The Judas Blossom" is an epic fantasy journey set against the backdrop of the Mongol Empire's invasion of Persia, in which we follow the lives of four characters entangled in the heart of war.

I liked how the book mixed fantasy with history. The world-building was very interesting, showing the clash of different cultures. The characters had engaging arcs.

However, the book had some problems with pacing, it felt quite slow at times.

Nevertheless, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

I liked it overall, but I really struggled with the pacing for much of the book. I feel like this is a trend with me and historical fantasy, the pacing is just a touch too slow for me in most of them.

This book took a long time to really grasp me, as previously stated, the pacing killed this book for me. I struggled to get and stay invested in things. There are multiple POVs in this book, but the narration all sounded the same so if had to stop reading halfway through a chapter, I'd forget whose POV I was reading for a bit.

There was nothing 'wrong' with this book other than it just not being for me. Not sure what it was exactly, could be as simple as the writing style didn't work for me.

It's taken me a while to collect my thoughts enough to write something, and I just don't have a whole lot to say. This book was just fine for me.

Book Review 📚

The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan - 4/5 ⭐

A historical fantasy. My first historical fantasy may I add. I think that's all I need for this to be 4 ⭐. Stephen starts the book by giving us a introduction to the time period in which the book is set and then moves on to introduce characters with multiple POVs. The character developments throughout the book make it so much more interesting, as you see multiple sides of the story but all from a different point of view. No one person is the same or even has the same thought.

The Judas Blossom is such an interesting read with a touch of fantasy and a lot of violence. A historical fiction that focuses on Persia with action, violence, secrets, betrayal and savage politics.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

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The Judas Blossom takes the threads of real historical events and weaves a tale of political complexity, brutality, and ambition. The details of Mongolian life and warfare seem true to history, and it is clear that Stephen Aryan crafted this story with much reverence for the history and culture of the Mongolian people. The writing style tends to “tell” more than “show,” which at times makes it feel more like a screenplay than a fantasy epic. Additionally, the magic system is such a small and (so far) insignificant detail, the story might have been better suited by leaving out those fantastical elements. The romance is very rushed, and given the cultural precepts, stigma, and religious influence on sexuality at the time, highly unlikely, especially with the lack of internal reckoning or emotional turmoil such a relationship would surely inspire in a 13th-century woman. That being said, readers looking for a fast-paced historical fantasy that focuses on political machinations, complex villains, and fallen heroes with vengeful intent will surely enjoy these aspects of The Judas Blossom.

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to read this book pretty early actually like a few months ago and I even got to blurb it which is cool. My very first blurb request and thankfully the book didn’t suck. I loved this one in fact I think it’s stephens best work so far, I swear he just gets better and better. This is not too far removed from The Coward, a previous novel, that took a more classic approach. This is an epic fantasy reimagining of the Mongol Empire's invasion of Persia and we follow 4 different characters. Though this is taking a historical time period, the author really makes it his own and allows the readers to explore this are and environment, moment in time that we’ve heard so much about and you kind of forget it’s a fantasy until like the magic actually happens and it’s a nice surprise. I found this really fascinating, compelling and I cannot wait to read the sequel.
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I wasn't paying attention when I came across The Judas Blosson on NetGallery, missing the fact it's book #1. OMG seriously! Not disappointed though, cause honestly one book couldn't do justice to the story. Action packed, full of suspense, it's an excellent read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the advance copy!

So, when I first saw this book on Netgalley and read the summary, I thought it sounded interesting and wanted to give it a try. But, after a few pages in, I found that I just wasn't getting into the story as much as I thought I would. So, I think that this might not be the book for me at this time. Of course, I'm always open to possibly coming back to it at a later time, it just isn't for me right now. But I would definitely recommend people give it a try when it comes out next month.

An interesting take on the mongol khanate and a period of history little known by the average person. The magic here is sparse and this reads more like a historical novel. I enjoyed it but there was something about the way it was written that didn’t fully engross me in the story.

DNF'D at 45%
I don't enjoy this type of fantasy where the battles and sieges are the focus of conquest instead of the court politics. The descriptions of both the setting and people is minimal, I can't tell you what anyone looks like which is a big problem when you're a 150+ pages into a book. I expected to learn about the Mongols and Persians but I can't tell you anything more about these people than what I knew going in which is a major problem since they are the people whose story is being told. This book makes it seem like they have no culture, all the we know is ;the conquerer (Mongols) and conquered (Persians) The plot is dreadfully boring. If you prefer a lot of actions this might work better for you but I ultimately didn't care enough about the characters to give it more time.

a huge thanks to netgalley and angryrobot for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 stars

this story was exhilarating, ambitious, and super fun to read. the expansion of the Mongol empire is aggressive and ruthless, and Stephen Aryan captured all of that elegantly and captivatingly.

in this book, we follow 4 characters and their points of view, with the addition of side characters. each and every one of them felt personable and uniquely real. i didn't dislike reading about any of them, which is something i don't think i've ever done.

the magic in this world is done in the background and world building, and it was easy enough to follow along. the writing was easy to read, engaging and thrilling. mixing in history with fiction was interesting, and sometimes i felt lost and found myself reading pages over again just to understand. the pacing stayed the same throughout the book and the plot kept me going.

the historical story is one of ruthlessness, and this fictional work was done elegantly and filled with action. i connected with the characters, and watched the drama unfold nicely. i'll definately be on the lookout for more of Aryan's work.

Wow. This was an excellent read. Harsh and brutal in it's plot, written in a distinct and efficient writing style. The plot was well paced and kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. I love exploring different cultures and historical periods in my fantasy novels, and so thoroughly enjoyed delving into this book. I wish I had been given more connection and sense of personability to the characters. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This epic fantasy is so good!! I devoured this!! I can't wait for the next book to come out! I absolutely love this story line and cannot get enough of it! Absolutely stunning!
I just reviewed The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan. #TheJudasBlossom #NetGalley
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This was a great start to the Nightingale and the Falcon series, it worked in the historical period. It was so well done and I felt the reimaging going on. The characters were what I was looking for and worked with the historical period. I’m excited to read more in this series and from the author.

Historical fiction at its finest highly recommend this amazing story by Steven Aryan. The story, plot and characters. A must read don't miss out because this will be talked about by everyone

I don't read much historical fiction (even when it's mixed with fantasy) so I was apprehensive about this read, but I ended up really enjoying it! I also thought it was interesting to focus on Persia--it was really refreshing to read about and something I would probably not have learned much about otherwise, unfortunately. As someone who is not very up to date on their history, I don't have many (Read: any at all) content notes. This was really engrossing and I had a great time, so I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author in the future!

A sweeping epic with a host of characters, the Judas Blossom tells the tale of the Mongol Ilkhanate as it enters a new era. Savage politics are juxtaposed with real human relationships to immerse you in the world.

Aryan’s prose is easy to read and fairly blunt: it’s a historical epic and told as such without much in the way of detail, embellishment, or flowery language. Instead, the story rattles along at a brisk pace that will not leave you bored.

This struggle for the heart of Persia grips the reader with its tense action, full of secrets, betrayal, but also beauty and connection: as you might expect with the title. The author skilfully shows you the people at the centre of the conflict, bringing empathy and humanity to both sides of the war, even amidst the savagery and brutality of murders, violence and battle.

This was a fresh and enjoyable read, light on the fantasy - but it’s present - exploring an area that is currently underrepresented in the genre and doing so very nimbly. Disclaimer: I’m not at all a historian, so have no idea how many liberties the author took in this area!

Judas Blossom blends political intrigue and historical fantasy, with an emphasis on politics and family drama rather than magic. It’s set during the turbulent time of the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Persia.

Hulagu Khan, the ruler of the Ilkhanate, tries to dominate the world through brute force. His conquests and violence attract many adversaries who are actively scheming against him. Like his newest concubine, Kokochin, also known as the Blue Princess. She finds purpose in honing her self-defense skills and becoming part of an underground resistance group to destroy the Ilkhanate from within.

She’s not alone in her goals; the defeated Persian general, Kaivon, joins Hulagu to gain insider knowledge and destroy the empire and its cruel ruler. Their arcs thrive on the tension and inner conflict between keeping appearances and taming hate towards oppressors.

Hulagu’s youngest son, Temujin, possesses magical powers (control of the Eternal Flame) he learns to control and understand throughout the story. With time, he discovers his true lineage and his potential to reshape the world. I liked his and Kokochin's arcs most.

Temujin's transformation, from a cowardly figure to his ultimate self (I won't spoil it), is profoundly heart-wrenching. He changes so drastically that he becomes almost unrecognizable (physically and mentally), a result of a realistic progression, adhering to the world's inherent rules.

Aryan's writing style is vivid and engaging. His rich descriptions appeal to the senses, allowing the reader to imagine the scenes and relate to the characters' feelings. I also liked how he uses dialog to clarify the characters’ personalities and relationships.

Judas Blossom weaves a compelling tale of power, love, and treachery. It captivated me and I can't wait to read the sequel.

A fascinating and thrilling look at the Ilkhanate, a part of the Mongol Empire usually overlooked in favor of Genghis’s story or Kublai’s. However, the author needed to have an editor taking a closer look at at least one portion of the story where he refers to Europeans, Latins, and Franks as if they were three separate ethnic groups instead of interchangeable terms. In the time period in which this story takes place, the term European wasn’t in use and people of Western Europe would have been referred to as either Latins or Franks as long as the person in question was from a country adhering to the Latin Mass. For example, Englishmen in the Holy Land during the crusades were called Franks. It’s just a detail anyone widely read in History would find jarring.

Historical fiction involving Persia which is a nice change from the recent years of countless (though mostly excellent) ones centered around Greece. I'll be reading more by this author.

I have always had an interest in the tales of the Khans but the books I have read about them have been non fiction so I was delighted to read a book that combined fiction with fact, I was so engrossed in the book I had forgotten it was a “fantasy” and when the magic happened I nearly spilt my coffee! I really enjoyed this book and will be buying it in audiobook as soon as it’s released so please get a good narrator