DNF at 42%

I really hate to not finish a book. I have a kind of OCD about it, and not finishing offends it. But unfortunately, this book is so thoroughly confusing, and the worldbuilding is so underdone that I can barely understand it and I find it unfeasible to continue.

I will say that the author does seem to have talent. I believe the author is either young or new or both, but the glimpses of this, steampunk, sci-fi world she's created are very interesting, and I believe with some refinement and better editing, some work and some polish, she could truly have something special here.

The problem with this book is that we're plunged into the middle of this world with very little explanation about anything, as if we're in a sequel, but this isn't a sequel. It's the first book. I wrote some notes here on some specific examples just to give a general idea of what the reader faces when they engage in this book (slight spoilers, you've been warned):

"But my mind kept returning to my confinement hole. The small box I'd been forced to crouch in for hours, if not days, when I disobeyed an order, or when mother was in a bad mood."
The main character, Valencia, has detailed before this that her mother was abusive. But this confinement box is mentioned for the first time in chapter ten. We never hear of it before this chapter, and it's not detailed in the trauma that she's survived up until now. In fact, in a previous chapter, she makes it sound like she was sent to a cell or tortured by doctors if she was punished.

The secondary characters, Ryker and Emery, are also quite inconsistent. When we are introduced to Emery, Valencia tells us they were best friends, but she was too afraid to stand up to her mother and defend her when she was found to be a Mualite (individual with powers) and she did nothing when Emery was tortured, dumped from the ship and left for dead. Later, Valencia reveals that SHE was the one who dumped Emery in the middle of the desert herself after her mother beat her for trying to nurse Emery back to health when she'd been tortured. Then several chapters later, it's revealed that both girls were 12 at the time. I'm sorry, what? This seems like information that should have been given to begin with, that Valencia could have given us with a simple, "When I was much younger" or "Four years ago."

Also by Chapter 10, we're told that Emery seems to have fugues, or brain malfunctions where she tunes out and doesn't respond to people when she uses a large amount of power. However, this never happened before chapter ten, and Emery has expended massive amounts of her power before this, such as when she attempted to hold back a massive sandstorm all on her own.

Ryker on the other hand is described in excruciating physical detail ("rippling back muscles" and such). He vacillates between hating Valencia's people, and supposedly hating her, to being inordinately attracted to her after having known her for very little time, and for no discernible reason. Every time it looks as if the pair are going to be lovers, either he or Valencia withdraw and fall back on the tired "I'm prejudiced" or "He hates me" tropes.

These are just some examples that I encountered, and there were a large amount of inconsistencies and unexplained world details in every chapter I read, which is why I got so lost I finally had to stop. All that being said, I will repeat that I do firmly believe this story can be something special if more editing and polish is applied. The raw stone is there. It just needs a bit more time and patience to become a diamond. Thank you to Netgalley and Author Collective 20 for the advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay, I was super interested in it based on just the summary from Goodreads. It was pretty fast paced, and at times I felt a little lost and had to go back to re-read certain passages. I did rather enjoy watching the character development throughout the story.

If you're a fan of steampunk and/or SciFi stories, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC

I loved the concept but the writing had me constantly scanning previous sentences to see if I missed something. I often found myself wondering how one sentence led to the next.

I really loved Of Blood and Crowns, it’s such a fantastic fantasy romance, well written and such brilliant characters. The world building is just wonderful and the interesting plot makes this book even more fun.
Highly recommended

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true
opinions after fully reading this book.
I was very excited to read Of Blood and Crowns, unfortunately I felt the book fell flat. The plot was chaotic, overwhelming, and just overall hard to follow. I kept reading to see if the issues would improve, but it only felt more chaotic. I also just didn’t enjoy the authors writing style.

Thank you to the publisher, the author Raven More, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I want to start off by saying that I DNF’d this book at 70% despite wanting to do it at around the 30% mark - purely because I wanted to give an honest review and see if things improved.

Unfortunately, for me they didn’t. The main issues for me lay in the writing. The plot (a fast paced, dystopian, enemies to lovers story) had potential, but ultimately was just chaotic. At no point in this read did I know what was going on. Not because the plot was difficult to grasp, but because of the haphazard writing. I was constantly confused by simple events. Because it was so fast paced, each sentence felt like a random jump. For example, the characters are travelling what is made out to be a long distance across wasteland to uncover a ship. One sentence they’ve just set off & then I swear to god the literal next sentence they’ve found it. The next sentence they’re battling random creatures and the sentence after that they’re using mind powers to fix the problem. It was all just unnecessary chaos with no real world building to steady the narrative. The book was 300 pages long but could’ve been so much longer and better had these things been fleshed out and some love put into describing what was going on.

More on that point, I think some more thoughtful world building would’ve been an appreciated addition to this book. There was no real explanation of how the war started, all the different territories and how they interacted/sustained themselves or why some people had magic and why the mc’s magic was interacting. Some of the attempts at world building directly contradicted each other also. For example, throughout the book water is made known to be scarce, with some territories drinking watered down wine for hydration… but when the characters reach a nuclear wasteland with a lime green reactive water supply after having survived on barely any water through the desert, the destitute character that helps them just randomly has buckets full of water?

Another issue for me were the basic spelling errors “suites” instead of “suits”, “ENR” which stood for European Mualite Rebellion (???), and also just the most cringe statements “his tongue parted my lips, I only tasted juice and paradise” and my favourite “you’re shy? I like it, you’re complicated, not obvious like the girls I usually know”

I don’t know if this was just the scientist in me, but another phase used in the book that really bothered me and I couldn’t stop thinking about was “every nerve synapse convulsed” … how can something that is by definition a gap between two things, convulse?

Finally, the derogatory term for certain people in the book - “slags” was an issue for me. In England that’s actually a derogatory term used to condemn women who are intimate often, so I don’t know what possessed the author to use it as every time I read it I violently cringed.

Overall, a hard unenjoyable read.

I can't lie I loved how much i swooned with this book. I liked the characters and I loved the fantasy element of the story. Thank you for the chance to read it

This arc from NetGalley and author collective 20 released January 17th
A young princess valencia learns she is cursed like many others. Her mother the ruthless queen tried to hide that by forcing her to get an upgrade. Valencia gets help escaping from new and old friends, Ryker and his sister Emrey. Emrey a friend from Valencia’s past she once thought dead comes back to help her. To take down her mother and gain freedom once and for all they must go on a quest together.
This sci-fi post apocalyptic world that is war decimated was a quick read. There’s cyborg upgrades, mutant animals, mutant abilities. The premise is cool and not done often enough in ya novels. The abilities they call gifts are all different and the three main characters can join together. At some points this story is great you can see the scenes in your head. At others the pacing seems off and rushed so it’s hard to grasp what’s currently happening. The world building was decent but they spent half the book in a desert. I didn’t really enjoy this myself but I am sure it will be a great read for others out there.

If you like Aveyard's Red Queen-style dystopians books,then you will surely love this one: in fact right from the start you will not struggle to find yourself in a post-apocalyptic World in which you will immediately make yours his desolation and suffering. The characters are all so well delineated that you will find them easy to love and hate. I loved Valencia and her good, sensitive and brave soul behind which she hides her fears and frailties.
Riker, on the other hand, has entered my long list of Book - boyfriends: he is hot-headed, impulsive , full of flaws and prejudices that make him extremely human. And that is precisely why it was wonderful to see him on page after page understand that the world and people are not divided into black and white, but can also contain shades of gray in them.
My favorite character, however, was Emery who,despite having experienced some really traumatic events whose consequences she will forever bear, continues to face every challenge head-on without ever ceasing to see the good in people.
From the beginning,the book was able to keep me glued to its pages thanks to its fast pace and the fluent writing of the author. Until the end,Raven was able to bring me into a world with steampunk characteristics in which I was moved several times to see the protagonists face their demons and find their own path to redemption.

Whilst this book had a great premise, I felt like it fell somewhat short. We are thrust into the action straight away, and whilst that can be a good thing, it definitely wasn't in this book. The writing was chaotic and became even more so it went on. There were a few good characters, which is why I gave it two stars, without whom the book would have been much worse. Overall, a disappointing read that I had MUCH higher hopes for.

A cross between the Lunar Chronicles and Divergent, Of Blood and Crowns reels you in and doesn't let you go from page one. Futuristic dystopia mixed with magical powers, I spent the majority of the book with my heart in my throat, absolutely NEEDING to know what happened next.

Then I found out it was the start of a series.

I absolutely cannot wait for book 2, "Of Blood and Betrayal," to continue this journey in the hopes that my favorite character will triumph and get their little slice of happily ever after. A MUST READ for fans of everything from the Hunger Games to Three Dark Crowns.

Thanks to NetGalley, Author Collective 20, for the preview read!

Took me a bit to get into this one, but when I did I was hooked. The story follows Princess Valencia, who finds herself trapped between doing what is expected of her and what she feels is right. World building and character development were done well. Overall the book was quite the adventure for friends sibling Emory and Ryker and our heroine Valencia. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to the trio!

Thank you NetGalley and Author Collective 20 for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!

I have read it until the end? Yes. I have enjoyed it? I'm not sure, but let’s talk about it.

Of Blood and Crowns is a fantasy distopian young adult set in a world destroyed by war.
My favorite thing about the book is the protagonist Valencia who has made an impressive character evolution. She discovered her strength through friendship and love and became a badass.
But I found some parts of the book confusing and others boring, not to mention the cringe scenes (for example, in the middle of the battle Valencia and her love interest start kissing instead of thinking of a way to save the situation).

I don't think I will read the sequel because this book is not for me, but surely someone else will like it!

3.5 Stars

This book is dystopian meets fantasy Sci Fi. I felt this was a refreshing take on a dystopian novel. I really enjoyed the plot but did feel that it took a couple of chapters to get into this book. The world building was great too but I could do with a little more at the start of the book. I felt that there was a lot of information that was needed but it was a little overwhelming at points.
I enjoyed the main character development through the book but felt that the romance kind of jumped straight in.
I look forward to reading the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I loved this story from the very first page. It was a fast paced read for me, the story flowed very seamlessly. It was a nice fantasy romance read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Collective 20, and Raven More for the opportunity to read Of Blood and Crowns (Broken Bonds Book 1) in exchange for an honest review.

Told from the first-person perspective of Princess Valencia, this is the first book in an exciting new science-fiction romance.

Valencia has an obligation. As Princess, her sixteenth birthday celebration is marked by sacrificing a Mualite (my understanding of which is someone seen as a lower class citizen who also has a special ability of sorts). When she refuses, the Queen and the torturous general she is betrothed to toss her heritage aside and seek her potential death.

With her escape, a Mualite Valencia left for dead nearly four years ago saves her. Between Emery and her brother, Ryker, Valencia is thrown into a world opposite of that which she knows. Exhibiting a power of her own, Valencia's mixed heritage is revealed.

With passionate feelings arising for Ryker and a quest to find the rebels and join their feat against her own mother, Valencia has a lot to tackle in a world so unlike that which she has known.

The worldbuilding is good, but a bit convoluted at times. There are some instances where I can picture events quite clearly, and other times where I struggle to figure out and picture what is going on. Many have said the pacing is a bit off in the beginning. I both agree and disagree. While starting off a romance so quickly does feel a bit off, it end up working well later on, making for an enticing romance aspect to the story. I like the quest aspect as the main characters set their goal and attempt to make something of themselves against Valencia's mother. The book has a lot of dialogue with not so much exposition, making for a very quick read.

Fast-paced and exciting, with the perfect amount of adventure and romance, Of Blood and Crowns makes for a great first novel in a young adult series that teen readers are certain to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This book was good I really liked the plot line and the characters were well written I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of Of blood and crowns by Raven More. Of blood and crowns was a dystopian novel with sci-fi and fantasy elements. I must admit I just couldn't get into the story. However, I do think teens who enjoy dystopian novels will probably enjoy it. 21/2 stars rounded up to 3.

Of Blood and Crowns was an enjoyable sci-fi with cyborg-adjacent elements, which (I think) is underdone in YA. Parts of the story vaguely reminded me of the feeling I had while watching the TV show Arcane, though the narratives are entirely different. Valencia is a relatable character in that she comes into her power fairly quickly and has to combat her mother's will while attempting to unravel the truth behind her father's death. Valencia is also doing everything within her power to avoid the arranged marriage to an abusive general set up by her mother, but is quickly losing traction in the kingdom she is supposed to help rule. She is rescued by the brother (Ryker) of her best friend, Emery (who she had previously thought was dead), and ends up in a cat-and-mouse game where she is not entirely sure who to trust. Years before, Valencia tossed Emery overboard the ship she was on to save her life, and for all this time, Valencia believed her friend to have perished in the seas. When Emery shows up with Ryker, Valencia feels extreme guilt over risking her friend's life (though it was the only option to save her at the time) and is terrified of what her brother- Ryker- will do when he finds out.

Overall, I had a good time reading this! I wish there had been more world-building at the beginning of the book. It sounds so intriguing! There are airships, advanced technology, and human enhancement elements to the story-- I just wish it had gone more in-depth about how these things came to be, what the entire country is like in detail, and how the social structures work. I understand that the queen says that everyone must work to live, but the world is still not a classless system, and it would have been nice to learn more about the "whys" and "hows" behind it all.

I think that younger readers will have a great time with this book! Thank you to NetGalley, Raven more, and Author Collective 20 for an e-ARC copy of Of Blood and Crowns.

This is a post apocalyptic dystopian fantasy - we have the Tertians & the Queen that pretty much “rule” whatever is left of the planet, the cursed aka the mualites that have special powers & get killed / tortured by the Queen and her guards, and then just regular humans. Things go awry when Princess Valencia, daughter of the Queen, refuses to k*ll one of the mualites in order to seal her initiation into the council and solidify her mothers empire. She is then saved by Ryker and his sister Emery, who was sentenced to death four years ago when the girls were just twelve years old, but she miraculously survived. The three of them have to work together to find the rebellion and hopefully overthrow the Queen and her crew.

I don’t read a lot of dystopian fantasies, but I think this might be my sign to read MORE of them.. this book was absolutely amazing, page after page makes you want more. I loved every character (except for the murderous a-holes. seriously, screw them). And I cannot wait to see where these characters are when book 2 of this series, Of Blood & Betrayal, is set to come out!