This was a beautiful, immersive novel! I struggled to get into the story at the beginning, but I really enjoyed it as the story picked up!

This was my first Lauren Blackwood read and I really enjoyed it! The magical creatures and the world building alone made the story worthwhile. The jungle and its inhabitants were so full of life, and their descriptions were immersive. I felt like I could see and feel the jungle around me.

The story developed a little too quickly for me, which made it harder for me to connect to the characters. Everything is written from the perspective of the main character, Victoria, and her character development was really good, but this made the incomplete characters around her seem even more incomplete by comparison. I wanted to know more about everyone else’s backstories, and some characters I thought were important were taken out of the story before they were ever fully formed.

The ending made me happy. Towards the end of the story, I thought things would go a certain way and I would be upset about it in the end, but I guessed incorrectly and the re ending was well deserved.

So I went into this story expecting a fast paced adventure full of magic and suspense but that was not what this was. Maybe if I had not been expecting something else Wildblood would have been great, but that was not how this played out. Instead this was a very slow angsty read, with lots of hard topics like sexual and physical assault, human trafficking, death, repression, betrayal, and all kinds of violence in general... Overall it was a pretty dark read that should definitely come with warnings.

I was also not a fan of the insta-love relationship, which was legit based on nothing but basic physical attraction (which is called lust, not love, but anyway). The main character and her love interest basically become devoted to each other within 2 days with no depth and spend the rest of the story professing their love and using pet names. It was a lot, but I am sure others will enjoy the over the top-ness of the two.

There were also lots of occasions where things were assumed as if the reader was aware of the situation, backstory or supernatural creatures (and heck maybe other readers are but I was not) so I felt confused and disconnected a lot. I will admit that I am still not 100% certain what exactly a Wildblood is or what they can do even after reading the book.
This is a standalone novel with a very bittersweet ending that on one hand I was glad for and on the other I wanted to rage that this was how everything wrapped up?!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic with all the accents in the story, be it the Jamaican accent the main character has to random British and American accents used for side characters. She did a great job bringing the characters to life with her different tones, emotions and voices. If you are audio fans I say listen to the story because it made Victoria feel like a real person that I knew.

Inhaled this audiobook so fast that my dreams were all narrated with a Jamaican accent.

I have mad respect for how Blackwood writes her heritage into books you can tell mean a lot to her. First there was the Ethiopian Jane Eyre retelling, and now we have a Jamaican jungle adventure. Wildblood is chockful of jungle spirits and monsters--of the animal and human variety--that made this an incredibly compelling story to read.

Victoria is one heck of a character that I really liked. She wants nothing more than to escape to the jungle she is paid to take tourists and travelers through, but while she gets to spend days beneath its canopy, she cannot be a part of it as she once was. Stuck in a job that will not set her free, she is fully at the mercy of a boss who will never respect her as a Black woman. She is the best Wildblood the company has and knows the jungle like no other, and she's stronger than me. I was *losing* it at some of the people she was escorting for being so damn stupid lol they deserved what they got.

The villains of this story holding Victoria down were many, and I honestly think it's what made this book as strong as it was. Dean is a force Victoria can't quite get past. The history between them is incredibly deep and painful and reading about it is really what cracked Victoria open as a person for me to understand who she is. Too many men tried to knock her down a peg and I loved how she held her own despite being quiet and vulnerable.

I confess, I'm still not sure what a Wildblood is. Victoria is one, as are all the other guides in the company, but I feel as though the proper explanations of who they are and what they can do never came up. They can shape weapons from blood, but is that all? What is the rage we're warned about? Why do they have to work in pairs? Either I wasn't paying close enough attention or it just wasn't there. As such, I don't think it served the story as well as it could have.

The ending though! Gah, I could cry because if that had landed this would have been five stars for me. I had such a good time that I could have ignored every other issue I had. It got from point A to the point B I wanted, but the execution was lacking. I'm not sure if that was what the author wanted or if she was rushed, but it was quite disappointing. I literally said "wait, that's it?" when it ended. So yeah, it's the right ending but it needs a re-do for me.

Wildblood is a book that oozes atmosphere from the very ink on the pages. From the concept of being a Wildblood and the magic from their blood all the way to the dangerous and deadly powers of the forest. I was transfixed from the beginning. Victoria works as a tour guide for tourists - mostly white sightseers - to experience "the jungle". And while she is certainly paid, there's nothing fair about her working conditions, nor those around her and their forced imprisonment in the compound.

So immediately, we are all on Victoria's side. And you just wait. Wildblood is a story which works so well because it's centered on Victoria. On her struggle, her trauma, her story, her agency. The tension is palpable from the beginning. Always trying to just survive, she's on the brink of living, on a chance out, but to get it, she will have to compromise everything she ever thought and just might not make it out alive.

I would 100% recommend the audio book as well. I was able to switch between the physical and the audio book, but there's singing! I love when a narrator is able to bring the book to life from the songs to the emotion. Kerri McLean does an amazing job of portraying Thorn's songs and Victoria's pain and joy.

A fascinating world and magical structure created, with interesting details to historical accuracy in terms of culture, but the characters are a little rote at times.

Blackwood has a really compelling story idea. I was very interested in reading/listening to this book from the description, and the stunning cover was another factor that helped to draw me in.
However, I was really underwhelmed by the overall writing. The dialogue felt very repetitive and reductive at times. I wanted more flushing out of the history of the Wildbloods, their magic and where it comes from, and the mythology of the jungle. I think the only reason I got through it was because I was listening to the audiobook. I did like the narrator. Had I been forced to read the dialogue I would have probably given up. Overall I thought this was a book with a lot of potential that fell short.

A vibrant new adult dark historical fantasy hindered by toxic romance tropes

Overall, Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood stirs up mixed feelings. On one hand, I enjoyed the setting of a fantasy late 19th century Jamaica, where Wildbloods with blood magic guide tourists along the dangerous jungle, with lush description, examining some dark topics and themes like jungle tourism and abuse. On the other, I felt the characters weren’t as developed as I wished, some of the character interactions, while complex, were soiled by some unfortunate implications and an unneeded romance, and I didn’t feel engaged in some sections due to some subplots that felt overshadowed and forgotten.

Without going too far about my thoughts about the Young Adult/New Adult debate, IMO, this book should have been marketed as New Adult or Adult; the content (despite a warning) is quite intense for YA. There’s detailed sexual content (including sexual assault), very intense violence and gore and death (of humans and animals), and some of the character dynamics just make me think it’s more New Adult than anything, not anything I would recommend to a 12 year old, or even a 14 year old.

I was intrigued the blood magic system, what they call “science”, which was odd every time I heard it. Part of me wished there was more of it in the book and explained a little more, especially the rages, as what we did see was vibrant and unique. Using blood to use as weapons isn’t the most original idea, but it kept me engaged when we did see it. The magical, sentient jungle was also engaging with the magical river and trees and creatures, but again, I wish it was expanded. The prose brought these elements to life, but I wish there was a bit more of this, especially during the down time.

The main characters (Victoria, Dean, The Boss, and Thorne) had decent motivations and fleshing out, and I had a basic understanding of what they wanted, and some surprised me with their complexity. Though it fell into some of the cliches of Victoria being the best at magic, and I wished she had more character growth, though what she got was fine enough. The other characters felt underdeveloped and flat. Sure, I wasn’t expected to remember all of the party members, but I mixed up a lot of the important secondary members (the ones outside of Victoria, Dean, The Boss, and Thorne), almost like they could have been swapped out, along with their motivations, even if their interactions with Victoria were interesting and fun.

As I said earlier, the book dives into deeper and darker themes of eco-tourism, working for basically nothing, abuse and more. While touched on, the themes weren’t explored enough, with some things being brushed off a little too easily for my taste.

The audiobook narrator, Kerri McLean, was a great pick, and her voice reminded me of family with her West Indian accent, and brought an extra flavor to the book. I also enjoyed her singing as Thorne. And I did enjoy the kissing their teeth part, which is common in the culture.

Sadly, the mandatory YA/NA romance swallowed up the potential of the themes and subplots. I did not vibe with the romance at all during the book, especially with the pseudo love triangle between toxic rival ex boyfriend Dean and a rushed romance with Thorne, and after a certain point, I wanted the romance plot to just stop. I wished Thorne and Victoria stayed platonic, as their non-romantic interaction was really great and made me laugh more than once with Thorne’s singing being a major subject. The book could have done without any romance, though I enjoyed how things ended, despite the circumstances.

This could have been a new dark fantasy favorite for me, but as is, it’s a good book held back by too many issues, but still enjoyable for those looking for a darker New Adult fantasy with a jungle setting and lots of romantic tension.

The audiobook narrator does have a bit of an accent, so it took me a bit to learn her narration style, but it was understandable. The narrator did a good job of all the different voices.

I really liked the beginning of this, and the ending was pretty solid, but I got lost throughout the middle. I think it was partially pacing and partially me just not connecting that much with the writing style.

That said, this was a really awesome concept, and I think others will like this, but it wasn't for me.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I loved that this involved a jungle and not a typical forest read. It involved tour guides with scary mythical creatures at every corner. The magic embedded into this story was SO INTRIGUING. I loved every moment of it and wanted MORE.

The love triangle had me with my eyebrows raised. I was like …. She would not like him again right?????? And even the actual love interest gave me suspicious vibes. I just want the second book and i can’t wait! READ THIS BOOK IT WAS AMAZING. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

An absolutely exciting, adventurous fantasy with an excellent setting, I really liked Wildblood! I think there was a good combination of action and romance, and it read really cinematically. It touches on topics like colonialism, abuse, slavery, rape, and more, but it does so in a way that isn't too graphic for a young adult audience. I was also really intrigued by the magic and felt the story had interesting world-building. Overall, it was well done, though the writing seemed a bit rushed at times.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This book was amazing! I could not put this down! I loved the characters and the drama and the horror. The horror alone is an amazing reason to read this book. I absolutely can not recommend this book enough. I am not going to say much more because I am not own voices here and I no not want to take away from those reviews.

"Rage is all I have left."

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood was a mixture of intriguing and not what I expected. Victoria has a traumatic past that doesn't just begin with being taken from her family. Her unique wildblood magic is a coveted yet feared power that the Exotic Lands Touring Co. uses to their advantage. They are they only ones who can safely guide people through the deadly surrounding jungle.

The audiobook is narrated by Kerri McLean expertly. She brought many of the emotions of Victoria's to life.

Thorne: “But you do get paid?”
Victoria: “Yes. It’s not slavery.”
Thorne: “But it isn’t freedom, either.”
What does he want me to say? That the armed guards aren’t there to protect the tourists who pass through? That we’re paid barely a living wage simply as a loophole? That we’re only here because we were kidnapped?

That's just one layer of Victoria's backstory. She hides her features, body and familial history so others don't pay much attention to her beauty and actions. With the trauma of physical and sexual assault, we learn more of the horrors that have molded her persona. Her character is crafted well, the part that took away from her depth and the plot depth was the insta-lovestory. I also felt their wasn't a ton of history with the background of the wildbloods magic. It was one of the more captivating aspects I wanted to know more about.

The jungle set in a fantastical version of Jamaica was the highlight of the plot for me. The jungle world is depicted atmospherically as a sentient thing. From the trees to little bugs, there is a beautiful bond between Victoria and the jungle she respects. I could've enjoyed an entire novel based on this aspect and the wildblood history. For me, the love story diverted everything from what I personally thought was more riveting. I found it difficult to connect with the Thorne/Victoria dynamic.

I'm a big fan of Within These Wicked Walls and though this had a few elements that affected my overall thoughts, I'd still recommend this one to readers who enjoy a more new romance focused fantasy with important themes.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Can I just say how much I absolutely loved this narrator? There's definitely some trigger warnings needed for the beginning of the novel, and I'd say it might be a better book for older YA readers (16-17+), but it was a great storyline with great climaxes and great character development.

**3.5-stars**

The Exotic Lands Touring Company offers tourists the opportunity to go on the excursions of their dreams through the magical and mystical jungle landscapes of Jamaica. Victoria is an 18-year old Wildblood, who after being kidnapped as a child, is made to work for the Company. Wildbloods use their powers to guide tourists safely through the dangerous parts of the jungle.

The Company's latest mission is to help a successful miner, a young man named Thorne, reach an area in the jungle thought to hold vast deposits of gold.

Victoria, recently turned down for a position of team leader in favor of her less talented, jerk of an ex-boyfriend, Dean, is slightly disgruntled as the tour gets under way. One look at Thorne though and she begins to reconsider. He's quite handsome and he seems to be taken with her too.

Each member of the excursion is assigned their very own Wildblood and as luck would have it, Thorne and Victoria get paired up. The rest, as they say, is history.

I really enjoyed Blackwood's 2021-debut, Within These Wicked Walls. I loved the atmosphere, rich with gothic vibes and found the plot to be dark and engaging. Therefore, when I heard about Blackwood's sophomore effort, Wildblood, I was super excited to get to it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to connect to this as well as I did with Blackwood's first book. I feel like this is a personal taste issue, the plot just wasn't something I found to be engaging, but I know that a lot of Readers will.

Additionally, I was a bit disappointed by the atmosphere. Being set in the magical wilds of a fantasy version of Jamaica, I expected it to be lush, ominous and exciting, but personally, I felt like it could have taken place anywhere.

I did appreciate the various themes explored. The power dynamics amongst the characters working for the Tour Company was of particular interest to me. Also, the exploitation of local culture, people and resources by wealthy outsiders via eco-tourism was examined. It's a bit of an overriding concept in the book and I thought that was well done and an important topic to consider.

I found the main character, Victoria, to be interesting. I enjoyed learning a bit about her past and actually wish we could have gotten more of it. Furthermore, I wish the whole-concept of the Wildbloods, their magic system, could have been more detailed as well.

For me, the relationship between Victoria and Thorne took over the show and personally, it was my least favorite part of the entire story. I would have preferred more balance with the other aspects. Perhaps, if I would have gone into this expecting more Romance than Fantasy, I may have ended up feeling a bit differently about it.

Overall, I recognize that this is a good story, one that a lot of Readers will enjoy. Blackwood is a beautiful writer and I look forward to reading more of her work, even though this one wasn't a perfect match for my tastes.
I would still recommend this one to anyone who is intrigued by the synopsis, especially if you enjoy romantic fantasy. Also, as an aside, I did listen to the audiobook and loved the narration. I absolutely recommend that as a medium for reading this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

First of all, the "What, like it's hard?" reference made me laugh out loud.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for an honest review. The narrator was phenomenal for this one!

Those who loved The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia will adore this one!

I feel like this is a tough one to explain, so bear with me. Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood is a novel about Victoria, who was kidnapped as a child and taken to work as a guide for rich tourists in Jamaica. All of the guides are wildbloods and have a (deeply creepy) biological kind of magic and connection to the forest. They help to combat the jungle filled with powerful spirits and shadowy monsters in which death is sometimes a fluid concept. They are, of course, treated horrifically and violently and exploited by their boss. Victoria finds herself with a group looking for gold and heading into the most dangerous parts of the jungle with her ex, who previously betrayed her in a horrific manner, leading the pack. I absolutely adored the world-building, loved the biologic magic, and the creatures were so terrifying. The jungle, semi-sentient as it was, is the best part. Love a setting that is actually a character! Very gothic vibes.

One of those in her group is Thorn, a charming and kind man who is immediately taken with Victoria. This story is supposed to be a YA fantasy romance, which doesn't completely fit, in my opinion. There is romance and it's beautifully written; I love the total support she gets from Thorn. But there are some dark topics, creepy magic, lots of death, violence, and gore that would fit perfectly well in a horror book. Again, I really think this is more of a gothic horror novel. And it is absolutely better for it. I adored this one and thought it had a perfect ending.

Wildblood is the story of Victoria and her amazing magical ability. A wildblood is a person who has the ability to draw out blood from another (or themselves) and use it as a weapon. It is an ability that is looked down upon, however, coveted, by ruthless touring companies. One such company kidnapped Victoria as a small child and forced her to work as a guide on jungle excursions. She only stays so that she can get her little blood-brother, Bunny, out of this life. of near-slavery. An opportunity comes along in the form of Laertes Thorne, a goldminer from America, who is in Jamaica to mine the golden sap from the middle of the jungle. But the jungle is dangerous and they are unprepared as only tourists can be. Only Victoria seems immune to the pressures and dangers that the jungle holds.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-version.*

Title/Author: Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Whoah! I was not expecting anything that happened in this book! Before I get to my review of the story, it is important to note that this book contains mature themes such as oppression, physical/mental abuse, violence, and mild sexual content. Warning: this story may trigger some, but know that the characters learn to overcome. The mention of some of these things made me cringe, but it wasn't terribly graphic, and I enjoyed the story overall.
Having said that, the first half of the book was a bit slow and dull. Then, things really took off. All characters have complex dynamics, with twists at every turn. Despite being a story about overcoming, facing fears, learning yourself, and choosing healthy selfishness, it is also a story about heartbreak, sadness, and betrayal. The end left me a little bruised and unsatisfied, if only because I felt as though it was a little incomplete. While it was a good place to end the story, there were also a lot of unanswered questions. More is needed! The story does not end on a cliffhanger, but there’s definitely room for more.
If there is a sequel, I would be very happy to read it.

Wow, ok this was quite different from what I thought it would be. The story, the magic, and the setting/world building are all fascinating and I was totally captivated. I really enjoyed those aspects of the story! There were a lot of heavier facets to the story, everything with her boys was heart breaking. And it was interesting because the whole story has this kind of fever dream vibe - like just this air of surreal chaos that Victoria is floating through.

The romance side of it threw me off though….I’m usually totally fine with insta love but it didn’t feel like any actual connection or rapport was built between Victoria and Thorn at all to support the level of romance between them. They just kind of all of a sudden…were? It was weird and felt off. BUT that made the ending all the more satisfying and felt so much more right than how it seemed like it was going to end. So I was really glad for how it ended! And I really enjoyed the narration, it was well done and gave the story a lot of atmosphere.

Stunning cover and interesting concept, but had poor execution.

I found myself running into the same issues as others. It lacked world-building and character development. The writing felt repetitive and the romance forced. There was so much potential! Sadly, I found the novel dull and a chore to read.

(Actual rating is 1.5 Stars but I'm rounding up since I like the concept and idea.)

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Lauren Blackwood (the author), and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**