Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the e-ARC

I like fantasy, but I tend to get really bored with the warmed-over rehash of battles and kings and faux medieval European worlds. Forged by Blood is a nice departure without completely reinventing the genre. The placement in a world that looks and feels more like an African country than a European one is refreshing, as are the use of powers and the focus on race, class, subjugation, dehumanization and slavery. The first book in a duology I am excited to see where these discussions go.

There are still many of the tried and true tropes: a love triangle, training powers sequences, battles that are super human, a villain turned ally turned villain, evil king, a Bond villain-esk monologue, a heir revealed (multiple times), all with a strong female lead. The tropes are true to the genre. There is no real work to play with or develop these elements. The strength of the book lies in the periphery in the discussions of race, family, class, and in the world building.

I am a little surprised that this is being sold as adult fiction, as it reads more like YA to me, and is a strong contender in the YA world. The character development and over-reliance on the moral standing of the main character are all very common in YA, as well as the love triangle. For adult fantasy, it’s a little on the nose, but for YA it’s really good.

FORGED BY BLOOD BY EHIGBOR OKOSUN
3.5/5 ⭐️
I went into this book really wanting to absolutely love it. The basis of Nigerian mythology was something that really intrigued me as well as a revenge plot. The result was a book that was neither amazing nor terrible. I found myself entertained while reading it and enjoyed most of the story. I also found myself often wondering how the plot got to where it was. There times where things seemed so rushed that I felt as if I’d missed something. While I did still enjoy the book overall, there were many places that felt lacking. The buildup to certain plot points seemed to drag on in parts that left me frustrated and the plot progressed at a strange rate. The romance also progressed at an odd rate and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on with it at points. I think I’ll still read the sequel because I did enjoy this book and want to know what happens, but it did strike me as just average. The magic system was one stellar point that I found to be a bit unique and interesting.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

This was such a refreshing break from the usual medieval fantasy read. It did take me a bit to get wrapped up in the narrative but once I got past the initial few flashback chapters I couldn’t put the book down. Demi is such a strong character while not entirely likable at times, I think that makes her feel very distinct in the sea of fantasy heroines that we’re used to. The rest of the characters are diverse and complementary to her and the story. I really enjoyed the use of African-mythology, it felt like discovering a whole new world. Can’t wait till the next one comes out!

I really wanted to love this book. I love African-mythology (particularly Nigeria and Cameroon) and was excited to see mami wata in a story! But there was just too much going on in this book. There was so much good potential here with all of the world building. But the magic system was both not fully flushed out and too complicated. I think the author could have settled on a few of the magic features and focused on doing them well instead of so many.

The plot was all over the place. The middle was especially bogged down (why the need to stop in the forest for so long?) Why were the stakes so high for this type or quest? There was too much action and no time to stop and understand the reveals, or have them be meaningful. I also think the first few chapters that were from the young Demi's POV were too long, that part of the story would have been better as a brief prologue.

I agree with some of the other comments that a glossary would be helpful. There are a lot of new vocabulary both from this being a magical world and for it being based in Africa. I had a leg up because of my experience there but the general reader wont know what a lot of things that are casually mentioned are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC of this book.

An enchanting, coming of age fantasy story about a young woman facing prejudice for being a woman of color as well as magic.
A fairly quick read, packed full of adventure, excitement, family, grief, loss, prejudice, magic, and wonder. Also, there's a cute love triangle involved- resulting in fated mates and a young woman's decision. The author did a lovely job of world building. Reads well for a younger person interested in fantasy or needing a starter book to ease themselves into the genre, but also enjoyable for more experienced fantasy readers.

4.5/5

I really liked this book and look forward to the second and final novel. The magic and culture is rich and deep and the characters are all interesting. It's fast-paced and a little hard to follow at times (many names, much history, etc) but it wasn't enough to throw me off. I did find myself having to re-read some sentences to try and decipher them so some writing flow didn't sit with me but overall the style is wonderful and just needs some editing. I would recommend this to fantasy readers! I wonderful first novel. Demi is extremely likeable and I'm excited to see how else she'll grow.

A solid debut. I really enjoyed the setting - most of the book takes place in a territory inspired by Nigeria in the era of colonialism, and the other cultures present are also analogues to real-world societies. The pacing was also excellent. I enjoyed the characters, but I didn't really connect with the romance - the love triangle was kind of awkward.

Tropes: soulmates, friends to enemies to friends to lovers, love triangle (resolved), hidden magic, forced proximity.

This book was absolutely fabulous! I love the characters and their development and their own stories. I can't wait to read the second book!

So good! Really solid fantasy book that wasn’t at all predictable. I had no idea where the plot was going and I was just along for the ride! The magic and world building was super cool. This feels like a great read for YA fantasy readers trying to segue into adult fantasy.

Forged By Blood is the first book in a fantasy duology about a young woman named Dèmi. After losing her mother in a tragic way for which she feels responsible. Dèmi is forced to cope with being born with magic that has been forbidden and losing the only family she had left. Dèmi and other people like her, Oluso are persecuted and subjected to mass genocide by the magic-less Ajes. Demi makes a deal that has the opportunity to restore balance but she has to decide what she’s willing to risk and if the potential reward is worth it.

I enjoyed the story as a whole. Dèmi was a well crafted character. Her plight and struggles felt personal. The magic system and inclusion of Gods and deities was so intriguing. Calling her world beautiful feels wrong because of all of the cruelty they were subject to however, Ife sounds like such a beautiful place.

This book discusses some difficult points such as race, class, trust and the power of choice. The oppression of the Oluso people for being born magic wielders felt all to familiar. Dèmi’s refusal to settle for constant victimization kept me invested. She knew there was a better way for her and people like her to live and she fought to find it without compromising herself in the process.

Dèmi was a walking contradiction at times and it was frustrating. In a certain scene she would be so hyper vigilante that it bordered on unreasonable and in the following scene she would make a rash and very dangerous decision. There are times that Dèmi is angry and reacts before she has a chance to be given the full scope of the situation. I recognize that there are situations that require immediate action but it seemed that she jumped first and thought later so frequently that she was getting reckless.

While reading my overall experience was enjoyable and engaging. Participating in Dèmi’s grief process and battle with trust issues gave me things to consider. Dèmi’s selective impatience and anger got her into things that could have been avoided. In spite of the rough hand Demi was dealt, she never gave up and for those reasons I give Forged by Blood 4/5 stars.

This book would be great for people that enjoy mythological based fantasy books with diverse characters that have tear down the unjust political system mindset. If you’re sensitive to violence, death of parents, discrimination and mass genocide this book might not be for you.

3.75 stars

Very immersive worldbuilding based on Nigerian mythology and folklore, and an interesting, unique magic system (though I wish we got more details about this than the sparse snippets - the lack of info about this did get in the way of full narrative immersion, and much of the withholding seemed to be for the sake of withholding and not really demanded by the story). Great to see fantasy narratives centering Black characters and stories.

As far as the plot and characters go, this read like YA with a lot of tropes than adult fantasy (can we please forever retire love triangles). I hope the second book is when both elements can really come into their own and out of the fantasy stereotypes (both the plot and the character showed tantalising glimpses of nuance here that I'm hoping for more of in Book 2). The early pacing was great, it got somewhat bogged down in the middle, and the final third was all go go go; perhaps a little too crammed with action and multiple reveals.

Still a very enjoyable and promising debut! I'd particularly recommend this for fantasy novices - this would make a great book for someone looking to get into fantasy.

I'd be interested in reading book 2 to see how it all wraps up.

What a delightful and enchanting read that absorbs you into the storytelling.

It reads fast, a bit young, but I forget if this is YA or not. I love any books based on any kind of mythology so this was right up my alley. Nigerian mythology is brilliantly woven throughout.

The world building is immersive. The parallels of this society and our own are a bit terrifying and eye opening. It's good when books don't shy away from those types of connections. I think it helps open conversations up.

An excellent debut and start to a duology!

3.75 stars

Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5

Thank you Willam Morrow Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review!

Forged by Blood is a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre with its magic system based on Nigerian mythology and strong themes of race, this book is sure to delight.

Plot:
While the plot was very stereotypical for YA, a young hero sets out on a quest of revenge and learns some lessons along the way, it was done in a interesting way. The magic system was fascinating and the world building was done well. The book did suffer from how slow the plot was and I felt that the stakes, which were written as very high, didn't come across as emotional as I think the author intended. I felt myself become very bored throughout the middle of the book and struggled to finish it. What kept me going was the intrigue of the ideas but the execution just fell flat. There were some plot twists that made the book interesting but couldn't help the pacing issues that this book struggled with. While there was a lot of negatives there, the book itself is a fun read. The FMC is quite spunky and the adventures that the band of MCs go on are quite interesting at times. As I mentioned previously, the world building was done wonderfully. The Nigerian mythology infused magic system made for an interesting set up. Overall, there was parts I liked and parts I didn't but this book is still worth a read for any fantasy fan.

Characters:
If there is one trope that has been done to death, it's a love triangle. Personally, I really don't like love triangles and it definitely affected how I saw the characters of this book. Some of the side characters were only characterized by the love triangle and their feelings of jealousy towards the other character in the triangle who was vying for the FMC. I felt that the love triangle took up too much air time in the book and clouded over the descriptions of plot or characters. Moving on from love triangle and my immense dislike of them, the FMC was well written. She was headstrong and powerful, yet loved passionately and relied on her friends when she needed help.

Writing:
As previously mentioned, the world building was fantastic. And fairly easy to understand, making this a great book for fantasy beginners. Combined with its short length, Forged by Blood is a wonderfully unique world in which readers can dive into. The writing was done well, the reader cannot tell its there. And that was true enough for this book. The writing was excellent and my suspension of disbelief was held the entire time I read this book. I can't wait to read the next installment!

This was a good read overall! I enjoyed the world building and the plot kept things moving and interesting. There were a few times I felt lost - whether it was from a lot of new words that I didn’t know the meaning of (a glossary would be great!), awkward transitions or a lot of new characters at once, it would get confusing at times. The adventure of the plot kept me going though and I was invested in the characters. I would definitely want to read the next book to see where the story goes!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Book Thoughts- 3.5 Stars

I read Forged by Blood, book 1 in The Tainted Blood Duology a few months ago as a buddy read. It was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023. I loved the cover, I loved that it was based on Nigerian mythology (because let's be real euro fantasy is a bit tired) and the premise hooked me.

But I didn't love it, I liked it fine but the love was not there. The main reason is the writing. I went in thinking this was an adult book since its published by HarperVoyager but the writing felt very YA and the pacing was up and down for most of the book.

Would I rec this book? Yes! Why?
1. I preordered it!
2. I'm interested in how the author will complete the duology.
3. The world and the magic are interesting.
4. We need more fantasy stories that center Black people .

So please read it and support the author by buying it when it releases August 8th!!!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to the publishers at HarperCollins for the chance to read “Forged By Blood” in exchange for an honest review!

Dèmi is an Oluso rebel caught up in the fight for freedom with the crown prince and her childhood best friend, after she’s approached with a scheme to kidnap said prince to barter for her people’s political agency. She discovers how deeply she’s entangled with the powers that be, and fights against injustice with magic, community, and a profound sense of compassion for others around her.

I had so much fun reading from Dèmi’s perspective and the world building in the book was so fascinating. Any time we spent with the Aziza and where Dèmi’s power comes is really where the book shines and has a chance to set itself apart from other action YA high fantasy novels.

My biggest issue with the book is the love triangle that honestly feels at best superfluous and at worst downright damaging to pacing and Dèmi’s development as a character. The two love interests are both hilariously ill-suited and undeserving of Dèmi’s friendship, let alone a romantic relationship: one is a white kid deeply involved in the death of Dèmi’s mother, and the other is a childhood friend who keeps pushing for a romantic relationship that even Dèmi points out isn’t right for her. To top it all off, the book leans into a very “not all white men!” narrative in particular with Jonas’ story arc that undermines the book’s central themes on revolution and the plight of oppressed peoples.

The book ultimately finishes with a right way towards revolution (e.g through the law and institutions already built) and that as long as the right people are at the top making these decisions, then institutions do have a chance of doing right by people… which feels disappointing especially with all of the promise that this book has especially with such a radically compassionate young woman of color as a protagonist.

My hope is that the next book can complicate some of those ideas with nuance, especially since there’s parts of “Forged by Blood” that acknowledge how hard it is to grapple with morally gray people, even if it is for the liberation of an oppressed class. Solid debut, can’t wait to see what more Ehigbor Okosun has up her sleeve.

Actual rating: somewhere between a 2.5 and 3 stars. Kind of right in the middle.

Really loved the general idea behind this book. The writing style was nice, and the plot held a good pace and plenty of intrigue. Unfortunately, I struggled while reading because of overly detailed information during high-action scenes. It completely broke the reading moment and took away from the excitment and emotion of those scenes. I also have a very large dislike for love-triangles in general. But particularly for ones where there is zero chemistry between one of the pairs and the MC states clearly that they dont even have feelings for them, yet continuously strings them alone. To me, love triangles feel like a search for unnecessary relationship drama to try and illicit emotions from a reader. When instead, drama can be put in through so many other means that can actually further a plot and do more than just frustrate.

Really interesting book based on Nigerian mythology. I loved the characters in this book. Sometimes things were a bit confusing and not fully hashed out but I do plan to keep reading in this series.

Magic, love triangles, chosen family. This fantasy pulls you in deep to an intricately woven story spanning generations of powerful folks. A seriously well told story of class, race, and generational issues, with a little romeo and juliet kinda twist.

Absolutely loved this book! The world building has to be my favorite thing about this book. The use of actual African mythology and culture mixed to create a magic system was perfection. This African fantasy had every type of character you could want. The characters in this book had me in a choke hold. I was anxious and terrified for my favorites if they were going to make it or not. This book was colorful and the writing style made it easy for me to get sucked in the story. I will be keeping up with the series and have added the author to my favorites.