(3.75 stars)

Wildblood has some of the most phenomenal character and relationship writing i have seen in a long time. our protagonists, kai and miya, were the absolute highlight of the book, and the depth with which they were written (especially kai) leaves me still reeling with absolute awe.

i hadn't read the original duology that established the context for the world/characters, but for the most part, i was able to grasp onto the story pretty quickly. vrana writes in a way that still makes the novel accessible for new readers by filling in the gaps about events that occurred before the novel. and rather than one big recap dump at the start of the book, the author seamlessly interweaves this information throughout the story.

one of the biggest strengths of this novel is how well-written kai is. his weaknesses were explored beautifully, and i especially loved seeing him tackle these in his therapy sessions. not only were they important in helping kai overcome his internal conflicts, but it also allowed me to really understand him as a character.

kai and miya's relationship was another standout for me. it's not always easy to fall in love with an established couple when you first meet them, but that's how it was with me. they had so much chemistry together, and all the layers within their relationship made them really feel like a real couple. i love that vrana took the time to explore why kai and miya loved each other. at one point, miya connects her past with the independence that kai wields and values, and gosh, i was just amazed at how that link was established. similarly, the conflicts that miya and kai face as a couple are all intertwined with kai's internal conflicts, and i just think it's such a clever way of going about it.

furthermore, i loved how the sex scenes were also used as a vehicle to further understand kai and his relationship with miya. everything is so intentional, which feels so refreshing to read.

the only thing holding this story back is the plot. the story about finding the kidnapped girl somehow didn't feel compelling enough for me. although it is a companion novel, i think if the magic system was established stronger, particularly in the beginning, i would have had more of an emotional investment in this aspect of the story.

overall though, this was a fantastic read, and i am looking forward to reading more of vrana's works in the future!

and thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

I finished Wildblood and I just want to say I am blown away by this book!

How Vrana writes the relationship between Miya and Kai is so real and I adore that they are already established couple in this book, it's refreshing to see. Also the way they go through highs and real lows but still choose each other always, go to war for each other, is very raw, as a reader you feel their emotions jump from the page.

I knew that going into this book I would be met with Kai's traumas and again, Vrana gets real. Kai is a beautifully flawed character and to see him struggle in therapy and how his trauma is tearing at him and his relationships was intense. It's rare to see this in any book, even more so in fantasy.

What I also loved here is the delve into Slavic folklore as this is not as well explored as for example Roman or Greek myths, so it's refreshing and exotic in a way as Slavic folklore is just as rich and has more than Vampires or Werewolves.

And oh gods, the way this author writes shifters and how they transform! I've never seen this done in such a brutal but also natural way. You basically feel your bones shift whenever Kai transforms.
Vrana does not overuse this which makes these scenes even more stand out. As someone who was always disappointed by transformation scenes from human to animal form and back, these moments were amazing to read, finally shifting done right!

As I just discovered the author with this book, I will surely get the duology of her Dreamweaver story to witness how it all started. It's to noone's surprise by now that I've become a big fan of Kai and Miya.
And that trickster named Gavran.
A.J. Vrana has become my new favorite author, highly recommended if you love fresh Urban Fantasy!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the #Wildblood eARC!

5 motherfucking star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ !!

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

This is how you write incredibly layered characters and plot! Honestly what a refreshing and unique way of telling story! Wow wow wow I am blown away! This story was unexpectedly good and touched me in soul level! (my favorite type 🙌🏼)

I was provided eARC by publisher through NetGalley and this review is purely my own opinion.

When I saw random instagram post from author and requested arc from netgalley. I didn’t anticipate reading such an incredible art! Writing is exceptionally good! Author paints incredible picture with vivid details! She literally painted with her words! I usually struggle seeing story vividly in my head but this wasn’t the case! I saw and felt everything into my bones. I love it so much that I already preordered the book for my bookshelf!

I was really worried that I didn’t read the duology and wouldn’t enjoy the book but honestly it wasn’t the case at all I loved it that way more reading this one first! I love the fact that I was thrown into 5 years established relationship and romance and love was amazing to see and live with them. I understood everything pretty well, author does incredible job referencing the things happened in duology. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

This book’s genre is paranormal thriller and it’s not my usual genre but it felt like homecoming for me because I used to read this genre when I was a teenager so I have felt so good and alive! The world is definitely gruesome and gritty but I love every minute of it! Plot was stellar and how it moved with characters growth was truly interwoven in a very exceptional way! Pacing and development has been done so well despite of being standalone! Wow 🤩

We usually see how trauma happened in stories not so much trauma recovery but this book was truly amazing storytelling in trauma recovery! The amount of wisdom this book contain is incredible, truly fascinating! As a trauma practitioner, I can literally see every layers of trauma being integrated 🙌🏼🤯 ancestral healing, inner child healing, deep intense trauma and relationships healing, soul/ past life (incarnation) healing! 🤩🤩 just wow! I am blown away truly! What an incredible work 🙌🏼

Kai touched me in soul level! He is such a complex layered character just wow! I love him so much and I understood him deeply! As a trauma practitioner and as a complex trauma survivor! His healing arc is done so well! I am seriously so inspired by authors writing! She touched me so deeply! I also cried many times because I have felt in my bones what Kai was going through! I also love Mia so much! I didn’t see her story because this book was about Kai but I love how she loves Kai so fiercely! She is truly selfless loving badass soft fmc (my favorite kind) ! Side characters also done so well! I loved glimpsing their inner worlds through Kai and Mia’s perspective! Also seeing world problem in the paranormal setting was so refreshing! I feel that financial pressure in my daily life and seeing portrayed so well in paranormal setting was cherry on top!

Honestly I have so much things to say but also what I can say more! This book was incredible and definitely in my top 5 read of this year for sure!

My favorite quotes and moments; I highlighted so much in this book! It was truly full of wisdom and which is gained through pain and trauma! I just wanna say to author I see you and you’re fucking incredible ❤️‍🔥

“there it was—that crippling, bone-deep fear of abandonment rearing its ugly head.” (I started to cry after I read this because this is exactly how being abandoned feels like! 🤯🥹)

“some shit just stays with you, burrows in your bones, then leaps out when you least expect it.” (somatic memory of trauma written in art form 🙌🏼)

“Youth brings peculiar insight. Unadulterated truths. The wisdom of children, so often overlooked by those courted by their own irrelevance. A pathetic grab for control.” (inner child is the wisest of us all!)

“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.” (trauma recovery is truly ugly and difficult phase and I am in awe of author doing such an incredible and real work!)

This is an absolutely gorgeous stand alone. I haven’t read The Hollow Gods series, but I didn’t find myself lacking for background or history.

In a sea of enemies/friends/rivals to lovers, a story about an established couple was like a breath of fresh air. The dynamic between the couple was that gorgeous, a beautiful depiction of two people who care very deeply for each other, and who decide to pick each other first every time. The way they lean on each other, and the desire to become a better person for their love is a glorious thing to read about.

As for the plot, again we don’t see a lot of Slavic folklore in popular romantasy, and the urban noir setting that wrapped so deliciously around traditional folk tales was so different from anything I’ve read recently. It was a perfect stand alone, a glorious mix of tension, spice, intrigue and romance.

The side characters were well rounded and developed, and I found myself caring about them as much as I did the main character, even the little non verbal house spirit has a special place in my heart.

An easy five star read, and I cannot wait to discover more of this authors back catalogue.

The characters were good, but I struggled to get invested in the story. It was not a bad read, but it was not my favorite.

I want to say that I started Wildblood without having read the other books set in the same world. I usually don't do this because I'm always worried I will miss some parts of the story or cannot understand the characters fully.

After finishing this book, I'm confident in saying that it's still better to read the Chaos Cycle Duology before venturing into this story. Don't get me wrong, you can totally start from here as I did, but I felt like I was missing some pieces while reading, especially when it came to the characters' relationships.

I think the magic part is perfectly explained, as is the world in which the story is set. The writing style is enjoyable, sometimes a bit too descriptive, but it's necessary for those who have not read the duology, and I appreciated it.

Kai is one of the most interesting main characters I've ever read about. He's complicated, and the development he undergoes during the book is moving. Once again, I felt like I would have appreciated it even more if I had known his whole story from book one.

Overall, I loved the dark mood of the story and its complex characters. While I enjoyed the plot, I felt the book was more focused on Kai's character development.

I was excited for Wildblood, the concept was unique and I loved the cover artwork.. however, the story itself fell a bit flat for me. I didn't engage properly with the writing style and struggled to connect with the MCs. I ended up putting this book down halfway through and then coming back to it a couple of weeks later to finish it. It was an interesting read but it just didn't keep me as the reader, very engaged.

There's just something about a feral, tough as shit brawler that I just LOVE! So I enjoyed Wildblood from the get go; with a character like Kai Donovan, how could I not??
I felt it was a little slow at the beginning though- making sure the world and lore made sense to new readers and such. I didn't know this was a companion novel before starting and wish I had of read the Chaos Cycle Duology beforehand, though it still flows well as a standalone.
I LOVED Vrana's writing style too. Reading through this was like a punch to the gut; hard hitting statements and insights and metaphors. If I ever get my hands on a physical copy it'll be full of highlighted pages.
I loved the unhindered gory violence, the wild and imaginative magic, the gritty urban setting, the characters and of course, lil Ripper.
Highly recommend!!

I had to DNF at 30% as I couldn’t get in to it.

The writing was good and the world building too, I just couldn’t connect to the story - I felt, as a reader, we just dived in the middle and not the beginning. The FMC and the MMC were already lovers, they both had their trials which they were trying to solve separately. I didn’t see any correlation between the two and they weren’t helping each other so it made no sense to me.

I wish I had known this was kind of part of a series going in. I still had a pretty good time, but I feel like I would have appreciated it more knowing that. Which is totally my fault, it was at the end of the description I didn't read lol. I would compare this to a Jay Kristoff style novel, and I liked it for sure, but I've come to discover I don't necessarily love gritty fantasies as much as I like softer ones with less action. That's on me, though, and the novel was still enjoyable!

I’m sorry I had to DNF this.

The majority of the story takes place before the book begins. It’s marketed as a standalone, but reads like a sequel. Instead of experience much of the story, you’re just told about it. I didn’t enjoy that.

The story has potential, and the writing isn’t bad, but I would have preferred to read the story that comes before this one.

Wild Blood
By A. J. Varna.

Sexy, gritty and dark.

This book is all of things and more.
I found it took me a while to get into the storyline. But once I did…. I was there for the ride.

I loved Kia’s character and his development throughout the narrative. A dark, lovable and gritty character.

Fantastic banter and lots of snappy scenes to sink your teeth into.

A brilliantly layed out plotline that will have you on the edge of you seats….

A wickedly intriguing and immersive experience.

Wildblood
Easy 5 stars!
Let me Start by saying what an absolute gem this book was, I've seen it posted about in a Facebook group a few times and thought I would try my luck at the eArc and boy it did not disappoint.

This book is a companion novel to a duology The Chaos Cycle, which I was unaware of until I began reading. It did not negatively impact my reading experience. The author provides sufficient world-building and character backstory, to enable this to be read as a standalone. ( like I did)
I could not put this book down, it was so entertaining! The plot was solid, the writing was beautiful, and I absolutely loved the two main characters and the love they have for each other.

The book contains a significant amount of graphic violence and gore, which may be disturbing to some readers.
I want more of Kai and Miya so I will definitely be picking up the authors previous books.

I loved this book. I started it and before I could finish, I read the books that came before it — The Chaos Cycle Duology. I cannot get enough of this couple. The inner-growth of both was insanely satisfying. The fact that the story represents a woman strong enough to demand change and a man who’s willing to work through his trauma is great. The storyline flowed really well. Ive been recommending it to everyone who will listen.

Damn, this was such a wild ride. This book had me in a choke hold. The mythology behind the story, the magic mixed with a real world, it was amazing! But, what had me reeling was Kai going to therapy to understand why he was hurting those he loved, apart from deeply hurting himself. Is letting go of your fears to be the monster you need to be to protect those you love. Miya is a wonderful character, and their relationship was beautifully constructed.
Wonderful book, and I can't recommend it enough!

"If it spared someone pain, if it honored their wishes, why not be the monster they needed?"

Greatly enjoyed. I was confused as this was the first book I’ve read by this author, but the plot was explained in a wonderful way. Every part of this book was very interesting and I will definitely be buying when it releases.

I have to start by telling you, this book made me so freaking happy!
I mean, it also kept me on my toes guessing, reminded me that many people fucking suck - but many more are truly wonderful, it will get you hot (depending on how immune - or not - to 🌶🌶 you are), make you angry, remind you that found family is one of the best kinds, and also, kitty - if you've ever had an orange cat you know!!

For the first time (properly) since we met him in The Hollow Gods, we get to dive into Kai's head (with him as the only resident!) and Vrana skillfully tugs on the threads of repressed memory, ptsd, anguish, intrusive thoughts, and hopelessness before weaving these multiple strands into a single tale that affects so many more people than just Kai and taking us into the recesses of memory and nightmares, the underworld of the Russian mob, and back out into the light.

Being back with Kai, Miya, and the gang felt a lot like heading home, I think about the chaos duology a lot and I really enjoyed getting to see Kai's story and learn more about him. I've always appreciated his snark and sass, as it's really rather refreshing in a character and I always felt the way he is devoted to Miya ran deeper than simply fate. Seeing his vulnerability and his turmoil in Wildblood will really strike a chord for a lot of people. BUT...it also serves as a reminder that even if you feel like you are beyond repair, or that you are undeserving of even simple kindness, help is there, even if it is just one person telling you they've always got your back, and that's the real beauty of this book.

Wildblood is out on October 29th. Go. Go now!

A very fun read! Overall I enjoyed this seeing that it follows our man Kai. Fighting off monsters and the mob that are slightly terrifying. This book made it so enjoyable to read but maybe that’s just my experience when it comes to horror/fantasy books!

This is marketed pretty strongly as a standalone novel, which it 100% is not. This is a sequel. It has predetermined relationships and plot intricacies that places it extremely firmly in sequel territory, meaning that I was lost or disinterested in the plot the entire time. None of this held any meaning to me, and I couldn't connect with Miya or Kai. These two have a vast history that I would've loved to read about before picking this up. Even things I relate to, and love - urban fantasy vibes, PTSD, ADHD, wolf and lamb mythology and metaphors. But, why would I want to jump into a story that has already built up 2/3rds of its common lore? My lack of investment and the poor marketing killed this before it could thrive, for me. I wouldn't have picked up the ARC if I had known there were 2 other published novels to read, which is partially on me; explaining the 3 stars when I personally wouldn't have given it any.

The DNF is not at all due to quality. I enjoyed what I read, but I couldn't connect to what I read. I may read the first two in the future to give a better review, but I couldn't in good faith keep reading this one.

Also, the cover art on this is phenomenal.

This was a sold fantasy book. I found it quite slow to start off but it picked up the pace and got quite interesting after.