I enjoyed this book, but I did think that the sexualization of Candice was unneeded. I understand that this was a character decision, but it did make me uncomfortable. This is especially true because older men, specifically the teacher, were hitting on her and talking about her sexually. Otherwise, I think it was a fairly good story. I enjoyed the narrators.

I listened to the audiobook through netgalley and i think the narrators turned me off a bit. i liked the characters but the voices they used to distinguish between them made it hard for me to listen to.

overall, i think it was a solid story but some of the dialogue was a little strange especially in the beginning. slate and cadence were over the top

This was a lovely audiobook to listen to. It was easy to understand and the story was fun, interesting and adventurous. What I liked was that Slate and Cadence had their own telling voice. Slate was spoken by a male and Cadence by a female. I'm really excited about the second book and can't wait to listen to it!

Pros
Characters: There is a nice cast of characters to like or dislike. I'm sure anyone can find a favorite character in this book. The personalities are clear and it all felt very believable. The characters had their own voice and their own accent in this book as well and I just love that about audiobooks: the voice acting! It made the characters come alive and I enjoyed that the most.
Adventurous: It's clear after a few chapters that the main characters have quite the quest to solve. That's when their adventure starts. It was very clear how it all worked and everything was explained thoroughly, so that was all easy to follow. I loved the different types of danger they faced and how that all matched their quatrefoil leaf.
Chapter choice: The chapters weren't too long or too short, but I loved the choices the authors made at the end of the book. The storylines get separated for a bit and the chapters became shorter based on the amount of thrilling and exciting stuff that was happening. So you kept hopping from one to the other and that gave me such an awesome rush! I loved it.


Cons
End: The end was there so fast and I had so many questions that I was left with. I would've loved maybe 2 chapters more, to get some answers and to not leave me with a feeling that it was a bit rushed...

Overall
I have read two books in Olivia Wildensteins Boulder Wolves Series, and loved it. I was really excited to read this book, where she combines her writing-powers with another author. I had not heard of Katie Hayoz, but I'm a fan after this book and I can't wait what they write together for the second book in this series!

I listened to the audible and I have to admit though I really enjoyed the narrators I didn't find so much enjoyable the whole story. Especially towards the end of the book I got a bit tired of scenes that were too long. I like the combination of suspense snd romance and the setup of the imaginary world, but I strongly believe that the story could be shorter.

My only issue with this audiobook is that the actor narrating Slate sounded way older than I expected the actual character to be. Apart from that, he did a great job (I know he can’t help how mature his voice sounds!!). The story itself was an interesting concept. I have this bad habit of really liking the ‘bad guy’ more than maybe the character deserves, but with Slate, all his bad boy habits were mostly completely justified by a rocky childhood, so I gave him a ton of grace. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel when it is released!! Thanks you to the authors and the publisher for the opportunity to hear this advanced listening copy of Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz.

Thank you Net Galley & Twig Publishing for this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
OK let me start by saying I am so sad I need to wait until next year to get the finish this series! I absolutely loved this book!
**
The novel is set in the town of Brume, France which helped give the eerie, magical feel that was needed for this book. Of Wicked Blood completely hooked me from the first chapter!
A curse, magical creatures, a hunt for magical pieces, lord this book isn’t lacking for much. This book is told in two perspectives of the main characters, Slate and Cadence, to which I greatly enjoyed. I think my only comment would be that the narrator portraying Slate sounds a bit too old for the character he is playing.
I can’t wait to see what Book #2 has in store for us!

An urban fantasy that pulled me in right away! I love that the book did not bore me and the multiple POVs is one of my favorite things about this novel. I love that we as readers can see and understand more about each character that way. It was a nice refreshing read.

Just as good as the book. Enjoyed this wonderful book just as much when listening to the audio as I did reading the physical book. A fantastic adventure full of cursed objects, secrets and puzzles in a small town full of hidden magic and bloodlines!

If you like urban fantasy, I think this is the book for you. Great premise, multiple POVs and descriptive.

This was a fun fantasy read. I really enjoyed the dual pov and how even though you could tell this was YA it really did read like an adult fantasy novel. I think it will be a good bridge series for those looking for more adult reads. The audiobook sounded great and was easy to manage on the netgalley app.

3.75/5 stars

This was so fun I’m gonna need a MINUTE.

Of Wicked Blood is a contemporary fantasy following Slate, a thief who spent his childhood in various foster homes and Cadence, a teenage librarian born and raised in Brume, the alleged birthplace of French witchcraft. After Slate finds out that he is the last descendant of one of the founding families of Brume he, in a spur of anger, travels to Cadence’s hometown, and drunkenly steals an heirloom from a crypt— only to find out that said heirloom is cursed. This kicks off a series of trials, in which Slate and Cadence, along with two others, have to succeed at a number of challenges to restore magic. If they fail, Slate dies.

I’m always apprehensive about contemporary fantasies but I'm a sucker for eerie, atmospheric towns so the setting actually ended up being what I loved most about this! Brume is a small, foggy Breton town set on a hill with circles instead of streets and steeped in tons of history and folklore. Each of the characters' challenges are tied to the town's mythology, and thus with each mini quest we find out more about the magical creatures and their meanings, which, as someone who knows more or less nothing about Arthurian legend, I found really interesting. The plot hinging upon this series of trials contributed to a really fun reading experience with a relatively fast pace and excellent banter.

Though, while I really enjoyed Cadence's character & especially her love for history (side note: I think I'm hardwired to love librarian MC's), Slate took a while to grow on me. I found him to be irritating and annoyingly cocky throughout the first chunk of the novel (as a reminder— he literally robs a corpse and while he was indeed blackout drunk, I still feel like there aren’t a lot of ways to justify that morally), and thus, the romance between the two of them didn’t entirely convince me either. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how Cadence's dad's disability was handled (spoiler: as in, it being a "curse" and thus tied to magic). I'm not an own-voices reviewer, so my comment on this is by no means definitive, but that part made me feel uncomfortable. I also found that the ending leaves the reader with a tad too many questions; everything just kind of turned out to be fine without any explanation as to why and how, and I personally wanted more answers.

I ended up opting to read this mostly as an ebook, but I also really enjoyed both narrators of the audiobook!

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read and I now really want to spend my next New Years in a witchy town in Brittany.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed listening to this book mainly because it held my attention throughout the whole read. Slate's pov was my favorite to listen to. He grew up in a foster care system that did not treat him kindly. He provides for himself and his foster brother by thieving. He receives a letter telling him to visit Brume, the village he is originally from. There he learns about his past, magic, and a village secret that could end his life. Cadence is the other pov in this story. She did not disappoint. Her father is all she has left in Brume. This village in France is her whole life. Slate shows up and turns her world upside down. Together they find out the magic stories of this town are real and only descendants from 4 families can bring magic back. They set out on dangerous tests to unlock each piece needed to bring them one step closer to magic. This book has mystery, romance, and magic! I cannot wait for the second book to come out! Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to listen to this great book!

The book itself was a very refreshing, kind of new way of "Chosen Ones" finding magic. I thought the storyline was well thought out, though it could've been elaborated more in some instances and cut it back in others. Loved the two main characters - Slate and Cadence. Slate was the proper bad boy who deep in his heart is just trying to protect himself and do the right thing, while Cadence is the sweet daughter of an overly motivated rich guy. I am very interested in seeing how this saga continues.
As for the narration, I thought that Holly Fielding was excellent. I liked how she narrated female and male characters and her voice is soothing. When it came Thomas Locklear, I did enjoy his narration, however, I thought that he overdid it a bit when narrating females and during the first quarter of the audiobook there were plenty of times when it seemed like he had misspoken and they used a different narrator to fix the issues. Generally though a great audio book.

Of Wicked Blood // by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz // narrated by Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear

I honestly don't remember requesting the original ebook for this and seeing that I've been avoiding YA fantasy the past few months, I didn't have very high expectations of this book. Oh how wrong I was! I don't know if it was the format I ended up using or what, but I could not stop listening to this book! I even put aside my very favorite book several times to clean the house (whaaaat?!?) because I knew that meant I could continue listening to Of Wicked Blood!

I have not read many urban fantasy books so I wasn't sure what to expect in that sense. I love the world-building and extensive character development that comes with epic fantasy so I thought the shorter length of the book and having it set in our "normal" world wouldn't be able to measure up. Cadence and Slate though pulled me straight into the story and didn't let go until the very end. I was impressed with how well the whole story worked out. Having two authors made me assume that each one chose a narrator and stuck with that but I wouldn't be able to say for sure because they flowed very well together and the conversations between those two were believable and gave me the same feel no matter whose side we were hearing them from. Having this story happen in France and including some of the language and accents made it just different enough for me to still get that feel of novelty throughout.

"He's not made of stone. Only of sin."

Even aside from the way the authors worked so well together, I loved the characters all throughout this book. They each have their distinct personalities. The two main characters especially were well defined from the start and it was great to get to know them more over time. They both surprised with their complexness and adaptability. And phew! Did those sparks fly between the two of them! I loved how natural their attraction and interactions felt! In some books this feels so stilted but there was zero issue with that here at all.

There are two things that I struggled with a little. The first was the ending. I did wonder throughout how they would finish this story yet still leave it open enough to not have it as a standalone. They definitely achieved this well but it felt like there was a big buildup to the climax and then it stopped abruptly. It's not a cliffhanger per se but it still felt like a rather quick wrap up (maybe I'm just mad that I have to wait for the next book now hehehe). The other issue was with the narrators. While I did grow to like them and felt that they fit their characters well eventually, some of the reading some overly dramatic and the emphasis on certain words just did not work well here and there. This wasn't an issue all throughout the book though, so it's not a huge deal. I also wasn't the biggest fan of some of the voices they gave other characters. The ones for their own characters sounded great but the others felt a little too... fake perhaps.

But please don't let that stop you from enjoying this story! I still had a really great time with the characters, the pacing was fantastic all throughout, and I'm excited for book 2 despite my usual aversion for YA fantasy! This book really took me off guard and I'm excited to see what else these two authors have to offer!

Warning: There is a LOT of cursing in this book so beware if this is an issue for you. It works for the character but I wanted to give a heads up anyways.

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Date with a book: You'll pick me up and read me if you're just dying to experience a fantastical tale that may or may not include, well, people dying. You could call me a slow-burn romance if you don't mind the relationship blossoming by the end of this first installment. Have you ever wondered how to curse in French? Because I'll teach you. Don't wait any longer! As long as you get past chapter 10 of my story buildup, I promise you'll fall in love.

My opinion: At first I was honestly bored. It started off as a slice of life kind of story. But then when I held out a little longer, I became HOOKED. Like I seriously love everything about this book, and I REALLY didn't expect to! I also really like the incorporation of the French language in a way that makes it easy for audiences who don't speak French to understand. I will say I don't approve of the Cadence and Slate together, but as I continue the series who knows if that will change! I did, at first, ship Cadence with Adrien, but due to some events that I will not be mentioning, that ship is, sadly, dead to me now.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of both Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear. They brought such life to the characters and the story! I was weirded out by the American accents at first, but I guess that makes sense from a listening standpoint. I do appreciate that they can do other accents!

All I can say is that no one will be disappointed when they read Of Wicked Blood.

This YA fantasy heist story is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi's The Gilded Wolves.

This book follows Slate, a troublemaker who grew up in foster care. When he receives a letter that his dead parents left him money, he heads to Brume to claim his inheritance. But when he steals a ring from the De Morel crypt, he finds out that the ring won't come off his finger. Now Slate and three others must find their respectful pieces to assemble the Quatrefoil in order to save Slate's life and bring magic back to Brume.

The narrators of this book did a fantastic job. I very easily connected their voices to the characters, and I can't imagine Slate and Cadence to sound any other way. So I recommend listening to the audiobook as it was really great.

This was such a fun read with very high-stakes, and lovable characters. So of course I've already put the sequel on my 'most anticipated books' list, and am eagerly waiting to find out what will Of Tainted Hearts have in store for our two main characters.

Now, the reason why I didn't give this book a five star rating is because of the ending. And the only way I can say why without spoiling anything is that it was very anticlimactic.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Slate Ardoin grew up in foster care and is stunned when he receives a letter that his dead parents left a trust for him. He heads to Brume, France to claim his inheritance. Angry at de Morel, who knew he was out there and let him stay in foster care, Slate visits the de Morel family mausoleum and helps himself to Madame de Morel's ring, which is actually a cursed bloodstone. Cadence de Morel grew up knowing the Brumian legends about magic but never believed they were real. Now Slate, Cadence, and two others have to assemble the Quatrefoil to restore magic and save Slate's life.

Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear did a phenomenal job of narrating the audiobook! I would definitely recommend listening to the book if you enjoy audiobooks. This urban fantasy was such a great story. I hate that we will have to wait almost a year for the sequel. My only complaint with the book would be the overused trope of the bad boy/innocent girl romance, but it works so well in this story that I couldn't help but root for them anyway. If you like fantasy, you should check out this book! I would especially recommend this to fans of The Gilded Wolves or Six of Crows.

I enjoyed this modern day fantasy set in a fictional small French town. A curse, a love story, an unlikely squad working on a shared goal to save a life and bring magic back to the world. The humor made me both roll my eyes and smile, and once the adventure began I couldn't put it down. The YA writing made for a fast read but I found the character development to be just a bit shallow. Still, a fun read and I am looking forward to the next installment.

My only complaint about this audio book is the narrators voice is too old sounding to represent the characters ages properly. Which was a shame as I loved this book so much and would happily hear it over and over again. I love the world and the plot and premise of this book and have ordered a copy from faecrate from the USA it’s that good in my opinion!

4.5 stars

This is the first book by the authors I have listened to, the audio graciously provided by Netgalley, and then read a copy of the actual book. I have listened to other audiobooks narrated by Thomas Locklear and this is the first by Holly Fielding. These narrators really embody the characters and bring them to life. The story started out a little slow but as it progressed, it felt as if the characters became more vivid and it picked up. Cadence and Slate are polar opposites that are thrown together into a world beyond their wildest dreams. They are searching for the pieces of the Quatrefoil and in order to obtain them, a fight against a demon must ensue. The more time that Cadence and Slate spend together they begin a slow burn romance. Overall, this is one interesting and engaging storyline filled with Greek Mythology, dragons, ghosts, sirens and some humor thrown in. If you enjoy urban fantasy and scavenger hunts to find missing items, then this is the audiobook for you. I look forward to the next installment.