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Ashlords #2
Bloodsworn
Three cultures clash in all out war--against each other and against the gods--in the second book of this fantasy duology that's sure to capture fans of The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes.
The Races are over. War has begun.
Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It's life or death.
Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin the gods.
Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?
"A page-turning inferno of a book." -- Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
The Races are over. War has begun.
Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It's life or death.
Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin the gods.
Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?
"A page-turning inferno of a book." -- Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
40 people are currently reading
2095 people want to read
About the author
Scott Reintgen
19 books1,590 followersScott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
November 19, 2020
3.5 Stars
The cover gets a million stars as I love me some horses!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books for a digital copy of this book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
The cover gets a million stars as I love me some horses!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books for a digital copy of this book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
August 20, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Bloodsworn follows a few months after the end of Ashlords. We follow Pippa, now an Ashlords general in the war against the Longhands who are lead by Adrian. Imelda, having escaped the races into the mountains with the rebels, is brewing her own form of revolution to free the Dividians from the Ashlords rule. When new truths come to light showing that the true enemies come from another realm altogether, will these three leaders from different peoples be able to reveal the truth and bring peace to their land, or will it all end the Ashlords way "In Fire and Blood"?
Guyyyys. These books are a true work of art. I'm so upset that this is only a Duology and now it's over! The world the author gifted us with has everything you could ask for. Magic, Gods, Horses!!, Revolution, politics, love, hate, bred heroes, unknowing heroes, ghosts....I could go on and on. Pippa is such a deep character who wears many masks. Even when we think we know her plan she flips the script and leaves us agast in the dust of her plans. Adrian really comes into his own this novel as a leader. He steps out of the role that his Daddy convinced him he was meant to die for. Imelda continues to be the pushing force for the Dividians and their chance to step out from under the Ashlords boots. I don't want to give too much away as I want everyone to be as shocked as I was, but the Gods are much more present in this novel and I ate up every chapter with them. The pantheon is original and refreshing compared to Gods you see so often in fantasy novels. The pacing is at a breakneck speed, and every chapter leaves you salavating for more.
Five stars for both novels in this series, you won't be disappointed in this Duology. Anyone 12+ will delve in and only come up for air when absolutely necessary. I can only hope the author will revisit this realm eventually, even if it's with a new set of characters. Grab your copy and get ready to be rocked in the best ways.
Bloodsworn follows a few months after the end of Ashlords. We follow Pippa, now an Ashlords general in the war against the Longhands who are lead by Adrian. Imelda, having escaped the races into the mountains with the rebels, is brewing her own form of revolution to free the Dividians from the Ashlords rule. When new truths come to light showing that the true enemies come from another realm altogether, will these three leaders from different peoples be able to reveal the truth and bring peace to their land, or will it all end the Ashlords way "In Fire and Blood"?
Guyyyys. These books are a true work of art. I'm so upset that this is only a Duology and now it's over! The world the author gifted us with has everything you could ask for. Magic, Gods, Horses!!, Revolution, politics, love, hate, bred heroes, unknowing heroes, ghosts....I could go on and on. Pippa is such a deep character who wears many masks. Even when we think we know her plan she flips the script and leaves us agast in the dust of her plans. Adrian really comes into his own this novel as a leader. He steps out of the role that his Daddy convinced him he was meant to die for. Imelda continues to be the pushing force for the Dividians and their chance to step out from under the Ashlords boots. I don't want to give too much away as I want everyone to be as shocked as I was, but the Gods are much more present in this novel and I ate up every chapter with them. The pantheon is original and refreshing compared to Gods you see so often in fantasy novels. The pacing is at a breakneck speed, and every chapter leaves you salavating for more.
Five stars for both novels in this series, you won't be disappointed in this Duology. Anyone 12+ will delve in and only come up for air when absolutely necessary. I can only hope the author will revisit this realm eventually, even if it's with a new set of characters. Grab your copy and get ready to be rocked in the best ways.
March 20, 2021
4,5 stars!
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Wow, this was such a super fast paced, entertaining and above all: a refreshing/renewing read that surprised me in the best way possible!
The basics of the world, the writing, the characters and story-line is just as awesome as it all was in Ashlords, but the author managed to bring us a renewing 2nd installment, and taking things up to the next level, which was a magnificent surprise! All that I fell in love with in Ashlords was present, but then there's a great amount of 'newness' added to the mix story-wise that I truly wasn't expecting to get (don't want to spoil so I'll remain superficial here haha) and I couldn't get enough of it! I'm a bit sad it's just a duology and that it's all over now...
I seldom come across a follow up book that is able to surprise me in such a good way. This book was mostly everything I was hoping for to get beforehand; action, more in depth development, being able to see more of this fictional world and good/strong/solid character development. If you've loved Ashlords, you're in for a treat with Bloodsworn! Be ready to be amazed and above all: Enjoyyyyy, because this epic journey is over before you know it seeing it's super fast paced!
I buddy-read Ashlords last year with my friend Marylon, and we decided to buddy-read Bloodsworn as well which made this experience all the more fun! It's great to talk about the book in between reading-shifts and discuss together about what's all happening!
---
"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."
Wow, this was such a super fast paced, entertaining and above all: a refreshing/renewing read that surprised me in the best way possible!
The basics of the world, the writing, the characters and story-line is just as awesome as it all was in Ashlords, but the author managed to bring us a renewing 2nd installment, and taking things up to the next level, which was a magnificent surprise! All that I fell in love with in Ashlords was present, but then there's a great amount of 'newness' added to the mix story-wise that I truly wasn't expecting to get (don't want to spoil so I'll remain superficial here haha) and I couldn't get enough of it! I'm a bit sad it's just a duology and that it's all over now...
I seldom come across a follow up book that is able to surprise me in such a good way. This book was mostly everything I was hoping for to get beforehand; action, more in depth development, being able to see more of this fictional world and good/strong/solid character development. If you've loved Ashlords, you're in for a treat with Bloodsworn! Be ready to be amazed and above all: Enjoyyyyy, because this epic journey is over before you know it seeing it's super fast paced!
I buddy-read Ashlords last year with my friend Marylon, and we decided to buddy-read Bloodsworn as well which made this experience all the more fun! It's great to talk about the book in between reading-shifts and discuss together about what's all happening!
December 3, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blood Sworn was so easy to devour once I got off of work today. I mean, I loved the first book and once my buddy said it was going to be a good book - I was ready. Like Spongebob. Not going to lie to any of you, I had SO many questions in the first 10 chapters. So freaking many and I actually got the answers that I needed. Not sure if I was hoping for them to go like that but I am a-okay with how it all went down. Even if it was a little bittersweet for me.
Now the characters - Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian - grew up a bit form the first book. With war against the gods being on their minds, I wasn't that shocked or surprised with that little fact. I just wasn't mentally prepared when I dove into the first 10 chapters. That's why I had so many questions.
My love for these three grew so much while reading about their adventure. They were challenge constantly and underestimated by so many people. It was kind of amazing to see everything happening for them all and it just made me smile.
In the end, I am so happy that I got to read both books in this duology from NetGalley and I can't wait to own both of these beautiful books.
Blood Sworn was so easy to devour once I got off of work today. I mean, I loved the first book and once my buddy said it was going to be a good book - I was ready. Like Spongebob. Not going to lie to any of you, I had SO many questions in the first 10 chapters. So freaking many and I actually got the answers that I needed. Not sure if I was hoping for them to go like that but I am a-okay with how it all went down. Even if it was a little bittersweet for me.
Now the characters - Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian - grew up a bit form the first book. With war against the gods being on their minds, I wasn't that shocked or surprised with that little fact. I just wasn't mentally prepared when I dove into the first 10 chapters. That's why I had so many questions.
My love for these three grew so much while reading about their adventure. They were challenge constantly and underestimated by so many people. It was kind of amazing to see everything happening for them all and it just made me smile.
In the end, I am so happy that I got to read both books in this duology from NetGalley and I can't wait to own both of these beautiful books.
November 29, 2020
I loved the first book in this duology so I was excited to jump into the sequel. The three main characters are so different, they come from different backgrounds and have their own agendas. Rotating between their points of view helped keep the story moving while giving a full picture of the plot.
The world the author created is so interesting, the gods and their origins, the phoenix horses, and some other creatures we meet in this book. We got to explore the world of the gods in this one and learned more backstory of how the gods became part of the human world.
There's also a lot of action, fighting, and some nice romance too. Imelda is my favorite, she's so smart in alchemy and figuring things out and her relationship with Bastian is pretty cute. I enjoyed seeing her with the phoenix horses and how she's able to think on her feet. Pippa and Adrian are fighters, they both lead armies trying to destroy the other, but there are feelings there and they both are able to see the big picture and what would be best for their people.
The pacing in this is great, I loved the reveals and plot twists, and thought the ending wrapped up really nicely. What a fun series to read!
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The world the author created is so interesting, the gods and their origins, the phoenix horses, and some other creatures we meet in this book. We got to explore the world of the gods in this one and learned more backstory of how the gods became part of the human world.
There's also a lot of action, fighting, and some nice romance too. Imelda is my favorite, she's so smart in alchemy and figuring things out and her relationship with Bastian is pretty cute. I enjoyed seeing her with the phoenix horses and how she's able to think on her feet. Pippa and Adrian are fighters, they both lead armies trying to destroy the other, but there are feelings there and they both are able to see the big picture and what would be best for their people.
The pacing in this is great, I loved the reveals and plot twists, and thought the ending wrapped up really nicely. What a fun series to read!
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 18, 2022
All the characters from book one – Imelda, Pippa, Adrian, plus Quinn and now the gods, are back in a big way in Bloodsworn.
I loved meeting the gods! Each had an interesting domain, abilities, “hobbies”. Seeing the other realm was cool too and I liked how Reintgen broadened the scope so much without letting the plot get away from him.
The lore was well done and I never saw the big plot twists coming at all. Kind of hard to talk without spoiling but when the four characters (races) discover their history and team up against the gods…
…I loved the teamwork. Overcoming racial differences and doing what is RIGHT, vs just continuing what past generations did, is a great theme for teens and this ties massively into the character growth shown here in book two.
Pippa and Adrian and Imelda might be sons and daughters of political leaders but they really step up and find their own future now.
Reintgen upped the emotional states a bit too with a few well placed side character deaths – I actually like when YA authors do this because war is not pleasant, nor should it be described as such. I think he captured a lot of wartime atmosphere and ethical concerns well
It was cool to see the new phoenix rebirths and learn some of the ancient alchemy practices too. I wish Reintgen had packed in more horsie related Phoenix things and alchemy related trick riding, but I have no real gripes about this book.
The end was a little corny but it packed a lot of emotional appeal. Each of the three main characters obtained major victories and resolution. I was happy with how much each character came into their own and found some happiness going forward.
Spoiler free ** regarding the “corny” ending – I have learned with YA books that I’m going to eye roll at a lot of endings, and I don’t dock for it anymore. Teens eat this stuff up and because the language and broader content of the book is appropriate for the age group, I dropped 5 stars with no hesitation
Highly recommend for YA fantasy fans. If you are even vaguely interested after book one, keep reading!
** Quick note on the audio – the crew is back. Rebecca Soler, Andrew Eiden, Lauren Foftgang are back and deliver a decent narration. I think Eiden stepped into the Aiden character a little better than he did in book one and overall I enjoyed listening. About 10 hours, 41 minutes from Listening Library!
I loved meeting the gods! Each had an interesting domain, abilities, “hobbies”. Seeing the other realm was cool too and I liked how Reintgen broadened the scope so much without letting the plot get away from him.
The lore was well done and I never saw the big plot twists coming at all. Kind of hard to talk without spoiling but when the four characters (races) discover their history and team up against the gods…
…I loved the teamwork. Overcoming racial differences and doing what is RIGHT, vs just continuing what past generations did, is a great theme for teens and this ties massively into the character growth shown here in book two.
Pippa and Adrian and Imelda might be sons and daughters of political leaders but they really step up and find their own future now.
Reintgen upped the emotional states a bit too with a few well placed side character deaths – I actually like when YA authors do this because war is not pleasant, nor should it be described as such. I think he captured a lot of wartime atmosphere and ethical concerns well
It was cool to see the new phoenix rebirths and learn some of the ancient alchemy practices too. I wish Reintgen had packed in more horsie related Phoenix things and alchemy related trick riding, but I have no real gripes about this book.
The end was a little corny but it packed a lot of emotional appeal. Each of the three main characters obtained major victories and resolution. I was happy with how much each character came into their own and found some happiness going forward.
Spoiler free ** regarding the “corny” ending – I have learned with YA books that I’m going to eye roll at a lot of endings, and I don’t dock for it anymore. Teens eat this stuff up and because the language and broader content of the book is appropriate for the age group, I dropped 5 stars with no hesitation
Highly recommend for YA fantasy fans. If you are even vaguely interested after book one, keep reading!
** Quick note on the audio – the crew is back. Rebecca Soler, Andrew Eiden, Lauren Foftgang are back and deliver a decent narration. I think Eiden stepped into the Aiden character a little better than he did in book one and overall I enjoyed listening. About 10 hours, 41 minutes from Listening Library!
February 12, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
To those new to the crew, ye should know that horses were me first love before the sea stole me heart. So obviously I wanted to read this series about magical horses, known as phoenixes. Basically these horses were gifts from the gods, are powered by the sun, and last a day before bursting into flames and turning into ashes. The riders save the ashes and when they are set back out in the rising sun, the phoenix horse is reborn. Of course there be a catch. If ye mix certain chemicals into the ashes, the phoenix's properties can change. They can become faster, grow armor, etc. Cool.
This is the second book of a duology. War is at hand and the three classes - ruling Ashlords, middle class Longhorns, and Dividians at the bottom wait to see who is going to get the upper hand. But it seems like the Gods are also at war and the consequences are interesting and unexpected.
This story continues with the three points of view - one from each of the three classes. One thing to note about the points of view are that they change tenses: third person, first person, second person present tense. Ashlord Pippa and Longhorn Adrian are at opposite sides of the conflict. Imelda continues to be the surprising wildcard. Like in the first book, I liked the two girls but found Adrian to be rather bland.
Unlike the first book, the phoenix horses do not play much of a real part in the plot. I missed them. The tone and focus of this book was completely different to book one. It sometimes felt like another world altogether. I did think the pacing was a bit off and the book could have had some restructuring or trimming to strength it. I did, however, enjoy the better understanding of how the gods worked and did not expect the plot to go in the direction it did. I would have liked more focus on the specifics of each god. I was glad that the romance aspects were very lightly done.
Though I wasn't thrilled with the rebellion aspect of this book, I am glad I finished the duology. I just wish the phoenix horses had played as much of a part in this book as they did in the first. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Crown Books for Young Readers!
To those new to the crew, ye should know that horses were me first love before the sea stole me heart. So obviously I wanted to read this series about magical horses, known as phoenixes. Basically these horses were gifts from the gods, are powered by the sun, and last a day before bursting into flames and turning into ashes. The riders save the ashes and when they are set back out in the rising sun, the phoenix horse is reborn. Of course there be a catch. If ye mix certain chemicals into the ashes, the phoenix's properties can change. They can become faster, grow armor, etc. Cool.
This is the second book of a duology. War is at hand and the three classes - ruling Ashlords, middle class Longhorns, and Dividians at the bottom wait to see who is going to get the upper hand. But it seems like the Gods are also at war and the consequences are interesting and unexpected.
This story continues with the three points of view - one from each of the three classes. One thing to note about the points of view are that they change tenses: third person, first person, second person present tense. Ashlord Pippa and Longhorn Adrian are at opposite sides of the conflict. Imelda continues to be the surprising wildcard. Like in the first book, I liked the two girls but found Adrian to be rather bland.
Unlike the first book, the phoenix horses do not play much of a real part in the plot. I missed them. The tone and focus of this book was completely different to book one. It sometimes felt like another world altogether. I did think the pacing was a bit off and the book could have had some restructuring or trimming to strength it. I did, however, enjoy the better understanding of how the gods worked and did not expect the plot to go in the direction it did. I would have liked more focus on the specifics of each god. I was glad that the romance aspects were very lightly done.
Though I wasn't thrilled with the rebellion aspect of this book, I am glad I finished the duology. I just wish the phoenix horses had played as much of a part in this book as they did in the first. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Crown Books for Young Readers!
November 27, 2021
Omg, it's been such a long while that I had such a satisfying read. My god, Scott Reintgen, that was one wonderful roller coaster.
Plot:
In this final book in the duology, we follow Imelda, Adrian and Pippa on each of their individual journey's in the fight for control. The war has started and neither side is willing to concede.
But when enemies are thrown together and they discover an ancient old secret that rattles their worlds, they are faced with two choices.
Either they fight 'till the death and the winner takes all, or they form a formidable alliance that can overthrow gods....
------------
The first five minutes into this book were confusing as hell, seeing as I had read the first book such a long time ago. However, after the slow start I felt right back at home with our three main characters. Three very different people who used to have very different goals. It was refreshing to see their development as people, as leaders, as reformers of the world they are used to.
I had such a blast reading it and I definitely enjoyed the quick pace. Even though it was quick paced it didn't feel rushed at all and I love the fact that the author had such an elaborate ending. The characters have such fun chemistry and witty dialogues and even a bit of romance. This book make my heart do little happy jumps from time to time. I'm going to miss this world a lot and I do hope that one day, we might get to see more of the world shaped by our three main characters.
Plot:
In this final book in the duology, we follow Imelda, Adrian and Pippa on each of their individual journey's in the fight for control. The war has started and neither side is willing to concede.
But when enemies are thrown together and they discover an ancient old secret that rattles their worlds, they are faced with two choices.
Either they fight 'till the death and the winner takes all, or they form a formidable alliance that can overthrow gods....
------------
The first five minutes into this book were confusing as hell, seeing as I had read the first book such a long time ago. However, after the slow start I felt right back at home with our three main characters. Three very different people who used to have very different goals. It was refreshing to see their development as people, as leaders, as reformers of the world they are used to.
I had such a blast reading it and I definitely enjoyed the quick pace. Even though it was quick paced it didn't feel rushed at all and I love the fact that the author had such an elaborate ending. The characters have such fun chemistry and witty dialogues and even a bit of romance. This book make my heart do little happy jumps from time to time. I'm going to miss this world a lot and I do hope that one day, we might get to see more of the world shaped by our three main characters.
February 17, 2021
*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Blood Sworn, by author Scott Reintgen, is the second and final installment in the authors Ashlords duology. The Scorpio Races are over. A winner has been chosen. A war is here. A fight against the gods themselves to determine who will control the world—and the underworld, is at hand. This story is a page turner featuring three main characters: Imelda Beru, Pippa, and Adrian Ford. Each represents a different faction of people who live in this world. Dividians, Ashlords, and Longhands. Each chapter features one of the three main characters.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Blood Sworn, by author Scott Reintgen, is the second and final installment in the authors Ashlords duology. The Scorpio Races are over. A winner has been chosen. A war is here. A fight against the gods themselves to determine who will control the world—and the underworld, is at hand. This story is a page turner featuring three main characters: Imelda Beru, Pippa, and Adrian Ford. Each represents a different faction of people who live in this world. Dividians, Ashlords, and Longhands. Each chapter features one of the three main characters.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
March 2, 2021
I love Scott Reintgen’s books. Nyxia is an all time favorite, and I loved the first Ashlords book. This book was very good, and creative, and well-written. Unfortunately, my expectations were sky-high based on the other books so I think this one just fell a tiny bit short for me. It was still quite good, but it didn’t have the same “oh my god must read” that the other books have. It is still a SOLID 4 stars and I still recommend anything Reintgen writes to anyone!!
February 21, 2021
I was granted complimentary ARC access at Blood Sworn via NetGalley as part of my participation in the blog tour for this title with TBR & Beyond, but when I discovered that my review date for the tour was slightly after publication and I had a couple of long reads right before this date on my tour posting schedule, I elected to wait and use an Audible credit to let the narrators read it to me after release day. Thank you to all involved in granting me access to the ARC anyway! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Blog tour post: https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
When I received the email inviting me to apply for this tour, I didn't know anything about Scott Reintgen or the Ashlords duology, but I saw a gorgeous Friesian-looking horse and a genre label of fantasy and had to check it out. I was hesitant to apply knowing it was a second book and that the tour would not be providing the first, but fortunately a library I have access to through Libby had both ebook and audiobook licenses of Ashlords, the first book, available. I flew through my listening experience of Ashlords, rated it 5 stars with a rave review, and shamelessly begged to be granted a spot on the tour on whatever date was available in the comment box at the end of the application form. I had to know how this story concluded, and as a book blogger, I wanted to share my love for this story with a wide audience. Now that I have experienced Blood Sworn I can confidently say that I am not disappointed in the least, Reintgen has does it again, and I give the whole duilogy 5 stars!
If you have not yet read book one, Ashlords, keep in mind that I cannot possibly give an adequate review of Blood Sworn without mentioning things that could be considered spoilers for Ashlords. If you don't want Ashlords spoiler for you, stop at this paragraph and know that I highly recommend this duology to all fans of high fantasy, fantasy adventure, YA overthrow the dystopia storylines, or "anything with frequent horses."
Blood Sworn picks up right where Ashlords left off and continues with the three POVs: Pippa, Imelda, and Adrian. Imelda and Adrian POV chapters continue to be presented in third-person and Pippa's in second-person. In the audiobook edition, the same narrators who voice these characters in Ashlords have reprised their roles. In short: Everything to do with narrative voice and literal narration remains unchanged from book one. Overall very good choices there, why change what worked so well? My only potential critique is that by making just one POV written in second person the reader is forced into that role, forced to be from the Ashlord society, and by this point in the story we're already quite sympathetic to the other factions, so this POV trick doesn't hold the same weight anymore. Either way, I'm used to it by now and I barely took notice when Pippa's parts switched from she to you.
Adrian is reunited with his father and takes his intended place leading their army against the Ashlords. Imelda's newfound tribe of rebels wastes no time in joining in on the battle, while not necessarily joining up. Pippa takes up the helm as a general for the Ashlords. The god who had a hand in changing fortunes during the race is still here too, and still working to tip the scales in favour of whoever promises the best sacrifices. Early on in this new war, however, the god's meddling begins to have the unintended effect of bringing Pippa and Adrian together in more, uh, "friendly" means, and all three young leaders begin to spend time in the underworld. What awaits them there is a long-forgotten secret about the nature of the Ashlord gods, and with this answer comes the potential for a lasting end to war in their world if they can set their sights on their true enemy.
This book is full of surprises! Every time you figure something out, something you weren't even watching for pops up and presents a new puzzle. Just like the first book, Blood Sworn was absolutely impossible to put down. This is a thrilling magical adventure that demands to be read in one sitting, so prepare to devote your whole day to this book or prepare for distraction as your count the hours until you can get back to it.
One thing I very much appreciate about Reintgen's writing style is that there's just enough description to know what's going on, but the description gets out of the way and lets the plot march on. Not a single paragraph is dull or dry. There are no signs of world-builder's disease here. We can picture a desert-like country as the setting, we understand that the phoenixes look like normal horses, but work like mythical phoenixes with nightly rebirths, we get to know as much as we need to know about the alchemy of blending minerals into phoenix ashes to influence what the next phoenix looks or acts like, and we have broad strokes descriptions for our three main characters. That's really all we need to know. There isn't so little description that we end up with talking heads or generic horses running through nothingness, but the reader is left to imagine a lot of the finer details, and that's how I like to read. Inspire my mind's eye director, but let me do the mental casting.
I do like the resolution this book comes to, though I feel like the way the winning side establishes their new rules for society was handled a little too quickly and with a slightly rosy tint. It's a very appropriate YA ending, but this story had the potential to go in so many directions I guess I was hoping for either a grittier ending or one that left some strings untied. I would also like to say that while this works extremely well as a self-contained duology and I'm not going to sit here and pointlessly wish for a continuation of the series, I would be absolutely delighted to get a short story, article, novella, whatever deep-diving on these phoenix horses. I want the history, I want training tips, I want anecdotes about famous phoenixes, and I want to know more about how having access to a magical beast of burdon affects the development of a society. That's really the only aspect of these books that I felt needed more description, more world-builder's info dumps, and I expect most horse lovers in the audience will too.
Overall both this book and the duology as a set have been an absolute pleasure to experience, and I'll definitely return to these for re-reads just for fun in the future. They're new favourites, and I want everyone to know that they're absolutely worth reading!
Blog tour post: https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
When I received the email inviting me to apply for this tour, I didn't know anything about Scott Reintgen or the Ashlords duology, but I saw a gorgeous Friesian-looking horse and a genre label of fantasy and had to check it out. I was hesitant to apply knowing it was a second book and that the tour would not be providing the first, but fortunately a library I have access to through Libby had both ebook and audiobook licenses of Ashlords, the first book, available. I flew through my listening experience of Ashlords, rated it 5 stars with a rave review, and shamelessly begged to be granted a spot on the tour on whatever date was available in the comment box at the end of the application form. I had to know how this story concluded, and as a book blogger, I wanted to share my love for this story with a wide audience. Now that I have experienced Blood Sworn I can confidently say that I am not disappointed in the least, Reintgen has does it again, and I give the whole duilogy 5 stars!
If you have not yet read book one, Ashlords, keep in mind that I cannot possibly give an adequate review of Blood Sworn without mentioning things that could be considered spoilers for Ashlords. If you don't want Ashlords spoiler for you, stop at this paragraph and know that I highly recommend this duology to all fans of high fantasy, fantasy adventure, YA overthrow the dystopia storylines, or "anything with frequent horses."
Blood Sworn picks up right where Ashlords left off and continues with the three POVs: Pippa, Imelda, and Adrian. Imelda and Adrian POV chapters continue to be presented in third-person and Pippa's in second-person. In the audiobook edition, the same narrators who voice these characters in Ashlords have reprised their roles. In short: Everything to do with narrative voice and literal narration remains unchanged from book one. Overall very good choices there, why change what worked so well? My only potential critique is that by making just one POV written in second person the reader is forced into that role, forced to be from the Ashlord society, and by this point in the story we're already quite sympathetic to the other factions, so this POV trick doesn't hold the same weight anymore. Either way, I'm used to it by now and I barely took notice when Pippa's parts switched from she to you.
Adrian is reunited with his father and takes his intended place leading their army against the Ashlords. Imelda's newfound tribe of rebels wastes no time in joining in on the battle, while not necessarily joining up. Pippa takes up the helm as a general for the Ashlords. The god who had a hand in changing fortunes during the race is still here too, and still working to tip the scales in favour of whoever promises the best sacrifices. Early on in this new war, however, the god's meddling begins to have the unintended effect of bringing Pippa and Adrian together in more, uh, "friendly" means, and all three young leaders begin to spend time in the underworld. What awaits them there is a long-forgotten secret about the nature of the Ashlord gods, and with this answer comes the potential for a lasting end to war in their world if they can set their sights on their true enemy.
This book is full of surprises! Every time you figure something out, something you weren't even watching for pops up and presents a new puzzle. Just like the first book, Blood Sworn was absolutely impossible to put down. This is a thrilling magical adventure that demands to be read in one sitting, so prepare to devote your whole day to this book or prepare for distraction as your count the hours until you can get back to it.
One thing I very much appreciate about Reintgen's writing style is that there's just enough description to know what's going on, but the description gets out of the way and lets the plot march on. Not a single paragraph is dull or dry. There are no signs of world-builder's disease here. We can picture a desert-like country as the setting, we understand that the phoenixes look like normal horses, but work like mythical phoenixes with nightly rebirths, we get to know as much as we need to know about the alchemy of blending minerals into phoenix ashes to influence what the next phoenix looks or acts like, and we have broad strokes descriptions for our three main characters. That's really all we need to know. There isn't so little description that we end up with talking heads or generic horses running through nothingness, but the reader is left to imagine a lot of the finer details, and that's how I like to read. Inspire my mind's eye director, but let me do the mental casting.
I do like the resolution this book comes to, though I feel like the way the winning side establishes their new rules for society was handled a little too quickly and with a slightly rosy tint. It's a very appropriate YA ending, but this story had the potential to go in so many directions I guess I was hoping for either a grittier ending or one that left some strings untied. I would also like to say that while this works extremely well as a self-contained duology and I'm not going to sit here and pointlessly wish for a continuation of the series, I would be absolutely delighted to get a short story, article, novella, whatever deep-diving on these phoenix horses. I want the history, I want training tips, I want anecdotes about famous phoenixes, and I want to know more about how having access to a magical beast of burdon affects the development of a society. That's really the only aspect of these books that I felt needed more description, more world-builder's info dumps, and I expect most horse lovers in the audience will too.
Overall both this book and the duology as a set have been an absolute pleasure to experience, and I'll definitely return to these for re-reads just for fun in the future. They're new favourites, and I want everyone to know that they're absolutely worth reading!
March 3, 2021
~Netgalley gave me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review~
"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."
5⭐
Bloodsworn is such a fast paced, mesmerizing and invigorating story! It picks up right after Ashlords and is simply underappreciated. I found this tale to be a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. The magic systems and world building aren't complicated, but still intriguing. The politics and rebellion are everything and the way Scott Reintgen changed the game and flipped the script had me yelling "oh sh!t" right in the middle of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this duology and wish more people would read it. I'll definitely have to read Scott's other books!
Also I really loved the very last chapter when Pippa starts to finally drop the facade and speak in 1st person. It was such a beautiful tie in to her character. It drove me nuts that she spoke in 2nd person, but that last chapter undid me in the best way!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity
"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."
5⭐
Bloodsworn is such a fast paced, mesmerizing and invigorating story! It picks up right after Ashlords and is simply underappreciated. I found this tale to be a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. The magic systems and world building aren't complicated, but still intriguing. The politics and rebellion are everything and the way Scott Reintgen changed the game and flipped the script had me yelling "oh sh!t" right in the middle of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this duology and wish more people would read it. I'll definitely have to read Scott's other books!
Also I really loved the very last chapter when Pippa starts to finally drop the facade and speak in 1st person. It was such a beautiful tie in to her character. It drove me nuts that she spoke in 2nd person, but that last chapter undid me in the best way!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2021
"No one ever really wins these wars we fight. Except the gods."
•
•
~ Bloodsworn - Scott Reintgen ~
•
•
Aslords was maybe one of the greatest surprises I read last year. It was fresh, fast and original. Ever since I read it, I was looking forward to its sequel.
And there it finally was! All stunning and gorgeous and promising.
Reading it was again, just as it was with Aslords, SO MUCH FUN.
I loved what the author did with this book, the many questions and mysteries fired upon you and the story full of surprises and completely different from what I expected. I get really excited when a book does that to you. After every section I read I could just jump up and down and couln't wait to pick it back up again.
We really devoured this second part of the duology and it was a wild ride.
I give the book a full deserved 4 stars and add a half point to that for pure fun and excitement for this great and fiery duology.
Scott Reintgen, you have my eternal thanks for bringing these books into the world.
•
•
~ Bloodsworn - Scott Reintgen ~
•
•
Aslords was maybe one of the greatest surprises I read last year. It was fresh, fast and original. Ever since I read it, I was looking forward to its sequel.
And there it finally was! All stunning and gorgeous and promising.
Reading it was again, just as it was with Aslords, SO MUCH FUN.
I loved what the author did with this book, the many questions and mysteries fired upon you and the story full of surprises and completely different from what I expected. I get really excited when a book does that to you. After every section I read I could just jump up and down and couln't wait to pick it back up again.
We really devoured this second part of the duology and it was a wild ride.
I give the book a full deserved 4 stars and add a half point to that for pure fun and excitement for this great and fiery duology.
Scott Reintgen, you have my eternal thanks for bringing these books into the world.
June 21, 2021
❐ Overall Rating 3¼⭐ | Narration 😁 = Very Good
❐ Narrated by Rebecca Soler, Andrew Eiden & Lauren Fortgang
❐ Listening Length: 10H 41M
❐ Ashlords #2
❐ YA Fantasy
❐ Alchemy
❐ Warring factions
The covers for this two-book series are quite stunning, especially this one...unfortunately the story inside didn’t quite live up to what the cover promised.
I’m not sure what it is with these books that didn’t end up working for me...I think, maybe, it tries to tackle too many elements and each one ends up suffering because the author isn’t able to give each one the time it needs to feel fleshed out. While the story’s overall message is worthwhile, I’m just not sure it was worthwhile enough to make up for the issues I had. Even the sensational narration wasn’t able to change how I felt.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 5.71/❿
🅒haracters ￫ 7
🅐tmosphere ￫ 6
🅦riting ￫ 5.5
🅟lot ￫ 5.5
🅘ntrigue ￫ 6
🅛ogic ￫ 5
🅔njoyment ￫ 5
❐ Narrated by Rebecca Soler, Andrew Eiden & Lauren Fortgang
❐ Listening Length: 10H 41M
❐ Ashlords #2
❐ YA Fantasy
❐ Alchemy
❐ Warring factions
The covers for this two-book series are quite stunning, especially this one...unfortunately the story inside didn’t quite live up to what the cover promised.
I’m not sure what it is with these books that didn’t end up working for me...I think, maybe, it tries to tackle too many elements and each one ends up suffering because the author isn’t able to give each one the time it needs to feel fleshed out. While the story’s overall message is worthwhile, I’m just not sure it was worthwhile enough to make up for the issues I had. Even the sensational narration wasn’t able to change how I felt.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 5.71/❿
🅒haracters ￫ 7
🅐tmosphere ￫ 6
🅦riting ￫ 5.5
🅟lot ￫ 5.5
🅘ntrigue ￫ 6
🅛ogic ￫ 5
🅔njoyment ￫ 5
September 1, 2023
"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."
Oh boy. This was a terrible duology conclusion. The things that I had been promised in these books were non-existent. Tell me why there is a horse on the cover when the phoenixes were in the book briefly once. I also continued to hate the elements of the book that were present in the first book, such as the fact that the three different POVs are written in three different ways, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person narratives. This was bad and I was bored. I'm surprised I didn't DNF it.
Oh boy. This was a terrible duology conclusion. The things that I had been promised in these books were non-existent. Tell me why there is a horse on the cover when the phoenixes were in the book briefly once. I also continued to hate the elements of the book that were present in the first book, such as the fact that the three different POVs are written in three different ways, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person narratives. This was bad and I was bored. I'm surprised I didn't DNF it.
February 19, 2021
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED FEBRUARY 16TH, 2021
3 STARS
The Races are over, but the war is only just unfolding.
At the end of Ashlords, Imelda Beru upended the Races by escaping the course and allying herself with the rebels, while Adrian Ford and the Ashlord Races darling Pippa went their separate ways following Pippa’s victory. Now, with Blood Sworn, the war is in full swing, Ashlords versus Longhands versus Dividians, all vying for the chance to reshape and rule the world they burn through.
But there are other forces in play, forces with their own stake in controlling the outcome of the war, and it will require everyone’s strengths to change the tides of war, to even survive.
“No one ever really wins these wars we fight. Except the gods.”
This is the thing that kept me attached to Ashlords: the gods were a threat during the Races, an ominous, almost omniscient sort of power, and you could sense they were up to no good. But now, in Blood Sworn, they’re an active enemy, sometimes a reluctant ally, and they’re one of the most towering obstacles the main characters face. And who am I, really, to turn my nose up at a book about knocking the gods down a few pegs? I’ll admit it: mortals triumphing over supposed immortals is a particular favorite trope of mine because it just drips with satisfaction when done right!
Plus, in this case, it allows our protagonists to showcase their individual skills. Pippa’s ability to plan three steps ahead shines (especially thanks to her unusual second person POV, which sets up a brilliant plot device), while Adrian excels in his budding leadership skills. And Imelda, my favorite, finds her stride with ancient alchemy and a hint of magic, proving herself perhaps the smartest of them all. It’s a great way to bring former enemies together onto the same side, and it came with some deeply satisfying character victories.
Pacing, though, suffers during the war.
Not patience, mind you. Pacing. It’s the major fault of Blood Sworn, and the reason I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Ashlords. The Races were fast. They were angry and twisty, and the outcome was uncertain until the very last second. And even more than that, they defied all expectations, never letting the reader grow too comfortable in their assumptions. The breakneck pace suited the story, and made for a roaring ride.
Without the Races, though, speed suffers. The plot takes far too long to set up, or even to wind down. Sure, I think most of the scenes feel pretty critical to the plot, and cutting them would make a mess, but I can’t help but wonder if there might have been ways to tighten it all up. Ages spent watching Pippa fake her way through the treacherous Ashlord leadership weren’t especially interesting, not when I wanted to know what she was actually planning. Or it’s another battle for Adrian Ford, one that doesn’t really bring us closer to a resolution just yet, even though it teaches him a valuable lesson.
The ending was a particular sort of strain because of this. As fascinated as I was to see a book actually tackle the topic of reparations for long-standing systems of violence, it dragged. I wanted it to be over. I wanted to see what happened to these characters who finally stood together when it mattered at last. What I didn’t want was a slow motion walkthrough of the changes unfurling.
And perhaps of less weighty significance, though irritating to me, was the amount of time it took Imelda and Bastian to fall in love. I get that the book happens over quite some time, but Imelda seems to me like the kind of girl whose affection absolutely must be earned, and Bastian…just wasn’t around a lot to earn it? Cool, he’s a rebel leader and he’s at least a little suave. But to say on page she’s in love with him already? Wow, okay, maybe cool your jets a little. Or a lot.
Some people will love how this story ends, and some people are going to walk away disappointed.
That’s true of every book, but it always feels the most true about books I give a middling rating to. Blood Sworn isn’t bad. In fact, it’s an awesome concept with cool characters, neat tropes, and even some plot approaches that pleasantly surprised me. But it also suffering from atrocious, frustrating pacing that I couldn’t overlook, especially in the wake of Ashlords.
If it’s on your TBR and there to stay, though, good news! It’s out tomorrow, February 16th, so you don’t have to wait long to find out how Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa square off with the powers that be! And yes, there are still some pretty cool phoenix horses, including some new variants any fan of Ashlords will be thrilled to see. 🐎🔥
CW: violence, suicide, loss of a loved one, nudity, body horror, slavery, gore
EXPECTED FEBRUARY 16TH, 2021
3 STARS
The Races are over, but the war is only just unfolding.
At the end of Ashlords, Imelda Beru upended the Races by escaping the course and allying herself with the rebels, while Adrian Ford and the Ashlord Races darling Pippa went their separate ways following Pippa’s victory. Now, with Blood Sworn, the war is in full swing, Ashlords versus Longhands versus Dividians, all vying for the chance to reshape and rule the world they burn through.
But there are other forces in play, forces with their own stake in controlling the outcome of the war, and it will require everyone’s strengths to change the tides of war, to even survive.
“No one ever really wins these wars we fight. Except the gods.”
This is the thing that kept me attached to Ashlords: the gods were a threat during the Races, an ominous, almost omniscient sort of power, and you could sense they were up to no good. But now, in Blood Sworn, they’re an active enemy, sometimes a reluctant ally, and they’re one of the most towering obstacles the main characters face. And who am I, really, to turn my nose up at a book about knocking the gods down a few pegs? I’ll admit it: mortals triumphing over supposed immortals is a particular favorite trope of mine because it just drips with satisfaction when done right!
Plus, in this case, it allows our protagonists to showcase their individual skills. Pippa’s ability to plan three steps ahead shines (especially thanks to her unusual second person POV, which sets up a brilliant plot device), while Adrian excels in his budding leadership skills. And Imelda, my favorite, finds her stride with ancient alchemy and a hint of magic, proving herself perhaps the smartest of them all. It’s a great way to bring former enemies together onto the same side, and it came with some deeply satisfying character victories.
Pacing, though, suffers during the war.
Not patience, mind you. Pacing. It’s the major fault of Blood Sworn, and the reason I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Ashlords. The Races were fast. They were angry and twisty, and the outcome was uncertain until the very last second. And even more than that, they defied all expectations, never letting the reader grow too comfortable in their assumptions. The breakneck pace suited the story, and made for a roaring ride.
Without the Races, though, speed suffers. The plot takes far too long to set up, or even to wind down. Sure, I think most of the scenes feel pretty critical to the plot, and cutting them would make a mess, but I can’t help but wonder if there might have been ways to tighten it all up. Ages spent watching Pippa fake her way through the treacherous Ashlord leadership weren’t especially interesting, not when I wanted to know what she was actually planning. Or it’s another battle for Adrian Ford, one that doesn’t really bring us closer to a resolution just yet, even though it teaches him a valuable lesson.
The ending was a particular sort of strain because of this. As fascinated as I was to see a book actually tackle the topic of reparations for long-standing systems of violence, it dragged. I wanted it to be over. I wanted to see what happened to these characters who finally stood together when it mattered at last. What I didn’t want was a slow motion walkthrough of the changes unfurling.
And perhaps of less weighty significance, though irritating to me, was the amount of time it took Imelda and Bastian to fall in love. I get that the book happens over quite some time, but Imelda seems to me like the kind of girl whose affection absolutely must be earned, and Bastian…just wasn’t around a lot to earn it? Cool, he’s a rebel leader and he’s at least a little suave. But to say on page she’s in love with him already? Wow, okay, maybe cool your jets a little. Or a lot.
Some people will love how this story ends, and some people are going to walk away disappointed.
That’s true of every book, but it always feels the most true about books I give a middling rating to. Blood Sworn isn’t bad. In fact, it’s an awesome concept with cool characters, neat tropes, and even some plot approaches that pleasantly surprised me. But it also suffering from atrocious, frustrating pacing that I couldn’t overlook, especially in the wake of Ashlords.
If it’s on your TBR and there to stay, though, good news! It’s out tomorrow, February 16th, so you don’t have to wait long to find out how Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa square off with the powers that be! And yes, there are still some pretty cool phoenix horses, including some new variants any fan of Ashlords will be thrilled to see. 🐎🔥
CW: violence, suicide, loss of a loved one, nudity, body horror, slavery, gore
October 20, 2023
A great wrap up to this duology. It was wonderful to see our trio of protagonists grow and become something more than what the rulers tried to make them.
A fantastic adventure set across two worlds, the magic system grew with the characters and although it was the Phoenix Horses that drew me to this duology, the fact that they weren't as prominent in book 2, was not an issue.
Enjoyable, fast paced and action packed. Another beaut from Reintgen.
A fantastic adventure set across two worlds, the magic system grew with the characters and although it was the Phoenix Horses that drew me to this duology, the fact that they weren't as prominent in book 2, was not an issue.
Enjoyable, fast paced and action packed. Another beaut from Reintgen.
December 12, 2021
I’M HERE FOR THE COVER.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Shamelessly read this duology based off of the covers because they’re GORGEOUS. Yes yes, I’ll also discuss the book too.
This one surprised me! Based off of how Ashlords went down I was imagining many scenaries for book two. And pretty much none of those happened. Blood Sworn turned in a different direction and plot then expected. I was confused at first if I was going to like it, but by the end was happy with how things worked out.
I love the multiple POV’s here. Getting an angle from each different group in the empire. This is a HIGH action book where every chapter something is going on. Whether fighting gods, kinsmen, or arguing over how to save the world. I really enjoyed this on audio and was able to keep pace with everything happening.
The romance was a bit of a let down. If you’re going to add it then it needs more than a few pages in the entire series dedicated to it. Otherwise the focus could be placed in other ways. It was cute at the end seeing some HEAs. Even if I wanted to see more of their connections throughout.
This duology wrapped up well. I don’t remember any specific things that were left too open-ended. Those got what was coming to them, and things seemed to be looking up at the end.
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult fantasy
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: skirmishes, battles, war, murder
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Shamelessly read this duology based off of the covers because they’re GORGEOUS. Yes yes, I’ll also discuss the book too.
This one surprised me! Based off of how Ashlords went down I was imagining many scenaries for book two. And pretty much none of those happened. Blood Sworn turned in a different direction and plot then expected. I was confused at first if I was going to like it, but by the end was happy with how things worked out.
I love the multiple POV’s here. Getting an angle from each different group in the empire. This is a HIGH action book where every chapter something is going on. Whether fighting gods, kinsmen, or arguing over how to save the world. I really enjoyed this on audio and was able to keep pace with everything happening.
The romance was a bit of a let down. If you’re going to add it then it needs more than a few pages in the entire series dedicated to it. Otherwise the focus could be placed in other ways. It was cute at the end seeing some HEAs. Even if I wanted to see more of their connections throughout.
This duology wrapped up well. I don’t remember any specific things that were left too open-ended. Those got what was coming to them, and things seemed to be looking up at the end.
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult fantasy
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: skirmishes, battles, war, murder
July 3, 2022
You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Overall
I whipped through the first book and absolutely could not wait to pick this one up. I knew that’d happen, so I’m kind of glad I waited until I had both to read them together.
Blood Sworn is an absolute roller coaster of emotions, with action and plot twists that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s an all-out war of strategy and one-upmanship with squad vibes, found family, and brutal gods.
The way the first book ended meant this could pick up with a bang, and it carried through with that rush and excitement all the way until the very end. I don’t even have words to tell you how much I absolutely loved this duology! I’m already looking forward to a re-read.
My Thoughts
- Gone are the young, naive characters from the first book who thought all they had to do was win a race. Ha, as if things would be that easy! I loved the character growth in the first book, but Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa find themselves in a whole other world in this one. Literally, but also figuratively. During Ashlords, Pippa viewed The Races as almost her birthright, Imelda as a way out of poverty and servitude to the upper classes, and Adrian as a chance to reclaim the honor for his people. In so many ways, these are actually the same perspectives they take about the war, too.
Remember that storm metaphor from the first book? Well, don’t worry, it’s still here, and the storm becomes both literal and figurative at the same time, and our three protagonists are swept up and sometimes overwhelmed by it. The plot of this book speeds forward at break-neck speed, so it’d be easy to get overwhelmed, but I thought this really highlighted the stress and chaos of war. There was so much urgency in this book, from three different perspectives, each with three different goals, but when the three points of view eventually meet up? Perfection.
- The world-building in this book is absolutely *chef’s kiss* and I just can’t get enough of it. In some ways, it puts the dark in dark fantasy, because this time around, readers get to experience the Underworld and the gods. There are brief mentions of the gods in Ashlords, and I did say I wanted more focus on the world outside the races, and boy does Blood Sworn provide that! This world is dark and unyielding, forged on so many layers of secrets that hardly anyone remembers the truth anymore.
If you were curious about the taste of the gods we get from the first book, you’ll be happy to know that we get to learn about the gods in depth in this book. Or maybe not, because these gods are … not exactly someone I’d want to meet in a dark alley. Or a light alley. Or at all, if I’m honest. The gods live in the Underworld, and in previous wars, they turned the tide of wars in favor of the Ashlords. So of course it’s expected they’ll do the same in this war. But even gods have secrets and ulterior motives, and war is raging in the Underworld, too.
- There are so many moral dilemmas in this book, and I appreciated each and every one of them. You might know by now that some of my favorite books are ones that make you really think. The theme of this book is really learning to question what you assume to be truths. After all, history is written by the victors, right? I think that’s a sentiment we can relate to because it happens in the real world, sometimes to similarly devastating results.
Our three young protagonists are really forced to question what they assume to be true and right and come into themselves as far as what they want their world to become. I’m going to admit, I’m not always one for the teens saving the world trope because it feels overblown a lot to me, but in this particular world and setting? It makes perfect sense. These are teens who have been groomed for war, taught how to fight, told not to question anything and do their duty. As you can imagine, the realities of war aren’t as neat and easy as studying strategies on paper, and Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa are forced to come to grips with the realities of their world and what that means for each of them.
- There are plot twists galore in this book. So. Many. I squeed more than once because of how perfect some of the reveals were! The way the world is fleshed out in this is just wonderful. Ashlords provides the readers a limited glimpse of the world, but it sets the stage perfectly for Blood Sworn to come in and sweep you away. Every time I thought I understood An Important Fact™ about this world, it was challenged. I was kept on my toes the entire time, trying to unravel what was real and what was fabricated.
As you might imagine, the gods and even the underworld itself are not as they seem. There were some pretty heavy hints about this in the first book, and they really come to fruition here. Untangling the truth is anything but easy, though, and gods are hard to topple … right? Combine all the secrets with the fact that this is war and our point-of-view characters are not only leaders but strategists and it’s easy to see why some of these plot twists might catch a reader by surprise! Even the ones I semi-expected, I didn’t completely predict, and I for one absolutely love not knowing exactly how something will end.
Many thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Overall
I whipped through the first book and absolutely could not wait to pick this one up. I knew that’d happen, so I’m kind of glad I waited until I had both to read them together.
Blood Sworn is an absolute roller coaster of emotions, with action and plot twists that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s an all-out war of strategy and one-upmanship with squad vibes, found family, and brutal gods.
The way the first book ended meant this could pick up with a bang, and it carried through with that rush and excitement all the way until the very end. I don’t even have words to tell you how much I absolutely loved this duology! I’m already looking forward to a re-read.
My Thoughts
- Gone are the young, naive characters from the first book who thought all they had to do was win a race. Ha, as if things would be that easy! I loved the character growth in the first book, but Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa find themselves in a whole other world in this one. Literally, but also figuratively. During Ashlords, Pippa viewed The Races as almost her birthright, Imelda as a way out of poverty and servitude to the upper classes, and Adrian as a chance to reclaim the honor for his people. In so many ways, these are actually the same perspectives they take about the war, too.
Remember that storm metaphor from the first book? Well, don’t worry, it’s still here, and the storm becomes both literal and figurative at the same time, and our three protagonists are swept up and sometimes overwhelmed by it. The plot of this book speeds forward at break-neck speed, so it’d be easy to get overwhelmed, but I thought this really highlighted the stress and chaos of war. There was so much urgency in this book, from three different perspectives, each with three different goals, but when the three points of view eventually meet up? Perfection.
- The world-building in this book is absolutely *chef’s kiss* and I just can’t get enough of it. In some ways, it puts the dark in dark fantasy, because this time around, readers get to experience the Underworld and the gods. There are brief mentions of the gods in Ashlords, and I did say I wanted more focus on the world outside the races, and boy does Blood Sworn provide that! This world is dark and unyielding, forged on so many layers of secrets that hardly anyone remembers the truth anymore.
If you were curious about the taste of the gods we get from the first book, you’ll be happy to know that we get to learn about the gods in depth in this book. Or maybe not, because these gods are … not exactly someone I’d want to meet in a dark alley. Or a light alley. Or at all, if I’m honest. The gods live in the Underworld, and in previous wars, they turned the tide of wars in favor of the Ashlords. So of course it’s expected they’ll do the same in this war. But even gods have secrets and ulterior motives, and war is raging in the Underworld, too.
- There are so many moral dilemmas in this book, and I appreciated each and every one of them. You might know by now that some of my favorite books are ones that make you really think. The theme of this book is really learning to question what you assume to be truths. After all, history is written by the victors, right? I think that’s a sentiment we can relate to because it happens in the real world, sometimes to similarly devastating results.
Our three young protagonists are really forced to question what they assume to be true and right and come into themselves as far as what they want their world to become. I’m going to admit, I’m not always one for the teens saving the world trope because it feels overblown a lot to me, but in this particular world and setting? It makes perfect sense. These are teens who have been groomed for war, taught how to fight, told not to question anything and do their duty. As you can imagine, the realities of war aren’t as neat and easy as studying strategies on paper, and Imelda, Adrian, and Pippa are forced to come to grips with the realities of their world and what that means for each of them.
- There are plot twists galore in this book. So. Many. I squeed more than once because of how perfect some of the reveals were! The way the world is fleshed out in this is just wonderful. Ashlords provides the readers a limited glimpse of the world, but it sets the stage perfectly for Blood Sworn to come in and sweep you away. Every time I thought I understood An Important Fact™ about this world, it was challenged. I was kept on my toes the entire time, trying to unravel what was real and what was fabricated.
As you might imagine, the gods and even the underworld itself are not as they seem. There were some pretty heavy hints about this in the first book, and they really come to fruition here. Untangling the truth is anything but easy, though, and gods are hard to topple … right? Combine all the secrets with the fact that this is war and our point-of-view characters are not only leaders but strategists and it’s easy to see why some of these plot twists might catch a reader by surprise! Even the ones I semi-expected, I didn’t completely predict, and I for one absolutely love not knowing exactly how something will end.
February 27, 2021
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This a was awesome. I wasn't sure how this was going to play out after Ashlords ended. Ashlords was more focused on the races, where this is focused on the aftermath and the political unrest that was hinted at in the first book. Much like in Ashlords the story is told from the perspectives of Pippa, Adrian, and Imelda who each have an important role to play. War has been brewing for a very long time between the Ashlords and the Longhands with the Dividians caught in the crossfire. Our three leads learn the many secrets of the long standing hatred between their people in an unexpected place, the underworld and home of the gods. As they learn more, they uncover the solution to ending the war between their people for good.
I really love this series. Our three main characters are faced with alot and they quickly have to grow into leader and guide their people to victory whether they want to or not. They have to unravel the clues that are left for them in order to build a better world for their people. We do get quite a bit of character development from each of the, but I loved Pippa's transformation the most. Her persona from the beginning of book one to the end of book two was awesome and unexpected. Unlike in book one we don't get as much of the alchemy and phoenixes. The phoenixes are still a part of the story, but their rebirths and the alchemy surrounding their abilities isn't discussed in much detail in this installment. The focus is on the action of the characters and the strategies they are developing and the decisions they are making in the course of the war. I feel that is worth mentioning because it is a bit of a different focus from the first book. It also slows down the pace a bit because there is lots of strategizing and discussion vs action. There are some great action scenes in this, but it isn't the same as the fast paced action as in the race.
Overall I loved this duology and can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next. His books are so creative and unique! This is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, An Ember in the Ashes, and other darker or dystopian YA.
This a was awesome. I wasn't sure how this was going to play out after Ashlords ended. Ashlords was more focused on the races, where this is focused on the aftermath and the political unrest that was hinted at in the first book. Much like in Ashlords the story is told from the perspectives of Pippa, Adrian, and Imelda who each have an important role to play. War has been brewing for a very long time between the Ashlords and the Longhands with the Dividians caught in the crossfire. Our three leads learn the many secrets of the long standing hatred between their people in an unexpected place, the underworld and home of the gods. As they learn more, they uncover the solution to ending the war between their people for good.
I really love this series. Our three main characters are faced with alot and they quickly have to grow into leader and guide their people to victory whether they want to or not. They have to unravel the clues that are left for them in order to build a better world for their people. We do get quite a bit of character development from each of the, but I loved Pippa's transformation the most. Her persona from the beginning of book one to the end of book two was awesome and unexpected. Unlike in book one we don't get as much of the alchemy and phoenixes. The phoenixes are still a part of the story, but their rebirths and the alchemy surrounding their abilities isn't discussed in much detail in this installment. The focus is on the action of the characters and the strategies they are developing and the decisions they are making in the course of the war. I feel that is worth mentioning because it is a bit of a different focus from the first book. It also slows down the pace a bit because there is lots of strategizing and discussion vs action. There are some great action scenes in this, but it isn't the same as the fast paced action as in the race.
Overall I loved this duology and can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next. His books are so creative and unique! This is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, An Ember in the Ashes, and other darker or dystopian YA.
February 16, 2021
3.5
Blood Sworn begins a few months after the end of Ashlords. The war that the Longhands wanted is happening. Imelda along with the other Dividians are forming their own troops to fight for their own revolution. Adrian is leading his own troops against Pippa's. As the war carries on, a secret the Ashlords have been hiding comes to light and instead of giving them answers, it serves only to bring more questions.
I think the concept of the gods and the phoenixes are really interesting and I wish that that was the main focus of this book. However, it really focused on the three main characters Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda. While I don't think they're necessarily dull or boring characters, I couldn't help but feel like I didn't want to keep reading Adrian and Pippa's perspectives. I really liked Imelda's perspective because it did delve a little more into the behind the scenes and showed more of the gears on how the gods worked. I think it was really cliche to have Adrian and Pippa fall for each other. I would have preferred to see a different relationship form between two different people.
Back to the concept of the gods. It was so interesting to see how the gods had convinced the humans that they had no power over them, but as the story progressed, we see that that was a complete lie. The folklore and the past relationships between the gods and the humans was what really kept me going in this book. I thought the most interesting god was the Butcher and his collection of dead humans and animals from the different centuries that he lived through.
I received a copy from Crown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blood Sworn begins a few months after the end of Ashlords. The war that the Longhands wanted is happening. Imelda along with the other Dividians are forming their own troops to fight for their own revolution. Adrian is leading his own troops against Pippa's. As the war carries on, a secret the Ashlords have been hiding comes to light and instead of giving them answers, it serves only to bring more questions.
I think the concept of the gods and the phoenixes are really interesting and I wish that that was the main focus of this book. However, it really focused on the three main characters Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda. While I don't think they're necessarily dull or boring characters, I couldn't help but feel like I didn't want to keep reading Adrian and Pippa's perspectives. I really liked Imelda's perspective because it did delve a little more into the behind the scenes and showed more of the gears on how the gods worked. I think it was really cliche to have Adrian and Pippa fall for each other. I would have preferred to see a different relationship form between two different people.
Back to the concept of the gods. It was so interesting to see how the gods had convinced the humans that they had no power over them, but as the story progressed, we see that that was a complete lie. The folklore and the past relationships between the gods and the humans was what really kept me going in this book. I thought the most interesting god was the Butcher and his collection of dead humans and animals from the different centuries that he lived through.
I received a copy from Crown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2022
5.0
My words cannot fathom how beautiful a world that Scott Reintgen made. And then he had the audacious nature, to destroy it. His main characters, beautifully written, keep the book moving and twisting and developing. Id give this book a 5 stars based on the world building alone. Even with a terrible authors hand. Luckily, I don't have to. The 5 stars are well deserved in all matters of story telling. The story is riveting and watching these deep characters remake their world is awe inspiring. My only qualm is that there isn't more. I wish there was more. (please TV or Movie makers, bring this fantasy to life. I beg of it) That being said, I find it tasteful that the story wasn't extended for purpose of books. The pacing is perfect. I'm sure there are holes in the telling's, but I honestly don't care. The small punctures of a perfect story is only human nature and that of a fantastic author to create something so well rounded in all aspects of story telling. That being said, this book feels more young adult than the first, despite the different nature of plot. If you like young adult novels, then by all means, you'll greatly enjoy this. If you don't I can assure you the plot is mature and bold. I will recommend this book and the predecessor to anyone, ANYONE, who enjoys fantasy. Its that beautiful of a story.
My words cannot fathom how beautiful a world that Scott Reintgen made. And then he had the audacious nature, to destroy it. His main characters, beautifully written, keep the book moving and twisting and developing. Id give this book a 5 stars based on the world building alone. Even with a terrible authors hand. Luckily, I don't have to. The 5 stars are well deserved in all matters of story telling. The story is riveting and watching these deep characters remake their world is awe inspiring. My only qualm is that there isn't more. I wish there was more. (please TV or Movie makers, bring this fantasy to life. I beg of it) That being said, I find it tasteful that the story wasn't extended for purpose of books. The pacing is perfect. I'm sure there are holes in the telling's, but I honestly don't care. The small punctures of a perfect story is only human nature and that of a fantastic author to create something so well rounded in all aspects of story telling. That being said, this book feels more young adult than the first, despite the different nature of plot. If you like young adult novels, then by all means, you'll greatly enjoy this. If you don't I can assure you the plot is mature and bold. I will recommend this book and the predecessor to anyone, ANYONE, who enjoys fantasy. Its that beautiful of a story.
June 10, 2025
Ešte som vydržala, kým všetci dobojujú a porazia posledných mocných, kým odhalia tajomstvo svojho pôvodu a získajú nečakanú pomoc. Ako sa ich cesty na konci prvého dielu odchýlili, tu sa znovu stretávajú a ide im o veľa. Aj keď ma spočistku viac zaujala Alchymistka, ostatné postavy dostali nemenej priestoru a držala som im palce. Síce som sa nedozvedela viac o osudoch tieňovej Quinn, no aj bohovia mali potenciál, hoci v podstate boli pomerne slabí. A ako ich hlušili jedného za druhým, bolo to až k uzúfaniu nudné.
Ako nakoniec skončili revenanti nevieme, ani či smrť fénixov opakovane nebolí, alebo zato je tu vysvetlené cestovanie medzi dimenziami a význam darovanej krvi, a aj prečo musela Pippa potrestať svojho otca (hoci mama bola viac desivá). S mierne utopistickými predstavami zatváram knihu a už sa v tom rýpať nebudem. Chcem si pamätať ten pocit zadosťučinenia, keď deti prerástli svojich rodičov a rozhodli sa pre lepší svet…
Ako nakoniec skončili revenanti nevieme, ani či smrť fénixov opakovane nebolí, alebo zato je tu vysvetlené cestovanie medzi dimenziami a význam darovanej krvi, a aj prečo musela Pippa potrestať svojho otca (hoci mama bola viac desivá). S mierne utopistickými predstavami zatváram knihu a už sa v tom rýpať nebudem. Chcem si pamätať ten pocit zadosťučinenia, keď deti prerástli svojich rodičov a rozhodli sa pre lepší svet…
December 23, 2020
5/5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the early e-galley.
I read Ashlords as an ARC and fell in love with the story and the idea of the horses. The rave in the first book was a huge source for action and tension in the book, so I wasn't sure how fast paced Blood Sworn would be. Scott Reintgen definitely managed to deliver another fast paced book. In the first book the idea of rebellion and war is barely on the table, but in this book war is the main force behind everything until our main characters Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian work to change the world. I didn't see the turn this book had coming or the ending. I honestly still haven't read the synopsis but this was an ending I'm 100% happy with.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the early e-galley.
I read Ashlords as an ARC and fell in love with the story and the idea of the horses. The rave in the first book was a huge source for action and tension in the book, so I wasn't sure how fast paced Blood Sworn would be. Scott Reintgen definitely managed to deliver another fast paced book. In the first book the idea of rebellion and war is barely on the table, but in this book war is the main force behind everything until our main characters Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian work to change the world. I didn't see the turn this book had coming or the ending. I honestly still haven't read the synopsis but this was an ending I'm 100% happy with.
November 23, 2020
Blood Sworn is the second book in the Ashlords duology and friends, it did not disappoint. It starts shortly after the first book in a world at war. I loved diving deeper into each of these characters and see their stories becoming increasingly intertwined. We get a lot of backstory on the gods which was super interesting. There was a twist that was absolutely fantastic and overall my hopeful idealistic heart is so happy. This is incredible YA fantasy with so much heart and nuanced with commentary on our world today. Be last half was binge worthy. Totally satisfying conclusion yet I don't want to leave. 💜
Full RTC
Full RTC
Read
May 8, 2021Page 291and I am forcing myself to keep on reading even if I don't feel it. So I am sorry but this is gonna be a dnf.
The pacing is off, it drags and then some things feel very easy, as finding the alchemy to cross to the underwolrd, or having Quin there to bring Pippa... Which I guess is how she crossed... And as she had that guy's blood in her hands oncr I guess this is how he crosses?
I don't know if it was never fully explained or if it was me disconnecting from the book.
The first one was okay-ish, and I told myself depending on how I enjoyed this one I would keep reading this author or not. I really enjoyed his Nyxia series, but seems like I am getting stuck on the newer things he is writing...
The pacing is off, it drags and then some things feel very easy, as finding the alchemy to cross to the underwolrd, or having Quin there to bring Pippa... Which I guess is how she crossed... And as she had that guy's blood in her hands oncr I guess this is how he crosses?
I don't know if it was never fully explained or if it was me disconnecting from the book.
The first one was okay-ish, and I told myself depending on how I enjoyed this one I would keep reading this author or not. I really enjoyed his Nyxia series, but seems like I am getting stuck on the newer things he is writing...
December 1, 2020
I loved the first book in this series and was excited when this one was approved. This cover is so gorgeous and the story was even better than book one. I enjoyed the round robin flow of the POVs it really worked with the pacing of the story. I loved all the backstory that we got in this one and the characters shine even more. I loved every page and I wished it was going to be more than just two books.
did-not-finish
April 4, 2021Just not my cup of tea. This ended up being too much on the fantasy side rather than like the Hunger Games feel the first book had.
But thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy!
I LOVED the Nyxia books by this author and will gladly move on to his next books, if he chooses to go back to sci-fi!
But thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy!
I LOVED the Nyxia books by this author and will gladly move on to his next books, if he chooses to go back to sci-fi!
started-but-didnt-finish
August 20, 2024I'm sorry, I can't.
I hate books about war and my sister said that there was more than just war in this book....50% through, I believe she is lying.
Other than war, some princes show up, an unexpected pair kiss once, and . Unfortunately those three tiny instances of non-war content are not enough and I will not be continuing this book.
I hate books about war and my sister said that there was more than just war in this book....50% through, I believe she is lying.
Other than war, some princes show up, an unexpected pair kiss once, and . Unfortunately those three tiny instances of non-war content are not enough and I will not be continuing this book.
December 18, 2020
Bloodsworn // by Scott Reintgen
When I first saw this cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, I didn't really have a choice of course. I was THRILLED when my request was approved and promptly used it to buy the first book of the series, which has a cover that is just as amazing. I can't wait to eventually have both of these on my shelves.
I already said it in my review for Ashlords but I have really struggled with YA books this year so while I was very excited about reading this series, I was also a little nervous as well that maybe my expectation were a bit too high going in. Thankfully that was not true at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and having them available back-to-back was a great plus. Neither one is extremely long, which made for a few fun low-stress days. While I generally like sweeping epics with highly detailed descriptions, it was also a nice breath of air to not have that in this series. Just like book 1, Bloodsworn was packed full with action. There was enough description to easily be able to picture the worlds above and below, but not enough to slow you down and keep you in one spot for too long. Most of the chapters are relatively short, which has you feeling like you're moving at a crisp pace as well. This is not to say that anything feels rushed but rather that this is a book that has constant movement and never leaves you yearning for more action.
While there was not a whole lot more that we learned about the magical system, we did get to see a few more applications of it that were really fun. It did surprise me that sometimes the opposing side was surprised and unprepared for certain attacks as you would think that after having phoenix horses for multiple generations, their utilization would be more studied and prepared for. But overall, the battles were still interesting and fun. While sometimes situations seemed a bit too easy to get through, once you think about it more deeply, it does work well with the history of the populations to work out the way it does.
The multiple point of views continued the same way as in book 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed the cleverness of the author in this later on. While I struggled a bit with the 2nd person POV in book 1, it really ended up growing on me and I did not have any issues at all with it this time. I loved being able to see the war from each characters' view, especially once things got a little more heated and delicate. Several times did I find myself doubting what I was reading because I couldn't fathom the characters acting a certain way but eventually, everything came together perfectly. I am impressed at how well Reintgen played the characters off each other and kept me guessing throughout again and again.
While I personally would have loved to find out much more about this world and especially the phoenix horses, this series is a solid 4 star read for me. I find this a fun read for adults and also very appropriate for YA readers as it has some great themes that can encourage great conversations. I'm not a huge fan of perfect endings and love that this one leaves room for imagination and growth for its characters. Since this is a duology and we won't hear how the characters fare beyond the ending, it does show that things don't always have to be perfect down to the last little detail to be better than before.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw this cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, I didn't really have a choice of course. I was THRILLED when my request was approved and promptly used it to buy the first book of the series, which has a cover that is just as amazing. I can't wait to eventually have both of these on my shelves.
I already said it in my review for Ashlords but I have really struggled with YA books this year so while I was very excited about reading this series, I was also a little nervous as well that maybe my expectation were a bit too high going in. Thankfully that was not true at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and having them available back-to-back was a great plus. Neither one is extremely long, which made for a few fun low-stress days. While I generally like sweeping epics with highly detailed descriptions, it was also a nice breath of air to not have that in this series. Just like book 1, Bloodsworn was packed full with action. There was enough description to easily be able to picture the worlds above and below, but not enough to slow you down and keep you in one spot for too long. Most of the chapters are relatively short, which has you feeling like you're moving at a crisp pace as well. This is not to say that anything feels rushed but rather that this is a book that has constant movement and never leaves you yearning for more action.
While there was not a whole lot more that we learned about the magical system, we did get to see a few more applications of it that were really fun. It did surprise me that sometimes the opposing side was surprised and unprepared for certain attacks as you would think that after having phoenix horses for multiple generations, their utilization would be more studied and prepared for. But overall, the battles were still interesting and fun. While sometimes situations seemed a bit too easy to get through, once you think about it more deeply, it does work well with the history of the populations to work out the way it does.
The multiple point of views continued the same way as in book 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed the cleverness of the author in this later on. While I struggled a bit with the 2nd person POV in book 1, it really ended up growing on me and I did not have any issues at all with it this time. I loved being able to see the war from each characters' view, especially once things got a little more heated and delicate. Several times did I find myself doubting what I was reading because I couldn't fathom the characters acting a certain way but eventually, everything came together perfectly. I am impressed at how well Reintgen played the characters off each other and kept me guessing throughout again and again.
While I personally would have loved to find out much more about this world and especially the phoenix horses, this series is a solid 4 star read for me. I find this a fun read for adults and also very appropriate for YA readers as it has some great themes that can encourage great conversations. I'm not a huge fan of perfect endings and love that this one leaves room for imagination and growth for its characters. Since this is a duology and we won't hear how the characters fare beyond the ending, it does show that things don't always have to be perfect down to the last little detail to be better than before.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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