About the Book:
Title: Blood Sanctuary Part Two
Author: Vela Roth
Series: Blood Grace #4
Publication Date: April 2, 2022
Synopsis: When an ancient evil rises, can they save the peace talks and their love?
Lio and Cassia spend their nights in each other’s arms, but sit on opposite sides of the negotiation table. Their clandestine partnership has brought his immortal kin and her fellow humans close to a treaty after generations of violence. Lives hang in the balance. Failure means war. Peace would bring the future they hope for, when their love will no longer be forbidden.
Just when success is within reach, they realize their plan has played into the enemy’s hands. A threat lurks within the delegation, an old nemesis with magic unlike any they have ever faced. Together, are they strong enough to stop the destruction of everything they love?
Steamy romance meets classic fantasy worldbuilding in Blood Grace, now in a new edition with a map and glossary. Follow fated mates Lio and Cassia through their epic love story for a guaranteed series HEA.
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My Review:
Blood Grace is a rich, layered, and immersive series that has completely captivated me, and Blood Sanctuary Part Two is a fantastic addition to it. It’s a slow-building, character-driven story with extraordinarily dynamic characters and an epic love story. The novel is vivid, layered, and unbelievably detailed. From the mythology to the politics to the characters and relationships, you really gain a deep and thorough understanding of the plot, setting, characters, and more. Roth has created an immense world to explore, and each aspect of it is nuanced and meticulously crafted.
The political maneuvering, intrigue, and manipulations are high-stakes, and the threat of war constantly looms, which creates a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. And there are some major twists that I totally didn’t expect! Cassia and Lio are so desperate to bring peace to their people, but it seems like an impossibility, especially as events unfold in this book. I’ll be curious to see what the couple’s next steps are since it seems like every time they make good progress something happens to foil them.
Of course, the highlight of the novel for me is the swoon-tastic romance between Cassia and Lio. I adore this couple, and am so rooting for them to find happiness and peace together!! Cassia and Lio’s bond continues to grow deeper and more defined, and, if possible, they grow even closer in this book. They seem like they are on the same page and are united in their love for each other and their goals for their people. This is a couple that is truly stronger when they’re together. They are so in love with each other, and they make each other want to be the best versions of themselves. I love their character and relationship arcs and how their feelings have grown and changed over the course of the series.
Cassia really shines in this book, and I love all of the new and significant relationships she’s embracing. Her life has changed so dramatically, and she has found a place not only where she feels a sense of belonging, but where she is accepted, loved, and respected. As much as Lio has changed her, so have the other humans and Hesperines in her life. These characters are also dynamically developed, and I like that we continue to learn more about all of them. Roth could legit do a bunch of spin-offs about some of the secondary characters. They are all so interesting and unique, and the more I learn about each, the more I want to know.
I also enjoyed all of the powerful messages throughout the story. Embracing change, fighting for what you believe in, dealing with loss, grief, and mental health, finding strength in family, gender inequities, and honoring the many fulfilling types of love are just some of the themes highlighted, and they are poignant messages that many of the characters face and identify with. It’s interesting – while the world is completely different from ours, the themes and situations are entirely relatable and relevant. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and am eager for Cassia to take the next step in her union with Lio and the Hesperines. Special thanks to Vela Roth for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!
- The world building!
- The characters.
Favorite Lines:
First, they tell you to be ashamed of something healthy that your body does. Then they tell you to be ashamed if it doesn’t do it. Then you have to live in fear because a lot of men want to know, for their own ends, what your body is doing. Shame upon them.
I did not know someone so good-hearted existed in the world, until you proved all my bitter certainties wrong.
The minstrels didn’t invent love, as I once scoffed. But it deserves much more heroic songs than the foolish ballads they sing.
About the Author:
Vela Roth grew up with female-driven fantasy books and classic epics, then grew into romance novels. She set out to write stories that blend the rich worlds of fantasy with the passion of romance.
She has pursued a career in academia, worked as a web designer and book formatter, and stayed home as a full-time caregiver for her loved ones with severe illnesses. Writing through her own grief and trauma, she created the Blood Grace series, which now offers comfort to readers around the world.
She lives in a solar-powered writer’s garret in the Southwestern United States, finding inspiration in the mountains and growing roses in the desert. Her feline familiar is a rescue cat named Milly with a missing fang and a big heart.
Vela loves hearing from readers and hopes you’ll visit her at velaroth.com.
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