Blood, Fire & Mercy

Da'Valia Trilogy #2

by Christina Davis

18-year-old thief Neva Roberts has been living on the run since absconding with the Eye, a powerful piece of the greatest weapon ever created. But she's running from more than just the Da'Voda clan's cold-hearted ruler. She has exiled herself to a barren land, alone and far from everyone she loves, trying to forget the pain she caused.

When Trinizhi's squad of assassins catches up with Neva, her life on the run comes to an abrupt end, and the ultimate betrayal is unveiled. Only one person - Astiand - knew where she was hiding. One thing is for certain: he’ll pay when she sees him again.

With the help of Emiliand and a new Djinn friend, Neva will return to her homeland for the job of a lifetime. Burdened by her past and up against impossible odds, will she be able to forgive herself in time to win the race for the Sword of Elon?

Genres: Fantasy

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2021

About the author

Christina Davis spent countless hours with a flashlight under the covers as a child and started writing books as a preteen.

Her books feature strong female heroines, and the Da'Valia Trilogy is her debut series.

She is an alumna of San Jose State University and lives in rural California with her family. She writes every chance she gets.

Reviews

[Christine Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah, blow me away and put out the fire this book was BOMB. I was lucky enough to get an audiobook code from the author in exchange for my review and I do so willingly with HIGH AF praises.
This novel began right where 1 ended, Neva now into her powers and more the mysterious Eye she ascertained somewhere in the precious novel. After exiling herself she met some amazing friends along her travels. I think I loved this more than book 1, mostly because this was less world building and more action, dragons, magic and betrayals.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you love SMJ and High Epic YA Fantasy.

[Leah Dynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in this series. The storyline and the characters are all so great, i would definitely recommend it.

[Raemonah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm ready for a fight if you are

OK OK OK, not gonna lie, I was kinda worried about reading this book since I was reading the digital version and get distracted easily BUT I ended up absoultly loving it in the end. Defently considering buying the physical copy once it comes out.

Blood, Fire, and Mercy is a great book if you're looking for a medium paced fantasy adventure read. There's all the fantasy components you need: magic, dragons, weapons, and epic fight secnes. Neva is a half Da'Valian and half-human (you already know it's a good book if it has original races) thief who's been tasked with the greatest challenge yet, break into a dragon infested island and steal the Sword of Elon.

Can't wait for the third book of this series!!






**** BIT OF SPOILER****
Loved the addition of Neva's new crew to the mix but poor Warbler😭why is it always the animals

[Shrinidhi Dharap · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝ No matter what I do” he raised his hand and gently caressed her neck, “you may soon be the death of me, Nevazhi.❞
- Born at Dawn (The Da’Valia Trilogy, #1)

5 reasons to read Blood, Fire and Mercy⭐️
1. adventure- I cannot emphasise enough how much adventure is stored inside these 2 books. the book transitions into so many different planes and it took me along everywhere, I could taste the salt in the summers, feel the cold in glacier pass , be afraid of storms in the deserts! 🏔

2. world building - since it’s upper YA, i obviously expected high world-building and Christina didn’t disappoint! there’s much information and it’s safe to say I was dissolved. somewhere it strongly resembled of ketterdam from six of crows and black cliff from an ember in the ashes, so if you’re looking something similar, I recommend this! 😍

3. characters: before getting into my fave astiand, mari and neva. let me tell you, this book has it ALL. cursed horn creatures, mages, djinn, assassins, thieves, magical- mystical objects, dragons and more! 🗡🔮

4. tropes- haha my favourite part! so there’s you-tantalise-me-but-I-fell-in-love, chosen one (not over done) and love triangle, found family [MY FAVOURITE], heist and adventure! 😳

5. plot: honestly this trilogy sounds very promising, the plot sounds original. i really want book 3 to be in my hands book 1 is my favourite with suspense and thrill. book 2 is bit slow placed in start but things get fasten later on. 💯

MARI is my favourite character, didn’t expect it knowing she’s a djinn lol but I think we could be nice friends only if she doesn’t feed on my emotions😩 astiand, he gets on my nerves totally. i mean just kill the monazhi and be with my neva girl???? nevazhi, oh gosh oh god. girls with daggers strapped on thighs, throwing knives? take my money. take em

rating: 4/5⭐️
TW: blood, blood and gore.

[Sam Everard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic follow-up to Born at Dawn, which in and of itself was a huge surprise for me. I had not been expecting such a rich and well-developed world from an author's debut novel, and was thoroughly captured by the story at the time.

"I want you to think real hard about what kind of person you want to be. The kind no one would risk their necks for - or the kind they would risk everything for?"

Blood, Fire and Mercy was an equally enjoyable ride, with an incredible amount of action from the first page and a slew of interesting new characters to be swept away by. While I truly wish the Davis would lean a little more into the romance of the story (as it barely brushes with the idea of a slow and reluctant burn), she filled the pages with such fantastic banter and partnership between these new faces that it was easily forgiven. Mari is such a creative addition, and a new favorite for me (second only to Neva herself), though I'm secretly hoping that many of the others will still have a role to play going forward.

With so much story left to tell, and Neva giving quite the tease at future events, I'm eager to see how the next steps in her mission unfold.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Review for the whole series)

This was so good, as in I'm-on-vacation-and-struggling-to-put-it-down-and-go-outside good! (yes, honestly!)

Davis brought this adventurous world to life so well! I cheered for Neva and the Dragonslayers (those guys are so wholesome!), I shipped Emiliand and Neva, I cringed at Trinihzi and her antics, and I enjoyed the plot twists.

Just a few things made me uncomfortable, and if you're a more sensitive reader like me I just wanted to let you know: a very long, passionate kiss in book one (I skimmed over it; pretty sure they were seconds away from ripping clothes off XD) and a brief bedroom scene in book three (not sure how graphic; I skipped over it without missing much plot). It's not focused on the romance, so if you are concerned you won't get enough action- don't worry, you will see plenty!

Just a heads up that there are a lot of names to keep track of, although there are just six-ish that you need to make sure you remember!

Thank you, Christina, for the early copy! Bon Appetit!

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, man this one with so much better than the first book. Mind you the first book was great! I cannot wait to figure out what is going to happen with Neva!! This one is about what happens to her after the first book and all I got to say is it is way more action-packed but way more emotional. I loved it so much I cannot wait for the third book. I'm about to just start it right now cuz I need to know what happens!!! Read the book series it's really good for young adults book!! Plus I also love the letters that are before each chapter because it brings you more into depth with other characters during that time where you don't think about it. So instead of getting a chapter or two you learn more about these characters all the time and it actually brings more into view when you read more into the book!

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters & settings were interesting & imaginative. While it gives a recap in the beginning, I made the mistake of not having read the first book so I felt I wasn't as invested in the story. It was another fantasy that I liked, but I found it a little hard to really get into the story.

I want to thank @tbrbeyondtours & @christinadaviswrites for the eBook. And even though it wasn't my favorite, I still want to include a few quotes from the book that I found to support the overall feel of the book.

"I'm ready for a fight if you are"

"Sorry for what? […] Sorry for lying to me? Burning me to a crisp? Or abandoning me when things got tough?"

"Can a dragon by outrun?"

"It's all alright. I understand....if your afraid."

"Who are you? You can call me the Lynx"

[Seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I don’t love this one as much as the first, I’m intrigued. The fact that we now know what happed between Astiand and Trinizhi is fairly interesting, and that he’s just as trapped as Neva in other ways.
I’m also glad that Neva is coming to terms with her own abilities instead of being so frightened by them, and I loved the crew on the island! I will be reading the next pat of this series because I am fairly invested in what happens!

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for a chance to read and review this book!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Blood, Fire & Mercy by Christina Davis(Da'Valia Trilogy Book 2) though bookfunnel and am now reviewing. I definitely enjoyed and recommend. In this book Neva has been on the run since she got the Eye, a piece of the greatest weapon ever created but after Trinizhi's squad of assassins catches up to her the running comes to an end. However the adventure doesn't end there. This book, along with book 1, are available on Amazon.

[Jean Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the storyline and the characters were really complex. Definitely would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy/adventure style books with a bit of romance. I’m probably going to reread it like seven times!

[Chloë · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have absolutely loved both books of The Da'Valia Trilogy so far.

I love that readers are provided with answers and context, yet kept equally in the dark by other aspects of Neva's story. I look forward to seeing how she will escape the blood contract and what comes after!

[Natalie Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I fell in love with the characters in the first book and was so excited to get a chance at book 2. And I love the story line even more and can’t wait for book 3 and Neva’s life continues!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters and everything that happens. I definitely got involved and wished the story would never end Love everything by this author.

[Jenn Prior · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line and characters were well developed. I would recommend to people looking for a fantasy book that includes adventure and a little romance.

This book is part of a series

[Bookish Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I loved Born at Dawn... until I read this one! What a journey! I can't even put into words how much I love this world 🖤

[Lana | Libraryofabibliotaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to Born at dawn continues at the same level, with a lot of action, new characters, and more of the world to be discovered.

I really liked the letters at the beginning of each chapter, they provide you with more insight into the past and the present. They fit perfectly within the rest of the story and are a real added value. Neva’s journey continues to keep you hooked, she is confronted with new challenges, friends and foes, a dangerous quest where she might find more than she was looking for. Just like the first book, this one contains everything that a fantasy book should have too. The only reason I liked it a little bit less than book 1 is because of the Dragonslayers. Found family is one of my favourite tropes, but for some reason this gang didn’t succeed in winning me over. I would have liked to see a bit more of the Da’Valia (and Astiand and Emiliand in particular) in this book instead. But I’m sure the next book will have all the elements I like. Hence 4/5 ⭐

I listened to the audiobook of this one, the narrator did a good job, just like with the first one. Especially the action scenes are great to listen to.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review.