I already own this and really enjoyed it! This is the type of YA fantasy that I like sharing with students. the characters are strong and the plot is fresh. So happy to recommend this to all YA collections!

2.5/5 stars

Nobody is more disappointed in myself than me right now. I had so many expectations for this book but unfortunately, things didn't work out. Let me just start off by saying that the cover is gorgeous and overall this book has so much potential. The premise is fascinating and if I look at the overall plot it's not bad at all. I just feel like this book got published too early and needed some more revisions and structural corrections.

The pacing is quite strange and I couldn't get a sense of the time at any point. The last 30% felt especially rushed as if the author had a set page limit. The writing style can be quite repetitive in the beginning and overall the author indulges in a lot of telling than showing. The book unfortunately also suffered from some plot holes and information that would be brought up once only to never be mentioned again. I think the biggest struggle for me was that I couldn't emotionally connect to Sloane, the main character. I pitied her and felt sorry for her and understood her motivations and actions but I struggled to put a finger on who she was, what her personality was apart from the things that were happening to her and the trauma she was going through. I really didn't care for the romance(s) either. I saw it coming from far away and yet it was hastily put together.

One character that I did love reading about was Izara. I genuinely enjoyed every scene she was in and her wonderful friendship with Sloane. Jericho and Nazanin were interesting characters who could have been explored but after a certain point in the book (I'm being vague because spoilers) it seems like the author forgot about them. I did like the worldbuilding as well as the magic system set up and I can only hope that the author further explores it in the rest of the series.

Lastly, and this point may be very subjective, but I predicted 90% of the plot twists and events that took place. I wouldn't as a whole call this book predictable but I don't know, the plot twists seemed obvious to me, or maybe I'm just really good at latching into the foreshadowing. It didn't help that some of the plot twists followed certain tropes so if you've read enough fantasy books you might have been able to guess them.

I really wanted to love this book but oh well. I know a lot of people are loving this book so you should probably give it a shot nonetheless and see whether it is your cup of tea. In the end, I understand not all debut novels can be perfect and somehow I feel a majority of readers might still end up loving this book.

I've been really loving all of these takes on world mythologies that have been long ignored in western publishing, and this is no exception. An excellent addition to any library.

This book was such a raw and emotional read. I’m still trying to gather my thoughts on it, but the story was both heavy (in terms of subject matter and content), but captivating (when it comes to the magic and history behind it). The strength in Sloane’s character was so powerful to see. She was a child in a world hellbent on breaking her. Yet she stubbornly clung to the threads of her humanity, refusing to be broken. The friendships she made along the way and all that she lost only added so much more depth to the story. She suffered so much and so hard, accumulating trauma upon trauma, and somehow still found a way to come out stronger. And don’t even get me started on that ending—I’m still reeling. It’s going to be a painful wait for the next book, that’s for sure I can't deny the tears I shed reading this novel. Would definitely recommend. 4.5 rounded up.

How do I start to talk about Blood Scion? A book that drew me in from the beginning and kept me eager with each turning page? I haven’t felt this way since reading Dread Nation by Justina Ireland or Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye is about sacrifice, fear, anguish, and most important of all, bravery. Sloane, who is only fifteen, has seen and endured more pain than your average fifteen-year-old. But the thing is, Sloane isn’t your typical teenager; she’s magical, but not in the way that you’d think. She’s a Scion, a descendant of the Orishas. Yoruba deities that see the future control the seas and incinerate with just a thought, and she’s a total badass. As I flipped each page and dived deeper into this book, I kept thinking how I wish I had this growing up.

The only people who know Sloane’s real identity are a few close friends and her grandfather. And for good reason, because being Yoruba or worse, a Scion is basically a death sentence. So every day, Slone has to make sure there are no slip-ups by letting her power get out of hand. Or else she will be exposed and be killed by The Lucis army. The imperial forces of the colonizers who control the royal empire and all of Nagea.

Blood Scion is a three-part story. As I read page after page, I found myself going from excitement to rage and sadness. Falaye created such solid and complex characters that have you cheering while at the same time wanting to yell at them for the choices they’ve made. Forcing you to realize that these are kids and they have to make mistakes, but then you ask, are these the type of mistakes they can afford?

There was one intimate part of Blood Scion that stood out to me. It was the part where Sloane laid in the lap of her best friend, Luna. Luna unravels her braids one by one, then redoes them. At first, I wasn’t sure why that stood out to me the most. But it hit me, this reason why this kind of intimacy meant so much to me as the reader. Performing that action is what Black women and women of colour experience every day; it’s a part of our culture, and to see it represented moved me.

Of course, book one ended on a cliffhanger that left me asking questions about the characters that I’ve grown a soft spot for, and although I can’t say what happened and I was left yelling, “Where is the second book?” I was happy to be taken on this journey.

If you haven’t heard of Blood Scion, and you’re thinking about picking it up, then all I can say is do it! It will become your next favorite read, and fingers crossed, it will earn a spot on your bookshelf like it did mine.

This is a dark fantastical, dystopian tale that opens with heart-wrenching scenes and doesn't let up throughout the story. Falaye does an excellent job of intertwining myth and modern moments, of bringing to life the stories of the Gods in a new, unique magic system. The writing is compelling, sucking you in from the first moment. I would recommend more for older teens.

Mixing African origin myths and history with a fantasy spin, Falaye has created an incredibly rich world full of magic, familial bonds, and danger. Easily my favorite book of the year, Blood Scion is beautifully detailed, immersing readers in the various settings, and the fleshed-out characters only built the novel's believability.

First off, thank you so much for this early access ARC!

I got to about 30% of this book, and it just was not gripping me so I had to DNF! The premise led me to believe this would be the perfect storm for me, but after starting it I just couldn't get into the magic system or the story. If I'm being honest, I kept seeing similarities to the book Children of Blood and Bone, and I know they both have similar magic systems, but the plot seemed like it was almost the exact same from her being the chosen one, to the way she was being treated by the oppressors and also how she was raised growing up.

Though I didn't finish it, I may pick it back up one day- it just wasn't the time for me to read it! I feel like this book would be great for those YA readers who want something like Children of Blood and Bone and want to see that magic system told in a similar way.

xx
-Christine

This was a hard book to read. It opens with an attempted rape and murder and doesn't really slow down from there. The main character is Sloane, a young woman with hidden magical talents, hidden because she would be hunted down and persecuted for using them. When she is drafted into the army, she determines that she will destroy the enemy from within. This seems to have a lot of connections to the world at the moment, with the war in Ukraine. There are also some very mature topics, like rape and murder that might make it unavailable to some readers.

This was a super intense book with lots of depictions of war and violence. Since it’s a book with child soldiers, this didn’t come as a surprise but I was shocked that this was considered YA.

I ended up listening to this on audio and think reading it would have made it more enjoyable for me. Objectively, it was a great YA fantasy debut but was a little too slow moving for me.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

If you're a fan of revenge stories, look no further. Deborah Falaye brings to life an unforgiving sci-fi fantasy with hard-hitting themes and violence that can't be ignored.

Sloane is a relatable character, burning with an anger that is palpable from the pages. Forced into the army as a child, Sloane must balance her own heritage and sense of self with her own survival.

Aside from a beautiful story that left me hungry for the next book, Falaye expertly weaves the identity of the Yoruba people into Sloane's story.

And bonus points for the cover — I can't stop staring at it!

Thank you #NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of #BloodScion in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved "Children of Blood and Bone" but thought it needed less traveling and more revenge, this is your book. I honestly have nothing else to say about it. The literal only reason it's not a 5/5 is because I have to wait for another book to find out what happens to these characters. I need to know now.

I appreciated the trigger warnings provided because it helped me be slightly prepared for the tragic plot points Sloan has to go through. The book was good, and I will definitely be reading the sequel because Sloan is resilient and deserves better.

A young woman is searching for evidence of her mother in unmarked graves. Sloane knows that the Nightwalkers are responsible for her mother’s disappearance and she wants the proof. She’s caught by a Nightwalker and attacked. She unleashes her Scion power to save herself and burns him to ash in the process. Her identity as a Scion has to be kept secret or the rulers will kill her. She runs home to her grandfather, Baba. He has news that one of her friends ran from the draft and was killed because of it. Now three more people will be sent draft letters. She’s one of them, along with her best friend Teo. Teo has saved money and planned for the two of them to run if they are drafted. He shows Sloane his plan but she knows he’ll get killed if they run. To get him to drop his plans, Sloane threatens to turn him in. He walks off. Sloane is drafted, along with her bully Malachi. Malachi hates Sloane and wants revenge on her because she accidentally killed his family in a fire that she started. As the story continues, Sloane discovers secrets about her mother, finds possible allies and learns that not everyone is as they seem or appear to be. She also has to lose some of her humanity and empathy to sacrifice and do her part in becoming a hardened soldier. So many surprises and twists pop up in this book, making it a fast-paced read that’s also jam-packed with action and acts of violence. Sloane’s world is brutal and she makes some horrible choices to stay alive. 4 stars!

This book was unexpected in a good way. I want to first start out and say that this is definitely an Upper YA, and while I think that teens can choose for themselves what they can and can't handle, this book was brutal though the author has not hidden the fact that she explores topics in this book that are hard to digest.

With that said, this was a fantastic debut with realized characters. Our main girl, Sloane, is a complex, well-rounded character dealing with her history, the weight on her shoulders of losing her mother and others around her while trying to keep those she has left safe at any cost, and I do mean any cost. Sloane does not cut corners or lament what she needs to do. She is brutal, she is fearsome, and she is a survivor by any means.

Following Sloane on her journey was heartbreaking while she is badass, you cannot help but feel sick about what she and the other children of this world are forced to endure. So real, to what real children in our real world go through in some parts of this world too.

Anyone who has been missing true action-packed books in YA will love this book. The world is gritty, the pace is fast, and the ending left me reeling.

I hope to see more from Falaye in the future!

I spotlighted Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms. I also interviewed the author.

Fantastic novel! I loved reading it. The cover is beautiful. The story grabs you and doesn't let go until the end. Looking forward to the next entry!.

Thank you so much Deborah Falaye for sending me an eARC through Netgalley (from the #MonstrousGirls giveaway)! I've never been so excited to receive an eARC!

*4.5 stars*

CW:
- Graphic burning of people
- Attempted rape
- Self-harm
- Whipping

Tropes:
- Fade to black
- Enemies to lovers
- Hidden magic

Blood Scion is an intense, action-packed book filled with truth, betrayal, and survival. We follow Sloane Folashadé on her journey from her Yoruba village as a Scion, one blessed with the powers of ancient Orisha gods, to the training camps of her people's hunters, the Lucis.

Sloane's mother disappeared, assumed taken or dead at the hands of the cruel Lucis. Then, just as she turns 15, she's drafted into the Lucis' army to fight their war. Next, they force her to kill someone close to her heart. Sloane keeps a tally of everyone they've taken from her and decides it is time for the Lucis to pay the price. She is forced to join their army, and she's reluctant and rebellious at first. She doesn't want to kill her own people, but she must survive the training camp if she wants to take down the royal lines and Queen Olympia and restore the original Yoruba government. And find out if her mom is alive or not. She will do anything it takes to save her people, no matter how many others she must kill to survive.

Blood Scion is a mix of fantasy, history, and sci-fi - fantasy due to the magic, history because it seems very similar to the European takeover of Africa (hints dropped throughout the book, like how Luna, Sloane's BFF, was Lucis and said "hermana" which is "sister" in Spanish, and the term "old world" to describe where the Lucis came from which was used to describe Europe during the colonization period), and finally sci-fi due to the advancement in the weapons and craft of the Lucis.

I felt that the first part of the book, where we briefly saw Sloane's "normal" life, was too fast. I loved the relationship between her and her grandfather and really wished I could've seen more of it. I would've like to see more backstory, moments with her mom specifically, as well. Most of the major twists, minus the two regarding Dane and Sloane's mother, I saw coming. It just seemed too convenient for ALL of the harsh generals and leaders of the Lucis were actually good guys, so I had my suspicions the whole time. I was just waiting for one of them to betray Sloane.

The best part of this book is definitely the worldbuilding and the story itself. The worldbuilding is top-notch, with Falaye going so deep into it where we know the gods, their powers, their animal symbols, the culture, and even the Yoruba's superstitions and rituals! It was so epic and I was thoroughly captivated by it. The story was powerful. I liked that the plot had scenes of fast action, then it slowed down, then sped up again. It flowed cohesively and made it difficult to stop reading.

My other issue was Sloane's romance and her own self. One, Dane is like 7 years older than her. Two, for Sloane's young age of 15 (which I just experienced myself), she sure does know a lot. She acted much more like a 17 to 19-year-old, which bothered me throughout the book. She just seemed unrealistic in her expectations too. I mean, how can one come up with a plan to break into one of the most guarded places of all time in just a couple of days? Also, she's tired of people seeing her as weak, but she does nothing to prove that she's not? Sloane also seemed unfeeling after the incident with Teo; and at times, she just seemed dramatic (like she killed only 4 or 5 people in total on purpose. That's honestly not a lot for the brutal world she lives in). I liked her intelligence and courage though. She's a strong female protagonist and a powerful force against her liar of a dad, and I look forward to what she does in the next book.

My biggest questions are how do all the prophecies go together and what will Sloane do next? I can't wait for the sequel! I'd recommend this book for fans of Children of Blood and Bone, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, The Gilded Ones, and Raybearer.

I enjoyed this title featuring child soldiers, the destruction of a culture, genocide, colonialisation, and African mythology. This is a story that exposes the harsh reality of human nature - the side that is often hidden. I loved Sloane who is the main character. She is strong and, despite all she goes through, she keeps her humanity. I could not put this one down and I look forward to reading the sequel.

Firstly, I loveeee the book cover.

Blood Scion is a Young Adult Fantasy novel based on Yoruba-Nigerian mythology. And I must say, the execution is top notch!

In this book, we follow the life of fifteen-year-old Sloane Folashade, who is a descendant of Orisha gods with the fire of Shango running through her veins. Without dropping major spoilers, Sloane basically has to conceal her identity in the midst of powers against her kind. Here, she deals with dictatorial powers, brute military, a fierce rival, betrayal, alliances, and revenge.

Sloane is not your typical heroine, sorry not sorry (lol). She doesn’t have the opportunity to be morally-upright or sorry about her actions. The means towards achieving her goals is tortuous and painful. I had to remind myself at a point or two that this is a young adult novel and the MC is 15!

Whew, the ending of the book is perfectly dramatic and perfect! I love how the story came together. There’s the perfect blend of Yoruba mythology lessons, Yoruba language, timely plot twists, turns, and reveals.

Blood Scion is an amazing debut by @DeborahFalaye and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the #ARC.

Go read this book, y’all!