An entertaining retelling w/ well paced plot and beautiful character growth. Although, the storyline lacked a bit of intensity, there are a few triggers present. Overall the lush mythology & the growth of our strong willed FMC, Eshani really spotlight in this sequel to “A Drop Of Venom”.

An excellent standalone sequel to A Drop of Venom. Beautiful cover, excellent storytelling and characters. Sajni Patel has such a talent for weaving storylines together and then again with Indian and Greek mythologies. Incredibly good, I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Patel, Sanji, Touch of Blood. Pgs. 416. Disney Hyperion, 2025.

Years before Manisha met Pratyush, her older sister, Eshani made a deal with the shades to save her fellow naga. Recently, she has been having dreams about the Nightmare Realm. The gatekeeper, Hiran’s sister, Holika, has recently started appearing in Eshani’s dreams. To repay the shades, Eshani must find Hiran to fulfill a prophecy. She soon finds herself in the clutches of the Shadow King, Hiran’s sadistic half brother. To escape, she must master her powers. Hiran, a disgraced member of the royal family, is hiding from his brother while trying to keep his shadow self in check. As the two’s destinies intertwine, the two must save their families and stop the Shadow King from terrorizing the realm. Will they succeed?

The plot is well developed, engaging, and does a great job of mixing the Persephone myth with Indian mythology. The characters are likable, engaging, and well developed. The dual perspectives throughout the book help to bring the characters’ personal struggles to life. The world building is well done and a stand aloe from A Drop of Venom. Older readers who like mythology, folklore, and adventure will want to pick this one up. The mature themes are not as prevalent in this book as the first. However, due to the on-page mature content in the first book, this is best suited for high school and public library collections. Recommended for collections where such books are popular. 3 stars, Gr 10 and up.

Gatekeeper of the Nightmare Realm, Hiran is in hiding form his older brother. To defeat his brother, he’ll need to keep his Shadow self in check. After making a deal with the shades to protect her fellow naga, Eshani starts having dreams about Hiran’s sister, Holika. Soon, the shades call on repayment. To pay the debt and fulfill a prophecy, Eshani must find Hiran. Soon after entering the Nightmare Realm, however, she is taken by the Shadow King, Hiran’s older brother. To save herself and her family, she must master her powers. As the two’s fates intertwine, can they save the Nightmare Realm, their families, and themselves?
The plot is full of adventure, is well developed, and full of twists and turns. The character are well developed, authentic, and believable. The world building is well done and draws the reader into the story. Readers who like fantasy, mythology, and adventure will want to pick this one up. Due to the mature, on-page content in the prequel, this book is best suited for high school and public libraries. Recommended for collections where mythology and adventure novels are popular.

In a Touch of Blood, we follow Eshani as she navigates through a world of war, after her father doesn’t return. With her trusted companion, tiger Lehka, they end up in a place where they aren’t supposed to be. Eshani makes a decision to be brave and make sacrifices for those that she loves.

This was everything I had hoped for from Book 1! I loved the world and the atmosphere, the lore, the friendships and the relationships! I adored both Eshani and Hiran and both of their journey’s of becoming who they were born to be! And the ending was so fantastic. I am looking forward to Sithara story (which based on the snippets we received in this book) is going to weave everything together!

An intricately woven story, rich in dark, delicious detail, A Touch of Blood follows two very different beings in their quest to ensure the survival of their homelands, families, and selves.

The flood of information is a bit of an overload from page one, but push through and you'll be rewarded! Recommended for lovers of dark fantasy and South Asian folklore and mythology.

Powerful and vivid in the cover, in the storytelling, in the Indian mythology, in the connection to the Persephone myth, and simply Eshani herself.

It's evident Patel lives, breaths, and eats her story while she's creating it because there's every drop of her blood, sweat, and tears on the page. This is the second in (I would think) a trilogy featuring the characters that you see glimpses of in the other books. In this one, a girl who sacrifices constantly for her family and her community and she's going to do it again by going to the Nightmare Realm to fulfil the bargain to save the community from war. But while there, she meets the horrid Shadow King and now also Hiran who has been a stowaway into the world and will prove to be a savior to many if they play their cards right.

Evocative storytelling. A fantastic standalone in the realm of Venom.

A Touch of Blood is a powerful standalone sequel to A Drop of Venom! I was truly wowed when I first read an ARC of A Drop of Venom in 2023. Sajni's pivot to fantasy novels felt so seamless. The worldbuilding, fantasy, politics, and Indian and Greek mythology felt so effortless for a contemporary romance writer. After reading A Touch of Blood, it's even more obvious how well-written Sajni Patel's fantasy novels are. I really enjoyed following Eshani and Hiran in a new underworld realm in A Touch of Blood. The buildup for both Eshani and Hiran's character arcs to converge for the climax of overtaking the Shadow King was very interesting to follow along. I also enjoyed the cast of side characters who joined in on this adventure as well and provided some comedic relief.

A Touch of Blood isn't as heavy in topics compared to A Drop of Venom, which deals firsthand and on-page about sexual assault, but it is still a darker YA fantasy. I think at times, the intricacies of the world in the underworld realm and Eshani's powers were also a little complicated to understand (compared to A Drop of Venom). I also wished we got some more romantic scenes with Hiran and Eshani, but when you're a teen saving the world, there isn't time for much romance, and I respect that! I definitely think this was still an enjoyable read, and I'm excited to read Sajni's future fantasy works, especially if she has more planned in this universe. I don't think any future books have been announced at this time, but there were some seeds that were planted at the end of this novel, so a girl can hope!

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and I was ELATED to be able to read it early. What a wild ride this was. A Drop Of Venom was one of my fave reads this year and this book takes place around the same time. We follow Eshani, Manisha's older sister, who is surviving a war with her family the Naga people. She makes a deal with shades in order to save her family and the dark deal comes back to haunt her. We also follow Hiran, a disgraced prince of the underworld who is in hiding from his horrible older brother who views him as a threat to the throne. Together, they must work to save both realms and their families from the terrorizing Shadow King and the plauge that is threatening to wipe out the underworld.

I truly loved how this series is meshing indian and greek mythologies. The way the underworld is described is truly haunting and got me a lil spooked at times! I also loved the new details we learn about the world and how it has influenced what we read in A Drop of Venom. This book is just as dark as the first, lots of gore and rape culture is present. Keep that in mind if you would like to pick this series up. I am very excited for this trilogy to be completed, I will be hoping to get approved for the arc of book 3 whenever that comes out!

I’ll read anything that is under Rick Riordans “name” publisher? Whatever it’s called, but I love them all and this one was phenomenal. Can’t wait for the rest!

A captivating read from start to finish, full of action, adventure, mystery and romance. The mix of Greek mythology with Indian lore was just sublime! I loved every second of this!!

A second offering from Patel's Drop of Venom world which weaves Indian and Greek mythology together beautifully! Whereas Drop of Venom focused on the story of Medusa, A Touch of Blood is the story of Persephone and it's really good! I love that RRP is giving more YA stories with a touch of violence and more thrilling elements! My ooooonly quibble is that I feel like this one, like DoV, is just a bit too didactic? I still loved it and look forward to whatever comes next!

3.75 stars

*Rick Riordan Presents: A Touch of Blood* by Sajni Patel is an exhilarating young adult fantasy that blends mythology with modern-day struggles. The story follows its brave protagonist, who discovers a hidden legacy of supernatural power tied to ancient Indian mythology. Patel’s writing is dynamic and fast-paced, filled with engaging characters and thrilling action. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery and her exploration of family secrets adds emotional depth to the narrative. With a rich cultural backdrop and exciting plot twists, *A Touch of Blood* is a captivating read for fans of mythology, fantasy, and coming-of-age adventures.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Another great read by Sajni Patel. Ive always enjoyed myths and new takes on old ones. I’ve really enjoyed the series and can’t wait to see what’s next!

As an educator and someone who has enjoyed this series for sometime, as well as its imprint, I appreciated how this book added a different dimension to this universe. A perfect tale for readers who enjoy a little bit of fright along with fantastic elements.