The Blood Race Blog Tour: Author Q&A + Review

Today, I’m joining up with the blog tour for The Blood Race—a fabulous scifi/fantasy debut from K.A. Emmons!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
He’s spent his life running from who he is. She’s been trying to escape her past for 100 years…
Born with unexplainable abilities he struggles to control, college student Ion tries desperately to integrate into his new school and finally put his dark past behind him. But after making a serious enemy, which leads to an accidental rendezvous with the mysterious old man next door— and his hauntingly beautiful but troubled young protégée Hawk, Ion realizes his life will never be normal again.
Late one evening, Hawk drags him by the hand into a closet-turned-rabbit-hole to an extra dimension, and Ion finds himself stumbling involuntarily into a secret society of training for “anomalies,” teenagers with a special set of abilities. Just like him.
As they train to become Protectors of future Earth, battling each other as well as their own demons, both Ion and Hawk begin to realize that they are far more alike than they realized. Unsettlingly so.
When the Dimension is shaken by an unthinkable betrayal, will an ancient prophecy bring Hawk and Ion together—or will a deadly threat hidden in plain sight cost them both their powers… and their lives?
The Blood Race is K.A. Emmons’ debut novel, and the first book in a riveting and fresh YA sci-fi/fantasy thriller series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When she’s not hermiting away in her colorfully-painted home office writing her next science fiction, passionate story-teller and adventurer Kate Emmons is probably on the road for a surf or hiking trip, listening to vinyls, or going for a power run. Emmons lives in the often-snowy hills of rugged Vermont with her husband and dog named Rocket.
J: Is The Blood Race your first novel? How’d you get started with writing fiction?
K: While The Blood Race is my first published work, and first sci-fi/fantasy thriller, it’s my fifth novel. I’ve always been attracted to storytelling, ever since I can remember. I was writing retellings and scribbling short stories and alternate endings for video games since I was just a neophyte.

A good story, whether in literature or film, has the ability to completely transport you to another world, and create new and exciting experiences you may never have had otherwise. That fascinates me to no end.

J: Of the POVs featured in The Blood Race, which was the easiest to write in? The most challenging?
K: Both were easy and comfortable, which would not be my usual answer. In most fiction I’ve written with alternating POVs, I will typically enjoy writing the male character’s POV much more than the female’s. In The Blood Race, though, I really, really clicked with Hawk. Her character and personality resonates deep for me, so it was an incredible experience to be able to write through her eyes. She and Ion are both powerhouses in their own rights.

J: Did The Blood Race change a lot from the initial idea, or did it stay closer to how you first imagined it?
K: My imagining were super rudimentary from the outset - most of it developed as I was writing it. I daydreamed about the places and characters as I was writing them. I guess you could say they “wrote themselves”, so to speak. There were many instances where I would write something and then sit back and be like “...Whoa… that’s really cool. Where did that come from?”

So I guess the answer would be both. The story definitely stayed close to the initial inspiration I got for the story, but then branched off in a hundred directions like wild ivy over a wall as the story took on a life of its own.

J: What is your favorite genre to read?
K: Anything nerdy-nonfiction, or spiritual. Books or articles about scientific theory, quantum physics, military history, outer space, man-made disasters, or the ocean. Oh, and Narnia, of course.

J: What three books would you love to see The Blood Race share a shelf with?
K: Whatever the second and third best sellers are. ;) #Dreamin’Big   Also, anything C.S. Lewis would be A-O-K by me.

J: What is your biggest dream for The Blood Race?
K: My biggest dream for the book is that my readers enjoy the story and fall in love with the characters.
REVIEW:
The Blood Race is a fast-paced blend of scifi and fantasy that was difficult to put down. Emmons combines time/dimensional travel and superheroesque abilities with elegant prose and a fascinating cast. Each narrator’s voice was distinct, and I loved seeing the parallels between Ion and Hawk. Both have grown used to running, in different ways, and both are on a search to discover who they are and to reclaim the pieces of themselves they’ve lost. None of the characters in The Blood Race are perfect—they are flawed and make mistakes, but the way they grow and change over the course of the story because of this was one of my favorite aspects. The story plays out differently than I expected, but it makes so much sense with the characters’ personal arcs and subtle foreshadowing. (And that ending? *grabs tissues* I’m not over that.)

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Blood Race very much, and can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series!

Content note: Infrequent mild/moderate language. Some violence.
** I received an ARC of The Blood Race in exchange for an honest review. **

The Blood Race releases on August 1st!

Comments

  1. ASDFGHJKL LOVE THIS POST!! <3 Thank you so much for joining us in this blog tour!! :D

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  2. This looks SO good! I seriously need this book in my life. Like now. o_o

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  3. Thank you so much for your wonderful review of the book, Jameson! I am grateful for this opportunity, and so glad you enjoyed the read! Your words mean a lot :)

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  4. Sounds like an interesting read!

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