An intriguing book that follows the story of a heroine that just wants to find her mother's family, but instead is caught in court schemes and politics, and everything will lead to discovering even darker secrets than she expected.

This book is filled with mystery, with knight and traitors and it's quite easy and enjoyable to read. It's a great book to begin the series, but there are many questions left unanswered. Hopefully, the next volume will shed some light on everything.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion

First up, I want to say, the cover is gorgeous. The book was a great read full of suspense and action. I enjoyed the thorough world building and political system of the book. The story itself was also great and follows Taryn as she discovers the secrets around her Dad's murder. I loved Taryn and found her character was well written and as well as very relatable.

Thank you to Net Galley and Christy R. Harrill for this ARC read. This book is perfect for fans of mystery, YA, and fantasy.

The plot of this book was good. I feel like so much can be done with this and how it was left off. That being said, I do think that there could have been more character and world building. I also feel that there were parts that were written well, and other parts that seem very rushed. This book is written well enough for me to be able to recommend it however, I look forward to seeing if the second feels as rushed or not.

TEEN & YA Fantasy
Book 1 in a series
Political intrigue
Murder mystery

Taryn’s world is overturned when she is tricked into vying for her estranged, dead father’s place in the Kavari. She wants nothing to do with her father who has abandoned her and her mother and when she sets off to start a new life for herself in another city after the death of her mother, she is stopped by Vladimir who informs her that her father was murdered and that he needed her help to avenge his death.
He tricks her into replacing her father in the Kavari which just leads to trouble from start to finish.
There is so much castle drama going on in this book so you can expect backstabbing, treachery and a lot of “get rid of the newcomer” energy.
This is a fast paced Teen YA book.
It did leave me with a lot of questions and I am sure that book 2 will have all the answers to my questions.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Rose Hollow Press for this e-arc.

The Blood Vier follows the story of a young girl called Taryn who is thrust into a world of politics, murder, conspiracies and tenuous court alliances after the mysterious death of her father. She is forced to trust Vladimir, a member of the kingdom’s elite’s military force and a former protege of her father to unravel the secrets that led her father’s death and root out treason in the kingdom.

I really enjoyed the plot as well as the characters. Despite having elements of popular tropes and plot devices, the story still remained fresh, new and exciting! I loved the medieval feel to the world building and am intrigued by the different players/kingdoms and how they all interconnect with each other.

We don’t really get to know much about the characters or their backstories but given that this is book 1 of 4 in the series, I’m hoping we get to know each of them in depth later.

Overall a great read and one that I would highly recommend for those who love YA fantasy with a medieval feel to it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley, the author and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for providing me with a review copy. All thoughts are my own

Absolutely riveting first book this new fantasy series.
We are told the story from duel points of view. First being Taryn a girl who knows little about her family but when her father is murderd, she sets out on a mission of revenge and discovery. Next we have Vladimir newly appointed leader of the Kavari whose power and influence rivals that of the crown. We Follow him as he struggles with his new role, the death of his mentor and a wider threat that may see war come to his country.

This fantasy murder mystery goes beyond the regular tropes, but really works on our leads character developments. Both Taryn and Vladimir are flawed but they are honest with their feelings that they are both trying to process grief and trauma.
The only thing that felt out of place and out of character was when Vladimir suddenly had a some sexist opinions about how women are ruled by their emotions. This comes out of nowhere and is not keeping with his character. It was a tacky addition.

If you like YA political heavy books, this is for you! The world building and political system is well thought out. The crown is not the be all end all but a counterpart to a much larger operation. This story is a tip action action. I feel like a lot happened in very little time, it left me reeling. However, this book has such potential to be a hit. If you enjoyed Realm Breaker and King of Scars then this book is definitely a must. The FMC’s transformation is beautiful and haunting. There are such good themes throughout the story.

5 stars!
This was such a great read! So suspenseful from start to finish.
In this book, we follow a 19 yr old girl named Taryn, who was abandoned by her father and she has no idea why. Not soon after her mother died, Taryn found out her father had been murdered and she is left feeling unsettled. Her father's loyal friend Vladimir then visits Taryn and convinces her to help both of them find the answers to questions pertaining to her father's murder. Along this journey, Taryn faces many obstacles, many being near-death experiences, and internal conflict. It's a great book that touches on trust, the damage hatred and grudges can cause, and the power in forgiveness. I couldn't put this book down and with the ending, I am eager for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Christy R. Harrill for providing me with this wonderful ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I got access to this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is so much deception going on in this book that I can’t tell who to trust and who to despise. I liked the twists and turns of the plot it really elevated the story overall. I wish there was a bit more romance of enemies to lovers, but there are still 2 more books so who knows 👀👀

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this copy.

This was such an enjoyable read. It was easy to get into and the plot carried really well throughout the book.

Taryn is such a likeable main character and her impulsiveness was so entertaining. That alone earned a star for this book.

I was constantly on the edge of my seat with each reveal and I LOVED any type of political intrigue. The betrayal, the lies, the angst. UGH!

I’ll definitely be recommending this!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. This was a wonderful read, I loved it! Tropes include: court intrigue, hate to love, and romance fantasy

Secrets, lies, murder. The list goes on.
This book follows Taryn and Vladimir in alternating POVs. Taryn was left to fend for herself after her mother passed away, and her already absent father stopped coming around, Taryn learns that her father has passed away, and sets outs on an adventure.
A few weeks into her adventure Taryn meets Vladimir who had been looking for her. He tells her that her father has been murdered. He strikes a deal to take her to the capitol in hopes of discovering a secret her father kept that was only meant for Taryn's ears.

Wow! I really loved the world building and imagery in this book. The descriptiveness in every scene was just the right amount to be able to imagine everything that happened moment by moment and wasn't too much to feel so overwhelming. This book also had enough action to keep me reading every moment I could.

Overall the world building, and character relationships progressed very smoothly throughout the story. I really love that the ending has me wanting to read more and uncover what happens next! Multi POVs always really pull me in especially because I love being able to connect with characters on a deeper level. This book was absolutley amazing and I am looking forward to continuing the series!!!

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Rose Hollow Press, and Christy R. Harrill for the complimentary eARC.

tl;dr
Fast-paced plot with a lot of action pieces, but doesn't give the entire cast enough space to shine.

Thoughts
Dang this one moves FAST. As in, it feels like the plot of the first two books in a trilogy have been smooshed into a single book. Our titular blood vier shows up to vie for a position as her role suggests, leaving me to expect a book's worth of training, tests, sinister plot hooks, and a slowly developing relationship with the other leads. Instead, we race past the actual vying portion and jump straight into what comes after. On the one hand, I appreciate that the author didn't lock all the big action pieces away for the next book. On the other hand, I feel like I didn't get to know the cast nearly well enough before they went on their big adventure, leaving me to play catchup as the plot unfurls. The second POV character gets so much less attention than the first that part of me wondered if it was fully necessary to have him at all when we could use that time for other things. The healer character mentioned in the book description also gets very little air time. She's got a lot of history and a lot of personality, and we get only the barest glimmers of it before breaking off to do other things. And there are plenty of other things to do. Chase down leads, escape from kidnappings, prevent war, break out prisoners, and even fight the elements. Overall, I'd say there's a lot of stuff packed in here with some interesting world-building (especially that cliffhanger stinger!), but I yearn to get to know the supporting cast better.

Blood Vier had me at page 1. The change in narrative voice gave a three dimensional view to events. Along with the sensory descriptions and powerful narrative voice, this novel delivers. Book 2 is going to be exciting.

This book had me hooked from the very first sentence! Everything about this story was wonderful, from the characters to the world building! Let me start by saying that I was really happy to find a fantasy book that didn’t revolve around steamy romance. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my fair share of spicy books! However, it’s refreshing to find a book that manages to be so deeply engrossing without relying solely on romance.

I honestly fell in love with all the characters in this book. I especially enjoyed Taryn’s character arc throughout the story. It really made it all the more bittersweet at the end when she finally has the epiphany that sometimes what you WANT isn’t always what you NEED. I also personally loved the character of William. He was such a well rounded, realistic character and I was captivated by his backstory and personality.

Another thing I really appreciated was how natural the relationship between Taryn and William felt. You could see the bond slowly building throughout with every challenge they faced together, and every decision/action they took. It didn’t feel like the classic, convenient “for some random reason I feel this deep connection with them”. It was something that grew naturally.

Finally I really loved the world Christy R. Harrill created. I was riveted by the political intrigue in this world and how it was so well weaved with the mystery of Taryn’s personal background. By the last quarter of the story I went from internally screaming, to crying. And that ENDING!! I GASPED!! I need to know what happens next!!

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the author for giving me access to this e-arc and introducing me to this wonderful series! I really can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you Netgalley and Rose Hollow Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Blood Vier" is a thrilling YA fantasy novel that mixes political intrigue, mystery, and themes of loyalty and sacrifice, making it a compelling read for fans of similar series like the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Cursebreaker series. While I am not a big fan of YA fantasy recently, I really enjoyed the world that Harrill created; I thought the world-building was really well done, especially since this can be a challenge in YA books.

The story follows Taryn who is thrust into a world of political turmoil after the murder of her father, a member of the secret royal government known as the Kavari. As Taryn unravels the mystery surrounding her father's death, she discovers truths about her own identity and her place in the kingdom's intricate political landscape.

As stated earlier, one of the book's strengths lies in its world-building, which is rich and immersive. The concept of the Kavari adds depth to the story, as does the exploration of Taryn's internal struggle as she grapples with her desire for revenge and her growing understanding of the greater good. Harrill's character development is exceptional, particularly with Taryn, who undergoes significant growth throughout the story. Her journey from recklessness to understanding the importance of sacrifice is both compelling and relatable. At the beginning, you sometimes think that Taryn is making stupid decisions, but that is totally expected of someone her age who is suddenly thrust into this position/situation. She really does demonstrate significant growth in the book. At the beginning, I thought Taryn was a bit selfish and naïve, but at the end, I found myself attached to her character. Additionally, the dynamic between Taryn and other key characters, such as Vladimir, the leader of the Kavari, adds depth to the story as Harrill expertly crafted complex relationships, which made me like Taryn even more.

The pacing was sometimes a bit too fast where I barely had time to absorb events in a specific scene before suddenly rushing off to another. I think some scenes needed more time to fully develop the emotional impact. Some scenes were also a bit repetitive. I also wasn’t expecting the lack of romance; this was unexpected but welcomed. I thought the lack of romance allows the focus to remain on the character development and plot, which are executed with skill and precision.

Overall, "The Blood Vier" is a promising debut novel that sets the stage for an epic fantasy series. With its engaging characters and immersive world-building, it is a book that left me eagerly waiting for more. Harrill has crafted a compelling story that will appeal to fans of YA fantasy and political intrigue alike.

“The Blood vier,” by Christy R. Harill

When she finally can leave her life behind Taryn starts to travel away from her hometown until a man tracks her down revealing that the father who abandoned her was murdered. She strikes a deal with the man to go to the kingdoms capital where she thrusted into a political game that she has no choice but to play.

I loved this book. It was interesting and I did not get bored while reading at all. There is more political intrigue than anything else and so much action. I cannot wait to read book 2. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Political Intrigue
-Magic
-Multi POV

Thanks for the free copy.

With so many YA fantasy books recently pushing heavily on the romance subplot this was a refreshing change. Don't misunderstand I do feel there's a huge possibility that our protagonist will end up with a special someone but this the first book allows readers to meet her and start to understand her motivations in life
. Primarily it's a revenge type plot with a heroine struggling to understand how and why she feels abandoned. Yet the reader quickly comes to realise that Taryn is no ordinary orphan but someone who has deliberately been hidden which lends to all sorts of possibilities down the line.
I did enjoy this and would happily read more. However I feel some readers might be irked by the way there's so much not explained. The book literally starts with Taryn having escaped from thieves so already as a reader I felt I'd missed some action. Then there's the magic in this world which is briefly touched on but felt somewhat underused. . Essentially this focused on the politics in play with treason, betrayal and ambitions clearly pulling characters along. There is action here which felt well done and an epilogue that clearly casts a shadow over what is still to come.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

A classic fighting for vengeance after the murder of a parent. Secrets emerging after an estranged father-daughter relationship.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how it immediately went into the story, the character development happening alongside events.

Books 2 and 3 on my list immediately.

3/5 stars
I enjoyed reading this book and I am interested to see where the series goes from here.
The only part that was a bit odd for me was what felt like a forced romance near the end of this book. It felt a little out of place where I assumed it would end up as more of a brother/sister bond.
I’m excited to read book two and uncover more secrets.