Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The phlebotomist is a really good take on the dystopian science fiction book!

The premise is fresh and interesting - a worn torn society segregated by blood type - although it does hit all the typical tropes as well. Willa makes a great main character, she’s strong, clever and a grandmother to boot.

The ending was perhaps a little tidy and required you to make some jumps in logic but it was still a solid read.

This blew me away!
So, here we have a book that purports to be a dystopia novel, and in the beginning, it rocks ALL of those characteristics. A totalitarian, autocratic government that has seized complete power due to a nuclear war - meaning that the common people must donate, and receive blood to survive. Society has degenerated into blood type social strata. If you have a blood type that can be safely given to other blood types, you are higher class,and so on and so forth.
So it looks a lot like a regular dystopian novel, (and it's jolly good, too, excellent reading) and then BAM! MAJOR PLOT TWIST! I read hundreds of books per year. I always see the plot twists, I always work out whodunit... And I didn't see this one coming! It made the novel into a genre blending masterpiece. I don't want to spoil the plot twist, but man, I was blown away by it. Incredibly skillfully written,
I also loved that the main characters were black, the main protagonist is Old, and that there was miniscule romantic subplots, (and what the tiniest, literally one sentence subplot it was, was queer) I really recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in post apocalyptic, dystopian fiction, Atwood fans, etc.

An interesting and modernized take of an old troupe but fell short in the characters' plans to overthrow the Patriot since their plans conveniently worked every time with the author forcing out casualties to "balance" it out.

My other complain is the way the author explain how the world setting worked. I feel like he jumps to step 2 and I had to reread some paragraphs again just to understand the whole picture. Some of the character’s actions were contradicting. For example, they had to constantly be careful as to not get caught by the Patriot but they were too trusting of people. Or how Willa is “trying” to be empathic towards the enemy who were the reason her daughter is dead and her grandson kidnapped. Also she’s a health worker and they had to cut off someone’s finger because there was a tracker and she doesn’t clean or sterilize it. She then asked where the alcohol was and I thought it was to sterilize the cut but nope, it was to burn the house. :/

Overall, it was a really good concept but the execution felt very flat because everything was solve conveniently. I was also hoping for more information about other sectors because they only solved the problem in their own sector. The ending left me confused since it seems things went back to how it was? (like all that trouble and then it was for nothing? I did like it though for some reason lol)

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy for an honest review.

Willa Wallace is a government employee. She is a phlebotomist working as a reaper. In the near future, after a very devastating war, all citizens are required to have mandatory blood draws and reapers are those who perform the draws, known as Harvest. The company that is contracted to do the draws is Patriot, who rewards those who give the most as well as the reapers who draw the most. There is, of course, a hierarchy to the blood types that are the most rare and the most in demand.
Willa hits on an idea to bring back an old collection technique that could bring a better balance to blood drawing in the city, but as she explores her options she discovers something quite sinister about the imbalance of blood availability in all parts of the city as well as a secret about Patriot - a secret so dire that Patriot will stop at nothing to silence her.

This was a thrilling yarn in the tradition of the best pulp fiction of the golden era of science fiction. Author Chris Panatier sets up our main characters and establishes the world with ease and enticing interest. My early thought as I was reading was, "Wow, this is a really interesting concept for a dystopian science fiction book."

About a third of the way into the book Panatier reveals a surprising direction for the story which turns the book into a page-turning thriller. (I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who has NOT read all the Goodreads reviews.) Upon reflection, I should have seen this new direction coming, but the fact that Panatier settles the reader in and manages to surprise us with the obvious speaks well of his storytelling.

Looking for a good book? The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier has a fresh feel to an older scifi/fantasy trope and the writing is easy to get behind.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A dystopia science fiction with something unique to keep the reader engaged. Rich characters with a great and intelligent female lead. A plot with evil corporations and government secrets centered around some science that took me back to secondary school

Chris Panatier's The Phlebotomist is Thelma and Louise meets The Passage. The year is 2067, it has been 35 years since Chrysalis changed the world. The government has been supplanted by Patriot; a private organization who enforces a monthly blood tax called the Harvest in order to save the sick who live in the Grey Zones. 60 something Grandmother Willa Wallace is the main character in this story. Her title is Reaper (or what we call a Phlebotomist which I am proud to say I was one). She's one of the rare ones in that she was trained to do the job unlike those she works with.

In this world, everyone 16 and up is required to donate blood in what’s called the Harvest. Some, desperate for money, try to donate sooner. In this reality, the absolute earliest that the human body could replenish a unit of blood is 28 days. There is a whole lot of build up to this story. The author breaks down the various Phenotype’s that we all carry in our blood. Example: A, AB, B, and O. This is now a world where people are segregated by blood and vampires known as Ichorwulves, rule over everyone. If you are a universal donor, O-negative, you're a highblood, if you are a universal recipient AB, well your blood isn't worth much so you're a lowblood. To pay for living, people sell their blood, that is used to help people from Grey Zone (meaning a zone that suffered after a nuclear fallout).

After Willa takes her blood collecting bags for the day to a main drop off center because her cooler is broken, she comes across something strange. A drone falls from the sky right in front of her. A Patriot personnel arrives, and she is taken home, not understanding the severity of what she has witnessed. She’s soon visited by other Patriot personnel who force her to sign an NDA to not discuss what she saw. Harboring new suspicions about Patriot, Willa is forced to cooperate with blood-hackers, criminals who profit from mislabeled units of blood, to keep her grandson safe. The more that she becomes aware of the secrets that have been hidden from the public, the more involved Willa becomes.

Bottom line is that this is a story where a heroine in her 60's, meets Janet aka Lock a former marine in her 50's, who are joined by a young girl named Kathy who was taken from her parents, and adopted by the ruling Ichorwulves, to wage a war in order to retrieve the children who have been taken and will soon be up for bidding. My rating isn’t higher because the book ends on a glaring cliffhanger ending. I can’t locate any information whether there is another book scheduled, or it’s all dependent on how well this book sells. I loved the fact that the author uses characters my age. It’s rather refreshing to know that women my age can be heroines just like those in their teens and young adults. Lock is a slightly unhinged, and a master at old thrown out technology. The addition of Kathy to the story added a bit more depth and understanding at what is happening to the children who are being taken away from their parents. She is also more than capable with knives and swords as you will soon discover.

I loved the premise of this and was excited to start it. The setup is great, but it started to lose me the further I got into it. About an hour into reading, there continued to be a lot of vague descriptions of the overall process and the inciting event years prior. The descriptions of blood types were very interesting, but I wanted a lot more. I eventually lost interest, but I think it’s just my preference for plot layout and expecting a big incident that kicks off the novel. I appreciate the chance to review, this one just wasn’t for me.

I read lots of spooky books in October. Unfortunately this one didn't grab my attention and I ended up not finishing it; more of a "me" problem than an issue with the book itself.

The Phlebotomist was so much more than I thought it would be!

Set in the future the story follows a lady called Willa who is phlebotomist. In very basic terms she is a blood specialist. Willa works for Patriot , a government blood contractor with more than one secret to hide. Willa's job is to collect bags of blood from each person in the surrounding district, a process they call the harvest .

The harvest was started so that blood could be sent to the " Grey Zones" to be given to those affected by radiation after a cataclysmic war. Every adult person was required to donate one pint of blood every 45 days. Failure to do so meant that you wouldn't receive your government issued food rations and would starve. If you want to donate more than the required pint of blood Patriot will buy your blood from you depending on your blood type.

In a world where you were defined by your blood type alone tensions are running high . Those categorized as low bloods will do anything they can to feed their families even if that means letting their veins run dry.

One day Willa makes a startling discovery and her journey to find answers leads her to an underground group of people with a thirst for fighting the system . But at what cost??

This book had everything from drones, futuristic technology , hackers and one of my favourite monsters !! It was gripping throughout with perfectly timed plot twists and reveals . It reminded me of the factions in the Divergent series which I loved and I did enjoy the sneaky nod to the current pandemic we are dealing with .

Many thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for my copy of this book in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the nature in which I received this book .

At last! A novel with a female protagonist who's not a teenager. An older woman in the lead role! Thanks, Mr. Panatier! I was thrilled when I read that part of the synopsis, mostly because I knew this would be a much more adult story, perhaps not as action-packed as in YA novels, but with a cunning and mature protagonist.
Full review: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2020/10/resena-review-phlebotomist.html

I enjoyed The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier. I thought it was a new approach to sci-fi/dystopian because the main character is an older women rather than a sixteen year old and I found this refreshing. She's strong and smart. In this world, blood becomes an important part of the economy, more so than money itself. I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi so I will say that I was happily surprised that I enjoyed this one.

I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I, unfortunately, did not enjoy The Phlebotomist enough to make meaningful headway into the book and I do not think I would be able to give it a fair review.

The Phlebotomist is a sci-fi set in a dystopian future after nuclear blasts have devastated the population. The government sets up a “Harvest” so everyone has to donate blood to help the injured. Society is divided up into blood groups, some types living better than other “low bloods”.

Our main protagonist is Willa, who is a phlebotomist working at taking in blood and scanning them for authenticity. One day she see one of the blood transportation drone crash and then everything changes and the government is not what it seems.

It’s difficult to explain the rest of the plot without giving major spoilers but I really enjoyed it and thought it was a fresh take on the dystopian genre and the science not too confusing.

I will definitely to looking to read more from Chris Panatier.

There is something about biological/blood themed books that draw me in. I love the speculative nature of books like this, and The Phlebotomist certainly captures the imagination. The premise is that, after a war, people start getting classified by blood type. As an O negative blood type, known as the universal donor, it was fun to imagine being so revered!

Of course this set up leads to a lot of conflict and tantalizing situations for Willa. This book is a captivating read that had me turning pages quickly. I was excited to discover the secrets at the core of this book. I recommend for people who enjoy speculative fiction, mysteries, sci-fi, and thrillers. A wild ride!

I really enjoyed this, and am going to use all my self-restraint and not make a blood-related pun in this review (let's see if I manage it!). As well as keeping me utterly gripped, the phlebotomy aspects were well researched, and it was lovely to see older women characters take the lead. I should also point out that I spoiled "the twist" for myself before reading, but I'm honestly glad I did - it's part of what intrigued me to pick this up in the first place (an excellent decision). I basically had a very good time reading The Phlebotomist (despite it being very different from my usual tastes) - I couldn't wait to see what happened next, and would happily read a sequel.

Even if I'm not a fan of dystopia I loved this book. It's highly entertaining, tightly plotted and gripping.
The world building is very interesting even if a bit terrifying, the characters are fleshed out and interesting.
I loved the storytelling and the character development.
The plot kept me hooked as it's fast paced, full of twists and turns.
I can't wait to read another book by this author, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a roller coaster ride from start to finish. The concept was well thought out and executed to perfection. The characters were full of life and depth. The action was riveting.

The author managed to reimagine vampires in the real world and gave it a new depth of meaning and I am here for it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who want something a bit different. A world not unlike our own that values blood above all else, and it cruel and twisted but deliciously so. I look forward to reading more work from this author.

Following a nuclear fallout, the remaining survivors of humanity become obsessed with blood. They develop a caste system based on blood-types with O-‘s at the top and AB+‘s at the bottom of the barrel. However, Willa, an old-school phlebotomist, recalls a blood separation technique that could render the current caste system obsolete. Of course, the government is none too pleased about that, so Willa finds herself fighting for her own life as well as humanity’s.

In Chris Panatier’s The Phlebotomist, the story shines at establishing a well-crafted and bone-chilling world where your worth is determined by your blood-type. Its premise starts off conceptually strong. However, following a huge plot twist, some of the story’s believability falls apart at the seams as the some of its explanations begin to feel less and less satisfactory.

Overall though, The Phlebotomist is a horrifying, genre-bending dystopian filled with twists and turns that caught me by rare surprise. I just wish the big plot twist had been as meticulously developed as the novel’s beginning.

I find that a lot of my favourite science fiction starts off as a simple What If scenario. A talented author can take a seemingly simple idea and extrapolate from there. A simple difference to our current way of life can have huge implications. Before long an entire new world has been built from this one What If? So, what if the class system was based on blood type? Those universal O donors are top of the pile, whilst A Negatives sit at the bottom. Why has this world turned to this scenario to determine the haves and have nots? Chris Panatier had this idea and out came the intriguing The Phlebotomist, a fantastic slice of What If speculative fiction.

Willa is known as a Phlebotomist; this is someone who knowledgeable in blood and collects it. After a series of nuclear strikes, blood is needed for those in the Grey Zones, without a fresh supply of blood they would succumb to radiation poisoning. Willa is one of the best at what she does and has never questioned why so much blood is required but when she witnesses an accident her life will never be the same. The drones that supposedly carry the blood to the Grey Zones are empty, so were has all the blood gone?

Phlebotomist has the type of world building at its centre that reminds you why you love science fiction so much. There is not another genre that can take a concept like a society based on blood and make it seem natural. People would give blood to help others and you can imagine an authoritarian government increasingly leaning on the people as the bombs still fall. By the time that this book is set, our world is very different and Panatier does a fantastic job of revealing the details through the storyline itself.

The first part of Phlebotomist is a joy to read solely for the way that the world evolves, but it is the character of Willa, and later The Locksmith, who provide the heart. These characters are not your typical late teen/early twenties protagonists that sometimes sully otherwise interesting science fiction. Instead they are mature. Willa is a grandparent looking after her grandson. This relationship has a huge bearing on her actions and drives the story forwards in places.

Making the main characters older also helps to anchor the story to our present day. Willa is old enough to have lived now. The book is set 40 or so years later, but on occasion she discusses the past and gives you an indication how things slipped into a more dystopian state. Although the concepts of Phlebotomist are outlandish on the surface, Panatier gives them a realistic and grounded feel by providing a shared history with our own.

The book is almost two different novels. The first half is a science fiction thriller as Willa is sucked deeper into a conspiracy. The second half provides far more action and for me is a little less effective for no other reason that I was enjoying the original pacing. During the novel there are events that completely change Willa’s view on the world. Stalwarts of genre fiction will have an educated guess what might happen, but Panatier is still able to provide the twists and turns with a sense of originality.

If nothing else the name Phlebotomist should hint to you that this is a bold outing and to begin with it starts off that way. The start is hard science fiction but told in a way that anyone can understand. It is a masterclass in world building. Once this world is formed Panatier changes gear and the book becomes more action science fiction. The two parts marry well, and most readers will enjoy both parts equally. I tend to enjoy action SF more than thinking SF, so it is testament to Panatier’s skill that I was a tiny bit disappointed when the brains left slightly for the brawn. This is obviously an author who can run with a good idea, I can’t wait to see what other worlds they will design.