareness in encouraging readers to investigate the pertinent social issues any further, especially with how lacklustre Blood Scion’s narrative was in portraying its conflicts mindfully.

Nonetheless, I’d wager the most influential factor on attracting prospective readers will lie in whether the plot delivers its premise thoughtfully, notwithstanding the many originality and engagement faults it’s rife with. Thus, I will chronologically scrutinise the plot line of this novel in conjunction with highlighting the little I thought was done well or made the book somewhat redeemable (assuming any such thing existed).

THE PLOT

It’s Sloane’s fifteenth birthday, and she is to be drafted to her nation’s inhumane army as a replacement for three recent defectors who reneged on their conscription. Similar to North Korea, her family (which is now comprised of her grandfather and a Latin girl who somehow retains her traditional language) is to face severe punishment if she runs away from her three-year military contract, thus obliging her to perform her service and find some way of exploiting her proximity to the Lucis army for acquiring new knowledge on her mother’s past. That is, she hopes to uncover elusive secrets on a certain rebel organisation that aims to dismantle the imperial army (which seems to be dominated by White people, and for whatever reason is only concerned with human brutalities rather than pillaging resources and deriving cheap labour as most royal forces would), and infiltrate the palace records for something which will acquit her mother of all wrongdoing in the eyes of her villagers. Of course, this plan lousily overlooks the fact that anything she’d procure during her enlistment would be considered confidential, thus rendering her family even more of a liability to associate with in light of her blatant transgression of imperial law. Unlike the Lucis defector relaying knowledge for an egregious fee—likely to be soon detained if he is still within the kingdom anyways—Sloane is dependent on her law-breaking to absolve her family of all stigmatization, but if her criminality does nothing in other’s favour (as in providing them clandestine information on their families as well), newly informed people are just going to be further incentivized to avoid being seen with her in the event she is pursued by the army for her betrayal—and that is if one of the villagers don’t report her out of fear themselves (which people have shown themselves of being capable of doing when it comes to other unlawful things such as harbouring Yorubas and Scions).

Initially, her childhood best friend Teo (who in typical YA fashion, turns out to have been long infatuated with her and is willing to neglect the needs of everyone else for her happiness) tries to encourage her to run away, showing little remorse when she brings up how her grandfather and best friend will be severely punished if she were to go through with the idealised plan. Despite his lack of empathy for the grandfather and best friend who would have had their lives reduced to brutal slavery—if not death—if she were to run away with him (he even tries to encourage them to make the sacrifice in her favour), Sloane still confesses her longtime love for him and we get a stomach-churning love scene before they part their ways. As if we were supposed to lament the main characters treating their supposed loved ones as disposables, as if there were any palpable chemistry that made Teo’s drastic suggestions the least sensible. I understand why Teo acted shortsightedly towards the conscription given he has no family to worry of being affected by his plan anyways (and because of what we later learnt of his identity), but for him to have prompted Sloane into such a destructive plan was just a patently amoral characterisation that met little criticism by the part of the author. Which is unsurprising, as inadequate writers such as Deborah often make love interests that are solely empathetic in their love to the heroine but otherwise severely questionable and often compliant in emotionally abusive relationships.

With that, Sloane finally meets her day of conscription and is first acquainted with her new army lifestyle, wherein we learn of a new slur directed towards her mystical people—Scion scum (maggots from COBAB, anyone?). Something which I failed to mention earlier—largely due to how trite nature of the concept’s execution—is the existence of a mythical descended class in this novel, who are bestowed with magical abilities that suspect them to persecution by the royal army. As observed in the village fire (which resulted in a number of injuries and casualties) Sloane caused when she was little, these powers are volatile and result in some level of internalized hatred by those who carry them as well. Due to this, the newly conscripted Sloane is tasked with not only quelling her magical predispositions but also uncovering the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.

Now to take a brief digression here, the fantastical plot of magical people being subjugated by an army with a seemingly limitless supply of power was wholly unfathhomable to me. At least in COBAB, we’d seen how the magi were robbed of their abilities by the deities due to their power abuses; they were gradually stigmatised by society due to how they irresponsibly channeled their natural advantages into creating a discriminatory social structure. In this novel, people with magical powers were somehow quelled by some foreign force, and essentially are perpetual victims who were never responsible for any wrongdoing and are in their current situation due to a streak of extremely bad luck. Not only does it make little sense how people with magical abilities couldn’t garner enough power to initiate an escape to some commune by at least the age of adolescence, there is no intrigue or enlightenment invigorated by the morally opaque lore in this novel. Unlike COBAB, the deities in this book are supposedly benevolent beings who grant a minority of individuals with special traits that have always been used responsibly and never catalysed any power imbalance—this aligns in ideology with those extremist religious sects that perceive themselves as the chosen people and emulate persecution complex whenever they’re confronted about their sectarian practices. Not long after we learn there are other surrounding nations free from Lucis’s hegemony—Naine, Togus, and Ganne, which are possibly the most lazy allusions to West Africa’s geographical nations (Benin, Togo, and Ghana in their respective order)—the heroine laments about how they sold their resources and Nagea’s sovereignty for their respective freedoms, despite us learning not much earlier Naine has an army on par with Lucis’s. Apparently, mortal nations are capable of removing themselves from subjugation just by selling their resources, yet the fictional equivalent of Nigeria—perhaps the most resource abundant nation in West Africa, which did not face colonial occupation akin to Congo or Kenya (though it was, and continues to be, exploited by Western powers—just not in the ways portrayed here)—is somehow bound to some hyperbolically exploitative colonial relationship that results in natives being raped, brutalised, and conscripted (why would you enlist your victims in the same army you use to subjugate them?). In other words, this writer lacked the competency to manifest a narrative that actually seemed somewhat tangible in the real world, instead deriving from the extremities of unrelated injustices that have transpired historically (some contemporarily as well), paying no mind to whether having a perpetually victimised protagonist dilutes the poignance of the storyline or if building suspense into a major conflict would’ve been more impactful.

That aside, at the training grounds Sloane encounters the token love interest of female-centred YA fantasies—the boy with seawater eyes who holds a certain mystique (that is oddly noted despite his involvement in the army which killed her mother—all the praises to her for not falling in love spontaneously but her immediate observations make it clear that remains a prospective option). In adherence to typical female YA gradation, the boy takes a particular interest in Sloane, who proves unlike other girls she actually possesses some physical prowess, only to be utterly obliterated by him in a casual game of darts. Possibly becoming self-aware of its increasing indulgence in cliches, the book decides to take an interesting turn and challenge the heroine with killing her childhood friend Teo (who was captured during his attempt to flee Nagea; he was actually desperate to do so because he was a Scion himself). While I was again thrown off by Sloane’s indulgence in a dated way of speech during her friend’s execution (she is 15, so I again don’t understand the constant reversions between juvenile vernacular and something reminiscent of an older person, especially since she’d been robbed of proper education—this book would’ve fared better in third person, and for such a scenario it would’ve been more mindful to have things covered outside of her view), the contrived depiction did not wholly blemish this scene’s impact and I must commend the author for even taking such a controversial direction with the story. There was no deus ex machina to take Sloane out of the predicament, and the horrible, inescapable nature of it all made the book’s conflict all the more pressing.

Unfortunately, the book not long after recedes to its previous gestalt which is rid of any riveting factor. Sloane and her longtime enemy Malachi (who holds a grudge against Sloane for her powers causing a fire that killed his parents, which for whatever reason did not propel him to report her Scion identity so that she could face an immediate brutal death—instead he decided to just menacingly lurk around her which would easily allow her an escape or a diversion to circumvent his long term ambitions—an expectedly blatant display of irrationality typical to most YA antagonists) confide in the horrors they had to commit to pass their fitness examination, with Malachi revealing he had to murder his childhood friend Shahid. After launching a empty threat at Sloane which meant little given he could’ve emulated the worst malignancy—had he truly held any ill intent—by reporting her right then and there, Malachi and Sloane are transported to Fort Regulus as part of the 855 children who passed their test. There, they watch a video on a projector (I am confused as to whether this a medieval society under an absolute monarchy or a constitutional monarchy that allows for the democracy necessary to propagate technological advancement—with the excessive oppression in Nagea’s slums it’s hard to discern what exactly keeps the kingdom afloat, similar to the infeasibility of Fahrenheit 451’s government) in which Queen Thelma espouses propaganda that somehow rouses inflated morale in the deeply traumatised child soldiers.

The whole depiction of the amoral activities at Fort Regulus made little sense, from the book burnings which were allegorical to the Nazis—but again contradicted the amount of manpower and technological advancements that Lucis acquired, to the children being spontaneously enchanted by the words of a person directly responsible for their oppression. Even if Sloane was the only one told by her mother how the imperial family instigated the conflict with her people, it still doesn’t make sense how the war children would be so credulous as to become prideful in the organisation that coerced them into murder of the same family their draft was supposed to protect (not even taking into account children are very observant, and it is doubtful fifteen year-olds would not be able to discern the questionability of their situation). Had the author forwent the angst and salacious dramatics that are welcomed with a teenage-centered plotline, she would’ve been able to construct a more sensible narrative by showing the effects of young children reared in a propaganda machine (so drafted much younger than 15, an age where they’d have already become attached to their family and customs) as that would especially resonate with real historical tragedies such as those concerning Natives who were sent to residential schools. It’s not as if the easily impressionable minds of teenagers can’t be propagandised, but rather the novel’s quick developments do not align with what transpires in reality, reflecting poorly on the lack of pertinent research by the author.

Following that event, I recognised I was simply forcing myself to trudge through the remainder of the book for the sake of completion and thus neglected reading any further. I will return to the novel once a physical copy arrives at my local library, as I wish to have some finality to this review and not abandon a book I’ve already started. That aside, I am content in my analysis from what I’ve read so far because there has been many iterative faults that’ve crystallised the author’s inability to develop a riveting narrative, thus repelling me from exploring the book with any margin of hope further. I am confident my rating will hold for the rest of the book and if not I will update it retrospectively; as of right now, this novel is a staggering 1 star read.

[Ojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resulting from my present state of elation, I shall be writing this review in a different way. First will come an open, short message to the author. Then will come the review proper. Here it goes...

Dear Mrs Falaye, I will not dwell too much on the astounding cover (sentiments well documented). Instead, I will begin by thanking you for introducing our lore and mythology to the West in such a brilliant manner. You are a writer of considerable potential (I believe you can do so much more), and I'm truly amazed at your natural talent. Of all the writers I know who have delved into this particular mythology (a certain, ahem, Tomi Adeyemi, inclusive), your work stands head and shoulders above them all. For me, your work has now become the standard for African Mytho-Fantasy, at least until you go one better by giving us an even more impressive sequel to Blood Scion. Thank you for the eARC.
Yours truly, Akinwale Ojo.



Now, on to the review proper. I shan't give any spoilers...

Blood Scion is epic fantasy based on the Yoruba culture, of Yoruba lore and mythology. It incorporates elements of this inside of its pages, to great effect too...

The author's blend of mythological accuracy and standard YA tropes is impressive, as she adds her own perchant for the spectacular into the mix. The result is YA Fantasy that I personally rate higher than COBAB.

The main character is just 15, but there are no hints of childishness in many of her decisions. Think of Hunger Games and Harry Potter with a touch of joyless Joe Abercrombie. Her sufferings are highlighted with the right amount of intensity. And perhaps, even more importantly, she is not prone to a certain sickness of the mind that plagues almost all female YA leads that I've read.

The other characters are just as great, and the storyline itself is impressive, with some massive reveals littered here and there, plenty of surprises in this one.

It's quite bloody, to be honest. Not the overly detailed, sadistic, gory delight that I enjoy reading (and writing), but violent nonetheless. The violence is cold, and given how the genre is YA, readers of the, ahem, "softie" propensity would do well to steel their minds before reading this, else risk heartache, shocking gasps or downright tearing up at strategic intervals.

Speaking of strategic intervals, I think much of the suspense occurs at the best possible times. For such a fast-paced read, one can appreciate how the author manages her punchlines and big reveals...

The world building is one of the very best I've read, over a relatively low page-count (I have a preference for Oathbringer-style tomes). It is done with all the deliberacy and precision of Cristiano Ronaldo taking a spot kick.

I believe that the beauty of any mytho-based fantasy lies in the fineness of the juxtaposition of mythological facts and creative leeway. For instance, we can enjoy Rick Riordan's works today because the man did well to balance things out. He did not forget for one second that he was writing actual history (mythology), to a potential audience of Greek mythology nerds like me who are quick to notice disparity, inaccuracy and creative overzealousness.

In this, Deborah Falaye truly excels, as she leaves no stone unturned in her bid to deliver incisive, accurate, and deliciously exciting Yoruba mytho-fantasy.

So, here's one for fans of COBAB: you've probably heard some discontent murmurs from a certain black fanbase- a fanbase of locals who discount COBAB, not because the story was bad, but because of its mythological inaccuracy....

READ BLOOD SCION and meet Sloane of the Fire God!
(That's as far as I can go without dropping spoilers)

P.S: I'm curious to know the bits that will change in the final version of this book....

[Kat Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! My official Blurb:

"A thrilling debut fantasy! Falaye creates an intricately woven world that draws beautifully on Yoruba-Nigerian mythology. With a fast-paced, heart thumping plot that will have you rooting for Sloane and her friends to not only survive but get the justice they deserve! This story is full of heart, resilience, and magic that will pull you in from the very first page and have you thirsting for more by the end."

[joy (elend’s version - semi-hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

“We are all threads of a worn fabric, creatures of heat and dust, stitched together by a common fear.”

This may sound harsh, but I wish I hadn’t read this.

This is a dark book. It’s really brutal, bleak, and violently graphic, with almost no room for hope. I am not even sure that this should be classified as YA. Please check content and trigger warnings before reading this book (I have included both at the bottom of this review).

I have nothing against books that tackle or deal with heavy themes, such as the issue of child soldiers, which this book sought to deal with as indicated in a foreword to the novel. There are lots of YA books that explore these issues. In fact, one of my favorite series, the An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir, deals with some of these themes. However, I think Blood Scion falls short in the way these themes were handled and deals with them in a way that is exploitive to the actual atrocities real life child soldiers and war victims face.

Maybe it’s just me, but all of the horrendous things Sloane, the main character, is forced to undergo felt like they were simply put into the novel for shock value and as plot devices—and she is forced to commit and experience some very awful things. It is my firm belief that the horrors that child soldiers and victims of war experience should not be used for the sake of adding action to a story or for entertainment, but to me, that’s what it felt like in this story. It also doesn’t help that Sloane experiences almost no character development, which only compounds the issue as the entire plot is left to be carried and punctuated by whatever new gruesome atrocity the author could come up with for Sloane to experience in order to move the story along. While I’m sure the author had good intentions when writing this novel, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the way this story was told ended up feeling like a disservice to those who have themselves experienced these horrors.

Another issue with this book was the world-building. The only aspect of the world that is ever detailed or expatiated on is the military. Not much else is ever built on, leaving the reader to mentally scrap together a patchwork world that ends up being some combination of a brutal, militaristic nation mixed with African plants and wildlife, tied together with ambiguous bounds on the level of technological development. I think it’s important for the reader to at least get a decent grasp on a fictional world’s level of development, especially in a sci-fi fantasy novel, but we never know how truly technologically advanced this society is, or where the level of technology starts and stops. I think the world had a lot of potential and could have been very original, but it unfortunately wasn’t ever developed enough for me to enjoy it fully.

Additionally, the heavy and repetitive info-dumping, that collectively likely makes up a good portion of the book’s pages was very boring and overdone. On almost every page we are bombarded with paragraph after paragraph of the Lucis’ brutality and awfulness and how much our main character hates them, which is fine when done in moderation, as it can sometimes be pertinent to the story. The problem I have arises when this becomes so repetitive that I can’t even get into the book because the same information is rephrased over and over and over again. It was too overdone and took away from the story.

My final drawback was the odd, insta-love romance between a 15 year old and an 18+ year old. Not only is the age gap problematic in and of itself, but the romance was also poorly developed for numerous reasons.

While some parts of this story had potential and while I enjoyed the inclusion of Yoruban mythology, there were simply too many aspects of this story in the way in which it was told that will prevent me from ever recommending it.


➳ 1 star
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Language: Some frequent usage of d—man, b—tch, b—tard. One use of f—king.
Violence: Implied rape; mentions of self harm and a recollection of an instance in which the protagonist stops someone engaging in self harm; very frequent death and graphic and/or gory descriptions of injuries, wounds, and bodily remains; characters are frequently forced to kill friends and comrades; torture and beatings (on- and off-scene); war.
Alcohol/Addictive Substances: A couple mentions of characters (not the MC) smelling like taba (tobacco) or smoking it.
Sexual content: Frequent mentions and implications of rape and sexual assault; attempted rape; a couple passionate kissing scenes.
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of self harm, torture, attempted rape, genocide, racism, blood, war, death, violence, PTSD.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally honest, emotionally charged and brimming with Yoruba-Nigerian Mythology,Deborah Falaye’s spellbinding debut incorporates real world politics (such as injustice and power) with one girl’s journey of survival, self discovery, empowerment and revenge.

“This is what they derserve. They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created”

As a Scion and descendant of the Orisha gods, Fifteen year old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—but under the brutal Lucis rule, her powers will spell her death (should they be discovered) but after being forcibly conscripted into the Lucis’ army of child soldiers on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees this as a new opportunity—to use their own brutal training to destroy them from within.

Rising through the ranks, Sloane begins to gain strength but, in doing so, risks losing herself entirely—and becoming the very monster she despises.

An absolutely compelling read with lush and beautifully expansive world building, complex characters and an immersive plot I literally couldn’t get enough of. The pacing was really good (I literally devoured it in only 2 days), it doesn’t scrimp on the details or the intricately woven plot.

I’m also in awe of how exquisitely crafted and complex the plot actually was and would never in a million years have guessed this was a debut novel—the depth and rich complexity of the characters alone is simply breathtaking.

Sloane is an utterly phenomenal protagonist (and my new favourite female badass), I loved her strength in spirit; watching her suppressing years of rage, pain and the terrible injustices she’s witnessed (and experienced) was absolutely heartbreaking to behold.

Sloane’s story is not an easy one but it’s utterly compelling nonetheless. It’s a story of violence, child soldiers, of colonisation and oppression,the loss of morality. But most of all, it’s a story of survival—exploring the choices and sacrifices people are willing (or have no other choice) to make in order to survive.

I also loved the gorgeous mythology woven into the every fibres of this story and that us, the readers, are treated to several wonderful tales (told by Sloane or the other characters) which really adds to the world-building —my favourite was the story of the world’s creation which was utterly fascinating.

Deborah Falaye also manages to expertly tackle some pretty dark and emotionally deep subject material which could be a trigger for some (TW: rape, self harm, child abuse, torture, genocide, gore and death.)

Overall, Blood Scion is an unflinchingly raw and undeniably thrilling masterpiece and Falaye’s endearingly complex characters and fearless prose, will ensnare you until the very epic and plot twistingly explosive end.

I’d definitely recommend to high stakes action lovers and fans of Namina Forna and Tomi Adeyemi—trust me you do not want to miss one of the big, if not the biggest, fantasy debuts of the year!

Also an absolutely massive thank you to Harper360YA for the arc.

[— Massiel]

My breath is literally taken away by this cover.

Even though the book isn't out yet, I want to click "currently-reading."

But that cover dude... is stunning and so damn gorgeous.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, Blood Scion has a beautiful freaking cover. I think that's what piqued my interest initially. Then I realized it's a new author and series for me. So, I got pretty excited just by those facts alone. However, the synopsis is what really got me motivated to jump into this book. It sounded like this was going to be my cup of tea. So, fill my cup, Deborah.

Entering into this world, I was pretty amazed by everything early on. Especially after meeting Sloane. Now she's about 15 years old and a descendant of Scions. A Scion is someone who has magical powers gifted from the gods. However, if her gifts are ever discovered she could be killed for it. So, it's safe to assume being forced to become a child soldier wasn't the best option for safety. I don't think it was ever a safe option to begin with, but just wanted to point it out.

Throughout this book, you definitely go through some pretty traumatic events. A lot more than I was expecting since this is a YA book, but I think they needed to happen in the end. Other than that, the responses, decisions, or consequences of certain things or situations didn't really make sense to me. Especially towards the end because it felt like new things were coming into the picture and we had like 5 seconds left of the book.

Not necessarily saying things felt rushed, but to me they did. Hopefully the next book will dive into them a bit more in order to refresh my memory. Or everyone's memory really. In the end, I still enjoyed most of this book and look forward to the sequel.

[gauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so that twist in the end got me.

Good overall plotline, brutal depiction of the treatment of child soldiers and interesting Nigerian mythology inspired worldbuilding! Main reason why I didn't like it as much is the pacing issues because there's a lot of telling and not enough showing. We're told Sloane and the other soldiers suffer through traumatic experiences, but the emotional impact of it all is lacking.


Also, the romance. Not a fan of it and honestly, not every book needs a romance just for the shock factor.

thank you edelweiss and harper collins for the ARC!

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof this was a mess. I should have DNF'd but it fit a reading challenge.

So much potential, and while there were parts that sparkled, there was so much that was just...look, from a military standpoint this was a logistical and administrative nightmare.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

SLOANE IS A QUEEN ! 🙇🏼‍♀️

[kaz.brekkers.future.wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEYOND FIVE STARS
This book traumatized me
Review to come

[Katie.dorny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoever the FUCK said this was suitable for young adults needs to take a long hard look at themselves.

This emotionally ruined me as a woman in the mid twenties.

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars, such a great debut novel

"Sometimes you have to walk in the dark before you can see the light" (275)

This debut fantasy novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Poppy War as they share lots of similar themes, but this takes a sharper focus on racism while sharing the focus of child soldiers and war like the other two books do. There is also a large theme of power, and how being a person of color under a powerful and oppressive regime can shape a life and view of the world. It also brings up the topic of grief, loss, and the impacts these things can have on people's early years, but also how it influences them later in life.

All of these themes made for a very intense book, but one that was really important and I loved how there was a lot of nuance behind some psychology aspects being explored that I mentioned above. There are lots of trigger warnings from this book even from the very first chapter, but that's something I loved. This book picks up the action right away and doesn't slow down, it was constantly moving forward and throwing new things at the characters. By creating this tension so early on, it allowed for the story to have more of an impact in my opinion.

One thing that I think could have been improved upon just a bit is the worldbuilding, but less about the history and more about the lore. The mythology was very interesting and I was super interested in the gods and their background, but looking back on it it was a bit confusing. I recognize that it was somewhat in a different format than I'm used to and so I totally recognize that I just wish there had been a bit more explanation.

The characters in this story were very interesting, and I think Sloane was an amazing main character. I found pieces of her very relatable and seeing the impacts of different things on her actions and personality was interesting. I can't say it was good to see, as some of the things she experienced were less than amazing, but seeing her evolve a little bit in the story was interesting to watch. Even the other children in the story that was a part of her squad, or everything in general, had many layers to them which made them more than just good or bad, or in other words very simple characters.

Overall, this is an amazing debut novel and I'm really excited to read the next book and keep an eye out for what the author has next. This was a really powerful story that has some amazing footing to stand on, so I think the next book will be even more interesting and unique. Once again this was super intense so check the trigger warnings down below but it's a very good story.

[TW: gunshot wounds, war themes, dead bodies, death of a parent, intent to rape, death by burning alive, murder, digging up graves, rape mentioned, suicide attempt, racial slurs, racism, torture and murder of children, whipping, drowning mentioned, gun wounds, burn scars, severe torture, chronic illness depiction, animal injury]

[gabby ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5? 3? idk

i have lots of thoughts on this but the only thing i’m gonna say is not every book needs a romance.