The Blood Stones

The Blood Stones is a broad and deep epic fantasy, capturing a world that feels lived in and real, populated with characters, cultures, and lifestyles that feel entirely natural within it. The side characters, in particular, often were more relatable to me than the POV characters, which made the world that much more vivid to me.

Themes of identity, loyalty, and family abound in this book, from multiple different angles and toward different ends. However, this is very much a prologue-book, so the only payoff you'll often have is moment-to-moment, seeing the pieces being set in place to be used in future volumes.

But at the end of the day, what we have here is a solid introduction to a world that I for one am looking forward to exploring as the series progresses.

(I was given an e-ARC by the author, but my thoughts are my own, and they are in this review.)