Official Review: Mix Blood by Whittney Corum
Posted: 06 May 2020, 17:16
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mix Blood" by Whittney Corum.]
Mix Blood by Whittney Corum is the first book of the Lunar Series. It is a young adult fantasy novel of a magical land with dragons, elves, gods, and shapeshifters. There is even a surprising twist at the end of this entertaining story.
Astrid, a shifter mix of elf and shifter blood, is hunting with her father and uncle. She has an elk in her sight, bow ready to launch when she hears a baby crying in distress. She runs towards the sound and finds a baby tied to a tree stump. She frees the baby and discovers a bleeding cut of golden blood on its cheek. Astrid realizes this is not an ordinary baby, but the child of a dragon. Someone took it from its parents to use as bait to lure those of elf and shifter blood. Astrid fell for their scheme. Now separated from her father and uncle, she is on her own with the baby dragon.
Confronted by the slave hunters who see her as their grand prize, Astrid runs with the baby. She does not get far before she feels an arrow hit her side. She falls to the ground protectively holding the baby. Suddenly, there is a roar in the air and a green dragon lands. The huge dragon breathes fire on the men, wraps a paw around Astrid and the baby, and takes flight.
Astrid’s life changes for all time. Her fate and destiny are now with the dragons. She gives up her former life and family to accomplish the wishes of the trickster god, Flickron. She is to be the next dragon queen. She must deal with the magical gods of both good and evil to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
Astrid falls in love, but fate intervenes, and she must give up her beloved to marry someone else. As the story moves forward, she endures hardships and evilness. She becomes a prisoner bound in chains and shackles. Flickron is never far away and visits her often. He encourages Astrid and tries to console her with kind words, but she must walk her predestined path. It is her fate.
There are several aspects of this novel that I really liked. I enjoyed how the author creatively described scenes and events. For example, “Her hair turning from gray and brown to dust, her polish skin turning black and wasting away. Her eyes dulled then transformed into glowing sicky yellow.” I was also delighted with the author’s descriptive imagery of the various goddesses’ appearances and gowns. I could clearly see the lovely gowns in my mind. Furthermore, I appreciated that there were some touching moments. On several occasions, I was brought to tears. Astrid felt intense emotions, as she encountered the circumstances pressed upon her. I applaud the author’s poignant scenes. I definitely felt Astrid’s turmoil and pain.
I was also impressed by the author’s clever use of magical items. For instance, a bowl that showed the person’s true emotions, a mirror that showed the true form of anything, a sword that judged who is worthy to wear it, and my favorite, a gown that instantly turned into armor when needed. I very much enjoyed the author’s imagination.
There is nothing that I disliked about this novel. The theme, plot, and characters are engaging and easy to understand. The characters are well defined, and their exploits are eventful and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mix Blood.
Unfortunately, the book has not been edited professionally. There are many grammatical errors and mistakes. I found these easy to overlook since I was enjoying the novel and eager to see what would happen next, but this novel is for young adults. The grammatical problems cannot be ignored, as the young adult readers are currently being educated on the use of proper grammar. I believe a book should be an example of correct grammar for everyone who reads it.
This novel does not contain vulgar words or suggestive content of any kind. I wish I could give Mix Blood by Whittney Corum the highest rating of 4 out of 4 stars, but I cannot because of the grammatical inaccuracies. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
I believe once Mix Blood has been edited, it will be an outstanding novel. Even though this book is geared for young adults, I feel certain anyone from the age of thirteen and over will like it, especially if they are a fan of dragons.
******
Mix Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mix Blood by Whittney Corum is the first book of the Lunar Series. It is a young adult fantasy novel of a magical land with dragons, elves, gods, and shapeshifters. There is even a surprising twist at the end of this entertaining story.
Astrid, a shifter mix of elf and shifter blood, is hunting with her father and uncle. She has an elk in her sight, bow ready to launch when she hears a baby crying in distress. She runs towards the sound and finds a baby tied to a tree stump. She frees the baby and discovers a bleeding cut of golden blood on its cheek. Astrid realizes this is not an ordinary baby, but the child of a dragon. Someone took it from its parents to use as bait to lure those of elf and shifter blood. Astrid fell for their scheme. Now separated from her father and uncle, she is on her own with the baby dragon.
Confronted by the slave hunters who see her as their grand prize, Astrid runs with the baby. She does not get far before she feels an arrow hit her side. She falls to the ground protectively holding the baby. Suddenly, there is a roar in the air and a green dragon lands. The huge dragon breathes fire on the men, wraps a paw around Astrid and the baby, and takes flight.
Astrid’s life changes for all time. Her fate and destiny are now with the dragons. She gives up her former life and family to accomplish the wishes of the trickster god, Flickron. She is to be the next dragon queen. She must deal with the magical gods of both good and evil to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
Astrid falls in love, but fate intervenes, and she must give up her beloved to marry someone else. As the story moves forward, she endures hardships and evilness. She becomes a prisoner bound in chains and shackles. Flickron is never far away and visits her often. He encourages Astrid and tries to console her with kind words, but she must walk her predestined path. It is her fate.
There are several aspects of this novel that I really liked. I enjoyed how the author creatively described scenes and events. For example, “Her hair turning from gray and brown to dust, her polish skin turning black and wasting away. Her eyes dulled then transformed into glowing sicky yellow.” I was also delighted with the author’s descriptive imagery of the various goddesses’ appearances and gowns. I could clearly see the lovely gowns in my mind. Furthermore, I appreciated that there were some touching moments. On several occasions, I was brought to tears. Astrid felt intense emotions, as she encountered the circumstances pressed upon her. I applaud the author’s poignant scenes. I definitely felt Astrid’s turmoil and pain.
I was also impressed by the author’s clever use of magical items. For instance, a bowl that showed the person’s true emotions, a mirror that showed the true form of anything, a sword that judged who is worthy to wear it, and my favorite, a gown that instantly turned into armor when needed. I very much enjoyed the author’s imagination.
There is nothing that I disliked about this novel. The theme, plot, and characters are engaging and easy to understand. The characters are well defined, and their exploits are eventful and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mix Blood.
Unfortunately, the book has not been edited professionally. There are many grammatical errors and mistakes. I found these easy to overlook since I was enjoying the novel and eager to see what would happen next, but this novel is for young adults. The grammatical problems cannot be ignored, as the young adult readers are currently being educated on the use of proper grammar. I believe a book should be an example of correct grammar for everyone who reads it.
This novel does not contain vulgar words or suggestive content of any kind. I wish I could give Mix Blood by Whittney Corum the highest rating of 4 out of 4 stars, but I cannot because of the grammatical inaccuracies. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
I believe once Mix Blood has been edited, it will be an outstanding novel. Even though this book is geared for young adults, I feel certain anyone from the age of thirteen and over will like it, especially if they are a fan of dragons.
******
Mix Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon