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.

Ehigbor Okosun's "Forged by Blood" is a literary masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of genre and leaves an indelible mark on the reader's soul. This gripping novel seamlessly weaves together elements of history, family, and destiny in a tapestry of storytelling brilliance. The characters are vividly drawn, their struggles and triumphs deeply resonating with the human experience, while the evocative prose transports you to a world of vivid landscapes and emotional intensity. Okosun's narrative skillfully navigates the complex dynamics of identity and heritage, offering profound insights into the bonds that tie us to our past and shape our future. "Forged by Blood" is a tour de force that captivates from the first page to the last, leaving you with a sense of awe and wonder, and a profound appreciation for the power of storytelling. This is a literary gem that deserves a place among the classics, and Okosun is undoubtedly a gifted storyteller for the ages.

This was a bit of a disappointment. It was marketed as an epic adult fantasy, but it reads like a YA novel. The morality is very black and white which isn't realistic. The pacing was a struggle. I did enjoy the writing, but the execution of this one didn't live up to the hype.

Early DNF (did not finish) after I found out that this book is a colonizer romance, and i have no interest in those.

This book was pure magic. I can't wait to hold a copy of this book in my hand because I want to take all kinds of pics with it and say "look at the magical book I read!" Demi was perfect and I really hope to get more of this because the world building was top. notch.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun!

3.5/5 Stars

Received from NetGalley as eARC

*Minor Spoilers*


Positives:
The world-building in this book is incredible. The mythology and folklore felt so ingrained into the world resulting in a depth of world that I feel is left to the wayside when it comes to a lot of young adult books. The plotline is immersive and left me grasping at every little detail. I was not expecting the number of plot twists that would happen nor did I predict all that would come out of them. The characters are well-rounded and fleshed out. It is very obvious throughout the book that Demi is an unreliable narrator and this is a credit to the great writing of Okosun.

Negatives:
The pacing of the story fluctuates uncomfortably throughout the story. There were moments that I felt were dragging on, and then two pages later we were whipping through the story at a lightning pace. This is especially noticeable during the dinner scene after the King brings them all back to the palace. There were so many revelations within this scene that it muddled the plot. While the plot twists were interesting, I was confused as to what I actually was supposed to be paying attention to. Character-wise, I really liked Demi until the last 2 chapters. It felt like everything that made her interesting was removed once she recognized her mate bond with Jonas and she was suddenly acting very out of character for me.

Overall, this was an entertaining read that brought me a world of interesting characters and mythology. I would definitely recommend this to a young adult audience interested in different mythologies. I also think this story is an excellent addition to the growing collection of stories based on Yoruba mythology. While I had some issues with the pacing and characterization, I think this story is one that deserves to be read.

I found it hard to believe this was a debut novel. The prose was excellent, I loved the world building, and the characters were well developed. Some of the pacing was a little difficult with a lot of buildup followed by a ton of action. It also toes the line between YA and Adult fantasy. The characters are late teens, so I'd generally consider it young adult.

The story follows the Demi, a magic user who is part of a subjugated group of people. The political system was hard to understand because there were so many nations "united" under one king. But the gist of it was that Demi's family was the ruling family until they were taken over by northern neighbors. Her people are viewed as less-than the lighter skinned northerners and their magic is feared and hidden or exploited. Demi is pushed to undertake a task to help a potential ally gain political power. There is a love triangle, a lot of death, so many horrifical crimes against people, including genocide.

Overall, I found a lot of parallels to colonization with the Ajes overcoming the Oluso while considering them savages who need to have their language and culture removed forcibly. Definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone or the Binti series.

3.5/5 This is not the most original storyline that I've read, but I did find that I cared about at least some of the characters and really enjoyed the unique elements of the world-building (eg the spirits and the Oluso).

I liked the way the magic system opened up at the end, and I can already see how that storyline will continue in the sequel, as well as the politics becoming more prominent. There are lots of stories about rebellion and political upheaval, but few that show what happens <i>after</i> the revolution when you have to rebuild and reform a society of 2+ disparate cultures, so I'm looking forward to that and hope that she does it well.

The love triangle was a bit silly and obvious, and it would've been nice if it concluded earlier since we all knew the outcome the whole time anyway. But it is what it is.

Also did NOT expect the Mad Max: Fury Road vibes at the end.

Forged By Blood was an action packed fantasy that was filled with mystery and magic. I could not put it down! Looking forward to more from this author .

This one was very interesting! I think fans of Children of Blood and Bone will really like this. I love the folklore aspects of this book, it's always something I look for in YA fantasy. Very excited to see where the second book will go.

One thing that did deter me though, is how long this book is. It is pretty slow paced and I know a lot of fantasy fans will enjoy that, but that element was not for me.