Fantasy Book Reviews

In Pain and Blood

Author: AldreaAlien
Title: In Pain and Blood
Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/43770351-in-pain-and-blood

Dylan is a spellster; he's a strong one, by his own claim. And as a spellster, he must live his life in the Tower of Demarn under the watch of Guardians and Overseers. All his life, he's only known the tower and has never stepped foot outside the (I assume) heavily secured establishment. There's a war happening and he wants to be a part of it. But in order to join the the king's army, he must prove himself worthy and win a spellsters competition. The problem is that his Guardian won't let him participate. When he learns that his long-time friend, Nestria, is in trouble, he rushes to help her. As fate would have it, the Overseers witness his powers and potential, and they request that he participate in the competition. It looks like Dylan will have his wish after all...

I'll start with the only negative feedback I have for the story: the characters (and author) know information the readers don't. There were quite a few unanswered questions and unexplained concepts just from the couple of chapters I read. Some examples: Why are spellsters not allowed to leave the tower? What's to stop them from leaving if they're so powerful? To go outside, spellsters must be "leashed" with collars to suppress their abilities...how do the collars work? I'm probably just being petty, but I wish the author would explain those things a little more; the better the readers understand the situation, the more we'll be invested in the plot.

Otherwise, In Pain and Blood was an engrossing read, particularly for its style and humor. I loved the witty banter between Dylan and his friends. He and Nestria have wonderful chemistry; they're friends, but the author wants us to believe there's more. The book is marked as Mature, but I don't see any justification for it (shame!). There are sexual innuendos peppered throughout the prose, and they're done so subtlely that you could miss them if you don't pay attention. What I like is that the author doesn't shy away from more mature topics (e.g. casual sex) and was impressed that she even found opportunities to pander to gays and lesbians. There's such a rare charm in the author's writing that just compels you to keep reading!

The world building is also very well done. I could tell a lot of thought went into constructing the social structure of the Tower. You have spellsters who have curfews and Guardians that look after them, and the Overseers who only talk to the Guardians and never to the spellsters directly. There's a king, a war, magic, and rare metals. So much to take in! Sure, we get lost sometimes with unexplained concepts, but I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and trust that she'll reward her readers in the later chapters.

I would absolutely recommend In Pain and Blood. It has a simple premise but the story will prove to be quite complex.