Blood so Deadly Divine

At first, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this book. It was probably the slowest burn I've ever read, aside from some YA books. But by the time I finished it, I thought maybe I was on board with it.

DISCLAIMER: This review has some spoilers. Plus, there might be mentions of death, sexual content, and the like. So, read on as you see fit.

The story is about a young woman named Elara, known as the Hallowed. People believe her blood is "special," filled with ether (which I think is this world's version of magic). Anyway, she's under the control of Osin, a king who treats her like a trophy. He brings her out for rituals, parties, and stuff, then puts her back where she stays most of the time.

Some details are a bit blurry since this book took me longer to read than usual, but I'll try my best to keep the gist of it here.

The male lead is Ivan, but everyone calls him the Hunter. I actually liked the storyline of their relationship since it was different from other fantasy books with Fae. You know, the fated mates trope. She and the Hunter have a connection, but it's not what you'd expect. There are these rings that let people use the "ether" to power their magic.

Elara always thought the ether from her blood helped make these rings, and then people would use the rings to channel their power. But in the end, she found out it's actually the magic abilities of imprisoned Fae that are in the rings. The powers don't come from the user; they come from whatever the Fae could do.

Elara's connection to the Hunter turns out to be because his powers come from her mate, who is her cellmate when she's thrown in jail. Overall, the story is well-written, but it did feel slow at times.

If you're looking for romance, this one might leave you wanting more. The tension doesn't really build until halfway through, and they don't even kiss until the very end. Not that I mind a more censored or YA-style book, especially if the yearning and love feel real. I get that the author didn't want us to get too attached, but sometimes it was just hard to follow. Still, it was a good read, and I'd give it 3.5 or 4 stars because the ending was unique, and it makes me want to read the second book.