"Blood Beneath the Snow" by Alexandra Kennington is an enthralling romantasy about a rebellious princess seeking equality for all. I'm a sucker for these kinds of books, so I happily dived in.
"Fate is thicker than blood" perfectly sums up this story. The book follows Revna, the only member of the royal family without magical abilities. In this kingdom, there are seven deities, and the people are divided between the godtouched (those with magical abilities) and the godforsaken (those without). The kingdom has been at holy war with its neighbor for the past seven years. The godtouched look down on the godforsaken and treat them cruelly. Revna is abused by her family and the priests due to her lack of powers, and she seeks justice for the godforsaken.
Revna is set to be used as a pawn, forced into marriage with a prince from another country. The book begins with her staging a mini rebellion (preventing the sacrifice of a baby) and then continues with an even bigger one. She refuses to marry the prince and demands to participate in the Bloodshed Trials - a competition where the last remaining royal sibling standing takes the throne. The plot thickens when Revna is kidnapped by the Hellbringer, the enemy's terrifying general who can kill with a flick of his wrist.
The book started strong, dragged a bit in the middle, and picked up the pace again toward the end. That said, there was never a dull moment, and I was invested throughout. I loved the blend of fantasy and romance. However, there was too much focus on the relationship between Revna and the Hellbringer, and not enough on the gods and magic. I adored Revna's determination, grit, and perseverance despite all obstacles, and I enjoyed the interactions between her and the Hellbringer.
While the book features a fair amount of blood and swordplay, it is much more than that. Its world-building, characters, magic systems, themes, and suspenseful plot make it an enjoyable and engaging read. It explores themes of sacrifice, loyalty, abuse, homophobia, moderation, acceptance, and balance. Content warning: the book contains references to alcoholism, blood and mild gore, suicidal ideation, the death of loved ones, explicit sex scenes, murder, self-harm, war, violence, and domestic and religious abuse.
My only complaints are minor. The book is set in a medieval world, so the use of modern curse words, like the F-word, felt out of place. Also, the Bloodshed Trials seemed too cruel and a bit unoriginal (The Hunger Games, anyone?). As a parent, I found it hard to understand the King and Queen’s eagerness to see their children fight to the death in such a bloody contest - it felt unnatural. Lastly, it seemed unrealistic that a kingdom that despises the godforsaken would accept those who are gay. Because of these issues, I decided to deduct a point from my rating.
I liked the twist at the end, although I had my suspicions. The author ties up most loose ends, but a few questions remain unanswered - hopefully, they will be addressed in the next book (if there is one). Overall, I loved the story and would recommend it. Lovers of dark fantasy novels would be well advised to immerse themselves in this story! If you love flawed characters and don’t mind a bit of violent action, then this is definitely for you. I’m already looking forward to the next book!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "Blood Beneath the Snow" by Alexandra Kennington
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