This is the best representation of “I mean they’re not right but they’re also not wrong”. Definitely heed the trigger warnings because this book is heavy! I could see everything playing out as a show/movie which is always a good sign. I really appreciated getting the motivation and background on so many of the characters. The author had a great mix of showing & telling! Sometimes authors focus on doing one or the other OR keeping it brief. Speaking of brief, I don’t know if it was so good I went through it quick or if it’s on the shorter end honestly. The pacing was good and nothing felt forced to me especially at the end. The way different themes were used in this was just chefs kiss. The battle between good vs bad, the questioning and exploitation of religion, and found family >>. Movies and books, such as this one, make you want to believe it’s an overdramatized but no…slavery, racism, and colonialism were likely worse than anyone could imagine + there’s proof! I loved how much choice was valued amongst the decision making of the characters. It made me chuckle (not funny haha, funny sad) that you can’t label majority of the characters as Black Americans because it’s 1710 and they were directly stolen from their lands. Overall, super well done book. Shout out to NetGallery!!

the actual action is fantastic. there are a few oddities though, like the protag switching out of AAVE when he becomes a vampire for some reason and the FMC's legitimate concerns being treated as nonsense throughout, but the big thing for me is how little actual action we get, despite how little buildup there is. i feel like there either needed to be more buildup and mystery or more action and drama. 3.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book.

In this book we follow Willie. Willie is a slave on the Barrow Plantation in 1710. When he was caught trying to escape with his friend Charlie, who is killed by bloodhounds, he is forced to work in the shit barn where he meets Rafazi, who is the last of the Ramanga tribe. Once he learns from this, Willie, who is born leader, plans to revolt and take down the Plantation to free the fellow slaves, along with his love, Gertie.

This book was absolutely ravishing. As someone who loves Vampires and loves learning all about different cultures of vampires,this book is a historical guide.

What if this happened and all the Colonizers were killed and saved them all. While there are plenty of Jim Barrow's and Monroe's in this world, this was amazing. I will recommend this book over and over again.

Wow!! Before reading this book, I couldn't even fathom historical fiction and paranormal fiction being mixed together like how Markus did with Blood Slaves! This was a great read and kept me on the edge of my seat! The multi-POVs was a bonus and was immersed smoothly into the plot. I loved how Markus touched on many aspects of what was stolen from the oppressed in this book and how they took it right back (i.e. language, names, confidence, etc.). Reading this book was of course a leisure but it was also empowering! Another point to be made is, I love how becoming of Ramangan blood was a choice and not forced upon any of the characters. That spoke volumes within itself. I can't want to read more of Markus's work!

Thank you Kensington Publishing for my eARC in exchange for a honest review!

I wanna thank NetGalley, author Markus Redmond, and publisher Dafina for this early E-Arc! All I’m gonna say is if you loved the movie Sinners you’re gonna really enjoy this! Only downside is I wish it had been longer!

** ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 **
MAY BE SPOILERS AHEAD

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

I really enjoyed a lot of this book, the premise of this book had me very excited to read this and in a lot of ways it did not disappoint. The idea of slaves who become vampires to exact revenge is almost a poetic justice in this novel. Now there is no shortage of darkness in this book, but I think when discussing topics such as slavery there really is no shying away from the horrors that so many generations had to endure. I think that some may find it difficult to read and process that, but that aspect of this book is not made up - this was a real reality for people who did not get to exact the revenge that these characters to.
The gore and horror in the book was well done and at times did feel like I was reading a movie. On the other hand this sometimes made the book lag in areas, I found myself dipping in and out of focus. It definitely can be uncomfortable to read at times, but that does not take away from the book being engaging and interesting.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, I just felt it was missing a little something to make it amazing, but would 100% recommend if you enjoy horror and historical accuracy.

This book is layered in rebellion, spiritual uplifting, truth and supernatural. I have never read a book that had me in so many emotions that putting it down felt wrong. I have so many questions and felt this book in spirit from the first chapter to the end. I can’t wait for the next book. Absolutely phenomenal!

There are a lot of things I really enjoyed and appreciated about this book.
Redmond does not hold back in his descriptions of the unspeakable abuse that enslaved people endured. I felt the pain and the rage that the characters felt after the way they were treated. Definitely check trigger warnings though because the scenes are very descriptive.
I also truly appreciated the depiction of the white children. They are not innocent or redeemable but are part of the cycle of abuse. they are taught by their parents how to treat black people and grow up to do it themselves.
I enjoyed the different processes by which Willie/Kwadzo and Gertie come to terms with what needs to happen in order to be free. Willie comes to the conclusion quickly that the only way to be free is to take it by force. Gertie struggles. She wants to be good and to hold on to hope. When she finally sees that her good does not matter to her oppressors, she is able to understand why violence is necessary, even if she is not the one doing it.
Overall, this story has a powerful message about the cost of freedom. It will not be handed out; it must be taken by any means necessary.

Most of what I didn't love about the book came down to the writing.
The writing did feel a bit rushed at times. I believe the author did a good amount of research about vampire lore but it didn't feel fully fleshed out in the writing. It felt like a lot of things were not explained fully but the reader was just supposed to accept it.
Some of the dialogue felt a little robotic at times as well. I also found it a bit weird that by becoming vampires, they were all of a sudden able to speak and understand different language and also speak "proper" English.
I also was a bit confused by the epilogue. Not sure if this is supposed to be a series.

The premise of the book was great! I think the messaging is very important. I think the historical portrayals were accurate. It did feel as if the execution could have been better though.

*DNF'd @ 23%

Thank you for the book! I was very excited to read this book after watching Coogler's Sinners. This book fell short for me due to the graphic content. I actually skipped chapter 7 because I knew intuitively that that chapter would be triggering and uncomfortable to read. That was my first and main issue with this book. The second was that the book did more telling than showing. I acknowledge the author's attempt to build a story out of Ghanian vampire folklore but the author didn't spend enough time building up that narrative. Ans since this is a longer book, I expect more within the first 20% of the book. For these reasons I rated this book 2 stars.

Lastly, if you like movies such as Antebellum or Django Unchained then I would recommend this book.

A fun premise but overall lacked execution.

-Historical fiction
-Vampires/supernatural elements
-Revenge plot

I was really looking forward to this one because it literally has everything that I love but I felt the lead up to the revenge was too drawn out. I kept waiting for the trauma porn to end and the war to start but it took almost the whole book! The first 35% was sooo slow. This book is about slavery and the author did not shy away from the atrocities and brutality. It was very hard to read at times, and I can understand why some people DNF at this point. It did create character arcs though and when the rebellion happened, I was happy to see some characters get the revenge they deserved. I would recommend reading TW because anything you can think of regards to human brutality, this book has it.

I did like the ending a lot and all the vampire lore regarding the Ramangan tribe. Would love a book about Rafazi!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

I just finished Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond, and honestly, I’m still sitting with everything I just read. This book was powerful, intense, and unlike anything I’ve picked up in a long time. It blends historical fiction and supernatural horror in a way that hit me on so many emotional levels.

The story takes place in 1710 Carolina, during the height of American slavery. It follows Willie, an enslaved man who’s desperate to escape with the woman he loves, Gertie. But then something unexpected happens: an ancient African vampire named Rafazi shows up and offers Willie a different kind of freedom—one soaked in blood, vengeance, and power. From that moment on, the story explodes into this wild, haunting mix of rebellion, mythology, and survival.

What really stuck with me was how the book didn’t shy away from the brutal reality of slavery. Redmond doesn’t sanitize anything, but he also weaves in this deep, cultural mythology that gives the story even more weight. It’s violent, yes, but it’s also deeply emotional. Willie’s transformation forces him to wrestle with what it means to be free—and at what cost. And I loved Gertie. Her fear of what Willie is becoming felt so real and grounded. She added such heart to the story.

There were moments that felt almost cinematic—especially the fight scenes. I could see it all so vividly in my head. The characters were complex and layered, and even the side characters had depth. This wasn’t just a vampire revenge story. It was about reclaiming power, rewriting history, and surviving something that was designed to break you.

If I had one critique, it’s that the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle, but honestly, I didn’t mind too much because the atmosphere and emotion were still strong.

This book felt like a punch to the chest followed by a slow, sharp inhale. It’s brutal, yes, but also deeply intentional. Every moment of violence, every ounce of blood, every monstrous transformation is layered with meaning. It’s horror with a backbone. Not just for the sake of fear, but for the sake of truth. For rage. For reckoning.

The vampire lore is fresh, grounded in something older and more sacred than what we usually get. And it doesn’t romanticize the monster. It leans into the idea that sometimes the only way to break a system that feeds on suffering is to become something the system can’t contain. That tension between justice and monstrosity lives in every chapter, and it makes the story feel dangerous in the best way.

The characters are messy, raw, and human, even when they’re not exactly human anymore. I found myself constantly pulled between wanting vengeance and fearing what it would cost. That’s what makes this book hit so hard. It doesn’t let you escape into fantasy. It drags the truth in with it.

The ending left me completely wrecked. Not because it surprised me, but because it landed exactly where it needed to. It’s the kind of ending that sits with you. The kind you feel in your bones for hours after the last page.

This isn’t just a vampire book. It’s a powerful, blood-soaked anthem about survival, resistance, and what happens when the oppressed stop asking for freedom and take it by force.

Watch the content warnings if you’re sensitive to sexual violence, whew. Particularly involving children.
It does feel like a debut- a little rushed in places, a little overfull in others - but you can tell the writer was excited about it! The enthusiasm comes through, which is fun!

The first chapter really reeled me in and I was ready for a cool vampire story but boy did I get played..

HEAVY TW: rape of women and children, racial slurs every page, beatings, you name it, it’s in here.

Let me start by saying I am aware that this in the 1700s when slavery is alive and well yes, but the gruesome rape and brutality was too much for me. And the author stayed there for SO LONG. He really stretched it out which was part of why I also hated the pacing. There are parts of the plot that dragged and I needed things to speed up, and there are parts where I wanted him to elaborate more.

I wanted to know more about the Ramangan tribe and the vampire lore back before the plague hit. I wanted to know more about the magic system. Part of this story is supposed to be about slaves getting revenge but it took them so long to come up with a plan to freedom. As it got towards the end I just wanted it to be over. The revenge wasn’t even satisfying for me.

I wanted battle sequences and magic. But it was just sick trauma every other page. People had this book as rec after watching Sinners this is NOT that AT ALL.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Special thanks to the author @markusredmond & @kensingtonbooks #Dafina for my gifted copy‼️

“What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?”

Who knew a historical horror would be so good. Book 1 in The Blood Saga series was literally EVERYTHING I hoped it would be‼️

Black vampires ✅
Seeking vengeance ✅
Ancient bloodline ✅
Extensive world-building ✅
Blood-soaked battle ✅
Edge of your seat page-turner ✅

Taking readers through a mind blowing supernatural experience where a slave rebellion uprising gets super bloody in the best way. Redmond reimagines the origin story of vampires setting Blood Slaves at the backdrop of American slavery in the Province of Carolina during 1710.

Being under a mean and hateful master like James “Big Jim” Barrow death was the next best thing to freedom because there was no escaping the Barrow plantation. That is until Willie stumbled across someone who could change his life forever. Rafazi was the last survivor of the Ramangan vampire tribe and together he and Willie would lead an army of the enslaved in an epic battle for their freedom.

From the moment I knew of Rafazi I was ready for EVERYBODY to be turned. In my mind none of them should’ve been against it!!! But there’s always gonna be someone hard to convince. Irene was my girl cause no questions asked she was down and ready for whatever. Gertie, Gertie, Gertie is all I can say cause she stressed me out. And I couldn’t wait for a few characters to FAFO‼️

The pacing starts out slow but the second half will have you on edge. The world-building was absolute perfection I could easily envision everything and the premise is literally golden. Although the book is fictional, Redmond blends history and the supernatural elements together so flawlessly. Slavery itself was a horrific experience but making them vampires was next level. Things in this one get gruesome, gory, and a little graphic so proceed with caution. But I highly recommend this book‼️

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

4.5 ⭐️

Buckle up because Markus Redmon holds no punches.

The opening letter to the reader truly sets the story for his debut novel. It's emotional, heartfelt and a call to action which is exactly what the novel gives us.

This is brutal from start to finish. I found myself crying, cringing and violently angry as I read. It's a tale of revenge, rebirth and retribution.

Historical fiction and vampires is the perfect combo for me. This story makes me wish that this is what could have been if a lone vampire helps start a revolution in 1710.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I will always share honest reviews.

Blood Slaves’ directness, in writing and dialogue, is its downfall. Redmond insists on beating the reader on the head with heavy exposition about Ramangan history and numerous scenes of explicit torture, abuse, and rape that disconnects the reader from the narrative. Rather than contributing to plot or character development, these scenes just felt gratuitous and even crude. Redmond’s writing leaves little room for subtext, and the narrative unfolds too rapidly to allow for a simmering buildup of the anger that leads to the enslaved people’s vengeance. There is an overall glaring lack of subtlety which impedes the creation of a suspenseful tone; I felt none of the dead or terror that I expect a horror story to evoke. Early chapters of this book promise to explore the theme of violence, in particular the legitimacy, value, and cost of violence in response to oppression, but Redmond reduces this to the simplistic question of “good v. evil”, divesting this conversation of all its potential nuance. Ultimately, this compelling premise was lackluster in its execution for me.

I'm not normally one who enjoys reading slave stories, fiction or otherwise. However, I am a huge fan of vampire stories, so that was what drew me in to this book. The characters were compelling, and I felt the author's allusions to the modern struggles of Black people (particularly with the police). I don't want to spoil anything about the plot, but it kept me interested throughout the text and I am glad I gave it a chance!

Pay attention to the trigger warnings mentioned in the beginning of the book, as some scenes were distressing but necessary to the plot (and realistic to the time period and setting). I was able to push through my disgust and I'm glad I did! The use of vampirism as a tool for freedom and salvation was interesting, as well as the way the characters dealt with it. For something with such a supernatural foundation, it was interesting how parallels could be drawn to the 18th century as well as today!

Great horror should creep up on us, build a sense of tantalising dread with the true horrors left unsaid, to live on in the darkness. Blood Slaves does the opposite, and pummels the reader with its terrors - we bear witness to horrific, explicit rape and torture. It's altogether far too crude, and even the symapathetic, vengeful vampires are presented to us in full with no mystery, nothing to let our own imaginations build the creatures in the shadows. Any fear swiftly turns to revulsion.

Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond is a bold and brutal reimagining of vampire lore set against the horrors of 1710 Carolina slavery. While the concept of enslaved people seizing supernatural power for liberation is compelling, the execution leans heavily into graphic violence and trauma, which some readers found overwhelming and bordering on gratuitous . Though the novel delivers a powerful message of resistance, its intense content may not be suitable for all audiences.