Beautiful photo by @betterwithabookinmyhand!
Hi Fairy Friends!
Welcome to day 2 of our readalong of Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye.
After the way yesterdayβs section ended, I am nervous. Without further ado letβs get stuck in and see what happens!
Today weβre reading from chapter 9 to the end of chapter 16.
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye, from chapters 9 to 16. Please only read on if youβve finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
Itβs Teo. A hopeful part of me wanted it to be a mistake but itβs him. Iβm worried Sloane wonβt end up running away to the rebels after Teo ran and ended up here, caught. Sloane doesnβt even think itβs a possibility that Teo is a Scion and jumps to the assumption that the Lucis know sheβs a Scion and they think Teo knew and harboured her.
Sheβs wrong though. Heβs a Scion. Itβs why he was so determined to run, better to run than be a Scion in Avalon.
This is a TEST. For Sloane to join the force she has to sacrifice a loved one. They were going to make her execute Baba but chose Teo instead. So to make it through this she has to kill either her grandfather or the boy she loves, to prove her dedication to the force. This is messed up.
Damn, Iβm weeping. Teo tells Sloane to do it. That itβs either him, or BOTH of them. He says he loves her so much heβd die for her. Can Sloane really do this though?
Sheβs sobbing now, telling Teo sheβs sorry and she loves him. Teo, also sobbing, tells Sloane he knows. And then she pulls the trigger, and heβs gone. Her love, her Teo.
Sloane recalls when her mama first disappeared, how Teo was the one who stayed by her side while Baba went to the foothills to try and track her. Teo held her firmly while she cried. And now heβs gone and by her hand. Sloane goes through the motions, thinking about how she should have let them kill her rather than sell her soul to them, to the devil. But sheβs doing this for her mama. To find her mother and uncover the truth. She boards the airship and when she sits, she notices Malachi next to her. He can guess already that she had to kill Teo, Malachi says Shahidβs dead. Malachiβs best friend, the one who would pin sloan down while Malachi beat her, or stand by and watch. He says Shahid was the only one who came to help bury his parents when they died. He asks Sloane if she remembers the fire that killed them. She does, it was her doing, after all. He knows it was her. This is why he has a vendetta against her. He wants revenge. But it was an accident! He says sheβs a Scion, a killer and a dead girl walking.
Before they know it, theyβre landing in Avalon. Ushered from the airship and welcomed to Fort Regulus.
Good old Faas Bakker has returned to congratulate them all on murdering an innocent and making it into the force! The majority of the recruits killed, almost two hundred chose their own death over the inhumanity.
The Queen appears to tell the children about another child warrior, who was 17 when he slayed Scions and brought down ancient Yoruba kingdoms. She goes on to tell them how the youth are their deadliest weapon. She almost preys on those who lost families at a young age, celebrating the end of their misfortune and promising to feed and arm them, to protect them. Preying upon young and lonely children and promising to keep them safe to obtain an army is so messed up but given the adversity some of these children have faced itβs easy to see why they believe it all.
Olympia brings her speech to a close by telling the children Scion scum will not take their home and tells them itβs better to die for tomorrowβs freedom than live to surrender today. Sloane is right, sheβs convinced 825 child soldiers their lives, and ultimately their death, is meaningful. Not Sloane though, Sloane knows better, I hope she can break free!
Sorted into Storm Squad, with Malachi in tow, unfortunately, Sloane enters the training centre. The boy from earlier, who critiqued Sloaneβs ability to throw daggers and said she was sure to be broken in Avalon, stands in the middle. Heβs introduced as Dane and Faas says heβs one of the forceβs finest soldiers. Dane and Sloane hace locked eyes. Heβs a soldier, a Scion killer and Sloane is a Scion. It can only end badly reallyβ¦ but why do I sense a possible love interest? Dane is responsible for training Sloane and her squad. Before Faas and his cronies leave, he drops the intel that while there are 10 recruits in their squad, he only has room for nine. He tells them a squad is only as strong as its weakest link and without further ado, walks out. Leaving the squad behind to literally battle to death. And Malachi is coming straight for Sloane.
Malachi takes Sloane down, strangling her, screaming at her to say his parents’ names. She pleads and she says them but his fingers only tighten, then he reaches for his knife. Before he can go further, Faas is back, with Caspian and Dane. A recruit has been killed and his killer is rewarded for it.
At the barracks, the squad is given rules and told what happens to deserters. Sloane cannot sleep, she thinks of Baba and Luna, and how sheβll never see them again. She thinks about how she has thirty days of training, to learn the truth about Mama. Thirty days and then sheβs free. Can she make it?
Sloane gets her schedule and I. AM. CRINGING. I feel tired just looking at this schedule, honestly. Wake up at 5:30am and lights out at 9pm????? Noooo thank you. 5:30am is the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THELMA. Anyway itβs Sloaneβs first official day as a member of the army. Caspian is taking them through shooting drills but Sloane isnβt doing so good, the lieutenant shouts at her that the objective is to HIT the targets not waste bullets and makes notes in his diary assumingly about Sloaneβs inadequacy. Are they forgetting that these are literal children, untrained in combat?
Malachi goads Sloane, telling her he thinks the squad have found their newest weak link. When he threatens Sloane again she isnβt standing down this time, whatβs the point since he already knows who – what – she is? She tells him itβs not a game and if he messes with fire, heβll get burned. She immediately regrets it but what else does she have to lose? He already knows. If he wanted to rat her out heβd have done it by now, surely. Heβs here for revenge. Sloane knows that, but sheβs also risked too much, sacrificed too much to risk everything, she decides she has to kill Malachi.
Later, Faas shows them propaganda from the Sahl, basically trying to make them fear and hate the Scions enough to believe killing them isnβt an injustice. At mess, the children speak of myths and rumours and one boy comes forward to say Scions look normal, like any human and notes how terrifying that is. Malachi obviously takes this opportunity to freak Sloane out by standing up and agreeing they look normal, so normal that there could be one among them. Donβt rise to it Sloane!
Sloaneβs off to combat training with Dane, but as she gets to the training centre she comes across two recruits from her squad speaking about tunnels? They want to steal a map of the tunnels from the lieutenant’s office but they canβt read a mapβ¦ What are they up to?
Guess who can read a map thoughβ¦
Sloane!
Sloane tries to convince Jericho and Nazanin they need her. Naturally theyβre a bit suspish and want to know whatβs in it for her so Sloane tells them the truth, she needs to get into the Archives Hall. Turns out Jericho and Nazanin are looking for the same thing: The Book of Records.
Her impromptu rebel meeting has made her late for training and Dane is nottt happy. He makes Sloane spar with him and he doesnβt hold back. I donβt think I like him. He tells her she doesnβt have what it takes to survive this place and a spiel about how heβs a monster and she needs to become one too and real monsters arenβt born, they’re made. Yeah, definitely not a fan.
After training, Jericho and Nazanin approach her, they want to do a stakeout and Sloane isnβt missing it! Jericho and Nazanin have a rather risky plan to break inβ¦ through the leopardsβ den. Iβm stressed just thinking about it.
When alarms start to blare, they think theyβve been caught and itβs all over, until they spot someone running. Itβs a deserter.
He makes it so far, but thereβs a leopard lingering not far from him and he hasnβt seen it and then itβs too late. Sloane watches as the leopard pounces at him.
The next day, Faas and Dane are ready to tell them of the deserter and remind them that deserting is a death sentence. Then, Faas reveals todayβs mission: the recruits must traverse a chasm using a rope. No safety harnesses. If they fall, they die. They have FIVE minutes to do it and whoever finishes last forfeits their meal rations. This is BRUTAL.
Sloane is last to go and she has a really tough time getting across. When she makes it, sheβs just relieved sheβs alive. I would be too. Until Dane announces her time: 17 minutes and 21 seconds. Not only is Sloane last, she failed the first physical.
That was SO intense! Iβm so nervous to see what will happen next.
Make sure you let me know all your thoughts in the comments and Iβll catch up with you tomorrow for day 3!
Love,
Shannon
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This whole section has reminded me a lot of Divergent’s trials of staying in Dauntless but even more brutal. I have to really hand it to Deborah Falaye for unflinchingly laying into the violence of this reality. While this book contains magic – Γ se – child soldiers have happened and are happening and they are force to commit horrific acts over threat of violence or death to themselves. While this book is hard to read sometimes because of the topic, the story makes you emphasise with all the characters and make you wonder, what would you do in this situation? The story is very human.
On a lighter note, I’m sensing some possible friendships in the future between Sloane, Jericho, and Nazanin! I’m looking favourite to this trio! Their real introduction at that moment has to be my favourite part in this section. Just more human interact that isn’t laced with violence. I also kind of hope that Dane doesn’t become a love interest. I can see the threads of the story leading to them becoming a couple, but I have yet to see him be against the system that has been forced on him. His sympathetic for sure, the things he says remind me of things Edward would say to justify his acts towards Bella. Until I see more characterisation from him and communication between the two, I really don’t want anything to happen between them.
Again, it was hard to set the book down after the reveal of how long it took her to finish the task! I’m looking forward to the next section and really can’t tell what’s coming next!
Oh holy hell Batman, this section just clipped along and I had my metaphorical hands over my metaphorical eyes pretty much the entire time I was reading.
One thing that I really like is that Sloane is not some superhero teen just because she has magic. It doesn’t make her stronger or faster or give her skills that she’s never done before. She gets her butt kicked, she fails at marksmanship, she flips out over the cliff swing (me too Sloane!) and she pretty much fails her tasks every time.
I am not even going to mention Teo’s death, other than to say, welp I was wrong about him being a Scion. It does make me wonder who many Scions are out there and if it is more of a common thing than I thought going into the book.
My heart just about broke with Teo, I was hoping they could have a happy ending ?
For some reason I predict that Dane is actually a good guy and Iβm getting enemies to lovers vibes from the both of them.
Lastly I have such a bad feeling about her new plan for the book, but she doesnβt have any other choice ?
Poor Teo. But at least it wasnβt Baba?
Okay, so definitely no rivals to friends for Malachi and Sloane. This place is horrifically ruthless and Sloane really doesnβt need another problem right now. So many children already killed and it really does look like Sloaneβs number is going to come up soon if she doesnβt get better.
I donβt think this tunnels plan is going to work out at all. If I were Sloane, Iβd focus on surviving and figuring out how to appear normal before attempting the Book of Archives heist.
I wonder if Daneβs going to be the hard hearted commander or if heβll end up being an ally to Sloane of some sort. Looking forward to finding out.
When I thought it couldnβt become more brutal, it did! These chapters were horrifying, itβs so brutal that Iβm reading A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir as a comfort book to this (that is no comfort book though, knowing Sabaa Tahir evilness from previous books)!! ?
Probably the most brutal story Iβve read so far, but strangely enough I really love that the author isnβt afraid to hurt her main character. Itβs somehow sad yet a little nice to see Sloane struggle but still keep on going despite if it. I still hope she someday gets to show everyone what she can truly do however ???
I expected it that Sloane has to kill Teo, but it still was very hard to read. :'( AND TEO WAS A SCION!!! I wish they could have known this of each other. :'(
What I did not expect is that Malachi will try to kill Sloane this fast! I mean, he did talk about making her suffer and killing her on the first chance felt a bit off. I think he will definitely be a huge complication in the future.
Dane still smells fishy, I am still hoping he’ll be an ally in the future, and he has something that he hides and that’s why he is in the Lucien army. I still haven’t completely ruled out the probability that he personally knows another Scion and/or is one.
These chapters were very intense, I am very afraid what will happen with this small group when they’ll really try to break into the archives.
This book is so brutal and every time I think that I remember that the real child soldiers of Africa are often muxh younger than 15, like 8 year olds being forced to do the kinds of things these characters are facing.
Re the actual plot….I’m pretty sure Dane is the love interest and a secret Scion. Is he planning to take down the regime from the inside?
I wish we could get an enemies to friends with Malachi but I suspect it won’t happen.
Jericho and Nazanin seem super close so I’m now anticipating one of them dying… hopefully they won’t be forced to kill each other.
Okay…so much happened! And, I was not prepared for Sloane to truly get rid of Teo. I know the situation pretty much demanded it but that was really awful.
I am really not liking the Lucis at all. The horrific situation these children are in and faced with….And, escape seems pretty impossible.
BUT, while Sloane seems to be the weakest with her testing and such, I have to believe she is going to either figure out her magic or find some other incredible strengths she has. Like, perhaps she will win over some of these other fellow recruits in her squad. It doesn’t hurt to have good friends. I hope so because I am worried about her!
I saw someone comment this too, but this part reminds me of Divegent, with the trials and trying to survive that and trying not to be at the bottom.
l like it so far, the story is good, it I love those books where the character has to survive challenges.
Definitely getting Divergent vibes with this section, I like it so far. I found this section easier to read, it didn’t seem as heavy on the info dumping!
I think Dane is going to be a love interest, as sad as the situation with Teo was there wasn’t any relationship growth there so I didn’t feel invested in Sloane and Teo as a couple.
I’m interested to see what happens next, I think they’ll get caught in the tunnels – probably by Dane!
Oh good, everyone else already mentioned Divergent LOL.
I didn’t enjoy this part as much as the first part…it was more what I was expecting, brutal military training. Bleh.
I did enjoy the interactions with Jericho and Nazanin, and I also keep studying everyone else and wondering if the rebels have spies there. Lord Sol got called out in unusual ways a few times, so I’m wondering wondering wondering…
Hoping things won’t continue to be terrible for her – but, Sloane not being great at the training is good in some ways. She’s resistant to more killing, plus it gives her an arc to train harder etc.
I wish we’d had more time with Teo and her – although then we would’ve been more crushed when we read what happened.
Hopefully Sloane has found some allies in the training camp.
I knew this book was going to get dark. I just wasn’t really expecting how dark it was going to get. I guess I can only be grateful that it’s not a graphic kind of dark. I’m still very interested in this book!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, it just kept going! I’m not going to lie, there a few times when I wanted to take a break from reading this, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look away. I am so worried that Sloane is going down the wrong path, not morally, but in terms of her survival. She keep saying to herself over and over how much the Lius are. monster-and don’t get me wrong- they are horrible monsters, but she really needs to start getting into the mindset of training in order to survive. She has all but put a target on her back for being the “weak link” of the recruits. I cannot wait until Sloane is able to take her power back and give all of these evil people what they deserve.
I am devastated. Oh Teo. He didnβt even know about her and that breaks my heart even more.
I am not gonna lie, I thought Mal and Sloane could have had a partnership of some sorts, but not with Mal coming after Sloane like that.
I wish I could say I hate him, but I donβt. He was a kid when he lost his parents because of an accident. Even though it was an accident, Sloane was still the cause of it.
Now Iβm here looking at Dane like ?? ?