When I started reading Of Wicked Blood, I immediately thought it had vibes similar to Six of Crows by Leigh Burdago. Of Wicked Blood starts with a thief, Slate Ardoin, who receives information that his birth parents have left him a trust fund and he has to travel to a small town that is reported to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. When he arrives there and is cursed by a ring, he finds out quickly that magic is real and he and three others have to go on a magical treasure hunt so they can restore magic.
I really loved this book. It definitely moves along quickly and by the time it ended I thought it was going to be quite heartbreaking but instead I was left scratching my head with so many questions. I definitely can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next.
If you want to be taken on a magical ride you need to check this book out.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook arc of this amazing book! This is my honest review.

This was such a pleasant surprise. I have to admit I requested this on a bit of a whim as it just seemed like an interesting concept a Con-artist/thief gets pulled into a magical treasure hunt. I really enjoyed it. It is a fun and quick read with sassy characters, a little adventure that didn't pull its punches. I definitely think fan's of Gilded Wolves will like this one.

We had an interested set up for the magic, a little bit of Authrian, a little bit of a mixture of other mythical beasts and gods from a number of different pantheons and a good dash of astrology. There was also a ancient library which we know I love. I really loved the writing style there was lots of hints and undercurrents of the towns business and its rumours bubbling under the surface that really brought it to life as a place.

I only have two little gripes. Firstly, it was obvious the authors were American. Though the book is set in Brittany in France and the Characters themselves are natives to the the town, there are a lot of Americanisms in the book. One character at a New years party references not having seen anyone since Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a North American (US and Canada) holiday not celebrated in Europe. They also comment about the university returning right after new year being strange. This is very common in Europe, we don't have the J-mester system, we go back to university on the first Monday/Tuesday after the new year. Little throwaway comments and conversations like this were dotted through out and sort of pulled me out of what was a fun and interesting setting. I hadn't read a book set in Brittany before, and the slight Dark Academia vibes were fun. The incorporation of hits at Arthurian legend were also really interesting but the town lost the French feeling when the characters became Americanised.

The ending was also sort of non-existent. The big drama of the book just sort of fizzes and ends with no build up or hint at there being a second book other than the series name on the cover and it just feels like we lost a little of the payoff we had been building up too. It seemed a bit rushed and then stuck on to give this book some form of end but it definitely wasn't a conclusion. Which is SOOOOO disappointing as I was really enjoying this book right up until those last couple of pages.

I read this over a couple of evenings, it was just a really nice escape. I liked how belligerent Slate was, I liked Cadences touch of naiveite. I also liked how they didn't fall into the obvious tropes along the way, they were skirted, subverted or used in really nice ways to just make this an entertaining read. If you are looking for a quick escape with a fun setting this is a good read.

Also I got access to the Audiobook also on Netgalley and I have to say the narration is great. It is worth checking out the audio as the two narrators work really well adding to the drama and the angst of the romance.

Name: Of Wicked Blood
Author: Olivia Wildenstein, Katie Hayoz
Genre: Teens and YA, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery, Romance, Drama
Rating: 3.7/5
Review:
Of Wicked Blood is a story of surviving and finding one's balance and discovering their origin.
Slate Ardoin has spent his childhood changing foster homes and parents, learning to survive on streets before anything else. Only three things are important to him, his foster brother, Damien, his cactus and his bank account. He never knew his origin, until a letter arrives which claims to know him, his family and his origin.
Cadence De Morel has lived her whole life in a small town, Broom, full of folklores and witchcraft history. But she never knew that these stories were true, there folklores were true, and the curses as well. A stranger, Slate waltzes into her life, and everything falls apart.
Slate wanted nothing but revenge, from the man who knew his parents, who knew who Slate was, and who knew how painful his childhood was. This man, De Morel knew everything, but he did nothing to protect him. Out of anger, Slate robs De Morel family's crypt and a ring from a corpse. Unbeknownst, he starts a curse, that would not only kill him but will harm all the people in the town.
I first started listening to this book because I liked the cover, and ended up liking alot about this book. The narrators were perfect, they expressed the character's feelings, personality and beliefs with their voice. I liked their voice, and enjoyed listening to the book.
Slate is not a good guy, but he's not a bad guy either, He just did what he had to do to survive, which makes his character much more realistic.
I enjoyed listening to this book. The characters are well developed, the plot is intriguing and there are some good plot twists.

Holy Goodness!!
I LOVE when a book makes you feel like you’re inside it and actually living everything that takes place! This book does that right from the beginning, the world building is awesome.
The action and the quest the characters go on is so well written that it reminds me of Harry Potter and Throne of Glass. It was impossible for me to get anything else done because I HAD to know what would happen next. I ended up starting and finishing this book within 24 hours, but it was so worth giving up my precious sleep.
The characters are so easy to fall in love with, and can I just ask where I can get me a Slate? Definitely adding him to my book boyfriends list. Who doesn’t love a funny, sarcastic, hot, bad boy?!?!

I listened to the audio of this book and the narrators were awesome!!
I am looking forward to the next book in this series!!!

A special thanks to Olivia Wildenstein and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this amazing book!!


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3547090713

My review is based on the audiobook. I really like that this story is told from 2 different viewpoints. Slate & Cadence are fantastic leads. Their relationship is natural and not forced. Their journey is exciting, suspense filled & magical. The narrators do a wonderful job bringing the story and characters to life. I look forward to more in this series and by this author.

It did take me a while to get into this and warm to the characters. The character of Slate I did not like at the beginning. He’s definitely vulgar and crude at times! He was definitely a character that had a penchant for swearing ..! I got used to him though and then actually started to like him! I think him being an ass at the beginning was of importance to the story and he really gradually grew on me. The dialogue was hilarious and there was plenty of laugh out loud moments. Some of the quips and funny things Slate came out with, I have to admit, did really amuse me. Cadence’s character too was one I really warmed to.

I loved the premise of the story and anything with hints of Arthurian legend is a win for me. It was a clever plot and I rapidly became invested. I also liked the split chapters between Cadence and Slate and reading each chapter from their perspectives. Slate, a character I struggled to like rapidly became a favourite and his chapters were ones I almost looked forward to the most. His straight to the point, funny narrative were brilliant!

The narrators are great too and make for very easily listening. This book started as a 3 for me, then I was completely hooked, upped it up to a 4 and then it rapidly because a 5 in quick succession and I couldn’t wait to listen to it again whenever I was pulled away from my audiobook! I loved the adventure feel and the quest to find the 4 quatrefoil pieces, it was filled with action and drama. And ahhh, that ending! I so can’t wait for the next book. I’m so glad there’s more! So so good.

This was incredibly difficult to get through.

I was interested in reading this book because a) I liked the cover, and b) I like books about magic and curses and stuff.

Unfortunately, it was so overwritten it bordered on being purple prose, and every character was just SO unlikable and ridiculous and completely over the top. The plot was still interesting, but listening to the writing was like listening to a telenovela.

All the character tropes were there:
- A douchebag male character (a thief, obvs, and a SeXy one at that) who is immediately possessive and shady and constantly rants about how "things are hard and I don't just mean the situation WINK WINK" and who is at one point literally about to DIE and wants to "lick the sound [of his name] from [the female character]'s lips. It was utterly cringey and I yelled "EW" a lot.
- A young but wise-beyond-her-years female character who ~is not like other girls~ but is so sophisticated and also insecure, cloying, and most importantly, completely unaware of her own RAVISHING beauty (especially her naturally very red lips).
- A flawed father figure who is just a dick.
- A ~slutty~ best friend.

It was terrible.

The narration was 50% okay, and the only 50% that was okay was the part done by Holly Fielding. She was fine. Tom Locklear, however, well. You know at the end of Grease, when sexy Sandy says "tell me about it, stud" to varsity Danny? That is how EVERY SINGLE FEMALE CHARACTER WAS VOICED by Tom Locklear. All seductive, whispery gasping and it was disgusting. Actually made my skin crawl. For some reason, 90% of the characters spoke with an American accent despite all of them being native to France, and that made the (terrible) French inserts sound even more ridiculous. "Maman" and "mon dieu" and "de Morel" are each given HEAVY accents that do not sound natural coming from either narrator and it was a very curious decision.

The romance was schlocky and thankfully chaste (I cannot imagine reading a sex scene written by these authors). It was sort of enemies-to-lovers but I think they're saving the ~big reveal~ for the next book in the series. The way that the men in this book talk about the women (even in their heads) is so gross and objectifying and it's meant to come across as appealing and romantic but like, Slate Ardoin (WHAT IS THAT NAME) could be a cannibal and nothing about how he's written would have to change to make him creepier.

The ending, well there isn't one. The book just stops.

Instead of reading or listening to this, go watch The Covenant instead to get some legacy urban fantasy with actually attractive dudes.

I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and Twig Publishing in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

New author, and a genre I really don’t read (or listen to) nearly enough. Magic, daemons, sirens, and curses. It’s all happening in the town of Brume, and it all started when Slate stole the Bloodstone from the dead body of Cadence DeMorel’s mother. The countdown begins and if all four quatrefoils aren’t retrieved in the timescale, Slate will be looking forward to a slow painful death. I loved Slate’s sense of humour, and I loved his potty mouth (it’s good that swearing doesn’t offend me, because well, yes, there’s a lot of it). Slate is arrogant, sexy, and he’s been a thorn in Cadence’s side since he first came to town, but she has to tolerate him in order to bring back magic to Brume. However, the more time she spends around him, the more she starts to trust him. Does that make her foolish? Time will tell. Nothing though, is quite as it seems. So many lies, so many secrets, and only a short amount of time to get the answers. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear really brought the characters to life. Thomas Locklear may be a new favourite for me, the sarcastic side of Slate really shone through. I received a copy of this thanks to NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Thank you for Netgalley and Twig Publishing for gifting me the audiobook in exchange of an honest review.

Whew, I have to say, this was a shot in the dark but it paid off big time! Olivia Wildenstein's name is not completely unknown to me, although I only realised that after starting the book. I have tried to read Pack of Blood and Lines in the past by her but really didn't mesh well with the story, so I DNF-d it. I'm happy to say, that Of Wicked Blood hit very differently for me and I flew through it. It's a magical treasure hunt with some romance, tied up in family mysteries with a pretty bow.

Things I Liked:
- the magical treasure hunt. Have you heard me mention that? Yes? Because it's SO COOL!
- the pacing was superb: every time things would settle down, something new comes along and off we go again on some wild goose chase
- Slate, Bastien and their relationship
- the pining. There was so much pining. I'm totally here for it.
- Cadence's father. He seemed like one of the most multidimensional, layered characters and I loved to hate him. I sincerely hope they don't turn him into a cartoonish villain in the sequel because this back and forth with how much of a rotten human being he is fascinates me

Things I wasn't a fan of:
- this story is set in Europe, France which is great, but it still felt too American for me. Aside from the excessive use of French phrases and wine drinking, this could have been set in any small town in the US. I might be overly sensitive to this, since I'm European, if not French, though.
- Cadence's dynamic with her bff. It's the typical bookish heroine with the partygirl friend, with a side of "not like other girls" and I feel like we should be over this by now
- the ending. It felt rushed and left us hanging in more ways than one. I'm cool with the occasional cliffhanger but this just felt... unfinished. Like the last 50 pages are missing. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Overall, even with some misgivings, I thorougly enjoyed this YA fantasy. The narrators also did a great job with the voice acting which is always a bonus. The story was sweeping and fast-paced, with interesting magical trials and fun characters. I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it releases!

5 – This book absolutely “wow”-ed me in all five aspects. I am likely to recommend this to many of my friends or students. I will also likely follow this author’s career and read their future books.
4 – This was a better than solid read. Excelled in most categories but did not leave me desperate to pick it back up. I am still likely to recommend this to a friend in conversation.
3 – This was a solid read. I enjoyed the time I spent reading it and I don’t regret it. I wouldn’t purchase this myself, but if asked for a recommendation in this genre, I might mention it.
2 – This book did not rank well in the five chosen aspects. I will likely not recommend this book, but it probably had one to two redeeming qualities.
1 – None of this story appealed to me personally, I will not recommend this book.

This book was super fun! It was kind of like a paranormal treasure hunt in France. The characters were great, especially our 2 main characters Cadence and Slate.
The idea of the book, where these 4 generations of families have to find each of their pieces to restore magic and save Slate from a curse he acquired when he put on a ring. Each trial they have to do to get back their leaves were so action packed and dangerous.
There were so many great relationships in this book. I loved how Cadence and Slate's relationship grew throughout the book. Cadence and Alma as well as Slate and Sebastian (spelling? I listened to the audiobook!) had such great friendships that warmed my heart.
The ending was so fast paced, but I felt like it ended in a weird spot. It ended on a real cliffhanger, but I felt like more things should have been explained. I'm very interesting to find out what happens in the next book!

This is a fantastic audiobook with two great narrators.

The book follows two main characters Slate and Cadence. Using two narrators was a great decision, I usually hate when there's a high pitched female trying to be a husky male and vice versa so this worked amazingly.

The story line is also good. Slate steals a magical family heirloom which dooms the town and the 4 heritage families are forced together to recover hidden pieces damaging the town and restore them to restore magic.

Its a great main story with good side stories filling you with the background of the characters.

A long book but I devoured it in 3 days. Thanks to lockdown 2.0!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Wow so I was seriously impressed with the narration! It’s rare but these days I’m finding it more and more. That aside, can I tell you it wouldn’t work without a perfect story line. This certainly was!! It wasn’t my usual PNR and it’s very different to what I normally pick up. This felt like a fantasy adventure thriller with all the feels. Some tough stuff happens one thing in particular that had me crying. But honestly I’m so happy I got to read this as it felt fresh and new. Different to other storylines out there.
I would never have picked this up but for connecting with Olivia one of the authors on social media, it made me check this out! HUGE well done ladies! You wrote an amazing storyline with such lovable characters and I’m so excited there is more to come. I loved the way Slate spoke to others and in his head! I was giggling like a little girl with a crush! Cadence was sweet and kind but with backbone. Oh but mostly I really can’t wait to find out what else Papa De Morel is hiding. I am really concerned he is playing them all and a proper villain.
Highly recommend! Top marks 5/5.

I really enjoyed the story line!

I did have a hard time with the narration which is a bummer. I am very particular when it comes to voices so I think I struggle finding the right mix.

I can't wait to read/listen to more from the authors!

Great story and great concept, I liked it! I do believe that the narration needs some work, it was the only thing that I didn't like about this book.

*I was given an advanced copy of the audiobook for Of Wicked Blood in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Twig Publishing, Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz.*

Told from two perspectives Of Wicked Blood follows Slate Ardoin and Cadence de Morel as they embarked on a quest to bring magic back to the world. That definitely makes it sound cheesy but I promise it’s not. Slate who has spent many years of his life in the foster system wins a scholarship to a prestigious college in Brume, this coming from Cadence’s father.

After his arrival in Brume Slate, who is angry at Cadence’s father as he could have rescued him from his cruel upbringing, decides to go grave robbing in the de Morel crypt. He puts on a ring not knowing that it is the cursed Bloodstone. After confronting Cadence’s father he finds out that unless the pieces of the quatrefoil are found he only has a matter of weeks to live.

Of Wicked Blood is an urban fantasy set in modern-day France however at times it did feel like it was set in the 18th century. I was so immersed in this world that I would get a little shock every time they mentioned their phones or clothing like puffer jackets. That does not mean that I didn’t enjoy the vibe of this book. I actually loved the strange paradox that this seemed to sit in and I thought it really suited the story.

This definitely took a while to get going, but once the pace picked up I didn’t want to stop listening. This is a great compliment as I’m not the biggest fan of audiobooks.

One part I absolutely hated about this book was the overly sexual thoughts that Slate had towards Cadence and how other male characters sexualised her. When Cadence was first introduced I kept thinking that she was 15. I’ll be honest and say that I kept thinking this for a lot of the book. It turns out that she is 17, which is stated in the first few chapters I just missed it for some reason. I still think this over-sexualisation was too much, especially for a YA book. This did at times feel more new adult.
In the next book, I would like to have more of a focus on the actual relationship between Slate and Cadence. Near the end, they develop a relationship that goes beyond physical attraction. This is definitely something that should be explored more in future books.

Putting that aside though I loved the premise of this book and I actually really liked the narrators. Holly Fielding was an excellent choice for Cadence and she put out a believable performance. I did enjoy Thomas Locklear as a narrator. However, he made Slate sound way older than he was. This definitely did not help with my previous point of the over-sexualisation. Obviously, this was not his fault and I am not putting any blame on him. Thomas Locklear also gave a great performance with believable emotion.

I liked the characters, but they would do with a little more development and I really loved the storyline. Once the task to get the quatrefoil pieces began the action was non-stop and exciting.
There isn’t really a heavy focus on romance as the majority of the time the characters are feeling mostly lustful affections towards one another. However, I can definitely see it becoming a larger part of the series as times goes on. However, I have every faith that this will not take away from the action and the intricately woven storyline.

Overall I would give Of Wicked Blood a rating of 4/5. I cannot wait for the next instalment in this series.

This was an audio book that I loved, but you will see that I have only given it three stars.

Let me start with the positives, the story is fantastic. It is original and imaginative and kept me wanting to know what happened next, throughout the story.

The negative points are firstly the narration, I found the changing of accents really odd. The story is set in France, so in my simple world the narration should either have a french accent or not There were some characters with a french accent, and others (also french) with an american accent. I found this baffling and annoying. Secondly the characterisation left a lot to be desired in my opinion. I found them formulaic and trite. There was a litle too much eye gazing and chest heaving for this type of novel.

So will I be buying the next in the series? I certainly will! I loved the plot so much I am desperate to know what happens next. If the flaws above could be ironed out, it would be a five star listen for me.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz is the first book in The Quatrefoil Chronicles. This is the first book I have read by either author but will definitely look up more of their work. I was intrigued by the blurb, then when I saw advanced praise from Wendy Higgins (one of my favourite authors) I knew I had to give Of Wicked Blood a try and I’m so happy I did.

Slate grew up hard in foster care. Candence grew up sheltered and privileged in a French town so small they have no roads. When they meet sparks fly. But is it hatred or love?

Slate is convinced Candence’s father could have rescued him from the system, so he does a little grave robbing. With the cursed bloodstone ring now counting down his days, Slate, Candence and their gang of misfits must work together to fight monsters, solve clues and right wrongs to reassemble the quatrefoil and restore magic to the world.

I loved the characters, both main and side were well written. The dual perspective storyline helped understand more about the main characters. The creepy fog and tiny town really added to the setting for the storyline. The narrators did an excellent job as their characters, but had a tendency to struggle a bit with different voices. Though it was still definitely an enjoyable listen. The ending let me down a bit, but I look forward to reading the next book for some answers and to see what happens next for the characters.

An enjoyable 4 star read.

At first I didn't really like the voice for Slate didn't feel right but now it's perfect for him when going into the story.

Now I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK! why did. I wait so long to read it? My only problem is it's suppose to be "young adult" there's no sex and one of the characters is 17 BUT this is totally a new adult. Slate talks about his dick and the bewitching power of Canence has over it.

Yeah people will complain that the romance was too fast but I loved it. Especially since they both chastise themselves for the feeling.

But this was perfect.

We follow Slate and Cadence. Slate who has a troubled childhood and life in foster care system. Cadence who knows tragedy at young age. Magic and thievery I really enjoyed the French setting. I rated it 3.5 stars. I rounded up to 4 due the fact I just couldn’t connect to the characters too much.
I would recommend this for urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.***.