I received this ARC from the author and this is my unbiased review.
Badblood is the 10th book in the Magelands Eternal Siege series, and the 19th in the proposed 27 book saga. (Reading order)
It is also the start of the Dragon Eyre arc.
Blackrose has returned to Dragon Eyre to find her kingdom despoiled and bereft of inhabitants. Maddie, Sable, Badblood and the rest of the team are also with her. Blackrose tries to regain some of her past glory and is caught between her desire for vengeance and the pragmatic aspects of ruling. This also creates conflicts between her and the rest of the team.
I am a huge fan of this saga, and have been so, ever since I read ‘The Mortal Blade’ as part of SPFBO21. These books have kept me guessing as to the twists and turns in the stories, as well as the unexpected 'greyness’ of the characters. Characters that perform heroic deeds in one book do the opposite in the others and vice versa. The outstanding aspect of the writing is how the characters' personalities and circumstances drives their actions. The action and pacing stand out too.
Badblood is no exception to any of the previous books. In fact, it pushes the boundaries of the plot into unexplored territory.
The story feels darker than any of the earlier entries. Actions have consequences, and you can see the characters feel it in the story.
The story raises ethical questions about the occupation. While most of the Gods feel that the natives ought to be eradicated, a few try their best to ameliorate the commands given to them. Similarly, most of the natives seem to feel that the only option is to kill or drive away all the Gods and settlers. There is also the fact that the lives of the native humans is materially better under the occupation than under the Dragons, though they are treated as second-class citizens. I love seeing these thought-provoking and controversial questions in fiction, since it elevates these stories.
Sable stands out among the returning characters. She does her best to help others, in her unique way, but generally, her assistance is thankless. Her character has always been interesting. It is not surprising that her scenes typically stand out. The new characters are brilliant as well. We get to see the occupation from multiple perspectives thanks to these characters — as occupying gods, as pirates who just don't care, as dragons that have been beaten down, and as dragons that want to fight back.
The story seems to be leading to a point where we are not sure who will be on which side. It appears as though we might have dragons and gods on each side, with former allies fighting against each other. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
That said, I suggested following the reading order and not starting with Badblood. This entire span of 19 books is well worth the reading and I highly recommend it.