Honestly the entire story felt rushed and overly reliant on tropes. Evil characters were so over the top evil it was comical. The Queen actually laughed manically and was ready to marry her daughter off to an evil general over a slight. The main character was so naive to badass it was a bit of whiplash, and the love interest had an arrow over his grumpy head. Their trip even went to the designated areas you expect on these sorts of rebellion stories. I just couldn’t get into the characters, and the themes felt forced. It’s an interesting premise, and a fast read, but I just one I didn’t enjoy.

This is a beautiful example of a dystopian fantasy novel, with visual storytelling that gives you both post-apocalypse and steampunk the things I saw in my mind reading this was fantastic.

Our characters face challenges, tragedy, and redemption in a tale that will take you through a roller coaster of emotion and leave you breathless at times.

The story itself has so much depth, there's good, evil, and literally everything in between, giving you an immersive experience while reading.

I don't normally read a lot of dystopian novels but this one looked intriguing and I'm so very glad I took a chance on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Author Collective 20 for providing an advance copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Of Blood and Crowns by Raven More (Broken Bonds Series: Book 1)

I wasn’t sure what to think of this book when I first requested to read it, but I am glad that I did. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down! Of Blood and Crowns is a dystopian novel that hits the ground running right from the beginning and is action packed the entire rest of the book. It follows Princess Valencia and her quest for freedom from her mother, who happens to be an evil queen who hates a race of people with special powers. Valencia happens to have those very powers. Along the way she meets the girl she saved 4 years prior and her brother, who both have special powers like Valencia. Together they escape a mining town, survive the desert with giant sand creatures, end up at a city straight out of Mad Max: Fury Road, then head to the ruins of Chicago where they meet some mutant assassins, and finally reach their destination after a long road trip just to face their biggest obstacle yet! I thought the book was well written overall and was a quick read. The only slightly unbelievable part was the romance between the two leads. From the first kiss (which was not in a romantic way) they were drawn to each other like magnets. In a span of three days they went from strangers to inseparable. It was still a fun read and I definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes dystopian thrillers! Thank you NetGalley and Raven More for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The premise of this book grabbed my attention immediately. I’m a huge fan of the dystopian/sci-fi/ fantasy aspects the author created with this story. Valencia is a very likable main character from the start. She comes into power quickly and seems to immediately realize something is not right about the world her Mother has painted for her. Some of my favorite aspects of this book were how fleshed out each character was and how well the plot was pieced together. I also love the idea of the world as we know it becoming something unrecognizable years and years into the future.

The only thing I wished this book had was a touch more of world building in the beginning. Some descriptions of the different people, items, and laws of the land would have helped paint a more vivid picture of what exactly this world entailed and the characters within it.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable. It left off on a note that has me very interested to see where the author takes the story in book two.

Excellent fantasy dystopian romance! The unique writing and plot development make this story so much fun and it was a pleasure to read!

I am here for a post-apocalyptic world with magic and princesses.

I'm really fascinated by the concept of this book. I mean a killing ritual for the princess to solidify her place on a ruling council? Her hiding a secret that could instantly turn her into an enemy? Having to go on the run when she refuses to obey? Yes!

Unfortunately, the book starts off confusing. There wasn't a lot of world-building or character backstory given in the beginning making it hard to fully grasp what is going on and who all the people are. At the same time the adventure races forward leaving no time for the reader to try and piece these important points together before the plot ventures forth without them.

The story is interesting enough that I do see myself picking this up again in the future when I am in a headspace to better appreciate it knowing that I will need to take my time with it. For now, I need to put this book down. Looking forward to picking it back up later though!

A unique, futuristic, dystopian story. I loved this story from the first page. Princess Valencia is trapped between doing what is expected of her, and what she feels and knows is right. Enter Ryker, the boy she isn't supposed to want, and Emery, Ryker's sister who Valencia has wronged in the past. Secrets, magical powers, and spaceships abound. The three of them embark on a journey to save everyone from the Evil Queen and the "Cursed".

Great descriptions and character building. I felt immediately transported to their world. I actually finished this book in one day, and was surprised to see that this a debut novel! It ends with a cliffhanger, so I am looking forward to the next book!

Thank you #NetGalley and #authorcollective20 for this cARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Review
My Ranking: 4 stars

I was hooked from the very first page with this one. **I received a digital copy from NetGalley ** The fact that this is Raven’s Debut book blew my mind! From a new Author, she knocked this out of the park! I seriously couldn’t put this book down. I loved the characters, the world-building, the story setup, and everything! I was constantly rooting for the 3 main characters. Also, Ryker…yes he’s been added to the book boyfriend list! There were a few things I did not like. Valencia and Emery are supposed to be the same age. Yes, Emery had a more traumatic backstory but I felt like they made Valencia seem years older than her which just made no sense. I can understand making her seem more fragile because of her past trauma but not to make her seem childlike. Emery saw and survived some major things. I can see her being cautious and checking out during intense things but not to be made more childlike or less than Valencia. It also felt like they were constantly in trouble. Again I understand storyline wise it needed to be this way but I just wish we would have some more time with the characters and their development not just while they were under attack. But, honestly even these things didn’t take away from the story. I still really enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next in the series. I also can’t wait to get my hands on some paperbacks to add to my store!

This book is a fast paced fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian blend following a 16 year old Princess as she fights to survive with the help of her friends-Ryker and Emery. I enjoyed the extensive world building in this book and found Princess Valencia to be a well rounded and believable character. While I enjoyed all the scenes of her and Ryker, I did hope to see more development of their affection for each other rather than it being as quick of an attachment as it was. Overall, I found the story interesting and enjoyable and I look forward to reading the next book when it is released.

I took a break from this book when I was about 30% done because I was not very into the story at that point. When I went back my opinions still stayed true to the end. I was really hoping to like this book more. The characters in my opinion were a little bland and some of them were quite annoying. One thing I did like about this book was the really fast pacing. This is not a book I enjoyed, but I would recommend this to people that want a fast-paced and sci-fi-filled book.

Thank you Author Collective 20, Raven More and Netgalley for this ARC.

Of Blood and Crowns is an action-packed, dystopian fantasy following Princess Valencia and her escape from her mother’s ruling on her 16th birthday.

I’ve not read much futuristic fiction in the past, and found this a little hard to get my head round at first, but once I did I was hooked by the fast-paced plot. I found myself really invested in the characters (especially Boaz!) and found them easy to connect with. However, I do wish there was a little more world building, especially towards the beginning of the novel, as at times I found it hard to picture the environment the story was taking place in and I lost track of what was happening a few times.

That being said, I enjoyed this book overall and now that I understand the world a little better, I'm looking forward to future instalments of Broken Bonds. I’d recommend this book to fans of dystopian fiction and those who like a lot of action in their reads!

Of Blood and Crowns will be released on 17th January.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

This book was fantastic. I had Scarlett st. Claire vibes. The plot, characters, stetting and everything else is flawless

I loved the romance story between Ryker and Valencia and felt myself rooting for Princess Valencia all the way.

Would love a prequel with some backstory as that was missing and it took a while to figure out what had happened.

I read the book from start to finish in one setting. I was up until the wee hours of the morning. I am going to do a reread and will be waiting in anticipation for the sequel.

This book is going to be a number one best seller for sure. I can see it including in every book club as a monthly highlighter!

A must read! Ready for the sequel

Highly recommend!!

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

3.5⭐️⭐️
This was a YA dystopian/fantasy/romance novel. The book moved really quickly and there was a lot of action to keep you hooked. The book ends on a big cliffhanger noting to continue the story in book 2. Overall I thought it was a good quick read. The book could have added a little more world building and the MC had an insta- love connection over a slow burn. While the book has strong female MCs. There is mention of the main character being so masculine and when the MC ask the love interest how many girls he’s been with he says something along the lines of he was trapped in a mining cave and she can’t fault him for being a man. Which I didn’t love. That being said I think it was an overall good book.

Also note: there is a bit of sexual assault mentioned and experienced by the MC.

Of Blood and Crowns is a very unique blend of a dystopian novel mixed with sci-fi and fantasy elements and it immediately grabbed my attention from the very first chapter. At the beginning of the story, we follow Valencia, who is a princess, on her 16th birthday. Valencia is being forced to participate in a ritual during her birthday to complete her initiation into the ruling council and solidify her mother's empire against the "Cursed."

The first part of this story was so exciting and I was totally invested in Valencia as a character. I also really liked the other characters that Valencia met along the way: Ryker and Emery. I thought the romance between Ryker and Valencia was excellent and I loved every scene of theirs together.

I also really enjoyed the setting of this book. It takes place in our world, but in the future and in a post-apocalyptic type environment. The characters are constantly scrounging for things and trying to survive and a harsh environment.

One of my favorite parts of the book, was the fantasy elements. I thought the magical powers that the characters had were very interesting and I hope that the author includes even more of this in the future books.

My only criticism is I felt like the pacing of the story was a little off. The characters were constantly on the brink of death and everything seemed to happen very quickly and chaotically. I would have liked some more quiet and peaceful moments with the characters along the way. I also felt like a lot of the plot was super convenient. Some important people would just show up when they needed to with no real explanation of how they got there at just the right time.

Overall though I really loved this book and would like to continue on with the series!

Thank you, Netgalley for this ARC.

I immediately did not care about Valencia or Ryker, I felt zero connection to either of them, making it hard for me to get invested into the story. I'm also not a fan of the insta love they had going on despite Ryker absolutely loathing Valencia in the early chapters.
However, I do think the overall plot and world building has promise, especially for fans of sci-fi. I don't think the issue was necessarily with the book itself, but perhaps how it was marketed toward me. It was marketed as a young adult romance with a princess who would have to murder on her 16th birthday or let it be discovered that she is actually cursed. I think perhaps, I misunderstood the description because I had no idea going into the book that there would be sci-fi elements and sadly, I am just not into it.
Overall, I think this was a decent book, especially for fans of sci-fi and I just am not the intended audience.

3/5 stars

If you like sci-fi/dystopian books then this would be for you.

When I initially started reading, I was having a hard time grasping what was happening in the book. There was no explanation of what was happening with the main character, Valencia, or what was happening in the world. Many things started happening within the first few chapters but there was no backstory or not enough world building to really get invested in the storyline. As the plot became more developed I enjoyed the story more because I was able to put the story together but it took longer then it should.

As the storyline continues in the next book and hopefully there is more world building than this will end up being a very enjoyable read and a great story overall.

Princess Valencia has a destiny. On her 16th birthday she’ll become a murderer. It’s her duty as princess to rid the planet of the Cursed.

Valencia hates her destiny, and her volatile mother for enforcing it. When Valencia finds out she is one of the cursed, her fate finally rests in her own hands. Or so she thinks. It actually rests in the hands of Ryker, a man who may despise her more than anyone in the world.

Will Valencia and Ryker find a way to put aside their differences? Will they continue to ignore the flame between them?

Of Blood and Crowns is a YA fantasy novel. It has elements of fantasy, dystopian novels, and science-fiction. I didn’t quite realize this until I began reading. Unfortunately, the busy world building takes away from the plot and makes the story drag on. The characters weren’t as developed as I’d have like to see and the enemies-to-lovers plot between the MCs had the potential to be so much greater than it was. It was an interesting and unique plot, and it wasn’t derivative of other YA fantasy’s which is a plus. I also did like the MCs, specifically princess Valencia. She’s strong-willed, which I love in a female MC. Overall, I wouldn’t read this again, but I’m sure this niche book will be attractive to many fans of YA fantasy. You can find Of Blood and Crowns on shelves in just a few days on January 17th- just look for this beautiful cover!

I don't enjoy writing anything negative, especially when reading is subjective to the person.
Unfortunately, I didn't finish this one and have no desire to continue.

This sounds like a brilliant and unique new fantasy, but making it half way through, it just wasn't for me personally.
The writing was great, the pacing was good as well. The characters all seemed to be building very well, I am quite sad that I just couldn't continue.

Hopefully one day, I'll be able to keep going. Congratulations on the debut novel!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Author Collective 20 for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review*

When I saw that this book was a debut novel I was really impressed. This was a really good book. It reminded me Cinder and Empress of a thousand skies, two books I love. It has lot's of potential. The beginning was a little slow and some things aren't explained but overall is a 5 star read. At least for me.

If you are a fan of fantasy/dystopian novels you will enjoy this one. The story flowed well and was a fast read for me. The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because there were a lot of things (especially at the beginning) that weren't explained. The characters are enjoyable even if I figured out a lot of the plot early on. This almost felt like a mash up of Cinder and Shadow and Bone.