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.
After the ending of Blood Slaves, Redmond could have taken this story in a number of directions. One I fully expected was the newly liberated slaves turning into an unstoppable force bent on total revenge. Instead, Markus Redmond explores the power dynamics between Kwadzo and Rufazi, alongside a broader power struggle between the Blood and the native tribes. That tension only deepens when they learn the young Penelope has the blood as well — a gift meant only for the Ramangans.
Blood Rising is an in-depth exploration of the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility,” and much of the book follows Kwadzo’s struggle to convince his people of it. I love Redmond’s storytelling and his willingness to dig into the human condition even inside a horror framework. The philosophical weight never comes at the expense of the horror itself — it’s still gory, unsettling, and at times disgusting, everything a horror fan craves.
Akin Omotoso returns to narrate this second installment of the Blood Saga and does a fantastic job again. He’s joined in part by Waceke Wambaa, and honestly, I would have loved to hear her take on all of the female roles in a full duet narration rather than a partial one. I highly recommend both the print and audiobook editions of Blood Rising, and I’m excited to see where Markus Redmond takes this series next.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Kensington HQ for providing a physical ARC, and to NetGalley for providing an ALC.