The concept for this book is very unique and the idea of blood science definitely piqued my interest. I absolutely loved the cover as well.
However, the execution wasn’t great. I felt like there wasn’t enough set up with the blood science and why the Wildblood a were special and why Victoria was the most special. I just had to kind of go along with what the author said without much to back it up. I felt like this book could have been really good but I unfortunately came out of it with more questions than answers.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this book for the jungle setting but much more me in. Victoria works with other guides to take travelers through the Jamaican jungle, full of magic, like her. The story follows one expedition that leaves the path behind to travel deep into the jungle. For this, Victoria is teamed with her childhood friend, Dean, now a spiteful rival. Victoria’s conflict and cooperation with Dean set this story apart more than anything else. Dean is a multidimensional villain who can’t be vanquished in an instant.
Between the encounters with strange forces in the jungle and the depth of characterization, this novel was not like anything I have read before.

First and foremost, this cover is STUNNING. After reading the synopsis and seeing the cover, I was immediately drawn to this book. It is honestly unlike anything I have read before - and I was happy to see such a new original plot point in fantasy books.

I enjoyed it, there was some issues in my opinion, but there were things I really enjoyed as well.

SUMMARY
Victoria, a wildblood, is a servant for the Exotic Lands Touring Company after she was kidnapped when she was a little girl. When a group of Americans come to locate gold in the depths of the jungle, Victoria is ecstatic because she was promised the position as a tour guide the year prior. When she goes to her boss to express her excitement on becoming a tour guide, she finds out the position has been offered to her childhood rival (and ex-lover). As is is the strongest Wildblood **basically a blood witch** she must make peace with him and deliver the group safely throughout the jungle. But the Jungle is not like other jungles, it is sentient, riddled with spirits and deadly insects.

What I liked
- The sentient forest and its inhabitants were amazing - they were my favorite part of the whole book, it gave me a bit of "A Deadly Education vibes where literally everything is trying to kill you.
- cool magic system, the Wildbloods "Science"
- Some pretty intense themes of rape, abuse, colonialism, forced labor, manipulation, ecotourism, environmental issues and finding your own freedom, even if its not what others think it should be.
- I enjoyed Victoria as a protagonist.
- River mumma and Biggsy :)
- THE ENDING

Where it fell short
- While I enjoyed some of the characters, I do wish there was more chemistry and development between characters.
- some repetitive writing
- Wasn't a fan of the instalove/love triangle
- I wish the magic was explained more in detail - I loved the idea of it, but I needed MORE. I was also a bit confused when she had lightning, I felt it was never explained? Why was Victoria the strongest?
- between genres: has obvious important themes and social commentary, but contrasted with love triangle and instalove, it missed its mark.

Mild spoilers ahead
All in all - I did enjoy how the book ended. Victoria, rather then giving up everything she had ever loved to be with Thorn, she choose herself and her happiness. I feel like the ending made up for some of the middle parts that dragged on.

Regardless, I do think people will enjoy this book - if you love YA fantasy with some mild social commentary - this may be for you!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed Blackwood's first book, Within These Wicked Walls, and I feel like she has written something just as fascinating and magical. If you're into monsters, folklore, and jungles that are alive, this is the book for you.

Blackwood has a way of writing characters with these incredibly complex relationships and messy (traumatic) pasts who stand in their power so completely. In Wildblood, that character is Victoria. I really enjoyed following Victoria's story; her love, her rage, and everything in between. She's connected to the jungle in a way no one else is, and it's both a strength and something that puts a target on her back by the people around her.

Although the first half is mostly about character relationships, the second half of the book unleashes lots of interesting surprises about what's lurking in the jungle. It could get fairly gory for a YA novel, but Blackwood never lingers long on those scenes. It's exciting and fast-paced and I absolutely adored it.

My biggest wish for this book is that it had taken some more time to flesh out the relationship between Victoria and [redacted]. While I really enjoyed them together, it happened fairly quickly. I think just a little bit more detail in their early conversations would have been amazing.

I also found that it took quite a while to really get a full description of what exactly a Wildblood can do, and while I caught on to it eventually, I think an earlier demonstration/description would have made it easier to get into the world of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating fantasy read that pulls from both myth and culture. The angst of the main character was believable, and the relationships were textured and real. I didn’t enjoy the writing as much as the author’s last work, but it was still enjoyable!

A treasure hunt in a sentient jungle that tries to kill people? Sure I’ll give it a try.

Wildblood
By Lauren Blackwood
3.5⭐️
Out February 7th

Brief summary: Victoria is one of many kids with a special power who have been kidnapped and forced into slavery for a tour company that uses their blood science to protect the wealthy tourists from a murderous jungle. She has tried her best to protect her fellow Wildbloods and work her way up in the company. She has a chance to earn a promotion, but she has to go on a very risky expedition first.

I enjoyed reading this book, I wanted a little more out of it but overall it was a fun read. The setting was really well done and intriguing. I enjoyed the MC.

Just a few minor writing icks and wanting a little more out of the plot in the second half of the book kept me from giving it 4.

Huge thanks to Wednesday books and Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book as the synopsis sounded very intriguing. It just fell a little flat for me. The magic system was not explained at all and I found myself wanting more; especially because the magic system was unique. How do they become Wildbloods? It was never explained in the book. The atmosphere in the jungle was great and I think the author did a great job with that. The romance was not believable to me, very instant love and I didn't fully invest in it. If you enjoy very atmospheric reads with soft magic systems, than this book is for you. 3 stars.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

This book was absolutely thrilling from start to end! I’m not a horror/ thriller girlie but this book has a good balance of thrill, plot, romance and character development. I enjoyed this book so much I read it twice and then pre ordered a physical copy for my bookshelf !

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood is a YA Fantasy Romance set in the Jamaican jungle.

Exotic Lands Touring Company offers exclusive tours of the Jamaican jungle. They also kidnap children and force them to work for them.

Victoria, the most powerful Wildblood in the company, is one of these kidnapped children. Disappointed for not receiving the promotion promised to her, Victoria joins an ultra-risky jungle expedition with their new handsome and wealthy client Thorn. Thorn is a gold miner looking to reach some untapped gold deep in the jungle.

Victoria’s boss allows her to go on the condition that she makes her less-skilled ex-boyfriend look good on this trip.

Even though Victoria has strong ties to the jungle, it will be a dangerous expedition for everyone involved.

I was really expecting to love this one. And at the beginning, it was promising. The magic system seemed intriguing, the setting was atmospheric, and Victoria seemed like an interesting character. It discussed some serious topics such as human trafficking, SA, racism, and colonialism.

But everything was overshadowed, in my opinion, by the insta-love romance. Thorn and Victoria went from calling each other by their names to “beloved” in the blink of an eye. And honestly, nearly all of the men in this book are red flags.

So although it had a good start, I wish it delved a little deeper into some of the themes, as well as the magic system.

I enjoyed the author’s debut Within These Wicked Walls, so it’s a bit disappointing to give this one a lower rating.

If you don’t mind insta-love and love triangles, this book may work well for you.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was...fine? I guess. Okay, you're right. I didn't like it and I'm trying to cover up my disappointment with placating words to myself. I really enjoyed Blackwood's debut novel and was super excited to see what she would come up with next. When I read the synopsis of this and saw sentient jungle, blood magic, and ghostly monsters, I was there. However, all these really cool aspects ultimately fell flat.

Wildblood could have used a little more time to develop. The plot vanishes halfway through the book in a puff of romance. A romance that is very much instant attraction and gave me little to no feels, but then proceeded to take up the plots space. And honestly I'm sometimes fine with insta-love, but this even felt like 1-100 in three pages. Which considering I think that both Victoria and Thorn had promise, is sad. It needed a bit more time to stew.

Speaking of stewing the worldbuilding and the magic system. The glimpses of the jungle we did get were really interesting. Flesh eating vines, deadly butterflies, shadow creatures, cat/wolf things... all super interesting and completely underutilized. Considering most of the humans seemed to kill each other instead of being eaten by the jungle, but I guess you can make an argument for humans being the most deadly creatures on the planet and what we do to the environment is tragic and all that jazz. I just wanted more of the jungle. The magic system was also never fully explained and thus felt underutilized as well. I didn't understand why Victoria was the strongest, how their limits before they raged were determined, or even the boundaries of what they could and couldn't do with it.

However, I think the thing that bothered me the most about this book is killing characters off by a villain just to cement how evil they are and then also backtracking it. Villains kill characters. Sure. But the reasons here just felt super flimsy and it happened twice very close together. It honestly just felt like the author clearing out characters so she wouldn't have to keep track of them anymore. But also, for one of them the villain was like, "It was an accident." Yeah, just embrace it or don't do it in the first place. The author was generally walking back how evil he was to just make him damaged because of his traumatic childhood. Which, sure, that's valid, but it didn't feel like his actions were always consistent then.

There are some really dark themes in this book, with mentions of rape and physical abuse, blood, gore, trauma, and death. So, I would say not maybe for younger teen readers. Also, there is a sex scene. It's not particularly descriptive, but it does exist. It also takes place during a somewhat questionable emotional time (which is addressed, but not well in my opinion) and then a weird conversation about it happens between the main character and earlier mentioned villain character.

Overall, I would recommend this for people who don't care if the romance overshadows any other plot, or who like sentient jungles, or who don't mind dark themes. Oh, and if you don't care that someone "kisses their teeth" every five pages. Some readers may find it worth looking into for the way that it talks about race, colonization, and environmentalism. Ultimately this is a story of a woman fighting for herself and her future and learning that she is strong enough by herself. However, it just wasn't for me. I hope that other readers enjoy it, but I would say her debut is stronger.

3.5/5

Wildblood is an exciting, fast-paced adventure for lovers of YA fantasy with a hint of thriller/horror! I was very captivated by this story from the first page, although the last 25% had some pacing issues. Even so, it was hard for me to put this book down!

Overall, I really loved the fantastical world Blackwood created within the jungles of Jamaica, including all the interesting (and terrifying) creatures. Victoria was also a wonderful MC - I was very empathetic with her struggles and I really felt her connections with the other characters.

I was so excited by the premise of this book and very excited to be able to read an early copy. I loved the eco-tourism themes in this book and the lush worldbuilding — Wildblood is, in my opinion, strongest when it’s playing in the worldbuilding sandbox and expanding the mythology of the jungle.

Victoria was fun and spunky, and i appreciated having a character who was both headstrong and a caretaker for her found family. I didn’t quite buy the romance between her and Thorn, but I did enjoy watching Victoria navigate her changing priorities against a life or death backdrop.

Victoria works or better yet is mildly enslaved by Exotic Lands Touring Company where several other Wildbloods like herself are kept, under the threat of death if they tryto leave. Wildbloods hold a type of magic in their veins that they refer to as their science. Victoria was kidnapped at the age of 6 and began taking people on tours through the Jamaican jungle. A Wildbloods unique magic is used to keep the tourists safe. Victoria wants a promotion to be able to get her and her brother Bunny safe. This life is not the life for Bunny he will burn out from his science far too soon if she doesn't stop him. She always thought she would have Dean by her side but after a horrible turn of events one night worth the boss she hates everything about him.
When Thorn comes to the munchkin in search of rumored gold Victoria falls hard. It's her chance to make a name for herself and to wrestle the promotion away from Dean. The jungle is a dangerous place full of unknown monsters. Will Victoria achieve her goals or will the charming Thorn distract her from her goals, losing those she loves in the process,.

Thank you #netgalley and #Wednesdaybooks for the eArc of #Wildbloods!

Wildblood is an interesting complicated story that follows Victoria into the depths of the Jamaican jungle as a guide for some rich fools in search of gold. Victoria is not a normal girl, she is a wildblood and stronger than the others that she works with. And the jungle has a sentience of it's own, and suffers no fools.

This second novel by Lauren Blackwood has some of the same elements from Within These Wicked Walls, namely; a strong female, pseudo-historical fiction, something of the supernatural, and a little bit wild.

I enjoyed the novel, there were some bumps along the way that I thought dragged down the story; a complicated plot, a convoluted sub-plot, slightly repetitive - especially regarding wildblood, and what feels like a forced love-triangle.

I really loved the jungle, it truly is one of the main characters of the story, and I loved the ending of the book, I was really worried that Victoria would make a bad choice.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the free e-ARC, I'm leaving my honest review voluntarily.

In Wildblood, Lauren Blackwood constructs a compelling character analysis against the backdrop of a Jamaican jungle filled with spirits, ghosts, and monsters. The “Wildblood” people can use “blood science” as tools or weapons, shaping freshly drawn blood into whatever they need. Their ability naturally causes them to be feared and shunned in normal society, but one man finds a use for them- as tour guides in a deadly island jungle.

Our heroine Victoria was kidnapped by the evil boss at the age of 6 and forced into indentured servitude- paid a pittance for dangerous work with the lure of freedom dangled like a carrot. In the most dangerous tour guide job yet handled by the company, Victoria tries to find a way to freedom both for herself and her fellow Wildbloods.

The story uses the classic trope of throwing a large group of people into a dangerous situation together and watching what unfolds as character’s personalities and intentions play off each other. The question of who lives and dies quickly becomes inconsequential as Victoria discovers who she can trust and how much of her humanity she’s willing to sacrifice to gain her freedom.

There is a lot of death and mutilation in this book but it isn’t glorified or overly detailed, so it shouldn’t be an issue for readers looking to avoid gory descriptions. The supernatural elements were intriguing: spirits who eat souls, ghosts who never cease their wandering, and classic big-toothed monsters. The blood magic doesn’t specifically deal with witchcraft or voodoo, but feels adjacent to it. The jungle is truly alive, with the trees able to communicate to its inhabitants and the river as the manifested essence of a particular spirit.

The ending was perhaps unconventional, but I thought it was the only conclusion that made sense for Victoria. She had some remarkable character growth, spurred by her interactions with other characters, which made for a compelling case study of repression. I would certainly be willing to check out Blackwood’s first novel if it’s anything like this one, and keep an eye on her future works as well.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, mention of rape, forced labor, kidnapping

I loved this author’s last book, Within These Wicked Walls, and wanted to see what new world she created with Wildblood. Here’s what I thought:

+ There is a tour in Jamaica that takes people through a magical, dangerous jungle. Only people with magic in their blood or blood science can take these people safely through the jungle. The most powerful person at this tour company is Victoria. I thought this idea of blood science was very unique and creative. It’s basically blood magic, but I guess more modern.

+ The characters are very unique and intriguing. All of the young people working in this tour company have been kidnapped and abused – it’s a pretty awful place to be, but because they have been abused – they feel hopeless in ever leaving. Victoria is our heroine, Dean is a villain but not the only one – but he is the one we get a clear look at what abuse and fear does to a child when they grow up, Thorn is a wealthy man who pays for a tour and sees this blood science for the first time and all the other side characters are fascinating as well! There is betrayal and mistrust throughout the whole story.

+ The setting of this jungle filled with monsters is a character in itself and it heightened the tension in the story. I really enjoyed the unique world-building.

+ I like Victoria’s character growth. She learns to lead and fight back against her abuser. Also the twist in the story is pretty cool, I was not expecting it at all.

~ I don’t mind insta-love but I felt this one is totally rushed. Thorn and Victoria just met and are saying I love you by the end of this tour and story. I did like how it ended because Victoria really needs to learn who she is before settling down but it was definitely a quick relationship. I didn’t quite feel the love between them.

~ There are so many dark themes in this book – these kids have been abused so badly by their boss. Victoria is even raped by him. I’m usually okay with these themes but Dean’s treatment of Victoria was so toxic, I felt ill for her. I felt horrible for Dean too and all of them who worked for their evil boss.

~ I wish we learned more about blood science. Also there was a bit of too much repetition with the phrase “kiss my teeth”.

Tropes: found family

Why you should read it:
*dark story, dangerous jungle, blood magic
*there is backstabbing, mistrust and an interesting twist in the story

Why you might not want to read it:
*insta-love

My Thoughts:

Even though I had some issues with the story like the insta-love and wanting more information on the blood science, I actually read this book in two days because it was unique and intriguing. There are lots of trigger warnings in this one though. It is definitely a story with heavy themes but I like how it turns out in the end. I look forward to reading more from this author!

3.75/5⭐️

Wildblood really thrived on its setting just like Within these Wicked Walls. The sentient jungle and Victoria’s connection to it was so cool. The animals were creepy and there was soul sucking spirit bison that was basically Victoria’s pet. I was so sucked into the jungle and I wish we had more of it, it was that cool. This story also delves into some of the horror’s of English and American colonialism so it had quite a few emotional moments. Victoria and her friends go through a lot of trauma both before and through the book so I definitely recommend this for older YA readers.

The romance for me really fell flat for me. Thorn was charming yes but because of Victoria’s history with abuse from men it sometimes felt like his charm was a bit manipulative. I also just didn’t sense any chemistry. Like okay I get he’s charming and likes to crack jokes but what else? We got a little bit more of his character in small moments but it wasn’t enough for me to convinced they belonged together. It was also very insta-lovey which a personal pet peeve of mine. So, at the end I was very happy with Victoria’s decision.

Tw: physical abuse, (off page, past) rape, SA, colonialism, colorism, racism (mentions of lynching), graphic death, emotional abuse

A solid second novel by Lauren Blackwood. I was hesitant only because I loved WTWW so much but I truly enjoyed this story.

I will say the love interest was a little too Insta-lovely for me,

I enjoyed that Blackwood touched on colonialism, abuse, and the lengths we go to for family. The magic system was very interesting and I enjoyed discovering the relationship dynamics between the wildbloods.

I think that lovers of Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray would love this story as I found the vibes to be similar.
Lauren Blackwood remains an instant buy author for me!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the e-ARC

“You are no lesser person because of what you survived. Your faults, vices, trauma, pain… those make you as much wholly you as all the joy and talent and love and vibrancy in you.”

—————————

Deep in the jungles of Jamaica lie all sorts of strange magical monsters. Tourists who wish to journey on the island hire a tour company where the guides are children with a unique blood based magic. When one large tour group comes to the island, Victoria sees this as her chance to get promoted. The hurdles she will go through along the way will test her like never before.

Whew, I’m not sure this one is really YA. The level of violence and abuse is serious. It borders at times on torture porn. Don’t get me wrong, it was unique and empowering but I’m not sure this one will be for everyone. Victoria and her friends have been through some horrible things and are desperately looking for a way out. For some of them, the only way out is death. There is a high body count in this one and some of them will break your heart!

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
As she did with her debut, Lauren Blackwood once again delivers another immersive historical fantasy with Wildblood. This one is centered around the Jamaican jungle, with very obvious mystical parallels to the real impact of colonialism and eco-tourism. I appreciate how Blackwood captures the lushness of the jungle setting, juxtaposed against the depravity of the touring company’s actions.
Victoria is a great lead to follow for this story. I love exploring her complex relationship with the jungle landscape: on the one hand, it’s being used and abused by the Exotic Land Touring Company, who also kidnapped her as a child and abused her. But I also love her own personal relationship of comfort with it, in spite of it all. And I love that she still had spunk and determination in spite of all she’d been through, and didn’t allow those things to keep her down or complacent.
I had mixed feelings about her romance with Thorn. He presents himself well, and I do believe Victoria does deserve happiness after all she’s been through. However, it took a while for me to truly trust him, because of what she had been through.
This is a solid second novel, and I am eager for whatever Lauren Blackwood writes next! If you’re looking for a fun historical fantasy with similar aesthetic vibes to Beasts of Prey, that also touches on the impacts of colonialism and abuse, I recommend picking this up!
CWs: depictions of blood, gore, physical/sexual assault, sexual trauma, and death.