The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport

Good morning, everyone! Today I am super excited to be part of the Random Things blog tour for N. E. Davenport's debut, The Blood Trials, book one in the Blood Gift duology!

Ikenna is used to being an outsider. Her dark skin makes her a target for racism and her family legacy means she's almost constantly being scrutinized and compared to her war hero grandfather. Then there's the blood gift she has to keep secret from everyone around her. 

After his death, Kenna decides to take a year off rather than pledge as a Praetorian. It had always been the plan to pledge immediately after graduation. She and her grandfather had trained for it all her life. But dealing with his death has left her uncertain about her future. 

That is until she learns that her grandfather's death may not have been from natural causes after all. Now, driven by a determination to hunt down his killer, Kenna has thrown herself into the Praetorian Trials. But considering who her suspects are, it means an already deadly challenge—making it into the elite Praetorian forces—are even more dangerous than ever for Kenna. 

I don't think my little description here can adequately do this book justice, but I really have to try, because I love this book and want to scream it from the rooftops!

First off, I absolutely adore the blending of science fiction and fantasy! Davenport's book has all the modern tech of sci fi and the mythology and magic of fantasy, melded perfectly into one binge-worthy tome!

And then there's the world building! Oh, man! Kenna lives in a post war world. To sum it up, there were essentially two (or three, really) factions: one that had blood magic and wanted total domination and one that wanted nothing more to do with the gods and obviously didn't want to be controlled by the Blood Emperor. (And not to overcomplicate things, but there was a third portion who kind of just didn't want to be controlled by either.) And that's a super simplistic summation of a much more complex story!

Kenna's grandfather is the war hero who overthrew the Blood Emperor, bringing peace. But it's precarious. Especially now that her grandfather is dead. 

In a society that's broken up into different "jobs" Praetorians are elite and revered soldiers. And Kenna wants to be one of them. 

Like I said, a VERY simplistic summation of the book, but hopefully you get the gist. 

The Blood Trials clocks in at almost 450 pages, but honestly, I read through more than half in one sitting (partially thanks to really nice weather—and got sunburnt as a result!). So that should tell you something about the pacing: it's literally lightning fast! Driven by a plot that's packed with action, suspense, and a little bit of steaminess as well :)

Finally, there are the characters! Kenna is fabulous! She's layered and complex. She's grieving and she's angry—for so many justifiable reasons. She's also got a strong core friend group to lean on, when she gets over herself and allows herself to. 

This is just the first book, so of course there are a lot of questions left as yet unanswered. Which means I am seriously chomping at the bit to get my hands on book two next year!

If you love strong female characters, truly amazing world building, and cross-genre page-turners, you need to read The Blood Trials!

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

On New Year’s Eve, 1999, the town of Linden, New Jersey is rocked to its core by a brutal mass killing. Four teenage girls and one man, the night staff at the local Blockbuster Video, are attacked after closing. Only one of them survives. The killer, identified as a local teenage boy named Vince Whitaker, flees after being released due to too little evidence and has evaded capture ever since. 

It’s 2015 and although she’s a trained therapist, Ella Monroe, the sole survivor of the Blockbuster case, still carries the trauma of that event with her every day. And when she receives a call about another, eerily similar case, she knows she has to help. Because, once again, there’s a single survivor. And Ella is the only one who knows exactly what the girl is going through. 

The case is a joint investigation between local PD and the FBI. The latter involved because of the suspicion that the killer could be the same from the 1999 case. Sarah Keller is assigned that part of the case and is explicitly told not to step on the locals’ toes. But no one has seen Whitaker since 1999. And why, if he’s been gone all this time, would he return to kill again?

It’s appropriate that this book begins in a video store because this book has excellent cinematic qualities!

It’s odd to note that there’s a nostalgic aspect to reading this, but it can’t be helped in my case. I spent a lot of time in video stores in my youth. I even worked in one for a while. Stopping by Hollywood Video on my way home from working at the bookstore was a nightly event that I actually kind of miss. 

That aside, thankfully my experience was a good one. I can’t even recall any particularly nasty customers, to be totally honest. (There had to have been some, the late fees some of those folks racked up were astronomical!)

Now that’s out of the way, let’s get into the meat of the story!

Two mass killings, sixteen years apart And it quickly becomes clear that the investigation into the first case was lacking. The cops thought they had their guy. They were so certain that once they set their eyes on him, they didn’t even bother to try and figure out the why. 

So when it happens again, that’s one of the many things Keller has to figure out. Why then and why now? Why the video store? Was there a specific target? There are so many questions, in fact, that it’s clear Keller can’t limit her investigation just to finding Whitaker. 

Meanwhile, Ella finds herself quickly invested in the survivor of this latest murder. A teen orphan in foster care with aspirations of becoming a journalist. And it turns out she’s well versed in the Blockbuster case. 

The characters in particular are a big draw in this book. First there’s Keller, who I adore! A massively pregnant federal agent with a partner who is supportive and loving…you just don’t see that much in crime fiction (she reminded me a bit of Marge in Fargo). 

Then you’ve got Ella, who is understandably damaged by her experiences. But it’s not just surviving the 1999 killing. Her family has suffered more than it’s fair share of trauma.

Chris, who I didn’t mention above, is a public defender who’s become a bit jaded by his job. He, too, has carried the weight of the Blockbuster murders with him all these years—his brother was accused of the crime. Their home life was pretty awful and in the wake of the crime, he was actually put into foster care himself and adopted, which has allowed him to return to the area somewhat anonymously. As a lawyer, he’s all too aware of how thin the case was against his brother. And now he feels like he’s in a position to help him. But he’s had no contact with him since he disappeared and he can’t imagine that Vince could be responsible for another crime. 

We get POV chapters from each of these characters, but there are actually quite a few additional characters who shine throughout the novel. 

But Becky, how’s the plot? It’s great! I definitely had my suspicions about the killer and eventually I was proven right. But I wouldn’t say it was an easy guess. I think, rather, that it’s Finlay’s intention all along for the reader to put together the hints peppered throughout and figure out the who and why alongside the characters themselves. Which is definitely part of the fun!

The Night Shift is out now from Minotaur. If you enjoy fast-paced crime fiction with strong characters, this is definitely the read for you!

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

Happy Thursday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Kate Quinn's latest historical novel, The Diamond Eye. 

Mila Pavlichenko's dream was to finish school and take up a position as a historian. She wanted to provide for her son. And she wanted to be free of her marriage. 

It was these things that prompted her to train as a sniper. 

She never expected she'd use her talents in the war. And she certainly never expected to gain recognition across the globe as one of the most successful military snipers of that era. 

But when an injury forces her away from the front lines, she finds herself in a foreign land faced with a new danger.

Kate Quinn has a knack for pulling together stories based in the most fascinating aspects of women's history! The Diamond Eye is no exception and features a character wholly based in truth who's story is not only fascinating but inspiring as well. 

Now, this is of course fiction. But Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko was, as mentioned, a very real person. She was known as Lady Death because of her prowess with a sniper rifle. And she did make friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and tour the United States and beyond after the war. 

She was also a young, single mother and a historian. 

And I know I'm not the only person who'd never heard of her before reading The Diamond Eye!

And obviously there's some creative license taken with the story. No one can know the inner exact inner workings of Mila's mind through the war and beyond. And both her thoughts as well as those of Eleanor Roosevelt do take center stage throughout the story. 

That knowledge aside, The Diamond Eye reads as convincingly authentic—something I think every historical fiction storyteller strives for and something that Quinn truly excels at. What's more, the pacing is excellent and all of those insights into Mila's thoughts and motivations make her a character not only easy to sympathize with but one whose story you genuinely want to read!

The Diamond Eye is another example of Quinn's fabulous talent as an author and is a must read for anyone interested in women's history, strong female characters, or simply an enthralling story!

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett

It was just a dare! Clare and her friends had heard about the Octagon House. Everyone had. They say a man killed his family there. And when one of their small group claims she knows how to find the place, of course they had to visit. But something happened in the woods that day. And Clare’s friend Abby was forever changed by the experience. 

Now, so many years later, Clare gets word that Abby tried to kill herself. At Octagon House. And though she’s now in a coma, one of the last things she asked for was Clare. 

In spite of everything, Clare returns to Sumner’s Mills to try and help Abby. To find out what happened to her in Octagon House. Because it’s her fault.

A haunted house story, a mystery, a story about lost friendships...Beneath the Stairs is emotional and chilling! It's also the perfect kind of book for a wide cross section of readers!

Clare is all grown up, but she’s never truly forgotten Abby or that spring when they visited Octagon House. And the guilt she’s felt since then has never gone away. It’s one of the reasons she’s never wanted to return to Sumner’s Mills. 

But Abby’s apparent plea for help is one that she can’t ignore.

The story alternates predominantly between Clare then and now, but the reader is also given a few other perspectives: Ben, the man accused of murdering his family in the home; Ben’s daughter Joan; Natalie, Ben’s wife; and Alice, a little girl at the time the house was being built. 

Through the various points of view, the reader is given a full picture of the history of the house as Clare herself tries to untangle it in an effort to find out what happened to Abby. And it’s not a pretty picture at all. 

This is the kind of book that will appeal to genre fans: mystery/suspense and horror readers. But it’s also the kind of book that will appeal to a much broader readership as well. The issues it deals with are certain to spark conversation, making it perfect for book clubs. It’s also a book that really stays with you, haunting you much in the same way the Octagon House haunts anyone who comes in contact with it. 

While Beneath the Stairs is hard to describe as a fun read, given the subject matter, it is a propulsive one that sinks its teeth into you from the very beginning. I thought it was fabulously well written and I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Fawcett will come out with next!

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons

Jonah and his sister, Nell, haven’t spent much time together over recent years. Jonah split, leaving their hometown—and the person he used to be—behind. And Nell was part of that. But now Jonah and his wife are splitting up and he’s decided it’s time to return to his old home. And Nell is going with him for the ride. 

Their relationship is icy, at best, and not made any better when Nell picks a fight at a biker bar soon into their drive. But it’s what happens next that really changes things. 

Jonah finds his sister alone in a cave on an abandoned work site. And the Nell that comes out of that cave is not exactly the same Nell that went in. 

Before Jonah can worry too much about what happened to Nell, he realizes people are following them on their drive. People who believe in justice outside of the law. People who aren’t going to let Jonah and Nell get away under any circumstances. 

Matthew Lyon’s latest is literally the family road trip from hell!

Jonah is hiding things. Things he never wanted to think about ever again. But when he and his wife decide to call it quits and he teams up with his sister to drive him and his belongings from San Francisco to Albuquerque, the things from his past become all but unavoidable. 

This is in part because of Nell, who knew the Jonah he used to be and pushes for that Jonah’s return. So much so that she almost immediately gets them into a really hairy scrape! 

But that was Nell in all her glory. The old Nell. 

The new Nell is something altogether different. 

Once close siblings, the two have fallen so far apart that he doesn’t initially see just how much Nell has changed. But Nell knows something is wrong. And with a narrative that changes points of view between Jonah, Nell, and others, the reader is all too aware that something strange happened that night in the dessert. 

Lyons doesn’t pull any punches with the violence or gore. He embraces it from the start, making A Black and Endless Sky a brutal and completely chilling horror story! 

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Mattie has lived most of her life on the mountain with her husband William. In fact, she questions anything she recalls about the time before that. The mountain and William are her whole life. So when she starts to notice the dead animals, she knows all is not right. But she can’t even imagine the kind of creature that’s made it’s home in their backyard. 

A group of strangers arrives in search of the creature. But it’s Mattie who catches their attention. And attention of any kind is something William wants to avoid. But William is gone when they arrive and Mattie tries to warn them. 

Unfortunately it’s not enough to save any of them. 

I had mixed feelings about this one. 

On the one hand, I loved that it was a monster story! I loved the cryptozoology enthusiasts! And I loved the remote setting. 

On the other hand, this is not exactly actually a monster story of that kind. This is Mattie’s story. The creature and everything that happens after it’s arrival is just forward momentum for Mattie. It’s the thing that pushes her to remember who she is and to try and escape. 

And her story is in fact a different kind of monster story. A lot of the details of it made my skin crawl, to be honest. 

But I liked Mattie. And I wanted to see her make it. Which is why I kept reading. 

I'll admit, ultimately I really wanted more of the creature feature monster story rather than the human monster/survival tale that the book turned out to be. Which is not to say that I didn't like the book, just that  my expectations had to be changed when I realized exactly what I was in for. 

And Mattie's survival story is a great read. But again, something you might need to be prepared for given the subject matter. 

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

Faceless by Vanda Symon

Happy Thursday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for Vanda Symon's standalone, Faceless. 

Billy and Max look out for one another. Billy is careful and clean, taking care to make sure that Max eats and brushes his teeth. She checks in with him and lets him know if she's going to be away. Which is why, when she doesn't turn up one night, he knows something is seriously wrong. 

See, Billy occasionally turns tricks for money. And Max has always been worried that something would happen to her. And this time, something has. 

Bradley has never picked up a prostitute before, but after a particularly bad day at work with his wife harassing him about his hours, he decides he's earned a bit of fun. Unfortunately, Bradley takes it to far. Now he's kidnapped the girl and he isn't sure what to do. 

Billy has no idea what Bradley's plans for her might be, but she knows she's in grave danger. And her only hope is that Max will find her before it's too late. 

My understanding is that this is an older title by Symon that Orenda has rereleased in time for International Women's Month and Homeless Women's Day. To that end, they have noted that a percentage of proceeds from the sale of the Faceless will be donated to SHELTER. 

This is, like Symon's other books, a multi-layered story. It hits on abuse, homelessness, mental health...

Billy, we learn, was kicked out by her parents after shaming them. Max's story is a little slower to come by, though it's clear early on that even though he's let himself fall pretty far in the two-ish years he's lived rough, he has a background that means he's not one to let a missing girl go unnoticed. 

And then there's Bradley, who begins as a beleaguered and overworked employee at an insurance company and turns into a complete sadist. 

As you've likely gathered, this is a rather dark read. But it's also a compelling one. As Max's background in particular is revealed, you can't help but hope for redemption on his part—that he'll succeed in saving Billy (who, I should add, is a strong character who uses all the resources she has at hand). 

Symon is a bestselling author in her native New Zealand with multiple award noms to her name. I would love, love, love to see her readership grow here in the States! 

Faceless is available digitally now from Orenda and will be available in paperback in August.