Blood Scion gave me so much joy. I was so proud as a Yoruba girl to see Yoruba representation of the gods, names, incantations and anecdotes.
The Yoruba gods are known to be powerful and sometimes petty which is quite interesting. I had to learn their names, stories and powers growing up and I’ve always marvelled at them even going out of my way to learn more. Hence I’d always wondered why we didn’t have stories around them like the Greek gods. I’m glad they are being told like this.
I enjoyed the anecdotes and how Yoruba mythology and gods were intricately woven into the story. It took me back to my childhood and made the story relatable. I especially loved the way the creation story was narrated. Felt like I was learning it again for the first time. This book is so creatively written that you’d never know this was a debut novel if you didn’t know beforehand. She’s just dipped into the surface of the bag of stories and the potential this story has.
It was a compelling plot with intriguing characters. The characters were relatable and each played their part well—even those we never met directly.
Sloane is the main character and she’s a scion who can incinerate her enemies and has spent her whole life hiding this. She’s a ray of hope in the darkness depicted in this book. I loved her her character was written and the thought beneath every action she took. You also have to remember that She is really young as well as her other companions who she found and became friends and aquitance with in the book.
I thought it’d be heavy on some stuff but not so much. Pretty much similar to most content we consume on the news already but still note these trigger warnings before going in. Some of the themes discussed include:
- War
- Politics
- Family
- Love etc
The best part was the audiobook, I listened to the audiobook and it was awesome. The pronunciations, incantations, Yoruba mannerisms, and pacings were so good. I applaud the narrator. That last chapter really made me proud and I just had to go back to listen to the incantations again.
The book is fast-paced which I appreciated once it started it didn’t stop. Apart from the fact that it was predictable which I think Is just me, this is a 5-star book. I really hope it doesn’t suffer from second book syndrome, we get more of the gods and scions in action.
It ends on a cliff hanger but it’s a good ending so you don’t have to suffer the whole wait for book 2, it’s more if what comes next
Also more incantations, please.
Blood Scion- Deborah Falaye Blurb
“Equal parts soaring fantasy, heart-pounding action, and bloody social commentary, Blood Scion is a triumph of a book.” —Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
This is what they deserve.
They wanted me to be a monster.
I will be the worst monster they ever created.
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, Deborah Falaye’s debut novel, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of Children of Blood and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes.
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