Pure and simple: Ikenna is why I love this duology so much! With all 👏🏼 my 👏🏼 heart 👏🏼!
Also... Reed. I love how he loves Ikenna's strength and supports/partners with her in her strength and journey. 💕 He's not patronizing - he just let's her be the badass queen she is! What a man, what a man! 🎶

The beginning of the book starts out kind of slow... Especially when compared to The Blood Trials, which was SO fast-paced. The first 20% of the book was the "calm before the storm" - we get to marinate in Ikenna and Reed's relationship a little before being thrown back into the amazing fast-paced action similar to that of The Blood Trials. Intimacy. Sex. It was *chef's kiss.* 😘

Random side note: a couple of side characters kiss... The SCREAM I screamed. 🙌🏼💕😍

I really enjoyed the plot of The Blood Gift. Once I got 50% through the book, I had a hard time putting it down. If I had one critique, I would say the book felt like it actually progressed a little TOO quickly? It didn't feel as "high stakes" as The Blood Trials. Yes, it definitely had its moments, but I feel as though so much was trying to get crammed into one final book that the buildup, tension and details weren't always present. I feel like I still have questions regarding so many aspects of the book... this definitely could have been a trilogy and still kept the fast-paced writing style I loved so much from The Blood Trials. Also... The epilogue? I have more questions. Does it just end there or is this a spin-off situation? Inquiring Ikenna-loving minds need to know.

Ikenna does seem a little more... juvenile (?) in this book. But.... I feel like she has a lot being thrown at her in The Blood Gift, where as in The Blood Trials... even though it was intense, Ikenna was still her element, if that makes sense. So maybe it was a way for her to cope with everything? 🤷🏽‍♀️ She finds herself again eventually.

That all being said... I'd still rate this book 5 stars. Oh - and I absolutely loved the found family aspect in this book. It was amazing. 💕

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! I was so excited to pick this up as I recently finished and loved The Blood Trials! This sequel picks up not long after the conclusion of book 1 as Ikenna and co. are trying to convince allies to join them in standing up to the Accacian empire, but are thwarted at every turn. Ikenna is the same strong-willed and stubborn young woman we know and love, but ever since they’ve become fugitives, her confidence is slipping in private as she is placed in a leadership position she never would have chosen for herself. I enjoyed seeing this side of her because as she struggles with her faith in herself and works to overcome it, it only proves just how strong she truly is. Among the group, Dannica is and always be a favorite and Reed continued to grow on me. I enjoyed Reed in the latter half of book 1 and was pleased to see his continued character growth throughout this book as well. It is also interesting to see Caiman’s character growth from an impudent, bigoted attempted murderer but I wish it was addressed more, or that Ikenna didn’t as quickly forgive him so that he had to reflect on his past actions. I feel like his characterization was very much glossed over. As for the rest of the team, it was hard to care for them because they weren’t given much personality.
I was excited to see where this story would go and then conclude, but I found the first half very slow. Now that Ikenna has communed with the gods, it is understandable that they would play a larger role in this book, but their introductions—and a lot of the expansion to the world building—ended up being a bit clunky and more info-dump than seamless storytelling. Nevertheless, where the first book was more action-packed, this sequel is more about strategy and what it truly means to lead. So, this book looks more at subtle strength and faith, rather than brute strength of book 1. Essentially, and thematically, the storytelling does parallel Ikenna’s growth as a leader. (But because they were going to be confronting the Blood Emperor and the gods were thrown in the mix, I did expect a lot more action and maybe even training montages).
Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to the duology and I’m excited to see what Davenport does next!
For fans of the brutal sci-fi world building of the Red Rising series, the Blood Trials Duology is one you won’t want to miss.

10/10 WILL FOREVER RECOMMEND!!! I cannot praise this book and duology enough! I received this book as an ARC through Avon and HarperVoyager in exchange for honest feedback. I actually requested this ARC before I had even read book 1 because I had a feeling I was going to really enjoy book 1 and BOY, WAS I RIGHT!!! Absolutely fantastic conclusion to this duology! Ikenna and her Rogue Cohort are essentially in exile and trying to find allies anywhere they can in order to take down two different nations: their once home that now wants to see them dead, the other that wants to destroy everything they've ever known. It's another wild ride with no hang time, so strap in and get ready! You're not going to want to put it down! There's fast-paced action, raw emotions, a handful of spice, found family, enemies who become allies, and a young woman becomes more than what she EVER could have imagined for herself. Fabulous combo, in my opinion!

I loved Ikenna in the first book and my love for her only sky-rocketed in this second installment. Her overall badassery established in book 1 is there, of course, but we also get to see more of her grandfather's influence coming out in her in this book. She is starting to really come into her own and mature even more into the well-rounded, natural leader that she was destined to become. Her quick wit, but also her political strategy is on full display, but we also get to see the vulnerable sides of Ikenna, and they are absolutely beautiful. She becomes so much more multifaceted in this book and it was such a joy to read. One of the largest motivators for this vulnerability and change in her is Reed, of course, and watching their relationship shape itself into the powerful thing it becomes was incredibly HOT! They are finally able to really explore their attraction for one another and go from just Amari and Reed during the Trials, to truly Ikenna and Darius, the lovers and partners. The spice definitely got kicked up in this one, whew! Those two are freakin' EXPLOSIVE together! Not only is there a tangible fire between them, but also a deep love, connection, and respect that has formed and only continues to grow stronger. Both of them are the other's home-base and I loved every second I got of them. While their relationship gets more screen time in this book, it still is very much an undertone to the larger plot line. But us spice girlies definitely got a nice little meal outta this one!

I really enjoyed the dynamics of the Rogue Cohort and the found family they ended up creating. Their ability to work through their problems collectively was definitely a lesson in group collaboration and active listening. The deeper dive we got in this book into the Gods of the Pantheon Age was also super fascinating to me, and it was something I was hoping we would get after I finished the first book. The additional world building and descriptions given were very well done, giving us a front row seat to some of Acacia and the Blood Empire. The pacing was great, never felt like a slow point. The fact that the author was able to wrap this up in a duology was incredible, and she did an excellent job, in my opinion. I didn't notice any glaringly obvious plot holes that weren't purposely placed, such as at the end to lend suspense and wonder about where things will go next.

I did have one tiny complaint, and honestly it's not even really a complaint, just a "I wish we had gotten more of it kinda thing", (*and this will be a minor spoiler if you haven't read book 1 or if you haven't already caught the vibe of these characters*). When we finally get confirmation of Caiman and Greysen's relationship, it was only addressed in a very brief sentence/moment. The rest of the time, it has been very heavily implied, but never explicitly established. While I appreciated the queer representation in the form it was given, I would have liked to have seen than put forward a bit more throughout this story, since they clearly had a deep connection with one another from the very beginning. I will say though, with the exception of Reed, we didn't really get too much of a deep dive into most of the side characters' backgrounds or personal lives outside the Rogue Cohort dealings, so I suppose I can understand the lack of expansion on their relationship. Again, this was a very minor complaint and it in no way takes away any love I have for these books. Just something I noticed.

I've said it many times before and I'm sure I'll say it again, but it is clear from this duology that N.E. Davenport is a natural in this genre. I hope this is just the start of what will become a plethora of phenomenal stories from her and I can't wait to read more of her work. Please, trust me, if you like fantasy with a futuristic sci-fi vibe mixed with a dash of old gods, do yourself a favor and read this duo! You won't be disappointed! 🤙🏼💕

I am absolutely obsessed with Ikenna and her gang and am going to be thinking about them for a long time. This found family has me in a chokehold. I love how absolutely badass they all are and how they’re willing to do literally anything for each other and for the betterment of the world. N.E. Davenport has created such a visceral world with dynamic characters with amazing growth, a compelling plot, and important messages. This duology is absolutely one of my favorites of all time and I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of The Blood Gift. I am so grateful.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. When I received this ARC I re-read the first book and found some of the plot and characters lacking development. Those questions only continued into this book. I felt like things where happening between characters just so that the author could check some trope boxes rather than what I thought was more realistic for the characters.

In The Blood Gift, N.E. Davenport’s sequel and finale to the The Blood Trials, we pickup with Ikenna as she embarks on her revenge mission - kill the Blood Emperor and destroy the Republic’s Tribune. She and her rogue cohort - Reed, Dannica, Haynes, Caiman, Greysen, Liim, and Dane - travel across the Minor Continent planning their mission and looking for allies.

I was so excited to get back into the world of Iludu. As expected, even with everything falling apart around her, Ikenna is fierce and formidable (and funny!) What I loved were the moments of vulnerability both with Reed and while she was alone. I also loved all of the action sequences and the camaraderie of the group.

I am also a sucker for some beautifully-written prose and Ms. Davenport did not disappoint!

If there was one thing I wasn’t expecting, it was the ending. I won’t spoil it here; but considering the overall tone of the book, I was thinking/hoping things would end differently. Something that would leave me with this face….😲

Overall, I enjoyed this conclusion to the duology! This sci-fi, fantasy adventure novel is a great addition to all of the amazing fantasy stories featuring black, female main characters! I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars!

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
I loved the Blood Trials and I really liked the Blood Gift, which kicks off a few weeks after the events of the first book. Like the first it is fast paced and bloody. I love the relationships between Ikenna and her squad. Ikenna is grappling with her new reality and trying to come to terms with how and what she must do to accomplish her goals. I think there is quite a bit of growth shown over the course of the first book up until the end. I love the mixture of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite sub genres.

Where this loses a star for me is that I wish it were a trilogy and not a duology. There is quite a bit new lore that is introduced in this book that I think could have been expounded upon. Everything felt very fast and I think there could have been a bit more time between things to really let some of the relationships breathe. From my understanding this was meant to be a trilogy but was then put in to a duology. I really love this universe and hope the author writes more books within it in the future.

Cover- 10/10 absolutely love it.

Recommendation. - As I was finishing up this book I was trying to think what it reminded me of and I think the best comparison would be The Gilded Ones but much more Adult and more future sciencey tech. I really loved these books and would recommend them absolutely. I look forward to what N.E. Davenport does next.

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early #TheBloodGift #NetGalley***

Ok y'all, I finished! To be honest, I enjoyed this book but unfortunately not as much as I did the Blood Trials. I did see somewhere that the author intended for this to be a trilogy, but was forced to make it into a duology instead. I can definitely tell, because there were so many open ended plot points that could have easily extended Ikenna's story further.

I really wanted this book to have a bit more bloodshed like the first one did, although I was pleasantly surprised by one character's death.

Ajani was a very interesting character and I thoroughly enjoyed the hostile banter between him and Ikenna.

This almost read like a YA novel to me, mostly because Ikenna seemed to retreat to like a 15 year old mentality versus a 19 year old who has trained her whole life to be a soldier. In the first book, she was fierce and had a good head on her shoulders, while in this one it seemed like Reed had to constantly reel her back in and get her back to her level.

I loved that the author brought gods and the Pantheon into this - it was such an exciting storyline!

Reading the epilogue definitely had me yearning for more and mourning what could have been if the author was able to turn this into a trilogy.

All in all, it was an entertaining read and I loved being back with Ikenna and crew.

Honestly what a wild ending. Parts of this were bananas - fast paced, thrilling, hilarious, adventurous. And parts were a tad confusing. This would’ve done well as a trilogy (I’m sad we don’t get one!) but it left me wanting SO MUCH MORE. Plus a certain someone didn’t get the comeuppance I wanted! A great follow up and end to a wild, violent, explosive duology.

!!!!!Spoiler!!!!!
the one thing I didn’t love was Caiman and Greyson’s romantic love. It felt thrown in there for the sake of having queer characters. It felt random. Not fleshed out. I will prob email the publisher asking them to incorporate more hints because otherwise it feels a little queer baity

Oh and it gets sexy y’all.

This review contains spoiler for The Blood Trials, Book One in the Blood Gift Duology

After the explosive events at the end of The Blood Trials, Ikenna and the rest of her newly-formed crew have their backs up against the wall. They have two powerful enemies and no allies. But they are just getting started.
I really enjoyed The Blood Trials when it came out last year. It filled that Hunger Games and Red Rising hole in my heart with a clever twist on the "dystopian death games" genre. One way it did this was just my taking the genre and making it more adult (similar to Red Rising), which allowed Davenport to not only amp up the violence, language, and sex, but also to explore deep-seeded themes of racism, sexism, and the monstrosity of both empires and corrupt democracies.

The Blood Gift is a worthy sequel that I really enjoyed reading, although it suffers from some pacing problems because Davenport does try to cram in too much into one <400 page novel.

But let's start with the stuff I liked, because there was so much to like.

If you enjoyed the high-octane, high-action, and propulsively violent nature of The Blood Trials, you will devour this book. I'll get into some of my issues with the pacing below, but no one can accuse this book of moving too slowly. Reading this book is when you get a bag of your favorite snack and you just can't stop eating it because of the serotonin rush. This book feels the same way. Every chapter brings new twists, new enemies, and more conflict. Davenport really knows how to choreograph and write an action sequence, and some parts of the book gave me the shivers because of the body horror descriptions. Readers who like their books to just go from the first page to the last will be more than pleased.

Readers of The Blood Trials will know that Davenport combines elements of both science-fiction and fantasy into her books. The Blood Trials leaned heavily into the science fiction elements, while The Blood Gift incorporates much more of the fantasy elements. We learn a lot more about Ikenna's blood gift powers and how the gods that had a brief role in The Blood Trials all come into play.

More than anything else, I think what drew me in the most was Davenport's exploration of the themes of loyalty and belonging. Ikenna is in a pretty contradictory position in The Blood Gift. One one hand, the government of her youth has been trying to kill her, and now has offered a pretty sizable bounty for her capture/murder. Her best friend, whose family are high ranking officials of that government, has betrayed her. And her ancestral nation, lead by the Blood Emperor, is also just pure evil and also trying to kill her. Further twists that I don't want to spoil complicate Ikenna's allegiances and loyalties even more, but Ikenna's processing of all of the different factions, betrayals, and family/national loyalties were fascinating to explore. Similarly, Ajani, the Accacian magic user from The Blood Trials is quite layered and complex in his characterization and motives. Of any character, Ajani most benefited from this second volume as his character was deepened, making him one of my personal favorites (not that I liked him as a person, but as an interesting character!).

The only part of the book that kept this back from being an "all time favorite read", and which kept it back from achieving the heights of The Blood Trials, was the pacing of the book. At the end of the Blood Trials, Ikenna had at least two main antagonists she had to deal with - the evil Blood Emperor and her own corrupt government (including her best friend who betrayed her, Selene). Davenport struggles to balance these two unrelated antagonists throughout the book. I think of this now as the Game of Thrones problem (the show, not the books) where the writers had to deal with both the White Walkers and Cersei Lannister. Davenport had to have her characters deal with each threat separately, but that mean that neither felt like a true climax and neither really had the time to fully develop the plot. This book was screaming to be a full trilogy, for the antagonists to build in each volume. As the series works here, the payoffs are not nearly as satisfying as I would like.

It leaves me to wonder whether this was always intended to be a duology, or was pushed to be a duology (by the publisher, etc.) because there are so many interesting elements underexplored, including the more fantasy elements (the gods, etc.), Ikenna's family and legacy, and further developing the characters. While there are some really great character moments, including lots of scenes about Ikenna and Reed's relationship, but overall it was obvious that Davenport was concerned about making it through all of the plot because most of the characters from The Blood Trials fade into the background. This series has always been centered around Ikenna, but in this volume to don't get a sense of anybody else. I wanted to see more of Caiman, Greysen, Dannica, and Haynes. What we knew of them at the end of The Blood Trials is exactly how they act here, which was a bit disappointing.

There are also several plot threads that are dropped, likely because there wasn't the space or time. For example, very early in the book (I'm talking the first chapter, so this is not a spoiler) Ikenna and her crew make a political alliance with a crime lord in one of the microstates. This has no bearing on the plot moving forward, which was just a tad disappointing because I thought everything was building up to something bigger.
The fact that the books are still advertised as a duology is surprising based on the way that the books end. I won't get into spoilers, but there are definitely villains still in play and questions to be answered as the book concludes. Depending on the type of reader you are, some people may call this an unresolved "cliffhanger" while others may view it more as an "open-ending". I've been going back and forth about how I feel since I finished the book. Ultimately, this reads as more of a completed arc within a larger narrative, as if there needs to be a "sequel duology" to deal with some of the problems not solved here.

I did enjoy my time with The Blood Gift, and fans of The Blood Trials will likely enjoy it too. I just wish that the book was a bit longer or was split into two books to give Davenport the time to really flesh out the characters and plot a bit more.

Concluding Thoughts: An adrenaline-racing and action-heavy sequel, The Blood Gift is an exciting sequel with plenty of villains, gods, magic, and violence while also balancing themes of loyalty, love, belonging. The book suffers just a tad from being over-stuffed, leaving some of the really interesting stuff to be underdeveloped, but that shouldn't scare you off from picking this up if you loved The Blood Trials.

So when I first finished reading The Blood Gift by N.E Davenport I originally gave it 5 stars but I’ve had time to sit and think about it and I’m going with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Don’t get me wrong I loved the book but I still have so many unanswered questions for this series to be a Duology. I feel like it really needed to be a trilogy feels kinda rushed like pieces were missing. But other than that lil hiccup I loved it & all the characters. Reed just does something to me 🥰🤪 I still very much hate Selene the backstabber. Ikeena kicked butt & I really enjoyed how her life played out.

N.E. Davenport has done it again! The Blood Trials was one of my top reads of 2022, and The Blood Gift was my most anticipated sequel of 2023, and I'm happy to say that this sequel surpassed all my expectations. This novel was action-packed from start to finish, and it was so much fun seeing Ikenna being a badass, fully harnessing her gift, and kicking butt all throughout the novel. She's definitely one of my favorite fantasy characters--it's super refreshing to see a female character be cocky, arrogant, and extremely talented, which is how most male characters in fantasy are.

I also loved the found family aspect of this novel as well--seeing how Ikenna's friends always had her back was super heartwarming considering the loss and betrayal she endure in the previous book. Darius, especially, really stole my heart. I'm glad he atoned for his actions in The Blood Trials and I adored the banter and dynamic between him and Ikenna in The Blood Gift. The first handful of chapters of the book had me SWEATING. Their chemistry is off the charts. It's also so clear how obsessed Darius is with Ikenna and how he would immediately lay down his life for her, no questions asked. I do wish the pacing of their reunion was more spread out throughout the novel, rather than the bulk of their romantic scenes taking place in the beginning and the very end of the book.

Overall, I'd rate this sequel 4.5 stars and I know that fans of the The Blood Trials will definitely love The Blood Gift. I can't wait to read N.E. Davenport's upcoming work!

4.5 stars
Now, that’s how you wrap up a second book, wow. Right of the back I was hooked and immersed back into their world and reminded how much I love Ikenna’s character. I was pleasantly surprised, wary, and hurt (sadden mm devastated, really) by other characters. This is a story of revenge for Ikenna, her people, and her home. Seeing her resilience, strength, and will-power shine in this book had me in awe of her character even more than book 1. She is a boss and there is no doubting it, she knows it and she makes sure everyone else does too. I don’t think I truly met another character more aware of their strength and power than Ikenna and how unapologetic she is about using it. I can’t wait to see what N.E Davenport writes next.

Thank you netgalley and N.E Davenport for the ARC.

Unfortunately, The Blood Gift was a bit of a disappointment after how much I enjoyed The Blood Trials. While there was a lot of interpersonal and danger related tension in the first book, it felt like a lot of that was resolved too quickly in book two, and it wasn’t replaced with something that felt like enough of a threat.

I still enjoyed Ikenna, and the added emphasis on romance, but it did take away (for me) from the sense of urgency and knowledge of what was at stake. I think spreading it out, and making the reconciliation process last longer could have helped this.

Overall, I’d still recommend it if you enjoyed book 1, especially if you want some more spice, but it was personally a bit of a let down.

Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

First, Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!

Second, I finished this book two days after I was given it but I have been holding back my review due to the HarperCollins Publishing Strike. But now that an agreement has been met and they are back to work on Tuesday, I feel it appropriate to share my review.

I re-read The Blood Trials before I jumped into this just to be refreshed and immersed in this world and ready for one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. And I have to say it was not a 5-star read and at the conclusion, I have unresolved feelings. This does not mean I did not enjoy the book, I did, immensely! But I was a tad disappointed because I had hyped myself up so high for this as Blood Trials was one of my top 5 reads of 2022.

N.E. Davenport's writing was beautiful and a joy to read. That had nothing to do with how I felt in the end. From what I have read, I know she wanted this to be a trilogy and her publisher wanted a duology so many of the minor plot holes and unexplained explanations/backstories may be blamed on that. A lot had to be dropped. from the story to fit it all into this book. For example, many things regarding Ikenna and her gift and who she is being half god were never truly fleshed out in the end.

In the first half of this book, I found Ikenna also seemed to devolve into extremely childish behavior and personality traits, which were very unlike what she was like in book one. Her maturity level seemed to reverse. It just made me feel like I was reading a YA fantasy and not an Adult Fantasy. I had to say thank goodness for Reed to pull her back into herself and bring her back to the Ikenna I love, adored, and cheered for in book one. It also brought the book back to an adult level. Davenport also knows how to pull the heartstrings in book two with the romance that she only hinted at in book one.

Overall the story was well-paced and I did not want to put it down. I was engaged throughout my entire reading experience and I will definitely be buying a physical copy of the sequel. And I will probably get any special editions too! I can't wait to see what Ms. Davenport sends us next.

SPOILERS BELOW!!!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, thank you Net Galley for sending me the pre released EArc.. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I was invested and eager to see how everything played out in the end. It wasn't as much of a page turner as book 1 was, but I anticipated that. I do wish that this series had the opportunity to be a trilogy, but I love how everything was put together in order to make this a duology.

Some small things that I wish could have been implemented are character development. I did not like how the team was always listed in groups and didn't really have their own personality or individuality. Every time they were mentioned it was "my squad" or "Danica, Haynes, Liim, Caiman, and Greysen" which got annoying to read after a while. All of these characters are listed on the cover, and I feel like I don't really know half of them. I would have liked to have more of Caiman and Greyson to have a reason to like them because I personally still just see them as the boys that tried to kill Kenna. When they were put in high-risk situations I didn't really care if they lived or died because they were just there. When Haynes and Liim were mentioned, I pictured them as blobs in my head because I don't even think their descriptions were mentioned. I do love the family environment that they have, and you can see the love that they have for each other I would like them to be more of individuals rather than Kenna's background dancers.

I also want more from Rigaud. I feel like he was brought into the story for no reason like an unnecessary plot twist.

I LOVE the build of Kenna and Reed's relationship and how they opened up to each other.
I LOVED the inclusion of the God's and learning about the history of them. I also appreciate the "Dramatis Personae" in the back of the book great inclusion!
The battle scenes were everything that I was waiting to read!! I definitely look forward to purchasing and rereading on release day!
Unpopular opinion but I loved Ajani's character!! I wish there could maybe be a scene where Ikenna learns how to use her gift in lessons from him. We never really get to see Ikenna learn and understand how her powers work they kind of just magically save the day last minute, which is cool, but I would like to see her expand.

I hated that Selene did not get what she deserved, but I guess the whole "being at peace" thing.

This was a fantastic sequel. This author knows how to write blood, thrills, and romance while tying them together to create something truly special.

In this sequel to The Blood Trials we continue where the story left off with Ikenna and crew trying to create allies in their quest to take down The Blood Emperor.

This was very fast paced. And having recently DNF'd two fantasies that were slow moving and threatening to put me into a reading slump that was much appreciated. There was truly never a dull moment because something was always happening.

Tonally this book had a different feel from book 1 which was more adult and gritty. This one felt more YA than book even though this is an adult fantasy. When I was hoping it would go further into embracing the adult fantasy space. It didn't help Ikenna is very childish in this one and people such as Ajani who is only a few years older than her constantly refer to her as a child. At times it got a little too over the top for me and didn't really fit this very heavily structured environment they grew up in where the children were adultified at a young age.

The best moments in this book were when she dialed back on the childish antics and "feral" Ikenna moments and let Ikenna actually sit down and acknowledge her issues. Reed brought out the best in Ikenna because he knew how to calm her down and get her to acknowledge her feelings instead of bottling them up. And they did have some really good conversations. I actually wanted to hear both talk a little more about their relationship with Verne, especially Reed since he had such a close relationship with him since childhood despite not being family.

Some of the world building was cool and I like that it was presented in a way that wasn't info-dumpy. Instead we got reveals when needed. We got to know more about the god's system and see some of the world outside of Mareen. The action scenes were still attention grabbing and every fight sequence felt different.

The ending was too happy and neat for me. It truly didn't fit the story. Obviously change needs to happen and they need to transition into a new kind of republic that wrapped up too quickly and just didn't make sense.

I do understand that she wanted this to be a trilogy, the publisher wanted a duology so she had to combine her ideas for books 2 and 3 into one book. Honestly some of those ideas that were originally for book 3 could've been dropped in favor of fleshing out some other plots. I still had questions that didn't get answered because they were breezed past for other plots. More people needed to die! The deaths we had I feel like we didn't really get to know those characters well/weren't following Ikenna around them long enough for them to have big impact.

But despite some frustrations I had Ikenna is still an engage character and while some parts were a little messy it was entertaining mess.

The Blood Gift is a fast paced science fiction adventure that once it gets started doesn’t relent until the very end.
I enjoyed the relationships that were further explored in this book including our main character Ikenna and her love interest Reed. The found family trope is strong in this book. I’m glad to see more character development and growth for Ikenna in this book.
While this series is about war and violence I felt that the first book in this duology, The Blood Trials, was more violent than this book.
I do feel that the big battle at the end of the book was unnecessary and a bit shoehorned in. This primarily seemed to be a way of setting up this series to continue in another book or possibly another duology.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the chance to provide an honest review for this book which I am rating 4 stars. I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my collection and will post my review online after the HC Union strike is resolved.

Ikenna and company are back, and better than before, in this stunning and EPIC conclusion to the Blood Trials Duology. Join Invictus on not one, not two, but THREE impossible missions to not only save the nation that they love, but the whole of Iludu as they race against seemingly insurmountable odds.
The Blood Emperor, a man capable and guilty of committing monstrous deeds, has declared war on Mareen intending to continue his Divine Drive of conquering the whole of Iludu. In order to even have a chance of stopping him, Kenna makes a deal with the devil (and a terrifying diety or two along the way) trusting her bluster, her gut, and her newfound family to see them through.

I literally could not get enough of this book. It had so many twists and turns, it was impossible to predict and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Kenna and crew have carved a place in my heart with their Khanaian steel and I have no intention of ever letting them go.
I look forward to what Iludu will eventually face, and sincerely hope N.E. Davenport continues this heartwrenchingly triumphant adventure.

"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.

Not even to the gods."

Just, WOW. 👌