I had high hopes going into this book because the premise and world sounded fascinating, and Nigerian mythology is not something I’ve often seen in the books I’ve read. Unfortunately, Forged by Blood ended up falling short of my expectations in a few ways. 

To start, I do have to say that the world itself was quite interesting, at least the aspects centered on that mythology. It made for an intriguing landscape for the story to take place in, and the scenes that were most focused on these more magical or mythological characters were my favorites! It makes me want to explore this type of mythology more. 

Unfortunately, beyond that, there wasn’t much that I really liked or even enjoyed. There was a frustrating love triangle that seemed to dominate most of the plot (and usually just served to make the three MCs look bad). The plot, while interesting at first glance, proceeded in a mostly linear way that ended up just being disappointing. I also often found myself frustrated with the MC and her choices. It just combined into a story that sadly didn’t work for me. 

In the end, I don’t think I’ll move on with this series, though I don’t necessarily regret my time with this first installment. It introduced me to new worlds and magic, even if this exact story wasn’t for me.