Bloodsworn // by Scott Reintgen

When I first saw this cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book. I mean, I didn't really have a choice of course. I was THRILLED when my request was approved and promptly used it to buy the first book of the series, which has a cover that is just as amazing. I can't wait to eventually have both of these on my shelves.

I already said it in my review for Ashlords but I have really struggled with YA books this year so while I was very excited about reading this series, I was also a little nervous as well that maybe my expectation were a bit too high going in. Thankfully that was not true at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and having them available back-to-back was a great plus. Neither one is extremely long, which made for a few fun low-stress days. While I generally like sweeping epics with highly detailed descriptions, it was also a nice breath of air to not have that in this series. Just like book 1, Bloodsworn was packed full with action. There was enough description to easily be able to picture the worlds above and below, but not enough to slow you down and keep you in one spot for too long. Most of the chapters are relatively short, which has you feeling like you're moving at a crisp pace as well. This is not to say that anything feels rushed but rather that this is a book that has constant movement and never leaves you yearning for more action.

While there was not a whole lot more that we learned about the magical system, we did get to see a few more applications of it that were really fun. It did surprise me that sometimes the opposing side was surprised and unprepared for certain attacks as you would think that after having phoenix horses for multiple generations, their utilization would be more studied and prepared for. But overall, the battles were still interesting and fun. While sometimes situations seemed a bit too easy to get through, once you think about it more deeply, it does work well with the history of the populations to work out the way it does.

The multiple point of views continued the same way as in book 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed the cleverness of the author in this later on. While I struggled a bit with the 2nd person POV in book 1, it really ended up growing on me and I did not have any issues at all with it this time. I loved being able to see the war from each characters' view, especially once things got a little more heated and delicate. Several times did I find myself doubting what I was reading because I couldn't fathom the characters acting a certain way but eventually, everything came together perfectly. I am impressed at how well Reintgen played the characters off each other and kept me guessing throughout again and again.

While I personally would have loved to find out much more about this world and especially the phoenix horses, this series is a solid 4 star read for me. I find this a fun read for adults and also very appropriate for YA readers as it has some great themes that can encourage great conversations. I'm not a huge fan of perfect endings and love that this one leaves room for imagination and growth for its characters. Since this is a duology and we won't hear how the characters fare beyond the ending, it does show that things don't always have to be perfect down to the last little detail to be better than before.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNF the first book ASHLORDS but wanted to see if this one improved. I feel like the premise of this book is awesome but it just was not written the right way.

I was blown away by Ashlords and I didn't think it could get better, but Bloodworm was the best possible sequel. The characters felt even more real and the plot was at a quick canter.

Bloodsworn is the thrilling conclusion to the Ashlords duology. With the race that sparked a revolution over, all three protagonists must decide what their next move is. Pippa and Adrian have both been tapped to play major roles in the upcoming battles. Imelda has joined the rebel movement, where her powers as The Alchemist are in high demand. However, it soon becomes clear that they have all been lied to and layers of secrets surround the gods that control their world. All three must work to uncover the truth, before time runs out.

I really enjoyed this sequel, possibly even more than Ashlords. With the complex world-building firmly in place, Reintgen is able to showcase his skills with writing action and political strategy. There’s never a dull moment and there are several clever plot twists that were very effective. I really enjoyed my time in this world and with these characters. I would highly recommend this duology! If you enjoy lots of action, political plotting, and excellent storytelling then you need Bloodsworn! Bloodsworn releases on February 16, 2021. Thank you to Scott Reintgen, Crown Books for Young Readers, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

This was a good second book in the aries. I felt like the story answered a lot of my questions that I had from earlier on. It was a read I'd recommend.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Sworn was so easy to devour once I got off of work today. I mean, I loved the first book and once my buddy said it was going to be a good book - I was ready. Like Spongebob. Not going to lie to any of you, I had SO many questions in the first 10 chapters. So freaking many and I actually got the answers that I needed. Not sure if I was hoping for them to go like that but I am a-okay with how it all went down. Even if it was a little bittersweet for me.

Now the characters - Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian - grew up a bit form the first book. With war against the gods being on their minds, I wasn't that shocked or surprised with that little fact. I just wasn't mentally prepared when I dove into the first 10 chapters. That's why I had so many questions.

My love for these three grew so much while reading about their adventure. They were challenge constantly and underestimated by so many people. It was kind of amazing to see everything happening for them all and it just made me smile.

In the end, I am so happy that I got to read both books in this duology from NetGalley and I can't wait to own both of these beautiful books.

I loved the first book in this series and was excited when this one was approved. This cover is so gorgeous and the story was even better than book one. I enjoyed the round robin flow of the POVs it really worked with the pacing of the story. I loved all the backstory that we got in this one and the characters shine even more. I loved every page and I wished it was going to be more than just two books.

the writing was good but I did not understand what was going on and I got confused very easy but the story was great

I loved the first book in this duology so I was excited to jump into the sequel. The three main characters are so different, they come from different backgrounds and have their own agendas. Rotating between their points of view helped keep the story moving while giving a full picture of the plot.

The world the author created is so interesting, the gods and their origins, the phoenix horses, and some other creatures we meet in this book. We got to explore the world of the gods in this one and learned more backstory of how the gods became part of the human world.

There's also a lot of action, fighting, and some nice romance too. Imelda is my favorite, she's so smart in alchemy and figuring things out and her relationship with Bastian is pretty cute. I enjoyed seeing her with the phoenix horses and how she's able to think on her feet. Pippa and Adrian are fighters, they both lead armies trying to destroy the other, but there are feelings there and they both are able to see the big picture and what would be best for their people.

The pacing in this is great, I loved the reveals and plot twists, and thought the ending wrapped up really nicely. What a fun series to read!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I do love a pretty horse cover. This cover artist has done amazing for this series. I have got to say this book may have been even more exciting than the first!

I absolutely loved the transition from the races to this new war. The war between humans was cool but the most interesting aspect of this book was the war with the gods.

With all the characters we got a huge spurt of growth whether it was Pippa or Adrien each character grew into their potential. I loved how Adrien and Pippa opened their eyes to what was really going on around them while Imelda learned to grow her confidence. Even the side characters had some great parts teaming up with Pippa as she learned to grow allies out of the people she originally thought of as expendable pawns. That plot twist almost caught me but I figured out the difference! The writing and twists were absolutely amazing, there wasn't a single character I hated when it switched POVs.

The plot was a bit slow at the beginning just because it had a lot of war information but it picked up quickly and never slowed down after that. The whole premise of the gods was so fascinating that I couldn't put it down until I was finished. My one thing was a couple of times it seemed like the characters had a bit of an easy way out, especially in some fights. The plot twists and fast paced adventures kept me on the edge of my seat. I did like the way that most of the plot stayed separate until he slowly weaved them together into one perfect moment.

The worldbuilding is where this book really shines. The gods very much take a front seat in this book and it was so interesting. From the lore to each individual god, everything had a place that fit it perfectly. I found some of them more fascinating than others but the creepiness and ruthlessness was cranked to the max for each one. The horses still had a place in this book with the new mysterious version but I do wish they had a bit more of a center seat (that may just be the horse lover in me talking).

Overall this was a wonderful ending to this duology that smashed every expectation I had and went far beyond. This is definitely a book to be waiting for in 2021!

MY REVIEW: 3.5 Stars ⭐️

I felt this was a very good conclusion to this duology. The cover itself gets all of the stars.

The wrap up with Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda is just right. Each character makes it through their struggles with what is really happening in their world. I thought the end was perfect and I also enjoyed some of the other characters.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books for a digital copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were great and it had what I was looking for from the end of the first book. I really had a good time reading this and hope there is more.

Simply amazing. I was highly impressed with the first book. So much thought went into creating such a unique world. To use alchemy to create animals is awesome.

The beginning of this book was a little slower, with a lot of details on battle formations and politics. It gave me Enders Game vibes due to the fact that children race(battle), and the strongest end up leading armies.

But as the story unfolds, the twists and turns created a more well rounded story. We get more of a back story on the gods, and see new phoenixes rise. A whole new world.

I simply couldn’t put this book down and finished it within three hours.

Bloodsworn takes place just after the final events of Ashlords. This book takes a dramatic shift from the races to a revolution. Within 400 pages we get to see the three main charatcters figure out how to work together and change the world for the better. It was a hard shift to make for me, jumping from this adventure novel to one about liberation even though that is clearly where the story needed to go.

To be honest, reviews about sequals are always hard for me to write without including spoliers from the first book - but overall Reingten created a story that is easy to emerse yourself in. The magic that is used throughout the story is well done, and provides addition to the story instead of taking it over. This book is very much about the salvation of a dying world and taking back the one's power. If there was going to be a third one, I would read that too, but this is the perfect duology!

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Crown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the fabulous colorful cover of the horse hoping that it was a friendship/war battle type of book and was I in for a treat. The culture shock between the two families that sparked the war with the gods and now it's every man/woman for themselves battling to stay alive and protect the one's they love. Fans of Hunger Games and Ember In the Ashes will appreciate this book very much. Our teen book club has a lot of Hunger Games fans and I can't wait to hear their take on the book.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this arc for my honest opinion.

The race is over the war is under way.

Imelda has accomplished what she set out to do. She broke the rules and changed the game. Now she is part of a rebel faction that hopes to topple and empire and give the Dividends their freedom.

Pippa is the leader of the Ashlord army. It is something she was born to do. But war isn't all it appears and thoughts of Quinn have her questioning herself.

Raised to hate the Ashlords for the slaughter of his mother and their people, Adrian was molded to be the face of a new rebellion.

And the gods are at the center of it all.

Blood Sworn is the second book in the Ashlord duology. It does not disappoint. This book picks up shortly after the events of book one. The war is under way and you are quickly drawn back into this fantastical world. You get to diver deeper into the lives of each of the characters and the roles they play and what motivates them. Its action packed and exciting and 100% binge worthy. Very satisfied with the conclusion to this series.

This book is so good! Everyone needs to read this series because it is amazing! I really enjoyed this series and I loved the plotline. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book! Great Book!