Seventeen-year-old Bear lives in the walled town of Calleston – a place of stark divide between the rich and poor. Living down in Cobbleside, Bear is painfully conscious of the inequalities between him and residents of Roofside.
When the town's annual Field Day – an event during which those who've recently come of age test their Sinsen growing capacities – shows Bear to have unprecedented abilities, he's hurtled into the upper echelons of society, and everything he's ever wanted is within his grasp. But it soon becomes apparent, that it's not all he expected it to be. He finds himself existing amidst an uncaring, callous people, concerned only with themselves, living in a society in which corruption is rife.
Finding himself unwillingly entangled with the Overlord's beautiful but spiteful daughter, Bear is forced to make decisions which may jeopardise everything he's dreamed of – or risk the lives of the people he once lived amongst.
A story of love, witchcraft, betrayal and murder!
Well this book turned out to be a hidden gem. I don't usually read fantasy but I'm becoming more open to trying different genres and this YA dystopian fantasy is a brilliant debut novel from singer songwriter Jay McGuiness.
The town of Calleston is divided by wealth and poverty and the wealthy rely on the peasants to grow the blood red flower Sinsen to boost their coffers. Bear has hidden talents and nobody is more surprised than him when he produces a bumper crop of Sinsen. It brings him to the attention of the Queen and Bear is shocked to see how the other half lives while the rest of the town starves. Bear is suddenly Calleston's greatest asset but also its biggest threat.
This is a wonderful story that swept me away to a colourful land of blood red flowers and delicious ruby brew. The writing is vivid and flows beautifully, making the pages turn effortlessly. It may be a YA novel but it will be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.
Imaginative, entertaining and captivating, Blood Flowers is an impressive debut; Jay McGuiness is certainly one to watch and I will be keeping an eye out for his next novel.
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