There are stories in this world that brim with power. Stories that bear the harsh realities of the world and its inhabitants, but also show that people can be so much more than what they’re expected to be. I started this book, and found myself rooted to the very spot I started it in, and didn’t stop until the very end. Every turn of the page I found myself trapped within the pages of a cruel world that places people into intolerable conditions to make them heartless, but found myself facing a young woman who refused to give up. A young woman who faces betrayal head on, and rather than admit defeat, she gets angry. She’s a young woman fuelled by rage, and by the end of this book, Sloane will be unforgettable. You’ll want this on your shelves, I guarantee.
Sloane is a Scion, a young woman with Orisha power flowing through her veins. She’s able to incinerate anything at will, but it’s a power that will get her killed in her world. Under Lucis rule, she and her mother have had to hide who she is in order to survive. When she’s conscripted as a soldier, she’ll have to conceal her power, or risk death if found out by Lucis soldiers. However, she’s presented with an opportunity to infiltrate her enemy, and crumble them from within. As she rises through the ranks and gains strength, she’ll have to remember not to lose herself to the monster they want her to become.
From the start, this book is fraught with tension. Sloane is desperately searching for her mother who has disappeared, but she and the people of her village are closely monitored and swiftly punished for any perceived wrongdoing. If you’re looking for a story that eases you into some pretty intense situations, this is not the book. There’s no shying away from the atrocities being committed to Sloane, her family, and the people of her village. If you’re sensitive to themes of abuse, murder, assault, cutting, and torture, then you’ll want to approach this book with a bit of caution. With that said, I absolutely think that everyone who can read this, should do so. There’s so much I want to say, but for the sake of not spoiling the story I will move on.
Let’s talk about characters for a moment. Sloane is incredible. She’s a young woman who’s faced so much, and yet still finds it within herself to care. Over the course of the novel, we see how her circumstances are doing their very best to strip her of her humanity to turn her into a monster. I think despite everything, I stuck with her until the very end. While Sloane is the focus of this book, I do want to point out that Deborah Falaye has not underwritten any characters here. Every single character she puts on the page is there for a purpose, and does so in a way that will sear them into your memory for the course of the book. Teo, Omari, and Malachi, Olympia, Luna, and SO MANY MORE. I cannot wait to see the fanart that will emerge.
In terms of worldbuilding, the only word that I have is: WOW. Not only do we have cultural background, but history entwined with how the magic of the Scions came to be. There’s the tale that the oppressors have spun to justify the way they rule, and what the rebellion is fighting for. There are power struggles that go beyond what’s on the page, and I cannot wait to find out what’s going to happen next. There’s so much more to uncover about the Scions, and what it will mean for Sloane’s journey.
Of course, I can’t not talk about the romantic aspects of this book. It’s like a poisonous flower…beautiful to look at, but dangerous. Sloane is playing with fire, and she might be the one who ends up burned. At the same time, there’s some serious angst going on as well, particularly toward the beginning of the book.
What really stuck with me as I read this book were the emotions that Falaye evoked as I read. Rage, desperation, sadness, determination, and passion, but also love and caring. Nothing about this book is easy to read, and oftentimes, several emotions are being evoked at once. There is no doubt that this story was crafted in such a way to forge a connection with readers that will stick with them long after the book is over (for now, at least).
I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon, and I have to say that for me, it’s undoubtedly a 10/10. I’ll repeat myself again. You’ll want to have this on your shelf.
Blood Scion is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Blood Scion? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, this deeply felt and emotionally charged debut from Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone that will utterly thrill and capture readers.
This is what they deserve. They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created.
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.
Wonderful review! 💕
I’m glad you enjoyed it but I’m also super jealous.. I’ve wanted to read this one since I first saw it!