couldn't finish this before the book's release but this was a very nice read
Loved reading about a different culture that I haven't experienced before and this was really interesting
Would love to read more

Forged by Blood has one of the most intriguing and immersive magic systems I've read this year, and the premise is fantastic: a Nigerian-inspired fantasy where a young woman with incredible powers must fight to free her people and avenge the death of her mother.

However, the execution was a little uneven for me.

The first three chapters, where a young Demi's powers are exposed in a heartbreaking way, and she first meets one of the two love interests, are powerful and captivating. It made me so excited for what came next, only for there to be a massive time skip with a whole new cast of characters. Everything after the time skip felt very YA and a little confusing. Not to spoil anything, but there is a love triangle, and a lot of the interactions between Demi and her two love interests were just not as intriguing (in my opinion) as the super cool magical stuff that Demi's doing.

Whenever Okosun leaned into Nigerian mythology, the narrative absolutely sang. The whole middle of the book, with a journey to a mystical forest and encounters with spirits, was fantastic, and I even enjoyed portions of the end. I liked the enemies-to-lovers thing that Demi and her one love interest, Jonas, had going on, but wish it had been better developed (also, there's a fair bit of insta-love here and some icky fated mates stuff, my least favorite trope). I also loved the rhythm of her writing, if that makes sense. It's lyrical and beautiful, and I can almost hear Demi's voice as I was reading. I can't wait to hear an audiobook version of this, because I can tell it would make for a delightful one.

But all of these positives felt mired in the forced love triangle and also held back by the YA feel of everything. I know this is a YA manuscript that got aged up, but I almost wish that it had stayed YA, because I think it suffers a little bit from expectations of adult readers, as many other reviews can attest to. I still enjoyed it, but think I would've enjoyed it more if I was a teen.

Despite my mixed feelings, though, I am really excited about the fact that this is a duology. I can't wait to see what Okosun does with the world that she's created, because I think a lot of these first book problems might fall away in a sequel, and I really do like Demi as a character.

Forged by Blood is a story with a rich world and interesting politics. It starts off very strong, and I was fully invested in Dèmi's story. I loved the section our main characters spent with the forest spirits. It feels very magical and immersive. Unfortunately, around the halfway point, it started to fall apart for me.

This is marketed and published as adult fantasy, but it really should be YA. There is not enough depth or nuance to make it feel like it's intended for an adult audience. The pacing is quick, jumping from big event to big event in the second half, which doesn't allow the reader to sit with anything before moving on. Dèmi lands in a lot of situations that should be dire, but she is always (quickly) miraculously saved, making it feel like there are never truly any stakes. The worldbuilding also includes fated mates, which is a trope I don't enjoy reading.

Recommend if you like:
-YA fantasy
-non-European mythology
-fast pacing
-fated mates

...WHY IS THIS A DUOLOGY!?!?!?!?! I wanted all of it now! This was SO good. At times it was a bit YA (love triangle, tropes, some dialogue was a bit too expository) but at its core, this story was a magical fantasy story with some great worldbuilding (that didn't take away from the plot! Yay!!!!)

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately this one couldn’t keep me captivated. I tried picking it back up 3 times before officially deciding to DNF this book at 40%. The idea was there but it felt questionably executed. Great world building, but the relationship between characters and their interactions felt rushed to me.

Thank you so much for this advanced reader copy. Out of respect for the author I will not post a negative review throughout goodreads & amazon, rather send my thoughts directly here through Netgalley.

This epic fantasy debut follows Dèmi, a magic wielding Oluso, who is trying to survive a brutal regime that murdered her mother and invaded her homeland. She and other Oluso must hide their powers, as capture would mean death or enslavement. When a regional lord offers Dèmi the chance to secure the safety of her people by kidnapping a prince, she embarks on an adventure that will challenge everything she knows about her heritage, her magic and herself.

This debut from Okosun was a really fun and unique read! The Nigerian mythology and cultural setting were new but, very well-explained and illustrated throughout the novel. I liked the author’s writing style and enjoyed the overall story. The love triangle/romance was adorable, and one of my favorite aspects.

My biggest criticism is that I didn’t understand the motives or histories of the “villains” throughout the story. <spoiler> Alastair Sorenson and Mari seemed to have started a war based on Dèmi’s mother rejecting them - ?. It’s possible I just didn’t understand but, their reasoning seemed kind of lame. I also don’t feel like I really understood how Yétunde fit in to their lives before the war. </spoiler> I think some of this is due to the fact that the story is told from Dèmi’s perspective, and I’m sure their will be more details in the next book (as she learns more).

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

As a person that grew up with a family that believe in Yoruba I'm extremely happy this book exist.

It honestly is a pretty sad story and I couldn't help but think about the history factors that are implied in it. Demi is such a strong character and I love how she stayed true to herself after everything she went through. She really did not have it easy.
I love how there's a real enemies to lovers trope. The world building was amazing and I loved learning more about the spirits, the magic and the ooo people.

all in all this was a 5 star book so good so full of adventure and although that the story was sad, it was great at the same time and the ending was amazing.

Storytelling at its finest!

"Power only understands power."

I was drawn first to the cover and then next I began to engage the writer's style and this book became such a brilliant, fast-paced, action oriented masterful tale.

Forged By Blood is the debut from author Ehigbor Okosun which is heavily inspired by Nigerian mythology is so good and beautifully rendered! If you enjoy fantasy, magical realism, bits of science fiction, and romance -- this is the book for you! Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Let me just say first that I love main character Demi, who has been dealt essentially every bad hand she could possibly be handed. And while this is true, she does not give up for anything or anyone. She is stripped of nearly everything but her will to survive and avenge the death of her mother. Demi is a complex character, living in a complex word, filled with blood magic that has been deemed in conflict with the people who have come to occupy her homeland. Her one wish is to stop the King's genocide of her people and free them of his reign. Only she'll have to kidnap a prince in order to do so.

Forged By Blood becomes a coming of age story that is filled with adventure after adventure as Demi learns more about her own powers and makes life and death decisions at every turn. I love a strong, fierce, female lead and Demi embodies this notion fully. There were times when the storytelling became dense and it slowed down the pace but overall, this is one to definitely add to your list!

4.5/5

3.5/5 stars

as far as debuts go, this was pretty good. however, i am conflicted. normally, when i sit with a book for a few days after reading it, i come to appreciate it more. with this one, i feel like i became a bit more frustrated before settling on some sort of ambivalence.

also, i have no idea if this is supposed to be ya or adult. everyone keeps labeling it ya even though what i’m hearing is that it’s supposed to be adult. it’s 100% ya in my opinion. definitely needed a bit more elevation to be an adult fantasy.

what i liked:
→ storytelling and worldbuilding. i was so immersed in this world. the author created such a spell-binding universe of magic-users, fantasy creatures, and kingdoms at war. the characters’ stories and the way they were written drew you in.
→ everyone knows i’m obsessed with fantasy inspired by mythology/folklore. i like to learn more about the world whether i’m reading fiction or nonfiction. this was inspired by Nigerian mythology. i thought i knew at least a bit based on magical anthologies i’ve read featuring orisha- but i definitely need to dive deeper!
→ female characters full of rage, resolve, and power. the main character, supporting characters, AND background characters. the spectrum of grieving, healing, avenging, and prospering women in this book is sensational!
→ casually queer supporting characters. obsessed.

what frustrated me:
→ this book brings you in and gives you exactly what you want for the first half. the longer it goes on, the more frustrating it becomes imo. the multi-faceted violence of grief, war, displacement, and alienation can do unbelievable things to people and their connections to those around them. but the balance of how some things were prolonged and how some were unpacked or resolved became more and more unstable as the novel reached its resolution. it ended in a way that made sense for a duology. but i was still personally unsatisfied. was surprised by how and who lost their teeth and who grew fangs.
→ had to suspend my disbelief a little too often. however, *disclaimer* i am neurodivergent. i find that i often have a harsher standard than others in terms of what suspending my disbelief means to me. do with that what you will.
→ just a personal preference, but i feel like there were not enough scenes where the characters get to rest in or positively reflect on their love (rather than be fighting to show, prove, or earn it). it makes sense based on the POV of the book, but it was a lot to continually absorb as a reader.

things i need:
→ a nana and will spinoff <33333
→ an aziza court short focused on the joys of love and community!!!
→ a yetunde and mari backstory
→ yes, i just want to know all of the side characters more intimately- they were all beautifully rendered.

so, overall, i devoured this book. read it in like 3 weekdays- which is big for me. this book obviously is inspired by Nigerian history and mythology, but it reflects a lot of darker issues still very much present in society today. if a ya-leaning fantasy story that has dark, (rightfully) pessimistic elements and characters weaved throughout the narrative is not for you- i would avoid this. if you are in a period of suffering in your life, this might not be for you (because suffering is the main thing that motivates and focuses our main character dèmi). i think it made the story powerful and fast-paced but, after a certain point, i realized there had not been much of any rest or fluff to balance it out. so be aware.

basically, if you love something gritty, full of powerful women, and brimming with beautiful fantasy elements, i’d say this is the right book for you. even though i had my struggles with it, i’m fully looking forward to reading the sequel.

I received a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first Nigerian mythology inspired fantasy that I’ve read. I’m not sure what mythology it was based off of, but I truly enjoyed not reading yet another Beauty & The Beast retelling, or some other European fantasy retelling.
I loved Dèmi’s character BECAUSE she was headstrong, whereas some people saw that as a character flaw. Yes she was rash and didn’t always think things through, but she was working towards a bigger picture and trying to help other Oluso people.
There is betrayal, magic, a bit of a slow burn romance, a love triangle, fated mates, death, genocide, and over throwing the patriarchy. I can’t wait to read how Dèmi and Jonas (Maybe Colin too?) help free the Oluso people from a terrible ruler in book two.
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Age recommendation: 15+ years old.

DNF - I was promised adult fantasy and that is not what I got. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very compelling debut! "Forged by Blood" is a richly woven tale inspired by Nigerian mythology. In this action-packed novel, Okosun creates a complex and atmospheric world. The story follows Dèmi, a young woman living in a land under political invasion and oppressed by a tyrannical regime. Dèmi's primary goal is simple: to survive in a society where the Ajes, nonmagical occupants, dominate her ancestral homeland. She seeks to escape the brutal genocide of her people and to understand and control her innate magic. Fueled by grief and a desire for revenge, she kidnaps the Aje prince, with the help of her childhood friend.

The novel excels in its exploration of oppression and rebellion, redemption and betrayal. Okosun skillfully weaves elements of Nigerian folklore and diversity is highly present in the story, offering readers a refreshing and unique experience in the fantasy genre. And that cover is simply gorgeous.

My complaints are all minor, but there are several. I also find love triangles slightly tiresome, but it mostly worked in this case. The characters are engaging, but I wasn't as emotionally invested in them as I'd expected. Events unfold quite rapidly and almost bleed into one another, and some moments that could have had a more profound impact on the reader are rushed. I suspected this was the reason that I wasn't able to get as attached to the characters. And lastly, there is not a major cliffhanger at the end; which I think would be beneficial to catapult readers into the next in the series. Maybe that one is just me.

Overall, "Forged by Blood" is an exciting addition to the world of fantasy, introducing readers to a captivating setting and an emerging voice in the genre. Okosun's imaginative storytelling and the rich cultural backdrop make this novel a promising start to what is sure to be an intriguing duology.

Thank you to HarperVoyager for the review copy and Netgalley for the eARC. This is an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so action packed, there was not a dull or slow moment. I do wish to learn more about the system of magic in this book because at points I felt I was missing information about how the magic works in this world. Overall the book was very immersive and fast paced. I look forward to Demi’s next adventure and want to learn more about the lore and mythology that helped shape the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love how I’ve been able to diversify my fantasy shelf more recently and this book definitely adds to that goal!

Loved seeing a new to me mythology and culture incorporated here. Excellent!

DNF at 59% (for not)
I really really really wanted to like this book so much and maybe I overhyped it for myself but I can not read more than one chapter at a time. I think the premise of the book sounds so interesting but the execution is just not landing for me. The magic system is a little all over the place and we go from info-dumping to absolutely no context or information to explain what's going on so there were multiple times that I had to reread a scene to figure out what was actually happening. On top of that, the actual storyline seemed to change so many times it was hard to follow.

Love triangles are rarely, if ever, done well and this just confirmed that for me. Love triangles are one of my least favorite tropes but I was really thinking it would be a minor subplot after reading the synopsis.

The cover is absolutely beautiful though! I think I would try something else by this author and I might try to pick this up again at another time but for now, it just isn't for me:(

Forged by Blood is the first in a YA duology inspired by Nigerian myth and infused with magic. I absolutely love books inspired by myth, especially from cultures that I'm unfamiliar with, and was so excited to get to read this book!

First of all, I am so happy that this book exists. I think the premise is very creative and I'm very happy to see Nigerian culture represented in mainstream fiction.

However, I just couldn't get into this book. I ended up DNFing it at 67% when I had absolutely no idea what was going on or who most of the characters were. I have a hard time following fantasy plots at the best of times, but for some reason I just couldn't get into the story at all. I'm not even sure why I struggled with it so much because I normally love books like this, but it just wasn't for me.

Overall, I'm glad I read it but I just couldn't get into the story. 1.5 stars rounded up to 2. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

This book is a pretty standard YA fantasy romance, with social commentary about racism and genocide, incorporating many African folk tales and mythologies to create the world. It had a lot of potential but I think ultimately it fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed reading it, and as the action picked up at the end I did get more invested, but there was not one thing about the entire book that surprised me. I know as YA it’s geared toward a younger audience but I think even a youth reader would be able to predict the plot of this one.

I really liked the summary when I first heard of it and I could immediately tell that this could be a really great book and maybe that‘s why I ended up being a little scared to read it. The book is a riveting fantasy based on Nigerian mythology all about race, class and what it means to love and betray each other at the same time.

I can‘t remember the last time I read about based on African mythology (maybe this is even my first!) but I was so excited to read this after my last reads have been Asian and Norse Mythology. I wasn‘t as familiar with any of it, of course, but I think that made the book even better for me.

Something I really liked about this book apart from the worldbuilding was the pacing of the plot. At no point, did I feel bored or thought everything was happening too fast.

Since we don‘t get as many fantasy books based on Nigerian mythology like Greek for example, I highly recommend reading it, simply to experience it. But also the plot is really good as well, so that makes it even more enjoyable.

(Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read this)

I always pains me to say that a book was a DNF for me. Unfortunately, Forged by Blood was for me. I wanted to push through but could not. It was too slow paced for me and I just couldn't remain engaged. It doesn't help that I am a mood reader. So, with that being said, this just may not have been the time for me to attempt to read this and I will revisit it later.

I enjoyed Forged By Blood enough to finish, but I did have issues / personal preferences that made it less enjoyable to me than I thought going in.

Things I did like:
- the world building & political intrigue
- the magic system of ajes and oluso

Things I enjoyed less:
- the pacing was up and down; some things were extremely rushed through, especially the beats where emotion should play a big role and then others seemed like a slow crawl.
- I absolutely adore fated mates, but I feel like the romance wasn't earned and they got together really quick for my liking lol

I'd recommend this to people who enjoy fast-paced, fated mates romance, with an intriguing world and magic system.