A brilliant sequel to Ashlords, this book delivered everything I wanted and needed. From the writing style to the characters to the MANY twists and turns, this was a brilliant book. Also, major points for another stunning cover!

This was a wonderful fast paced read that jumps right in where Ashlords left off. I had a great time with this story and I think Scott Reintgen is getting better and better with every book. There was lots of action, character development, and world building. He really knows how to craft a world that makes you want to read and never put the book down!

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

This was a highly anticipated sequel of mine! I did enjoy it, just not as much as the 1st book unfortunately.

This book is full of action! This book focuses on war rather than the race that was a major plot point in the first book. The phoenix horses are still a big aspect of this book, something that I loved about Ashlords. There are three point-of-views in this story, and they all change tenses. The pacing is rather quick and the change from first person to third person and second person every other chapter is pretty jarring.

Scott Reintgen is an automatic buy for my classroom. Students loved the Nyxia series and Ashlords is not far behind.

15 Reactions While Reading:

I forgot how much I love all three main characters. There really isnt one point of view I prefer over the others.

These phoenix horses are so freaking awesome! The alchemy to make different types of horses that rise every dawn is so fascinating.

All this strategizing and out maneuvering enemies is giving me life.

That was risky but I guess fate favors the bold.

A hundered revenant soldiers that come back to life every night. What a terrifying gift but I wouldnt trust a gift from a god. They could easily turn on her later.

Why do they both keep getting pulled into the underworld?

Well I didnt expect that turn on history. This changes everything.

I cant believe they never wondered why the gods asked for blood.

You acting shifty sending revenants after him. You better not betray him.

Ahh I love that Pippa is opening up and making some female friends.

Haha that must of been quite the kiss to break a chair. Great way to lighten up the tension.

Three down and four more to go! You can do this Kill them all!

Why is her blood powerful thought her people came from the underworld and their blood doesnt do anything?

That chant hold the hill gave me chills. I love a good fight.

Pippa you brilliant cunning girl. I did not see that coming.

Final Thoughts:

This was a great follow up to Ashlords. Despite not having the competition element I love so much in the first book the stakes were much higher and the reveals were super exciting. I loved every single point of view and how their voices were very different from one another. Each of them gave a unique perspective about life in this world. The phoenix horses were definitely one of my favorite parts but I also really enjoyed exploring more of the underworld and the gods that love there. The fact that history is written by the people in power to satisfy their own goals was a message that I felt in my soul. I would definitely recommend this duology.

~Netgalley gave me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review~

"We danced the moon into coming out, the stars into shining. We danced to welcome a whole new world into existence. It is a song that no one can take from us now."

Bloodsworn is such a fast paced, mesmerizing and invigorating story! It picks up right after Ashlords and is simply underappreciated. I found this tale to be a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. The magic systems and world building aren't complicated, but still intriguing. The politics and rebellion are everything and the way Scott Reintgen changed the game and flipped the script had me yelling "oh sh!t" right in the middle of this book! I throughly enjoyed this duology and wish more people would read it. I'll definitely have to read Scott's other books!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This a was awesome. I wasn't sure how this was going to play out after Ashlords ended. Ashlords was more focused on the races, where this is focused on the aftermath and the political unrest that was hinted at in the first book. Much like in Ashlords the story is told from the perspectives of Pippa, Adrian, and Imelda who each have an important role to play. War has been brewing for a very long time between the Ashlords and the Longhands with the Dividians caught in the crossfire. Our three leads learn the many secrets of the long standing hatred between their people in an unexpected place, the underworld and home of the gods. As they learn more, they uncover the solution to ending the war between their people for good.

I really love this series. Our three main characters are faced with alot and they quickly have to grow into leader and guide their people to victory whether they want to or not. They have to unravel the clues that are left for them in order to build a better world for their people. We do get quite a bit of character development from each of the, but I loved Pippa's transformation the most. Her persona from the beginning of book one to the end of book two was awesome and unexpected. Unlike in book one we don't get as much of the alchemy and phoenixes. The phoenixes are still a part of the story, but their rebirths and the alchemy surrounding their abilities isn't discussed in much detail in this installment. The focus is on the action of the characters and the strategies they are developing and the decisions they are making in the course of the war. I feel that is worth mentioning because it is a bit of a different focus from the first book. It also slows down the pace a bit because there is lots of strategizing and discussion vs action. There are some great action scenes in this, but it isn't the same as the fast paced action as in the race.

Overall I loved this duology and can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next. His books are so creative and unique! This is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, An Ember in the Ashes, and other darker or dystopian YA.

This book is full of action! This book focuses on war rather than the race that was a major plot point in the first book. The phoenix horses are still a big aspect of this book, something that I loved about Ashlords. There are three point-of-views in this story, and they all change tenses. The pacing is rather quick and the change from first person to third person and second person every other chapter is pretty jarring.

Blood Sworn is the sequel to Ashlord (which I reviewed here.) In this book, we follow the same three characters, Pippa, Adrian, and Imelda. The way the first book ended left me wanting to know more. I wanted to know so much more about this world, the gods, and where the story is going. I got everything that I wanted from this book. Once again, the story is told in first person for Imelda and Adrian, but Pippa’s story is told in second person. I think Pippa’s story being told in this way was such a creative choice and it really does something to the story.
Pippa’s chapters were absolutely my favorite parts of this book. She has the most growth and change in this series. She starts off so loyal to her people, the Ashlords, but slowly she realizes that everything isn’t as it seems. She finally learns the truth from one of the gods and that’s where this story gets really interesting. I think Pippa is so incredibly smart. I am awed by the plans that her brain manages to create. I think she’s an incredible character and I loved her. I also really enjoyed the way that Pippa’s relationship with Adrian changed over time.
Adrian was an interesting character as well. But I feel like he sort of just went along with Pippa’s plans. I know this isn’t the case, but we didn’t actually see Adrian and Pippa make their plans so, it’s not hard to assume that Pippa (the master strategist) is the one that came up with the majority of their plans. I liked that Adrian did his part to show the Longhands that things could be different if everyone worked together to make a change.
Finally, Imelda. I wanted more phoenix horse stuff, but we got enough that I wasn’t terribly upset about it. I like that Imelda is also super smart, but in different ways than what we see from Pippa. I think Imelda’s part of the story was interesting because the Dividian’s are the underrepresented group of the story, despite having a large population. I liked following Imelda because with Pippa and Adrian working together, their stories were similar, but Imelda’s path is so different from the others. She stumbles into something she doesn’t totally understand, but manages to find herself working toward the same goals as Pippa and Adrian.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. I loved this duology. I will recommend this series forever. Phoenix horses, political drama, characters that are complex and loveable, and a fascinating world and interesting gods, there is everything you could possibly want in a fantasy story.

3.5 - This madcap adventure is a satisfying ending to an action-packed duology. Further worldbuilding and character development flesh out some of the more confusing elements from the first book. A great next series to hand to tween and teen readers after they finish Hunger Games.

I absolutely loved the first book in this duology, so I have really been looking forward to this one! It picks up pretty much right where Ashlords left off - the Races are over, but war has broken out across the land. Still told in three perspectives, Imelda continues to work with the rebels while Pippa and Adrian lead armies against one another. But, soon, all three start uncovering unpleasant truths about the real history of their land and who the real enemy is.

Well-written - even Pippa's sections told in second person (which is not usually a favorite perspective style choice for me) are engaging and exciting. This is a great sequel - and quite a satisfying conclusion (though the world-building is definitely sturdy enough to be the foundation of more books!). And while I wish that there had been more about the horses themselves - and Quinn! - I really enjoyed falling back into this world and I am definitely looking forward to more from this talented author!

I had high hopes for this sequel after really enjoying the first one but unfortunately this book succumbed to all the second books disadvantages. What I loved in the first book was missing from this sequel. I enjoyed the race and seeing our characters competing against each other in the first book. In the sequel, they were scattered doing their own thing and I missed that dynamic. Also, while a race was the main focus on the first book, war was the focus of this one. I've never been huge into books that revolve around war so that was a downer for me. The magic phoenixes and racial dynamics seemed played down in this one which took away some of the mystic and depth to me as well. There was however still plenty of action to keep readers entertained. This book and plot were non-stop, sometimes past points I could track or follow. Still a unique world and magic system with super high stakes for our characters to battle which kept the entertaining value I've come to expect from this author. This was a fiery story in more ways than one, just missing some of what made me like it at the start and getting ahead of itself.

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.

'Bloodsworn' by Scott Reintgen is book two in the Ashlords duology, a story about the war between three cultures and their rise against the gods themselves.

Struggling for control of the Empire, the two strongest factions.. the Ashlords and the Longhands strike each other's strongholds in a life or death game of chess, while the Dividian rebels are just trying to survive the collisions.

Three leaders, Adrian.. Pippa.. and Imelda, emerged from the Races with changed perspectives and a lot of questions. As they unearth the truth of their origins, it becomes apparent that the hatred which drives them to war.. begins with the gods.

Though the details of the rise and fall of their people are secreted away, one dissatisfied god shows a willingness to share the history of their roots. With every sign leading back to the underworld.. how far must they go to learn what the gods don't want them to know?

I don't know why I wasn't moved to pick up 'Ashlords' last year when it was released. Looking back and glancing over the synopsis again, I can only say that the synopsis leaned heavily into the phoenix horses.. without really giving me a reason to care about the Races themselves.. and the comparisons given were books I wasn't familiar with. Books I still haven't read, if I'm being honest. Though.. if they're anything like this.. that's going to need to change.

Since I hadn't read book one when I began this title, the early pages for me were spent getting my bearings in their world. Immediately the story felt immense to me. I don't mean to say it felt long or particularly dense. It's that there was a weightiness to what was being delivered that made this story feel uniquely important.

Told through a constantly shifting multiple POV narrative, the result is a story that feels almost as if it's being told in concentric circles.. starting from the outermost ring and rippling ever inward. Of course, in reality.. it's the tale of three fated paths set on a trajectory toward one final explosive point of battle.

Initially, I started out kind of coolly distant from the characters, but I quickly became devoted to each groups' story. The three leaders only seem to want good things for their people, with most under the impression the others are deserving of distrust and hatred. But the truth is never as simple as we think it is and that's certainly not the case here.

There are a lot of pieces on the proverbial board in this fast-moving, page-turning story of what could be redemption for someone.. only if everything falls into place. I found myself deeply attached to members of each group of soldiers, which left me in a perpetual state of worry for their safety.

Reintgen's world-building is top notch. Where many might struggle to flesh out a detailed fantasy setting so clear the reader can see it in the mind's eye.. this author flexed on us by doing it twice in the same book. Each world and likewise, each character he focuses on within those places, distinctive enough we could pick them out with just a few words.

The phoenix horses themselves, sound so much simpler than they really are.. and it's this magic especially that I loved as I came to understand how they work. Just as with the world and character development, the magic system is richly layered. Between the source of the power and the way it's used, creating magical sub-structures, I feel like he accomplished in (for me.. one book).. what might take a less skilled writer.. a several book series.

Do yourself a favor and read these books. If you don't, like me.. you'll be kicking yourself later.

Bloodsworn picks up not long after Ashlords ends. The war continues between the three cultures, but are they fighting each other or another enemy all together?

Bloodsworn brought back each of our main characters from Ashlords as well as side characters from the first books that we knew and loved, but it also introduced a few new ones that I must say I grew to love just as much. Also getting to know the Gods and their system was really interesting as it was something I wanted more of from Ashlords so that was certainly a big added bonus for me.

I would recommend this book to everyone (though of course read Ashlords first). If you love fantasy and science fiction it will be right up your alley. It adds a fun bit of science into your fantasy and of course all the drama and excitement of a war! Plus a tiny bit of romance. It has a bit of something for everyone.

If you are new to this duology, I highly HIGHLY suggest you drop everything and get thee a copy of Ashlords post haste. You can check out my review for it HERE. I absolutely loved the Nyxia trilogy, but phoenix horses and alchemy and war and rebellion? I am here for it!

Before we start this race, be warned. Blood Sworn is the second in the Ashlord’s duology. So there may be some natural spoilers for the first book in reviewing the second book. That’s just how sequels work.

Now, without further ado… I give you five reasons you should read this book (and anything by Scott Reintgen, if I’m being honest).

5. Ruthless prose

From the very first pages of Nyxia I was hypnotized by Reintgen’s voice. And his mastery of words and imagery is even stronger and sharper in the Ashlord’s duology. We get three rotating POV’s and each one is not just unique but wholly the character’s own. But beyond masterfully creating characters that pop off the page, the prose is tight and sharp throughout the book, carefully steering us through the world along an exact path.

It’s a lovely parallel to accompany the plot with prose that matches. War after all is a series of feints and attacks, and there is no room for waste. Reintgen doesn’t use a word without necessity and as a result they are devastating. In the best way. The prose propels not just the story forward, but the reader too, filling us with a ruthless need to find out what happens next.

4. Intense and interwoven plots

Where Ashlords was primarily about the Races, Blood Sworn is about war. And war is complex. There’s politics and rebellions and rebellions within politics. This type of storyline can seem slower than the incredibly fast-paced intensity of the first book, where the Races made the story literally fly. But Blood Sworn is just as fast and just as intense.

Each character has a different perspective on the war and the world they live in. It gives us a stunning immersive view of the different dynamics at work, but also creates a very stressful (in a good way) reading experience. What one character discovers, another still doesn’t know, and in war, that is never a good thing.

But it’s not just characters working against each other. Reintgen gives us a far more complex war, where not even the characters understand the various layers and battles being waged on the battlefield, in government circles, and between the gods themselves. It’s politics and machinations, which means nothing is easy and there’s no clear answer over which way is right.

3. Killer characters

Can we all just bask in the glory that is this quote. Words like this bite and this book is filled with them. But part of this bite is the mouths they come out of. And fuck if I don’t love all of them.

First, the girls are my faves. Nothing against Adrian but Pippa and Imelda are where its at for me. They’re smart and determined and deadly. And that’s my favorite combination.

Beyond simply loving these characters for who they are, I adore how they’ve grown since the last book and continue to grow in this one. All three of them are strategists. It’s what got them in the Races in Ashlords and makes them brilliant commanders of their own people in the wars. But this strategy means they are masters of feints, forcing the reader to look one way while they hold the real play close to their chests. It is a heart-racing ride trying to figure out what their plans are and even more delightful when we realize that it’s always the unexpected play.

2. Harsh worlds and buried secrets

The details of the worlds alone are fascinating to discover and incredibly imaginative to explore. Phoenix horses that rise from ashes and alchemy at the suns first light. A pantheon of gods that offer a myriad of gifts to their loyal followers. It’s a wonderfully complex world that’s easy to get lost in and we get even more by taking the fight into the actual underworld.

As with all sequels, we get more in Blood Sworn. More alchemy, more creatures, more worlds, more intrigue, more violence. The characters themselves have grown but they have to continually adapt and adjust to the new truths and secrets they discover as they wage war against each other. And it’s not just that we see these new truths, but how the characters react to them.

I mentioned before that the characters are all strategists, holding their cards close to their chest. Well, they get that trait from the author, because Reintgen is a master at making us look one way while an entirely different plot twist unfolds instead. It makes reading a roller coaster ride where it’s difficult to see what’s coming around the next curve. All we know is that there will be stomach-plummeting twists along the way.

1. A plot-twisting rebellious adventure

While the main story revolves around war between the different people of the Empire, this is really an adventurous rebellion at its core. There are rebels, and they give the book heart and sass in wild abundance. But the essence of rebellion is shaking off the shackles of expectations and forging your own path. And that is the what each character is forced to grapple with. Do they do what is expected of them? Or do they blaze their own trail?

This is what makes each POV fun to read. It’s a story of discovery and journey. I love how each path is different, letting them make mistakes with the new truths they find. And simply that they get to become who they are. There are a lot of heavy themes woven throughout the plot, and more than a fair share of dark moments. But it’s impossible to read this duology and not feel the rush of racing through different landscapes on a horse born of magic.

In short, this series is a story that rushes you to the end the first time. It screams like the wind whipping through your hair to read it again and discover the quieter details missed the first time. It’s a book about races and rebellion, but it’s also about discovering the endless possibility of who we could be, if we’re brave enough to chase it.

A spectacular follow up to an explosive, action packed thrill ride of a story! I loved seeing how the story plays out and where the characters end up after that dramatic first installment!

Highly recommend this unforgettable YA fantasy!

I was granted complimentary ARC access at Blood Sworn via NetGalley as part of my participation in the blog tour for this title with TBR & Beyond, but when I discovered that my review date for the tour was slightly after publication and I had a couple of long reads right before this date on my tour posting schedule, I elected to wait and use an Audible credit to let the narrators read it to me after release day. Thank you to all involved in granting me access to the ARC anyway! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

When I received the email inviting me to apply for this tour, I didn't know anything about Scott Reintgen or the Ashlords duology, but I saw a gorgeous Friesian-looking horse and a genre label of fantasy and had to check it out. I was hesitant to apply knowing it was a second book and that the tour would not be providing the first, but fortunately a library I have access to through Libby had both ebook and audiobook licenses of Ashlords, the first book, available. I flew through my listening experience of Ashlords, rated it 5 stars with a rave review, and shamelessly begged to be granted a spot on the tour on whatever date was available in the comment box at the end of the application form. I had to know how this story concluded, and as a book blogger, I wanted to share my love for this story with a wide audience. Now that I have experienced Blood Sworn I can confidently say that I am not disappointed in the least, Reintgen has does it again, and I give the whole duilogy 5 stars!

If you have not yet read book one, Ashlords, keep in mind that I cannot possibly give an adequate review of Blood Sworn without mentioning things that could be considered spoilers for Ashlords. If you don't want Ashlords spoiler for you, stop at this paragraph and know that I highly recommend this duology to all fans of high fantasy, fantasy adventure, YA overthrow the dystopia storylines, or "anything with frequent horses."

Blood Sworn picks up right where Ashlords left off and continues with the three POVs: Pippa, Imelda, and Adrian. Imelda and Adrian POV chapters continue to be presented in third-person and Pippa's in second-person. In the audiobook edition, the same narrators who voice these characters in Ashlords have reprised their roles. In short: Everything to do with narrative voice and literal narration remains unchanged from book one. Overall very good choices there, why change what worked so well? My only potential critique is that by making just one POV written in second person the reader is forced into that role, forced to be from the Ashlord society, and by this point in the story we're already quite sympathetic to the other factions, so this POV trick doesn't hold the same weight anymore. Either way, I'm used to it by now and I barely took notice when Pippa's parts switched from she to you.

Adrian is reunited with his father and takes his intended place leading their army against the Ashlords. Imelda's newfound tribe of rebels wastes no time in joining in on the battle, while not necessarily joining up. Pippa takes up the helm as a general for the Ashlords. The god who had a hand in changing fortunes during the race is still here too, and still working to tip the scales in favour of whoever promises the best sacrifices. Early on in this new war, however, the god's meddling begins to have the unintended effect of bringing Pippa and Adrian together in more, uh, "friendly" means, and all three young leaders begin to spend time in the underworld. What awaits them there is a long-forgotten secret about the nature of the Ashlord gods, and with this answer comes the potential for a lasting end to war in their world if they can set their sights on their true enemy.

This book is full of surprises! Every time you figure something out, something you weren't even watching for pops up and presents a new puzzle. Just like the first book, Blood Sworn was absolutely impossible to put down. This is a thrilling magical adventure that demands to be read in one sitting, so prepare to devote your whole day to this book or prepare for distraction as your count the hours until you can get back to it.

One thing I very much appreciate about Reintgen's writing style is that there's just enough description to know what's going on, but the description gets out of the way and lets the plot march on. Not a single paragraph is dull or dry. There are no signs of world-builder's disease here. We can picture a desert-like country as the setting, we understand that the phoenixes look like normal horses, but work like mythical phoenixes with nightly rebirths, we get to know as much as we need to know about the alchemy of blending minerals into phoenix ashes to influence what the next phoenix looks or acts like, and we have broad strokes descriptions for our three main characters. That's really all we need to know. There isn't so little description that we end up with talking heads or generic horses running through nothingness, but the reader is left to imagine a lot of the finer details, and that's how I like to read. Inspire my mind's eye director, but let me do the mental casting.

I do like the resolution this book comes to, though I feel like the way the winning side establishes their new rules for society was handled a little too quickly and with a slightly rosy tint. It's a very appropriate YA ending, but this story had the potential to go in so many directions I guess I was hoping for either a grittier ending or one that left some strings untied. I would also like to say that while this works extremely well as a self-contained duology and I'm not going to sit here and pointlessly wish for a continuation of the series, I would be absolutely delighted to get a short story, article, novella, whatever deep-diving on these phoenix horses. I want the history, I want training tips, I want anecdotes about famous phoenixes, and I want to know more about how having access to a magical beast of burdon affects the development of a society. That's really the only aspect of these books that I felt needed more description, more world-builder's info dumps, and I expect most horse lovers in the audience will too.

Overall both this book and the duology as a set have been an absolute pleasure to experience, and I'll definitely return to these for re-reads just for fun in the future. They're new favourites, and I want everyone to know that they're absolutely worth reading!

I first discovered Scott Reintgen when the first Nyxia book was announced, which I wanted to read not only because it sounded awesome but because I knew he was a North Carolina writer and I always want to support my home state authors. I absolutely loved the Nyxia trilogy (see my tour post + review for Book 2 here), and as I said in my review for NYXIA UNLEASHED, “I have a feeling he’s THE teacher in whose class all the kids want to end up! And he is now an author whose work I will always follow.”

And follow I have! While I have not yet read Scott’s middle grade Talespinners series, I’ve read all of his YA books and absolutely love his writing. While the ideas behind both the Nyxia trilogy and the Ashlords duology are creative and unique and so much fun, I think that his characters are the absolute best part of his books. His history of teaching creative writing and ELA to high school students informs every book he writes, in that he writes stories specifically so that his students can see *themselves* in these books. Again, as I noted in my review for NYXIA UNLEASHED, “I love knowing that Scott honored his students by creating characters that are representations of their personalities, their histories, their struggles, and their triumphs.” His characters are diverse in race, sex, personality, history, and thought, and I have loved them all.

I actually hadn’t yet had a chance to read ASHLORDS last year, so I binged ASHLORDS and BLOODSWORN for this tour, and what a blast I had. ASHLORDS focuses on the awesome phoenix horses and the Races, with hints of the political intrigue and history of the Empire, its peoples, and its gods, while BLOODSWORN takes us straight into that political intrigue and the war for the right to control the Empire. The Ashlords are trying to defend their role at the top and quell rebellion from the Longhands, the Longhands are trying to overthrow Ashlord rule, and the Dividians are trying to both avoid the crossfire and also hopefully carve out a place in the world that doesn’t keep them oppressed. We meet new characters (hello, Bastian!), learn much more about the Empire’s gods, and follow our three main characters into battles and even into the Underworld. Soon Pippa, Adrian, and Imelda find themselves working together toward an attempt to burn down the world they each inhabit and build back something better.

I love the message behind BLOODSWORN: that we can and should throw off even centuries of tradition, confront and acknowledge the parts of our history that are bad, and work together as a united front to build a world of true equality. It’s not easy work, but it’s necessary work, and we can each do our part to make something better. I hope that even if you pick up BLOODSWORN just for the story, you’ll also pay attention to that underlying message and take some hope from it. I think it is a message we sorely need right now.

Before I end, I’d just like to say while I loved this series as a duology, I am *all about* a prequel story to learn about Bastian’s history and a companion story to learn about Farian’s future, please and thank you :)

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

Initial Thoughts

I was super excited to be chosen for this tour. I chose Ashlords as my Book of the Month pick last year but hadn’t read it yet. This was the perfect chance!

Some Things I Liked

Multiple POVs. I loved that we got to hear from three distinctly different narrators who represent the different groups in this setting. The political plot is complex and I loved being able to hear from a Longhand, Dividian, and Ashlord narrator.
Rich world building. I loved the race setting in the first book but I loved the warfare and richness in the world building in this sequel. We got to see so much more of the world and how the different people and the gods fit into it all.
Futuristic yet historic vibes. That’s a super weird way to say it. Let me re-phrase. I loved that this world felt almost post-apocalyptic, almost Hunger Games-esque, but at the same time, it also felt like Ancient Greece or an ancient world. I loved the contrast between those elements.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Second Person POV. I was not a fan. It always reads oddly to me. I especially didn’t like that the other two POVs are first person. I’m also not a fan of mixing the POVs. Either all first person or all third person.

Series Value

I think a duology was the perfect length for this series. However, I think the world building is really interesting. I also really loved the race concept from the first book so I’d be interested in a prequels about past races.

Furthermore, I’m even more interested in reading Scott Reintgen’s Nyxia series now.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and this series overall. I think the second person POV annoyed me but overall, I thought the world building and characters were really interesting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda – if you enjoyed the complex political plot as well as the ancient yet futuristic world, try this duology. Book two is coming out next month.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you liked the idea of a competition turned more, try this older series.