An intimate, powerful story

4.5/5

After watching a BUNCH of Tori Talks videos, I had high expectations of this book, and it did not disappoint. Tori knows how to write, and more importantly, how to tell a powerful and intimate story.

Right off the bat, I was impressed by Tori's prose. The words flow smoothly and help pull you into the story. There are moments of wonderful imagery and some great metaphors/similies that add so much colour without distracting from the story.

I was also really impressed with Tori's worldbuilding. Not once was there an unwarranted info dump. Tori added a lot of small details, focusing on things that directly impact the character's lives such as the food they eat, the things they learn at school, how they treat their horses, and these little details added up to make a really vivid, lived-in world. The overall vibes were different for the two plotlines, with Katesh feeling somewhat inspired by a feudal Japanese/Korean setting, and Malek inspired by a Mongolian one.

The plot and character arcs of this story are deeply intertwined, which is just how I like it.

We start with Gehrin, a young noble from the kingdom of Katesh. Gehrin witnesses a man executed, his name struck from history, and it has a profound impact on him. From there, we move to Malek, where we follow Syndri, a hot-headed warrior of the Garhis tribe.

Tori puts these two through the ringer. I felt instantly attached to Gehrin, an earnest young boy who is forced into a journey he had no say in. But it really was Syndri's plotline that made this book for me. It was powerful, vivid, often bleak, and full of action.

One of my favourite things about Tori's writing is her exploration of familial bonds. Both found and natural are explored wonderfully in both plotlines. There are several really heart touching and relatable moments that come about from this, and I think those moments are the keystones that hold this story together.

I respect Tori too much to not be honest. While I loved the entirety of Syndri's plotline and felt very attached to every character and relationship there, I can't quite say the same for Gehrin's. I feel we could have used a bit more time getting to know Gehrin's found family and developing those bonds between the Bruhai warriors. Doing so would have made some of the brutal scenes towards the end hit that much harder.

Having said that, I loved how tightly plotted this book was. Tori did not waste any words.

The Blood Stones is an excellent entry from an author well on her way to mastery. Everything from prose, worldbuilding, plotting, and character arcs come together really well. There are twists I did not expect, and we are left with some rather ominous vibes for the sequel. Big things are coming and I am very excited!

As an aside, Andrew Meredith must be commended for his performance. This one is an awesome audiobook.

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