Book Review- Half-Blood

For all his years as a slave, Jace has known nothing but the hatred people hold for his mixed blood--one half human, the other half the blood of a race considered monsters. Always, he is the outsider and quickly learns it is better to keep to himself. Yet, when his volatile ryrik blood leads him to do the unthinkable, he is thrown into a world of violence and bloodshed. 

Forced to become a gladiator, Jace finds more and more of his heart dying as his master works to break down his will not to become the monster everyone believes he is. When a stranger interferes with his master's harsh punishment, Jace's world is upended yet again. But with it comes the possibility of hope that has long since died. Could the man possibly hold the key to escaping the hopeless darkness that is Jace's life? Is there such a thing as life beyond the cruelty of slavery? 

See where Jace's story all began . . . 

It has taken me forever and a day to get this review up. I actually won a copy of Half-Blood in a photo contest weeks ago. Then I had to read it (a very dangerous concept, reading a book for pleasure when you are desperately trying to finish high school). And finally I had to review it. But here it is now in all of its rushed glory.

*Tears and wailing*, oh Jace! Bless your heart, you poor baby! I wanted to reach into the words on the page and grasp the face of this gentle-hearted young man and sob, "You are not worthless! There is such a thing as love, and light! Hang in there sweetheart, Elom is sending help!"

I may have to reread some parts from Resistance and The King's Scrolls with Jace and Kyrin. I need to read the moments where he is given a chance to show how truly gentle and caring he is. And I  especially need the moments when Kyrin refuses to give up on him, or reaches him with a gentle word or touch. It's that or therapy, so I figure rereading the books is cheaper.

Regardless of all of the pain this book brings to your poor heart, it was so neat to finally get a deeper glimpse into Jace's background, well, his soul really. Knight forcing you to endure Jace's suffering only made him all the more real a character, and it only made the other books seem richer. I have an even greater appreciation for who Jace is, and who he will continue to become. 

And I am so shipping Kyrin and Jace even more than I ever was before! Let's hope we get some more relationship developments in the next book, Samara's Peril.

Check out the fantastic author Jaye L. Knight on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. And check out the other books in her Ilyon Chronicles on Amazon. There is also more Ilyon fun here.