Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake by her kingdom and a blight on her bloodline. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.
Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own secret reasons.
Release Date: Mar 11, 2025
Series: Blood & Souls Duology
Book: 1
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Ace
Price: $14.99
“Let them cower before the soul goddess in that arena. She may have been a figment of a zealot’s imagination, made real only by the thousands who worshipped her, but she was a symbol of something real. Power. Power was tangible, Power was a crown on my head, the snowy path to it soaked in Erik’s and Bjorn’s blood. It was my unwilling father relinquishing his hold on the godforsaken; whether he let it go willingly or at the point of my blade mattered not. When we attached the hilt to the blade, wrapping it with leather, I held it and marveled. I had created it from nothing. Brought it to life under the Hellbringer’s watchful eye. Aloisa. Goddess of the soul. Blade of the godforsaken princess. Symbol of the revolution. It was perfect.”
I’ve been in my romantasy era lately, and it’s what I’ve been enjoying reading for months now. This one started slow, and there was a lot of world-building, but once we hit around 30 percent I was entranced. There was so much build-up with the Hellbringer, who he was, what he wanted with Revna, and what he was searching for, that I couldn’t stop reading for a moment. I had to know. The author did an excellent job at keeping me entertained enough to keep reading but was not giving away enough for me to figure it out.
The Hellbringer is an enigma of a man, a ruthless warrior with magic to kill a person in a matter of seconds, the bringer of death. There are times where you wonder if he hates his gift and sees it more of a curse than anything. He’s a weapon in so many people’s eyes and used to gain the upper hand in war. To Revna, he is anything but that. He teaches her what it takes to win, and become a queen to her people, so she can change how the Godforsaken like her are treated. Their bond is one built of mutual respect and friendship.
Revna is strong and sometimes misguided. She pushes the boundaries with no thought of the consequences to herself or to others around her. She pursues her goal with a single-minded determination hoping to change the world for people like her. She’s been used as a pawn her whole life by her family, but now she’s ready to take charge and show them all how they’ve been underestimating her.
There are so many twists and turns within this story that I don’t want to give away too much, but I really enjoyed this one. I’m excited to see where the story will go in book 2.
If you’re a fan of Carissa Broadbent or Kaylie Smith, then I definitely think you’ll enjoy this one.
~ Michelle
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