5/5

Kin of the Pure Blood: From the Annals of Dorohin by A.K. Bryce takes us on another fantastic journey through Dorohin. Much like the first book in the series, Bryce takes us on an exciting journey through a magnificent world of original characters and creatures. This time, we get a better view of the Ryu and their Wyrm relatives as the world is rocked by war. Tearing families and people apart quite literally at times. Despite some gruesome scenes, the amazingly well-put-together world of Dorohin continued to pull you back in and show you something new.

As with the previous book in the series, Kin of Pure Blood’s biggest positive is the fantastic world-building. With shifters of all sorts of dragon and bird-like fantasy creatures, something new is constantly popping up. A.K. Bryce’s spectacular writing adds to the fantastical experience, adding flavor to an already great book. The characters, both primary and background, are described and displayed in ways that make them feel realistic, and there is certainly no mistaking that a lot of effort was put into them. The pacing of Kin of Pure Blood is steady to fast. We are never left with much downtime as in a time of war. There is always something going on behind the scenes.

While the story takes place during a time of war, and this has some expected fantasy violence, some of which can be considered a bit gruesome, it is far from the worst cases of fantasy violence seen in a book of this genre. It should not be much of an issue for most readers. However, consideration should be given to whether younger readers or people with delicate mindsets are willing to read this fantastic story. If you are a fantasy fan, pick up this book, and the rest of the series.

- Tawny Molina, Reedsy Discovery