Just when you thought Ryan Graudin’s Wolf by Wolf series couldn’t get any more intense, Blood for Blood (the series’ exciting conclusion) comes around and hits you where it hurts.
In the best way possible, that is.
It’s no secret that Wolf by Wolf was my favorite book of 2015, so obviously my anticipation for Blood for Blood was off the charts. And let me tell you, the series’ conclusion does not disappoint.
About ‘Blood for Blood’
Yael’s mission to kill Hitler failed. Instead of assassinating the Führer (like the world thought she did), she merely killed a fellow skinshifter. Now Yael is on the run and everyone’s gunning for her: The military, the boy whose sister she impersonated, and the boy she loves. Not only that, but the world is on the verge of a deadly rebellion and was counting on her success. What’s a girl to do?
Try again, that’s what. With a group of unlikely allies by her side, Yael has one last shot to finish what she started. To destroy the New Order, no matter the cost. But as Yael gets closer and closer to getting her second chance, dark secrets threaten to thwart her mission and destroy everything she’s tried to protect. This time, instead of a motorcycle race, Yael’s in a dangerous race against time and enemies to save her loved ones and redeem herself in the process.
‘Blood for Blood’ book review
The bar was set pretty high for Ryan Graudin’s Blood for Blood for me, especially after how much I loved Wolf by Wolf and craved more information after reading Iron to Iron (the short novella detailing the Axis Tour Luka and real-Adele competed in the year before Wolf by Wolf takes place). I honestly didn’t know how the series could impress me any further.
And then I finished Blood for Blood.
Blood for Blood is an emotional gut-punch novel from cover to cover. The theme of familial love and sacrifice is present throughout the story, manifesting itself in different ways and with different characters. Where Wolf by Wolf is all about strength, endurance, and cleverness, Blood for Blood is more emotional and character-driven.
One of the aspects I like best about Blood for Blood is its slightly slower pace. This allows for more meaningful and frequent character moments. One of the only things I found lacking in Wolf by Wolf was the lack of character moments for Yael herself, rather than Yael-as-Adele. Blood for Blood makes up for that and then some. You not only get more insight into who she is and what she believes in, but you also gain more insight into the personalities and motivations of the characters around her. The characterizations and character moments are so well done that, by the end of the book, you won’t want to say goodbye to any of them.
Similar to other dystopian series, this final book is a bit different from the first novel (and novella) in that it doesn’t follow the same format. Instead of a race across Third Reich territory, the story is more of a race against time and opposing forces. This novel doesn’t hold back when it comes to the danger of war and espionage nor, does it really ever let up in tone. It picks up right where Wolf by Wolf left off and leads the reader right into the heart of the war.
One thing to note is that the novel has a plot twist about 3/4 of the way through the story. If you pay close attention, you may figure out the twist earlier in the novel, but it’s no less surprising or impactful once it hits. I love the fact that the twist fits within the alternative history that Graudin has created and ties previously unrelated issues together.
While I won’t tell you how the story wraps up, I will say that there’s an extremely emotional moment toward the end. I’m not kidding when I say that I had tears in my eyes from that point until the end. The moment is unexpected and absolutely heart-breaking, but gives the end of the book just the right amount of fuel it needs to resolve the story. There are a few other emotional moments sprinkled throughout the book, but none as intense as the one toward the end.
The one thing I would definitely suggest is to read Iron to Iron. There are so many details and strings included in Blood for Blood that are enhanced by the background knowledge that the novella provides. While I didn’t have a chance to review it here on Hypable.com, I 100% recommend that every fan of this series reads it before cracking open Blood for Blood. It’s worth it just for the character moments alone and really adds a lot to your reading of the final book.
Just like the first novel in the series was in 2015, Blood for Blood is definitely on my personal list of best books of 2016. It’s a worthy successor to Wolf by Wolf and, as much as I don’t want to leave this world or these characters that Ryan Graudin has created, a fitting conclusion to a fantastic series. I really can’t recommend it enough.
Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookstore. Also, don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads “to read” list!
Will you be picking up a copy of Ryan Graudin’s ‘Blood for Blood’?
Related: Wolf by Wolf book review: An adventurous alternate history
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