I was really hesitant about the book in the first half, but once we hit 50%...wow did it go fast.

The Blood Vier is a fantasy story about identity, politics, and betrayal. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books with "court intrigue" plots, but the second half of the story was more of an adventure, which I enjoyed immensely.
We follow Taryn, the daughter of a famous military leader, as she tries to uncover her father's murderer while simultaneously navigating the dangerous politics of a royal court. It took a bit for me to get into, and then I was scared when a "big reveal" happened at around 40%, but then the story took off from there and there were several instances where I had no idea where the story would go from there. It had danger and action in nearly every chapter in the second half and I loved that.
Honestly, I'm a bit wary of trusting any of the characters in particular. The story has two POVs - Taryn and Vladimir, who I assumed would be the love interest but doesn't seem to be (and that's probably for the best). Both of them felt like unreliable narrators at times just because I could see them possibly withholding information. Similarly, I didn't trust Katherine and I still don't...I don't know why I just have a gut feeling. The only character I genuinely trusted was William because he didn't really do anything suspicious. I liked him the most, but Taryn was a solid main character.
If you're looking for a Russian setting, a fantasy with a political focus, or tons of suspicious characters, The Blood Vier is an exciting mix of adventure and intrigue.
3.75/5