Dnf unfortunately at 10%
I was beyond excited to read this but i guess the writing style is not for me and the idea of an already established couple made me question why do i read this if some things are already established

“Even when you’re broken, even when you’re shaped by the emptiness inside you, it’s worth it. You find other things to fill that fxxking void… I lost who I was but not who I am.”

One day I might grow out of loving morally grey MMCs, but today is not that day, because Kai Donovan has won my heart. Wildblood by A.J. Vrana is a sister novel to The Chaos Cycle Duology, but it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the duology and didn’t feel lost or out of place. There are some references and mentions to the events that transpire in those books, but they would probably only assist in informing you of background rather than providing any necessary information.

Wildblood puts much more of a focus on Kai, including his history, trauma, and events that have shaped his life now. The author creates this incredibly dark and immersive world filled with creatures of the night and a constant power struggle. I absolutely loved Miya’s character as the ethereal Dreamwalker. She is portrayed as someone so kind and loving and then has this incredibly badass power, and she realises just how powerful she is towards the end of the book. The book explores her and Kai’s relationship, and she is always there for him through everything, and in return he is her protector in the waking world.

I wish there was more of an explanation of why many people were what I assume were mortals, why some had magic, others had shapeshifting abilities etc, and whether these abilities were frowned upon or generally kept hidden or if everybody just lived harmoniously (well, as much as they can in a city ruled by opposing factions).

This has a bit of spice in it, but it is only an accompaniment to the main story. I was absolutely hooked and genuinely enjoyed this story so much.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for the eARC of this book 💕

Review will be coming soon. I can’t wait to read this one :) thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC

Going into this knowing that this was a standalone from a duology was quite difficult- I always felt like I was missing some reference here and there. But still, I persevered and the author did their best to fill in the gaps with the background worldbuilding so I did appreciate that. That being said, I felt like the first half of the book dragged a bit, possibly due to my lack of understanding the series and world already built, so it took me quite some time to get through this book. At around the 60% mark did it start picking up for me, the plot revealed itself, and more importantly to me, the character development for Kai that was slowly being written across the first half. This became a story about identity, which was fascinating and unbeknownst to me, would be the highlight as I spent so much time disinterested in his turmoil which felt very dramatic. However, I did enjoy how his story of self identity and reflection would tie into the main conflict of the book and ultimately turn into a story of growth and passing it onto others. This book was mostly a 3 star read for me until the end so giving it a 4 overall.

I LOVED this book!! I will come back and write a more in depth review because I feel it deserves that but for now I will say:
1. I was hooked from the very beginning
2. The writing style is stunning
3. The worldbuilding is so engaging
4. The characters are endearing, interesting and so fleshed out. Both the main and side characters
5. Kai Donovan I am your number one fan🥇

All of the stars!!

Despite I don't fully understand the world-building that has me lot in struggling to always keep on track every time I read, I really really enjoy the chemistry between main characters here. The tension between them has made me giggle throughout the book. Kai is someone who keep all the things done by himself with his sarcastic vibes is even hard to get to close with him. But with Miya, her soft and tender character, they find each other able to work together, acknowledge their flaws and accept each other true color. I love both of them. This book is an epic read for me afterall.

Thank you to Natgalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me the ARC copy of this book, and thank you so much for the author for writing this book!

Kai Donovan is an underground fighter in South Boston. He doesn’t lose his fights until one day against an unknown (to Kai), he ends up obligated to the underworld. They wants the recovery of a prize craved by Boston’s most dangerous criminals. What is this prize? His partner Miya has the ability to cross dreams. She spends her days doing supernatural investigation. She is asked to find a missing teenager. Will she find the teenager? She suspects that there may be another with her type of special skills. Kai has a dark past that has returned to haunt him. Kai thought the bonds were ironclad. He’s faced with a choice: to unravel his blood-soaked history or lose himself and the life he’s put together. What will Kai do?

The author has created a dark urban fantasy. It is an emotional journey. It is a dark and Britt novel. I liked how it was spooky at times. Kai was a character that I enjoyed learning his background and his devotion to Miya. This was one of the est dark urban fantasy books I’ve read





——–

What really stood out to me in Wildblood was the strong influence of Slavic culture and mythology woven throughout the story. As a Slav myself, it’s rare to find a fantasy novel that so clearly draws on aspects of my heritage. The inclusion of the domovoy, the mischievous household spirit, was a highlight for me—it's not often these fascinating creatures get the spotlight in fantasy, and I loved seeing them brought to life in such a unique way.

Another refreshing element was the portrayal of an established couple working through their relationship issues. In a genre dominated by the "will they/won't they" tropes, it was nice to see characters already in a relationship, tackling the complexities of love, trust, and conflict. It was a welcome shift from the usual "meet cute" romance narrative and gave the story a more mature and grounded feel.

The aspect of gods transforming into wolves also intrigued me, and I’ll admit that it initially drew me to the book. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself more captivated by the dreamwalker and the dreamscape. I couldn’t help but picture it like the Upside-Down from Stranger Things—dark, twisted, and full of mystery. Maya’s ability to navigate between these two worlds, with all their tension and danger, was by far the most captivating part of the book.

The diversity of characters and settings also contributed to the overall depth of the story. It gave the world a more realistic and layered feel, something that made it stand out from other fantasy novels.

That being said, despite all the elements I enjoyed, I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. I couldn’t help but struggle to stay engaged, and it often felt like a chore to pick the book back up after putting it down. Maybe it’s a reflection of my own mindset right now, but I do wonder if a tighter, more condensed version of the story (perhaps trimming some of the pages) might have kept the momentum going better.

Ultimately, while Wildblood is undeniably well-written, with unique metaphors and a rich narrative, I didn’t find myself as absorbed as I had hoped. It’s a book with a lot to offer, and I would still recommend it to fans of atmospheric fantasy and those interested in Slavic mythology. For me, though, it just wasn’t the page-turner I expected.

The banter in this book has me in an absolute
CHOKEHOLD. I was giggling, screaming, kicking my feet and absolutely devouring the snarky tension between the characters! If up to banter and characters alone this would be an easy 5 star read.

The plot is good, I really enjoyed the folklore aspects and how different cultures crossed and combatted the other. The sequence of events made sense and progressed quickly but I just felt it was convoluted at times. The world building was a lot and I was struggling to keep up at times, in saying that I haven't read any of this authors other work and I believe they're surrounding the same characters so this could be on me. I will be picking up the other books because of how much I loved these characters.

Kai and Miya may be skyrocketing up my list of favourite main characters. Kai's sarcastic charm and his inability to seek help coupled with Miyas open heart and tenderness worked so well together. I love how they both acknowledge their flaws and accept each other for who they are- it's refreshing from the main characters who strive for perfection that they'll never reach.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

DNF at 52%

I was looking forward to this book, considering it features an established couple. But it is definitely not a standalone, and I think this marketing is doing the book a disservice. I see that many other reviewers agree, and really I wish I had seen that prior to requesting this title on NetGalley.

Although it seemed like there were recaps of major events from a previous series, I felt like I was really missing out on things I definitely should have already known. This is clearly a sequel.

There was too much telling instead of showing about Kai and Miya's relationship, I would have liked the intimacy of an established couple to take precedence, and it didn't feel like that.

The smut was also weird and just not to my taste, there was a scene very early on that seemed incredibly rushed and confusing. And I really dislike having to read a scene multiple times to try and work out what position they are in.

Also, I found Kai's chapters a little weird, too many things were compared to turds as insults, and I had no interest in so much detail when it came to all the fighting.

Unfortunately, I'm going to leave it here.

I will not be rating this book because I did not manage to finish it.
Personally I could not get into it and failed to connect with the characters in the first 15% of the book. I normally expect by this point in the book, which is currently page 61, to find one element of the story to spark my interest. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened and it’s probably because I have not read the other books set in this universe ( The Chaos Cycle Duology).
The book has high ratings overall, so I expect it’s quite a good story by the end.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the ARC copy.

dnf @ 30%

this book wasn’t bad by any means, i just couldn’t get into the story or connect with the characters. it’s probably because i didn’t read the chaos cycle duology beforehand, so i’d highly recommend starting with that before diving into this one.

dnf @ 10%

i can tell already the writing style is not for me. it's overly ornate and flowery making it difficult to read. long chapters plus wordy sentences leaving me confused and taking me out the story. main characters are already in a established relationship which i don't think is for me either (this is just personal preference)

“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙩.”

Let’s be real—this was a total cover love situation for me, and omg, I’m so glad I trusted my instincts. I LOVED this book! It was every bit the gritty, unique, and entirely dark urban fantasy I'd hoped for. Set in the same unique world as The Chaos Cycle Duology, Wildblood is a standalone companion novel told through the POVs of the MCs.

Kai Donovan, a god incarnate, makes ends meet by fighting at his local bar, pulverizing anyone the Bratva asks him to. His inner wolf makes it easy work until one day an unexpected opponent turns his world upside down, ending with Kai owing the Russian mafia more than he ever wanted to. — Emiliya "Miya" Delathorne is the Dreamwalker, known for traversing the Dreamscape and providing clients small 'seer' services. But when a stranger seeks Miya out, she becomes entangled in a web of events forcing her and Kai's paths to intertwine, propelling them into the heart of a mystery.

𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘢𝘪 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦: 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

Literally, from the first sentence, I was hooked. Not many scenes open with "Nothing felt better than a sharp blade slicing through the larynx of an overconfident shit-talker." A.J. Vrana completely pulls you into her vision of Boston—a seedy, dangerous city, laced with Slavic folklore and mystical creatures like Domovoys and Leshys. Although, the Domovoy in this is completely adorable and probably my favorite character apart from Kai. One of the highlights for me was the fascinating exploration of the thin, fragile line between the Dreamscape and the Waking World. As Kai and Miya confront their pasts and unravel a haunting mystery rooted in the Dreamscape, we as readers, get a story that immaculately blends mythology with the urban edge of city life.

This book doesn’t shy away from heavy themes but balances them beautifully with crass banter and plenty of action. Trauma, especially PTSD, is rarely portrayed with the depth and authenticity we get here, and Kai’s journey is nothing short of well-written. His loss, fear of intimacy, and raw savagery forged by his struggles make him one of the most complex and refreshing characters I’ve read in a long time.

𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴.

And then there’s Kai and Miya’s relationship—wow. It’s not your picture-perfect romance, but that’s exactly what makes it so stunning. It’s real, raw, and deeply moving, built on understanding each other’s triggers and striving to grow together, even when it’s tough. Kai’s snarky quips and inner monologue had me rolling, even as I wanted to shake him for his stubbornness sometimes. His IDGAF attitude hides so much pain, and when those layers start peeling back? Chef’s kiss. Meanwhile, Miya’s quiet strength and occasional exasperation with Kai made her the perfect match for him. Plus, the way therapy is woven into the story? Absolute perfection. This book explores love in all its forms, and how it manifests across different relationships, which is brilliant. Crowbar and Ama were a wonderful couple along with the addition of Caelan's character.

"𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳?"
"𝘐𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸."

Seriously though, this book has it all: underground fights, magical entities, Russian mobsters, found family, and enough twists to keep you up all night reading. If you’re into dark urban fantasy with a beating heart, Wildblood will sink its teeth into you—and trust me, you won’t want it to let go.

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰?"
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵,"
"𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳."

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this incredible story to review.

(4.25⭐s rounded down)

📖 Slavic Folklore
😍 Men in Therapy
🐺 Witches & Wolves
❤️‍🩹 PTSD & Generational Trauma
✨ Dreamwalking
👊🏻 Underground Fighting
🏠 Found Family
🫦 Amazing Banter

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book - I couldn’t get into the story and also realised this related to another set of books which I hadn’t read.

I imagine others will enjoy this book but it unfortunately wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

First things first, this is being marketed as a standalone is A.J. Vrana’s other universe. I disagree with this marketing as it seems like the main characters in this novel are the main characters in the author’s duology. I was not aware of this prior to reading so I have not read the duology. I believe the duology will provide important context for specific interactions between characters. Thus keep in mind that I am reviewing this book without having read this author’s duology.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They all seemed to be a little bit messed up and I think that works for the characters that they are. The only issue with the characters I found is that they had interactions that didn’t make sense with the characterization that we got on page. Additionally, one of the characters goes to therapy randomly in the middle of the action. I didn’t mind the addition but I thought it could have come at a better time.

The plot was really good if a little slow. There would be times of intense action and then absolutely nothing to push the plot forward. There were times when we ignored the problem until the very last moment for no reason. It was just strange how the action was split up.

Overall, I did really like the book but I think in order to read this, you need to have read A.J. Vrana’s duology.

I know this is companion novel to the authors other duology but honestly I didn’t have to read them to read this, which I throughly enjoyed, however off the back of wild blood I’ll definitely be reading the others. I really enjoyed how fleshed out and established all the characters were, and the growth throughout this book! Also the Slavic folklore, that was a fun twist! It was different reading an established couple off the get go, not usually my thing, but I did enjoy their dynamic… the trust, the love and the spice. The more I read of them the more invested I became… Also the backstory behind them was different and I loved that aspect of the book. I am a sucker for a great urban fantasy and this world felt gritty, dark and atmospheric. The writing really submersed me in the world and sometimes it was a little unnerving but I was hooked. Also I really liked the representation in this book, the mental health rep, the ptsd rep, the complexities of human emotions and trauma. Overall I was surprised and throughly enjoyed this read.

First off, I absolutely love this cover page! This is hot and spicy!🌶️ If I was a person only judging on cover to get this book. I would totally get this book! The author did an amazing job creating an atmospheric and foreshadowing environment paired with sensual characters. I didn’t know there was a duology before this book. I wish I would have known so I could have read them.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this novel!

If blood, violence and incredibly sexy people are your thing, you will enjoy Wildblood. I would recommend reading the Duology first, many aspects did not hit as hard as they could have with previous world knowledge.

Wildblood is a new adult urban supernatural action adventure following Miya, a dreamwalker with the power to walk the spirit world, and Kai, her troubled werewolf-like boyfriend. A standalone sequal to a duology, I had no trouble understanding the original journey of the characters even though I have not read the duology. I can recommend this book for new adults interested in a Slavic folklore-inspired urban fantasy that features dual perspective, an established couple, DnD-like plot structure, and a mostly healthy and realistic relationship dynamic.

Set in Boston, I was pleased to see the personality of the area captured so well in the characters. Boston's extroverted, brash, snarky, quipy sense of humor shines through the local characters, neighbors, and shop owners. I am from the Boston area myself, and the vibes reminded me of home. The colorful side characters and cozy scenes breaking up each leg of the quest make this story a balm for the soul, even though it also explores difficult mental health issues.

Miya and Kai, five years into their relationship, are still growing individuals with their own unique ambitions. Miya is confronted with the mysterious disappearence of a young girl, while Kai is caught in the middle of a gang fued and must come to terms with his dark and violent roots. Tension is created throughout the novel as the two characters try to balance the dynamic of the relationship, figuring how much or how little they ought to lean on each other.

I liked how this book featured a couple that already understood each other, and used the current quests to add hurdles to their relationship. I loved the small yet flavorful details like the bar's Domovoy, the mention of Dunkins, and the questgiver's unique calling card, giving this fantasy world a unique cultural flaire. While the pacing was a bit too slow for me at times, the cosiness fits right in with the current trends of fantasy this year. I found this book comparable with the Throne of Glass series, The Spellshop, and One for my Enemy. Why is this author not famous yet?