Blood Rising by Markus Redmond

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In a brilliantly terrifying blend of supernatural horror and alternate history for fans of Ryan Coogler's Sinners and readers of Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Stephen Graham Jones, a vengeful vampire tribe formed of formerly enslaved Africans wages war across the Southern colonies in the ultimate battle of blood and betrayal.

Kwadzo Okoro never believed the bloody legend of Ramanga was real. Now, he stands as the leader of a new Ramanga Tribe, one that sieged the Barrow plantation in a storm of righteous carnage, liberating its formerly enslaved Africans. Reclaimed as the Crimson Plantation, it is now also home to the wronged Natives who fearlessly aligned with the Ramangans.

But Kwadzo knows that freedom is not secure. Bartholomew and Constance Crabtree, the most influential slaveholders in the region since the demise of Big Jim Barrow, are galvanizing the Lakeside community to strike back—violently. The threat they pose pales in comparison to the insidious menace of Penelope Knudsen. Her white-hot hatred, now fueled by Ramangan blood, and an ability to survive the sunlight—a power Kwadzo doesn’t have—threatens to upend Kwadzo’s advancement of Ramangan might throughout the colonies, especially as she builds a white vampire army of her own and wages an all-out war against him.

But the gravest threat comes from Rafazi. His blood fathered the rebellion, but he will not take orders from his own creation. And when Rafazi makes a deadly deal with the Crabtrees, Kwadzo is forced into a battle with his maker that he may not survive, while the everlasting freedom of every enslaved person in the colonies hangs in the balance.

After the ending of Blood Slaves, Redmond could have taken this story in a number of ways. One of which I was fully expecting was the newly liberated slaves going for total revenge as an unstoppable force. Instead, Markus Redmond explored the power dynamics between Kwadzo and Rufazi. We also see power struggles between The Blood and the native tribes. This is further complicated when they learn that the young Penelope now has the blood as well, which was meant only for the Ramangans.

Blood Rising is an in-depth look at the phrase, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and Kwadzo struggles to convince his people of it. I love Redmond’s way of storytelling and his exploration of the “human condition.” While Markus introduces these concepts into the story, the horror remains. It’s gory, unsettling, and at times disgusting; everything a horror fan craves.

Akin Omotoso returns to narrate the second installment of the Blood Saga, and again, he does a fantastic job. He is also joined in part by Waceke Wambaa, and honestly, I would have loved to hear her take on all of the female roles in a duet narration. I highly recommend both print and audiobook versions of Blood Rising, and I’m excited for what Markus Redmond has in store next.

I would like to thank Kensington Publishing and Kensington HQ for providing me with a physical ARC, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC.