Blood Rebirth
Written by S.M. McCoy
Yes! If you have read my review of book one in S.M. McCoy’s Divine Series (and if not, why not? Here’s your chance to rectify that grave error of judgement), you’ll recall that I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but felt its proofreading let it down. Well, I am pleased to say that while reading Blood Rebirth, I had no such issues.
No amount of proofreading can make a terrible book shine, so I’m also pleased to say that Blood Rebirth does, indeed, shine. Continuing on from Blood Crescent, Blood Rebirth is indeed another paranormal romance. While your mileage on the genre will no doubt affect your enjoyment of the book, McCoy has filled this entry with the same sparkling wit, the same great voice for the protagonist, and the same enchanting prose.
While the style of the two books have so much in common (which is what you want from any series), McCoy continues the story in interesting ways. No longer the urban fantasy its predecessor is, Blood Rebirth takes place in a fantastic new realm, expanding the Divine Series world in some wonderful ways.
I’m wary of including spoilers in my reviews, and with Blood Rebirth picking up from directly where Blood Crescent ended, I am doubly so; loathe to detail even the book’s early goings on for fear of spoiling its predecessor. It has been a while since I have read a second volume of a book that picks up so closely from the first, and doing so risks making the second book impenetrable to anybody starting the series from this point. While books will often summarise previous events for the reader, McCoy doesn’t reintroduce many aspects for the reader, but still manages to make this a good place to jump in. From the opening, it is clear that an entire book’s events have happened, but if you do decide to read Blood Rebirth first, you won’t be lost; you’ll likely just want to circle back and read the first volume.
Being the middle chapter in a trilogy, it probably comes as little surprise that Blood Rebirth ends on a cliffhanger. Much as it picked up directly where Blood Crescent ended, I expect the finale, Blood Queen, will pick up from the point Blood Rebirth ends. If you are a reader who dislikes cliffhangers, this is worth noting. But the cliffhanger is presented in a way that if you are only reading Blood Crescent, this story has ended. Sure, there’s more to come, and you won’t be met with an overwhelming sense of finality, but it ends in a satisfying enough manner.
At 317 paperback (listed at 288 pages on eReader, or twelve hours and ten minutes if you’re listening to the audiobook), Blood Rebirth is a longer read than the first book. While reading it, it didn’t feel any longer, and if anything, I finished it quicker, thanks to its ease of reading. Blood Rebirth’s text is not at all challenging, which will serve the target audience of young adults well.
Much like the Divine Series’ first instalment, Blood Crescent builds a plot that comes together nicely, with twists and turns along the way. These twists are plentiful, and better yet, they aren’t predictable. Further, this lack of predictability doesn’t result in the twists feeling as though they’re coming out of left field, with them making sense in the broader narrative.
With another complex plot and a lot more world building comes the introduction of new characters, as well as the ones the reader knows from Blood Crescent. And, being a fantasy, some of these new characters also happen to be new types of mythical creatures. Again, I won’t spoil these, but I found myself smiling at these revelations. McCoy balances the old and new well, helping the reader get to know these new characters without sacrificing the old. All the characters are well-written, not to mention well-rounded. The dialogue is largely written well; there were a couple of instances which felt a little uncomfortable, but by and large these were negligible and soon forgotten as the story continues.
Blood Rebirth is a thoroughly entertaining read. Much like Blood Crescent before it, it may not appeal to those who aren’t fans of YA fantasy stories. But if you are a fan, I recommend reading it. It takes what worked so well with its predecessor, and runs with it in some wonderful ways.
Favourite Passage
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve sworn there was a twinkle of sadistic approval in her gleaming purple eyes before she bolted in the opposite direction. Yanking me from my spot, my feet barely touched the black ground between astral space, and the physical realm. Everything blurring past us, the only thing that looked in place was Professor Valteeze, with only a gentle breeze whipping through her ponytail. Buildings twisted past us, warping as I watched.
Blood Rebirth, Chapter Ten: “Monsters Inside”
Blood Rebirth was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
Blood Rebirth is available in paperback and eBook from retailers, including—but not limited to—Amazon, and audiobook via Audible.
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Blood Rebirth: Divine Series
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