I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for a long time but I kept putting it off for some reason. I decided to read it since it seemed to fit in with all this crazy covid-19 stuff that is rocking the world. The first thing that comes to mind after reading this is, thank god I’m done. This novel had a very cool premise with the world being ravaged after a disease called bent head, and the appearance of magic, religious zealots, space worship, carnivals, soaking the earth in blood, yada, yada, yada but I couldn’t care less about the characters or what happened to them. I had no connection whatsoever to the characters and so this book was a struggle for me. The writing style however was good, there was just no emotional engagement.

I’m on the fence about checking out future works from this author. I think I’d give it a try but not if it’s anything like this one.

In the dystopian remnants of the United States, astronauts have left earth to find inhabitable planets. Now, humanity awaits their return. Cape Canaveral is their holy place, and astronauts have become legendary figures. Nearly all of Aurora's life has been spent under the tyranny of her brother's traveling carnival. In Aurora's world, the world is a savage place of superstition after millions have been claimed by the fatal disease "Bent Head." When Aurora's camp is invaded by a band of thieves, Aurora has been freed from her brother's abuse, only to become the child bride of the bloodthirsty Mr. Capulato. Mr. Capulato is convinced that he is the rightful heir to the throne, and Aurora is the queen who will help him ascend the throne according to prophecy. Will Aurora be able to survive in this harsh world?
As soon as I begun reading Wonderblood, I was completely revolted by the gory descriptions of Aurora's world. This book gives a whole new dimension to the phrase "off with your head." In spite of my initial disgust at all of the gore, I was fascinated by the world Whicker has created. It is highly complex and realistic, if not terrifying. Wonderblood is a new approach to the genre of science fiction and dystopia where the world has regressed back to the middle ages instead of pushed forward with all-consuming technology. I also appreciated the artwork as well which gave a whole new dimension to the text.
Wonderblood is certainly not for everyone, and it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. However, it is clear that the writing is immersive and the story is completely original and thought-provoking. I would recommend Wonderblood to those who are not of the faint of heart.

While the setting and dystopian features of Wonderblood may not sound different from the average dystopian book; it is certainly in the literary realm of Station Eleven and Cloud Atlas.
The story takes place in the continental USA when a disease has ravished the country and not only killed many but contaminated the actual soil of the earth. The style and tone of Julia Whicker's writing is very literary. One of the religions uses historical space shuttle names as a part of their lore. Ironically there are no space excursions or futuristic elements to Wonderblood even though it is set in the future. It has a little magic, a little science, a little horror; but a lot of beautiful and thought bending prose.

Writing Style
A huge portion of the experience reading Wonderblood is being immersed in the literary style that Whicker employs. You could just as easily have been reading a historical account. The setting is the future but it's a nomadic (no technology) world and so it feels different from the average sci-fi novel. The 'magic' in the book is rooted in scientific concepts but they are not explained or analyzed in the context of modern science. Finally, there is lots of blood but it's not described in a horrific way that feels like a horror story.
Wonderblood is, at its core, a literary book. The mood of the writing is as much the story as the actual plot and characters themselves. The use of descriptors (woman, girl, man) instead of names, when we are experiencing the world from certain points of view, reinforces that there is a theme to the way the story is told. This tone and style affects how the story feels as you read it. It's more than just a story about people in tough times.

Yes it's awful...but not like you think
It's very difficult to write a dystopian story without having a lot of blood and death. It's just the nature we expect from dystopian books. Whicker certainly doesn't shy away from the horrors of her futuristic societies (we follow two different religious/social groups); but she also doesn't emphasize them either. From certain points of view the blood is horrific, and from others it's just part of a ritual. In some instances carrying a rotting head around is terrifying and disgusting; but for others it's comforting and a way of life. Whicker has normalized some of the horror to a point where we start to understand why some of our characters don't comprehend that what they are doing is perhaps morally objectionable.

Religion
I think using the names of space shuttles to form the basis for a religion is a cute nod towards the science fiction genre. It’s easy to get caught up in the intricacies of each group’s religious practices that define their morals, laws, personal interactions, rituals, etc. As with most religions there are important books or texts and being able to read and interpret them is of value. The core elements of most religions exists here and yet these two religions are far from our own. Whicker is, I believe, making a point about religion throughout the book. She uses elements from our true past and skews them into these new religious groups. The insinuation, of course, is that perhaps we don't interpret or understand the culture or context of the ideals we worship. A bit of a jab at religion in general; which is ironic given the importance of the two competing religions to the book.

Characters & Plot
If you're looking for an in-depth character analysis or active intricate plot you've probably got the wrong book. The core of Wonderblood is the analysis of what drives and motives humans to be a certain way. There is no real plot except that a comet appears in the sky and our two religious groups react to this appearance. For me that was enough plot to set-up the reasons why things start to happen; but I could see how many may find this book to be too unsubstantial or lacking focus because there is no real purpose to the story other than to explore morals, faith and human nature.

Overall
I really enjoyed this book. Upon finishing it I instantly wanted to read it again. Wonderblood is a book that could easily be analyzed and studied in any classroom at any level. It’s the kind of book people will love to hate as its literary style may be a bit more challenging than your average read. Therefore you have to put some effort into reading Wonderblood as it is riddled subtle and symbolic events and thoughts. For me, the effort was worth it. I loved contemplating the intricacies. Had I read this book as a teen I could see it having a profound impact on me (assuming I read it all the way through). As it was, even as an adult, I loved how much it made me think. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my print library. I cannot wait to read it again and revisit the morals, concepts and ideals set-up in this dystopian future.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Wonderblood takes place 500 years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic landscape ravaged by a disease called “Bent Head” and filled with carnivals, space shuttles, bloodletting, magic and more. It was very different from what I normally read, and while I enjoyed it, there was also room for improvement. The writing was beautiful, but the story itself fell a bit flat. There was little to no character development, the majority of the characters were unlikable, and I kept confusing John and Marvel’s parts. Additionally, I kept waiting for two of the characters to meet, but that never happened. I think I was expecting something more… whether that was more action or more explanation. As a reader, I felt like I was thrust into this world without really understanding what the world was. I think flushing that out a bit more would have been helpful. I also thought the ending could have been a bit more conclusive, but it seems as though Whicker has set the stage for a sequel.

Overall, I think Wonderblood had a unique and interesting premise. While there were flaws, it was a fairly quick read, and I think fans of dystopian novels will enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Wonderblood in exchange for an honest review.