I enjoyed Blackwood's "Within These Wicked Walls", so I was excited to try this one. Now having finished it, I have to say, I don't know how I feel about it. There was so much that was good. The unique storyline, the magic that was very different from the usual, the beautiful, yet creepy jungle with it's creatures, ghosts and spirits. I thought that Victoria was a believable and likeable character, as was Bunny, and I liked Samson, as well.
But there were some things that bothered me too, like some of the clunky dialogue and repetitive phrases ("kissing their teeth" was used over and over) and the whole relationship between Victoria and Thorne, falling in love in just two days time. It just didn't come across as believable. And I'm the end I had a lot of questions I felt were never really answered.
Overall, I have to say I liked "Within These Wicked Walls" better, but will definitely look forward to the next book from this author.

Lauren Blackwood takes us on a trip to the tropics of Jamaica, to
the Exotic Lands Touring Company.

The name sounds like the perfect company to plan your next vacation touring guide, but this company is as corrupt as “Boi Blue” that some are known to be, true!

So let me begin to tell you the tale of ELTC for short,

Let us begin:

Victoria:

Victoria has been working for Exotic Land Touring Company as a Wildblood since she was kidnapped, when she was only 6 years old.

Her job is not one of the utmost respectable jobs on the outside.

However, inside the gates of the “touring” company, everyone knows that Victoria is the most powerful Wildblood there.

Here, the power of blood bending is what she and her fellow team of blood benders are known for.

Their special abilities are to protect the “rich” who can afford their services.

To take them safely through the Jamaican jungles, which are filled with ghost, monsters, and spirits.

No matter what they have heard about the frights of the jungle, the rich will still pay.

Because in the end, all they are after is GOLD.

Overlooked:

Victoria is extremely excited because the position for Team Leader has opened up.

Bunny and Samson just know that Victoria, is the only person powerful enough and ready for the position.

However, when the boss makes the announcement, it is not Victoria’s name he calls.

It is her conniving, backstabbing, ex-boyfriend Dean who is next to inherit the company.

Victoria is “VEXED” unbelievably, and she is determined to show and prove who she really is.

The Client:

Then one day the boss says he has a new client, (however sorry, to Victoria about passing her over.

She just was not the image that he wanted to portray for this rich client.) The world-renowned gold miner, Thorn
.
Thorn is determined to do, and go, anywhere, to reach a mythical gold supply that is said to be, buried deep within the dense layers of the jungle.

Victoria is totally taken aback by this man; she cannot believe how calm and kind he is to her.

For she is nothing like this kindhearted man from America.

Change of Plans:

He is scheduled to leave on his excursion with Dean as his guide in 48 hours
.
However, in that time Thorn and Victoria end up falling in love.

Thorn in turn entrusts Victoria with the mission instead, and she is about to prove her boss and that no-good Dean wrong.

Not to mention, she is not about to let her newfound love Thorn down.

Mission:

Together they will embark on a harrowing experience, through the mystifying jungles that await them ever so ominously.

Black wood Illuminates with her novelistic mosaic of enthralling magical creatures, astonishingly.

From her River Goddess to the hypnotic spirits that are calling out to Victoria from the jungle.

The word building was nicely done and flowed seamlessly

Blackwood’s character Victoria was outstanding and was the pinnacle of the novel.

You actually cared for her safety and her feelings.

However, the ending was absolutely STELLAR!!

This is where Blackwood truly shines like a diamond. Where you finally get to give that sly smile.

Hope it gives you that smirk too.

Good one Blackwood!

BIG UP GAL!

ENCORE!


Thank you, NetGalley/Lauren Blackwood/St.Martin's Press.Wednesday Books/ For this free eARC for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.

Wildblood is the story of Victoria, a powerful blood-bender who was taken as a child and forced to labor as a tour guide/guard through Jamaica's sentient monster jungle. She spends her time working as much as possible, looking out for her two best friends Samson and Bunny, and avoiding her boss and ex boyfriend, Dean. A client from America comes to them in his desire to mine the fabled gold that's rumored to lie deep in the jungle, despite Victoria's every warning against it. The client however, shows Victoria a kindness she is unused to and feelings develop between the two, despite the increasingly dangerous expedition. This YA verges on NA and is perfect for fans of Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray. CW: r*pe, physical and emotional abuse from an ex-partner, mentions of lynching, colorism, forced labor, resource extraction, fade-to-dark sex scene

What I loved: The setting! The magical jungle is gorgeous and full of creatures that are spooky and powerful but endearing and all connected to each other. I wanted more of the jungle and the magic therein. The character arc for Dean and his relationship with Victoria was written very well - I enjoyed the narrator's reflections on what makes someone a monster/unredeemable/unforgivable, and what makes a relationship repairable or not. I won't spoil too much but I thought the author wrote a believable interpersonal relationship and gave the writing of interpersonal violence and emotional abuse the delicacy it needed. I enjoyed the historical setting as well, although we didn't get too too much of it, it was a fun addition to the setting. The blood magic of the wildbloods was also very fun to read, although I do wish it had been explained more fully. Finally, I appreciated the commentary on colonialism and resource extraction, especially because it was woven very well into the fantastical setting, it didn't seem forced or out of place at all.

What I didn't love: Victoria's character felt a little flat to me, most of what I know about her is that she is THE BEST WILDBLOOD (okay I get it), that she struggles to speak up for herself against her abusers, and that she protects her friends (she protec but she do not attac). I just didn't feel much of a personality from her; I love that she is a daughter of the jungle, I think that fleshes out her character much more but it felt too little and was explained too late. I disliked the ratio of men to women in this book - Victoria has no women in her life but she has like 5 men and they are all in love with her and all want to marry her. The insta-love between Thorn and V was not convincing, why should I care about this relationship at all? They met 48 hours ago and have nothing in common. What's more, Thorn is giving HUGE John Smith (or John Rolfe, if you prefer) vibes and at first V calls him out and instead of considering her critique he's like <<but I'm good at finding gold>> and she's like <<well I tried>> lol ummm so romantic... There were also a few things in the writing that came off as awkward or confusing that I thought a stronger editor could've solved. Also, did sensitivity readers give that casual inclusion of a lynching the thumbs up????????? SOS send help that was SO WEIRD. and then he joked about it?????? Obviously I defer to Black readers/reviewers in this case, but I've never read a lynching included in a book for no purpose whatsoever. It felt awkward, like all the attention I was giving the story got sucked into that one very dark detail.

All in all, not a bad book, I think I'd give it like 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and discovering this authors works. The story was full of adventure and twists and turns that I found very engaging. I absolutely loved this story and the journey the characters went through. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

This is a great book! Lauren Blackwood presents a world so whole and fascinating that it's easy and a delight just to sink in and go for the ride. Victoria and her co-workers are enslaved youth in an alternate Jamaica, where only their magic blood--wildblood--keeps them from becoming food or worse within the great jungle that surrounds their camp. Rented out as tour guides, the kids lead parties of wealthy people across the island on a single road, protecting them from the physical and immaterial threats of the jungle. Victoria longs to take her young charge Bunny away from their life, and when she gets a possible chance to do so, she forces trauma aside to do it. But more and more, the rivers and trees and vines call to her, making the trip an exceptionally dangerous one. The characters are so well created--they've got layers and depth and so many stories--and the plot, while fairly traditional in form, is embroidered upon in the most creative and dazzling ways. A fantastic book for teen-adult book groups, high school classrooms, and anyone who is looking for truly new speculative fiction.

I really enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls, so when I was offered an advance copy of Blackwood's new book I jumped at the chance. There are several similarities between the new book and the previous one, e.g. a poor Black girl who gets hired by a wealthy man to keep himself and his companions safe against supernatural forces. They quickly fall in love, even as people are dying left and right. Though there is a change of scenery, as well as Victoria having more friends and people she cared about.

The story is easy to fall into, though I thought the world building was lacking. I wanted to know more about the science the Wildbloods have. How does it work, what determines if a person manifests it, what else can it do? I didn't think we got to see much of the power and was disappointed. I also thought the villains were weak and with how strong Victoria is, how could they have kept her down like that?

The romance was my least favorite part. It's insta-love and had no real depth to it. I thought Thorn was just another man taking what didn't belong to him and not caring who got hurt while he did it. I would have preferred Victoria with Samson, Dean, or just take the romance out all together honestly. I will say that the ending made me happy and lessened some of my irritation.

For the things I enjoyed, the jungle with it's many predators, including spirits of lost children and invisible entities that cause chaos was awesome. I loved the river goddess, the deadly butterflies, and how Victoria was connected to all of it. I could read a full book just about this jungle, it's so vast and exciting.

Unfortunately this wasn't a hit for me, but I think it has a wide appeal and I hope others have a great reading experience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy

I loved this book! A very unique concept with beautiful themes and a main character I deeply relates too.

I swear, if I have to read “kisses his teeth” one more time… lol.

It (or some variation of the phrase) is mentioned 23 times! Which, I guess in a 330 page book, is objectively not that much. But it's a phrase that really stands out, so it's easy to feel like it's being overused.

So it's not difficult to tell why this is getting such a mediocre rating from me - it's the writing. Repetitiveness aside, the prose/narrative is pretty weak and doesn't do a great job at supporting a unique concept. It creates more questions than answers when it comes to the wildbloods, how they developed their “science” or why Victoria is the strongest of them all. I didn't find her confinement to the tour company convincing, not to mention the boss and her ex are terrible two-dimensional "villains."

I will say the sentient jungle is pretty amazing. It and the creatures/beings that live inside it are very intriguing. But that's where it ends. Again, the interesting atmosphere could have been explored much more if the narrative hadn't been lacking. So I'm walking away feeling like I didn't truly experience any Jamaican folklore or magic, unfortunately.

Overall, there are some good, basic ideas. But the poor execution left me wondering what the entire point of the story was.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. I liked some parts of it - the magic was kind of cool. I don't necessarily understand why Wildbloods are needed to work at the camp and help people along the jungle road, but ok, fine I guess? I guess I just don't think enough was explained for me. How do people have these powers? Why is Victoria so strong? None of this is particularly explained. There is a little bit of backstory about why she is special to the jungle, but for me that really just didn't make a lot of sense. The descriptions of the jungle and the special creatures inhabiting it were great. I enjoyed the world building a lot. It was the main characters I had such an issue with I think. I liked Victoria - I even liked Thorn. I found their romance to be ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Dean or the boss...or their backstory for that matter. I literally couldn't stand it and cringed any time it was mentioned. And it was mentioned. A lot. The ending seemed rushed and was mostly a letdown for me. I just mostly didn't care anymore. And the end there were really just more questions than answers and I was just unsatisfied.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review closer to 3.5 stars. Even though I read this one sitting I felt it was lacking something for me. The world building was great but I feel like there wasn't much for the characters.

Content warnings: colorism, racism (real-world & fantasy), sexual assault (prior to story), violence, abuse & manipulation, mentions of lynching

Victoria is a Wildblood. She was kidnapped and forced to work at the age of six, and though she’s eighteen now, Wildbloods are not respected in her society, so she doesn’t have much of a choice to leave. But when her boss denies her a promotion, she figures out a way to convince him otherwise: she’ll go on a dangerous expedition with her ex-best friend who will be inheriting the company, and who is less powerful than her, and make him look good. This expedition is different than anyone expected, though, and ahead of Victoria is a journey full of death, dangerous jungle creatures, and even love.

I loved Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls, so as soon as I heard about this one I was excited to read it! The beautiful prose in WTWW was not missing from Wildblood. This book also touched on religion (specifically Christianity) and I really liked and related to some of the discussions on that.

I loved Victoria and I’m so glad we got this book about her! Wildblood is set in first person from Victoria’s viewpoint and this choice further drew me into the story and into Victoria’s mind. Victoria’s story was unique in many ways, but I think all readers (myself included) will be able to relate to her in at least one way.

I highly recommend to fantasy fans who want a book that’s still YA, but edges closer to NA.

The cover and the synopsis are a great indication of the kind of story you're in for. This book was a whirlwind of an adventure with some of the intoxicating worldbuilding. It was so easy to go through and author also did an excellent job at including meaningful details about the setting that made the work immersive and lush. If you love young adult fantasy, this is absolutely a book you’ll want to preorder.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an amazing novel. Most definitely one of the best books I read in 2022.
I really loved all of the characters and their relationships.
I hard such a hard time putting it down because the story was so compelling and well written.
The world building was excellent and the characters were interesting and compelling
An engaging plot with well-developed characters and setting that had me so consumed I lost all track of time.
The characters are well developed, the world building is rich and wonderful, and the plot will keep you hanging in there until the last page.
A new bold fantasy, Wildblood will be one of the best books you've laid eyes on.

Wednesday Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

creepy, unnerving, with lots of magic and twisty turny characters. readers that loved the creepy rooms and manifestations in Within These Wicked Walls will love the spooky manifestations in the forest (especially the pickneys). I do wish Victoria had more time to shine, I kind of feel she was overshadowed by Dean and Thorn especially. I also wish that the aftermaths of certain deaths in the book weren't smoothed over so easily. But it definitely scratched an itch for creepy YA that's almost adult in some aspects. It does have certain Heart of Darkness vibes, just YA and not horrifically racist and sexist.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley).

I absolutely loved Beyond These Wicked Walls, so I was very excited to get a chance to read an advanced copy of Wildblood. Blackwood wrote another unique story. I absolutely loved the setting- the sentient forest, the array of monsters/creatures, the River Mumma. If you don’t mind a book with heavy content (rape, abuse, death, blood, violence) I would recommend this novel to you. But be warned, once you start reading it, it’s hard to put down! :)

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.