A Gripping, Blood-Soaked Epic of War, Betrayal, and Redemption

Mark Miller’s Blood Alone is an absolute triumph of epic fantasy, weaving a tale of war, fractured loyalties, and the desperate fight for redemption in a kingdom teetering on the brink of ruin. From the very first page, Miller thrusts the reader into the crumbling remains of Alssae, a land where rebellion and tyranny walk hand in hand, and no one can afford to remain neutral. This is fantasy at its most raw—brutal, thought-provoking, and utterly immersive.

At the heart of the novel is Trofaim, a city pulsing with political intrigue and haunted by the ghosts of its past. The struggle for control over this once-great capital is the driving force of the story, and Miller crafts it with masterful precision. The characters—each with their own burdens and impossible choices—are what truly bring Blood Alone to life. A grieving woman fighting for her city, a war hero longing for peace but dragged back into the fray, and a revolutionary forced to question everything he once stood for—each of their journeys is packed with emotion, tension, and gut-wrenching decisions.

Miller’s writing is both lyrical and sharp, balancing poetic descriptions with brutal, visceral action. The battle scenes are heart-pounding, and the political maneuvering is just as deadly as the swordplay. What makes Blood Alone stand out, though, is its depth. This isn’t just a story of war—it’s a meditation on the cost of power, the scars of the past, and whether peace can truly be won through bloodshed.

For fans of Tolkien and Lewis, there’s a familiar richness to the world-building, but Miller carves out his own identity with a grittier, more morally complex narrative. The pacing is relentless, yet never overwhelming, building to a climax that is both satisfying and leaves you desperate for more.

Blood Alone is an absolute must-read for fans of epic fantasy. It’s gripping, thought-provoking, and refuses to let go until the very last page. If you love stories of war, honor, and redemption wrapped in a world as vivid as it is unforgiving, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mark Miller for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis sounded interesting but the way its being told is confusing, and for an epic fantasy, I'm not invested enough in the characters to care about their adventures and since it kept changing POVs, it got harder to follow everyone's journey. The sad moments couldn't land well because I don't really know/relate to the characters.

This book was really hard to get into. I wanted to like it, but found it hard to follow or want to continue reading.

This book was really hard to get into. The synopsis was interesting but the actual book fell flat. The writing was so clunky that it made it hard to really immerse myself into the book which was unfortunate. The multiple character perspectives was also not done well which added to the confusion. I really couldn’t tell you what was going on in this book. I think there definitely needs to be some workshopping on the writing to make this book better. As I reader it was overall confusing and are hard to get into.

I really tried to read this book, but I ultimately ended up DNF-ing this book. The plot sounds genuinely interesting, but the writing really is not for me. Thank you for the chance to check out this book regardless.

I really wanted to like Blood Alone. I love the cover and it has a great premise, but it just didn't hold my attention. I found myself purposefully avoiding this book. I think the writing style isn't for me. It just didn't flow well. Unfortunately a DNF for me.

Blood Alone is not a stand alone book. It is definitely for a patient reader that doesn’t need quick resolutions. There are a lot of interesting elements. One of those is that there is a small sub-plot of magic. It does have the potential to be larger, but would need a sequel to reach that level. Another is that the book has four separate plot lines. Again, I am sure they will eventually converge, but again not during this book. Ultimately, I struggled to understand why each story was important. It felt a bit like the middle of a story, the part you have to get through in order to get to the exciting ending.

I don’t know what to think, the premise of the story intrigued me. But the type of writing is making is hard for me to keep reading. Not smooth and natural like a conversation between friends or family. But a bit robotic I know it would be because of the type of culture and societal rules they adhere to in the book. Making the reading difficult for me to get through. I have to mention that the world building is intricate and a bit hard for me to follow. Their lands, customs and rulings are high handed and make me wonder the difficulties the characters will face. I’ve read a couple of chapter but I haven’t been able to get interested in the story so it will be a DNF for me at the moment. Maybe I will be interested in reading it later on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Di Angelo Publications, I received a ARC for an honest review !

Honestly, I feel bad but I only got to 75% by skim reading after maybe 30%ish. I couldn’t figure out the plot, and I found the writing hard to follow..
It really needs some way of highlighting when the time the POV is set in has changed. I was spectacularly confused for most of the read. Also the formatting was all over the place which didn’t help being able to follow the story.

I was hooked from the cover and description and so glad I got to read this, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed about the genre. It took the fantasy element perfectly and enjoyed the overall story being told. Mark Miller wrote this well and was glad I got to read this, I hope there is more in this world.

Lovely book. I really recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the storyline is immaculate.