"Davenport sticks the landing...[blending] science fiction and fantasy tropes in her ambitious, action-packed conclusion to the Blood Gift duology." — Publishers Weekly
"An adrenaline-racing and action-heavy sequel, The Blood Gift is an exciting sequel with plenty of villains, gods, magic, and violence while also balancing themes of loyalty, love, belonging." — The Fantasy Reviews
“The plotting is an intricate mix of action, intrigue, and betrayal, with a fast pace and a high body count… Thankfully, this is book one of a proposed duology, because revenge is a dish best served cold.” — Booklist on The Blood Trials
“Davenport debuts with an ambitious epic that blurs genre lines, setting futuristic technology against a historical fantasy backdrop...this invigorating debut marks Davenport as a writer to watch.” — Publishers Weekly on The Blood Trials
“Davenport’s ambitious debut is gritty and bloody, and balances emotional arcs with fast action. Fans of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising and Evan Winter’s The Rage of Dragons will find similarities in Ikenna’s journey.” — Library Journal on The Blood Trials
“The Blood Trials is one of my top reads of the year—a riveting story with richly-drawn characters caught in a tangle of political intrigue, systemic racism, and nonstop peril. Don’t miss this one!” — Melissa Marr, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Lovely
“The Blood Trials is a fresh, intense gut punch of a book that has everything I love most in sci-fi and fantasy. I rooted for Ikenna, the trials gripped me, and the political mystery at the heart of it all kept me constantly on my toes.” — Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series
03/01/2023
Ikenna Amari is on the run with her Praetorian squad, hunted by those who want to collect the enormous bounty on her head. Betrayed by the Mareen's Tribunal Council, who are responsible for her grandfather's death and the exposure of her blood gift, Ikenna struggles to find allies. With the Blood Emperor's Warlord in pursuit, Ikenna must find a way to master the power granted her by the Goddess of Blood Rites, for even with her own troubles, she knows that the Blood Emperor's plan to invade Mareen must be stopped. Already under the pressure of promises made to the goddess and her friends, the need for revenge, and her own doubts, Ikenna knows that to take on a near god and stop a war may mean destroying what she wishes to save. Davenport's characters are deeply realized, with feelings and flaws abounding. Her interesting blend of gods, power, and technology, along with classist regimes, support a novel of choices for change. VERDICT "The Blood Gift" duology concludes with a dramatic, action-filled story (a sequel to The Blood Trials).—Kristi Chadwick