The Little Book Spy: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Happy Friday! Today, I’ll be reviewing Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith. This book had been on my TBR for quite a while and there's a funny story that goes along with it. When I wrote my 11th Waiting on Wednesday post last year, I didn't realize that the book Greythorne was the second book in a trilogy and that Bloodleaf was the first book. Obviously, I knew I needed to correct my error as soon as possible. So back in March once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down!

About the Book:
Title: Bloodleaf
Author: Crystal Smith
Release Date: March 12, 2019
Series: The Bloodleaf Trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 384

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

Summary:

Aurelia is a princess, but they call her a witch.

Surrounded by spirits and burdened with forbidden magic, she lives in constant fear of discovery by the witch-hunting Tribunal and their bloodthirsty mobs. When a devastating assassination attempt reveals her magical abilities, Aurelia is forced to flee her country with nothing but her life.

Alone and adrift in an enemy kingdom, Aurelia plans her revenge against the Tribunal, desperate to bring down the dark organization that has wrought terror upon her people for hundreds of years. But there's something deeply amiss in her new home, too, and soon she finds herself swept into a deadly new mystery with a secretive prince, the ghost of an ancient queen, and a poison vine called Bloodleaf.

Aurelia is entangled in a centuries-long game of love, power, and war, and if she can't break free before the Tribunal makes its last move, she may lose far more than her crown.

My Thoughts:
Bloodleaf was such an amazing adventure! When I first dived in, I did not expect the roller coaster that I had signed up for. The writing was one of my absolute favorites. I loved the world building and the description of the story. I felt as if I was immediately transported into the story whenever I picked up the book. The character development was another favorite of mine. Every character in the story had grown and changed so much from the first chapter they were introduced to the final chapter. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book. The magic in the story was different and unique, which brought the book to life.

Princess Aurelia was a strong and caring character. As a princess with witchcraft, she endured so much throughout the story. I rooted for her throughout her journey. She did everything in her power to protect her family and her new friends that she met in Achlev. Zan was a kind of a tough character in the beginning. There was something mysterious about him when Aurelia first meets him. I had some unanswered questions about who he really was based on some of his actions early on. Throughout the story, I saw so many different sides to Zan. He was charming, kind, and cared about the future of Achlev. When Aurelia and Zan's relationship shifts from an alliance/friendship to a romantic relationship, I was definitely rooting for them to get together!

I also loved Aurelia and Zan's friends, Kate and Nathaniel and their impact on the story. Kate was an amazing friend to Aurelia in the story and was always there for her no matter what. Nathaniel was also a great character. He risked everything to not only help Zan, but Aurelia too. However, one specific scene/chapter(s) that happened in the story made me break down into tears (it also didn't help that I was listening to one of the songs from the Draugen video game soundtrack during a specific chapter, that basically ruined me). I recommend keeping a box of tissues handy, just in case. Overall, this is definitely a series worth starting if you haven't picked it up yet. I can't wait to see what happens next in Greythorne!

If you’re interested in checking out Crystal’s pages, the links are below along with places you can get the Bloodleaf.

Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed my review/suggestion. Until next time!