Black women with their grace, beauty, resilience, and rage (yes, our rage) are more than a fire. We take up space; our presence fills up rooms no matter the size. Sloane with and without her àse is an inferno. Black women without our accolades, success, or whatever you have been told gives you worth in a world that has deemed you worthless: You are an inferno. This novel is special because even if you strip away the fantasy elements, its powerful message imprints on you like a brand. 

Blood Scion is an exploration of the bounds of humanity, the cost of freedom, and the beauty of embracing your power. Its superb world-building is fleshed out seamlessly making it an immersive reading experience. A fast-paced evolving plot, unrelenting action, and exceptionally well-developed characters construct the best YA fantasy I’ve read since COBAB by Adeyemi. The female MC and entire cast of characters feel personable, their plights inspire empathy, and their sacrifices make the reader hopeful for atonement and justice. 

The content beseeches the reader to ask daunting questions like what good is freedom if you have to spill blood for it? How can I sustain my humanity when forced to make inhumane decisions? How do I remain whole while being broke? Blood Scion is brutal; it broke me down like the Lucis do to children in order to make them weapons of war. Blood Scion is heavy like the guilt Sloane feels at the blood she has shed in the name of her freedom. Blood Scion is searing, symbolic, and compelling. Deborah Falaye has crafted a world that though it pained me to experience, I still yearn to be brought into the fold again in War Widow to see Sloane set the world ablaze once more.