The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey
Series: Bloodbound #2
Published by ACE
Published on: September 29 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Book Depo | Kobo | B&N | GoodReads
The epic saga that started in The Bloodbound continues…
As war between Alden and Oridia intensifies, King Erik must defend his kingdom from treachery and enemies on all sides—but the greatest danger lurks closer to home…
When the war began, Lady Alix Black played a minor role, scouting at the edge of the king’s retinue in relative anonymity. Though she’s once again facing an attacking Oridian force determined to destroy all she holds dear, she is now bodyguard to the king and wife to the prince.
Still, she is unprepared for what the revival of the war will mean. Erik is willing to take drastic measures to defend his domain, even if it means sending Prince Liam into a deadly web of intrigue and traveling into the perilous wild lands of Harram himself.
Only the biggest threat to the kingdom might be one that neither Alix nor Erik could have imagined, or prepared for…
 |
 |
 |
The first thing I want to say is that—overall—THE BLOODFORGED by Erin Lindsey was a great book.
It fully held my attention, I loved learning more about about the newly introduced cultures, I bloody loved Rig’s chapters, and I can’t wait to see what develops with Wraith and the rebels.
BUT. I have two issues.
I hate cheating. HATE. One of the main reasons I shy away from contemporary romance is b/c you’re much more likely to come across it there than you are in a book not completely focused true love, blah, whatever.
Still . . . It creeps up sometimes, mostly in the form of a home-wrecker, and even if no actual cheating occurs, I loathe the tension created by the fear and doubt and insecurity.
In the end, nothing significant happens here. A woman has a crush on her married commanding officer (who is appallingly and hilariously oblivious).
My real issue is the lack of resolution. Lindsey made us watch as the newlyweds were separated. Made us watch as not-his-wife started braiding her hair in imitation of Wife. Made us suffer through ambiguous dialogue . . .
Then nothing. There’s no confrontation, it’s never addressed, it’s just left hanging there like a storm cloud threatening to unleash on our heads.
Then there’s the bigger issue . . . It doesn’t happen until the last 5%, but suffice it to say that a situation arises that I found to be both generic and convoluted. No, I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s entirely possible that I’m a minority here—I gave Plot Twist to my sister and bff (both avid readers) as a hypothetical, and Sister didn’t see what the big deal was, and BFF wasn’t crazy about it, but didn’t hate it either.
It’s unfortunate that THE BLOODFORGED ended with what was my only real problem, b/c fair or not it casts a pall over the rest of the book that I ultimately enjoyed.
And I really did enjoy it. Mid-book I consciously recognized how impressive it was to increase the number of POVs in a book this short and still keep it flowing so well, and Liam’s personal growth was especially compelling in a sea of excellent character development.
There was the witty banter I loved from the first book. The sense of urgency brought on by war had me dashing through the pages. Oh, oh! And there’s an index/glossary in the back so I was no longer banging my head against a wall trying to figure out the Nine Virtues. ALSO, did I mention Rig? B/c Rig was friggin’ amazing.
If it wasn’t for end-of-book Plot Twist, THE BLOODFORGED by Erin Lindsey would have easily been a 4.0 – 4.5 star read, and I’ll definitely read the next book. SO. Recommended with the slightest of qualifications.
  My Review |
  |
Was this review helpful to you? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on Goodreads!
My name is Jessica and I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’m trying my hand at writing, but mostly I read. My favorite genres are Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, and the YA versions of those genres, but if there is a book of a different color getting lots of buzz, I’ll read it too, just to be informed. If I’m not reading or writing, I’m probably on Goodreads or Pinterest or baking blueberry pies because I love them.
You know I want to read this just to see what the plot twist is, right? 😉 I’m sorry that there was the cheating thing and the plot twist thing to take away from your enjoyment of an otherwise great read, Jessica. Hopefully, the next installment will provide some sort of resolution to the weird non-resolution to the cheating, and not include any more of *that* plot twist than is necessary. (was that convoluted?) Happy Friday!
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…OctobeRec Fest Review #1 ~ Poughkeepsie ~ Debra Anastasia #2015HW
I have high expectations for this type of fantasy. It has to be EPIC otherwise it won’t be as enjoyable. So a convoluted plot twist is a no go for me.
Braine recently posted…Loved It: Madame X by @JasindaWilder #erotica #darkromance @BerkleyRomance
Well the fact that the heroine is wearing armor on the covers, and furthermore, armor that appears like it would be actually effective, makes this highly attractive for me. But cheating, even quasi cheating is just blergh for me. Think I’ll hold off for the next installment to make sure this isn’t a pattern or something that will be repeated or expanded.
Erin Burns recently posted…On series – holding on, pushing through, and letting go.
One day, I neeed it
blodeuedd recently posted…3 romance reviews in 1
I think I had a very different experience with this than you because I was already very sure no one in this series would cheat. My Spidey senses were tingling when there was that tension between Erik and Alix, and in the end I guess my suspicions were confirmed by that big plot twist.
Mogsy recently posted…Audiobook Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Hm… the cheating and everything else you mentioned really bother me. I wanted to dive into this series but now I’m a bit hesitant. I may wait a bit but still keep it on my wishlist.
Melissa (Books and Things) recently posted…Craft Book Review: Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
Cheating is hard to take no matter how well done it is. Wonderful honest review Jessica!
Sounds like there were more things you disliked than things you liked. Think I’ll give this one a pass.
Just by the first issue you mention for the book and the fact that it is let go unresolved… I cannot read this book. It’s a very personal thing, that hits too close to home and I just cannot.
Thank you for the warning, Jessica.
Pili recently posted…Hello October, you’re looking good this year!
I do want to try this series one day. I might be able to get past the cheating part. 😉 Thank you!