Title: Blood & Breath
Author: Qurratulayn
Genres: Supernatural/Thriller
Pages: 272
Publisher: Page Street YA
Review Copy: ARC by publisher
Availability: Available Oct. 7th
Summary: Born into the persecuted Magi class, Evan Wilde keeps her true identity under wraps. Her days are spent drawing up simple contracts―a task Magi are banned from performing―which call devils from beyond the veil to carry out clients’ requests in exchange for a bit of blood or breath. It’s not until Evan lies dying in an alley, the victim of an illegal blood sacrifice, that she draws a contract for herself. A devil can take the last of her life―if it grants her revenge.
Such a hasty, open-ended contract can only lead to trouble. But when a devil named Jack accepts her terms, Evan decides to make the most of her borrowed time. With Jack’s help, she infiltrates high society, posing as part of the ruling Necro class―the group responsible for oppressing Magi and perpetuating illegal blood sacrifices. Dining and dancing by day, unleashing her devil at night . . . for the first time in her life, Evan no longer lives in fear. She even finds friends―and love―within the circles of her supposed enemy.
It turns out that, for all their corruption, Necros are the only ones keeping the devils at bay. If Evan and Jack topple their society in revenge, the veil between worlds could vanish, leaving devils to wreak havoc. Evan’s vendetta against Necros could destroy the entire world, including her newfound friends and love.
But even if she changes her mind, Evan is not the only one out for blood. Jack didn’t indenture himself for nothing; in fact, Evan’s contract could be the key to enacting his own twisted vengeance . . . .
Review: Okay, I’m gonna get this info out first – this is the beginning of either a duology or a series. And I wasn’t aware of that before I started reading so as I read and the number of pages to the end of the book became less and less, and the amount of story to tell didn’t match up, my heart started to sink. But…not in a bad way. It was sinking because I wasn’t ready to leave the world that Evan belongs to. This debut novel is one of the most unique and original novels I’ve read in a while, and…it was also so much fun!. The story takes place over the span of a month and a lot happens in such a short time. And the plot twist is just *chef’s kiss*.
Evan, short for Evangeline, is a prime example of how victims of racial violence, surrounded by a dominant culture, can tend to hide themselves. She is a very quiet character who has been keeping her head down just trying to survive. She eventually taps into her hidden rage when the unthinkable happens – someone tries to use her as an unwilling sacrifice. The rage she felt at the violation of her life was so strong that she summoned a very strong devil, and I honestly felt that rage with her. Jack, the devil, taps into that rage to corral Evan in to his plan which she goes along with initially. Since she’s used to “hiding” Evan just follows along with what Jack wants but as she meets the targets of her revenge and realizes how lethal Jack really is, she starts to change her mind. And this is what reveals Evan’s heart. While she holds a lot of hurt, she does care for others as she remembers all the good her mother did before she was murdered. The lessons her mother gave left an impression as well as her fond memories of her life with the Magi community in which she lived. These core memories is what gives Evan her strength and that she could show it if she felt safe enough. And that is what Jack gives her in a unique way but also comes at a cost. Throughout the book I wondered how the situation would resolve itself as part of the pack with Jack, Evan’s life would be forfeit. Well…because this is only Book 1, my question wasn’t answered but that also means I get to live with Evan in this world again.
Since I’ve mentioned the world many times, I really have to point out how well done it was. The concept of devils being “controlled”, in a way, by humans was interesting. There were three different types of humans, the Necros, the Duns, and the Magi, with the Necros being the dominant race, the Duns a sort of middle class, and the Magi hidden as they had been persecruted. The were also levels of devils and the type of power they had. As part of crafting contracts with devils, Qurratulayn developed a type of writing called glyphs that she described with such beauty. I could really picture the designs as Evan crafted them. This detail, among many, is what made me really enjoy the novel.
Blood & Breath is a beautifully written novel that is also a perfect escape from the world.