The House of Dragon Blood

Runed #1

by B.C. FaJohn

A WORLD TORN...
To be forgotten was inevitable, but to forget was not an option. A world once forged in fire and ice was now nothing more than violence carved from myth, but when a legend resurfaces and threatens the makeup of magic, time, and morality, a group of mages must act before their world crumbles to ruin.

A BOND TESTED...
Cateline, a since forgotten princess turned amateur mage, and Varin, a warrior with no fight to lead, must band together and choose between two sides. To believe in and fulfill a prophecy was heresy, and could cost them the world as they knew it, but to side with humanity and prevent a war of supernatural powers was an impossible task.

However passionately they may loathe each other, through their strife they find the line between hatred and love is thinner than they would have ever imagined.

AND A LIAR EXPOSED...
After surviving journeys of love, loss, and agony, this group of unlikely allies must decide the lesser of two evils and fulfill their promise. But, when a liar emerges, it pushes the boundaries of newfound love and resurrects dreadful rage that could turn the tides.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks, Romance, Dragons, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction, High Fantasy

524 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2022

Reviews

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking job of immersing readers in this incredible Y/A fantasy novel.
FaJohn begins this novel with Cateline and Varin. Cateline is a mage and Varin a warrior, both from two different warring kingdoms.
Together a mixture of romance, mystery, magic, and an occasional dragon is introduced in the book.
Fajohn’s writing style might be unusually different, however it is most intriguing.
This book was thoroughly enjoyed, and felt the ending was the most amazing part. Leaves the reader absolutely yearning for more and looking forward to the next book.
Great Job!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathtaking YA Fantasy

Started the novel and could not pull my eyes away from it. Pulled an all nighter to finish it. Kept saying “after I finish this chapter.” 👀 you can see how that went.

Disclaimer:
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jess Suits · Rating 5 out of 5]

"His eyes darted to the sword, which remained unwavering, unmoving, unyielding."

**I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

yes, yes I know I'm late, but I needed to gather my thoughts for a few days to encompass the beauty that is B.C. FaJohn's debut novel. No words that I have can do it justice, but I'll try my best to deliver.

The House of Dragon Blood feels like the next Game of Thrones, in the best way possible.
We have everything fantasy needs: blood magic, dragons, political intrigue, lies and betrayal, prophecies, fights to drool over, a good enemies to lovers subplot and, I can't stress this enough; dragons. (Yes it's in the title but it's still worth a mention). FaJohn's writing style is something to look out for, something immersive and captivating.

This is the first book in The Ruined Series and thus it sets up a lot of worldbuilding but it never fails to balance itself out with intricate writing, beautiful scenery and characters to die for.
We follow Cateline and Varin, two people who couldn't be any more different yet so complex and fascinatingly layered, on their journeys through rumination, while getting to know a world to let yourself sink into.

B.C. FaJohn is definitely an author to watch, and that ending?? has me foaming at the mouth for the second, third and however many other books may come our way

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book! Such a good read with beautiful details and story. It had an amazing way to keep me fully hooked through each chapter and wanting the story to continue. I felt emotionally invested in the characters which is something I truly enjoyed. Highly recommend!

[Belinda Clemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just really good. The Journey with Caitline, a long forgotten Princess turned Mage and Varin a Warrior, to fulfill a prophecy that could bring their world as they know it to ruins or save it from the war coming between supernatural powers was set up quite nicely each scene was vivid and you could just see everything that was happening in your head. The plot and characters just flowed and I had fun reading this book.

[tasmia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading The house of dragon blood, I started at 3am and pulled an all nighter because I was so intrigued🫣

The only reason why I couldn’t finish it in one sitting was because I became very sick, otherwise this is definitely a book you can read in a day!!
I finished it this morning at 4:00am and let me tell you, it’s worth sacrificing your sleep (even twice)

From the moment I saw a TikTok about this book on my for you page, I was HOOKED. I (obviously) took the opportunity to sign up for an ARC, which I received! (woooo!!) So thank you to Brianna for the ARC.

If you’re interested in magical book full of mages, fae, dragons, elves & many twists, this is for you! (Tbh even if you aren’t, you should still give this a go) - I always avoided books about fae, even acotar and the cruel prince BUT there was just something about this I loved.

There were SO many moments which made me want to scream in frustration- for example all interactions between the 2 main characters. I was really rooting for them😭😭😭 3

AND I love how it wasn’t predictable.
spoiler - skip this paragraph or read at ur own risk:

why has varin not gone home yet? adeline?? is roen good or bad?? why did seraphine help them escape aiora?? what’s happened to varin’s family??

There are SO many questions you can ask throughout the book.

It’s also very well written; it feels like you’re in the story itself, experiencing everything with the characters. I was very very very sad when Varin had to face that loss, it felt like I was right there, experiencing all his pain and sadness with him. Same with Cateline, poor girl has endured SO much. She’s lived a life of neglect, lies & betrayal and you wonder, when will she get a break?

Lastly, description is amazing, I loved everything about the settings, especially the ‘sparkly lake’ - it created such a beautiful image in my mind. I had a clear picture of all the scenes which made this so much more enjoyable. Sometimes in books, it’s hard to picture scenes because there’s never enough description but this was perfect.

This is a very fun & fascinating read which leaves the reader engrossed from the very beginning.
It hasn’t even been released yet and I’m already yearning for book 2😭😭😭😭😭

I would continue but I hope this is enough to persuade you to read 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

As an aspiring author, you’re an inspiration Brianna!
I hope this book gets the attention it deserves.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The House of Dragon Blood by B.C. FaJohn, Princess Cateline from a kingdom who despises magic, comes into power. She is pushed into a world that hates her very being, and must learn to overcome personal struggles, figure out who she is, all the while trying to save the world. There may also be a dragon… Varin, a mercenary from another kingdom finds out he too has magic. Finding friendship, meaning in life, and the truth he works with his friends to keep those he loves safe. Together, along with others, they must figure out the real evil and maybe fulfill a prophecy or two. There is also a hot morally gray prince that makes you question if you should find him attractive or not…

Overall I loved the book! The book is fantasy. The characters are well built, as is the world. Brianna put a lot of thought into the plot, world, characters, and it shows! Many times I found myself mentally and emotionally engrossed in the story and crying with the characters. It kills me reading morally gray characters, or someone you suspect to be against Cateline and Varin (*clears throat* a certain mystery sister, maybe even head of the academy? Or maybe I am far too suspicious of everyone from prior book history haha). The only thing that was tough for me was in the very beginning getting a hold of the writing style. And leaving me on a cliffhanger. I can not wait for the second book!!!

I definitely recommend this book for young adults and up, anyone who is a fan of fantasy, magic, mythical creatures, prophecies, enemy to love tropes, and more! I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

[Lauren Fit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I volunteered/signed up for a Advanced Reader Copy of this book and just finished it today.

It was definitely an interesting read. I would say it’s fantasy with a subplot of romance. There was not a whole lot of romance in it and didn’t really start touching it until it got closer to the end. But let me tell you! When it did actually have romance in it, it was good! I love the banter and flirting and the teasing. I’m hoping there will be plenty more in the second book!

The style of writing took a min for me to get used to. I think I finally got used to it completely by the middle of the book and I will admit I skimmed through some pages here and there that I struggled to pay attention to. Other than the writing style and some boring parts here and there, this was a good read!

One part that stuck out to me was
“Your purpose is what you make of it, Irisa. Grow, learn, and master your own fate.” - The House of Dragon Blood

Another cool thing to note for myself personally was that my name was in this book. It’s rare to see a Lauren in fiction, so that was definitely a plus.

Overall I give it a 3 out of 5!

[Hannah K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book and I have really enjoyed reading it and getting to know the characters. I am only part way through currently but am thoroughly obsessed. I can't wait to continue the journey with Varin and Cateline and the rest of the characters! Such a fun read :D

[Pauline Sallee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was enticing, then became hard to put down. Loved the characters. But felt a little let down at the ending. I know the idea was to take you to the next book. But the ending of this book needs to make sense. There were too many times towards the end when I said What? Why? Certain things that should be explained are not. Reasoning for conflict between some characters is never made clear when there should be some kind of reasoning. So, it was moving along to be a 5 star until the last chapter.

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was told this book would be an adult slow burn but… it didn’t give a spark. I still don’t know who is meant to fall in love with who. We get dual POV (in omniscient) but there is absolutely nothing between them… there was so much that happened in a single book that I was getting whiplash with how fast this book changed. So much with no detail made this convoluted.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent high-fantasy and storyline. The characters immediately drew me in and I'm fully invested in seeing where they go next! It would have been interesting to learn a bit more about the magic system and Cateline bonding with Scintilla.

[Savanah Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just meh for me. It felt slow moving with not a lot of character development. I did NOT like Varin or Aiora. Nothing really compels me to read the second book, but I might. I did love Thaddius!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took over a month to read. Felt like a chore. Found it very confusing there was too many “she” and “he” in scenes, you wouldn’t know who was going where.
FMC is a PINTA
Editor was obviously on annual leave the amount of errors in this book was baaaad.

[NerdyBookFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars out of 5

**I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

I went into this not knowing what to expect - I didn’t read the synopsis. I saw the word ‘Dragon’ and immediately went “I’m interested!”. If you’re reading this review around the same time as being spammed with advertisements for George R. R. Martins “House of the Dragon”, the only thing these two stories have in common is their badass names. I think this world fits more in line with drawing inspirations from The Elder Scrolls video games and the Eragon series. With that said, I loved 99.9% of the novel - one paragraph I hated, but I’ll detail that later with a spoiler note. I can’t wait for the next novel, and FaJohns advertisement for alpha readers suggests that this series is going to become way more adult and spicy really quickly! *crosses fingers* Without that warning I would have thought this was a young adult series.

-Dragons
-Enemies to Lovers (well, enemies to friends, to enemies, to gimmebook2!)
-Secret Past
-Blood Magic
-Dragons

House of the Blood Dragon is the first in B.C. FaJohns “The Runed Series” and does a lot of world building to set the series up. It starts off about 3 years in the past to set up a few events for the reader to understand the characters' history, and build their characters before we jump to the present times. By the time the story jumps to the present, we will be introduced to Lord Varin, Thaddius, and Princess Cateline. We will be familiar with the Kingdom of Axulran, a militaristic and hateful kingdom with a cruel king. We’ll be introduced to Yulia, where Lord Varin hails, and it’s involvement in the war with Axulran, and we’ll be introduced to the ‘Empire of Wisers’ and the Kingdom of Tragburg, where magic is accepted and the story primarily takes place.

When we get to the present, we primarily follow Princess Cateline Bennett, the hidden princess to the Kingdom of Axulran. She’s relatively naive, ignorant, and uneducated on just about everything. She hails from a kingdom that hates magic, elves, and anything that isn’t human. While she isn’t of the same beliefs as her father and has her own opinions, she sometimes shows characteristics that remind you where she comes from. She has no social skills, whether with other royalty or other races and it shows. She’s been hidden away her entire life with few friends and no socialization. And being uneducated in magic and other kingdoms, she often finds herself being tricked and mistreated. All in all, she isn’t a Mary Sue and has a ton of growth that needs to be done. She isn’t stupid though, when her story starts to take off, she’s no longer in Axulran and plays it smart to be on the down low and hide her identity. She is in enemy territory after all.

Occasionally we transition to the POV of Varin, an arrogant and guarded mercenary. His one goal is to be left alone and take care of his family. You learn really quickly he’s in Tragburg to learn how to control his powers as quickly as possible so he can return to his family and protect them in the event Axulran invades. You receive insight on his views of the mysterious and probably lying Cateline. He’s the character with the one paragraph I mentioned earlier, and the next paragraph won’t have any spoilers if you want to skip ahead - **Minor Minor spoiler alert - I disagreed with him sleeping with Adeline because I’m over here hoping he and Cateline get close and it made me sad and hurt. Even more so when you know who Adeline is to Cateline. Maybe it’s part of one of the many twists this series has. Anyways, now I’m Team Roen.**

Over all, the book is a lot, there’s massive world building, and for a book setting up the rest of the books there’s a ton of lies and secrecy, politics, war, magic, dragons, assassination attempts, magic fights, beginning of romances, prophecies. I’m invested in this world, the characters, and the future of the kingdoms. I lost sleep staying up for the book, not helping when I'm trying to fix my sleep schedule! I’m looking forward to book 2.

[K.J. Burrage · Rating 5 out of 5]

BC FaJohn has done a wonderful job with the first book in her series. She brings together a world full of strife with colourful characters some that you'll love and others you'll love to hate. There are a few characters I am not sure how I feel about by the end of the book. It'll be interesting how some of the unanswered questions will be explained in the next books.
The main POV come from Varin and Cataline, who have very different backgrounds from each other. I would have liked a touch more explanation of what happened to Varin from the beginning to the character he was in part 2. I can imagine he was under a lot of strain, but felt I was missing a little something.
BC FaJohn has an interesting writing style and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book to find out what happens next.
Their was a touch of romance - and I would say 'not really spicy' but the series has potential to heat up later if that is what the author is going for.
Although, can I cheekily say I'm shipping two characters that I think aren't going to end up together... LOL
** Please note I was given an ARC copy in exchange of an honest review.**

[Jazmyn Mizzero · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re ure interested in a magical book with mages, fae, dragons, and the occasional elves and lots of twists , this book is definitely for you! There sas many moments in the book where I wanted to scream in frustration (the interactions between Varin and Cateline, also with Aiora. I also love how it was unpredictable. I didn’t see the twist coming and I love when a book catches me off guard. I would skip the next paragraph if you haven’t read it yet.

I do have some questions though, Why was Varin in such a rush to go home but hasn’t gone home yet? Is Adeline really Cateline’s sister? Is Roen good? Why did Seraphine help them escape Aiora?

Its very well written. Brianna makes you feel like you’re in the story and experiencing everything the characters are feeling. I was very sad when Varin had to face that loss and made me feel like i was going through that loss. Same with Cateline living a life of neglect, lies and betrayal. When will it stop? 😭

Description is AMAZING. I loved everything about the settings especially the description about the dragon and the ‘sparkly lake’ - created a very clear picture in my head of all the scenes in this book! I loved it!

[Bound & Tempted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like traveling through a portal to a new world. Well then this is the book for you. Once you start reading you won't be able to put down. The story follows along with two mages and their journey to complete the Firstborn Prophecy. Are they be able to put their differences aside in order to complete the tasks?

World Building 4/5 Throughout the story we travel to various places. Each different place was given a description that allowed you to Imagin what that place/village looked like. The longer and MC stayed in the location, the more descriptions that we received, and a better picture was developed.

Character Building 5/5 I felt really connected to the MCs as well as the background characters. They description on their appearance allowed you to get an image of what they look like. The characters development also allowed you to watch them grow and learn from their past.

Story/Plot 4.5/5 WOW they story, and plot is amazing. Two MC, Two POVs and multiple character development, and a story that sucked you in and wanted you to keep reading. There are so many twists and turns, that kept you so interested.

Spice 3/5 There was some tension and some scenes towards the end, but it really was not a spicy book, and I did not expect it to be.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, I could not put it down. The tension between characters, plot and adventure kept you intrigued and wanting to find out what happens. But the ending OMG, we are left with a cliffhanger and cannot wait to start the second book.

[Chaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this book, I couldn’t put it down! The beginning was really intriguing. Towards the middle I started losing interest, but the ending picked back up for me again, and I’m excited for the second book!
The world-building is detailed and interesting, but the politics and magic system were hard for me to follow at times. The characters have personality and seem to be on the right track for awesome character development.
The biggest drawback for me was that the majority of this book seemed like it was just laying groundwork for the rest of the series. This isn’t a bad thing— I’m sure the sequels will get better and better as the story progresses! However, we needed some action and adventure while the groundwork was being laid. I found myself getting more and more bored waiting for the plot points. I love foreshadowing, but instead of getting questions and answers, I had questions, and then more and more questions. I’m hoping things will be more explained and detailed in book two!

Also, I need more of Prince Roen IMMEDIATELY. 😩

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not often have the time or inclination to read high fantasy but this book was an an exception. The world building was extremely well done in which you still learn about the world without feeling the weight of the knowledge. The Female main character is very sheltered in the beginning of the story and she has so much to learn throughout the book. It is hard for her to figure out who to trust and most of what she knows to be true is actually a lie. This story is a larger book but it is a absolute page-turner that is hard to put down. The Male main character has his reasons for everything that he does. He has a purpose and he is just doing his absolute best but will it be good enough. I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy readers out there. There is war and strife, stolen royals, family secrets, and so much magic.

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole book screams fantasy and you shouldn’t expect anything less. The plot was easy to follow and it never felt rush, which I really liked. I’ll admit it was a little hard to get into at first due to the writing style; but it truly does grow on you and you won’t want to put it down once you get going. You’ll be hooked!

My heart breaks for the FMC due to her having to deal with all the negative emotions and the feeling of being unwanted. The bickering between characters from a romance stand point was exactly what you’d expect in a YA novel. The world building and the character development were really good. You can tell a lot of thought went into to it all.

The ending twist of a certain character coming back (who I have a feeling is going to be trouble for the FMC) just adds to the cliffhanger! I can’t wait until the second book comes out, to find out what happens next.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this richly imaginative high fantasy story of warring kingdoms, mages and magic a new and satisfying chronicle has entered the fantasy genre.
Abundant in strongly evocative writing and an evenly paced story enticingly gathered around a large and compelling cast of characters the reader is kept mesmerized and engaged as events unfold.
There is intrigue, surprise twists and a little romance populating the pages of this very riveting narrative which made it a very enjoyable first book that will surely continue to be an absolutely grand adventure as the storyline advances.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley Plaisance · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one has some good ingredients so I really tried to give it a chance. It set up lovable characters and an interesting conflict to resolve, but all of the important bits were executed in a choppy and confusing manner.

Relationship dynamics especially tend to spring up out of nowhere and lack development. Character motives were confusing and inconsistent. The plot seemed to jump from big moment to big moment without much direction in between, and the world-building was too grand to make that an effective form of storytelling.

I think this could have been shaped into something great with some more robust editing. It had potential!

[Celest Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

When given the opportunity to read an ARC book, I was just honored to be able to do it. The House of Dragon Blood is such an amazing fantasy book. I am at a loss for words for this book. I was sad at some points and felt so angry for the characters at other parts. My brain was in this world with these characters and I felt like I was living along with them. All I want to do is read more from this fantastic new author. She is an inspiration t[ those of us who only dreamt about writing. I can not wait for your next book B.C.FAJOHN. Thank you for bringing such an emersive world to us.

[Batwoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I have found a new favorite fantasy. This book hooks you right off the back and has to binge reading it. Til you reach the end and are begging for book two. I absolutely loved this book and it’s characters. I loved learning about this new unique world. This amazing adventure keeps you on your toes. I loved not being able to see the twists coming. I very highly recommend for fantasy lovers!

[Kiki ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the writing in the book! It really pulled you into the building lore of the Rune series!

Sometimes that slow pace really is the best! I loved how we are slowly moving through the plot, but at the same time we are going through a lot of emotions and moments with the character!

I usually pick at the world building of books! However, the story is thorough and really sets those foundational pieces as it world-builds!!
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Genre: YA

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book was very good enjoyed this one. Wow again for this one was full of action intrigue and emotion with intriguing characters. Must read the next one I recommend to everyone to get into this series its fabulous and amusing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aja · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a little bit of a slow start but when it picked up, OMG! It was so good! The action, the adventure, the characters! It's like SIM meets game of thrones. 10/10 recommend! The journey of Cateline and Varin, two people from different lands come together to save magic from the evil king! I won't spoil anything, you just have to read it to find out! Can't wait to read the next book!

[Sonjie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want high fantasy this is the book for you. Ms. FaJohn takes her time to develop a world and characters that are immersive and intriguing. While it might be a bit of a slow start, you realize it’s because you’re getting to really know these characters and their journey really sets up for great things in the next book.

[Karesha Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing story. It’s a beautiful written novel that has all you want in a YA romance fantasy novel. Although the romance is defiantly a slow burn in this book, it’s worth the wait. You meet the morally gray character that puts your emotions through the ringer. I cannot wait for book 2.