Reviewer: Ryan O’Boyle
Book: The Blood Trials
Author: N. E. Davenport
Blood drives magic for Ikenna Amari and those born with the blood-gift in The Blood Trials, by N. E. Davenport. A 19 year old Ikenna must navigate a world in which her war hero grandfather has just passed. Racism abounds as the Mareenians hold power and prejudice against the darker skinned surrounding territories. In a technologically advanced fantasy world, power, rebellion, hope and treachery reign. She must keep her blood-gift a secret as well as attempt an exceptionally perilous journey to become a Praetorian. An elite soldier in the Republic of Mareen. Accomplishing this will allow her to hunt for evidence of her grandfather’s murderer’s and bring them to justice. Hell bent on vengeance and blinded by rage, she rushes headfirst into this danger. Her two best friends join her in her quest to become a Praetorian, each to help their own houses and further their own futures. Great hazard besets Ikenna at every turn, and she must use her years of training along with her blood-gift to get through the perilous trials that await her.
An impactful story blends such complicated issues seamlessly into the struggles of a teenager desperate to prove herself. Thrills and chills blanche every page. Intense subject matter and an even more active escalation of events for Ikenna leads the reader on an up and down roller coaster that runs the gamut of emotions. The conjunction of other-worldly profanity and familiar curse words made it relatable and fantastical at the same time. I couldn’t put the book down. Natural interactions and dialogue from the characters grounded the book nicely. The world building helped sell intrigue and kept me invested and wanting the second book to come out immediately. Davenport crafts a nifty novel with a relatable tapestry of real life corollaries. A breath of fresh air and mixture of science fiction and fantasy fiction, The Blood Trials is a must read.