Blood River Blues

Nanshe Chronicles #2

by Jessie Kwak

An epic race to an enigmatic treasure? The Nanshe's on it.

When a ghost from Lasadi’s past hires the crew of the Nanshe to find a crashed plane with mysterious origins, they take the job despite the troubling client. The good news? The cover story is Lasadi's childhood dream: flying in the Liluri Star Run, a wildly popular off-the-grid race through the Liluri Mountains.

Soaring through emerald jungle canyons in search of their prize—and the fabled Blood River—this job has the potential to do more than net these five misfits a payday. It could turn them into a real crew.

If the Liluri Mountains—and the crew's lingering secrets—don't devour them first.

Blood River Blues is the second book in the Nanshe Chronicles, a series of fast-paced sci-fi capers full of lovable misfits, non-stop action, and just plain fun.

Genres: Science Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2022

About the author

Jessie Kwak has always lived in imaginary lands, from Arrakis and Ankh-Morpork to Earthsea, Tatooine, and now Portland, Oregon. As a writer, she sends readers on their own journeys to immersive worlds filled with fascinating characters, gunfights, explosions, and dinner parties. When she’s not raving about her latest favorite sci-fi series to her friends, she can be found sewing, mountain biking, or out exploring new worlds both at home and abroad.

She is the author of supernatural thriller From Earth and Bone, the Bulari Saga series of gangster sci-fi novels, and productivity guide From Chaos to Creativity. You can learn more about her at www.jessiekwak.com, or follow her on Twitter (@jkwak).

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book begins right after the first one in the Nanshe Chronicles had ended. The writing is smooth. Characters are all known to us and already they are very close to the heart in Firefly-esque pattern. The narrative flows fast. But this book was far less enjoyable due to two main reasons. They are~
1. Despite the author repeatedly rubbing it in during the events of the first book as well as all of Lasadi's remembrances, the traitor in the team— as large and as easily identifiable as the elephant in the room— took 240+ pages to be revealed.
2. Suddenly Lasadi— a matured, proud and capable leader— comes out as a vulnerable fangirl. This shocking drop in her performance, to quote Murderbot, and the incredibly blase creepiness of said traitor throughout each and every scene, make the work difficult to be taken seriously. It became cartoonish.
Come on, author! I expect better from you. Don't let me down when I approach the thrid book in the series.

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second adventure in the Nanshe Chronicles takes place mostly off the ship and on a planet. When Lasadi mysteriously disappears with the Nanshe, Raj, Jay, Ruby, and Alex follow her to Raj’s home planet Indira. She has been drawn back into the orbit of her ex-lover and ex-commander Anton, who has a job for her—fly in a high-profile air race as cover for retrieving a lost artifact in the jungle that could benefit the local rebels in their fight for independence. Lasadi’s just the pilot for the job, but Anton’s presence upsets the trust that has been building among the crew. Tensions are high with everyone crammed into a plane and flying a perilous course through canyons and jungle.

I really enjoyed seeing the strong new connections growing in the crew of the Nanshe: Raj with Jay, Lasadi with Ruby, all of them with Alex. And the will-they-or-won’t-they romance between Lasadi and Raj continues to simmer and spark. They have good reasons to keep it slow-burn, but it’s as frustrating for the reader as for them! So it’s fitting that this book is all about trust: can Lasadi trust Anton? Now a senator, he is as devoted to their cause as ever but seemed to throw Lasadi under the bus when he thought she was dead. Can she trust Raj, who fought for her enemy and has family high up the ranks? What about her fellow pilots in the race, or her navigator, hand-picked by Anton? And what’s really out there in the jungle on the River of Blood?

Recommended for readers who enjoy a good space caper romance.

[The Book Worm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood River Blues is book 2 in the Nanshe Chronicles series and closely follows book 1 (Ghost Pirate Gambit). Actually, I'm starting to think the four books in the series are more like episodes (each with a different adventure) of the same story rather than separate stories.

I honestly didn't like this second book as much as I liked the first one. First, there's almost zero space adventure included. The plot takes place mostly planet-side and apart from a few minor details, it doesn't feel so much like science fiction. In addition, all the politics involved are complicated and confusing.

Also, at some point I felt sorry for Raj. In book one there was a tiny hint of romance between Raj and Las and in Blood River Blues it's clear that Raj wants to deepen their relationship, but Lasadi keeps putting him down. I honestly didn't like her all that much in this book (and not just because of Raj).

As with the previous book, the end of Blood River Blues paves the road towards the next story so while Blood River Blues cannot, in my opinion, be read as a stand alone, it's almost impossible not to want to move ahead towards the next book.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite authors and series from 2022! The Nanshe Chronicles follow the adventures of Lasadi and her crew of accomplices on the not-quite-pirate ship-but-definitely-less-than-legit vessel Nanshe as they ping from caper to caper across known space.

Volume 2 sends the Nanshe-ites (is that a word? should it be?) to the Liluri Star Run, an air race through a remote area -- and a race in which Lasadi has dreamt of competing for years. As ever, though, what seems like a good opportunity is more complicated that that...

Kwak has constructed an expertly-drawn and lovingly-rendered set of characters, done solid world-building, and overlaid it all with creative plot twists and fun, precise and vivid writing.

[C.A. Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood River Blues is the second book in the Nanshe Chronicles by Jessie Kwak. As in the first book, the chapters are written from Raj and Lasadi's POVs. Instead of a haunted space station, this story takes place in the Liluri Mountains with its foreign jungle canyons.

It's another page-turner, very exciting, and unpredictable. The characters are so colorful, entertaining, and relatable. The scenes are vividly described.

Lasadi has been hurt before and has learned to put up walls to keep others out. Where Lasadi has hard edges, Raj's are soft, especially where Lasadi and the crew are concerned.

Some of the themes include trust and found family. It pulls on your heartstrings as you adventure with the crew, as they face danger and betrayal. I enjoyed this story so much that I didn't want it to end. Where will the next adventure take them?

I received an ARC. My review is voluntary.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story even more than the first one in the new Nanshe Chronicles series (and the first one was awesome). This time Lasadi’s new crew comes looking for her when she disappears. They find her and end up taking a job that will allow Las to fulfill a childhood dream, flying in the Liluri Star Run, a legendary race through mountains and jungle canyons. The job is difficult, but ends up even more so when treachery and deceit rears its ugly head, but if this new crew that’s just learning to trust each other can stick together, they’ll get through it all stronger than before. With lots of action, mystery, excitement and betrayal, this is a story I couldn’t put down until the wonderful conclusion. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this excellent series.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the jungle! This fun new adventure takes the Nanshe crew onto a fast-paced treasure hunt with a strong Indiana Jones-y vibe (mysterious clues! dastardly rivals! double crosses and betrayal!).

I also enjoyed learning more about both Lasadi's and Raj's respective back stories, the consequences of which keep spilling over into their current lives. And even though their pasts are not making it easier for this new-found crew to trust each other, they manage to work together (well, sort of, mostly, anyway...) and form stronger bonds during this new quest.

I love how this crew tackles all the challenges that are thrown their way, and I hope we will get to follow Lasadi, Raj, Jay, Ruby, and Alex along on many, many more adventures!

5/5 x-marks-the-spot stars

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review. I really enjoyed this book, a little bit Raider of the Lost Ark mixed with some Star Wars plus something all of it's own. An Alien treasure hunt, an air race, betrayal by a trusted friend and some real character development as the crew comes together and gels as a unit... and even a hint of romance! Plus we find out more of the crew's back story, and it end's with a teaser for their next adventure.... which I can't wait to read, this series just keeps getting better.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as much as book 1 in the "Nanshe Chronicles" series. Lasadi and her crew have been hired to find a crashed plane. In order to hide their real plan, Lasadi and her crew entered into a starship race. The characters were fun and complex. The plot was intriguing. The author's descriptive phrases painted movie scenes within my imagination. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. J. S. Arquin's narration was entertaining. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Heather Texle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun read centering around a spaceship race. We see the crew of the Nanshe still in the process of coming together. They aren't quite a well-oiled machine yet, but they're getting there. The found family vibes are strong in this series, and I'm rooting for them all the way! The race part kept the action moving along, and we're also treated to some larger politics in the Nanshe universe that I'm hopeful we'll get to explore more in future books. Very enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to starting book 3.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and exciting romp with Raj, Lasadi, Jay, Ruby, and Alex. Read it in a day - to be fair, it was laundry day where I justify reading all day between loads. I honestly would go straight to the next book except I have a book from the library that I need to read.

This story goes to Raj's planet - but not where he's from. Anton, Lasadi and Jay's old commander has a job for them. So it's a caper during a race with politics and growing friendships.

Has a diverse cast with good LGBTQ+ representation.

[Dipankar Bhadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood River Blues is the second book in the Nanshe Chronicles series. It's more about politics on a planet than adventure in space. This time, Raj wants to be closer to Las, but she keeps pushing him away. The story ends with a hint of what's to come in the next book. It's not as exciting as the first book, but still sets up for the next part of the series.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plucky crew go after their Captain after she was… I want to say tempted into a trap by an old ally? The ally wants her to pilot a ship in a local point to point race known through out the galaxy. But Lasadi will have to enter under an assumed name, given her history.

But she’ll do it.

And the crew is gonna follow her.

4 stars

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book in this series, lots of action, twists and turns, intrigue and romance what else could you want. The world building continues with a new jungle location and a new character tries to unstable the relationships of the new crew of the Nanshe. I look forward to their next adventure.

[M.J. Blehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action, adventure, and engaging story and characters

This series is so much fun. The characters, the situations, the crew forming. I'm looking forward to the next book. Fans of Firefly and The Expense will love this series.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, fast-paced story. It maybe would have been nice for the reveal to have a surprise to it, but I didn't mind it. As with the first, there were incorrect non-adverbs again in several spots, which felt distracting.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good second episode in the Nanshe Chronicles. Las and Raj are still hesitant but the crew is coming together. I'm really enjoying how this series adds to the world created in the Bulari Saga.

[L.G. Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a really fun story that's wonderfully well written. Blood River Blues is a fantastic continuation of The Nanshe Chronicles. Fans of The Expanse will really enjoy this series 😃🙏🏽📖

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of adventure and a bit of mystery while getting to know the characters better.