This book was such a unique read and loved how the plot was so refreshing compared to a lot of books I’ve read lately. Definitely would recommend this book! Thanks netgalley for an advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was very excited about this book. However, if fell short for me and it became dull. I sadly DNF this title at around 34%

Initially, this really sucked me in but by the middle/end of this my interest was gone. Blackwood's first book was spectacular, one my favorites from 2021 which made me ridiculously excited for this one. Unfortunately, it felt like there was little to no world building so while the premise of this book seemed really promising the execution of it was just not there for me.

I absolutely devoured this lush fantasy romance set in a beautiful and terrifying Jamaican jungle. Protagonist Victoria is a Wildblood, with the ability to draw blood from living things and form it into weapons. She has "worked" (i.e. was captured and held for little pay) for the Exotic Lands Touring Company since she was six years old. She and her fellow guides must use their magic to escort wealthy travelers through the jungle, which teems with man eating insects and soul sucking spirits. Victoria has a unique and deep connection with the jungle, and the river spirit Mumma in particular. By the skin of her teeth, Victoria joins the latest expedition to escort the handsome Thorn and his party into the jungle in a search for gold. Unfortunately, the expedition is being led by her ex- best friend, Dean, who had cruelly betrayed Victoria in the past. A harrowing journey begins, and not everyone will make it out alive.

I was immediately drawn into this world. The mystical jungle setting, and the different insects and spirits that inhabit it were fascinating. I love watching female protagonists, like Victoria, really come into their strength and learn to fight for themselves. Was there a bit of an insta-love thing with Thorn? Yes, but I had no problem with it because he was a necessary part of her growth. I easily connected with her as a protagonist, and truly felt for her. I would love to see more in this setting and get a deeper look into the lore of the jungle and those with Wildblood magic.

This was not quite what I expected, but still, I enjoyed it. Victoria's story, her connection to the jungle, her frustration with her job, all of it was beautifully written. I think that her story will resonate with many high school students, as they often feel like there's so much of the world they want to know or experience, but they feel trapped by school and family and other commitments. I can't wait to get this on my shelves and into the hands of my readers!

Wildblood is a new Historical Young Adult Fantasy novel written by author Lauren Blackwood (who previously wrote Within These Wicked Walls). The novel takes place in a jungle reserve in 1893 Jamaica, but not just any jungle: a jungle filled with supernatural creatures and spirits, led by a river spirit/goddess that isn't happy about human intrusion. But a tour company opens up and offers adventure into the jungle anyway, with trips guided by indentured young black men and women known as "Wildbloods", who have the magical "Science" to manipulate blood - their own and others - into weapons (or just to manipulate it in general. Naturally like in our world, the fact that Wildbloods have this power makes them "different" and not human, leading to them being treated horribly, and protagonist Victoria is desperate to prove herself, grab a leadership role in the company and make things better for her fellow Wildbloods, especially the 14 year old boy she thinks of as a little brother who can barely control himself and his own powers.

The result is a story dealing strongly with prejudice, with human greed, and with the impacts of abuse and trauma as it follows Victoria guiding a group of miners into the jungle, led in part by an alluring black man, along with the former best friend who betrayed her and now helps her boss oppress her and the other Wildbloods. It's a story that is dark, but not for darkness sakes, and hits its themes really well, thanks largely to a very strong lead character and a narrative that doesn't hold back. At the same time, the book's core romance doesn't really work for me, and the book's setting is very unexplored and underexplained, to the point where it's almost a little distracting when things in the plot possibly reach the outside world. Overall though this is a pretty solid young adult novel dealing well with some really strong and important themes, making this a worthy recommend.

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE, Sexual Abuse, Physical and Mental Abuse by a Boss, Racial Discrimination and more. None of this is superfluous and it all works in context, so these triggering events are used properly and appropriately in furtherance of the book's themes.


----------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------
Having just turned 18, Victoria is determined to get what the Boss promised her: a promotion to a leadership position in the Exotic Lands Touring Company, one in which she can ensure that her fellow Wildbloods, most notably the older loving Samson (sort of an older brother/protector) and her adopted younger bother, 14 year old Bunny, are better protected. Victoria is the most powerful wildblood in the group, but that doesn't matter because she can't use that power or try to escape (a doomed prospect if there was one) without those she cares about getting hurt. Especially Bunny, a boy who wasn't meant for this life and who can barely control his own Blood Science from hurting himself and others.

But when Victoria tries to demand her right to the promotion, she is not only rejected, but finds the tour leadership position going to Dean instead - Dean, the wildblood who used to be her best friend and rival until he betrayed her to a horrible fate at the Boss' hands and has since then sucked up to the Boss as he continues to oppress Victoria and the others. Even worse, the Boss demands that she help Dean look good as a leader on a dangerous trip through the Jungle with a group of outsiders - miners - who want to mine the legendary gold hidden deep within the Jungle. But Victoria knows full well that no one has managed to make it through the Jungle alive to find that gold, for the Jungle is full of dangerous spirits, creatures, and other beings following the will of the River Mumma, who has little patience for human outsiders.

Left with no choice, Victoria tries to help the team of outsiders and Wildbloods make it as far as possible. But the infuriatingly handsome co-leader of the miners, the alluring black man Thorn, keeps refusing to heed her warnings about the dangers of going forward...not that Dean will let her fully explain those dangers. And even if Thorn is really genuine in how he is both attractive and actually treats her human like no one ever has before, his actions are clearly going to get him, and everyone Victoria loves among the Wildbloods, killed for disobeying the spirits of the Jungle....
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Wildblood is a novel that only does the barebones of explaining its setting. Why do the wildbloods like Victoria have blood science and what are the limits of their powers? Never explained. Are wildbloods unique to Jamaica? Never explained. How are kids discovered to have wildblood powers and then taken/kidnapped to the Touring Company? Not explained. These lack of explanations could be annoying for some readers, as the book isn't truly interested in exploring what these concepts might mean for the larger world, but the book's central plotting and characters are done well enough that its a minor annoyance at best.

This central plotting is centered around its main character Victoria, who is a really strong and well developed character, as she deals with a number of problems all at once. Victoria is a young woman who has a great heart and cares for those close to her immensely, especially Bunny who she feels determined to try to save, and Samson, the man who is basically her elder brother figure (and who kinda tries to be her father figure). In terms of magical power, she's incredibly strong, the strongest of any Wildblood, and she has a connection to the Jungle that is something that none of the others show a hint of having on their own.

But Victoria suffers from abuse and oppression - oppression like the racism of others for her being a wildblood or being light-skinned black to being looked at as eye candy essentially as an advertised "rare beauty" and abuse that is far worse than words - it is stated outright that she was not only physically abused by the Boss, but sexually abused and raped as well. Even worse, that rape happened when she was led into it by the boy she cared about the most at the time, Dean, who was her rival and closest compatriot but who has followed that rape by sucking up further to the boss and acting as his right hand man, a position she was clearly better suited for in terms of capabilities. And so Victoria struggles when not among her compatriots to assert herself, with an occasional stutter that shows up when talking to her supposed superiors.

These traits of Victoria come to a head when she makes the trip into the jungle with the miners led in part by Thorn, another black man and one who makes overtures to her that seem like he sees her - unthinkably to her - not as property or a dangerous Wildblood, but as a human like him. And so Victoria finds herself at war with herself - and in conflict with Dean - over a confluence of emotions...emotions that tell her she should stop them from going further into the jungle, emotions that tell her that she might want to try something with Thorn, emotions that tell her that she needs to somehow help Dean with this mission in order to get the promotion that the Boss surely won't back down on promising her again, right? And then of course there are the lingering feelings she has towards Dean and anger at his betrayal that makes even the idea of helping him more difficult to stomach...especially when he won't listen to her and keeps taking steps that she knows will get them all killed.

This results in a really strong character study through Victoria - and through the others like Dean - of people from a place that has been colonized, abused, and raped, and forced into various subservient roles. For Victoria, that's as what is essentially little more than a slave, but for Dean, who is hinted and of course is abused himself, that is that of an overseer type role, where oppresses those that really are kin to him and that he might otherwise have loved like Victoria. This is helped along by the supernatural spirits and creatures in the Jamaican jungle, drawn from Jamaican and African myth and cultures, which menace and encounter the protagonists along the way and require adaptation to...or death. And the contrast is clearly drawn with the miners the team is trying to protect - from Thorn, who is in fact good hearted but just sees no way other than to mine the jungle's resources to his far more greedy and vicious (and not Black) compatriots.

Besides the setting however, one thing that doesn't really work and kind of becomes a problem for this book is the romance between Victoria and Thorn. Victoria basically falls for him instantly based upon his looks and his optimism, but he comes across in dialogue as kind of smarmy and sleazy, with his treating her as a human feeling less like that and more like a guy trying to get into her pants. It's nice that the book doesn't try to make Thorn actually that sleazy jerk, so that there can be some contrast to all the people who have betrayed Victoria, but the chemistry just feels really forced, which makes it very distracting. Still, the way it all resolves in the end works very well as it contrasts Thorn's need to return to the outside world with Victoria's need to both be free and a part of the Jungle she loves, resulting in an effective ending.

Overall, Wildblood is a YA fantasy novel well worth your time, even with its warts, and I do look forward to see how Blackwood's next book will turn out.

This was a magical and mythical adventure through a deadly forest where the people were just as dangerous as the jungle surrounding them. Victoria was kidnapped at the age of 6 and forced to use her magical abilities, which makes her more witch than human to most, to protect tourists on guided tours through the exotic land. Set in a fictional, historical Jamaica, now 18 year-old Victoria does whats necessary to survive and protect those she loves. In order to secure a promotion, she accepts a tour that she fears is a risk. Thorne, an American, is on the hunt for treasure. Victoria expects danger, she doesn't expect to fall for Thorn. The romantic plot line felt a bit forced, rushed (insta-love). Especially while trying to keep 14-year-old Boney safe, her magic in check, the ignorant tourists alive all while putting up with a backstabbing ex-boyfriend who doesn't want her to succeed at anything other than making him look good. Fortunately, she has a relationship that's unique to the jungle and that may have been my favorite part of this story. The beautiful and insidious jungle, it's creatures and sentience. Things ultimately, unsurprisingly, go awry on their quest. We discover more of Victoria's past which helps us empathize with her more, but ultimately many of the characters didn't feel as fully developed as the jungle. I'm undecided on how I feel about the ending, but it left me thinking about this story long after I finished, dealing with dark and heavy content and the cruelty humans can inflict upon others.

DNF at 78%. And let me tell you I don’t remember a single thing about it. Definitely made me sad. I liked the first one and was excited for this one. But for this to be a huge scary jungle, there was again, no world building so it just seemed like she was outside in her backyard. I wanted to know more about the creatures and what a wild blood and all her magic and we just don’t get that.

Wildblood is a phenomenal thrilling read that I couldn’t put down. There’s action adventure and mystery!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to read and review this novel before the publishing date, and I will not be providing feedback on this title at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild ride of a book. There were so many times when I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened. The setting of the forest was a character in its own way and all of the creepy things that happened or lived in the forest really kept the character on their toes as well. I found the main characters some of the best-written characters I have read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood is a YA standalone fantasy novel. Victoria is a Wildblood, a person with magic that lets her protect travelers in the Jamaican jungle for Exotic Lands Touring Company, the company that kidnapped her and has trained her to use her ability to protect tourists. When Victoria’s chance at promotion is ruined she takes the opportunity of a new client, Thorn, coming through to prove herself and get the position she deserves. Even if that means she has to work with he backstabbing ex Dean. Traveling through the incredibly dangerous jungle with Thorn, Victoria finds herself forging a bond with the kind, confident man.
***
I did not really like this book, it kind of gave me emotional whiplash, and seemed a bit all over the place, the relationship was incredibly fast and did not work for me. My favorite part of the book was the incredibly terrifying jungle and the creatures within it though, that bit was fascinating. I’d heard good things about the author’s first book though so I’m not counting them out yet.

Thank you to Lauren, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for an advance copy of Wildblood.

Victoria has been employed by The Exotic Lands Touring Company for nearly her entire life, after having been taken from her family. There she is mostly unhappy, but has found a few friends to make things bearable, and of course there is the beautiful, luscious, and mysterious jungle to which she feels a close connection to. She is a wildblood, which means she is more or less a slave to the company that she works for, using her special abilities to successfully and safely give tourists a walk through the jungle.

After being passed over for a promotion in favor of her enemy of an ex, they set out on a new expedition with a team that wants to go deeper in the jungle than anyone has any right to go. Victoria sees this as the challenge needed to finally prove her worth and sets out determined to lead the tour with integrity and professionalism. One of the main clients, Thorn, is immediately drawn to Victoria, favoring her over her ex who is also leading the tour and ultimately asking her to lead. As they venture further in and the jungle starts to voice its disapproval and fight back against the intrusion, Victoria has to decide what is most important - getting ahead, winning her client over, or staying alive.

Lauren created a very interesting world for us, one that I feel safe to say I have not encountered before. She wove a story that was equal parts story and character driven. We had adventure, with a romantic relationship as well as friendship sub-plot so there is something for everyone.

While I wish we had explored the world more and it had been a bit more developed, I really did get a good sense of location. I could practically feel the humid jungle air as I was reading. I think what was lacking most was more backstory on Wildblood’s and what all being a Wildblood entails (which is odd, considering it is the title and basis of the book). I almost feel as though making this a standalone dulls its potential, exploring this world could easily be a duology or trilogy, or even come with a companion novel or two if Lauren felt that Victoria’s story was over.

Victoria was a great character. Her sense of self and logical thinking was so refreshing to see in YA. Her upbringing wasn’t great and she’s been on her own a lot which tends to mature people quicker and is so much more realistic than the typical YA characters that should be wise beyond their years but are actually very daft.

This just wasn't for me, I requested this for the promised romance and I got a whole lot of confused. Didn't like much of anything, have so many questions. Random that they were Christians that sang hymns. Yeah still no, so much to unpack and my brain can't

This was a very fast-paced and fascinating story! I really loved Lauren Blackwood’s world building and magic system here. The main characters are all Black and Caribbean POCs- including the wealthy gold miners from the US, which I loved.

While there were a few places that I felt there could have been a little more depth of character development or explanation, the ending redeemed a lot of that for me. Overall, a great fantasy read for young adults who are looking for more diversity in their reading!

A jungle tour guide, magic used to protect travelers, ghostly monsters – I was ready for an adventurous read.

Victoria is an easy character to like. She’s dealt with a lot of trauma in her life, more than anyone her age should have to face, but she’s strong. She’s very protective of Bunny, a fourteen-year-old fellow guide who she loves like a brother, as well as Sam, another close guide friend. As much as I liked Victoria, it was the jungle and everything within it that engaged me. It’s atmospheric, dangerous, haunted – really more like a character than a setting. It also protects Victoria and exacts revenge on interlopers who don’t show respect for their surroundings.

Wildbloods can use their own blood or that of someone else to craft their magic to create weapons or kill their enemies. It’s a fascinating concept, but I didn’t completely understand it or why Victoria is the most powerful Wildblood. I’d hoped for more of an adventure tale, but after Thorn is introduced this story focuses primarily on the romance/insta-love between him and Victoria. It overshadows everything else. But I did feel like the ending was the right choice for the characters.

I’m a fan of this author’s writing style, but her first book, Within These Wicked Walls, is still my favorite of the two. Blackwood remains on my author to watch list, and I’m excited to see what she does next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Victoria has only known working for and living within the confines of the Exotic Lands Touring Company. Kidnapped when she was 6 years old by the boss, she works as a Wildblood protecting the company's clients on expeditions through their area of the Jamaican jungle. As a Wildblood, she has magical powers that help keep those with her safe. With her 18th birthday having passed, she expects the promotion that the boss had promised her but realizes she was passed over for the promotion for her backstabbing ex, Dean. Furious, she insists that she should be leading their upcoming expedition as she is the most knowledgeable of the area. She gets pushback in that she doesn't present the right image. On the trip, Victoria learns a lot about herself, about Dean and about the person who they ran the expedition for, Thorn. She learns more about love, family and what she wants than she imagined she ever would. It was a moving and emotional read.

The setting and magic system was very cool! I had a hard time rooting for any of the characters though, and wasn't a fan of the romance. I did, however, love the ending of the book!

3.5! This had such a cool backdrop and concept! I mean a sentient jungle with mysterious magic is sort of perfect I think. So I did adore that part! I also loved the concept of Wildbloods and the science of it and how much thought had clearly been put into that part. I think it’s such a unique concept too which I loved.

What I wasn’t as much of a fan of was the romance. The central romance was very insta-love which in general is just not my favorite sort of romance. Worse, I didn’t necessarily love her love interest that much anyway? I was very suspicious of him and I realized I shouldn’t have been because there wasn’t really much interesting about him. The romance was a huge part of the story so it was difficult to ignore. I also felt like I wish we could’ve gotten more background on the fantasy aspect of the story and gone deeper into that!

But overall, this was a nice read with a really cool concept!

2.5 stars

I couldn't finish this book, unfortunately. I made it 25% and quit because it wasn't what I was hoping. I may try it later on, but as of right now, it's not hitting the spot.