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The Blood Trials

The Blood Gift Duology, Book 1

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The Blood Trials

By: N. E. Davenport
Narrated by: Jeanette Illidge
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About this listen

Blending fantasy and science fiction, N.E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology on loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.

Perfect for fans of RED RISING and AURORA RISING

It’s all about blood.

Blood spilled long ago between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor, ending all blood magic.

Now there is peace in the Republic – but there is also a strict class system, misogyny, and racism. Her world is not perfect, but Ikenna survived in it. Until now.

With the murder of her grandfather, Ikenna spirals out of control. Though she is an initiate for the Republic’s deadly elite military force, Ikenna has a secret only her grandfather knew: she possesses the blood magic of the Republic’s enemies.

Ikenna throws herself into the gladiatorial war games at the heart of her martial world: trials that will lead her closer to his killers. Under the spotlight, she subjects herself to abuse from a society that does not value her, that cherishes lineage over talent – all while hiding gifts that, if revealed, would lead to execution or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all to find out who killed her grandfather…

So she can end them.

Magic, technology, and rebellion meet in this stunning debut – part one of a duology that sees a young Black woman rise through misogyny and racism to become an elite warrior.

©2022 Nia Davenport (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure African American Epic Epic Fantasy Fiction Fantasy
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Critic reviews

"If you want to be on the edge of your seat, find another book, because this one hands you a blade, shoves you right into the action, and demands you start running if you want to keep up. It is action, mystery, and heartfelt character–all balanced perfectly on the tip of a knife."
– Scott Reintgen, Indie Bestselling author of the Nyxia series

"The Blood Trials is one of my top reads of the year–a riveting story with richly-drawn characters caught in a tangle of political intrigue, systemic racism, and nonstop peril. Don't miss this one!"
– New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr

“With a high-octane sci-fi setting, a twisty murder mystery, and a badass heroine, THE BLOOD TRIALS is a damn good time.”
– Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"An action packed adventure paired with luscious world building makes The Blood Trials an enthralling, unputdownable read. Davenport is a force to be reckoned with."
– Bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead, Kalynn Bayron

"The Blood Trials is a fresh, intense gut punch of a book that has everything I love most in sci-fi and fantasy. I rooted for Ikenna, the trials gripped me, and the political mystery at the heart of it all kept me constantly on my toes."
- Susan Dennard, New York Times Bestselling author of the Witchlands series

What listeners say about The Blood Trials

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    3 out of 5 stars
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If you have time to kill, sure

The book felt abit repetitive and simple to follow, the twist you saw a mile off. Having said that, I got to the end of it and felt like I wanted to know what happens next. I’m considering getting book 2 when I nearly gave up half way through, so that’s something

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A rollercoaster

The books starts off very engaging and I was immersed in the world very quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed it until about 3/4 of the way through when it became a little too YA. Also, I felt I became invested in parts of the story that just seemed abandoned, along with portions of the dialogue being a little cringe. Saying that, i will read book 2 to get the complete story and hope it keeps to the standard i initially enjoyed.
FYI, some of text is very graphically violent, so I wouldn’t recommend if that’s something that bothers you (it did me at some points!)
Thanks for reading :)

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Really engaging

The story line isn’t predictable at all. The description in this book is honestly some of the best I’ve seen. I was able to completely visualise the people in the book and put myself in this world.

I recommend!

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vulgar and violent

while it does try and carry important plot lines about feminism and racism, the language is unnecessarily vulgar without the break and the violence described is extreme. I tapped out after the cannibals got descriptive airtime. DNF.

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