Blood Stew Book Review

Posted byreadandreviewit1Posted inFANTASY, REVIEWSTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing Blood Stew by Todd Sullivan, which is the final book in the Windshine Chronicles. Before I get into this review, I’d like to take a moment to thank him for sending me a physical copy of the whole series in exchange for my honest reviews.

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Blood Stew takes place not long after There Will Be One, following a new protagonist, Nam Gi, on his desire to go on a quest. For all his life, Nam-Gi has struggled with disabilities and has been forced to stay and work at his family restaurant, when all he wants to do is go on a quest. He is given this opportunity after a shocking series of events… The question is, will he succeed?

I really enjoyed Blood Stew; honestly, I think it might have been my favourite in the series. There was genuinely never a dull moment and I found myself whizzing through the pages, waiting to see what was going to happen next. There was so much going on and it definitely made for a very exciting and interesting read!

Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous amount of action. Although the first third or so of the book was less action packed, setting the tone for the story, the rest of the story was filled to the brim with action, from a winged giant wrecking havoc on a village to a Cloud Elf’s assassinations and everything in between. It definitely made the book impossible to put down!

I also really liked the quest itself. Although there was less of a focus on the journey of the heroes, we got to see a lot more of the monster itself and the rising of it, which I found really interesting. It definitely made the final battle scene that much more exciting, what with the backstory of the monster and all it had done!

Of course, this final battle featured lots of Ha Jun, which I loved, considering he was my favourite character. I really liked seeing more of him after the events of Hollow Men and There Will Be One, and it was lovely to see how far his character had come. He was definitely one of the strongest characters in the whole series, and really stood out to me!

What was even better was that it wasn’t just Ha Jun who returned… We also saw the return of other old favourites, like Windshine and the Jang brothers, as well as some minor characters, such as Ha Jun’s uncle. It was great seeing these characters again and seeing what they’d been up to, and I loved seeing more of their adventures.

Of course, there were also tons of new characters introduced! I really appreciated the massive range of characters Sullivan included and it definitely kept things fresh and interesting. Nam Gi and his family, the fishermen and sea guards, Daesh, Tsierus and the Orsieg are just some examples of the great new characters introduced, and I really enjoying seeing this huge cast.

Of course, the standout new character was definitely Nam-Gi. I really admired his determination to go on a quest despite the impossible odds stacked against him, as well as his drive to help his family (even if the methods themselves were a bit questionable). He was a really great character and I really loved his introduction to the series!

The character development was also great. As well as the obvious increase in Nam-Gi’s strength and abilities, Han-Jae’s development really stood out to me. He was, frankly, a bit of a coward at the beginning, but by the end he had really grown from this, playing a key role in the slaying of the monster.

I also really loved how we learnt more about the history of the Dark Elves. Although we saw a lot of this in Hollow Men, it was great to see this built upon in the final book, with the inclusion of the Cloud Elves and their view of them too. It was certainly very interesting to read!

It was also lovely to see how relatable different parts of the book were, particularly the first third or so. The storyline of Nam-Gi’s family and their struggles with money and running a restaurant was really nice, and I definitely think some readers will be able to relate to these struggles. I really liked the inclusion of this more realistic and relatable storyline!

Of course, this was just one of the many storylines! I loved how many different ones they were, as it ensured things were fresh and interesting. I also really liked how they all came together at the end, which I think was executed really well by Sullivan.

Overall, I would recommend Blood Stew to anyone who read the previous books of the series and enjoyed them. I’d also recommend the series as a whole to any fan of fantasies, as it was a really lovely series that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Have you read The Windshine Chronicles yet? Do you think you’ll be picking them up soon? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Ceri

35 thoughts on “Blood Stew Book Review”

  8. This is not something that I read. However, it sounds interesting. I am trying to read different genres. I will check it out, I will definitely add it to my reading list. Thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. This is a great review. I’m not sure this ones for me. Though I do like the sound of the main character working in a restaurant, and he has normal problems before he has to venture out of his comfort zone. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
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