A brilliantly ambitious debut novel full of action, betrayal, and devotion
—Amanda Khong, Bookish Brews
Bookish Brews Snapshot
The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport
In an attempt to uncover the secrets surrounding her grandfather’s murder, Ikenna joins the Praetorian Trials, in which only a quarter of aspirants survive, but soon finds out that there are more secrets than she initially thought.
📖 Couldn’t Put It Down 🏆 Strong Woman Lead 🎲 Plot Twists 🛸 Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Book Review
Action-packed, nuanced, smart, heartbreaking, vengeful, ambitious
The Blood Trials caught my eye initially because of the strong cover but I was drawn in instantly by the strong female main character, Ikenna, and her struggles trying to survive in a difficult world. The world that Davenport creates is full of politics, history, betrayal, magic, and action. It will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time and keep you guessing until the very end. The Blood Trials is a stunning debut from a wonderful new author. I can’t wait for book two!
Ikenna has one person in her life that keeps everything sable, her grandfather. He raised her and trained her in secret to be an expert martial artist and, even more secretly, to harness her blood gift. After her grandfather is murdered, Ikenna is bent on revenge and discovering the truth of what happened, so she pledges herself to a deadly initiation test that only a quarter of aspirants survive, The Praetorian Trials, where she is positive she will find answers. Is it worth risking it all to find out who murdered her grandfather? What buried secrets will Ikenna discover on her mission for revenge?
While reading The Blood Trials, I found my heart aching for Ikenna. I related so much to the constant pressure and deep desire to live up to her grandfather’s expectations to break the chains of generational poverty but constantly feeling like she is failing to do so. The weight on her shoulders, as a recent graduate, to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps for the chance to become a legacy line, so it will be easier for the next generation, broke my heart. So many people from underrepresented groups feel this weight every single day and it can be absolutely crushing. There is a real tension between what you want to do with your life and what will be best for generations to come and Davenport takes this deep pain and pressure and replicates it so well in an entirely different world. The deep burden, expectation, and legacy that Ikenna carries will resonate deeply with so many readers, myself included. It made me connect instantly with Ikenna.
The most important piece from this book that resonated with me so deeply was how much of a discussion there was on the challenges of attempting to fix systematic failures from the inside. Davenport perfectly tackles this issue from so many sides, but I loved the deep look into how it affects someone personally. Readers are able to see the personal challenges that come with working alongside people who have betrayed you and people who do not support you. There is a constant internal battle between knowing you are in the best place to make a difference, the pain of working with people who could be your enemies and struggling to know if you are even going in the right direction. Davenport wonderfully portrays an incredibly nuanced society and characterization in this stunning debut novel.
The Blood Trials is an ambitious debut by N.E. Davenport had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and constantly guessing. This story beautifully tackles some difficult themes that resonated with me deeply and imagined the main character that I fell in love with.
