Rating: Really Enjoyed It, 4 stars

The Blood Gift is the follow up to the Blood Trials, and the conclusion of the duology. I overall had a really great time reading this series.

Ikenna is a really brash, in your face, prickly heroine. She is an impulsive hothead, and honestly I love her for it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but she's the kind of character I enjoy to follow. This book picks up not long after the ending of The Blood Trials, and we jump right into the action. Ikenna ends the first book with two big goals and we get to see her pursue those in this book. I think that if you liked the first book, you will like this one as well; however, I didn't like it quite as much.

I know that some of the criticisms I have seen of this have revolved around Ikenna being so impulsive and hotheaded, and of the themes being a little too on the nose. Neither of those things bothered me, and I loved to see Ikenna and her team start to tear down the system that was not only systemically racist but also classist and completely bloated. I acknowledge that some of this may be a little bit on the nose, but I think that it worked.

I think that for me, a big part of where this one just didn't quite live up to the first installment is that the pacing in this feels much more uneven, and there wasn't as clear of a direction. It honestly reads like a trilogy that was compressed and fit into two books, which is a shame. We jump from thing to thing and from issue to issue without ever really getting to delve into them. I feel like that meant we never got to sit with our characters in the difficulties that they were subjected to. I never got very attached to anyone other than Ikenna, and I feel like I wasn't able to feel all that I wanted to for what she was dealing with and going through.

Also I feel like Ikenna was starting to grow as a character towards the end of the first book and I just didn't see a lot of that growth continue like I wanted. There were small moments, but they also felt a little bit forced because the character constantly pointed them out, as if the author didn't trust the readers to pick up on them on our own. I feel like that is the main reason why this was only a 4 star compared to the 5 stars of the first book.

However, I did enjoy Ikenna Amari as a character and the journey that she went on, even if the conclusion was not all that I wanted it to be. The ending suggests that there will be more to come in this world, and I will be interested to see where that goes. Although, I think it would be interesting if we had the opportunity to see the world from a perspective that isn't Ikenna's Regardless, I will be interested to see what else NE Davenport writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great story, amazing follow up to the first book, stakes are higher and character are well done. The story develops nicely and really enjoyed

While I enjoyed being in Ikenna's world once more, unfortunately this sequel doesn't compare to the inredibke 5-star read that was book 1: The Blood Trials

Things that worked:
-Ikenna. I love her.
-Action was amazing! I love a good violent fight
-New characters and higher stakes
-Ikenna's vulnerability and fears further explored
-Some very much appreciated back story
-Ikenna and Reed??? Wow. WOW!

Things that didn't:
-The squad. Since we spent 90% of book 1 hating them, the rush and stress of getting through plot and wrapping this up at a duology vs a trilogy didn't give me enough time to care about them at all. In fact, I went into this book angry at them and they as people just didn't shine enough to value their work as a coherent unit
-The writing this time around seemed closer to YA. Our crew was very immature compared to their enemies/frenemies and it showed, which was puzzling as they were quite literally bred for the battlefield and moments of diplomacy
-It seemed...out of order? I feel that certain things that happened in the beginning should have happened towards the middle, things in the middle could have happened in the beginning/end, things in the end should have happened earlier...the timeline didn't quite work for me at all

I personally feel that this would have been much stronger had we gotten the chance to get one more book in the series. That way we could have seen the squad truly become a squad so I could care for them more, certain plotlines could have been expanded upon instead of somewhat rushed, and the final clashes could have been much bigger than we experienced.

Overall, it wasn't bad, but book one was so spectacular that I know book 2 could have been soooo much better.

Congrats to N.E. Davenport! This was still such a banger of a series and I'm looking forward to whatever you have coming next!

Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I do not know what happened with this one . After raving so much about book one i was excited for the sequel unfortunately, i was incredibly underwhelmed. This Felt disjointed from the first book & the writing was a bit cringe at times(her inner thought process ) which is strange since i do not remember feeling that way at all in book 1. This definitely felt more like a Ya book than the first installment.

Ikenna is called child multiple times throughout the book by people barely older than her and it frankly she acted like one a lot of times.
I was expecting more character deaths tbh. The plot armor.

The characters never have an actual plan they just follow Ikenna and it takes half the book before ikenna even feels like she needs to make up a plan of her own.. Hello? What were u doing before ?

The action picks up towards the very end but then wraps up so suddenly it feels …. Odd. Like it was rushed.

Quite simply i wasnt a fan.

The Blood Gift is the sequel to the Blood Trials, which was a fantasy debut that I really enjoyed last year. That book was fast-paced, sometimes almost chaotically so, but ultimately it was really fun, and I was excited to get this sequel.

Ultimately, while the narrative in this story had some really interesting moments, such as the introduction of the gods and the further explanation for Ikenna’s gifts, this sequel didn’t quite land for me. When you write down everything that happens, there appears to be a lot that happens, but the experience of reading the book doesn’t quite reflect this. It actually felt like such a slow read.

I think what stood out to me most was that while there was clearly a vision for certain beats of the plot and where characters would end up, unlike the first book, the journey of getting there felt like it dragged somewhat and didn’t always flow naturally.

I think one thing that would have strengthened this story for me is a switch to 3rd person limited POV. I felt like this book seemed light on the plot partially because we spend so much time in Ikenna’s head, and frankly I felt like I was just stuck in her head somewhat, and it wasn’t always enjoyable.

Ultimately there’s a lot of promise here, but I would have liked a more coherent plot and more character growth from Ikenna.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books/Harper Voyager for this eARC so that I could leave an honest review.

The Blood Gift by N. E. Davenport is a satisfying conclusion to the sci-fi fantasy duology, but readers should be aware that it continues to be just as - if not more - violent as the first. This is a story about war, blood magic, and revolution. Ikenna is gunning for her enemies and you're along for the ride. I argued in the first that there was a very 'Young Adult' voice in the first clearly adult novel. That tone has decreased significantly and this feels far more like the adult novel it is.

While I still adored Ikenna, Reed grew on me over time. Although I wasn't as attached to the other companion and secondary characters and the emotional payout was not nearly as deep as I expected. I only cared about them because they supported Ikenna and SHE cared about them. Ikenna's growth as a character throughout the book was satisfying, and her evolution into being vulnerable with Reed was a highlight. I loved that only when she accepted who she was did things start to go well for her and her companions. The book also explored themes of self-doubt, fear of loss, and friendship.

The expanded magic system and brushes against the pantheon made the battles and conflicts much more epic. It was interesting to see that the gods were just as fallible as the humans in this story, which added more complexity to the overall story. The stakes in this story kept escalating from bad situations to worse ones almost continuously with rapid, satisfying action and we get a deep insight into the politics and history of the world. The political undertones of the book are deeply embedded in the story, and Ikenna's fury at the system and the numerous enemies in her path make her a character to root for.

The conclusion to this wonderful duology was fitting for the story but there was an opening for another book, which I would be VERY eager to read. Overall, I would highly recommend The Blood Gift to anyone who loves sci-fi/fantasy novels that explore complex themes and have well-developed characters, but only if they are comfortable with some gore and lots of violence.

The Blood Gift is a story about friendship and rebellion. It's about trying to right scales that have been imbalanced for too long. To fight against a system that has stood for so long, that has kept the same people in power time and time again, is a monumental undertaking. We can think it's time for something new, but Ikenna has to figure out not only how to make - or break - alliances, but where she wants to be at the end of it all.

Suffice it to say, on the political and larger world conflicts, The Blood Gift delivers. We are forced to question, with Ikenna, about what would make this world better. How could we figure out how to succeed in this system or to break it.

My first thoughts upon finishing this book is that this duology deserved to be the series/trilogy that was intended by the author. The only qualms I have with this book and the first are ones that would likely have never been issues, if N.E. Davenport would have been given the space to write the books as she originally planned. Despite all of that, she wrote these books masterfully, and I will continue to think on this story for a long time to come. There are time jumps that allow for more of the story to be told in the two books allotted, but I would have loved to see everything play out in a longer timeframe of at least three books. Events are described after the fact, where they could have been told on page in detail.
Davenports commitment to intersectionality and feminism in her works is one of the aspects that drew me in and will keep me reading from her as long as she continues to publish. Some of the ways this shows up in The Blood Gift is how Kadiya Dannica retains her girlishness and femininity alongside being an incredible warrior, the way Selene Rhysien is portrayed (which I will not describe with any detail because of spoilers), and Ikenna’s physical versus mental power. Repeatedly throughout this book we are shown how there is not necessarily a contrast between soft and hard, strong and week. Rather these qualities are allowed to exist in the same person, and they don't cancel each other out. The Blood Trials exhibits this is ways I rarely see within other stories. I find it incredibly empowering and freeing to see definitions and characteristics expanded to how people truly are instead of being capped at the sake of archetype’s or trope’s expense.
Further concepts explored that I appreciated deeply were the difference and importance of both emotional and physical intimacy within relationships (not just romantic) and how resistance to change and overcoming/working through that resistance was portrayed by the main character in Davenport’s writing.
I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this sequel, which I already pre-ordered and will proudly display in my personal library. Thank you, Nia, for these incredible stories and the gift of reading them.
Dedicating this review to my two dads and 👆✌️ forever!

"I am forged by adversity. I am tempered in perseverance. I will not bend. I will not break. I will not bow. I will not yield.

The Blood Gift picks up where Blood Trials left off. Ikenna vs the world but this time she's got her squad at her back. Her enemies? The Blood emperor and the entire Tribunal Council of her own government that refuses to accept her due to her blood gift. No spoilers but this book was really just one but war path til the finale.

The price on her head? huge. Her allies? dwindling by the moment. The gods? a little too interested in her. This book reads like a huge action film from start to finish and I'm here for it. Sure the plot is a little loose and fast - do they have a goal besides "kill everyone"? no. But Ikenna says over and over that she's not a leader - she's a soldier and she's incredible at it.

This book is intense, the scenes are graphic, brutal and bloody. Do not read if you're not prepared to really think about the horrors of war and tyrants. It was out of my usual wheelhouse but I loved seeing the bond Ikenna and her friends had not only with themselves but also for justice. Not once do you see their morals waiver.

There's a little bit of side romance happening as well between all the brutality, and Reed is her home. This is not a book full of rose bouquets but the ideals of "i'd do anything for you" AND we get that from the girl.

My only issue with this book is that we suddenly get a LOT of history background from the other countries, gods and people. There were so many moments where I was like - "hey I wanna know more about that!" but we'd be moving on so quickly. I truly think this story would have been better off being three books so it could be more fleshed out.

rep// Black MC, side mlm

cw// Extreme violence, Sexual Assault, War, Torture

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Blood Gift, the sequel to The Blood Trials, is a heart-palpating roller coaster ride of a book that delivers more of everything readers love in the first book. This book has more sex, more violence, and more emotion -- the hits just keep coming. While this book is supposed to be the series finale, I can't help but feel that the author is leaving the door open for at least one more book.

We rejoin Ikenna Amari and her crew of "traitors" as they set out to take down the Blood Emporer and end corruption in Mareen. Unfortunately, they are on the run and running out of options. A war between Accacia and Mareen is in full swing, and all her grandfather's (Verne Amari) former allies are uninterested in joining forces. Ikenna must figure out how to defeat a man the majority of the planet considers a living god, all while dealing with the betrayal of a former best friend, a complicated relationship with her squad leader, and her new and unpredictable powers.

The plot was just as enthralling as it was in the first book, with almost neverending action sequences. The storyline throws the reader from one crisis to the next. And while there aren't twists and turns the reader doesn't see coming, Davenport still manages to keep her audience on the edge of their seats. Her ability to write an action sequence will have readers sweating it out like they are battling alongside Ikenna. The pacing, while mostly racing, felt a bit off in some places. However, the author did have a lot of ground to cover in one book.

Ikenna is still a character that I have a love-hate relationship with. While she is undoubtedly entertaining, I found her lack of introspection to be somewhat irksome. Despite her belief that she has improved her impulsivity, Ikenna remains the same hot-headed and rash individual we saw in the first novel. That being said, she does learn to channel her impulsiveness more productively. Her character hovers in an odd place between self-acceptance and self-improvement, but she doesn't fully get to either destination. However, what's refreshing about her character is giving a Black (coded) heroine the space to be angry, flawed, and selfish. She is unapologetically herself -- the reader never witnesses her regret of being exactly who she is. So while I found her frustrating, there is a relatability in oscillating between those two dynamics. It makes her someone to root for.

The issues I had from the first book were still there. We don't really get a clear picture of the Pantheon. Yes, the reader learns a bit more about the gods, but their divinity and connection to the planet could be more explicit. There are times when I found them frustratingly obscure. The structure of the Mareenian government is still very hand-wavingly vague. There were several aspects of relationships and personalities that were under-explored, leaving a few too many lingering questions and loose ends for my liking. (I'm not asking for a Tolkienain level of specifics, but a little more detail would have been nice). However, they added a glossary of characters to the end, which I found helpful. Still, non of those things detract from the completely engrossing story that ends up being told.

Overall, The Blood Gift is a fantastic book I highly recommend if you're a plot-driven reader who doesn't focus on details. This book delivers for anyone looking for nonstop heart-racing action looking for some spice with their sci-fi/fantasy read, unbothered by fairly graphic violence.

My most highly anticipated book of 2023.

I was so excited to read The Blood Gift after being completely obsessed with The Blood Trials. Thank you, Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC to review ahead of publication.

The Blood Gift has a different tone than the first book in this duology. Instead of a competition to carry the story along, the readers are left wondering where the story is leading for much of the book. It isn't until halfway through that some sort of plot point gives a direction for Ikenna and her crew of rebels to follow. I found the book to be very frustrating with no clear intentions to follow.

The characters of the story were also troubling for me. Comparing it to the Blood Trials, we see less and less of the main team, skirting them to more of tertiary characters instead of being level with Ikenna. Reed, Ikenna's love interest, is barely present and is only really shown as someone she yearns to have sex with instead of being the strategic general that he was known for before. I felt like Davenport kept him relevant just to bring spice to this story and attract that audience. They were supposed to be in a relationship but slept in different rooms the entire time, even when there was no cause for fighting.

Overall, this book did not live up to The Blood Trials which is a real shame, but I think those who enjoy Ikenna's story and want to dive more into her person, you will enjoy this book. There is also a deeper dive into politics in this story which peeked my interest to keep going. Give it a shot if you loved the Blood Trials like I did, but you may leave disappointed as well.

The Blood Gift was a fantastic sequel that gave me everything I needed and more. Action-packed from start to finish. There were only a few rare moments where I found myself disinterested and it never lasted for long.

Ikenna is a badass and I loved seeing her gift evolve even more. I find it refreshing when a female main character in a fantasy book is strong and confident. The camaraderie between the teammates was even more apparent and it was interesting to see a different dynamic vs. book 1. The found family element was a plus. Also, as far as the characters there was only one person who seemed off to me, Ajani. He went from being extremely aggressive with Ikenna to all of a sudden being the complete opposite towards the end. It just felt odd, no ones personality changes THAT much. The romance with Darius was enjoyable, but it did feel like the romantic scenes were more grouped together instead of being spaced throughout.

With The Blood Trials I felt like there were scenes throughout and specifically the ending that were drawn out and I felt the same while reading the sequel. I still found this book to be thoroughly entertaining and I look forward to reading whatever N.E. Davenport writes in the future.

I will say The Blood Trials is the better novel however this wraps everything out greatly! I’m satisfied with this! Idk how I feel about Caimans redemptions because that racism was crazy in the first novel!! But i soooo called him and Greysen being gay for one another tehe!! Anyways, I liked levelheaded Ikenna because as much as I loved hotheaded Ikenna in the first novel my good sis needed to be strategic!! And boy could she not catch a break! I felt like the stakes weren't as high here as compared to the first novel! I understand why the author had to do what she had to do because the uncertainty of a third novel valid but also leaves room for its possibility! Overall, the writing was strong, the humor and banter, Reed being Ken af while Ikenna being Barbie af!! Iykyk! A satisfying conclusion imo!!

this is the sequel to the blood trials.

ikenna and her rogue cohort are on the search of allies to help take down their oppressive rulers. they have to kill the blood emperor and quickly end the war, but of course, that does not come easily.

after reading book one, i had high hopes for this and was highly anticipating it. this exceeded my expectations and i loved every bit of it! i did forget that this really isn’t YA or even a YA crossover but this book reminded me very quickly, lol.

i loved ikenna even more in this book. i loved seeing her in fighting scenes and it turns out she’s a master negotiator, too! i also loved all the scenes with her and darius🤭

i highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the blood trials!

The Blood Gift by N. E. Davenport is everything I want in a story, let alone a sequel. There is the epic story, goddess-bestowed powers, and a battle of wits and weapons with a demigod. The novel could not be more ambitious. Thankfully, Ms. Davenport's execution is flawless, and I loved reading the end of this duology.

Ikenna Amari is my favorite type of heroine. She is cocky but talented enough to back up her boasts. Ikenna is also loyal to a fault, determined, and stubborn. Plus, she is such a smartass, and I love smartasses. Most importantly, Ikenna is angry, something I appreciate and understand. She represents every woman, especially women of color, forced to fight for every freedom and justice they have. The fight never ends, and Ikenna is there to continue the battle against misogyny and racism. Reading about Ikenna's anger and thirst for revenge is cathartic because she does things to her oppressors that we can only continue to dream about.

As with the first book, The Blood Gift is bloody and dark. Ikenna and her fellow rogue squad members kill without hesitation. The demigod is ruthless and cold-blooded in his approach to warfare. The Blood Gift is not for the squeamish. I love the violence because it means that Ikenna and her friends are taking action in the fight for the planet. They are fighting for what is right in the only manner they know how. I wish it were always that easy.

Not that what Ikenna and the squad experience is easy. They are put through the proverbial ringer not just once but multiple times. Ikenna, in particular, faces test after test to gain the tiniest advantage. She proves herself time and again, not only that she is capable of achieving her very ambitious goals but also that she will never break her promises.

For all its brutality, The Blood Gift is outstanding. I will never tire of Ikenna, her snarkiness, and her badassery. The rest of her squad is just as enjoyable for their loyalty, commitment to the mission and each other, and their willingness to fight on behalf of those who cannot. Ikenna's revenge quest is nasty in every sense, but I find it so therapeutic to see the bad guys get what they deserve. I hope this is not the last we will see of Ikenna and her friends, but if it is, I cannot wait to see what Ms. Davenport has in store for us next!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 because I loved (the first three quarters of) THE BLOOD TRIALS so much. Unfortunately, despite an interesting world with interesting characters, I found the plot to be uninteresting, the pacing uneven, and the book to be poorly executed.

What I liked:
- Ikenna is a character that is easy to be sympathetic towards. She is incredibly impulsive and quick to jump to conclusions, just like in the first book, but if you put yourself in the brain of a teenager who has been through so much trauma already in her life, you can completely understand why she would react that way. I wanted nothing but for her to succeed.
- I liked the mix between fantasy and sci-fi. There are so many fantasy worlds that seem to have existed for thousands of years with no technological progress, so it feels more unique to find one where there is a mix.

What I didn't like:
- The writing was incredibly awkward. I don't know if it was the same in the first book, but if it was, it didn't detract from my reading experience. There were a lot of sentences that felt incredibly cringy or awkwardly worded and took me out of the flow of the story to do a double take. I did read an ARC copy, so it's possible some of that will get fixed, but it would need a LOT of restructuring, IMO. It's more than just a stray comma or missing period.
- The first 25% or so was just about Reed and Ikenna making up with absolutely no progress to the main plot. This made the book start off extremely slowly, and I also don't think it made sense for them to make up right away. I think there could have been a more gradual change in their relationship over the course of the book as they had to learn to trust each other again to stay safe.
- Similarly to the first book, the last 75% really felt like it should have been in a separate book. It felt like the climax of the book happened far too early and then we were plunged down into something I didn't really care about in contrast to the big thing that just happened.

And here is my biggest problem with the book, which is something that I find happens a LOT in books where there are trials/contests or they are compared to THE HUNGER GAMES: The second book could have existed exactly as it is with an entirely different first book. In other words, it didn't really matter that the trials happened, it just mattered that this group of people got together to kick off book 2.

One of the reasons why I think THE HUNGER GAMES worked so well is that the games themselves impacted EVERY SINGLE person in Panem once a year. Their entire lives were built around the games. And book 2 doubles down on that. Yes, we stray away from the games a bit in book 3, but it works because the first two books did a good enough job of cementing the importance of the games to us, and the events of book 3 happen directly in response to the games.

From the context given in THE BLOOD GIFT, the group of MCs could have been doing literally anything to form a group and uncover the secrets they learned in book 1. They could have just been regular schoolmates who uncovered something. The significance of the trials does not extend beyond this small group of people after the 75% point in book 1. Because of this, the two books feel very disjointed and all of the things that made me love book 1 plot wise were missing.

I will be giving N.E. Davenport's books another chance if she writes another series, but if there are any more in this world, I think I will skip them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

eBook Version of The Blood Gift by NE Davenport
This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Harper Voyager

What can I say??? Book 2 might be my favorite of the series. Ikenna is also one my all time favorite FMCs! This book starts off with action and it just doesn't stop! I am realizing how much I adore the found family trope. It was this book that really made me realize that. Darius.... I'm glad you made up for being a jerk in Blood Trials! Also can we just say the heat between Darius and Ikenna is amazing. I wish it was a bit more slow burn but it was fun to read. The action in these books so so brutal and bad ass, and so many amazing moments of revenge and retribution in this one. Her unapologetic power and her gift had me in awe. I've decided I need to channel my inner Ikenna more often! I loved the way this duology wrapped up. It felt right and resolved.

I can honestly say, N.E Davenport is a "must buy" author for me and I am so excited to see what's next!

Firstly, thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book, and had a fun time reading it, but not nearly as much as the first one. This book entirely felt like it should have been split into 2 books and made into a trilogy, rather than just a duology. I have heard rumors that the author wanted 3 books, but the publisher made her do a duology instead. I find that very disheartening.

If that is the case, then it really explains how the book felt very rushed. Certain plot points and character really needed more fleshing out than they got. ALOT happened in this book, in very little time/pages. Certain bits very felt YA instead of the adult tones we got from the first book.

Overall, I'm happy with the overall story and the characters. Any new books this author writes are instant grabs for me.

I read this book as an arc. Thank you.

This book follows Ikenna and her comrades after reveals and betrayals in The Blood Trials. Ikenna remains her badass self and also continues to evolve. A line that sums up this book is that blood will be spilled. The author does an excellent job of creating a fast action-packed book. She leaves us wanting another book to continue with Ikenna's journey. The publishers should rethink the duology and let the author continue a book or two in this story. I wish we spent more time with the supporting characters to connect with them more.

I absolutely LOVED 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 and was overly excited when I was approved for an e-arc of 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐺𝑖𝑓𝑡. Well... I didn't love it as much as the first. Let me tell you what I did love...
*Ikenna is still the fierce bada** as she was in book 1, most times! She was quick to slice, dice, or whip out her gifts and off someone. Love that for her!
*Loved all the action this one gave. I mean, it was so good that I could visualize the anger, the kill shot, and I was here for it all! Blood, gore, and sliced throats.
*The romance! Loved the softer side mixed with gore and the intimate, adult parts!

With all the goodness that happened, sometimes I was a little lost on the story. We all know Ikenna was out for revenge and was not going to stop until she got it! But, in the end, it sort of fell flat for me. I did love the political aspect of it and how they wanted equality and to see people that looked like Ikenna in power!

All in all, there was good and not as good for me. I do feel like there were a few missing pieces at the end, AND I was upset that not everyone (a certain someone) got what they deserved, IMO.

One thing is for sure, though, just like book one, this one was fast-paced and action-packed!