Wonderblood

by Julia Whicker

It's 500 years in the future, and a mad cow-like disease called "Bent Head" has killed off most of the U.S. population. Those remaining turn to magic and sacrifice to cleanse the Earth.

Wonderblood is Julia Whicker's fascinating literary debut, set in a barren United States, an apocalyptic wasteland where warring factions compete for control of the land in strange and dangerous carnivals. A mad cow-like disease called "Bent Head" has killed off millions. Those who remain worship the ruins of NASA's space shuttles, and Cape Canaveral is their Mecca. Medicine and science have been rejected in favor of magic, prophecy, and blood sacrifice.

When traveling marauders led by the bloodthirsty Mr. Capulatio invade her camp, a young girl named Aurora is taken captive as his bride and forced to join his band on their journey to Cape Canaveral. As war nears, she must decide if she is willing to become her captor's queen. But then other queens emerge, some grotesque and others aggrieved, and not all are pleased with the girl's ascent. Politics and survival are at the centre of this ravishing novel.

Genres: Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Audiobook, Adult

285 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

Julia Whicker is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she won both the prestigious Capote Fellowship and the Teaching-Writing Fellowship. She’s had her poetry published in the Iowa Review, Word Riot and The Millions, among others, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A version of the first chapter of Wonderblood was published in the literary journal, Unstuck.

She lives with her husband and daughter in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a dystopian panorama--literally like a painting that encompasses bloodlines and locations, all within a sturdy frame. The colors of blood, moonlight, books, candles... It's like a Spanish paining wherein everyone is mid-grimace (Velasquez?), everyone has personality & biography by proxy. But the colors--they will distract you. And who could not love a tale that does nothing but remain still until the last few pages where it sludges to an awesome outcome? Especially if it includes shrunken heads, vindictive queens, starships, virile incompetents, gore galore? ?

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy! #stmartinspress

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderblood by Julia Whicker is a dystopian fantasy read set in the distant future where a disease has wiped out most of the population. Those left on Earth fight to survive as they await the return of the space shuttles at Cape Canaveral that will signal the cleansing of the planet.

I have to say this is one of those books I start out reading and then think what the heck have I gotten myself into?? Total weirdness from page one is what I got… The book starts with the talk of how everyone seems to like to behead people and what they do with those heads. But the sad thing to say I don’t blink at this but I get to where Aurora thinks she’ll survive eating the seagulls and then I get disgusted and think not the seagulls!!



So anyway now we know how I ended up with the weirdness to begin with. The story starts off pretty slowly as we wade through the decapitated victims and meet Aurora what has been with her brother’s carnival. Another carnival shows up to take the land and next we know Aurora is captured by Mr. Capulatio who is a total creeper and of course thinks he’ll be ruling the world with Aurora as his queen.

As the story went on I started thinking I wonder if the author is from a legalized marijuana state maybe got the idea from The Walking Dead where the survivors now are constantly at battle as if getting 90%+ of the world wiped out isn’t enough. The characters in here all sort of have Negan’s kill first ask questions later attitude with the idea of spilling blood to save the world.

Then we get to learning how everyone worships at Cape Canaveral and I actually found this a really creative idea. I imagine that over the course of 500 years the idea that we once went into space before the world became ill and the disease hit would be just what some nutty person needed to create the blood obsessed world it had become.

By the time I got to the end of this one though I was back to scratching my head. The potential of the idea to me really didn’t get played out as well as I hoped that it would and after wading through all the craziness and mayhem I felt a tad disappointed with the end leaving me to rate this book at 2.5 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Added June 19, 2019 - Just bought a print copy of Wonderblood for my bookshelf and thought to myself what a great book it is. I can even still remember what happens and many of the characters and scenarios. I cannot say that for many books a year after I read them. Re-reading my review below I cannot figure out why I gave it only 4 stars. So bumped to 5 and put on the favourites shelf as this one has stuck with me.
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While the setting and dystopian features of Wonderblood may not sound different from the average dystopian book; it is certainly in the literary realm of Station Eleven and Cloud Atlas.
The story takes place in the continental USA when a disease has ravished the country and not only killed many but contaminated the actual soil of the earth. The style and tone of Julia Whicker's writing is very literary. One of the religions uses historical space shuttle names as a part of their lore. Ironically there are no space excursions or futuristic elements to Wonderblood even though it is set in the future. It has a little magic, a little science, a little horror; but a lot of beautiful and thought bending prose.

Writing Style
A huge portion of the experience reading Wonderblood is being immersed in the literary style that Whicker employs. You could just as easily have been reading a historical account. The setting is the future but it's a nomadic (no technology) world and so it feels different from the average sci-fi novel. The 'magic' in the book is rooted in scientific concepts but they are not explained or analyzed in the context of modern science. Finally, there is lots of blood but it's not described in a horrific way that feels like a horror story.
Wonderblood is, at its core, a literary book. The mood of the writing is as much the story as the actual plot and characters themselves. The use of descriptors (woman, girl, man) instead of names, when we are experiencing the world from certain points of view, reinforces that there is a theme to the way the story is told. This tone and style affects how the story feels as you read it. It's more than just a story about people in tough times.

Yes it's awful...but not like you think
It's very difficult to write a dystopian story without having a lot of blood and death. It's just the nature we expect from dystopian books. Whicker certainly doesn't shy away from the horrors of her futuristic societies (we follow two different religious/social groups); but she also doesn't emphasize them either. From certain points of view the blood is horrific, and from others it's just part of a ritual. In some instances carrying a rotting head around is terrifying and disgusting; but for others it's comforting and a way of life. Whicker has normalized some of the horror to a point where we start to understand why some of our characters don't comprehend that what they are doing is perhaps morally objectionable.

Religion
I think using the names of space shuttles to form the basis for a religion is a cute nod towards the science fiction genre. It’s easy to get caught up in the intricacies of each group’s religious practices that define their morals, laws, personal interactions, rituals, etc. As with most religions there are important books or texts and being able to read and interpret them is of value. The core elements of most religions exists here and yet these two religions are far from our own. Whicker is, I believe, making a point about religion throughout the book. She uses elements from our true past and skews them into these new religious groups. The insinuation, of course, is that perhaps we don't interpret or understand the culture or context of the ideals we worship. A bit of a jab at religion in general; which is ironic given the importance of the two competing religions to the book.

Characters & Plot
If you're looking for an in-depth character analysis or active intricate plot you've probably got the wrong book. The core of Wonderblood is the analysis of what drives and motives humans to be a certain way. There is no real plot except that a comet appears in the sky and our two religious groups react to this appearance. For me that was enough plot to set-up the reasons why things start to happen; but I could see how many may find this book to be too unsubstantial or lacking focus because there is no real purpose to the story other than to explore morals, faith and human nature.

Overall
I really enjoyed this book. Upon finishing it I instantly wanted to read it again. Wonderblood is a book that could easily be analyzed and studied in any classroom at any level. It’s the kind of book people will love to hate as its literary style may be a bit more challenging than your average read. Therefore you have to put some effort into reading Wonderblood as it is riddled subtle and symbolic events and thoughts. For me, the effort was worth it. I loved contemplating the intricacies. Had I read this book as a teen I could see it having a profound impact on me (assuming I read it all the way through). As it was, even as an adult, I loved how much it made me think. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my print library. I cannot wait to read it again and revisit the morals, concepts and ideals set-up in this dystopian future.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished Wonderblood late last night and needed to sleep on it before I could formulate my thoughts into a coherent review.



Firstly, this is a debut novel for Julia Whicker and although this book did not blow me away, I would certainly be interested in other books, unrelated to this one, that she may write in the future.

I enjoyed her writing style a lot which was not just agreeable, but at times absolutely lyrical.



At the beginning of the book, literally the first 10 to 15-pages, there was some content that almost made me give it up.

It did not grab me at all and in fact certain elements of it turned me off.



It is an Adult SciFi novel that is set in a very gritty, very harsh post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Trigger warnings for abuse, child rape, sibling incest and/or sibling molestation; I could see this causing a lot of people to turn away very quickly from this book.

If you can get by that, it does get better.



The middle is where I feel the story is at its strongest, with political intrigue and an interesting "religious" system.

Taking place in a future United States, which has had its population decimated by a mad cow-like disease, this story picks up in the aftermath.

We never learn too much about the chain of events prior to the current action and I would have liked a bit more history or general set-up. It reminded me of blend of Mad Max meets The Road.



One of the biggest disappointments for me was the lack of character development.

I came away feeling so blah about all of the characters. There were none that I related too or even felt that I knew enough about to care for in any way.



If this were a start to a series, I'll be honest, I would not pick up the second book.

Additionally, I didn't feel like the atmosphere was strong enough to make up for the lack of character development. Overall, the execution fell flat.



On the positive side, I did love that the characters worshiped NASA space shuttles and had Cape Canaveral as their holiest of sites. That was extremely unique.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity.

[Mogsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/04/05/...

It pains me greatly to admit I couldn’t get into Wonderblood, the latest entry into the flourishing genre of literary dystopian fiction. Debut author Julia Whicker writes beautifully, with her haunting—and haunted—world and characters enticing readers into a realm filled with harsh wonders and mysteries, where one can easily become lost in the cracks and crevices of time and place. Ultimately though, it came down to a matter of taste; I found the book too unsettling and strange, and coupled with the slow and dense plot, I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters or their motivations.

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where much of the United States has become vast swaths of barren wasteland. In Cape Canaveral, Florida, a king and his circle of royal elites preside over the faithful who live among the crumbling ruins of NASA’s facilities and defunct shuttles. There, they await the return of their ancestors in “the Rockets”, an event prophesied to be their salvation. Meanwhile, across the south, the roving tribal bands called carnivals continue to do their bloody work based on the doctrine of Wonderblood, which directs its followers to carry out killings and beheadings—lots and lots of beheadings—in order to cleanse the land of its disease.

In one of these carnivals, a girl known only as Aurora is captured by Mr. Capulatio, the leader of a rival carnival who foresaw her role in his campaign to overthrow the king. Believing her to be pivotal to his rise to the throne, Mr. Capulatio keeps Aurora alive and makes her his new bride despite the anger and protestations from his first wife, the prophetess Orchid. Their sacred texts say that the Rockets will only return once the True King reigns at Cape Canaveral, so when two bright spots suddenly appear in the sky, Mr. Capulatio and his legions see it as a sign to start laying siege to the city. The royals on the other hand are mystified and unnerved by the outlaw carnival amassing outside their gates, the king sending his head hierophant and astrologers scrambling to interpret the appearance of the stella novae. No one knows for sure whether they are the long-awaited shuttles carrying their forebears, but most are convinced they are a harbinger for violent changes to come.

First, what I liked: Whicker’s prose is intensely rich and evocative, painting a stunning yet stark view of the dystopian future which serves as the backdrop to her grim tale. A strong sense pervades the reader that civilization has become a ruin for so long that the world’s real history has become virtually inseparable from myth. Some of these accounts include blood and viscera raining from the heavens and poisoning the land, resulting a deadly mad-cow like disease known as “Bent Head” which killed millions and mutated animals into monstrous creatures. The people’s understanding of science and religion has also been distorted and in some cases these concepts have been corrupted and combined, giving rise to certain bizarre social or cultural practices, like keeping shrunken heads as charms and worshipping space shuttles.

However, in spite of these fascinating elements, there were still a lot of holes in the world-building. Many of them are due to the limited perspectives of our characters, many of whom have insular outlooks and are operating within their own spheres of influence, presenting few opportunities to really expand and explore the world. Their voices also feel very aloof and detached, like Aurora, who doesn’t seem to possess any kind of drive or agency to affect her situation beyond the capacity of the space she’s thrust into. While a rough life of sexual assault and abuse at her own brother’s hands may have led to this acquiescent personality, it also meant that Aurora remained rather static and undeveloped throughout the story. Things didn’t go much better with the other characters either, and some of chapters taking place within the king’s court were a downright struggle to read because I didn’t feel like they did much to advance the plot or characters. The pacing would slow to a crawl in these sections so that it seemed like even after we hit the three-quarters mark, barely anything has happened at all.

Others might also find the book’s topics and themes disturbing. There’s no glossing over this dystopian nightmare, where the credo is kill or be killed. Rival carnivals fight for territory amidst this chaos and lawlessness reminiscent of a Mad Max-type world, and the winners are driven by religious zeal to capture and behead as many of their enemies as they can because of Wonderblood. The character Aurora also experiences rape and abuse, first from her older brother and then from Capulatio, who manipulates her by keeping her imprisoned and unaware of her fate. It’s a cruel and merciless world, so if you’re uncomfortable with the idea then it might be wise to stay away.

In sum, Wonderblood offers a uniquely imagined dystopian future replete with violent and dark themes. Julia Whicker can write well, as evidenced by her gorgeous prose, but unfortunately, the plot’s slow pacing and the lack of development and depth to the characters ultimately made this one an unsatisfying read. The lack of closure was also disappointing, with the open-ended nature of the conclusion making me suspect that a sequel will be forthcoming, though at this point I’m not sure I’ll continue because I’m just not feeling the story or the characters.

[Brooke — brooklynnnnereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one weird and unusual read that I didn't see coming. Prior to reading, I thought this book may have been one part dystopian and one part space odyssey. Man, was I wrong on that account.

First, before I get into my thoughts I have to say that although I'm giving it a 3 star rating, it's a 2.5 star to me. The struggle was real on deciding whether to round up or down, but I have come to the conclusion that visually it's a 3 star but in reality, it's 2.5 stars. Okay, moving on.

Again, I have to emphasize that this was a weird, unusual, and odd novel. It starts off with the first chapter involving beheading people and using the head as an almost trophy of protection. Weird? Yes. It continued to be that weird throughout. Part of me is envisioning, "The Walking Dead" except these people....weren't dead.

One of the main things that I had a hard part with for this novel is the alternating points of view between characters. Alternating points of view is hard to get right for any novel and unfortunately, this book did not seem to get it right. I felt that we barely grazed the surface of each character in both their histories and actually getting to know them. Also, what can happen with a lot of multiple point of view novels is that I become interested in one character's story and the rest I am disinterested. That also happened within this novel with me becoming more interested in Aurora's story.

Another issue that I had with this novel was the pacing. It really isn't that long of a novel but for some reason, it read really slow for me. I had a tough time getting through it. It could be because I felt myself losing interest repeatedly but overall, the novel was incredibly slow and was like trudging through sand to get through.

Now, with all that being said, I do have to identify some things that I felt the novel had going for it. First, the illustrations were beautiful and were the perfect addition to the novel. Secondly, there were periods of time while I was reading that I was reminded of the writings of Brandon Sanderson. He's an incredibly popular author and I remember at moments having difficulty with some of his novels. So, maybe it's a personal issue. There is potential that many will enjoy this book even though I didn't particularly. I think it was a good debut and it was imaginative but I'm hoping for more for this writer in the future.

***Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wonderblood by Julia Whicker is beautifully written, but the story feels very confusing to me.

Honestly, I tried to love this book. I was blown away with Julia's writing style and was absolutely memorized. While I read the first couple of chapters, my mind was utterly blown. I was so pumped to continue reading, but the story and plot line got confusing and messy.

This book was an interesting dystopian, paranormal, fantasy twist. The carnival and the dystopian future vibes were really cool and amazing ideas. There was also ridiculous amounts of gore, with people being chopped away due to war and brutality. With all that in mind, I didn't really see where the plot or character development was. It more felt like a gore fest through the eyes of a marvelous writer. It was just kind of weird for me.

It felt like the vibe was Games of Thrones meets The Walking Dead but throw in lots of carnivals and I Am Legend.

In summary, I was definitely not the audience for this book. It just didn't work for me.

I do recommend this book if you love books like Games of Thrones - for the brutality and backstory/lore - or if you love unique and incredible stylized writing.

Two out of Five Stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a huge heaping pile of horse shit I had to crawl through, just to reach the end of this dreadful story. First off heads. Head's everywhere! Axed off. Cut off. Sawed off. Staked. Bagged. Hanging from walls, tents, around waists. Ugh. I am completely skeeved out by beheadings. Still, I kept reading. Surely it can only get better? Hurrump! No character building. The characters are all complete idjits. Finally there was no ending. None. At no time did I ever get lost in this book. The Cape, the carnival and its people not once became real to me, but I did at least expect some resolution. I'll not recommend or read anything from this author.

[d · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderblood is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. It is sort of like Blood Meridian, The Road, and Candide had a baby with a tarot deck? It is unflinching and epic like Blood Meridian but without Cormac McCarthy's pretentiousness; it's bleak like The Road but lacking its single-minded simplicity. It has the heart and wonder behind the satire of Candide. And it's archetypal like those books, like tarot cards, but much weirder.

The story is set 500 years (or maybe 1000? I've seen conflicting things) in the future in a dystopian world where a sickness called Bent Head has wiped out much of the population. The descendents of the survivors worship astronauts, travel the "deathscapes" in carnivals that behead people, and view medicine/surgery as witchcraft. The book follows a group of characters through a series of momentous events and tracks how their views of the world change. It's about the absurdity of the human condition, how little we understand at any given moment, and faith/doubt in the face of those things.

I've seen other reviewers call this YA fiction, which it's not, even though one of the characters is a teenager. Dystopian fiction is a better label, but it's literature first, so don't expect it to be plot driven - this is a book about feelings and ideas. The writing is lush and evocative, and there is just enough mystery and coincidence in the world that it feels real - like a medieval funhouse-mirror version of our own world, but a mirror nonetheless.

"The pain of it all—Wonderblood—made the unreal real and so sometimes magic didn’t seem so much like a lie after all, and that confused her."

[imyril is not really here any more]

DNF. Beautifully written but not rewarding. I’m struggling with the violence and the lack of empathy for any of the characters. I may try again when I’m less exhausted but I just don’t have it in me for the time being.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

Set 500 years in the future, a mad cow-like disease called "Bent Head" has killed off most of the U.S. population. Those remaining turn to magic and sacrifice to cleanse the Earth.
Wonderblood is Julia Whicker's fascinating literary debut, set in a barren United States, an apocalyptic wasteland where warring factions compete for control of the land in strange and dangerous carnivals. A mad cow-like disease called "Bent Head" has killed off millions. Those who remain worship the ruins of NASA's space shuttles, and Cape Canaveral is their Mecca. Medicine and science have been rejected in favor of magic, prophecy, and blood sacrifice.
When traveling marauders led by the bloodthirsty Mr. Capulatio invade her camp, a young girl named Aurora is taken captive as his bride and forced to join his band on their journey to Cape Canaveral. As war nears, she must decide if she is willing to become her captor's queen. But then other queens emerge, some grotesque and others aggrieved, and not all are pleased with the girl's ascent. Politics and survival are at the centre of this ravishing novel.

WONDERBLOOD is an ambitious study of superstition, religion, and empire rule in an apocalyptic setting. WONDERBLOOD’s setting is almost alien. Travelling carnivals perform strange bloody rituals, doctors are outlawed, science is illegal and everyone is obsessed with prophecy. Although the writing is beautiful, worldbuilding details are pushed too far back into the novel. I knew more about the WONDERBLOOD’s setting and history from its blurb than from reading 100 pages of the novel.

There are several point-of-view characters in the novel, it’s easy to see Aurora as the main character. When her travelling carnival is taken over by Mr. Capulatio, who claims he’s destined to be the next king, eleven year old Aurora is quickly imprisoned then married. Aurora’s story is one was jealousy. She learns that she’s only one of Capulatio’s wives. She and his wives spend the entire novel posturing and threatening each other. Her only character growth happens in the last chapter of the novel. The most interesting part is glossed over in a paragraph that really should have been the entire novel. Had the story started here, it would have been amazing.

I enjoyed machinations that took place at Cape Canaveral, and seeing how the small fiefdom operated was interesting. Had the book narrowed it’s perspective and only focused on Aurora’s story and Cape Canaveral, without bringing in the idea of spies and betrayals of other kingdoms, it would have made a stronger story. Without the explanation of its history and setting, WONDERBLOOD becomes convoluted and overly complicated. By denying any character growth for the female characters and Aurora never realizing her abuse, WONDERBLOOD also lacks the characterization it needed to make up for the worldbuilding.


TW: child rape

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man, this was like going on a first date and ALMOST feeling a spark but not quite, haha. From the blurb, I was all in. Dystopian society? Check. Carnivals? Check. Rival queens? Oh yes please.

However, sadly, the execution fell flat. The idea and the strong writing is there, but I think this book should have had a lot more editing. It felt long and aimless at certain points and I really had to push myself to finish the last 10% (and shouldn't that be the best part to want to read?)

I was also sorely disappointed that so much of the book was about other characters aside from Aurora. I thought it was going to center with her and even have a first person POV, but instead there were a lot of other main characters that I did not connect with. John and Marvel felt like the exact same person to me, to be honest. I know they weren't but it was hard as a reader to sense any difference in their development, they both fell flat. I think this could have been alleviated by a first person perspective for different narratives, instead of the passive and seemingly removed third person perspective that the book has.

I had even MORE disappointment that there was not more world-building. We never get an explanation of what exactly Bent Head is as a disease and why the setting is post-apocalyptic. What exactly happened, other than a disease? Why did all these carnival factions rise up with this blood magic and Heads? I was also confused about Kansas versus the Cape and the differing power dynamics there... The overall world was pretty unclear to me.

So what did I like? I liked Orchid as a strong and fierce female character. I liked the (small) portions with the Green Butterfly prophetess - I wish she had been integrated more. I liked the writing and Game of Thrones-esque beauty and brutality (don't read if you are sensitive to imagery of gore and violence). But I can't recommend this as-is, I really think it could have been a slam dunk with significantly more editing and investment in the characters and world-building.

Sincere thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC.

[Conor Ahern · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed to be cropping up often among friends' to-reads, and I think I'd seen it in the window of the Prestigious Brooklyn Bookstore near my home, so I was curious. And when I found out it was a dystopian novel, my excitement swelled a few sizes. I felt very lucky that the library released it to me within a few hours of my megalong journey from JFK to Johannesburg via Dubai.

It started out capably enough: lots of epic language, some gore and character development, a clearly dystopian hellscape at once hardly recognizable as America and yet connected to our present by a plausible etiology. But after the initial plot development the characters' interactions started to feel almost boring, nondevelopmental, cartoonish. But by the end I didn't really care about what was going to happen, whether the epic battles and involute machinations would climax.

It might be for you if vaguely YA dystopia fiction is your thing. But it didn't work for me.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reeeally liked Tygo (John too, of course - and Juniper) and would like there to be a sequel. Somethings I would have changed about the story, like Aurora's age, but overall it was a unique, dystopian novel.

I did win this novel as a giveaway and would like to thank the author, Julia Whicker and Random House Canada.

[Erin Entrada Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t stop reading this book. I devoured it in two sittings. The writing was fantastic, the story was bizarre and inventive, and the characters were rich and three-dimensional.

[Chris Eells · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received Wonderblood in return for an honest review.

Wonderblood took quite a while before I felt comfortable with it. The characters and settings seemed to be loosely described and I often mistook one character for another. The setting is a post-plague America, but, outside of geographic references, doesn't have any similarities to the America that exists today. The story could have been set in any country... heck, any planet. It actually might have made things a bit more believable to me if they had been.

The only connection to present day America comes from a bloodthirsty religion that has sprung up that mixes belief in the Space Shuttles returning to Earth and ritual killing to keep the plague at bay. Not really a solid premise.

Anyhow, after about 100 to 150 pages things settled down a bit and I was able to reliably identify our main characters. Having said that, they ended up proving entirely unremarkable and uninteresting. Throughout the novel, I desperately hoped that the ending would reveal some sudden twist that explained away so much that was left unanswered, but sadly I was wrong. Wonderblood appears to be the first book in a series and the ending in this one left all the questions unresolved.

In fairness, Whicker's writing is not bad. It's her subject matter that doesn't work!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderblood takes place 500 years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic landscape ravaged by a disease called “Bent Head” and filled with carnivals, space shuttles, bloodletting, magic and more. It was very different from what I normally read, and while I enjoyed it, there was also room for improvement. The writing was beautiful, but the story itself fell a bit flat. There was little to no character development, the majority of the characters were unlikable, and I kept confusing John and Marvel’s parts. Additionally, I kept waiting for two of the characters to meet, but that never happened. I think I was expecting something more… whether that was more action or more explanation. As a reader, I felt like I was thrust into this world without really understanding what the world was. I think flushing that out a bit more would have been helpful. I also thought the ending could have been a bit more conclusive, but it seems as though Whicker has set the stage for a sequel.

Overall, I think Wonderblood had a unique and interesting premise. While there were flaws, it was a fairly quick read, and I think fans of dystopian novels will enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Wonderblood in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of dystopian novels, and this one looked intriguing. But I just couldn't do it. Mostly, it lacks any real character building. leaving me in this bleak world where I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. The world is bleak. The human race is decimated by mad cow, but no one remembers that was the cause. Doctors are banned and Cape Canaveral is the center of a strange religion of sorts. They believe the 5 space shuttles and their astronauts will one day return to save them. The ground is poisoned and they are trying to purify it with blood, which is really just making it worse (though they don't know that). The novel could have been really interesting with this premise, but it failed to deliver. I stopped at 45% and even that was a struggle.

Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

WTF did I just read?!
This book is so screwed up. Don't get me wrong the writing is awesome...just mega screwed up.
It ends with sooooooo many questions, which is currently driving me bananas!

Who was the true king?
Did anyone make it to Kansas?
Do the shuttles ever return?
Was it just meteors? If so do they destroy Cape?
Will Tygo and Aurora ever meet and know they are related?

Just tell me what I want to know dammit!!!!!!
*********** ARC FROM GIVEAWAY***********

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this wasn’t great. The worldbuilding was full of holes and never full fleshed out, and the flat characters never developed. For a “plot” dystopian novel, everything lacked a sense of urgency. The prose was nice though, but I wish this novel had less exposition and more development.

[Marne Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book masses together a long list of tropes from a variety of science fiction and fantasy classics, but the one I was most reminded of was A Canticle for Leibowitz. As in that novel, humanity has descended into barbarism after a cataclysmic event that is no longer fully understood (in this case, the spread of a disease called Bent Head). Just as the monks put their faith in Saint Leibowitz, a nuclear technician whose writings and diagrams they can no longer interpret, the religion in this world is centered around the ruins of Cape Canaveral and a belief that astronauts have gone to space to seek a cure and will one day return with it. Both stories start out with hints of danger and adventure and then settle down into tales of political intrigue. I have very little interest in political intrigue, but people who watch Game of Thrones to see what Cersei is going to do next might be more satisfied with this part of the story.

One thing that made this book different than A Canticle for Leibowitz is that it was always easy for a modern reader to see through the ignorant beliefs of the monks and surmise at least most of what had happened in the past. The backstory here is much murkier. I don't think anybody really did go to space to seek a cure, but I'm not entirely sure. How did the disease spread so quickly? What caused some people to believe in the concept of Wonderblood, the cure that will come to the world through bloodshed and violence? How has a society plagued by virulently contagious disease and obsessed with the idea of human sacrifice managed to perpetuate itself for over a thousand years? I have no more answers to any of these questions than I did when I started reading. And let's not even talk about the ending, which seems to be setting us up for a sequel that I don't believe is actually coming.

Still, I don't want to sound like I'm entirely disappointed by this book. Julia Whicker has done many things right here. Her writing is clear and engaging, carrying me along quickly enough through the long sections of palace intrigue. Although it engages many familiar tropes of speculative fiction, I never felt that I knew where the book was going, and it kept surprising me even up to the last few pages.

If you like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and The Road, and you also appreciate good writing, you should give this one a try. Perhaps you'll like it more than I did.

(Note: I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.)

[Lori Tiron-Pandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Wonderblood was a beautifully-written and thought-provoking book. The fact that faith, how it shapes people and how we find ourselves in need to reinterpret it to keep believing, is central to this story makes it a big winner in my heart.

"He was afraid of his destiny, chokingly, overwhelmingly afraid, and suddenly it didn't matter whether he believed in magic or she did or if it was real or if her mother was right and they were all just fools walking in a pointless, bloody parade toward the end of time. Her eyes was open. She could run or not, she could love him or not, she could miss her brother or hate him forever. It was all going to hurt."

The faith centered on bloodshed (the Wonderblood doctrine) resides in a miserable, comfortless world, populated by characters with names that sound like Tarot cards (The Executionatrix, The Hierophant, The Pardoness, so cool!) who struggle to accept their place inside of this universe. Those ones who can sustain their faith manage to do it based on what they believe to be direct revelations, and they are the only, few ones who seem to find purpose and a simulacrum of peace. And they keep believing, even when the old religion seems dead, because there is always a new faith making itself apparent not too far off.

"I said that faith is both reasonless and the reason for everything. Beware any certainty, High Priest. For not many things are certain, and the ones that are, certainly have no reason to be."

I hold dear those books that let me find refuge in a world that is strange, complex and mysterious, but close enough to the known reality that it is easy to draw parallels to the day-to-day. This was one of those books and I happily recommend it, and not only to those who enjoy just sci-fi or dystopian fiction, because I think this book easily transgresses genre.

[Arys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderblood by Julia Whicker is a dystopian YA novel that blends a somewhat surreal storytelling aspect with a twisted, post apocalyptic world. The strange and magic are venerated and space shuttles and astronauts of old tales are revered. Aurora (so named later by Mr. Capulatio) was dumped by her mother to live with her brother in a roving carnival band where magic, paranoia, mysticism and strength rule. When her brother's band is demolished by Mr. Capulatio and Aurora is taken to be his prisoner, teenage bride, and queen to be, Aurora's life takes another turn. Will it be better or worse?

I thought the idea was creative, the veneration of NASA, astronauts, and the space shuttles is interesting, though after 500 years which space shuttles have been destroyed seems to have been forgotten. The environment is brutal, bloody and bleak. It felt like the characters were mostly travelling around and experiencing things for the most part, rather than finding, exploring and developing, but as a whole this was an interesting world with remnants of the familiar.

Overall, if you are looking for a story with a interesting future myth-political aspect and the grotesque normalized, then Wonderblood by Julia Whicker provides an intriguing journey.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

[Sarah S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this dystopian fantasy, but it just didn't grip me the way I hoped it would. It feels a bit long. There is just too much trauma and violence and not enough humanity to balance it out.

The main character, Aurora, is a woman-child who I find most irritating. She has no personality or redeeming qualities, she is only presented as a product of her circumstances. A weak and undefined projection of other characters in the story. I do not feel sorry for her even though terrible things happened to her - her character is just too vague.

Nearing the end of the book, the focus shifts to a lesser character, the Chief Orbital Doctor. Which is an odd turn that doesn't seem to add to the story. There are just loose ends that do not add aesthetic value.

Sentences are well-crafted and I like the breaks in paragraphs and chapters. The overall aesthetic of the story is just not for me.

[Tena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this ARC of "Wonderblood" by Julia Whicker in a GOODREADS giveaway. It was disturbing, even for a dystopic. This is definitely one I will be haunted to reread again later and to see how it effects me. I guess (sometimes) this is why I read this genre. My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the giveaway!

[Janice]

I hate to give up on this, I was drawn to this cover, with the young woman in profile, some missing hair--But I have not been able to get into this story. So I am shelving it for now, maybe I will come back to it someday.

[Cheri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, tears of boredom. I could not like this book.

[Chelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Full review: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com/201...

[Lyssa]

Won a copy from GR Giveaway. Gave it three (four?) chapters, but just have no interest in the main character. Too much time is spent away from her and on other characters that feel like they're not necessary to the story. While a certain amount of bleakness is expected for dystopian stories, this one is just brimming with 'bleak' - too much for my reading taste. (less)

[Michael Drakich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

This book was a bit of a rollercoaster in the reading. I was not exactly wowed in the first few chapters as there were too many unanswered questions in regards to the dystopian world in which the author had created. There were also a number of logistical things and inconsistencies that challenged the believability of this world. I prefer a certain amount of real science in my science fiction.

I made a decision early in to ignore these issues and instead relax and enjoy the reading because one thing was for certain, the author is an absolutely excellent wordsmith. The prose flowed so well I contemplated how most readers would not worry over the small details that perplexed me and I decided to join them.

Once I had shed my inhibitions about details and science, I became enrapt in the story. This dystopian world is very dark and very unique. I can't imagine how any fan of the sub-genre dystopian could not find this entertaining.

As I rolled along my opinion of the value of the book kept growing with each chapter. The artwork interspersed throughout the work gave it a bit of a graphic novel feel. You could feel the level of tension rising as you neared the end, and my opinion had risen to near five star rating, but then, boom, it ended in a whimper.

I cannot fathom why the story leaves so many sub-plots unfinished with the exception that the author intends to follow up with a sequel. There is nowhere that indicates this book is part one of a series. As my copy indicates it is not the final product, but a pre-release version, if it is indeed the intent of the author to write a continuation, then I would implore her to identify the book as "Part 1". Without such identification she will alienate readers.

In a final analysis, because of the ending, my opinion dropped below a 4, but I think it is still better than a 3.5, so a 4 star rating is what it is. If it was identified as a Part 1, I probably would have given it 4.5.