Book Review: Empire of Blood by Olivia Cornwell

By




Today is the release day for Olivia Cornwell's debut novel, Empire of Blood.  
I was offered an ARC (advanced reader copy) for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Empire of Blood Review:



I will confess that I've read this book twice now, and I plan on reading it a third time before the year is out. Each time gets better and better. Each read I notice something different, some aspect of character, some bit of scenery, some daring tidbit of plot, that just adds to the wonderful thing that is this book.

Setting: 5/ 5 stars

I've never visited Chicago, but the author did an excellent job of transporting me there and then to her world of Allare. The descriptions were vivid without being wordy. The world is dangerous, but I'd still love to visit some day, (if only it were real!).

Plot: 5/5 stars

Overall, great plot. It was pretty fast-paced, but had space so the reader can take a breath before plunging onward. Fair warning: Wait for a night where you have nothing else to do before reading the last ten chapters. 

Characters: 10/5 stars

Yes, I know it's only supposed to be 5/5, but I LOVE these characters! They deserve the world, just not the bad guys. I've got other words for them. Interesting characters with engaging arcs. I NEED more please! Give me all the books with these characters. Please and thank you.

Overall thoughts:

Empire of Blood is a fast-paced fantasy novel with lovely twists and turns that keep the reader turning the pages well into the night. I've seldom read a novel that feels as much as home as The Chronicles of Narnia  by C. S. Lewis, but this came really close. This book hit all the right chords for me: fun while giving me things to think on, hilarious, but giving room for catharsis. This is an absolutely beautiful book, and I need the next one today. I look forward to seeing what Olivia Cornwell writes in the future.



 If you are interested in reading this novel, it is available for purchase here: Empire of Blood by Olivia Cornwell. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NaNoWriMo Know Your Novel Introduction

By
Image
This is my first time joining the wonderful  Christine Smith  and a bunch of other wonderful writers in her three-month Know the Novel link-up for writers in these final months of the year. I'm completely nervous, having never done anything like this before, but also very excited.  October's theme is  Introduction  which is the post featured today.  Earlier this month I announced that for the months of October and November I would be switching projects from Harbinger  to Tear   in honor of NaNoWriMo, using this month to prepare. So without further ado, let me introduce you to my novel. KNOW THE NOVEL: PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Q 1. What first sparked the idea for this novel? A 1. Well, most of my novel ideas, (no pun intended), come from questions. I had this question pop into my head, "Where does Writer's Block come from?" This story was born out of the quirky answer that I came up with. Q 2. Share a blurb! A 2. I warn you this is an ...
Read more

NaNoWriMo Know the Novel: Introduction

By
Image
I can't believe it's already this time of the year again. Last year I joined Christine Smith   in her three-month Know the Novel link-up. This link-up starts the month before NaNoWriMo and goes through December. If you've been following this blog for more than a year, you'll recognize this series from last year. If you just started following me or are visiting this blog: Welcome! I'm so glad you're here. This month's theme is Introduction  and sets up the groundwork for what I'm doing today.  I've mentioned Harbinger  before. It's a WIP I've been working on for almost six years now. Over the summer I've decided to split it in three books, so now it's the Harbinger Trilogy. The working title for book one is called Sirens of Fate,  and it's this book I will work on for NaNoWriMo. I'm rebelling NaNo, meaning instead of doing this writing challenge traditionally and starting a book from scratch on November 1st, I'm using the c...
Read more

NaNoWriMo: Know the Novel Link-Up: Introduction

By
Image
  *Happy squeak!* I am so excited to be joining  Christine Smith  in her Know the Novel link-up for writers in this festive season of the year. What festive season, you may ask? Why, NaNoWriMo season, of course! *Flings glitter.* Many years ago, I did my first NaNo and started my wild ride or writing and an intense commitment to the craft that has lasted until this very day. (Hopefully it doesn't end here. That would be tragic, and while I do love a good tragedy, I would like for my life not to be tragic. Thank you very much.) *Pull self out of hole she fell in.* Ahem.... Where were we? Oh yes. The link-up. Moving forward. October is the month where we introduce our NaNoWriMo projects to the world, so in the spirit of that, here is my introduction post. KNOW THE NOVEL PART ONE: INTRODUCTION: Introducing: Drop , book #2 of my Drops of Inspira trilogy. Q 1: What first sparked the idea for this novel? A: I actually featured the first book for this link-up series a few years...
Read more