Blood to Earth

The Ballad of the Songbird #2

by Jon Ford

In the aftermath of tragedy, when the past is laid to rest, blood returns to earth...

When catastrophic events in Nexus City tip the scales, skewing the balance of power in New Victus and forcing Lyssa Balthazaar to accelerate her timetable for revolution, she struggles to find allies in her time of need while wrestling with an impossible decision - Follow her heart or her commitment to family.

A vacation in Rio takes a sudden turn for Alexa Reynolds when an unexpected job connects to her recent past and leads her to untangle a mystery. A mystery she follows from Rio, to the Bahamas, and to Venezuela before she discovers a shocking revelation in the Pacific Ocean.

In London, Gayle and Allyson Knightley are coping with both loss and love. While Allyson is driven to find justice for the victims in Nexus, Gayle is faced with a stark reminder of her past. It is a discovery that will drive her to risk it all to uncover the truth of Bloody Valletta.

438 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2021

About the author

Jon Ford lives in Worcestershire, UK.

He lives with his awesome Wifey, their lovable puppy 'Vixen', and under the watchful gaze of their cat-overlords Lana and Gayle. Honestly, he has far too many hobbies for one man to hold down sensibly!

Reviews

[Kara (Books.and.salt)]

Blood to Earth is the second book in Jon Ford's The Ballad of the Songbird, and was every bit as engrossing and emotionally charged as Hunters. We pick up where Hunters left off, following the characters as they cope with tragic events that occurred in Nexus City and plan for a volatile future. 

Just as with Hunters, Ford's near-future world is irrevocably changed - ruled by Fae, Werewolves, and Vampyrri - but still feels so familiar and real. As the world grows and we discover new locations and people, the world building is done so smoothly that I was never overwhelmed with info dumping. The short chapters and alternating perspectives make this book unputdownable.

With regard to the alternating perspectives... one thing I LOVE about this series is that with the amount of perspectives the story is told from (12+, not sure exactly and do not want to misspeak) you would think one or two would be lackluster compared to the others. But there was not one perspective/character that I did not look forward to reading, even the more back ground characters are enjoyable and interesting.

I hesitate to talk plot because I don't want to creep into spoiler territory - so I'll say that I am so invested in Gayle and Allyson's respective romantic relationships that it pains me and the way they each developed in Blood to Earth was everything I had hoped for and more! The emotional tone of this story is gorgeous, so much healing is taking place.

Honestly this series has everything - awesome fight scenes, horrifying creatures, well written LGBTQ characters, spot on humor, and that teeny touch of steam that made my romance reading heart very happy. I think how HP was THE series of my childhood... The Ballad of the Songbird is going to be THE series of my adulthood.

[N.T. Anderson]

With Blood to Earth, Jon Ford brings us the second installment in his Ballad of the Songbird series. Like the first book, Hunters, Blood to Earth will keep you on your toes and leave you wondering what’s around every turn.

The world building in this alternate reality setting of the future is fantastic, but thankfully Ford is *not* one of those authors who will bore you with pages of little details and excessive description. He gets right to the heart of the matter, engaging readers in a fast-paced story that constantly moves.

Is it necessary to read Hunters before you pick up Blood to Earth? Well, Ford gives us a character breakdown at the beginning of the book with a quick glimpse into the basics. You *could* start with that, but you’d be missing out on the real depth and background that takes place in Hunters, so it would be my recommendation to start at the beginning.

For those of you who have read the first book, Blood to Earth picks up where that left off, but don’t expect Ford to solve the mystery for you. This story follows Gayle and Allyson as they navigate the aftermath of the Hunters tragedy while also trying to find their footing in their own respective personal lives. It’s a tale that only Jon Ford can tell in a way that is intricately crafted and leaves us with two new questions for every one that he answers.

Highly recommend and I can’t wait for book three!

[Debbie Eyre]

This second book is simply stunning! The world building is amazing and beautiful and so descriptive that you feel as if you are actually in this world with the characters. The characters are amazing and their journeys even more so from Lyssa Balthazaar to Gayle and Allyson Knightley to Alexa Reynolds and so many many more! There’s loss which I will admit had me balling like a baby!! But also happiness and mystery and intrigue and new characters to enjoy and others to hate! It’s an intricately woven story that grabs you from the very start and when you get to the end of the book you just sit there and wow did that all really just happen?? We get quite a few answers from book one, we also get more questions and that ending well all I have to say is bring on book three I’m ready!

[Fordith]

Blood to Earth is the next in the Ballad of the Songbird series by Jon Ford and follows the immediate aftermath of the thrilling ending of Hunters (book 1).

There’s a handy dandy section at the beginning that tells you who each of the characters are and what is going on in their story which makes keeping track of the multiple storylines easy.

I absolutely loved delving back into this world and following the characters again, everyone knows that I have a soft spot for Allyson and I felt that this book helped to flesh out her character more as she took a step forward in the main storyline.

But that doesn’t mean that we lose any Gayle or Lyssa time, I love this book for the amazing female characters that although flawed are always trying to keep bettering themselves.

I found myself binging this book and after a period of a mini reading slump it was able to pull me out of it with its fast-paced nature and compelling writing.

The scheming continues and the whodunnits are abound! I am so excited for book 3 to come out and find out where it is all going next!

[Steve Vimes]

When I read Hunters, the first book in the Ballad of the Songbird by Jon Ford, I was seriously impressed. Not just because a friend of mine had achieved his dream of publishing a book, but also because of just how good it was! Now Jon has released his second book in the series and, not surprisingly, it's even better than the first!

Continuing on from the first book, we once again follow the the characters as they react to the events from the end of book one. The story flows along perfectly, reminding us of the characters we already knew and introducing new ones as they start to deal with everything that has happened and how it changes their lives around them.

We also get to see some more of the world that Jon is building and that's one of the best things about the book. Instead of a massive amount of info being thrown at us too quickly, the author introduces us to everything gradually, with little titbits of lore and backstory being added subtly whilst at the same time leaving us wanting to know more.

This is a worthy and excellent second novel in the series that flows brilliantly, hinting at surprises to come, a couple of shocks along the way and some genuinely laugh out loud moments as well!

I can't wait for book three!

[Emma G]

Blood to Earth picks up right where Hunters left of. We are emersed back into a world which has been richly built without being overly detailed. There is the same cast of kick arse females as well as some new people to get to know and either adore or hate. The plot line flows really well and while we are given answers to some of the things in Hunters, and oh boy do we get answers to some things!, we are also left with more questions, hints and teases for what is to come in this 7 book series. There has been a map, character list and quick synopsis of how this new world has come about at the start of the book, which I think is fab and really helpful...all that's needed now is the next 5 books!!

[Jas Phoenix]

After thoroughly enjoying Hunters, the first book in The Ballad of the Songbird series by Jon Ford, I couldn’t wait to dive into Blood to Earth - and it turned out to be even better than the first, which is really saying something. From the opening pages, we’re drawn straight back into the aftermath of book one, following each character as they deal with the consequences of what’s come before. The story flows seamlessly, picking up the threads without missing a beat. Political corruption still festers, revolution looms ever closer, and amidst it all there’s love, loss, and the constant pull of divided loyalties. Jon Ford has a real gift for world-building. He takes us step by step deeper into this post-Rising world, making it feel layered, complex, and alive. His writing is vivid without being overdone, and always grounded in the emotions and motives of his characters. The prose is sharp, fluid, and full of energy, and I found myself completely immersed from the first chapter.

I especially loved the female characters in this book - strong, loyal, and fierce, yet made beautifully real through their flaws and vulnerabilities. In fact all the characters feel incredibly authentic: vampyrii, werewolves, giants, trolls, fae, humans, and hybrids all brought vividly to life. Their alliances, rivalries, friendships, and romantic entanglements are woven together with intrigue, tension, and emotion in a way that feels completely natural. Blood to Earth is a smart, intricately plotted continuation of the series that deepens everything I loved about Hunters. If you enjoy immersive stories with depth, strong characters, and masterful storytelling, I can’t recommend this series highly enough. I loved every minute and can’t wait to start book three!

[Lene Blackthorn]

After the thrilling ending of Hunters, book one, the cast of the Ballad of the Songbird comes back in equally (if not more) exciting adventure. Blood to Earth brings to live a unique, rich, breathtaking world that faces many challenges and holds many secrets. Do you think it brings answers to all the questions raised in Hunters? Well, yes and no. Sure, there are some shocks and surprises and revelations you were anticipating for a long time to come yet they are dropped on you unexpectedly - and the answer is anyway different than you expected. The second book focuses more on some of our kickass heroines, following more closely Allyson or Gayle but not forgetting the others like Lyssa too. Aside from action, suspense, and adventures, the scenes evoke a wide range of emotional responses, from joy and hope to sorrow and grief. The characters are very relatable, their imperfections make them beautiful and close to the reader who can feel and understand. the excellent writing style makes the world feel very natural even with the fantastic elements, and the story flows fluently despite the multiple plot lines intersecting and entwining. I also very much appreciated the "overview" in the beginning - if you don't pick up book two right after book one, it might happen some details from the complex structure get lost, but the "recap" really helped refreshing some memories. This is an amazing series and I am already looking forward to the next book.

[Kayla Hicks]

This is the second installment to The Ballad of the Songbird Series for author Jon Ford, and he did not disappoint.

Jon Ford does a beautiful job providing readers with a clear picture of the world without using too much description and losing the reader, which is a sign of excellent writing!

As Ford continues exploring the creatures and characters inside his world, he excels in making familiar destinations feel like new.

What was even better about this book was that it kept the momentum up of the first, keeping me turning the pages and wanting more.

I cannot wait to read the third book and I bet readers will feel the same.

[M T Docherty]

great follow up!

These books provide a quite different approach for the Sci-Fi genre .. it’s refreshing for example to predominantly strong female lead characters. I thought Book 2 picked up pace as well as providing the back story on Valletta …finally! Great read, can’t wait for Book 3!

[David]

Impressive continuation of the story. Gripping. Complex. And loved finally discovering what happened in Valletta.