Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this read of Wildblood. I have to say that I did not enjoy this read very much. I found it hard for me to get into even though I love to read books about the islands and especially Jamaica but I found this a bit ...boring and off putting and it made the book very hard to want to read. I normally take 2 days to read a book and this was 5 days for me and it almost made me feel slumpy while reading it. I also lost my desire to read. Lauren Blackwood's debut was so good, I was excited to read this but it was not for me.

2.5 stars rounded up.
The concept is amazing, but the background is severely lacking. The first description with a wall that keeps people from escaping gave me Maze Runner vibes at first, but then it turned into tour guides with abilities. Friendships and rivalries weren't well developed-Bunny are introduced early on but there's no strength in the connection other than Victoria wanting to protect him. There was a lack of chemistry overall I think.
The science behind their powers wasn't as detailed and explained as I liked it to be. With such a vast idea and so many places to take it, it really fell flat for me.
I also personally like descriptive writing and there was a TON of dialogue, which while equally important, was not as balanced with the changing scenery of a jungle.

I think the idea was there but maybe it just wasn't the book for me. Thank you for the ARC and I still will work on getting some copies for the library because there may be some folks that are interested in the concept like I was.

**3.5-stars**

The Exotic Lands Touring Company offers tourists the opportunity to go on the excursions of their dreams through the magical and mystical jungle landscapes of Jamaica. Victoria is an 18-year old Wildblood, who after being kidnapped as a child, is made to work for the Company. Wildbloods use their powers to guide tourists safely through the dangerous parts of the jungle.

The Company's latest mission is to help a successful miner, a young man named Thorne, reach an area in the jungle thought to hold vast deposits of gold.

Victoria, recently turned down for a position of team leader in favor of her less talented, jerk of an ex-boyfriend, Dean, is slightly disgruntled as the tour gets under way. One look at Thorne though and she begins to reconsider. He's quite handsome and he seems to be taken with her too.

Each member of the excursion is assigned their very own Wildblood and as luck would have it, Thorne and Victoria get paired up. The rest, as they say, is history.

I really enjoyed Blackwood's 2021-debut, Within These Wicked Walls. I loved the atmosphere, rich with gothic vibes and found the plot to be dark and engaging. Therefore, when I heard about Blackwood's sophomore effort, Wildblood, I was super excited to get to it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to connect to this as well as I did with Blackwood's first book. I feel like this is a personal taste issue, the plot just wasn't something I found to be engaging, but I know that a lot of Readers will.

Additionally, I was a bit disappointed by the atmosphere. Being set in the magical wilds of a fantasy version of Jamaica, I expected it to be lush, ominous and exciting, but personally, I felt like it could have taken place anywhere.

I did appreciate the various themes explored. The power dynamics amongst the characters working for the Tour Company was of particular interest to me. Also, the exploitation of local culture, people and resources by wealthy outsiders via eco-tourism was examined. It's a bit of an overriding concept in the book and I thought that was well done and an important topic to consider.

I found the main character, Victoria, to be interesting. I enjoyed learning a bit about her past and actually wish we could have gotten more of it. Furthermore, I wish the whole-concept of the Wildbloods, their magic system, could have been more detailed as well.

For me, the relationship between Victoria and Thorne took over the show and personally, it was my least favorite part of the entire story. I would have preferred more balance with the other aspects. Perhaps, if I would have gone into this expecting more Romance than Fantasy, I may have ended up feeling a bit differently about it.

Overall, I recognize that this is a good story, one that a lot of Readers will enjoy. Blackwood is a beautiful writer and I look forward to reading more of her work, even though this one wasn't a perfect match for my tastes.
I would still recommend this one to anyone who is intrigued by the synopsis, especially if you enjoy romantic fantasy. Also, as an aside, I did listen to the audiobook and loved the narration. I absolutely recommend that as a medium for reading this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Wildblood is a fantasy adventure story set in an atmospheric setting where certain people have the ability to harness blood to perform magic. This is a plot-driven story that follows Victoria on a tour through the jungle helping lead a group of miners to a mythical grove of golden trees. The pacing is pretty consistent with lots of action throughout. Victoria's journey to fully understand the abuse she suffered as an indentured worker at the tour company is emotional and well done.

The setting of Wildblood has a ton of ambience but a disappointing lack of substantive world building. There is SO much cool stuff in this story -- from spirits that haunt the jungle to the river spirit River Mumma -- but we don't get a lot of descriptions or any discussion about how these things fit within the wider world of Wildblood. It felt like the magical creatures were two-dimensional props for the story rather than interesting, complex parts of the setting. More world building would have helped make this a more memorable read rather than a somewhat predictable adventure story.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I felt like this book had interesting magic, but the relationship happened too quickly and wasn’t quite believable. I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but I did enjoy it by the end. I was also frustrated with repetitive internal thoughts by the fmc when she kept saying he was cute. But overall, I rated this 3 stars.

The premise of Wildblood is so cool; blood magic and a sentient forest with an all-powerful river spirit? Yes. There are aspects of this story that were really strong, especially in the world building of the jungle, which was absolutely fantastic.
That said, I tried so hard to like this, but I just couldn't throw myself wholeheartedly into the story. The writing style just didn't mesh with me and there were a lot of things that felt extremely rushed. I really felt like there would have been a benefit to spending more time in the world and developing things more.
There are definitely strong points, especially when Victoria is able to experience power and joy. The trauma that she just keeps having dumped on her, however, felt a bit unnecessary to me. I had some issues with some of the other characters' motivations, and the romance just wasn't for me.
This would be perfect for readers who like a fast-paced, borderline rushed story where the hits keep coming will love this story, though, even though it's not quite to my personal taste.

A five star fantasy romance for young adult fans!
This novel highlights overcoming trauma and finding home, and supports black girls finding authentic love for their whole selves.
For me, the star of the show was the jungle! Sentient forests are becoming my new favorite in YA fantasy reads!! I loved reading about the Jamaican folklore inspired scenery and it was just a lush, creative and magic filled environment with a breadth of creatures.

I am pretty easy to please when it comes to young love, and so I enjoyed Thorn! I hated the ex boyfriend drama but in a way that makes sense with the narrative.

Wildblood is the story of Victoria and her amazing magical ability. A wildblood is a person who has the ability to draw out blood from another (or themselves) and use it as a weapon. It is an ability that is looked down upon, however, coveted, by ruthless touring companies. One such company kidnapped Victoria as a small child and forced her to work as a guide on jungle excursions. She only stays so that she can get her little blood-brother, Bunny, out of this life. of near-slavery. An opportunity comes along in the form of Laertes Thorne, a goldminer from America, who is in Jamaica to mine the golden sap from the middle of the jungle. But the jungle is dangerous and they are unprepared as only tourists can be. Only Victoria seems immune to the pressures and dangers that the jungle holds.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this e-arc.*

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This book started out really strong, the premise of the Wildbloods and blood science is really interesting as is the sentient jungle, however I'm left with alot of unanswered questions at the end. The concept of the Wildbloods is really unique but we never get any explanation as to how they came to be or why they exist. You are just supposed to accept them and their abilities and therefore accept their poor treatment in the touring company. We never really come to understand where each of the characters come from other than they were kidnapped to become part of the touring company and to work for the abusive boss. I love a unique magic system or ability, but I need a little bit of an explanation as to how it works, and we don't get any explanation or tie to the local folklore. I believe the entities encountered in the jungle are tied to Jamaican folklore, but we don't get much background on this either. I don't mind doing my own research on myth and lore, but I feel like the author could have given us a bit more to go on here. I kept hoping that it would come up as the tour proceeded through the jungle, but those details never came to light.

The world building was great. The descriptions of the jungle and the entities that the tour group encounter are well done. After about the first half of the book, the focus of the plot shifts to the strange insta-love romance between Thorn and Victoria, and her trauma filled relationship with Dean. This created what felt like a love triangle, and I feel that the social commentary and character development aspect of the book was overshadowed by the romance tropes. I will say that I enjoyed the ending, and how the author brought things full circle.

This is a pretty brutal book, with lots of trigger warnings. The story is filled with symbolism and trauma. I believe this is YA, so the descriptions of events aren't overly graphic, but the situations and topics lean a bit more on the mature side. There is SA, physical and mental abuse, violence, blood magic, blood in general, slavery, death, and probably some others. The author is trying to address some pretty complex topics within a SFF setting. While I think the execution suffered bit by tackling too many tropes, it was an interesting story overall.

First of all, I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I adore Lauren Blackwood's writing style and prose and Wildblood shines with fortitude, and grit. I felt as if I was in the jungle standing next to Victoria as the sentient jungle told her where she belonged. . .right there in the midst of it all. The social commentary and little bits of beauty and ugly sewn through out the story are delightfully well done. The relationships, the danger, the very real slavery of Victoria and the other Wildbloods. . .it's wrought with tension and perfectly crafted. I loved the love, but mostly I loved Victoria and the ending of this novel was something I was proud to have been apart of and read, Blackwood has knocked her second novel out into the stratosphere and I hope it is read by many. The world building, setting, love story, and self-discovery of Victoria is everything I could have asked for and more.

1.5/5 stars rounded up.

Don't have much to say about this one, to be honest. The insta-love and lack of worldbuilding really drag this one down. I kept getting watered down Deadman Wonderland vibes, except it's a jungle rather than a prison, the blood powers are way under utilized here, and the characters are so much less interesting and complex. I couldn't even tell you what exactly Wildbloods are because the romance takes precedence over all else here, nor what exactly makes Victoria the most special one outta all of them. Also Victoria using sex as a coping mechanism after witnessing the death of her what essentially was surrogate son? Really, Blackwood? And that's not even getting into the weird implications of dubious consent regarding freshly-revived-but-memoryless Samson getting immediately whisked away to become River Mamma's husband. There's just so much bad and confusing messaging in this book.

<i>First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The idea for this story? Intriguing. The execution? Lacking.

My biggest complaint is one I saw on other reviews - it makes no sense to me that someone would just instantly fall in love with a guy they don't know under these circumstances. Also, the number of times the author wrote "God, he was cute" was... too high for me.

I also wish we had gotten a better explanation or a deeper dive into the "magic" or "science" of this world, which I felt was really just glossed over and was just a neat thing happening in the background, but didn't actually matter for the story itself.

I had really high hopes for this book, but it really just sort of fell flat for me. I have to give it points for the location and the setting of the story, because that was new (to me) and original... But overall, this book left me wanting.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood is a dark fantasy story about magic wielders called Wildbloods and their job leading people through the dangerous jungles of Jamaica.

Actual Reading Experience:
This story kept me on my toes, trying to guess what would happen at each juncture. The thrills kept the pages flipping faster and faster, making the book so hard to put down even when I didn't have a choice in the matter. I love these qualities in a dark fantasy as much as in any thriller.

The magic system, albeit vague, is fascinating and unique. I had the gist, even if I didn't understand the specifics. The world-building, however, is very detailed and immerses me in the jungle immediately. I could feel the humidity and smell the smoke that distracted the insects. The world-building is pretty exceptional.

The only issue I had with the story was the romance – how fast it began and progressed. I wanted more of a happily ever after, but no path would have taken this story to that happy place. It reminded me of Pocahontas' story in many ways, as it had no direction that would have led to that romantic happily ever after.

Characters:
Victoria is a very intriguing character, and the more and more I learned about her, the more fascinating she became. Her backstory is slowly unveiled as the tale progresses. However, I still had questions and wanted to know more about her early years before she came to the touring company. She is strong in character and magic, unwaveringly loyal and fearless, and no one is more determined.

Narration & Pacing:
The pacing is quick from beginning to end. All of the dangers helped to keep it that way, as the characters faced challenge after challenge as they got further into the jungle. The POV stays on Victoria as she narrates the story in first person. As I said before, she is an intriguing character. That quality bleeds through to her narration giving the story a magical quality it wouldn't have otherwise had.

Setting:
The story is set in Jamaica during the Victorian era, but most of the time, the story feels outside of time and place. In the jungle, there is no such thing as social conventions that dictate clothing styles and other acceptable ways of life. The jungle is full of dangers- lethal animals, angry spirits, and a goddess who wants people out of her jungle. There is no end to the dangers.

Read if you like:
Dark fantasies (significant thriller component)
Magic
Strong female characters
Ratings:

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood in exchange for an honest review. This was a fantastic book and I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to read it early. I grew up in the mountains and spent a lot of time in the forest and understand the draw to it, even though Victoria is from the jungle, it's still nature. This book was very well written and it was very clear to picture. Also, I felt the characters were very believable, well developed and relatable.

My favorite part of Wildblood was the world and the magic system. We’re immediately introduced to the concept of Wildbloods and their position as part of a touring company to protect tourists with their magical abilities from the Jamaican jungle, which is filled with magic and monsters.

Personally, I loved the worldbuilding in this book and the way that the magic is woven in the world and the stories. I enjoyed many of the characters, and the plot was filled with twists and turns as the group at the center of the story descends deeper into the jungle.

I enjoyed Lauren Blackwood’s previous book, and there were certainly elements of this book that I loved as well. Overall, I found this an easy read, though the writing style for the main character could get repetitive at times. My biggest complaint was the instant love element to the plot. This is a trope that I typically don’t seek out, and I liked the romance better in the second half of the book once it had some extra time to develop and didn’t feel as forced or as instant-love.

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including forced labor and violence.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm sad to say it but I think had the setting, and some of the magic and wildness of the jungle -- at least in the first half -- not been so interesting, this rating would be even lower.

It didn't take long before every chapter, every page, every interaction between these cardboard characters, became a chore. It became a trial not to DNF around the 30% mark, and maybe it would've been earlier had I not chipped away at this so slowly after initially picking it up, but I convinced myself I could at least try to skim through a little further to see where things were going and, unfortunately, eventually read through to the end. I'm not sure why I bothered.

No, sorry, I do know why. Because I enjoyed the author's debut so much.

This did have a few good things to offer outside of the setting; it also talks about colourism, human trafficking, and more, but it quickly shifted gears to focusing on a stuttering girl getting starry eyed over her love interest. Complete with confessions of feelings and love after two days.

Sorry, miss me with this. I already had one foot out of the door but this was too much. Especially with the whole evil ex dynamic and.. yeah, no.

Victoria's character see-sawed all over the place and there were too many men involved, plus a pseudo-brother/son who she seemed willing to do anything for and who just mostly slept the whole time. I truly have no idea what was going on with these characters and why. But I think in general there just wasn't a solid running vibe because the latter half of the story goes off the rails; both in plot and tone. Sometimes jokey, sometimes angsty, quick to forgive, quick to abandon things it had spent a lot of time and energy setting up.. it was all over the place.

I am hugely disappointed by this but mostly disappointed in myself for not just putting it down and walking away instead of pushing on to make it work. Do not recommend.

1.5 stars

Lauren Blackwood’s ‘Wildblood’ is an enthralling, uniquely crafted fantasy set in Jamaica in the 1800s.

Victoria is a Wildblood, which means she has heightened abilities that are referred to as “blood science.” Kidnapped at the age of six, Victoria has “worked” for the Exotic Lands Touring Company for the past 12 years. Denied a promotion, Victoria still manages to gain a spot on the next expedition into the jungle, guiding a gold miner named Thorn and his team. Victoria and Thorn have an instant connection, but the jungle has made it clear that this expedition isn’t welcome. Victoria will have to decide whether or not she should stay with a corrupt company, or make the bold decision to try to escape… even if it costs her her life in the process.

One of the standouts in this book is the richness of the lore. I was captivated from the very beginning, and loved the connection that Victoria has with the jungle and the river. Blackwood’s prose lends itself well to the descriptions of the jungle, which is very much a character in the novel.

Victoria’s character arc is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as she deals with intense trauma and loss. (And I will mention here that if SA is a trigger, be aware that this book delves into a specific act of SA that occurs off-page but is referenced throughout.) Themes of racism and enslavement are also explored in ways that feel universal and still-timely, even though this book takes place in the past.

And one of the best parts about the book is its ending. I loved the direction that Blackwood chose to take. I’m still thinking about it, and the story as a whole days later. If you’re looking for a wholly original read steeped in interesting lore and fantasy, you are going to love this book.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Wildblood
Author: Lauren Blackwood
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.

When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.

Thorn is everything Victoria isn't - confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide - is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants?

This started off great: vibrant characters, fascinating setting, interesting backstory. And then, about a third of the way in, it lost most of its cohesion. Everything---characters, actions, reactions, plot---seemed to become just random. Suddenly, Thorn was a “Christian”—when there’d never been any mention of faith in the story at all (And, I have to say, he was a Christian in name only, because he was still okay with murder, violence, and random sex—while claiming to be a changed man.). Dean, who had not shown even a glimpse of being anything other than a jerk, suddenly had noble reasons for his horrible behavior.

We get a revelation (actually, two) about Victoria’s history that changes everything, including the worldview of the setting, yet there’d been no hints of anything before. In short, this just did not work for me. If there’s been some breadcrumbs cropped along the way, this all would have been fine, but I felt like the author kept writing herself into a corner or against a wall and had to just pull something out of a bag.

Lauren Blackwood lives in Jamaica. Wildblood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 8 | Atmosphere: 9 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 7 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 5 | Enjoyment: 9
Total: 7.29 / 4 Stars

Wildblood was well-written and had an interesting concept. I enjoyed learning about the world that these characters came from. However, the romance felt oddly rushed considering our main characters' trauma. While that trauma and the panic attacks and such were handled well, it still felt rushed. There also was this bouncing around on ideas without really ever diving deeply into them. From colonizing to assault to racism- all of it thrown into the book and would have fit well into the book if it was addressed more thoroughly. Yet, it felt like it was added in for the reader's awareness without fully digging into it at any time. I'll admit this isn't my area of expertise, nor my place to speak on it, so this wasn't a part of my rating fully.
Wildblood was an interesting read, the pacing was quick and it was hard to put it down. I had a lot of fun reading it.

Lauren Blackwood is a master at weaving her narratives. Not only does she create brilliant, willful, empathetic main characters like Victoria but her settings are just as vibrant. I could read a dozen books written within the tangles of this jungle. This is a book that dives into themes of colonialism, racism, slavery, and trauma. The story is tense and atmospheric with a lot of heart that will keep you on the edge of your seat and engaged the entire way through. The romance is good but very much secondary to the other thematic elements so go in with those expectations and you'll come away with something that you'll be thinking about well after you turn the final page.