Blood Scion, Since When Is Being a Monster a Bad Thing?

How do I start to talk about Blood Scion? A book that drew me in from the beginning and kept me eager with each turning page? I haven’t felt this way since reading Dread Nation by Justina Ireland or Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. 

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye is about sacrifice, fear, anguish, and most important of all, bravery. Sloane, who is only fifteen, has seen and endured more pain than your average fifteen-year-old. But the thing is, Sloane isn’t your typical teenager; she’s magical, but not in the way that you’d think. She’s a Scion, a descendant of the Orishas. Yoruba deities that see the future control the seas and incinerate with just a thought, and she’s a total badass. As I flipped each page and dived deeper into this book, I kept thinking how I wish I had this growing up. 

The only people who know Sloane’s real identity are a few close friends and her grandfather. And for good reason, because being Yoruba or worse, a Scion is basically a death sentence. So every day, Slone has to make sure there are no slip-ups by letting her power get out of hand. Or else she will be exposed and be killed by The Lucis army. The imperial forces of the colonizers who control the royal empire and all of Nagea.

Blood Scion is a three-part story. As I read page after page, I found myself going from excitement to rage and sadness. Falaye created such solid and complex characters that have you cheering while at the same time wanting to yell at them for the choices they’ve made. Forcing you to realize that these are kids and they have to make mistakes, but then you ask, are these the type of mistakes they can afford? 

There was one intimate part of Blood Scion that stood out to me. It was the part where Sloane laid in the lap of her best friend, Luna. Luna unravels her braids one by one, then redoes them. At first, I wasn’t sure why that stood out to me the most. But it hit me, this reason why this kind of intimacy meant so much to me as the reader. Performing that action is what Black women and women of colour experience every day; it’s a part of our culture, and to see it represented moved me. 

Of course, book one ended on a cliffhanger that left me asking questions about the characters that I’ve grown a soft spot for, and although I can’t say what happened and I was left yelling, “Where is the second book?” I was happy to be taken on this journey. 

If you haven’t heard of Blood Scion, and you’re thinking about picking it up, then all I can say is do it! It will become your next favourite read, and fingers crossed, it will earn a spot on your bookshelf like it did mine.  

Portia

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Portia is a Philly-based writer who shares her honest thoughts on the latest movies, shows, and video games. When Portia isn't busy writing, you can find her painting, reading outside, procrastinating to finish her book, or playing video games.

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