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Book: “The Bloodless Princes” by Charlotte Bond
Publishing Info: Tordotcom, October 2024
Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: It seemed the afterlife was bustling.
Cursed by the previous practitioner in her new role, and following an… incident… with a supremely powerful dragon, High Mage Saralene visits the afterlife with a boon to beg of the Bloodless Princes who run the underworld.
But Saralene and her most trusted advisor/champion/companion, Sir Maddileh, will soon discover that there’s only so much research to be done by studying the old tales, though perhaps there’s enough truth in them to make a start.
Saralene will need more than just her wits to leave the underworld, alive. And Maddileh will need more than just her Fireborne Blade.
A story of love and respect that endures beyond death. And of dragons, because we all love a dragon!
Previously Reviewed: “The Fireborne Blade”
Review: I read and enjoyed the first novella in this series, so it was mostly a given that I would check out this next entry. That said, I definitely would have picked this one up based on the cover alone. I mean, for heaven’s sake, one of the lead characters is cuddling some sort of magical cat creature! So, without further ado, let’s dive into the review.
This was a romp of a ride! It’s a short little adventure tale that packs in a lot of action and lore within a limited page count. While I enjoyed the dragon lore we got in the first entry (and could have wished for a bit more of it here), I also liked the shift into a more Greek-inspired tale. Adventures through the land of the underworld are always a good time, and this one tied in nicely with some of the events and reveals at the end of the first book.
Like the first book, I enjoyed the way the author played around with storytelling format, imbedding numerous folktales throughout the story through different perspectives. And, like the first book, I was surprised to find that some of these entries were almost my favorite parts of the entire book! Not that I don’t enjoy our main characters and their story, but given the short length of the story, there’s isn’t a lot of complicated character arcs to be found there. Which isn’t bad, but it also means that I wasn’t heavily invested in them either. I enjoyed following their tale, but I also enjoyed simply learning more about this world. And, of course, I loved the cat dragon. Was it perhaps a bit of a bone throne to fantasy-lovers? Sure. Did I mind it at all? No, no I did not.
Overall, this was a fun duology. It didn’t break any barriers within the genre, but it was also the sort of beach read fantasy that I think will appeal to many readers who want to escape on a fun adventure but not commit to a massive tome. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one, and I definitely recommend this duology to all fantasy readers looking for a fast-paced adventure tale following two fantastic leading ladies!
Rating 8: Adventure, romance, and a dragon cat, what more can you want?
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