I really enjoyed the firs book in this duology, but was pretty disappointed with this one. It felt rushed and like the plot/ story wasn't thought out enough. I'm unsure if this book was rushed to publishing, but it reads like it. I still enjoy Davenports writing and look forward to seeing what she does in the future.

The Blood Gift suffers from the constraints of being a duology. While it's evident that expanding the story into a trilogy could have addressed many unresolved aspects, it's worth acknowledging that debut authors may have limited control over such decisions, often relying on publisher preferences.

Moving on to the heart of the review, Ikenna and her team's descent into chaos as they go rogue is depicted with palpable intensity. Ikenna's bullheaded and egotistical nature, while occasionally off-putting, adds layers to her character, offering glimpses into her inner conflicts. The supporting cast is well-balanced, introducing new characters and unveiling revelations about existing ones.

However, glaring plot gaps detract from the overall experience. Certain pivotal plot points lack resolution or feel conveniently brushed aside without consequences, leaving the narrative feeling rushed and incomplete. The sudden influx of world-building towards the conclusion also feels disjointed, diminishing the impact of the lore on the story's resolution.

Despite these shortcomings, N.E. Davenport's writing shines through, holding promise for future endeavors. While the structural issues hinder full immersion, there's an undeniable allure to the story's core. As the author refines her storytelling craft, I anticipate future works with eager anticipation.

I was excited to see Ikenna finally embrace who she is! Gifted and apart from everyone BUT NOT beneath them. The action in this book was exactly what I was looking for from Ikenna and her crew. I enjoyed how close everyone became in this book. All together I loved Part 2 to this Duo more than Part 1 but I really wish it could have been stretched out to a Trilogy. The pacing seems a bit rushed and I have a few questions still. I almost feel like I need to read Pt. 1 for a 3rd time bc there are several instances where I feel like I missed something.

I wouldn't let this discourage you from reading.. more like setting your expectations

I really liked the first book in this duology, but this second book felt very rushed. There seemed to be two storylines that could have been split into two separate books. The final battle was over too quickly. However, I really liked Ikenna and Reed's relationship.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out as to why there was such a mixed review for this installment.

I think that there are some things that could have been done differently, but none of it has to do with the books or the pacing, because it can be explained by this series meaning to be a trilogy and was squeezed into a duology. I think this series would have been much better recieved if it was welcome to be a trilogy like the author intended it to be.

I really enjoyed this more than The Blood Trails, because as much as I like the school part, I felt like our favorite murderous girlie had more oomph behind her threats. I felt like she somehow got through the blood lust from wanting to muscle through every thing in the first book, and used some of her glorious braincells in some of the instances.

I hope that whatever N. E. Davenport gets to write next gets the series they deserve because the writing was good, and the pacing is the publishers fault.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an e-copy.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a stunning sequel to the first book. Davenport blew it out of the water once more.

I loved this conclusion to the Blood Gift duology! I loved the expansion and exploration of the world, and the characters were so much fun to follow. I really enjoyed the pacing and action throughout!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25 stars

I expected to absolutely love The Blood Gift because The Blood Trials was one of my favorite reads last year. I was unfortunately disappointed though. Don't get me wrong, I still had a good time overall reading this book BUT I think this duology would have flowed better if it was actually a trilogy.

So much happens in The Blood Gift and there were several times, I wanted just more of certain scenes.

However, all of that being said, I love the authors writing style and these characters so I still had a good time. I plan to continue to read all books this author releases in the future.

The first book was outstanding, and I absolutely adored it. While this one was definitely good, it didn't quite rise to the level of book one for me. I'm glad a read it, and look really forward to Nia's future releases. Her character development is top notch!

"The Blood Gift" by N. E. Davenport is a captivating dive into the realms of fantasy and supernatural intrigue. Davenport skillfully weaves a tale of dark magic and powerful destinies, immersing readers in a world where secrets and ancient forces collide. The book's well-crafted characters and intricate plot keep the pages turning, as mysteries unfold and tensions rise. Davenport's knack for creating an atmosphere of tension and mystery adds depth to the narrative. "The Blood Gift" is a thrilling and immersive read that will resonate with those who enjoy supernatural tales that are rich in both lore and emotion.

2.5

I had mixed feelings about the first book in this series, though they were generally positive; however, this book definitely did not work as well for me. I believe that N.E. Davenport intended on this being a trilogy and was forced to cut it down, but the pacing of the plot was all over the place. Very little plot happened in the first 30% of this book and then the middle was really fast and I never felt like I was in firm footing in the book. There were elements that I think could have been cut to allow for fuller exploration in other places, and then the ending wrapped up in a way that both felt too neat and too unexplained. Ikenna in particular had a couple of changes of heart that I think would have been understandable, but because of the pacing at the end, we didn’t get to see that change come about so it felt way too fast.

I also really struggled with the dialogue in this book. It felt very modern in a way that I had to see more in young adult books and wow I did feel like the first book had crossover potential if you ignored some of the gore and violence, this book felt even more YA in its prose.

I loved the concept of this book in theory, and I think this kind of thematic exploration is really important and could be done really well, especially in the kind of world that Davenport built. I just think that for me and my tastes, this book was a miss.

I didn't quite love this one as much as the first book - but this was still incredible. Unfortunately, the biggest issue for me is that is felt rushed, as though the author had so much more to tell but had to shorten it into only 2 books. I truly wish this had been a trilogy because I feel like it could have been absolutely epic! Still, N.E. Davenport has become an instant buy author for me from now on thanks to the Blood Trials & the Blood Gift! (Also I can't believe my crack!ship from the first book actually became canon!)

3 STARS

In this sequel, we continue the story of Ikenna and her group of friends while they navigate being wanted criminals of the state and their journey against the blood emperor.

The great thing about this book that I previously enjoyed was the world building as well as the like-able and unlikeable characters. This book while great, I had a few issues. Its known that this was planned to be a trilogy and it obviously shows in few of the plot points where things felt a bit rushed and not fleshed out enough. Due to these concerns, pacing was a huge issue for me. Overall I did enjoy the characters Ikenna especially and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I loved the first book, and this sequel had a lot of potential, but I feel like the editing team really dropped the ball here!! Some very simple guidance on the prose could have helped a lot. There was constant over-explanation of the protagonist’s every action, which made the narrative feel sluggish. I heard frequent problems with word choice that really bothered me (for instance, making up a new word by adding “-ness” to the end when a different, correct word already existed). Reading this honestly made me wish I had time right now to do an editing side gig. I think this author probably deserved better, and especially as she’s a BIPOC author I’m going to bet the publisher could have provided more resources than they did. Anyway. I would not necessarily recommend this book like I did the first one, but the first half does have some satisfying romance to it if that appeals to you like it does me! Lol! I still think the first book stands alone rather well and hope that readers continue to find it and enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ebook arc for review.

I enjoy the ending of the duology of The Blood Gift. I love learning more about Ikenna's history (mother, father, etc). I also like how all the group members work well together.

A stunning conclusion to a captivating story! The Blood Gift is violent and beautifully enraging as the team journeys from on end of their world to the other, the change they bring is world shaking! Davenport also wonderfully blended in a sweet bite of romance bringing a bit of well needed gentleness for our Ikenna. So excited to see what this author comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I enjoyed this story. I liked book 1 much better than book 2. Ikenna seemed like she really was growing in book 1 but book 2 seemed to be five steps back. The story was confusing but I think that would have been much better if I could have read the two books back to back. The ending felt abrupt and rushed. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would read this author again.

This book was lacking something. Book one was so propulsive and exciting, but book two felt like a repeat. It seemed like it would follow the same formula, and I was not compelled to finish it despite several efforts.

Listen, if your brain doesn't recall all the nuances of who did what from The Blood Trials then you may feel lost throughout this sequel. It was only 6 months between the readings of these books for me and I was struggling to understand some parts.
The ending did not do it for me and I'm in my feelings about how I'm leaving Ikenna's world.

This was a fairly disappointing sequel. The Blood Trials was overall good (not great) with a hopeful ending. The Blood Gift didn't deliver. The pacing was off--parts that didn't particularly matter/filler parts took up a lot of space while the bigger events seemed to fly by with a lack of details. The book honestly just felt like it was dragging on and failed to pique my interest. I really did have to force myself to finish. I'm sad that this is how I felt about this book, because I did really enjoy the first one. I do still have hope for N.E. Davenport's future works, but this one just wasn't it for me.