Blood of the Revenant [Paperback]

(I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis.)
Gabriel is a revenant. He lives in a place called `Returning City', which is surrounded on all sides by a forest known as `Eden'.
Gabriel lives with his family - four other boys called Leute, C'hian, Call, and Baital. Each has their own thing that they are good at, and Gabriel is his family's fighter. Every so often he must go to the fighting circle in the middle of the city and fight an `other' - a revenant who does not have a family. If Gabriel wins the fight he gets food, clothing, and shelter for his family, if he loses they will go hungry, and will lose their clothes and house.

One night as Gabriel is going home, he is attacked by a woman called Ryvall and a gang of `others', he then finds his way through a secret door and speaks to a woman called Lamia, who tells him that Ryvall works for a thing called `Exile' who is killing revenants. She warns Gabriel that Ryvall killed her entire family, and that Gabriel's family is next.

After an unexpected summons to the fighting ring, Gabriel is asked to fight a member of his own family - Baital who is much younger and smaller than him. Gabriel can't bring himself to fight properly and loses on purpose, which sets other events into motion; and Gabriel finds himself unsure of whom he can trust, and unsure of what exactly is going on.

It now seems that Ryvall may be a friend, and Lamia may not be. When Ryvall cuts her skin black liquid flows out, whilst his own blood is red. Now Gabriel isn't sure who or what he really is; is he really a revenant? Is his family really his family? Who is killing revenants? Who is Exile? And what must Gabriel do to make everything right again?

That is an extremely simplified version of the beginning of this book, as there is far too much to try to summarise! To be honest I have to say that I was in two minds about this book in places, it is really complex and at times I felt confused, but even when I was confused I felt a compulsion to keep reading! This book is strangely addictive!
This book has an extremely intricate and complexly woven storyline, to the point where I would need to write an essay to even begin to tell you about Returning City, and the background to the story.

Gabriel is not your average protagonist, he doesn't really understand what he is, or how he came to be, but this doesn't seem to be an issue for him at all. He likes to keep things simple as much as he possibly can, he needs to provide for his family, and he does this by fighting. It's as simple as that for Gabriel, and when he finds himself drawing pictures of places he has never been he wishes that he could go back to when things were simple.

At times Gabriel had no clue what was going on, or whom to trust during this story, and I have to say that I was right there alongside him! The reader follows Gabriel along his journey, and learns things as Gabriel learns them, giving the reader an idea of how confused he feels, especially when he wonders if his family has turned against him. All the way through the book I was thinking `What the heck is he?', `What does that mean?' and just had to keep reading to try to find the answers!
This book really does keep the reader in the dark, the same as Gabriel, and while clues are given, it is almost like the story allows the reader to make up their own mind as to exactly what is going on. This is an interesting approach, and one that seems to work in this book.

There was a lot going on in this book, and I think it might actually take a second read through to truly appreciate everything that happens, and the multitude of forces that are fighting for and against Gabriel. This book requires real thought, is not easy to put down, and is not your average `vampire' story.
7 out of 10.
(Book Length: 5070 Kindle Locations)

Blood of the Revenant by N.R.Allen

2.5*

Gabriel the `fighter' of the family wanted to be an artist but for the life of him he couldn't draw. Sitting by the pond one day with Baital, he began to sketch the scenery in front of him. He drew the picture over and over trying to get it right but for some reason he couldn't. Each time he began, he would draw a tree; but there was no tree before him, under the tree was a girl covered in blood, though she wasn't really there either. Everything was wrong this day but Gabriel didn't understand why. On his way back home he was attacked by Ryvall; one of the `older' females who despised him, but after he managed to get away Gabriel soon learnt exactly what was wrong with the day. Ryvall was in cahoots with Exile; a rogue revenant who had been imprisoned for years but was trying again to take over the city, and even the priests seemed to be allowing it to happen. Together with Lamia; a lone revenant, Gabriel and his family set out to save the city before anymore revenants or his family are murdered, but can he really trust her?

I was given a copy of this book for review and as is normal for me with review books even if I am provided with a blurb, I never read it... So the only information I had about this story was the title, and that gave nothing at all away as far as the plot was concerned. The minute I began to read my curiosity was piqued! I found the story intriguing, it was so completely different to anything else I have read before, and I read...A LOT!....But....it wasn't long before I was totally confused! The story was very slow, it plodded along, giving us plenty of things to build interest but not quite enough to give us understanding....I was getting quite far into the story and I still didn't know what a revenant was. This lack of information and explanation soon turned my curiosity to annoyance. I couldn't connect with the characters because I didn't even understand what they were plus the names were so unusual often not giving clue to gender or pronunciation that it became quite a chore to read.

I really really really wanted this book to blow me away, it started off so well and I still definitely give it 10 out of 10 for uniqueness I am just disappointed that the plot wasn't executed better. I'm disappointed that the author tended to forget that although she knows all the facts the reader doesn't so we needed a little more in way of explanation. I certainly wouldn't write this book off but I think it does need reworking a little bit, perhaps take out a few of the repetitive sentences and include a few more facts to speed up the pace, if that was done I think it could be a really great read.

Copy supplied for review

Enjoyed reading BLOOD OF THE REVENANT. The reader follows the main character, Gabriel, on a dark journey filled with vampires. Descriptions are written so well that I could visualize what was going on. Fast-paced and action packed. I highly recommend