Bloodleaf (The Bloodleaf Trilogy)

I've read a ton of Young Adult fantasy. More than 90% of the books I own/read are in the fantasy genre. Which comes to mean that I see a lot of the same elements over and over again in fantasy books. It's not a bad thing, not at all, but it's also refreshing when I read a fantasy book with unique elements. Bloodleaf is one of those books. Bloodleaf has many unique fantasy elements that I absolutely loved.This dark and luscious tale will have you hooked from the first page. Smith’s writing blew me away. It was breathtakingly beautiful and nevertheless bewitching. I was captivated by the words that flew off the pages and made the world feel so real.The world Smith has built is phenomenal and deadly and all the while enchanting. It’s a fantasy world I could easily picture myself living in. The world is illustrated in such beautiful prose. And just to be clear, this isn’t a fantasy world where happy endings come naturally. It’s a dark world filled with daunting dangers and betrayal. But the way Smith describes the world is what makes me love it so much; the descriptions are not too much or too little and they make it feel like the world is alive, which is always a plus for me in fantasy novels.What I also loved about Bloodleaf was the magic system. The magic system in Bloodleaf is incredible. To enter the second kingdom, Renalt, you must have a stamped invitation with the king’s blood to enter, or else you risk the possibility of death. This experience that Aurelia has to go through is so well-captured that I felt like I was right there seeing her cross into the kingdom. Actually, that’s what it was like for the whole book. The story, the characters, the hardships, all felt real and that is something I look for in books. I want the worlds to feel real to me and this world and the characters did not disappoint.Princess Aurelia is a wonderfully flawed, yet strong character. She doesn't want to do the blood magic oath, where her and three people she loves bound themselves to her with blood, where in order for Aurelia to die, her three protectors will have to die first. She would rather die than risk the lives of those she loves. But then the blood oath is completed and Aurelia goes on a daunting journey, using the name of one of her maids, to escape the Tribunal after she uses her forbidden magic to save someone. She fights for her old life, for her destiny, and for her kingdom. She learns so much throughout her journey, and I can't wait to see where her journey takes her in the second book.And then there is Zan. Zan is a character I was easily swooning over. He's intriguing yet mysterious and though he hides many secrets from Aurelia, he becomes someone she can't live without. He's charming even when he's trying not to be. He overall fights for a good cause and wants to see the world change. And he sees Aurelia as being that person, with her magic and her will to change the outcome of her life.Overall, Bloodleaf has easily become one of my all-time favorite fantasy novels. I loved the world, the character development (even the sad moments), and the uniqueness Smith brings to the fantasy genre. I’m one of the readers that is patiently (well, really, impatiently) waiting for the second book. If you are looking for a fantasy read that is gripping and intriguing with multiple fantasy elements, then Bloodleaf is a great book to read!

Meh. It was super predictable - the big plot twists, how it was going to end, all of it. The character’s relationships with each other didn’t ring true, and their motivation was generically self interested, unless they supported the main character’s action to move the plot forward.The two different kingdoms weren’t really different - except one was tolerant of “magic” and the other wasn’t. Unless I was missing something.The first third of the book held the most potential, then it just didn’t keep my interest at the same level, which was disappointing.None of the characters really stood out, the indignation that should have followed specific parts of the story just weren’t kindled in me. The treatment of the first death of the main character’s closest friend, after professing love for her, didn’t ring true. Nor was the fact that the main character just easily moved on... or question that fact that she never saw his ghost...Overall, the story had a lot of potential but the execution was meh...

I went into Crystal Smith’s Bloodleaf with very little knowledge on what it was about, other than a magical YA fantasy, one of my favorite kinds! Not only that, but it’s also a retelling of the fairy tale The Goose Girl. It’s been years since I’ve read that story from the Brothers Grimm, so I basically went into this one with no clue to what the general story was about! With a bit of rough start, it wasn’t too long before I became engrossed with the words flowing off the pages as I journeyed with our heroine, Aurelia as she tries to save her kingdom.Aurelia is a princess with magical talents, and in this world, magical talents usually leads to a quick and painful death, but since she is the princess, her mother has been able to hide her talents over the years. But now it is time for her to go to her betrothed across the lands and marry him. Aurelia was forced to reveal her powers in order to save the life of someone dear to her and basically exposed herself as a magic user. So she with her brother, and guard, ex-best friend and her father flee into the night. But more trouble and chaos ensues and it’s not long before Aurelia is left for dead, her guard gone, her brother taken by her ex-friend and father. She is left with no one.Aurelia isn’t the type of princess to wait to be saved though, she ventures onto the kingdom where she is supposed to be headed. She wants to rescue her younger brother despite his animosity towards her. Aurelia assumes the identity of her maid who she was fond of and it’s not long before she meets Zan, the cousin to the crown prince, the man she is supposed to be marring. Zan needs her help with something magical as he was soon to learn she possessed such abilities.Something is happening in the kingdom and Zan is trying to keep the barriers in place in order to protect it and everyone inside. He believes that Aurelia is the one to do just that.I’m really wanting to go back and read The Goose Girl now! I know I read another version of a retelling of that one years ago, but it’s been sooo long since then and I don’t even have that particular book anymore. But I’m always curious about the fairy tales that retellings come from, especially when they are unfamiliar ones. I love knowing the origins behind a retelling, no matter its form.Bloodleaf was an interesting read. I will admit, I got off to a rough start with trying to understand the new world I was entering and the history that I would eventually learn played a key part in the story. While I can’t remember all of it in the beginning real well, it was nice that despite that, in the end, things were made very clear. There were just a few magical aspects that were confusing for me in the middle of the story, mostly pertaining to what Zan needed of Aurelia in regards to the magical wall. Even though I struggled to grasp what things were, I was able to follow along fairly well in that regard.This story wasn’t without it surprises either. Oh my goodness, there were surprising reveals and events left and right! It was mind-boggling! But in the best possible way! I love a story that will keep you guessing ad take you utterly by surprise long before it’s over! This book definitely kept me on my toes, that’s for sure1And what’s a fairy tale without a little romance? Naturally, we see something happening between Aurelia and Zan. I liked that it wasn’t a love at first sight kind of deal, which is common in fairy tales. No, these two were actually not overly fond with one another when they first meet. And I have to say that that is my favorite kind of meetings! I love it when they don’t love each other right away! But it’s not long before the animosity turns into friendship, and then later on, something much more, naturally!The ending was quite the surprise as well! I naturally, forgot key details when something was happening and was completely blindsided by the end that happened! Just wow! I kept telling myself that this was a trilogy, but even that didn’t help because trilogies can sometimes involve other characters, as we all know! I will be curious to see what Crystal does next with this particular trilogy though. I felt like we were practically at that beloved "happily ever after" even though the words didn't appear, but it was fairly close I felt like. Perhaps the tiniest of threads that might be considered loose, will be the catalyst for the next two books. Only time will tell of course!Bloodleaf was a unique and thrilling tale all on its own, but knowing that it stemmed from a fairy tale made it even more delightful! In true fairy tale fashion there was quite the heaping of darkness throughout the tale. The Brothers Grimm would truly be proud to have inspired such a remarkable tale from debut author, Crystal Smith. This is sure to be only the start to an amazing trilogy to come and I for one cannot wait to see what will happen next! Bloodleaf is the perfect read for fans of such fairy tale retellings or readers of the fantasy genre in general!Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Love the world building...incredible story....could not putdown,ended up reading the entire book in one day! I read alot of YA Fantasy books....and this one was a very rare treat! Imagine my surprise when I found out this beautiful written book was written by a fellow Utahn! Can not wait for the book!

Actual Rating 3.5I flew through this book in an afternoon and really enjoyed it. It features one of my favourite types of magic to read about. Princess Aurelia has been able to see ghosts since she was a child. I always find this type of magic adds a layer of otherworldiness to a story, which I love.Aurelia can also cast spells using blood magic which she must also hide. When the book opens, she is at a public hanging of accused Witches, so you understamd the stakes immediately if she is caught.However, when danger strikes, and her magic is exposed, she must flee her country before she is caught by the Tribunal. She goes to the country of her betrothed and disguises herself as a commoner. However, even here there is darkness and before long she realises that in order to help her new friends and this new city, she must embrace her gifts fully.As I've already said, I love the magic Aurelia wields in the book. I also liked her character; she is brave and gutsy and not afraid to stand up for herself and others. I liked the dynamic between herself and Zan, and though some of the twists were predictable (to me at least), I enjoyed how the author brought them about.This was a solid YA fantasy debut, and the first in a trilogy. I look forward to reading the next one.

Very entertaining storyline and enough of a mix of fantasy, romance, and adventure to keep a reader hooked. For a trilogy, there were a surprisingly many threads neatly tied at the end of this book, almost too well, leading me to believe the next installment will be more of a standalone story than a continuation of this one. But I enjoyed this and am looking forward to Book 2 coming out next year.