#Blogtour The Complete Fairy Stories of Oscar Wilde illustrated by Philippe Jullian

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Complete Fairy Stories of Oscar Wilde illustrated by Philippe Jullian.

‘The complete collection, first published in 1952 with exquisite illustrations by the celebrated artist Philippe Jullian, republished in a beautiful giftable edition.’  

About the Author

Born in Dublin in 1854, Oscar Wilde was an Irish wit, playwright and poet best remembered for his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and his social comedies including The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He published two volumes of beloved fairy tales. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd, and his two sons were born in 1885 and 1886. Wilde died in Paris in 1900.

About the book

For nearly 150 years, the classic fairy stories of Oscar Wilde have been cherished by readers of all ages. Rediscover all nine of the stories first published in The Happy Prince and other stories (1888) and A House of Pomegranates (1891) in this beautiful new edition of Duckworth’s exquisite 1952 complete collection, featuring intricate illustrations by the celebrated twentieth-century artist and aesthete Phillippe Jullian, and an afterword by Wilde’s son Vyvyan Holland.

Review

I’ve read Wilde’s fairy stories before, quite often actually. Personally, I think they are exquisite, although Dorian Gray tends to get more attention overall, these are such memorable and often emotional stories. They are drawn from the ingrained folklore and stories Oscar grew up with. This is the 1952 edition republished, it contains beautiful illustrations by Philippe Jullian.

There is an afterword – a critical note – written by Wilde’s son Vyvyan Holland, which gives insight into the inspiration behind these fairy stories. It might have made more sense to put it in the front, however this way you experience the story and draw your own conclusions. Either way it’s a fascinating insight.

It’s evident in these stories how deeply Wilde was able to connect with the emotions of his fellow humans, especially with those they like to keep hidden away from the world. He lays bare the vulnerability, the harsh truth and just how disconnected we can all be from each other, ergo capable of hurting each other and creating wounds that never quite heal.

It’s gorgeous edition, one I wouldn’t hesitate to buy for others. Side note – I just love The Happy Prince.

Buy The Complete Fairy Stories of Oscar Wilde at Amazon Uk or Buy via Duckworth Books.

#Blogtour 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten.

About the Author

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. Subscribe to her newsletter Noelle Holten – Author, Follow @nholten40 on Twitter, Visit crimebookjunkie.co.uk 

About the book

One House. Eight Killers. No Witnesses. 

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license. At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered. Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.

Review

Hidden in this crime thriller is a subtle critique of the legal system in regard to violent offenders and the way their rights often supersede those of their victim/s and their families. I would include potential future victims in that train of thought. Certain types of offenders will probably reoffend, and with that in mind the house on Ripley Avenue – in the middle of a normal neighbourhood, well it creates a lot of controversy.

A lot of controversy actually, especially when one of the violent offenders get a taste of his own medicine and ends up dead. Not sure anyone is really that upset about it, however it does mean the police have to find the person responsible for the brutal crime. Herein lies the problem, there are no witnesses and eight potential killers, and the author makes a grand job of making you think everyone has a legit reason to kill.

This didn’t grip me the same way the DC Maggie Jamieson series did. The writing was a bit he said she said, a bit surprising but it’s a standalone and slightly off the already beaten path. The premise was interesting though and the killer was kept hidden and in plain sight all at the same time.

Buy 6 Ripley Avenue at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎One More Chapter; pub date 27 Sept. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Under the Cloud by B.R. Erlank

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Under the Cloud by B.R. Erlank.

About the Author

Boris Erlank grew up in Southern Africa and Namibia. He has lived and worked in places as diverse as Luanda, Cape Town, Singapore and San Francisco. Boris recently gave up his job as Global Privacy Manager with a Fortune 100 company to focus on writing full-time. 

He has an extensive background in IT, data privacy and cybersecurity, and has drawn on that experience to craft his latest novel, “Under the Cloud”. 

Boris lives with his family and two dogs in the foothills of Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco. In his spare time, he likes to cycle, hike, sing in a choir, and listen to audiobooks. Visit brerlank.wordpress.com or B.R. Erlank on Facebook

About the book

They call themselves The Settlement Bureau. A faceless, soulless organization coercing Americans with threats to expose their improprieties and vulnerabilities. Inhumanely persistent, they’ve secretly driven hundreds of victims into bankruptcy, despair – and several even to suicide.

But when this organization tries to blackmail IT expert Terry Reynolds, they make a serious mistake. Terry is down on his luck. He is penniless, divorced and in a dead-end job. Yet, the abuse of his personal information stirs Terry out of his lethargy, and he fights back. He embarks on a digital game of cat-and-mouse with the cold, calculating minds behind The Settlement Bureau – and in doing so, uncovers a sprawling criminal conspiracy.

Review

At the core of this read is religion and the fine line drawn between Christians and the posers using religion it to earn a dime. Zealous pseudo-Christians and in particular the big Evangelists – the TV evangelists. Talk about the world’s greatest con. People want to believe and are eager to send their money. Talking of fine lines – there is also an invisible one many of these pseudo religious groups cross, and often it isn’t even invisible – the line into being a cult.

I think the author makes some interesting comparisons to already existing groups and individuals who are willing to be ruthless, criminal and blatantly devoid of any morals or suggested religious values. People are easy pickings for those working the long con under the guise of a religion – willing to give or do anything only to be embraced by the faux lord and get a key to the door in the sky.

When you combine that with cyber-crime, which is one of the biggest threats the world is confronted with in this era, then you have a perfect collusion between crime, vulnerability and the manipulation via media outlets.

I thought this was quite clever, especially when it waded into more controversial topics. Giving both sides or positions without taking a definitive stand, very diplomatic indeed and yet simultaneously also presenting a no-holds-barred picture of the issue. It’s an engrossing and fast-paced read.

Buy Under the Cloud at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎Khanya pub date 15 Sept. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

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#BlogTour The Turkey Shed Gang by Ruth Young

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Turkey Shed Gang by Ruth Young.

About the Author

Ruth has been a teacher for a very long time. She loves being in the classroom making learning fun and specialises in teaching reading and spelling.  Now retired, Ruth teaches children with learning difficulties at her home, and it doesn’t matter how old they are, she loves to help!

Ruth has always told stories to the children she teaches. Her book, The Turkey Shed Gang, is for 7–8-year-old independent readers. She also writes for dyslexic children in mind so that they can read a book, maybe with a little help, which is age appropriate for them.

When she’s not teaching, Ruth loves walking in the Surrey Hills where she lives with her husband, who is a retired airline Captain. They take every chance to travel worldwide and it’s on trips away that Ruth comes up with her ideas for her books, always scribbling notes down in her purple notebook which she carries everywhere.

Ruth loves baking bread and cakes and is always in the kitchen with her vast collection of cookery books. She has been interviewed by the BBC three times about writing, environmental issues and her work with dyslexic children, and had an article published in a national magazine for parents. Follow @ruthyoung6 on Instagram or ruth.young.127 on Facebook.

About the book

Joe had a bad day at school. Everything went wrong…

FIRSTLY, he had to read to the class and that was his worst nightmare, reading in front of everyone. THEN, he scored an own goal in football. LATER, after eating three chocolate eclairs at Gran’s house, she tells him about a raid in the bank this morning. The robbers had guns and monster masks! To Joe it sounded exciting, if only he could have been there too!

But his opinion soon changes when he realises the danger his Gran is now faced with. She shows him a bag full of money that she picked up by mistake, thinking it was her shopping after the raid. Joe decides the only thing to do to keep her safe is for them to go on the run. They must go before the police come to arrest her or worse still, the robbers find out she has their money. To add to his problems, Gran wants to take Mr Percival with them, a talking parrot she inherited from a neighbour.

A school boy, his gran and a parrot on the run, what could possibly go wrong?

Review

Joe has it tough. He is ridiculed, laughed at and then he gets a little overeager at a football match. Overall, not a very good day at all, so it’s a relief to take a time out with his Gran – oh and her newly acquired friend called Mr Percival.

Mr Percival is a bit of a wild card – he says the first thing that pops into his little head, often with hilarious results. He does make the perfect getaway companion for the double act of Joe and his Gran though. They are on the run, because that’s what criminals do – they run and hide.

It’s a read I would recommend to advanced readers 8-plus, however I would be mindful of the bullying, discrimination and lack of support the main character receives from his peers at the beginning of the story, and the lack of support from adults who are supposed to be keeping him safe. They are learning moments but could be upsetting to some younger readers. 

Aside from that it is a funny adventure with endearing characters. What’s lovely is the way young Joe is willing to do anything to keep his Gran safe – it becomes an exercise in character and confidence building. Just because you may not be perfect at one thing it doesn’t mean you won’t excel at something else or find a new way to achieve your goals.

Buy The Turkey Shed Gang at Amazon Uk. Publisher: ‎Blossom Spring Publishing pub date 14 July 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Dark Energy by Tom Boles

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Dark Energy by Tom Boles.

About the Author

Tom Boles has discovered more supernovae (exploding stars) than any other person in history. 

Tom is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a past President of The British Astronomical Association. He was awarded the Merlin Medal and the Walter Goodacre Award for his contribution to astronomy. The International Astronomical Union named main-belt asteroid 7648, Tomboles in his honour. 

He has published many scientific papers on supernovae and written numerous articles for popular astronomy magazines. He has made many television appearances ranging from BBC’s Tomorrow’s World to The Sky at Night. During recent years he has given Enrichment Lectures on astronomy aboard Cunard liners, mainly their flagship QM2. 

During these trips he had designed and presented shows using the ship’s onboard planetarium. His experience as an astronomer inspired his novels and help mould his hero, Brad Willis. He published Dark Energy in June 2021 and Shades of White in November of that year. His third book, Murder comes by Limo was published in July 2022. 

He lives in rural Suffolk where he enjoys dark skies free from light pollution. Follow @boles_tom on Twitter, on Instagram @tomboles2021

About the book

Brad Willis is an unlikely investigator, and an even less likely spy. He is a scientist, not a hero, but when it comes to finding technical solutions, there is none better. That’s how MI6 uses him; that’s how he lands himself in trouble.

Members of the scientific community around the world are being systematically murdered, and for no obvious reason. Who is killing them and why?

That is until Willis uncovers a mystery. The largest research facility in the world has made a huge discovery but not reported it. Why not? Why would someone want it hidden?

His travels take him across four nations where he forms liaisons with a Russian General and an oligarch. Can he trust either? If he chooses badly, he is as good as dead. He suspects everyone, so can trust no one…

And will need to risk his life to find out …

Review

Although I think it is fair to say one has to be on one’s toes now and again when it comes to the science, laws of nature and the general use and whereabouts of certain objects and buildings in this story – grey cells shall be used most frequently, I assure you.

It all starts out with a peculiar phone call. Brad isn’t even entirely sure it isn’t a hoax, and yet he believes it enough to warn a colleague, just in case the warning he received is indeed true. Next thing he knows said colleague is nearly killed. 

It’s a fast-paced speculative extravaganza with an astronomer come hero. I bet when he took that unexpected phone call, he didn’t expect to become both the catalyst and instrument of destruction all at the same time. It’s a bit like having a completed puzzle – the knowledge we have – and someone taking a piece of it bit by bit. Everyone wants a piece of it, which is how Brad ends up contending with the likes of foreign and homegrown spies.

If you take the aspect of science and replace it with hidden treasure or archaeology, and cast a very driven astronomer, the result would probably be a very captivating action hero who searches the stars and saves the world at the same time. Sounds like a series I would absolutely read.

Buy Dark Energy at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour One Last Secret by Adele Parks

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour One Last Secret by Adele Parks.

About the Author

Adele Parks MBE was born in North Yorkshire. She is the author of 21 bestselling novels including most recently the Sunday Times and eBook Number One bestseller Both Of You. Over four million UK editions of her work have been sold and her books have been translated into 31 different languages. Adele’s recent Sunday Times Number One bestsellers Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck were shortlisted for the British Book Awards and have been optioned for development for TV.

She is an ambassador of the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency: two charities that promote literacy in the UK. Adele has lived in Botswana, Italy and London and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey. In 2022 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature. Follow @adeleparks on Twitter, Visit adeleparks.com

About the book

One Last Client – A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France – it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning and discreet escort and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It’s all about putting on a front.

One Last Chance – It will be a last luxurious look at how the other half lives, before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she’s trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems.

One Last Secret – Dora finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life…

Review

I’m a sucker for a woman who says it like it is, sees the world the way it really is, and isn’t afraid to take what she wants – regardless of what society says about her.

Dora has no illusions about how she makes her money. It’s just a job, right? The risks are kept to a minimal, but of course there is only so much you can control. It also means it’s harder to move from one tier of the social structure to another – there are plenty of negative connotations when it comes to her chosen career path.

It has shades of Diary of a Call Girl with Gone Girl, and of course the trademark intense scrutiny and dissection of interpersonal relationships. This author knows exactly how to pour salt into an open wound, get readers to experience a smorgasbord of emotional ping-pong, and create a bond between even the most controversial of characters. 

The first few chapters are spectacular – brutally frank, often gross, and they give readers access to a hidden abyss. 

As far as I am concerned this is her best book yet, and it should be added to her growing list of titles being optioned for television. Like a fine wine gets better with age, Parks pushes her boundaries and creativity with each new book.

Buy One Last Secret at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.

#BlogTour The Blunder by Mutt-Lon

It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Blunder by Mutt-Lon, translated by Amy B. Reid.

About the Author

Mutt-Lon is the literary pseudonym of author Nsegbe Daniel Alain. His first novel, Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit (Those Who Come Out at Night, 2013), brought him critical acclaim when it received the prestigious Ahmadou Kourouma Prize in 2014. Les 700 aveugles de Bafia (2020), published in English as The Blunder, is his third novel and the first to be translated into English. He lives in Douala—Cameroon’s most international and cosmopolitan city—and speaks English fluently.

About the Translator

Amy B. Reid is an award-winning translator who has worked with authors from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti. Among her translations are the Patrice Nganang titles Dog Days: An Animal Chronicle (2006) and the trilogy comprised of Mount Pleasant (2016), When the Plums Are Ripe (2019), and A Trail of Crab Tracks (2022), as well as Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice (2009) and Far from My Father (2014) by Véronique Tadjo. 

In 2016 she received a Literature Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts for When the Plums Are Ripe. She holds a PhD in French from Yale University (1996) and is a professor of French and Gender Studies at New College of Florida.

About the book

Cameroon, 1929. As colonial powers fight for influence in Africa, French military surgeon Eugène Jamot is dispatched to Cameroon to lead the fight against sleeping sickness there. But despite his humanitarian intentions, the worst comes to pass: seven hundred local villagers are left blind as a result of medical malpractice by a doctor under Jamot’s watch.

Damienne Bourdin, a young white woman, ventures to Cameroon to assist in the treatment effort. Reeling from the loss of her child, she’s desperate to redeem herself and save her reputation. But the tides of rebellion are churning in Cameroon, and soon after Damienne’s arrival, she is enlisted in a wild plot to staunch the damage caused by the blunder and forestall tribal warfare. 

Together with Ndongo, a Pygmy guide, she must cross the country on foot in search of Edoa, a Cameroonian princess and nurse who has gone missing since the medical blunder was discovered.

As Damienne races through the Cameroonian forest on a farcical adventure that unsettles her sense of France’s “civilizing mission,” she begins to question her initial sense of who needed saving and who would save the day.

Review

Damienne is both the main character and simultaneously the colonial example, ergo a perfect example of the irony and humour the author uses to bring readers this moment of important history. She embodies the white saviour, the colonial attitude towards indigenous people of all countries usurped, used and modified to embody foreign replicas of the home country.

She returns after over three decades to Cameroon, to the scene and aftermath of a terrible injustice and her the part she played in said injustice, and the attempt to stop bloodshed and tribal warfare.

When I read books like this, that have a factual core in the midst of the fiction, and one that has been swallowed into the black hole of history. Forgotten, as many fatal mistakes, atrocities, and in general inhumane acts in the name of colonial regimes. The victors write the history, and in doing so they often omit the details that don’t fit in with the white-washed written narrative.

The blunder of Jamot, as it is known, is one of these overlooked omissions – a tragedy that has probably become a bit of a tale of horror passed on through the generations. The need for some people to play the saviour supersedes the necessity for accountability when they make mistakes.

Some translators have the ability to translate both word and voice, which Reid certainly does very well, however I think I was more impressed with the fact its apparent the story was consumed and understood with such clarity. In fact the note by said translator at the end is the perfect add-on to a fascinating read.

Buy The Blunder at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher Amazon Crossing; pub date 12th July 2022 | Paperback £6.99 UK. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Valen and the Beasts by G. J. Kemp

 It’s my turn on the Blogtour Valen and the Beasts: A Juno and the Lady Novella by G. J. Kemp.

About the Author

A nomad at heart, GJ has lived in nine countries across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. His career has included working as a Divemaster in The Red Sea, a zookeeper in Israel, and a proofreader in Sweden.

Born with cerebral palsy, GJ has spent a lifetime trying to tie his shoelaces while standing up in the hope of not falling over. It is a constant challenge, but sometimes he occasionally succeeds.

Finding the love for writing later in life, GJ spends most of his free time going for walks and dreaming of story ideas. He hopes to one day have a small place on the oceanfront where he can walk his dogs on the beach. Follow @kemp_gj on Twitter, Visit gjkemp.co.uk

About the book

Valen plucked the glass box off the shelf and gently placed it on his desk. Inside, a set of handcrafted metal circles linked to form the body of his new beast. He closed his eyes and dreamed of the Fairacre residents buying his latest creations.

A commotion outside Valen’s shop brings him back to the present. The Captain has caught the leader of the sewer rats and is parading her in front of Fairacre residents. Her fate will be determined by the townsfolk’s demands. – Valen steps in to defend the leader.

A story of discovery, hope and courage, Valen and the Beasts is a journey of an outsider risking everything to stand up for the people he loves. Will Valen save the leader of the sewer rats? Will he show everyone his secret? Or will he buckle under the pressures of the old conventions? 

Review

This is a novella, and is part of the Juno and The Lady story. I would recommend reading book one to be able to get the gist of the story, this is just a mere glimpse through the keyhole at the universe the author has created.

This short journey in the world the Acre the reader follows Valen, a man who has secrets and likes to stay low-key because of it. At the same time he is also a valiant fighter for what is right and wrong, especially when it comes to the people the world treats like a garbage. In this story he has to make a choice between protecting himself, protecting others or something somewhere in the middle.

I think the dialogue could be a little less he said, she said – it needs more depth and higher level of complexity from a language perspective. This is YA leaning towards MG – young readers can handle it, they don’t need the soft approach. Saying all that, this is absolutely a series with lots of potential and one that readers of all ages will enjoy.

I have to admit this novella wasn’t enough of an hors d’oeuvre for me – I will be reading book one very soon. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

Buy Valen and the Beasts at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎TB5 Publishing; pub date 17 May 2022. Buy via gjkemp.co.uk.

#BlogTour The Secret of Karabakh by Fidan Bagirova

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Secret of Karabakh by Fidan Bagirova.

About the Author

Fidan Bagirova is a writer, sculptor and multimedia artist. She was born in Geneva, to parents from Azerbaijan. They, like hundreds of thousands of others, lost everything during the Armenian invasion described in The Secret of Karabakh, and for Fidan, writing this novel has been a way of expressing her longing for the Azerbaijani people’s identity and stolen heritage. Follow @FidanBagirova1 on Twitter

About the book

You are not who you think you are. Your future is not what you think it will be. You are in danger…

 Alana Fulton, the beloved only child of wealthy American parents, is bookish and passionate about the past. In the final stages of a PhD in archaeology at the University of Cambridge, Alana’s future is bright and assured. Then comes the anonymous note: You are not who you think you are. Suddenly, everything in her life – including her sense of self – is under assault.

As Alana flees unknown pursuers and mounting danger, all that is familiar crumbles away. In time, it becomes clear to Alana why she’s being pursued; and she must ask herself where her loyalties and her future lie.

Review

It’s a timely story, in a sense that it serves as a reminder how quickly an entire culture and population can fade into obscurity, due to the actions of an enemy and aggressor. The world watches as atrocities are committed, genocide takes place, and entire generations are killed, disappeared and displaced.

Alana, the daughter of wealthy American parents, suddenly becomes the target of an anonymous person. There doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for the targeted harassment and threats, and then there are also the curious notes. Suggesting that she is living a lie, that Alana is not who she thinks she is.

The deeper Alana digs for the truth the more shocking the details get. Life as she knows it is a staged play for the global world to keep her family safe – who is determined to threaten that security.

It’s a thriller with political and historical overtones, a learning experience whilst delivering a gripping read. Simultaneously it’s also very much a story about culture, identity and family. I enjoyed the fact it had a poetic tone to the prose – the writing echoes how deep this is rooted in emotion and history. I almost wished the path that leads Alana to her heritage and past wasn’t paved with the stones of a thriller – the story of the past would have been sufficiently beautiful.

Buy The Secret of Karabakh at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Lume Books pub date 14 April 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Lume Books.

#Blogtour for The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport. The Blood Gift series is definitely one to keep an eye on, as is the author.

About the Author

Nia “N.E.” Davenport is the Science Fiction/Fantasy author of The Blood Trials and its sequel (Harper Voyager). She attended the University of Southern California and studied Biological Sciences and Theatre Arts. She also has an M.A. in Secondary Education. She teaches English and Biology to amazing students. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and being a huge foodie. She’s an advocate for diverse perspectives and protagonists in literature. 

Follow @Nia_Davenport on Twitter or @nia.davenport on Instagram, where she talks about binge-worthy TV, killer movies, and great books. She lives in Texas with her husband and kids.

About the book

It’s all about blood. – Blood spilled long ago between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor, ending all blood magic.

Now there is peace in the Republic – but there is also a strict class system, misogyny, and racism. Her world is not perfect, but Ikenna survived in it. Until now.

With the murder of her grandfather, Ikenna spirals out of control. Though she is an initiate for the Republic’s deadly elite military force, Ikenna has a secret only her grandfather knew: she possesses the blood magic of the Republic’s enemies.

Ikenna throws herself into the gladiatorial war games at the heart of her martial world: trials that will lead her closer to his killers. Under the spotlight, she subjects herself to abuse from a society that does not value her, that cherishes lineage over talent – all while hiding gifts that, if revealed, would lead to execution or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all to find out who killed her grandfather…

So she can end them.

Review

When your chosen path, your destined path even, is ripped away from you when you least expect it, then you’re allowed to feel salty about it. If the rerouting of your path is fueled by a need to seek the truth and vengeance, then the salty attitude is understandable, although it may cost you a friend or two on the way there. The murder of Ikenna’s grandfather changes her path and sets her on a bloodthirsty, ruthless and character defining one instead.

I loved Ikenna’s anger – rage even.  Is that wrong of me, to enjoy the growly ragey killey vibe Ikenna brings to the table throughout the entire story? The ‘I don’t give two goats – I will never forget and always remember to dot my t’s and i’s, with the weapon of my choice’ – yeh that vibe.

It certainly has a Brown’s Howler’s vibe, and a societal structure fights for restructure and against oppression Red Rising vibe. It doesn’t shy away from the need to assert, for the show of violence, and it doesn’t pull any punches. I enjoyed the snarly, snarky, I talk the talk and walk the walk attitude and feel of the story. Ikenna is such a strongly written voracious character that she leaves a lasting impression.

I have to say I am absolutely loving all of the new voices, directions and reinventions of genres. Davenport is definitely an author to watch going forward. Fantastic energy, creative and wonderfully powerful main character. I would love to see this in screen format. Bring on the next one – soon!

Buy The Blood Trials at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: HarperVoyager pub date 14 April 2022. Buy at Amazon com. At Harper Collins.