Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Satisfying, bloody finale muses on colonialism's toll.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In A STEEPING OF BLOOD, everyone in Ettenia is reeling after the death of reporters and guests at a party in the vampire stronghold. The Ram, Ettenia's ruler, blames the carnage on the vampires, but Arthie and her brother Jin know better. Not only is the Ram the orchestrator of the violence, but it's just a small part of her plan to subjugate vampires and weaponize them. And to make things more complicated, she also happens to be the mother of Flick, an expert forger who's in love with Jin. Arthie will do anything to stop the Ram, including stealing a ship and returning to her ravaged homeland to find kidnapped vampires. It's too bad the Ram is one step ahead of Arthie at every turn, and so determined to dominate the world that she's willing to sacrifice her own daughter to do it.
Is It Any Good?
This duology finale may be slow to ramp up, but it doesn't disappoint, with tons of vampires and impossible rescues and deep musings on colonial rule. Arthie is the heart of A Steeping of Blood. She's a vampire and an immigrant in the land that colonized her country. It's hard to say what's harder for her: breaking into a vampire prison or facing her feelings of loss as an immigrant. In Chapter 10, Arthie muses, "She had spent the last ten years in White Roaring ever aware of how she stood out and couldn't fit in, but not once had she considered that every day she spent assimilating into Ettenia was a day she spent whittling away at the ties that tethered her to Ceylan….She belonged nowhere, and it was a very lonely place to be." Kids from immigrant families may find hints of their own struggles in this story.
Fantasy fans who love to hate power-hungry villains are sure to be enthralled by Flick's evil masked ruler of a mom. As all her nefarious plans come to light in each delicious twist, Arthie, Jin, and Flick are in a frenzy to expose her misdeeds. Much blood is spilt, human and vampire, in a desperate effort to take her down. The nail-biter ending includes a heavy dose of loss, but it satisfies all the same.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the dedication in A Steeping of Blood which reads simply, "To Colonialism: You suck." How does Arthie experience colonialism? Why is it so hard for her to return to Ceylan? How does reading about Arthie's experience help build readers' empathy?
The author's parents were immigrants from Sri Lanka. How did colonialism affect that country? How many real countries in the world were colonized? How are citizens of those countries and immigrants who have left those countries still impacted today?
How does the Ram use fear and blame to influence the people of White Roaring and Ettenia? Why do you think this tactic works? Do you ever see fear tactics play out in real politics? When and how?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy ( Magic , Vampires ) , Royalty ( Queens )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : September 23, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 27, 2025
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