Book Review: Blood Beneath the Snow by Alexandra Kennington

Title: Blood Beneath the Snow
Author: Alexandra Kennington
Series: Blood & Souls Duology #1
Pages: 316
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Publisher: Ace
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake to her kingdom and a blight on her family tree. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.

Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own furtive reasons.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon

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My Thoughts on Blood Beneath the Snow:

A deadly competition where siblings fight to the death for the throne? A terrifying, masked general who kidnaps the princess and trains her for battle? A slow-burn romance filled with tension and sharp words? Sign me up!!

Blood Beneath the Snow is a debut romantasy packed with high-stakes action, slow-burning tension, and some of my favorite tropes—forced proximity, only one bed, and a mysterious, morally grey love interest. From the moment Revna crashed that sacred ceremony, I knew I was going to enjoy the book. She’s a magicless princess in a world where power means everything, and she’s spent her life being overlooked and underestimated, especially by her family. Luckily, she has an amazing found family that makes her feel accepted and supported. But when her best friends are in danger, she throws caution aside and makes a choice that changes everything.

Revna is a stand-out FMC with a compelling arc. Fierce and stubborn, she refuses to let anyone decide her future for her, and I love that so much. Revna enters the Bloodshed Trials, where she has to fight her own brothers to the death for the throne. But before she even gets the chance, she’s kidnapped by the Hellbringer, the masked general from the enemy kingdom. He’s dangerous, unreadable, and could kill her without a second thought, but instead, he offers to train her.

The Hellbringer barely speaks for a good chunk of the book, which made it hard to feel connected to him at first. However, as the story progresses, you learn that there is so much more to this broody and gifted male, and it was interesting to finally get behind his steely mask. The romance also took a little while to grab me because of this, but once he started opening up, I really liked their dynamic.

The pacing is a little uneven and dragged at times. The first half is fast and gripping, but the middle slows down while Revna is held captive and trains with the Hellbringer. I also wanted more world-building and a deeper exploration of the political and magical systems. What was there was fascinating, and I hope the sequel explores it all a bit more because there’s a lot of potential there. The final third of the book is quicker-paced and ends with some action-packed sequences and shocking twists that left me eager for the sequel. Oof -The trials were brutal and full of creative challenges that had me on edge the entire time. And the betrayals? Absolutely gut-wrenching. The action was non-stop, and there were twists I didn’t see coming.

Despite a few pacing hiccups in the middle, I really enjoyed this one. It had everything I love in romantasy—high stakes, a determined heroine, a mysterious love interest, and plenty of tension. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.