Right off the bat there is blood, a mad crowd screaming for it, and the task of collecting it from the fallen enemy after a character just ripped the other open with a death blow. What else can you expect from an intro of a book? Seriously, what else? HAHAHHAHAHHA.
And if you think it ends there, I can only tell you: But wait! There’s more… Because we are hit with the questions: Why is blood so important in here? Why are they fighting for? Why does he need to collect the blood? And this is how you do it. Top marks on the start of “The certainty of blood” by Tim Frankovich.
There is so much that the authors throws at you in the first pages, and we know we have a lot to unpack in this book, which is nice, because, so far, so good, and when you add that to the subtle dark humour that this book has (like people throwing themselves to an arena in pure ecstasy as if they were possessed by a suicidal rabid hooligan spirit).
Apparently blood is many things in this book, it’s power, it’s magic, and sort of a form of currency where you are taxed on and cannot waste not even a bit due to its relationship with the Moon Goddess (that somehow wants to destroy all the blood through the chosen ones because… reasons we are yet to find out), and apparently there are people that can destroy or “taint” the power of blood, and these people, mostly children are to be killed to “appease” the Goddess. Interesting…
When you put the above with the fact that the more you read it, the more it sounds like the government is actually a twisted and derranged maniac power death cult desguised as religion that wants to achieve total domination and immortality (which is pretty close to reality in most cases btw), you get an interesting point of schepticism and start reading things with a kilo or two of salt, just to see how things will turn out.
If we were to describe this book as simply and as accurately as possible, it would be this: Imagine Spartacus, replace the sex with humour and the adults with young men, and then throw in Warhammer 40K lore around it when it comes to magic and take out the space and the scifi stuff and lean in more in the Spartacus zone, so, if you need some very masculine, violent, descriptive book that you can read with your kiddo, and both be entertained, then The Certainty of Blood by Tim Frankovich is the right choice for you.
Two things are incredible about this book and author, the first is the back and forth in terms of time.
The story is told in the present and in the past as if it was the present. Meaning, you will know the backstory of the MC and the side-characters as they develop, while slowly, VERY slowly connecting the dots in the present.
In the first scenes we think “how can something so massive be told in a span of two days?”The cuop of the king, the storm that is to engulf the country, or planet, and the revolution? But then the author gives us one scene in the present-present and then a whole backstory of like 10 scenes in the present-past, and this builds the second, which is an awesome thing.
The second awesome thing is the fact that there are so, many, factors at play. There are the barbarians, the goddess (or blood wraith, we don’t know), the priests, THE priest in particular that is too grey (not Christian at all, mind you) for us to put a finger on his intentions, the revolutionaries, the blood magic, the chosen one, the Hawk King and his immortality, and if you think that you will know about ANY of this, or better yet, have a firm grasp about any of these factors as the book advances, here’s your fair warning to lower your expectations about that. You will know nothing and have as many questions as your mind allows to hold. Amazing stuff.
Zaluu is the best character, just in case you want to know.
After taking out the wacky and totally unpredictable alliances that will be formed in the book in order to tear down a totalitarian regime, there is one thing that the author NAILS! And that is the romance. HOLY FUCK!
Ok, here’s the thing: in today’s books, romance is more like a fast-paced and soulless build-up to an orgy or a whore fest, or even just pure and unaldulterated digusting sex-scenes that ends up with the girl cheating on the “love of her life” for the guy that has the most cash that wants to fuck her on the ass because she wants empowerment, but not this book. No, and this is what is so amazing about it!
Ok, SURE, he IS the best fighter, but she doesn’t love him because he is the best fighter (although he is), and there is so much soul and humanity and innocence and above all, honor and honesty in all the behaviours and decisions they make. It’s the type of romance and love we ALL want, but it’s outdated and out of fashion. The girl is feminine yet stubborn, the guy is masculine and yet imperfect and still they both love the fuck out of each other and keep faithful to each other (or do they?).
Yes, I know, I know, we are here for the blood and gut spilling on the arena sands, and there is a lot of that, but I could not leave this unsaid. WE NEED MORE ROMANCES LIKE THIS!!!!! HOLY SHIT, I missed reading this. OMG! THANK YOU!!
And then we have the villains. Yes, villains. There are many that you will only know as the book ends, because, there will surely be a follow-up from this incredible book, but let’s focus on the main one that we know explicitly, the Hawk King.
Remember when we mentioned that the author made us sense things in the background and you would not have any clue of what would happen untill things happened? Yeah the MV is an expert of this, he knows everything, shows nothing and acts deliberately only when he needs to, and he is cruel and cold to the bone, calculated and always royal feinting ignorance about what’s happening, just to play with you before he strikes. You won’t love him, you won’t hate him, but he will keep you on the edge and with your eyes peeled for his next move. Incredible!
Now, this book is one of the best we’ve got this year, and this is one of those top-tier books from a top-tier author that you wish, and many beg to get their hands upon, and the way it ended, oh… there is so much that the second book will throw at us that we aren’t ready, at all.
So, IF you are trying to decide if you should get this book or not, stop, because you must get it if you want to read something worth your time and worth your bucks! LOVE IT, and highly recommend this for our boys and men out there. Grab your books now!
Pros:
- Excellent narrative
- Umpredictable plotline
- GREAT characters, with EXCELLENT character development
- Excellent humour
- Excellent story that touches on many aspects of real life, like male rape, being good, choices, honour, friendship, love, betrayal, trauma, duty and so much more!
- Excellent villains
- Great fight scenes
Cons:
- The author knows what he has done, but we can’t tell because it’ll be a spoiler.
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