The Blood Trials: A Novel: 1 (The Blood Gift Duology, 1)

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Between them, UCLH and UCL are leading the largest portfolio of CAR T cell studies in Europe with underpinning support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and funding by several partners including the blood cancer charity Bloodwise, and the EU 7th Framework Programme.

One of the very first things I noticed about this book, which continued throughout the whole story, is that the writing is very choppy. There are lots of short sentences right after each other instead of being combined with commas and contractions. Stopping at so many periods so frequently was jarring and made for a reading experience that wasn’t too enjoyable for me. There also was not a lot of worldbuilding at all—just a little bit about the government of Mareen and the Pantheon of gods they may or may not believe in, but not much else. The writing style really makes this book feel like a debut novel to me. I kept being pulled out of the story because of how something was explained or the word choices made, and it made it clear that this story has a really cool concept but with poor execution. Davenport’s attention of detail in the world building and richly drawn characters was incredible. We’re introduced to a world (and society) that has developed through bloody wars, racism and oppression which, despite the fantastical creatures, forbidden magic and alien (planet) setting still feels all to familiar to the real world — with racist, misogynistic and classist attitudes that oftentimes mirror aspects of our own society, with characters whose experiences and motivations are incredibly easy to relate to. The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen’s deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive. The lead character was so nicely drawn with so many levels to her character that she seemed like a real person. As a reader I could easily understand why she made the choices that she did and not being ever seemed “out of character” to drive the plot or create a “wow” moment. The way the story is written I could almost feel the characters growth, revelations, joy and pain.I really didn't expect this book to go as dark and detail in the violence as it did especially with the type of cover they chose. It's a matter of survive or die for Ikenna and crew as they face a series of harsh challenges meant to kill the weakest of the lot. Levity comes through the modern dialogue with familiar slang and the moments between Ikenna and her friends where they can talk about relationships and memories and aspirations. The Blood Trials is part murder mystery, political intrigue, and violent tournament. The story follows Ikenna who signs up to endure the contest to become a Praetorian, the most elite soldiers, as a means of investigating the murder of her grandfather. The prominence of the various elements of The Blood Trials ebbs and flows over the course of the story. There would be periods where I would wonder if Ikenna forget about her search for answers as there hadn't been so much of a mention of the mystery for huge chunks of the story. But now the dream is dead, and Ikenna's debating not pledging into the dangerous Praetorian trials to rise up into the academy. What's the point, without her family? And the cards she has in her hand are older and steeped in the blood of the gods. It's not a fair fight, Ikenna won't even pretend—her arsenal is loaded for bigger beasts. At UCLH, Professor Karl Peggs established the clinical translational side of the academic CAR T-cell programme and is now working on setting up Europe’s first dedicated cellular immunotherapy research and treatment centre.

Ikenna is a tough-as-nails, loyal protagonist. Watching her grow through her interpersonal relationships with her friends and Praetorian competitors was really satisfying. She is a protagonist who makes mistakes but isn’t afraid to grapple with them in an attempt to do better next time. Ikenna endures a lot of racism and sexism over the course of the story but never wavers in her conviction that she deserves to be a Praetorian. Through her character development, we see how predominantly white institutions impact people of color, which added a powerful emotional component to Ikenna's quest for belonging and answers about her grandfather.What The Blood Trials pulled off well, though, was making you root for a character who, as I said, is pretty selfish. Because why wouldn’t she only care about herself when there are people in her training class who are actively trying to kill her? When she lives in a society that hates her? So it was a kind of self-preservation induced selfishness. As I said, though, there are scenes that make it clear that she’s not always allowed to get away with it. Which was where the good balance came in. For the scientists and clinicians working to develop this treatment, the responsibility of designing and testing new treatments in patients is both exciting and daunting. At the heart of this film is the complex relationship between scientists developing these treatments, the clinical team testing them and the patients receiving the experimental therapies. Ikenna has a magical gift bestowed upon her from the gods of their enemies, that she must hide while also using it to keep herself alive as her mixed heritage makes her a target. Book Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy The worldbuilding is built into every interaction and moment. I will say that sometimes it slows the pacing or over-explains something, but never in a bad way. I left each scene and moment knowing I had learned something new about the world, characters, and mystery at the heart of The Blood Trials. This type of writing, mixed with the modern dialect and language of the characters, made the novel easy to read and follow.