I absolutely loved this book!! Olivia Wildenstein is an amazing author and her collab with Katie Hayoz is just magical!!

So... I just read one of the best books of 2020. Holy freakin' heck. This book was wickedly good and absolutely addictive! I'm gonna need book two asap!

I've read quite a few books from Olivia Wildenstein but I have yet to read anything written by Katie Hayoz. (Rest assured the latter will be remedied immediately after finishing this review.) I did not know what to expect from this duo but what I got? What I got was a brilliant book with amazing writing, a unique and compelling plot, swoony romance, and lovable, complex characters. This book surprised me in a really good way and I just want to read it again.

You guys, I just found myself a new book boyfriend in Slate. Loved him from the start and I just fell in love with him harder the farther I got. Cadence was absolutely lovable! I love her love for books and history. I love her loyalty, her tenacity, and her strength. A girl after my own heart. And can I just say the banter and chemistry between Cadence and Slate? Swoon.

The book didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger but there were still so many unanswered questions. I have a terrible feeling something more terrible is going to happen. I don't know what to expect from the sequel but I'm so excited to find out! I need more of the Quatrefoil gang in my life!

When is book two coming?

I received an e-arc from Netgalley to read and review.

I really loved this book, I thought the characters were well thought out and they went together nicely. I loved their challenges and how they had to work together. I loved the unique storyline and the little magic town makes me wish it was real so I could visit them. I wish there was more romance but that is just my preference. There is some though. I will definately read the next in the series.

I did receive an arc in exchange for an honest review

Of Wicked Blood

Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein & Katie Hayoz

WOW I couldn’t stop reading this book! I can not wait for the rest of the series, but in the meantime I’m going to start reading all of their other books!!! I absolutely loved how this book enticed me. The two author did so wonderful working together that I couldn’t tell who wrote what! The characters where written in a way it was like you was right there and knew them personally. The only thing I can say that could have been done better is the ending. It seems rushed and left out a lot of the details that the rest of the book had. It basically left me with a lot of questions. Specially what happen with Gaëlle!

5 Stars

Of Wicked Blood was a pretty interesting book set in a town where once upon a time magic was real but when things went wrong, magic was banished. But, Cadence's dad is determined to get magic back by finding the four "leaves". However, each leaf is dangerous to the four people that will try to find them but also to by-standers. All Remy want is to get out of this town. However, after stealing a cursed ring and putting it on his finger, it's literally impossible for him to leave this town. The only way he'll be free (and survive) is if he, Cadence and two other people manage to get the leaves.

Overall, this book was pretty good but it took me way too long to get through it. Me being so slow kind of took some of the enjoyment out of my reading after a while and it frustrated me. However, I liked the romance between Cadence and Remy and it kept my attention. I'm a bit apprehensive to read the second book and I hope that Cadence won't deny what is clearly going to happen (view spoiler). We'll see :)


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

So, in the beginning I had no idea what to expect - I just started with the story, and oh my, I just could not stop reading. The two ladies made it possible that the story feels like so natural, as in coming home and watching a good movie. I couldn't get enought.

Already in the beginning you get to know the two main characters as the chapters are written from both of their povs. This is amazing and I personally love this as you get way more ideas, perspectives, different angles etc. And yes, Slate and Cadence are for sure great and fun to read in their thinking :)

The story itself is amazing - I love the ideas that the authors brought in and how to set magic in a different light then usual. I don't want to write too much as it would give away some spoilers, but although I do love fantasy and magic and this topic, and I have read a lot, their idea is quite unique. Leafes, curses, quests.. amazing!

The end left me very satisfied on the one hand, but with so many questions on the other that I can't wait for the next book to come out! So, hurry up, ladies, I need to fully understand what happened to Slate! :) Can't wait to have the crew back!

*****

Anfangs hatte ich noch keine Ahnung, was mich erwartet. Dann hab ich angefangen, und ich war soo begeistert von der Geschichte, von den Protas, dass ich nicht aufhören konnte. Es ist iwie wie heimkommen, sich einen guten Film anschauen und genießen.

Bereits am Anfang lernt man beide Hauptprotas kennen (und lieben) und ich mag das ja besonders immer ganz gerne, wenn man beide Gedankenwelten lesen darf, das gibt einfach mehr Einblick und vermittelt mehr Bilder
Slate und Cadence waren einfach super miteinander. Aber auch die Geschichte selbst war originell. Ich hab schon ein paar Bücher mit der ähnlichen Thematik gelesen, aber so wie die Ladies das hier geschrieben haben, ist schon echt cool!

Am Ende war ich zufrieden und hab das Buch mit einem Lächeln beendet, aber es sind auch noch einige Fragen offen, und ich will unbedingt wissen, wie es mit Slate und der Crew weitergeht, denn ich hab alle liebgewonnen und möchte mich noch nicht verabschieden :D

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

**2.5 rounded up**
I felt like I was reading a different book from everyone else leaving raving reviews. While Of Wicked Blood was a fascinating story, I did not fall in love with the main characters at all.

First, what I loved:
Brume. Brume was a fascinating little town that had so many secrets. The authors did a wonderful job creating this dark and dismal yet close-knit town with weird traditions. I would have loved to go deeper into the lore of Brume. The quatrefoil has such an interesting history.

I also loved the side characters. Alma and Bastien were probably my favorite characters in the book. Both of them were sweet and kind with just the right amount of mischievousness.

The adventures: the majority of the adventures were fun and action-packed especially at the end. All of the challenges were so cool.

What I didn't like
Cadence and Slate. Slate seemed more sleazy than anything and I couldn't get to like him. On top of that was his obsession with Cadence. I feel like I was the only person who noticed that Slate is almost 20, Adrien just turned 24, and Cadence is only 17. The author talked about a relationship with Adrien at the beginning of the book and then moved to Slate. Slate constantly talked about getting with Cadence to the point where he's about to be killed and only thinks about the fact that he's lying on top of her(get your priorities straight please). These age gaps are incredibly unhealthy with the age and emotional maturity of Cadence. Moving to Cadence, she was better than Slate but not by much. I felt it unrealistic for her to have gotten over seeing her mother's literal remains a day later and then wanting to hook up with Slate. I get the magic that could kill him is important but it's a bit much. She felt more childish and reliant on her father than the average 17-year-old. They also gave her tons of alcohol? I'm not sure what the drinking age in France is but it's odd. She did begin to grow by the end but it didn't seem realistic to be in those relationships.

The plot was a bit slow but it picked up by the end. It felt like some scenes weren't needed to really further the plot but some were useful. The ending was a bit confusing with this big reveal given to Slate but we don't even know what the reveal is. Then comes the quatrefoil end where it magically became fixed and I was confused how? I may go back and reread it again.

I liked the storyline, but the characters really made me unsure about the book.

Im undecided about this book.

The entire book is set in France. Slate is 17, lives in America with his brother Bastian and he is a thief. He gets informed that he has inherited some money and an estate from his parents whom he didn't know existed as he was an orphan and raised in foster care.

Slate travels to France, to a small town called Broome, where he is informed that he must enrol at school to get his money.

Enter Cadence, the mayors daughter and slates love interest.

Slate robs a crypt for jewels and he spys a ruby ring, he puts the ring on and it bonds itself to his finger and won't come off, as it turns out this sets off a chain of events where he, cadence and 2 others have to fight monsters to get golden leaves to bring back magic.

Its not a bad story, i absolutely hated the setting, dark, dank, grey and miserable, it was in fact utterly depressing and i didn't gel with most of the characters and slate was arrogant and childish. There is also the issue i had with the fact that they killed a 6 year old girl and then dumped the child's body in a lake, despite knowing the child's parents and not saying anything, frankly this is revolting and should be taken out of the book entirely.

Its kinda Percy Jackson vs Harry potter and im not sure it works.

I've read all the authors other books, and this is my least favourite.

This is just my opinion though and others will see it differently. Sorry Olivia, this one is not for me at all.

*Review will be posted to my blog on 1/18/21 closer to publication date*

I Liked:
*World-Building: I like how different this is! It takes the Merlin lore but connects it to witchcraft and magic. The town of Brume, France is ripe with magical lore, but is it real? There are four founding families in Brume, and the lore of the Quartrefoil (resembles a four leaf clover) that is everywhere in the town. So magic, founding families, and a race against the clock to find the foils equals a very exciting story!

*Characters: Slate ~ Bad boy, troubling past, and a foul mouth (he curses a lot). Cadence ~ good girl, family secrets and beautiful. There are four family reps, but Slate and Cadence are the stronger characters. I love Cadence’s bestie Alma and Slate’s foster brother, Bastian – glad he got more book time in the end. As for deception, I’m looking at you, Cadence’s dad…we shall see what other things we learn about him and the past!

*Romance: slow burn deliciousness between Slate and Cadence. I mean he’s the bad boy, she’s the good girl and together they are dynamite.

*Writing: love the banter between Slate and Cadence. I thought the beginning was slow to build but from the half-way point on, I could not put this book down. There is a lot of action when the four family reps have to find their piece of the quatrefoil. I love the mystery, the puzzle piecing, and the secrets.

Random Notes:
*The second half is way more engaging than the first. It took me two days to read, when I picked it up on the second day I couldn’t put it down. Slate uses the F word a lot but I love it, it totally fits him.

*I had to research the authors after I read this because I enjoyed the story so much and was surprised to see I read Olivia Wildenstein’s The Lost Clan Trilogy few years ago. I remember how unique and enjoyable it was. Now I want to read everything she’s written. I’m not familiar with Katie Hayoz’s work but I’m going to check out her books as well!

Final Thoughts:
This story has all the things I love in a paranormal story: lore, slow burn romance, adventure, a mystery and family secrets to uncover! This was a fun read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

🖤 ~ Yolanda

Of Wicked Blood was book with a really slow and confusing beginning. I was hard for me to concentrate on reading, because all the action was so sudden that I was completely lost in characters and their names. Fortunately, soon after first 50 pages, the confusion was gone and I could finally enjoy the story to its fullest.

The main characters, Slade and Cadence have both so unique personalities that I was actually pleasantly surprised how much I started to like them. Sadly I cannot say this about any other character, because they seemed just flat to me.

The writing style wasn't bad, thought sometimes I felt like there was a problem in the pacing of story. Especially because of a lot of boring scenes that weren't really necessary to the main plot.

The main plot itself was another thing I didn't like much about this book. I was excited to read this book after I fell in love with the synopsis, but the story was a really different from what I expected. It was predictable, too long, and the only thing that I actually enjoyed was the relationship between Slade and Cadance. If you love enemies to lovers romances as much as I do, you'll love this one too.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this book, but it's still worth reading. I still plan to read the sequel once it'll be released, and I truly hope that it'll be better in everything than this one.

3,5/5*

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for proving me with an ARC of ‘Of Wicked Blood’ in exchange for an honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I wont lie. Of Wicked Blood did start off pretty slowly for me.. but it picked up a couple of chapters in. Of course, this is when all the sassy and sarcastic comments come into play between Slate and Cadence. At first, they sort of despised one another because of all kinds of miscommunication.

Seriously, there's so many secrets, lies, and miscommunication throughout the entire book. Besides that, there's romance, mystery, and possibly a villain or two. I definitely fell in love with Slate and Cadence. He's a thief and he stole my heart and hers pretty quickly on. Even though they tried to be like.. I just met the guy/girl.. why am I jealous already? Blah blah blah - when you know you know. At least nothing was really insta-anything.

In the end, I'm hoping there's another book coming out soon because I just want more from this group. I want to know what's going to happen in this small town now after everything that has happened. Also, where's that sleazy mayor at? Ugh, so many questions!

Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz is an excellent fiction/fantasy novel that is the first in a new series (I hope!): The Quatrefoil Chronicles.

This book has it all:

Location: mystical, eerie, and ancient Brume, France. Check.

Plot: a group of people brought together as they are the last in their respective lineages of the founding 4 families on a quest to fight their own battles: seperate and together to bring the 4 missing pieces to the clover in hopes of bringing back magic and also to survive said tasks. Check.

Suspense: high stakes. Life or death challenges. Check

Atmosphere: dark, bitter cold, gloomy, misty, and spooky isolated town where curses, witches, magical beings, lore, and tales abound. Check.

Excellent character cast with complex pasts, personalities, and relationships. Check

Witty prose and banter with sass and excellent one-liners. Check

And oh yeh, a bit of romance to seal the deal. Check.

I love the alternating chapters between Cadence and Slate. I love how the ending leaves open-ended questions, while also giving us some answers. I cannot wait to read the next installment. I must read it!!!!

5/5 stars. Highly recommended

Thank you NetGalley and Twig Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub (as of 10/21/20 no BB listing has been created), and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/2/21.

I suppose, after reading the blurb, I was expecting more magic, and it was a story more about short battles with different spirits/demons to obtain the objects needed to unlock the magic. Written in a "Gone Girl" alternating voice style, we do get a view point from the two main protagonists, Slate and Cadence, which lets you get to know each more indepthly. However the romance between the two is uncomfortable as she is only 17 yet appears to have the emotional age of twelve (asking to sleep in her fathers bed after fighting one of the demon/spirits, for example?). Hopefully she matures a bit before the next installment - I do want to know what happens when magic is restored after all.

⭐⭐⭐ Of Wicked Blood review by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz.

I suppose, after reading the blurb, I was expecting more magic, and it was a story more about short battles with different spirits/demons to obtain the objects needed to unlock the magic. Written in a "Gone Girl" alternating voice style, we do get a view point from the two main protagonists, Slate and Cadence, which lets you get to know each more indepthly. However the romance between the two is uncomfortable as she is only 17 yet appears to have the emotional age of twelve (asking to sleep in her fathers bed after fighting one of the demon/spirits, for example?). Hopefully she matures a bit before the next installment - I do want to know what happens when magic is restored after all.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It’s been over a month and I’m still not over this book. I will read it twice in less than 3 months, I never do that. I was waiting for my brain to settle to write a better review, but again, it’s been almost a month, and for the first two weeks all my brain could think of was Slate, now it’s every other day. I. Am. Obsessed. Gonna do a re-read to see if I can move on (doubtful) since it’s starting to mess with my other readings cause y’know...Slate. I will update this review after, probably with more Slate, but at least you’ve been warned.

Beautifully done!!

I’m utterly speechless!! I absolutely loved this book. I must admit that I really loved Slate. His character is amazing and so relatable and easy to connect with. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and all the details that come along with it. The curse and what the Quatrefoil crew needs to do before it’s too late!! Gah, I absolutely loved it. Slow burn, and the book will suck you in before you know it. Also check out the bonus section of the making of the next book. It was great to read those!!

I was not prepared for this book. It started out okay and then bam, sucked me right in! The magical realism is done in a cool way and I liked that there are four characters that all have a challenge to complete. The romance was also fun and I definitely have a new ship.

Slate is a great character, he's a thief who's clawed his way out of poverty to a life of luxury. He does some morally gray things, but he clearly loves his little brother Bastien and would do anything for him. He falls for Cadence pretty quickly, though she doesn't give in right away. Slate has to atone for something he did and works hard to get Cadence to see who he really is.

The quatrefoil quest was interesting and the challenges the characters faced were pretty cool. The action kept the story moving and the romance filled the in between spaces. I'm really excited for the sequel to see what happens next!

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey.

This book is about a group of people fighting to complete and overcome obstacles (in the form of monsters) in order to save Slate, the male protagonist. Slate is a thief and his anger-fueled taking of a magic ring from a crypt is what launches the plot, since he has 15 days to return magic to Brume (the main setting) before the ring drains his life. He gets help from Cadence, female protagonist and Brume native, as well as various supporting characters. I initially did not particularly like the main characters, as Slate was mainly arrogant and aggressive while Cadence seemed somewhat naive and underdeveloped. Over the course of the book, however, I grew to like them both much more, as they became more nuanced and their pasts, motivations, and true personalities became more clear and nuanced. That being said, the relationship that developed between them could have been much healthier. Overall, I enjoyed the plot and character growth and thought the sequel was set up well, with the authors leaving unanswered questions without ending on a cliffhanger, which I appreciated.

I absolutely loved the general premise of a curse and having to find 4 parts of an artifact. Magical treasure hunt? Yes please! The sections of the book that dealt with retrieving these pieces were by far the best parts of the book. They were very fast paced and interesting! However, the parts in between were full of a lot of angst and romance that I didn't particularly enjoy as much.

In terms of the characters, I don't think I really connected with anyone in particular. I felt like Slate and Cadence were both rather possessive and get jealous easily. I didn't really believe in the romance here (mostly in that the feelings were as intense as they were portrayed. This seemed like an exaggeration). There was some witty banter that I definitely enjoyed though! I also liked how protective Slate is of his brother. This felt like the best relationship of the book to me. I did also enjoy seeing Slate become a hero (somewhat reluctantly).

I liked this small town setting and that it takes place around New Year's. It seems like a good book to read in the winter!

One thing I will note is that this actually specifically mentions coronavirus, so do be aware if this is something that would make you uncomfortable.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 11:04-13:39 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0fJwOSAKYo

This book is so good I’m kinda mad I’ve finished it.
Do you think illumicrate will put it in a box as I’d love me a signed copy!
Where to start, this book gave me a mc that was not perfect, he’s a bad boy and he’s got a past. Sign me up right there. I love his relationship with his “brother”. It’s so sweet I want to hug them both. There is some swearing but for me that doesn’t detract from the weighting it enhances it with a realistic feeling.
The plot is well paced and the word building has a nice flow, is understandable and pulls from lore whilst being unique! I can not wait to see where we go in the next book and will gladly review that too when it’s time comes. I’m not in to giving 5*’s for arcs but this one does, it earned it by being the most enthralling read I’ve had in a long while.
Engage book hang over in three......two........one...............