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Wildblood: A Novel
Current price:
$18.99
Publication Date: February 7th, 2023
Publisher:
Wednesday Books
ISBN:
9781250787132
Pages:
336
Absolutely devastating in the best possible way.Wildbloodwill pull you through the jungle, breathless at Blackwood’s turns of phrase and twists of plot.
March/April 2023 Kids Indie Next List
Description
A thrilling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood!
Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Since she was kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.
When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.
Thorn is everything Victoria isn't - confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide - is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants?
A fierce, lush fantasy by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, Wildblood tells the story of a girl who must find the strength to defeat the demons of the jungle as well as her own to find where she truly belongs.
"A lyrically told story of healing after trauma and finding home, Wildblood is as fierce as it is beautiful, and as hopeful as it is heartbreaking." - Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
"Wildblood is a poignant, thrilling, emotionally complex story of love and sacrifice. Victoria's tense journey through the haunted jungle is filled with terror and beauty, both supernatural and human, and will grip you until the very last page." - L. Penelope, award-winning author of the Earthsinger Chronicles
Praise for Wildblood: A Novel
Praise for Wildblood:
*A March/April Kids' Indie Next Pick *
Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2023", "2023's Most Anticipated Young Adult Books", and "Reader-Recommended New Young Adult Books for February," "Celebrate Black History Month with New & Upcoming Books by Black Authors"
Book Riot, "The Best New YA Books Out In February 2023," "Your Guide to Winter 2023 YA Books: January-March"
The Root, "February 2023 Books by Black Authors We Can't Wait to Read"
Girls' Life, "8 book recs for romance season"
Gizmodo, "49 New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books to Sweeten Your February"
Distractify, "Fall in Love With These February 2023 New Book Releases"
PopSugar, "New Fantasy Books to Make Your Year Extra Magical"
Buzzfeed, "31 New YA Books To Read This Winter"
Tor.com, "New Young Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy for January & February 2023"
"I devoured this gorgeous novel like I was one of the hungry jungle ghosts. I absolutely adore Victoria’s relationship with Mumma River and how nature speaks to her. Every moment they were in the jungle was absolutely magical. With a super unique magic system, high stakes, untrustworthy men, a lush, protective jungle, and a fierce, loyal main character, Blackwood’s Wildblood is not to be missed for YA fantasy lovers!" - The Southern Bookseller Review
"Deliberately paced and built with setting-specific terms and legends, this is a lush fantasy for fans of The Gilded Ones or Children of Blood and Bone." - Booklist
"A page-turning adventure set in a vividly imagined world." - Kirkus Reviews
"Blackwood’s creativity shines through via the Jamaica-based jungle setting, which overflows with spirits and creatures of legend. It’s an intense, socially conscious narrative featuring a compassionate and resilient protagonist." - Publishers Weekly
"The utterly unique and richly realized setting makes Wildblood stand out." - Paste Magazine, "The Best New Fantasy Books of February 2023"
"[A] thrilling, Jamaican inspired fantasy." - Cosmopolitan (UK)
"Wildblood is a poignant, thrilling, emotionally complex story of love and sacrifice. Victoria's tense journey through the haunted jungle is filled with terror and beauty, both supernatural and human, and will grip you until the very last page." - L. Penelope, award-winning author of the Earthsinger Chronicles
"A lyrically told story of healing after trauma and finding home, Wildblood is as fierce as it is beautiful, and as hopeful as it is heartbreaking." - Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
Praise for Within These Wicked Walls:
* A Reese's Book Club Fall 2021 YA Pick *
* Instant New York Times Bestseller *
"Lauren Blackwood's can't-miss debut is a magical, Ethiopian-inspired retelling of Jane Eyre." - Harper's Bazaar
"[A] creepy, immersive, romantic and thrilling retelling." - Ms. Magazine
"A fast-paced and heart-wrenching tale...Perfect for lovers of light horror, romance, and suspense, Within These Wicked Walls will be a surefire pick for the coming autumn nights." - Booklist (starred review)
"Stunning... An inventive, original, and legitimately scary debut, this is a must for fans of witchcraft, horror, and romance." - Nerdist, "Contemporary Witchy Reads for a Magical Spooky Season"
"Blackwood’s eerie, evocative debut fully embraces its gothic lineage and brings a welcome contemporary feel. The book is sure to lure readers in with the promise of hair-raising chills and passionate romance." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Mesmerizing." - Buzzfeed, "18 Horror Novels About Ghosts You Won’t Put Down"
“This action-packed novel draws inspiration from Jane Eyre as our fearless heroine must conquer the supernatural...and survive.” - Girls' Life Magazine
"...a deliciously dark and creepy Ethiopian-inspired romantic retelling of Jane Eyre with a pop of grim humor." - Buzzfeed, "Celebrate Black Love During Black History Month With These 20 YA Books"
“A dazzling retelling of ‘Jane Eyre,’... promises readers a fantastical, edge-of-the seat, swooning-over-Magnus kind of experience.” - The Seattle Times
“Within These Wicked Walls is the best sort of historical fantasy… leaves Jane Eyre in the dust.” - Locus Magazine
"Blackwood’s storytelling skills and the worldbuilding and fantasy components of the novel will intrigue readers... A promising debut." - Kirkus Reviews
"Within These Wicked Walls is an indulgently Gothic fairy tale, comparable in mastery with Mexican Gothic and Jane Eyre. An intricate magic system, a grimly humorous Black heroine, AND a heart-thumping romance? This book leaves nothing wanting." - Jordan Ifueko, New York Times bestselling author of Raybearer
"Within These Wicked Walls adds a haunting new landscape and a chilling curse to Jane Eyre’s magnetic romance and searing chemistry. A Gothic retelling, and a true original." - Anna Bright, author of The Beholder
"Fierce, eerie and heartfelt by turns, Within These Wicked Walls is a romantic and spine-chilling reimagining of a classic. I loved every creepy, swoon-worthy moment of it." - Laura E. Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds
"Lauren Blackwood's Within These Wicked Walls is the Jane Eyre retelling I didn't know I needed, and everything I needed it to be. Atmospheric and moody, with sharp subtle humor and romance, Andromeda's story is engrossing and unputdownable. This Jane Eyre isn't your average classroom read; it is so much more than that." - Rachel Simon, Newton Free Library
