3⭐️

The Blood Vier marks my very first ARC that I received from NetGalley and oooh how I am glad to have waited until now to review it.

Okay. So. This book is pretty self explanatory. Read the synopsis and a reader pretty much knows what they are in for. It is within the first 4-7 chapters that a reader will either find themselves loving this or wanting to completely DNF this. Unfortunately for me, I wanted to DNF this as soon as I finished Chapter 4. But, because I was waiting for a certain book on Libby, I decided to stick this one out.

Do I regret forcing myself to read this??? Not entirely. Will I be continuing the series??? Nope.
Am I upset that my first ARC turned out to be kind of off putting??? Absolutely!!!

See, The Blood Vier is equal parts entertaining as it is meh. The first 50% will probably annoy you. There are a million and one characters that you have to keep up with and majority of these characters are angry over a thousand different things. Themes of betrayal, treason, mistrust, and murder hit you as soon as you read Chapter 1 and continue throughout the entire book. You might even find yourself rolling your eyes over the mistreatment of the FMC Taryn Gallows (I know I did). The reader is hit with just so much information and misdirection that DNFing this early on is very understandable.

However…

What saved this book for me, aside from waiting on my Libby hold, was the audiobook. The Blood Vier is rated a solid 3 stars because it is told in two points of view: Taryn and Vladimir. The two narrators selected for read this book via audio did an amazing job with bringing both of these characters to life as well as their relationship with one another and with all the million and one side characters. It because of my lack of enjoyment with the storyline that I found myself reading this at 2.75x speed, which helped me finish this in 24 hours. And while I won’t forgot anything from this book anytime soon, I do believe that this book, let alone this series, should be read with caution. It is not a book for newly discovered Fantasy readers. The Blood Vier is more for YA Fantasy Lovers who just might find themselves wanting to grab ahold of this series and never let go. As for me, new to the fantasy world altogether, this book was decent enough to finish but, not motivating enough to continue the series.

Best of luck to Christy .R. Harrill on all of her future endeavors, including her writing career.

Thank you NetGalley and Rose Hollow Press for granting my request of an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

The Blood Vier by Christy R. Harrill is a romantasy with good world building and a strong female lead. Fans of fantasy involving political games and intrigue will enjoy this series. Hand to fans of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I unfortunately didn't finish this book (got about 3/4 through before it expired). What I can say is I absolutely loved what I did read, and I don't doubt that the ending would continue in a similar fashion, which is why I decided to still review.
This book had an amazingly unique concept, and it was a refreshing read after so many fantasy books that follow the same storyline. It has definitely been added to my TBR to finish elsewhere other than netgalley, and I am sure I'll be picking up the other book in the series too.
The writing was great, I loved the main character; she was incredibly gutsy and brave, and the feeling of danger was evident through the prose. Can't wait to finish this one day.

Blood Vier by Christy R. Harrill is a captivating read that hooked me from the very beginning and kept me guessing throughout. The novel is rich with political intrigue, and Taryn is a standout character whose journey I quickly came to care about. I’m eager to see how her story unfolds.

The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep you on your toes, all while maintaining a pace that is easy to follow. Harrill has crafted an inviting fantasy world where the focus remains on the compelling narrative, free from distractions or unnecessary exposition. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book and can’t wait for the next installment!

Book Review: The Blood Vier (Blood Vier #1) by Christy R. Harrill

The Blood Vier by Christy R. Harrill is the first book in a promising new series that delivers a fast-paced and blood-soaked adventure filled with political intrigue, betrayal, and supernatural power plays. Set in a vividly built world where the stakes are high, the novel offers an immersive experience with detailed descriptions that make it easy to visualize the action and setting.

The story centers around Taryn, the main female character (FMC), whose mysterious past is hinted at but not fully explored in this installment. While the novel dives straight into the action, some readers may find themselves wishing for more backstory on the characters, especially since their motivations and histories seem to be essential to the overall plot. It’s clear that these characters have rich pasts, but we’re left to wait for future books to uncover the full story.

Harrill keeps the momentum up throughout the book, never letting the action slow down for long. However, the repetition of certain plot points, particularly Taryn’s frequent near-death experiences and repeated rescues, may be frustrating for some readers. Although Taryn is portrayed as someone who insists she’s capable of defending herself, her repeated need for help undercuts her self-reliance, making her character development feel a bit lacking in that respect.

Despite these minor setbacks, The Blood Vier succeeds in setting up a complex and dangerous world where alliances are fragile and violence is always just around the corner. The political intrigue and cutthroat nature of the society suggest that future books in the series will delve deeper into the chaos and bloodshed that seems inevitable.

Overall, The Blood Vier is an exciting start to what promises to be a dark and thrilling series. The world-building is strong, the action is relentless, and the political drama adds an extra layer of tension. There’s plenty of potential for growth in the characters and storylines, and readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy with a mix of danger and intrigue will find much to appreciate here.

Rating: 3/5 stars – A promising start with immersive world-building and political intrigue, though the repetitive plot structure and lack of character backstory leave room for improvement in future installments.

Thanks so very much to Netgalley and the publisher for kindly providing me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I do reviews on my main social media platforms and will be providing my full review there as I get through my TBR blacklist. Adding star rating as placeholder. Thanks again!

A puzzling murder.
A crumbling diarchy.
A Blood Vier summoned to quell the ashes of corruption.

This was a very solid Y.A. fantasy and a good start to the series. I look forward to reading more.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Okay, this one took a while to read!! Generally, I LOVE this idea. It sounds super fresh and interesting. However, though I enjoyed the plot and the idea this book was trying to present, the characters felt strange to me. I didn't really feel any connection to them, so it was hard to enjoy the book when the characters I was reading about felt kind of one-dimensional. Overall, I think this book could have been really great, but the characters needed to feel more alive and resonate more with the reader. I am leaving it at two stars mainly for the idea and the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing!

This book has such an interesting premise. Taryn has big time daddy issues, with a father who was absent more than present, but was also apparently more than he seemed. When a mysterious man tells her that her father was murdered, and that she is the key to solving this murder, she begrudgingly agrees to help and quickly gets pulled in to the peril and intrigue at court.
This appears to be the first book in a series, and I am definitely interested in seeing where the characters go from here!

Blood Vier had me at page 1. The change in narrative voice gave a three dimensional view to events. Along with the sensory descriptions and powerful narrative voice, this novel delivers. Book 2 is going to be exciting.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Christy R. Harrill for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the first book in a young adult fantasy series. There is murder, corruption, traitors, mysteries, and political games. This is a dual POV story where our female main character has just found out her father has been murdered, and now she needs to come to the capital to try and find his killer. The other POV is our male main character, who is a part of the kingdom and worked for the father of our female main character. His job is to protect her and figure out why her father was killed.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to finish the series. There is so much corruption and mysteries throughout book one I can't wait to see what happens in book two and to get some answers.

For anyone who enjoys a good young adult fantasy book about kingdoms, political games, and corruption surrounding the crown, I would highly recommend this book.

Fast paced plot, good character development, awesome world building. Nice to read a fantasy novel without the romance. Thanks for the arc netgalley. I really enjoyed it.

Overall this is a unique YA story with likeable characters and an easy to follow theme. My only complaint would be pacing of the story. At times it felt too fast for what I wanted to happen.

Taryn made a promise to her mother that she would stay in her tiny village until she received her father's blessing, but instead of a blessing, the message she received was that he was dead. With both of her parents gone Taryn leaves her small village out to claim her mother's family. She is immediately attacked by thieves and just when she thinks she will die she is saved, by a stranger who says her father, the father that abandoned her and yet somehow dictated her life was murdered. Not only that he was one of the most powerful people in the Kingdom. And with her father gone Taryn now has a target on her head and a dedication to end the life of the man who took him away from her.

There is so much potential in this book just begging to burst free. A complicated tale of murder, treachery, and a daughter trying to come to grips with the fact that no matter how much she wishes to hate her father she can't. It's got everything. It's just too short. The author doesn't have the time to truly develop these characters and the plot on the level they not only need to be but deserve to be. There was genuinely nothing I disliked about this, except for the fact that I believe it would have been better served by not following a typical YA formula.

Overall, I do recommend it, it's a quick read with interesting characters and will work well for fans of political fantasies looking for something not too involved.

As always thanks to Victory Editing/Rose Hollow Press and NetGalley for the eArc.

Just finished and let me tell you I absolutely love it, I started reading one book and didn’t enjoy it then I picked this one and basically couldn’t stop
Love the fact that there a very small appearance of romance and it’s kind of a trio? I’m happy that’s not the main focus.I would definitely liked to see more perspectives, can’t way read the next one

Thank you to Netgalley and Christy R. Harrill for allowing me to read and review.

I really enjoyed this story and need to hunt down book two somehow.

Two POVs, Taryn and Vladimir. Their stories meet when Taryn's father whom she rarely saw passed away. The last time she saw him 5 years had passed after mother's death and he left her a ring. Unbeknownst to her, Michael Gallows was the leader of the Kavari and now Taryn is the Blood Vier, a blood heir. The ring is a symbol of the Kavari. She must now vie for her right to be in the Kavari while avenging her father's death and locate her mother's lost people.

Little hard to get into but after the first 10 or so chapters I found myself FLYING through this book. I'm so glad to see that there are more books in this series, will definitely be looking into adding those to my tbr!

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just absolutely had so much fun getting to go along on these characters journey. I was just swept away and I just absolutely can’t get enough of this series or its wonderful characters. This author just has a way of drawing you in with her wonderful stories and you just can’t get enough of them. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

The pacing on this was something else. I started reading it and suddenly I was three quarters of the way through the book. The world building was overall pretty good though I felt some of it was lost during what I'd consider "repeating" events in the story. No romance but I'm wondering if there's an enemies to lovers arc in the works. Curious to see where the next one goes!