{Review/1 Month Owlcrate Giveaway} BLOOD ROAD by Amanda McCrina




Tour Schedule:
Week 1:
4/24/2017- Rockin' Book ReviewsReview
4/24/2017- Month9BooksExcerpt 
4/25/2017- Two Chicks on BooksInterview
4/25/2017- Doodle's Book ReviewsReview 
4/26/2017- Don't Judge, ReadInterview
4/26/2017- Book-KeepingReview 
4/27/2017- A Backwards StoryReview
4/27/2017- Hazel West's Character PurgatoryExcerpt
 4/28/2017- LILbooKloversInterview
4/28/2017- Wishful EndingsReview

Week 2:
5/1/2017- Exploring the Inner UniverseReview
5/1/2017- So Few BooksInterview 
5/2/2017- Book Review BeccaReview
5/2/2017- Bibliobibuli YAInterview
5/3/2017- Reading for the Stars and MoonReview
5/3/2017- I am not a bookworm!Review
5/4/2017- YA and WineGuest Post
5/4/2017- Mundie MomsReview
5/5/2017- Never Too Many To ReadReview

 
O P E N I N G   L I N E:

  HE COULD SEE THE SKY in pieces between the tenements, bruised purple now with dusk.
  At first he was glad for the darkness, because it meant they would be firing the beacon in the lighthouse at the point. He leaned on his saddle-horns, craning his neck to look down the narrow cross streets, trying to catch a glimpse of the great light burning in the distance. By means of the lighthouse he could reorient himself. But the cross streets twisted away into deep shadow between the tenement blocks, and there was the irksome thought at the back of his mind that if they had wandered so far into the city as not see the lighthouse, then they had wandered so far as to be where Imperial control was more a matter of theory than practice--at least at night.

(pg. 7, US e-ARC edition)



“I know the way you think--because if you didn't outright assume she was telling the truth, at least you're going to make sure she gets to prove she was lying.

~Alluin, BLOOD ROAD


Torien has never questioned his role as an Imperial Officer. He believes strongly in justice and doing what is right. When he is knifed by a girl, he swiftly begins to carry out justice, only to realize that there is more going on than meets the eye. As he unravels corruption beyond his wildest dreams that goes all the way to the highest of offices, he begins a long, dangerous journey that can fundamentally change society...but can also get him killed.

When I first heard about BLOOD ROAD I'll be honest: I thought it was going to be in the vein of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir. The summaries for both books talk about martial law, and imperial officers with all the power. They both mention girls standing up for their beliefs, adamant about saving their families. They both feature officers/soldiers who, thanks to them, turn the world upside down in order to do what's right. I was immediately intrigued by the fact that both books had similar parallels and instantly TBRed it. I was surprised when I began reading and found out that the two books have very little in common, that the girl talked about so much in the summary plays a very minor part in the novel. So just be forewarned going in if you had the same expectation I did: Definitely read BLOOD ROAD as its own entity!

It was refreshing to have a YA "historical fantasy" (I don't really like to call these "historical novels" when they're not based on specific events, and I don't really like to call them "fantasy" when no magic is involved...we need something better, lol!) from a male POV. Don't get me wrong, I love fierce girl heroines as much as the next person. But there are so few male heroes in YA fantasy, and guys want to see themselves in fiction just as much as the gals do. Torien is a complex hero, too, one who has a strong sense of justice. He cares for everyone, even slaves, and hates seeing people mistreated. He sees the good in everyone. When he uncovers an underground slave ring, he decides he's going to set things right, but he has no clue that he's about to be knee-high in trouble. He could have gone on with his life, ignored what he saw, and been a good soldier. He didn't. He puts his life on the line. He doesn't cower before his superiors and accept that their hands may or may not be tied.

Torien meets a lot of different people along his journey, and each one changes him and helps determine what he will do going forward. He cares deeply for the people in his life, even ones he's barely encountered, and by the book's end, his path is completely different from where it was when readers first met him. BLOOD ROAD is the first book in the Blood Oath series, but ends cleanly enough that readers won't have to fret about the ever-worrisome evil cliffhanger!
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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details

Romance: G ( Brief kissing )
Language: --
Violence: PG13 ( Some disturbing character deaths, from slit throats, torture, etc. Nothing is graphically described, but a lot of war crimes are mentioned, including when officers would rather kill themselves than be brought in and interrogated. )
Other:  --
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C O V E R   D E S I G N:

I like this cover! I like the grit of it, and the pop of the armor. I'm intrigued by the decoration at his neck. 

I love the slashes in the title. This is a pretty cool cover!

(I only wish the model's eyes had been darkened so they pop more, since there's so much pale brown that they just blend in!)

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: BLOOD ROAD
Author: Amanda McCrina
Release Date: Out April 25, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Received: ARC for Review
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31950111-blood-road

SUMMARY:

Nineteen-year-old Torien Risto has seen dissidents dealt with before. He knows the young local girl who just knifed him will hang for assaulting an Imperial officer, unless he can stop it. 


Someone inside the provincial government is kidnapping Imperial citizens and selling them across the desert to the salt mines, silencing anyone who tries to intervene. The girl’s brother is one of those who has been taken. Rejected by the corrupt courts, she’s waging a personal war against the Empire. 


Determined to save her life, Torien sets out in search of answers on the Salt Road, the ancient trade route running deep into the heart of a desert—territory claimed by the hostile Mayaso tribe. 


Now, Torien is no longer sure where his own loyalty lies, or how far he will go to break the cycle of tyranny, political bullying, and social injustice in an empire that seals its borders in blood.. 


 
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD
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 ABOUT...AMANDA MCCRINA!



Amanda McCrina has studied in Italy, taught English in Japan, and currently tutors Latin in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in History from the University of West Georgia, and is now pursuing her MA. She writes stories that incorporate her love of history, languages, and world travel. She drinks far too much coffee and dreams of one day having a winning fantasy-hockey season.

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