Blood & Breath
by Qurratulayn
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Pub Date Oct 07 2025 | Archive Date Nov 07 2025
Page Street Publishing | Page Street YA
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Description
I sucked in the last breath I would ever call my own and sealed my contract with one word: “revenge.”
Born into the persecuted Magi class, Evan Wilde keeps her true identity under wraps. Her days are spent drawing up simple contracts—a task Magi are banned from performing—which call devils from beyond the veil to carry out clients’ requests in exchange for a bit of blood or breath. It’s not until Evan lies dying in an alley, the victim of an illegal blood sacrifice, that she draws a contract for herself. A devil can take the last of her life—if it grants her revenge.
Such a hasty, open-ended contract can only lead to trouble. But when a devil named Jack accepts her terms, Evan decides to make the most of her borrowed time. With Jack’s help, she infiltrates high society, posing as part of the ruling Necro class—the group responsible for oppressing Magi and perpetuating illegal blood sacrifices. Dining and dancing by day, unleashing her devil at night . . . for the first time in her life, Evan no longer lives in fear. She even finds friends—and love—within the circles of her supposed enemy.
It turns out that, for all their corruption, Necros are the only ones keeping the devils at bay. If Evan and Jack topple their society in revenge, the veil between worlds could vanish, leaving devils to wreak havoc. Evan’s vendetta against Necros could destroy the entire world, including her newfound friends and love.
But even if she changes her mind, Evan is not the only one out for blood. Jack didn’t indenture himself for nothing; in fact, Evan’s contract could be the key to enacting his own twisted vengeance . . . .
Advance Praise
"This immersive, plot-driven story takes place in a racially diverse world with queer representation that evokes 1920s New Orleans with a creative magic system and some well-executed twists."—Kirkus Reviews
"[I]n this mesmerizing historical fantasy novel[,] [...] Muhammad leverages the protagonists’ parallel experiences with paranormal persecution to deliver a tense, high-stakes-conflict-driven narrative that explores themes of love, betrayal, and fate."—Publishers Weekly
"Charismatic yet terrifying devils, unexpected romances, and simmering class tensions made it impossible to put this book down. A sparkling debut that will appeal to both horror and fantasy readers. Qurratulayn’s words are magic!"—Catherine Yu, author of The Devil's in the Dancers
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9798890033000 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 272 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Amy L, Reviewer
I am IN LOVE with the world-building and characters of Blood & Breath!
The introduction of how devils are called forth by contracts written with different stipulations as well as the dividing class structure between Dun, Magi, and Necro had me hooked from the first chapter. It was also a refreshing setup of the scenery to have the story take place in a 1920s era where new dances, jazz, and discoveries are changing the landscape of society. The juxtaposition of this mixed with the fantasy elements of devils was unique.
Following Evan on her road of revenge, filled with moral conundrums as she discovers the depths of her contract with the unknown devil she called down, I couldn't put the book down without pondering on what was going to happen next. Even until the end of the book, I was held in suspense, wondering if Evan was going to follow through completely with her revenge or not. The twists in the last 2 chapters were gut-wrenching, and I am eager to continue the story in the second book!
What I Enjoyed:
- the details in how contracts are created, from how they're written to how they can call specific devils to perform specific tasks; also, the level of contracts from a few drops of blood to whole-body & breath giving
- the moral ambiguity to our protagonist Evan while on her quest for revenge
- the varying personalities of characters, no matter what class they hail from (Dun, Magi, Necro)
- the general world-building and history of how we've arrived where the story starts from
- the author's prose: descriptive, informative, and easy to read and imagine
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Qurratulayn, and Page Street Publishing for allowing me to read and review an ARC!
Crystal M, Reviewer
Wow wow wow!! First of all I must say that the cover is beautiful. I love it now. Let’s get to read. It was a very exciting fun drama filled read. I loved it. I enjoyed every last page and I’m so glad that I was able to get my hands on this copy before it even hit the shelves. It was a breath of fresh air. Thank you and I read it within 24 hours. I stayed up all night reading.
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