3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I really liked parts of this book, other parts weren’t always super coherent for me and the plot got a bit lost at times. But everything came together a lot better in the latter part of the book.

I really like the magic system and I wish it was developed and explained more-hopefully that will come in the second book.

Interesting world and magic system, but it did take me a long time to finish for whatever reason. At times the main character wasn't entirely likeable, but she didn't have to be and at times it was justified. Liked the way the plot slowly came together and I would read more from this author.

This reads like a YA fantasy, it has predictable plot points and the character voices are young. Although it has been published as adult no idea why. I still enjoyed reading it. I feel like the magic system is interesting, the world is great although both parts could have been more detailed. It feels like everything is very black or white in their decisions or their betrayals there is no room for gray which is disappointing as having some morally grey moments could have really elevated this. I liked the characters but feel they could have been developed more, Demi our MC is in a love triangle and she openly toys with both of them, which is pretty crappy but made her more interesting and I would have loved to see more of that side of her. I think it was too easy to predict what was gonna happen but if you just ignore that its a good read.

I did not manage to read this unfortunately, due to unforeseeable issues at home but I have preordered this book as I’m interested in reading it once I get the opportunity.

I've given up on this book - the tone and "voice" of the main character is grating on me and it seems quite political (while still containing magic!) will not be reviewing on Goodreads as it's not for me.

The biggest problem with this book is that it was marketed to the wrong audience. It's clearly a very young YA book because of how black and white everything is depicted. Yes, the bad guys are bad, there's no debate there, but maybe a little more nuance for the "good guys" would've been good. Not everyone is 100% good or bad, there's some room for grey, especially in an adult novel, which is why this felt like a very young YA novel. Others have pointed out pacing issues and I agree on that as well, it was weirdly structured. Now the world was well written, I'll give it that but overall it was a big meh. 2.5 stars

Thank you for my eARC of this book. Firstly, the cover is stunning and absolutely drew me in! I think this was a great debut that was engaging and well thought out. The pacing was a little slow at times but overall a great book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this arc!

This is the authors debut novel and it was still done reasonably well, I did enjoy the elements she brought in with the folklore but not everything was as good as I had hoped. Overall, I would recommend

I was drawn in by the stunning cover of this one with its rich colours. It's more YA than adult and perhaps doesn't tread any new paths, but diverse authors are producing some incredible stories that feel brand new and I'm here for it!

Oh my word this book really annoyed me. I started off thinking ok this would shape up to be your typical YA in an African setting. I got to the part where her mother dies and I thought so far so Children of Blood & Bone, Blood Scion, The Gilded Ones.

I get further in and it’s ok - not great but not bad. It also starting to pick up in parts making it easy to read. However some plot lines are soo predictable and the characters are flat. Then we get about 60/70% in and it starts to get really irritating. Demi & Colin are both stupid. Jonas is a flat non character and he’s supposed to be the min love interest? You can see the “twists” a mile away and it is all so painfully predictable. The whole conflict/fight is very poorly written. At this point - I’m trying to just get to the end. The resolution is truly incomprehensible. I don’t want to spoil it but I feel like it does a disservice to women’s rights.

All in - I didn’t love the world building, poor character development (other than Demi every single character is just plain flat) and very predictable storyline. The writing is oddly convoluted but also quite banal in parts. Just plain disappointing overall. I’m giving it 1.5 stars because it was readable and I was able to get to the end.

Debut novels are either incredible or need a lot of work and this one definitely fell into the incredible category.

Inspired by Nigerian mythology and folklore, this YA fantasy really got everything that I wanted in a book. I am most definitely looking forward to book two!

Inspired by Nigerian mythology and folklore, this YA fantasy ticked all the boxes of what I was craving; adventure, threat, exotic folklore, and forbidden romance. The world-building in this novel shows real potential for at least one sequel. At times the action felt a little rushed and a few weeks after reading, I'd be hard pushed to recount specific details. That said, not every story needs to be memorable. I really enjoyed it in the midst of reading and found the pacing kept me wanting more.

In hindsight, I think this definitely feels like book 1 of a duology, trilogy or maybe even more! In that case, I'd definitely be interested in it's successors.

I've heard such brilliant things about this book, and it certainly didn't disappoint. It was gripping, the characters were loveable and relatable and the world building was incredible. Would definitely recommend!

"Forged by Blood" by Ehigbor Okosun is a gripping tale that delves into the complexities of human resilience and the enduring spirit in the face of adversity. Okosun weaves a compelling narrative filled with intricate characters and a richly detailed world. The exploration of themes such as strength, sacrifice, and the bonds that hold us together make this novel a powerful and thought-provoking read. With its masterful storytelling, "Forged by Blood" leaves a lasting impact, making it a recommended choice for those who appreciate intense and emotionally charged narratives.

First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager UK for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Forged by Blood is Ehigbor Okosun’s first novel and the first instalment in the Tainted Blood duology, in which we follow Dèmi, a magic-wielding Oluso girl, as she loses her mother and gets the opportunity to avenge her by kidnapping the non magic-wielding Aje prince, Jonas.

As a debut novel, this book was good! I feel like debut novels are either hit or miss, and although I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars rating, this one falls under the “hit” category for me. The beginning of the book is fast-paced and you get a lot of worldbuilding elements thrown into your face, but it is necessary to understand the rest of the story. I really loved the setting and the fact that it is a Nigerian-inspired young adult fantasy, because I get to discover and learn about another culture, which is the Yoruba and West-African one in this case (if I am not mistaken), and is really different from the European-inspired fantasies that are really popular at the moment.
The characters have fiery temperament and each have their own personality: Dèmi is determined, Colin is stubborn, and Jonas is sweet. The romance felt a bit forced at times, and beware that this is a love-triangle kind of story. The plot felt somewhat predictable, like the relationship between Dèmi and Jonas, but on the other hand, some plot elements were really surprising to me. There is also a small criticism, in my opinion, on colonialism featured in this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I will read the sequel, Exiled in Iron, which will apparently be out in October 2024? (Source: GoodReads)

"𝐹𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇. 𝐼𝓉 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝑒𝓃."

This book was INCREDIBLE. I found the characters to be beautifully written and the writing style to be riveting. Dèmi was a fantastic character and I really enjoyed following her on her journey to discovering and embracing her powers. I loved reading this book and can’t wait for more by this author. The magic system and class divide were both explored really well and the world building was incredible. I would recommend this to any fantasy fans interested in more diversity and an amazing protagonist such as Dèmi.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

I had high expectations for this and it was just very mediocre. Nothing special or memorable in the characters, writing or story and slightly bad at times. I see the vision, but sadly this flopped.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I really enjoyed this book, but I can't say I loved it, it kind of just felt like I have read very similar in the past but never the less it was still a good book. It did take me some time to read it but i never once thought no I don't want to read it anymore. I did enjoy it and I would carry on with any more books as I did enjoy the plot and reading about the characters. 3.5 stars

This was okay. It was really nothing special and I don't think it decided what age category it wanted to be. Straddled YA and adult, it was marketed to me as adult, when it really reads more YA, which I enjoy but it meant i went in with the wrong expectations.
The plot was so good to start I was fully engaged by it, but then we seem to get a bit lost in the middle. The plot meanders around while we establish some world building. The world itself is stunning, but in a book this size it suffers. It's an epic fantasy level world but in a YA book and so it takes a long time to establish and we lose some of the plot.

Overall its not bad, but it's not good. However I would be more than willing to read this author again as I think there's good potential!

Absolutely fantastic , such a unique fantasy. This is a wonderfully immersive read, with creative world building and magic systems, nice romance plot and a storyline that was interesting enough for me to not want to put the book down. Brilliant

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.