It was so dark that I could only consume this book in chunks, taking a step back whenever the violence became too overwhelming. Falaye does not hold back from expressing, on page, the violence that Sloane must face. I think that over time many individuals will consider this to be a read alike for The Gilded Ones however, it is much gritter, much darker, and a lot harder to digest. It is in this military training that Sloane loses the essence of herself and every thing she thought she knew about her family. She is eventually conscripted into the military where she is forced to commit rather heinous atrocities to prove her worth to the group. Due to the nature of her origins, Sloane is forced to hide her identity or die under the rule of Lucis. The story follows Sloane, the descendent of the ancient Orisha gods. At its core, Blood Scion is about betrayal, heartache, lost humanity, anger, suffering, and pain. The intensity of violence that directly correlates with the experience of children soldiers is not easy to digest, but reiterates the very real experiences for some individuals. Blood Scion isn’t a book that you necessarily enjoy. This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I’ve had to write in a while. Thank you so much deborah falaye and harpercollins for the ARC!!

and with so many interweaving webs and shocking events, not only making this an impressive first book, but a really promising start to a series.Ĭant wait to see where the story goes next! With complex characters who are more than their revenge, fast pacing and accessible writing, lush world-building and a compelling plot, its hard to believe this is a debut novel. and i think its because both aspects are so powerfully brutal, with the sure potential for characters to lose themselves in both. so i was really impressed with how the african mythology/yoruban religion so seamlessly integrates with the destructive technology of the army. its either fantasy or sci-fi, but hardly ever both. I honestly cant recall the last SFF book ive read. this story is hard-hitting and unforgiving.

‘you have to decide what matters most: your humanity or your survival.’

Blood scion review