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Leo Hael’s reputation as the Blood Prince, the country’s most feared mercenary proceeds him, and he carries a hefty bounty on his head. He can cause fear in the hearts of even the most ruthless crime bosses in Tominay by simply looking at them, even if it disgusts him to do so. He hates his job, you see. He hates his boss. Leo simply takes on the jobs and the targets because he has to somehow earn enough money to be able to feed and clothe his younger siblings. He dreads the days when he sees the rag ordering him to kill turn red; but the safety of his family always comes first. But when his younger brother, Altair’s eyes turn gold and he attempts to defend himself, and is arrested by the King’s elite guards, Leo mounts a daring rescue attempt. He knows that his options are running short when his boss demands that Altair also becomes a mercenary – and so, with his three other brothers and two year old sister in tow – the family embark on a desperate race to the Barren Lands; the place where the legendary Death Dancers held their last stand in the Great War.
The Blood Prince is the debut novel by Ayla Marie, and it is exceptional. It’s not often that a brand new author can grip the reader with the first sentence of a book, but that’s exactly what Marie has done here. I was hooked from the very first page; feeling Leo’s every emotion along with him. The world that she has built is extraordinary and her story telling is nigh on immaculate. The plot of the book is exciting, gruesome and emotive as we follow Leo’s desperate attempts to keep his siblings safe. He’s so young to have been through what he has in the cruel country of Tominay, and he’s too young to be as brave and protective of his family as he is. He’s already lost too much; his father and a sister to an execution, his mother and a brother to disease – and he still has to feed five other mouths and clothe five other bodies.
But what makes The Blood Prince so exceptional isn’t just the widely varied, colourful and all too believable cast of characters and the heartbreaking, worldly wise plot. No. It’s that Ayla Marie is just 16 years old and still in high school. How she has been able to write such contrasting characters from the sweet two year old sister Saiph, to the vicious despot Cassien, I’ll never quite know. At age 16, although I loved my fantasy literature, I would never have been able to dream up such a vivid, cruel and wonderful world as she has. Her writing is immaculate, and at times, comes across as much older than her young years. The amount of research that Marie must have put into this book shows her dedication to her craft; some of her characters have names that correlate with celestial star chart, some have decidedly Welsh names and some are simply beautiful. She’s also tapped into the myriad of emotions that come with grief, showing understanding and empathy beyond what many people could even begin to comprehend.
To say I enjoyed this beautiful, brilliant novel would be an understatement and a disservice to Marie’s extraordinary talent. I’m hooked, and now a well established fan. Her acknowledgements in the back of The Blood Prince state that this is the first book in a trilogy, and I’m beyond excited to see what adventures await Leo and his family.
S. A.
I was lucky enough to be sent The Blood Prince directly from Ayla Marie. If you’d like me to review your book, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The Blood Prince is available to buy now from Amazon.