PotsandPlots

Of Blood and Fire was originally a self-published novel that arrived in 2021. Several more instalments followed, and thanks to the series popularity, it is now getting a major new reprint from Broken Binding.

I believe this Broken Binding’s first foray as a publisher. Up until now, it has specialised in deluxe, spayed edge, editions of existing books. Quite how this collaboration is different, I’m not sure, but a quick look at the website suggests they’re upping their ability to bring both agented and self-published books to the shelves. More books can only ever be a good thing.

Growing Information:

Plant With: Fantasy, Magic, Dragons.

Grows Into: A traditional fantasy tale – Old school, but updated.

Rating: Vibrant Annual 🌻🌻 (Check here for rating information.)

Broken Binding Edition Available from 17th February. (Affiliate Link)

Many thanks to Black Crow PR for sending me a copy of this book to review.

The Review:

I enjoyed the time I spent with Of Blood and Fire. It reminded me of the fantasy I read in my youth.

It’s the story of 3 friends from a sleepy village who come of age in a world that has a malevolent ruler. They’re a long way away from the heart of “The Empire,” and politics doesn’t trouble them that much.

Until, that is, Cal accidentally gets caught up in a fight between soldiers and what turn out to be rebels. After that, nothing is the same again.

Hunted down, Cal and his friends have to flee their childhood homes and embark upon a journey that will change them forever. Cal unleashes a power within him, the like of which hasn’t been seen for centuries.

If it Ain’t Broke…

Arguably, there is little new about Of Blood and Fire, but nevertheless, there’s enough respinning of classic fantasy themes and ideas to make this an entertaining read. While this book sort of reminded me of The Belgariad, its story is more sophisticated than the simple “Good Vs Evil” of the stories that filled my formative years.

These differences, it could be argued, boil down to “Shades of Grey Vs Evil” but nevertheless, the dubious obfuscation from the group Cal finds himself travelling with, offers some extra grist to the fantasy mill.

Of Blood and Fire contains an interesting magic system, combat with “forms,” which I always love and mild reinterpretations of elves, dwarfs and giants. It also has some funky bad dudes to keep us on our toes, though it does have some gruesome “Uraks” that I was less convinced by.

Of Blood and Fire knows where it comes from and pays homage to its forebears. It even has a dragon in it. It reads like a classic of the genre. Whether you think that is a good thing probably comes down to personal taste. At the risk of showing my middle-aged maleness, it made a nice change to read a book whose characters weren’t desperate to get their leg over with someone they were deeply unsuited for.

The story kept me interested, starting with a coming-of-age ritual in an eldritch forest, before sliding its 3 friends into the main quest. Doing the work of the Big Bad are a couple of intriguing villains, the kind you love to hate. I’m interested in seeing how they develop in further stories.

If I had a criticism of the book, it would be that it’s a lot of pages just to set the scene. We only have hints of the main story. There’s a lot of exposition and world-building. Some people love this, and there’s lots of lore for readers to sink their teeth into.

By the end of the book, we are really still at the start of Cal’s quest. We have lots of unanswered questions and a whole world to explore in which to resolve them. It’s clearly the start of a multi-book journey.

Do I want to read more books? Yes. The unanswered questions posed are intriguing. There are definitely aspects of the world I want to find out more about. I want to discover more about those enigmatic villains. Cal and his friends are just beginning to find out what they’re capable of, and these sorts of journeys of discovery always make for compelling reading.