Victoria is a strong and incredibly capable protagonist, whom I really loved. All she wants is her freedom from the life she lives. She was forced into her life from the age of 6, and is now the strongest Wildbood. Her magic can protect people touring in the dangerous jungle in Jamaica. She knows her worth and she is determined to get what she deserves.

Her boss has different plans for her though and that sends her plans in a bit of a tailspin. Now she has to work with her dirty-dog ex, bringing a group of people looking for gold through the treacherous jungle.

I loved the relationship she has with the jungle and the understanding of its beauty and its danger. It felt like the jungle was its own fully formed character in the book.

One thing I didn’t care for is the absolute INSTANT fixation she forms for an American man she is guiding through the jungle. I didn’t like that we as readers were just supposed to feel the feelings she has for this man just on her say so, without really seeing WHY or what it is about him that she finds so alluring.

The audiobook experience of this book was in some ways better and some ways worse. I found the flow of the story to be more entertaining while listening but the narration bothered me at times.

3 stars

This is such an intriguing concept and while it's not my favorite effort from this author, I do think the combination of the world in which these characters exist and the excellent narration make the audiobook worth a listen.

Victoria, the m.c., was kidnapped as a child and has been held in a horrific, abusive situation ever since. She's in the bizarre position of tour guide, and while that may not sound so riveting on its own, the details Blackwood uses - magical abilities and infusions included - make the setup worth discovering. As is the case with most girls and women, Victoria is victimized in very specific, expected ways. She's thinking about this a lot - understandably - but so are readers; her past experiences come up often. For me, the excitement of the magic got a bit buried in a strange combination of Victoria's trauma and her very sudden romance. I found it challenging to engage with this pairing and would have preferred more about Victoria and her growth versus this relationship.

Blackwood brings a unique approach to YA, and although this was a decent read for me, I'll jump into the next one with more hope and enthusiasm.

Don't miss the content warning from the author at the top of the book.

The narrator was superb! And the ease with which she flipped between accents (possibly clever editing, but I choose to give her credit) was impressive.

Amazingly unique premise and the story carried me along very quickly! The descriptions of the jungle came alive. That being said, I wanted more plot development and build for the MC’s connection.