Book Review | The Blood Race | Worlds Beneath Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Posted on July 28, 2018 By Theresa @ TheCalicoBooks

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Hello! Today is my stop for the Worlds Beneath blog tour! Worlds Beneath is book 2 in The Blood Race series, which was released on July 1st. To celebrate, I’ll be sharing my review of book #1, The Blood Race, as well giving you the chance to enter to a win a signed, paperback copy of it!

Alright, let’s get this party started!

Title: The Blood Race (The Blood Race #1) by K. A. Emmons

Pages: 318

Genres: YA, Fantasy/Sci-fi

Published by: Self-published (July 27th, 2017)

Summary

I’ve been running from my past for one hundred years. And I’m still just a teenager.

I was selected by my teacher, Sensei, to train in The Dimension: a secret place of refuge for the ‘anomalies’ of past, present, and future earth. Here I would learn to connect to my ‘warrior within’ as Sensei calls it – to channel energy orbs, commute between realms, and even shape-shift into an alternate form. But never did I guess that my training would include taking on an anomaly student of my own: a loose cannon of a college guy named Ion.

Late one evening, I invite him over to Sensei’s house for a little chat; one that will turn his life upside-down. Shoving him into the broom closet turned portal, I drag Ion into the Dimension, opening his eyes to his true homeland: a realm of anomalies. His kin.

As we train to become Protectors of future Earth, battling each other as well as our own demons, I begin to realize that there’s more to Ion than I originally thought: a darkness he’s spent his life running from. And beyond that, a looming threat hidden in plain sight – something that could destroy me, him, and the future of Earth.

The Blood Race is K.A. Emmons’ debut novel, and the first book in a riveting and fresh YA sci-fi/fantasy thriller series. Pick up your copy of The Blood Race today!

What I Thought

*I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! A huge thank you to author and Livy Lynn Blog Tours!*

Going into this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When it comes to sci-fi/fantasy novels, I sometimes struggle to connect to the story, and often get confused. I’ll be honest, I was hesitant to even read this book because of that. The synopsis just kept drawing me in, though. I’m so glad I decided to give this book a chance!

One of the things I loved most about The Blood Race was the characters. There were so many unique and such fierce characters. I especially loved Icarus, Hawk, and Fin. They had so much depth! I loved watching the growth and maturity that happens in this novel, particularly with Icarus. I also loved the romances that are starting. I am so looking forward to seeing how much more these characters and their relationships grow and change in Worlds Beneath!

Another thing I loved were the parallels between Christianity and the Dimension. I don’t want to spoil anything in the story, but I just have to say, the second half of the book really made me think about evangelism, free will vs. predestination, and so much more.

One thing that I do wish, however, that I got to have a little more of in this book, was understanding more about the Dimension. I wanted to learn more about this other world, what it looked like and how it was to live there. I’m hopeful that book 2 will feature more descriptions and give a greater understanding!

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel! The Blood Race is so well-written, with such unique and memorable characters. Like I said earlier, I’m not always able to get into sci-fi/fantasy novels, but that was not the case for this one. The plot drew me in, and kept me hooked until the very end. I cannot wait to read World’s Beneath! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and adventurous read!

4 stars 2

Click here to buy The Blood Race, and start the adventure.

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Click here to buy Worlds Beneath to find out what happens next!

giveaway

Click the cover below to enter to win a signed, paperback copy of The Blood Race!

about the author

When she’s not hermiting away in her colorfully-painted home office writing her next science fiction, passionate story-teller and adventurer Kate Emmons is probably on the road for a surf or hiking trip, listening to vinyls, or going for a power run. Emmons’ debut novel The Blood Race is the first book in her YA science fiction/fantasy thriller series. Get connected with Kate on your favorite social platform, and be sure to check out http://kaemmons.com/!