The Blood Trials

Ikenna was raised to be an elite soldier, but it’s not easy being a girl, or Black, in the highly stratified society of Mareen. Even worse, Ikenna is pantheon-gifted with a particularly dreaded skill—the ability to control the minds and bodies of others. Ikenna’s grandfather, a high-ranking military commander who’s her only family, has trained her to be in control of her gift to keep it secret. Once she declares Praetorian, she’ll take her place by his side. All their plans are churned to dust when he dies in an apparent tech malfunction. But was it really an accident, and will Ikenna be able to navigate the grueling trials meant to weed out the unworthy from the ranks of the Praetorian hopefuls? With a lot going on and a sprawling cast, Jeanette Illidge’s otherwise serviceable narration can feel flat in places, with Mareen-accented voices blurring together.