Article contributed by Yakira Goldsberry
Right from the start, Blood Sworn is packed with action and intrigue. The story picks back up with Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian months after the end of Ashlords and the bloody war that rages across the known lands. Things have turned darker and much more mysterious as the gods come into play.
Out of all the characters, I’d have to say that I’m extremely loyal to Imelda. I don’t know why but she’s my absolute favourite. Maybe because of her love of the magical, mystical ashborn horses. As a horse-lover myself, I would be totally content with reading an entire book of Imelda travelling across the known world into unknown territories in search of new ingredients to create new horses. I mean, come on, all possibilities are endless! But also because of her steady character, and how she never changes throughout the books. She remains clever, quick-witted, and wild to the core.
Okay, I do like Adrian as well. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and a good sense of when to fight and when it’s better to not. Pippa, however, I felt it harder to connect with. Maybe it’s the point of view the author chose, or her somewhat uppity, snobbish ways, I don’t know. But while I didn’t really like her all that much throughout Ashlords and most of Blood Sworn, she eventually grew on me.
Reintgen’s world building is amazing. While the first book centered around the races and the war brewing just beneath the surface, Blood Sworn starts out with the rebellion well under way and the three main characters each in a different position during the war. But as things progress, Reintgen subtly brings in more and more worldbuilding until an explosive truth is revealed and everything known is turned on its head, giving the world a surprising amount of depth and realism.
But all of this world building brought on a much darker edge to the story, and everything just suddenly switches in the middle of the book, as new evidence on the gods comes to light, something that makes Pippa and Adrian see everything from a new perspective. At first, I had no idea how I felt about the sudden change, but then things started to make sense and I got caught up in the wild battles and interesting turn of events. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Greek mythology, I did like the subtle hints Reintgen added, as it seemed he pulled much of his inspiration for the people and the gods from it, while still staying true to the world and its unique features.
Reintgen’s prose is wonderfully beautiful, with sharp sentences and an excellent use of words. I grew sort of jealous of his amazing word mastery, but I digress. Reintgen’s talent is something to be admired, and I hope to one day be able to write like him.
Despite all of this, I found it hard to really get into the story until about one-third of the way in. I found myself constantly putting the book down, as something about it didn’t quite catch my attention. While there were battles and mystery, I felt it moved a tad too slow for my liking, taking too long to get to the meat of the story and the shocking turn of events. Still, it was interesting enough to keep me reading, until it really hooked me in the middle of the story.
Overall, I’ll give Blood Sworn 7/10 for just wonderful worldbuilding and a beautifully climactic ending. Blood Sworn is the amazing ending to a beautiful duology perfect for fans of horses and stories that take you beyond what was originally laid out.
Blood Sworn is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 16th 2021.
Will you be picking up Blood Sworn? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Three cultures clash in all out war–against each other and against the gods–in the second book of this fantasy duology that’s sure to capture fans of The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes.
The Races are over. War has begun.
Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It’s life or death.
Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin point: the gods.
Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?
