A dusky, gorgeous paranormal fantasy novel.
Sold into servitude as a young child, Asagi’s mother dressed the young boy as a girl to protect him. With master after master, the gender ambiguity continues to draw unwanted attention, cruelty and abuse, forcing Asagi to retreat into herself and shut others out. Years later, Asagi is tasked with caring for a little boy named Tsukito, and the two form a truly beautiful mother-son bond that will be tested in the harshest of ways. Asagi is abruptly sold to a new master, cruelly tearing the boy from her. Asagi slowly adjusts to a more comfortable life, but learns that there is always a price to pay. Set in sumptuous classical Japan, the book is rich with Asian culture and tradition, creating an unusual backdrop for a story that takes a necromantic turn.
“He’s a monster,” I said, voice cracking. “Yes,” she said. “But he tries very hard not to be.” These conflicting emotions, conflating roles, saturate the pages of Bloodlaced. Whether it is a struggle with gender identity, a position in the master-servant relationship, or even the hierarchy among slaves, the story explores these challenges with as much realism as a memoir—but with vampires! The overall mood of the story is incredibly dark, as abuse and despondency abound. This character driven tale is shaped by the poetic, sometimes heavy-handed, prose that handily manipulates the emotions of readers in unexpected ways. Courtney L Maguire is a true wordsmith, able to weave several disparate themes into a seamless and polished whole. Highlighting the complexities of a wide range of different relationships, Bloodlaced is a dusky, gorgeous paranormal fantasy novel.
