This was my first time reading a book by this author—and let me tell you, I was wildly hooked from beginning to end. This is not your average fantasy book, the characters and plot were very well written, I heavily enjoyed how the author tackled such serious real-life topics like trauma and mental health. Kai and Miya are my new favorite couple! I look forward to future books by A.J Vrana.

“I’m not death,” said Kai. “I’m the fucking calamity that wields it.”

So full disclosure, I haven't read the Chaos Cycle duology (yet!!) But this is so well done that I was able to not only read it as a standalone, but not feel as though I missed anything/felt lost during the read. It's SO hard to do that effectively, and so I was extremely pleased. I mean, that line ALONE had me hooked.

Dark fantasy is my JAM, so I was invested in this dark, gritty world IMMEDIATELY. This feels like Sophie Lark's Kingsmaker series, but aged up and...you know...fantasy. But even more importantly--Kai is a MMC that DOES THE WORK!! We all joke about red flags in our book boyfriends (and lord knows Kai has them!) but he does the thing that we all WISH the men in our books (and probably lives) would do---he does the work, deals with his trauma, goes to therapy, and works on a way forward. We LOVE a book with good mental health rep!!!

He and Miya's relationship is so complex because of the history they share, and their own personal histories. But it's such a (mostly) healthy and supportive relationship, and they work so well together--I loved them.

The only thing that prevented this from being 5 stars for me where a few places where the word choice felt weird/off to me and it pulled me out of the story to have a "....wait, what?" moment. But overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading the main duology soon!

4.5 stars
Wildblood is a complete standalone, but set in the same world as the Chaos Cycle duology, so I decided to read it first and I’m so glad I did. The duology is amazing and I highly recommend reading it first because I promise you will fall in love with it and be even more excited to read Wildblood. The Hollow Gods gave me the same feeling as reading Ninth House which is one of my favorite books of all time so finding a book with similar vibes made me so happy. This urban fantasy world is filled with spirits, demons, gods, dream realms, and wolf shifters. It’s dark and gory and gritty and violent and so realistic. The prose of these books hook me every time. The author’s attention to detail really makes a difference in setting the scene and tone to get you on the edge of your seat. I feel like I know these characters inside and out because they are just so honest and real. The first book made me cry cause I relate to Miya so much. These characters go through a lot so it was nice to see an emphasis on mental health and therapy in Wildblood. One of my favorite micro tropes when it comes to shifters is when they still have their creature’s mannerisms in their human form. And Kai may as well be a wolf 24/7 for how many wolf traits and habits cross over to his personality. This couple is one of my absolute favorite couples I’ve ever read so I could read 500 books about them and never get tired of them. The romance is amazing in every book and the spice is upped a few levels in this book which I loved. Wildblood leans into the urban world more than the duology, with all of the same fantasy aspects and mystery solving we are familiar with from the duology. Something we don’t see often in fantasy books is established couples and the characters figuring out their lives so it was refreshing to jump back into a world I already know and loved. Based on how much I loved these books, I will be reading absolutely anything this author writes in the future.

I feel this book was written very well and I enjoyed the entire aspect of it. I wish I would have read the Chaos Duo first for a little bit of knowledge going in but it was still a very good book.

I enjoyed the characters a lot; Kai’s complex story and Miya’s strong personality maybe things a lot more enjoyable. The attention to detail with violence and emphasis on emotional traumas were always a great addition to the plot.

Wildblood by A.J. Vrana started strong, with its eerie atmosphere and dark magic drawing me in.

The story is undeniably unique, blending horror and fantasy in a fresh way that sets it apart. However, as the story progressed, I felt the plot lost momentum.
While the initial intrigue had me hooked, the narrative didn’t maintain the same intensity, and it became harder to stay engaged around the halfway mark.

Despite this, the originality of the concept is definitely worth noting.


I received this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Parliament House press and to A.J. Vrana

"Wildblood" by A.J. Vrana is a thrilling addition to the urban fantasy genre. It blends elements of darkness, mystery, and the supernatural in a setting that feels both familiar and eerily otherworldly. This novel promises a gritty and sexy adventure that's hard to put down.
The story follows Kai Donovan, a character with a feral edge who has made a name for himself as an underground fighter in South Boston. His life takes a turn when he loses a match to a formidable opponent, plunging him into the depths of the underworld where he must recover a coveted prize. Alongside Kai is Miya, a woman with the unique ability to traverse dreams, who finds herself on a quest to find a missing teenager, possibly someone with abilities like her own.
They are drawn into a tapestry of danger and intrigue as their paths intertwine. Kai's past comes back to haunt him, and he must confront the demons of his history or risk losing everything he's fought to build. The novel is not just an action-packed journey; it's an exploration of themes such as generational trauma, PTSD, and the struggle to overcome emotional scars.
Vrana's writing is sharp and evocative, with a narrative that grips from the first page. The characters are complex and flawed, making them relatable and compelling. The world-building is rich, blending Irish and Slavic folklore, adding depth to the story.

I am loving the dark vibes of Wildblood!! Let me just say this is the perfect read for fall/winter time with these darker tones in the book

The writing is fantastic! The whole book was beautifully written and well detailed. I think the story was extremely unique given the two MC’s already know each other and were together at the start of the book.

I really enjoyed following the main characters journeys separately and how they ended up morphing together. I felt like this was so well plotted out and I totally did not expect it to happen!

And a man in therapy?! There was a trope I didn’t know I needed in my life!

I do wish I had done my research and saw that there were two other books before Wildblood! While Wildblood is a standalone, I personally like to go into a story with all the background information. Wildblood is considered a standalone companion novel! So I will definitely be going back to read The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm because those books sound SO good!

Best part? NO CLIFFHANGER!!! Yay 😊

Overall I would definitely recommend reading this book!!

4⭐️ 3🌶

My Thoughts:
Mia and Kai are endgame! I loved how we got to know more about Kai’s background. We get to see his growth, and I liked how it was a significant change! The mental health rep in this book was also a plus! A lot of people struggle to open up, and I liked seeing Kai face these challenges and learn to overcome them. There was more than enough spice and humor to back up the enthralling plot. I really liked the dreamwalking scenes. The author really knew how to depict the dreamscape and pull you into the world.

This is the perfect season to read this book. It just gave all the fall/Halloween vibes with the folklore feel.

As always, check the trigger warnings as this is a dark urban fantasy.

Read if you like:
-Dark Urban Fantasy
-ADHD & PTSD Rep
-Mafia
-Morally Grey MMC
-Established Couple

**Thank you to Netgalley and A.J. Vrana for sending me an ARC for an honest review**

"He wanted to punish her, make her beg with need for him, and he wanted her to enjoy it."

Well, I love Kai

"He couldn’t fuck his way out of trauma, but it sure as hell made everything hurt less."

4.5 stars

The author sent me this amazing PR Package too 😭 Thank you thank you!!

You're gonna want to see this art it is PERFECTION

"The hardest fucking part, he’d learned, was finding his damn home."

This was such a fun read. It wasn’t a fun *book*, it was dark, depressing, and violent, but I had a great time reading it lmao

“How’s therapy treating you?”
“Well,” he feigned, “it made me mad enough to fuck you in a field, but that probably means it’s working.”

Kai and Miya were great! I rarely read books (or find them) with established couples and I always love that because there usually isn’t that standard relationship drama. You can technically read this one as a standalone, but I think I would have liked reading the other duology first, for all the background on our characters. But, it was described very well, so after the initial *new world, who dis* confusion, I was doing fine in understanding.

"After his first therapy session with Dr. Krunić, he wanted to lie on a cold floor and stare at the ceiling. People yammered on about how validating therapy was, but Kai felt like a deflated tricycle tire after running over a mastiff turd."

I think the big thing about this book that stands out is the mental health rep. Not only the rep itself but also the fact that Kai starts therapy in the middle of the book and it helps him sort out his head and stop lashing out, as one does. That was seriously great.

"It’s hard to empathize with others when you’re in pain."

Miya was so sweet but tough, I don’t have much to say about her, it’s one of those *vibes*, except I’m looking forward to reading the duology to see more of her beginning!

“It’ll take more than a few cracked ribs to stop me from fucking you”

I was crying at the plot tho, how it all unfolded, the revelations, and conclusions, ugh, so good.

"He thought it was jealousy, seeing Ama’s fingers woven with his girl’s, until he glared at the white wolf and realized he felt nothing. The feeling wasn’t for her. It was for himself. Ama was there to comfort Miya because he’d fucked up. Kai wasn’t jealous. He was ashamed."

I loved this dark, gritty urban fantasy and could not put it down! I really enjoyed the world that was created, the atmosphere, descriptive writing and folklore incorporated. Kai and Miya feel like such a relatable couple. Their chemistry is so good and the spice is spicy! The characters are well written with so many layers and the character growth, especially with Kai, is fantastic. I loved seeing the mental health rep and trauma/healing. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This book was good! I enjoyed it! I love men in therapy. The angst was so good I do recommend you read the other books in the series as well just to get a better idea. I’m going to binge read the rest of the series. I absolutely love Kai.

officially—i love kai donovan. unofficially—i love kai donovan.

wildblood is the companion novel to a.j. vrana’s duology, the chaos cycle. this time focusing on kai’s history, a.j. vrana introduces us to kai’s childhood trauma and how his difficult life experiences formed him into the man that he is. we witness kai overcome his hellish nightmares and undergo much needed healing, in between his relationship with miya strengthening and following them as they resolve a complex supernatural situation.

the way the author created an atmospheric, foreboding environment drew me in. the settings are wonderfully dark and haunting, albeit beautifully captivating, from the city cast in shadows to the dense forests and ethereal dreams (or nightmares) that are encountered—everything evoked a sense of wonder and enthrallment.

as someone who hasn’t read the chaos cycle, i didn’t feel lost or unsure or confused reading wildblood. there are vague mentions of events that occurred in the duology, but the events in this book are so far removed from what occurs in the duology that there's no feeling of confusion. considering this contains an established cohort of characters, including a long-term and serious romantic relationship between our main characters, everyone is introduced with enough information to know who they are without becoming overwhelmed by details. told in third person and dual perspectives, it’s well executed for first time readers.

tl;dr, this is able to be read as a standalone.

“i’m not death,” said kai. “i’m the fucking calamity that wields it.”

kai donovan, god of destruction reincarnate
kai’s my favourite kind of tortured soul—a man who thrives on sex and violence as ways to cope with trauma and express his emotions. i appreciate a morally grey man who’s unapologetically himself. kai believes angry fucking is perfect conflict resolution and his best method of processing his thoughts. if this is considered a red flag, consider me colourblind. i only see green. i melted and swooned when kai actually did something about attending therapy (under miya’s request), rather than give us empty promises to change. there’s nothing sexier and sweeter than a hot-blooded male going to therapy to overcome said trauma for the love of his life!

kai is one hundred percent a man whose love language is actions, not words.

with miya, he was naked. he’d let her into the catacombs of his fucked-up head, and there wasn’t space for anyone else.

emiliya delathorne, competent dreamwalker
i really loved miya’s character and the way she was portrayed in wildblood. she’s so kind and sweet and smart—a down to earth, selfless woman who wants to keep everyone happy while staying true to herself. rather than lean into kai for her character growth, miya is confident all on her own and thankfully the complete opposite of a clueless doormat with no idea of self-preservation. her extraordinary abilities to dreamwalk and explore the otherworld is fascinating. combined with a take-charge kind of attitude, she’s one of the best ways a female main character is showcased.

“you can’t whore your way out of trauma, kai.”
“no shit, lambchop. if that were possible, i would’ve fucked my way to enlightenment by now.”

kai and miya made my heart burst with happiness. there's a strong sense of love and trust between them, and the use of words isn't a necessity because they show they care and love each other through actions. they weren’t just lovers, but also best friends who relied on each other for support and strength. this is an established relationship so if you are seeking a romance between two characters that have just met, this isn't it. the best part of them? they’re reincarnations of the dreamwalker and the god of destruction who vowed to find each other in every lifetime. if that’s not bittersweet, and simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, i don’t know what is.

the overall vibe of wildblood screams the witcher within a dark fantasy, urban setting. from kai’s traumatic childhood to his inability to express his emotions outside of sex and violence. miya's abilities to dreamwalk and communicate with supernatural entities (her crow outfit and plummage reminds me so much of yennefer). the otherworldliness such as the leshy (literally my favourite slavic creature/forest spirit) and the domovoy. the way various people are involved, for different reasons, in seeking out caelan and hunting the forgery. it’s all wrapped up in layers of mysteriousness and the way it all comes together is well done.

you can expect the following tropes and elements:
˚₊‧⁺˖ russian mobsters and underground fighting
˖⁺‧₊˚ my absolute favourite—the found family
˚₊‧⁺˖ wolf shifting with a twist
˖⁺‧₊˚ dreamwalking and supernatural entities/creatures
˚₊‧⁺˖ irish and slavic folklore (amazing!!!)
˖⁺‧₊˚ a long-term established romance
˚₊‧⁺˖ a man in therapy + adhd/ptsd representation
˖⁺‧₊˚ morally grey characters + “touch her and die”

i don’t usually read dark urban fantasy romance, however wildblood may have changed my opinions on that! it contains dark grittiness and violence; a well balanced cast of characters; true character growth and development; an amazing established couple and so much more! it’s an exploration of trauma, mental health and the complexities of human emotion, all tied within an urban fantasy setting. combined with a.j. vrana’s poetic writing and immersive settings, it makes the overall feel of this narrative more unsettling but really captivating.

This one has me perplexed. On the one hand I did like the characters, the fight scenes were well done, and the overall world building felt really interesting. On the other hand, the plot was so convoluted I had a hard time following it for the majority of the book. Where I think Wildblood went wrong is that it was trying to do too much at once, telling two separate narratives with an overarching plot better suited to a duology instead of a single book.
Just for the sake of awareness, Wildblood is meant to be a companion novel to Vrana’s Chaos Cycle Duology. However, calling it a companion is a bit of a stretch. Though it is intended to be a standalone, do I believe familiarity with the previous series is necessary to understand it? Absolutely. Whatever the original intent was, Wildblood is in no way a standalone. However, even should a reader be familiar with the Chaos Cycle Duology, I still believe this narrative is far too congested and confusing for its own good.
While Wildblood doesn’t feel rushed in its storytelling, it does feel like the actual plot was an afterthought. The characters all seem fully realised with clear motivations and faults, but both protagonists Miya and Kai seem like they’re being used independently for their own stories, as opposed to telling one cohesive one.
In the end, I’m left conflicted because I want to say I could recommend this under very specific circumstances, but honestly I don’t think I ever would.

This book is a wonderful addition to the series, it is stated it can be read as a stand alone but I think reading the first two books gives a much deeper appreciation for the story and characters.

This book is gripping from the get go, full of gore and violence. There is spice but thankfully it’s cohesive to the plot and doesnt feel like the book was written purely for spice!
Overall I loved the dark mood of the story and the characters even more!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I’m excited to give my thoughts on Wildblood!

Trigger or content warning? Yes, it is found in book.

Details?
Main character of the book is Kai Donovan. He is 31 years old and 6’2. He lost his parents at 10 years old, and then lost his second guardian (Alice) at 16 years old.
Miya is The Dreamwalker. She is also Kai’s life’s partner. I remember it being mentioned that she is 5’8.
Ama is the White Wolf. She has watched over Miya her entire life, and is now in a relationship with Crowbar.
Crowbar is a friend of them all, and wonderfully human. She is also in a relationship with Ama.
Caelan is a fifteen year old girl who is missing from her home. She was adopted 3 years ago after she showed up out of the blue with no memory of where she’s from.
Domovoy is a house spirit attached to the King of Spades building. King of Spades is the grunge bar Crowbar and Miya own together.
Connor is the owner of the Confessional.
Carol is the cook at the Confessional.
Sergei is a middleman of the Bravta, and organizes the fights at the Confessional. He’s also the man who pays Kai for the fights he wins.

Kai and Miya have been in a relationship for the past 5 years since meeting in Black Hollow, British Columbia. There is no cheating in their relationship, but after issues that arise in the story Miya heavily influenced Kai to find a therapist.

My thoughts?

This is a poignant story. Vivid and startling in some instances. I’ve read a good chunk of fantasy romance, but very rarely pure-fantasy. So I needed to remind myself- a happily ever after is not guaranteed which kept me on my toes. I found myself reading this in my spare moments, sucked into the world that A.J Vrana has created.

Kai Donovan is not a perfect character, he’s like an onion with all of the layers he has. With a heart sprinkle of feral-cat energy. A God reborn into the body of a paranormal being, with his fate intertwined with the Dreamwalker. They made a choice 5 years ago to stick together, and make a life for themselves after spending multiple previous reincarnations together fighting their battles. Which leads them to living in Boston in an apartment with bug-friends and cozy-elbow-rubbing-space (it’s small and it has bugs but it’s within their price range so I have no judgment). I didn’t read the Chaos Cycle Duology so I came into this book blind with the curiosity of who Kai Donovan is. I also have a love for established relationships in books and one where they actually work on themselves? Beautiful.

Kai reinvented himself at 10 years old, 16 years old and now 31 years old. To see him building himself back up after everything he’s faced was a slow build. It wasn’t easy to read about because of how fragile it was but I did find myself unable to put down the book. Nearly everyone was pleasantly morally grey, it was difficult to predict who would be the antagonist in the story because the person seemed to be ever shifting depending on what piece of the story was being focused on.

I was captivated by the bold pictures the author is able to create, something my imagination latched onto and brought into my own dreaming world. While this book does tie up the issues introduced, there are many things left to resolve which I hope is in a future book featuring Caelan as the main character.

I look forward to the future books of A.J Vrana.

Wildblood is indeed the “dark, gritty and sexy urban fantasy noir” it’s chalked up to be. The plot, the atmosphere, the folklore elements and the characters were all incredible. This was overall a beautiful journey of discovering truth and character growth for Kai — and seriously, what is better than a sexy, tall dark and handsome god (ahem literally?), morally grey mmc that gets his ass to therapy for his woman? KAI DONOVAN, you are that man ❤️‍🔥 but also a moment for Miya because !!!!!!! obviously the relationship and background between her and Kai is beautiful, but she is such a strong, smart and powerful woman in her own right. God I love these two so much.

This is my first time reading anything from this author and I’m definitely now eager to go back and read the duology that is set before this, especially to hopefully learn more of the characters I met in this story that I loved.

A Dark urban fantasy with Wolf and a Dreamwalker.
You get sucked into to this gritty adventure in a dark and supernatural version of Boston, where nigthmares comes to life...

It's dark, sexy, funny and action-packed! I really liked the chemistry between Kai and Miya, and how it's a grown up story - And apperantly it's there's a duology leading up to this beautiful standalone story following (which I of curse need ro read now).

Review on 15 of October on IG One_fairy_tale_at_the_time

3.5⭐️

For anyone looking to read this & not read The Chaos Duology, don’t. You must read those books. I know it’s saying it’s a standalone, but it is not.

This was a step up from The Echoed Realm. I liked that it was just Kai & Miya’s POV. That is what the story is about & following the main two only makes sense.

So let’s get the thing I didn’t like out of the way. I think the pacing was just way off. There was a lot of information but at the same time not? I don’t know it feels confusing. Because of this, it just felt all over the place.

Now, I really like Kai & Miya a lot. They are gritty characters. They are imperfect. They represent mental health in a true way. I think my overall frustration with this book (and the duology) is that it should be more character driven. It would highlight the beauty of the story better. I think the storyline just muddles & distracts too much. It tries to overtake what is happening with the characters we love. It would also enhance the connection with the characters.

I love the talk about mental health & dealing with it while in a relationship. It’s very raw & nice to read in a book. I hate when books brush past or act like mental issues can just be over so quick. Very much applaud.

Overall, was a solid book & enjoy this world with folklore & grittiness.

Thank you NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I’ve read by AJ and now please excuse me while I go read her backlist. If AJ Vrana writes it, I will be reading it and screeching about it to anyone who will listen. It was dark, gritty, and utterly enthralling. Miya’s Dreamwalker abilities were so unique, and I wanted more. She was so badass.

I would recommend this book if you like effortless banter, morally grey characters and being taken on a wild ride.