Overall, I thought this book was a great book! It continues from Forged as Blood, its an intense conclusion. When I tell you that this book doesnt suffer from second book syndrome, it doesnt at all! It delves more into Nigerian mythology! And Demi, is a great character! Shes well rounded and as she is thrust into a new world full of politic intrigue. I recommend this series to young readers who are looking for a take about growth, coming of age and looking for Black and Brown characters.

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

First of all, I have to applaud Okosun for including an amazing recap of book one at the beginning of this book! The recap was amazing and put me right back into this world, this needs to become the norm in fantasy series because it is so helpful to readers. I really enjoyed this book and how there was so much action and so much magic. The lore and mythology that is included was just amazing and added so much to the story. There was so much emotion in this book and it was so moving. These characters are wonderful and this was an epic and wonderful conclusion. I think this duology was so great and highly recommended.

What pisses me off the most is that I could copy and paste the review I just wrote for “To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods” for this book, and they’d have 95% overlap. Either way, here goes nothing. In case my last review did not make it abundantly clear: HOW ARE WE STILL WRITING COLONIZER X COLONIZED ROMANCES!!!!

If I read one more book with a fully fleshed out, beautifully diverse fantasy world, with characters who are written to purposefully represent an oppressed world fighting for freedom… and then they fall in love with the white man oppressing them?!!?!?!? FOR WHAT.

Okay look, I get it, Jonas is *dIfFeReNt*, and special, and wants to bring it all down. But I just think that, regardless of how cinnamon roll you try to make this man, the point stands that the entire backbone of this duology is usurping colonizers and taking back power for the people who suffered, and Démi did that on the arm of the guy whose father created every problem to begin with. Add on to that what they did to Colin, who I didn’t even like but felt like the outcome of his life was… problematic, to say the least, and not nearly the emotional thing it was supposed to be.

The reality is, the book is beautiful in a lot of ways, and has some very tender moments. But the near-constant fixation on everyone trying to die for others got a bit repetitive, and it really felt like I didn’t even need to read much of the first half to take in the second half, they felt that separate. Ultimately, this was a huge letdown, and I can’t bring myself to give it over 2⭐️

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

EXILED BY IRON by Ehigbor Okosun is a great example of a series, in this case, The Tainted Blood Duology, that starts strong and ends with a whimper. I adored the first book. Everything about it kept me on the edge of my seat, from the new-to-me mythology to the setting to the characters. I thought the world-building was solid, and the characters grew into the roles as they discovered more about their world.

EXILED BY IRON did not have that. For one thing, there is way too much happening for a satisfactory conclusion. At one point in time, Dèmi laments how many issues she has to deal with, and I feel the same way. For a series ender, there were too many new problems introduced for any of them to obtain a satisfactory ending. Not only did these new problems crowd an already complex story, but this meant that the action was nonstop. Seriously, no one can jump from fire to frying pan to open flame grill to pizza oven and back to the fire again without a break, but that is exactly what Ms. Okosun forces the reader to experience. It is overwhelming.

To make matters worse, in EXILED BY IRON, Dèmi never learns. She repeats her mistakes over and over and over again. Everyone who loves her tells her the same damn thing, and she ignores every single person. In one scene, a goddess tells her to stop rushing into situations, to which she agrees. Not one page later, she rushes into a situation without stopping to think through the consequences or formulate a plan. All this rushing only compounds her issues. It is frustrating, and it makes you question a) her intelligence and b) why so many people are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. In my opinion, based solely on her behavior and actions in this book, she isn't worth it.

EXILED BY IRON is a bloated, slow-moving conclusion to what was an exciting story. Dèmi is so aggravating that I spent a large amount of time controlling my temper and trying not to throw my Kindle across the room. It is way too long with all the additional problems she faces. In the end, the conclusion is not satisfying enough to be a reward for the slog through the story. Because the series started so well, I know that Ms. Okosun can write well and produce epic stories. Unfortunately, EXILED BY IRON is not an example of that writing skill.

Dèmi is now queen of the land, or, so she is supposed to be. But while she has the title and is engaged to Jonas, her mate and the future king, she doesn’t really hold much power. Every move she makes to try and improve the lives of her people, the magical Oluso, is challenged by the council, made up by non magical Ajès. Even as she tries to make change, the land is under constant threat by strange new monsters, as well as various rebel groups, all intent on controlling the kingdom.

The land torn in two, much like Dèmi has felt herself to be between Jonas and Colin. But with Jonas being her mate, the choice was made for her, and Colin, whom she’s known since she was a child, left her to join Ekwensi, one of the rebel leaders trying to destroy what Dèmi and Jonas are struggling to build.

With death and despair surrounding her on all sides, will Dèmi bring about the peace she desires, or will she be pulled down by anger and grief until she loses herself?

Exiled by Iron is a fantasy novel by Ehigbor Okosun. It’s the second in the Tainted Blood Duology, sequel to Forged by Blood.

Exiled by Iron starts several months after the conclusion of Forged by Blood. Dèmi has been in a position of power for a while, but you can tell that this has actually limited her and even put a strain on her and Jonas’s relationship. She’s frustrated and tired, and wants to change from the older ways that Jonas supports. This quickly blooms into anger once someone close to her is gravely injured, and Dèmi needs to find a cure.

So much of this book is Dèmi going through anger and grief. The author rarely lets Dèmi rest as she is tested again and again, both by her circumstances and by the spirits she goes to for help.

A good chunk of this book also takes place in the spirit realm, and I have to admit that I was occasionally confused when they moved into it, but that might be because it has been a while since I read the first book and didn’t remember how easily they could move from one space to the other, but once I caught on, I found the book much easier to read.

These moments in the spirit realm are times of test, but also a reprieve from the chaos and carnage that Dèmi is living through in the physical world. A lot is constantly happening, and poor Dèmi has little choice but to keep fighting against the world, against those she loves, and against herself. I enjoyed her emotional journey most of all, and I absolutely relished in her rage and ability to feel so deeply in a way that was raw and ugly but powerful.

I had a good time reading Exiled by Iron, and the ending to the duology felt perfect for the story being told here. It was bittersweet in all the best ways, and Dèmi’s final choices surprised me, but I enjoyed each of them. I won’t spoil what they are, but they definitely felt right for her.

The Tainted Blood Duology is a great read for those who are looking for an epic adventure filled with complex characters, deep fury, and magic. I would recommend this to fantasy readers.

Exiled by Iron will be released on October 22. You can preorder your copy from Harper Voyager here.

This was a pretty average end to a series. I didn't care about the love triangle at all in this one. The pacing was still a little off, but the writing was good.

There was a LOT going on in this book- so much that I had to take notes to keep it all straight in my head while reading. Demi as a main character isn't the most likeable (to me at least)- she struggles with thinking things through in the first book and it doesn't get any better in this one.

3.9 stars - this book was a ride. Where the first book was a slow build, this one seemed to go careening through the rest of the story. The amount of twists and turns, double and triple and quadruple crosses, I felt like I had whiplash. I have to say there are too many love triangles in todays fantasy novels and this one just had me going WTF. Overall though, solid ending to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyage for the ARC!

Exiled By Iron was a fantastic follow-up to Forged By Blood. Sometimes a duology can read like a trilogy that was cut and shortened at the request of a publisher, but this duology feels full and complete. I appreciated the summary of the events in Forged By Blood at the beginning of Exiled By Iron. It had been a while since I read the former, and it's easily skippable for those who are reading the stories back-to-back if they wish. This story felt very unique to me, as I am not familiar with Nigerian mythology. I am glad to have this novel available to introduce me to new cultural nuances and literature and sets it apart from other fantasies that can sometimes seem repetitive in their themes, inspiration, and tropes. Exiled by Iron is fast-paced and exciting. I look forward to picking up a physical copy to go with the first and seeing what Ms. Okosun publishes next.. I highly recommend this author to those who are looking to read outside of some of the more familiar voices in the fantasy sphere.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

eARC Review: Exiled by Iron by Ehigbor Okosun ⚔️

This was an action packed sequel to the first book that was also a roller coaster of events. While the nonstop action isn’t usually a problem for me, in this case, I felt like I had to take breaks here and there because I felt like I was just getting pelted (just like the characters) with things while having no room to take a breather. 😮‍💨

The events take place about a year after the first book. I don’t want to spoil too much of the first book here, so I won’t talk about the events so much as I will about the characters. Dèmi has been through so much in these last two books, and while I understand her plight and desire to help her people, her reckless and not well thought out plans and actions was almost exhausting to read about. At times, I found myself rolling my eyes at her and that’s not something I wanted to do, but had to simply because of her thought process. 🙄

Colin is kind of infuriating in this book simply because he’s so quick to defend someone who he really shouldn’t, but at the same time is quick to attack people for having similar thoughts as the person he’s defending. Jonas, while very sweetly trying to help Dèmi, kind of just sits back half the time and lets events fly by him. His character arc towards the middle was a good development, for him, and I ended up feeling bad for him because he somehow ends up being the voice of reason between Colin and Dèmi. 🫨

The last two acts of the book are wild with the reader just getting pelted with nonstop action. I had to take multiple breaks just to stop myself from feeling overwhelmed because man . . . Even I needed a breather, and I’m not even experiencing what the characters are. 😬

All in all, while a wild (and at times) annoying ride, I still enjoyed the development of the story and world. I would recommend this to people who like action right out of the gate and love triangles that leave the reader wondering till the end whether or not she’ll choose one guy or the other. 🫢

Thank you goes out to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review (and for being patient with me getting this review out late . . . again), and to the author for taking me on probably one of the wildest rides I’ve been on reading wise. 🤯

Publication date: October 22! So go take a look at it!

Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I enjoyed the conclusion to this duology! I loved learning about Nigerian mythology and culture through these books and the world building was great. Good character dynamics and growth as well.

I would like to start by saying thank you to Ehigbor Okosun and NetGalley for this ARC.

Fast-paced and engaging from start to finish. This book had me flipping through pages like it was nobody's business. I was so engrossed in the story I could not put my Kindle down. I will warn you that the character pool is quite large so it is a little hard to keep them all straight in your head but it is very diverse which is always nice. If you want a magical book to lose yourself in, this is the one for you. The world-building part of fantasy normally is not my cup of tea but this author sort of ingrained it into the fabric of the characters and makes you care for not only the characters but every aspect of this book.

I wish all books had a summary of the previous book at the beginning of the next book. It was so helpful to have a “Here’s what you missed on Glee” moment before getting back into this series.

What originally pulled me into this series was the gorgeous covers but the story was so mind-blowing that I am truly grateful I got to read such amazing works of art.

Exiled by Iron is book two in The Tainted Blood Duology by Ehigbor Okosun.
I was so excited to jump into the second book.
I really enjoyed the first book in this duology Forged by Blood.
A compelling Nigerian mythology. With a world full of magic and romance and war.
A YA fantasy story including a romance subplot, mythology, and some intricate world building.
This book was captivating from the very beginning.
The characters are empowering and so full of life.
A great story full of adventure.

Thank You NetGalley and Harper Voyager for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Dèmi is now queen of the land, or, so she is supposed to be. But while she has the title and is engaged to Jonas, her mate and the future king, she doesn’t really hold much power. Every move she makes to try and improve the lives of her people, the magical Oluso, is challenged by the council, made up by non magical Ajès. Even as she tries to make change, the land is under constant threat by strange new monsters, as well as various rebel groups, all intent on controlling the kingdom.

The land torn in two, much like Dèmi has felt herself to be between Jonas and Colin. But with Jonas being her mate, the choice was made for her, and Colin, whom she’s known since she was a child, left her to join Ekwensi, one of the rebel leaders trying to destroy what Dèmi and Jonas are struggling to build.

With death and despair surrounding her on all sides, will Dèmi bring about the peace she desires, or will she be pulled down by anger and grief until she loses herself?

I received an advanced reading copy of Exiled by Iron in exchange for an honest review.

Exiled by Iron is a fantasy novel by Ehigbor Okosun. It’s the second in the Tainted Blood Duology, sequel to Forged by Blood, which I read last year. Of course after starting this duology last year, I was thrilled to get an advanced reading copy of the final book in the series!

Before you go on, know that there will be spoilers for the first book in the Tainted Blood Duology in this review. In fact, there have already been some! But there may be more in the rest of the review.

Exiled by Iron starts several months after the conclusion of Forged by Blood. Dèmi has been in a position of power for a while, but you can tell that this has actually limited her and even put a strain on her and Jonas’s relationship. She’s frustrated and tired, and wants to change from the older ways that Jonas supports. This quickly blooms into anger once someone close to her is gravely injured, and Dèmi needs to find a cure.

So much of this book is Dèmi going through anger and grief. The author rarely lets Dèmi rest as she is tested again and again, both by her circumstances and by the spirits she goes to for help.

A good chunk of this book also takes place in the spirit realm, and I have to admit that I was occasionally confused when they moved into it, but that might be because it has been a while since I read the first book and didn’t remember how easily they could move from one space to the other, but once I caught on, I found the book much easier to read.

These moments in the spirit realm are times of test, but also a reprieve from the chaos and carnage that Dèmi is living through in the physical world. A lot is constantly happening, and poor Dèmi has little choice but to keep fighting against the world, against those she loves, and against herself. I enjoyed her emotional journey most of all, and I absolutely relished in her rage and ability to feel so deeply in a way that was raw and ugly but powerful.

I had a good time reading Exiled by Iron, and the ending to the duology felt perfect for the story being told here. It was bittersweet in all the best ways, and Dèmi’s final choices surprised me, but I enjoyed each of them. I won’t spoil what they are, but they definitely felt right for her.

The Tainted Blood Duology is a great read for those who are looking for an epic adventure filled with complex characters, deep fury, and magic. I would recommend this to fantasy readers.

Exiled by Iron will be released on October 22. You can preorder your copy from Harper Voyager here.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

This book series has been absolutely amazing. The lore, the writing style, the magic system, and the character growth were all outstanding, easily making this series one of the best I’ve read this year. I also think it really touched on difficult subjects well such as racism, making this story poignant especially during these times. For sure a must read for fantasy lovers! 5⭐️

This was a great follow-up to 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥. And So. Much. Happens.

I enjoyed the world building and magic system, and the use of Nigerian mythology (of which I am admittedly not super knowledgeable about) made this story feel “fresher” to me, even while still using some of those familiar tropes I’m used to seeing in these sorts of stories.

I really felt like I got to know these characters. (Although, overall, there may have been a few too many characters for me to keep them all straight…I did discover there’s a Dramatis Personae at the end, but it did appear to have spoilers, so do proceed with caution. ALSO! There’s a summary of the events of Book 1 at the start, which I found ever so helpful in remembering all the details. I wish all books had that!)

The overall pacing of this story was quite fast, and at times, we may have moved on a little too quickly after some important events, but I definitely never felt bored!

There were so many moments with our three core characters that really had me tearing up. It’s definitely not an easy journey for them, but I thought where they ended up in the end made for a perfect conclusion to this story.

(Now, I think this is marketed as “Adult”, and although there is one spicy scene, I would still classify this as a (upper) YA Fantasy novel, due to the tone, the story, and the age and actions of the characters. But what do I know? 🤷‍♀️)

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and @netgalley for providing me an early copy of this ebook. All opinions are my own.

What this book is giving:
✅ Fantasy
✅ Inspired by Nigerian mythology
✅ Magic
✅ Mates
✅ (Bit of a lingering) Love Triangle
✅ Themes of colonization, racism, and slavery

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️ / 5

Such a wild ride! The shocking revelations and the raw anger from our FMC, this author has a great writing style to make you feel her emotions through out’