The Blood Gift: 2 (Blood Gift Duology)

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Dannica howls. “You had that coming. Me, I stopped while I was ahead. Kenna is no doubt the type of woman who’ll relieve you of your balls for messing with her man.” I get angry at myself for being so pathetically weak. For allowing a vulnerable moment to show. Sitting in front of Reed, as he looks at me the way he does, I feel bare, and raw, and exposed. I feel brittle. And self-conscious. “I don’t need your pity.” I spit the words.

Another highlight for me was the worldbuilding, which incorporated an intricate chess board of geopolitical rivals, each with their own goals and societal quirks. Once again, contrast is key. The mostly white-skinned, techno-capitalist, militaristic society that Ikenna lives in is compared to their innovative, dark-skinned neighbors and an empire of bloodthirsty magic wielders led by a despotic emperor. All this when Ikenna is a mixed-race female with dark skin who has to hide her blood magic, and she’s been indoctrinated by a misogynist, military industrial complex that prejudices her very own skin color and magic. It was fascinating commentary on our world, on modern America, and the contradictions of Ikenna’s life panned out toward a satisfying conclusion. Early in Soul Reaver 2, Raziel found the Subterranean Pillars Chamber. Inside there were murals that depicted a blue-skinned winged race, who bore some resemblance to Raziel. The murals showed the winged race fighting in a war. They raised the Pillars and "thus defeated their adversaries". Raziel noted the murals also showed them "apparently afflicted with the same blood-thirst [he] had so recently suffered". Raziel was referring to the blood-thirst he had experienced as a vampire, before his execution in the Abyss and his transformation into a devourer of souls. [1,2]There’s no greater betrayal, in my opinion, than reading and enjoying the first book in a series, only to come to the sequel and dislike it intensely. You can’t explain it, but something has changed in the year between books that means, for all you liked the first one, you can barely drag yourself through the second. Haynes booms a laugh. “I don’t think I care very much. We aren’t here to be friends. We’re here to achieve a shared goal. That’s it.”

I—” I have no idea how to respond to Dannica’s bald statement, so I just don’t. Besides, if I do, I’ll only give my soon-to-get-punched cohort sister and brother more ammunition to keep up the bit. I’d prefer to sever their inanity, permanently. Despite our face-off outside among the group, I’m pretty sure neither of us has any idea what to say now that we’re alone with the directive to fix our shit.I snort—which isn’t the most attractive or mature reaction. But everything about this moment is surreal and bewildering and my brain has pseudo-short-circuited. “That makes two of us,” I say, like an adult who can use words. I sit in a mountainside cafe, sipping a godsawful microstate whiskey, and watch my targets across the room. There’s twelve in total—eight women and four men. They’re in a reserved section roped off from the public, having a party. An ebony-skinned woman in her mid-fifties with flawless, gene-manipulated beauty and striking gray eyes that remind me ruthlessly of a certain other bitch I’ve been trying not to think about raises her glass and starts the speech for a toast. I mark the subtle elegance about Edryssa Cyphir—my desired target—and also the gruffness that makes it clear she could handle herself in most fights. Probably any fight. I realize he’s right. “That’s your name,” I say casually, trying to keep things from turning more cumbrous than they need to be, though I’m spectacularly failing. “We agreed to be Darius and Ikenna away from the squad, didn’t we?”

Yes,” I snap. “Aren’t we in for the night? I’ll be in top shape by sunlight. Really, before the sun rises.” It's their last night out before they set out for military academy and Ikenna is on edge over the recent loss of her grandfather. After learning his death was no accident she decides to head to the academy and avenge his death by finding out who his killers are. At this military academ According to our intelligence-gathering, Lady Edryssa’s second goes by the name Bastien, he’s a close cousin, and he’s stood at Edryssa’s side for the eighteen years she’s steered the Cyphir Syndicate. Loyal Bastien sits across from me in his spacious, private transport, seething. I can tell he wants to murder me in the worst way, but at this point, who doesn’t? Half of Iludu is gunning for my head. Guess it’s a special charm I have.

I shrug. “I hear you only respect displays of strength. Or is that wrong? I needed a meeting, and I figured that was the easiest way to get one.” the winged beings again, writhing in agony, apparently afflicted with the same blood-thirst I had so recently suffered..." My mother died before I was cut from her womb so I never knew her, and Grandfather didn’t leave me until I was nineteen, technically an adult. I can’t imagine being the age Reed was and losing a parent, let alone two at once. If I’d lost Grandfather at that age, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I would’ve been so lost. So afraid. So unable to process any of it. He catches me around my waist and skims featherlight fingers up my spine. I shiver again, and this time whatever swagger I think I’ve got gets smashed to pieces because I don’t even care about my reaction anymore other than to press my body closer against him, remembering that I was formerly horny, and pray to the gods that if he did read my message, he’s game, even if that’s not the reason he turned up. This story starts out feeling very YA, which makes sense because the characters are teenagers. But this is not a YA fantasy despite the young characters and it does eventually find it's footing.

I did enjoy my time with The Blood Gift, and fans of The Blood Trials will likely enjoy it too. I just wish that the book was a bit longer or was split into two books to give Davenport the time to really flesh out the characters and plot a bit more. Caiman, who’s sitting around the fire pit with us, shakes his head. “You pair are too gleeful for drama.” Funny,” I retort. “You must be a different Darius from the trials because I didn’t know you had any sense of humor.” I punch him in the shoulder. “Now you’re definitely insulting me and killing my horniness. Don’t liken me to Caiman. We’re nothing alike. He’s spoiled and entitled and thinks the planet should preen over him; he just sometimes happens to be decent alongside all that.”I’m experienced. Aging and wisdom go hand in hand. Live long enough, see enough suns rise in the Iludu sky, and you, young girl, will get better wits about yourself too. You might even know the good fortune of becoming like me: forward thinking. But none of that is the point. What’s pertinent for you to weigh here is if you don’t hold that same belief about what influence you might come to yield, then really, dear, what do you have to lose by agreeing to an old woman’s delusional requests?” That won’t end well,” I advise savagely. “Tell her I said if she tries anything foul, she’ll need the lilies. You too. So will every single one of her people with the misfortune of being in the vicinity when she angers me. Afterward, I’ll level her whole, precious organization. I guarantee it’s a job I and my squad here can easily get done. So, make sure you impress on Edryssa it’s wisest to play nice.” Kain and Vorador were seen to shapeshift in Blood Omen, and Kain relied on his Mist Form in Defiance to dodge and pass through gates. Several vampires (Kain, Vorador, Janos and Umah) could teleport, however so could many humans, so, in this case, they were likely employing magic rather than relying on innate abilities. Using Kain as a basis of comparison for all Nosgothic vampires is not ideal, as we don't know what skills he inherited as the Balance Guardian.