The Bloodprint audiobook

Before I begin what essentially will be a panegyric, please go and read the interview Ausma did with us.Welcome back. Now, I could tell you what the book is about or I could give you the official synopsis. I will opt for the latter because it does a far better job than I ever will be able to. So here it is:A dark power called the Talisman has risen in the land, born of ignorance and persecution. Led by a man known only known as the One-eyed Preacher, it is a cruel and terrifying movement bent on world domination—a superstitious patriarchy that suppresses knowledge and subjugates women. And it is growing.But there are those who fight the Talisman's spread, including the Companions of Hira, a diverse group of influential women whose power derives from the Claim—the magic inherent in the words of a sacred scripture. Foremost among them is Arian and her apprentice, Sinnia, skilled warriors who are knowledgeable in the Claim. This daring pair have long stalked Talisman slave-chains, searching for clues and weapons to help them battle their enemy’s oppressive ways. Now, they may have discovered a miraculous symbol of hope that can destroy the One-eyed Preacher and his fervid followers: The Bloodprint, a dangerous text the Talisman has tried to erase from the world.Finding a copy of The Bloodprint promises to be their most dangerous undertaking yet, an arduous journey that will lead them deep into Talisman territory. Though they will be helped by allies—a loyal ex-slave and Arian’s former confidante and sword master—both Arian and Sinnia know that this mission may well be their last.Though The Bloodprint is essentially fantasy and happening in a fantastic world, the parallels are obvious and the concerns and themes it works with contemporary and relevant. But let's begin at the beginning and work our way from there.The prose is masterful; the writing seeks out the details and finagles out the emotion in them. Observe, for instance:A startled cry rose from the long line of women, robed in the sorrowful blue of dusk, their pale eyes tasting light for the first time that day.Arian and Sinnia are two women against the world but what I most loved about their companionship and the world in which they exist is that their gender does not automatically make them weak no matter how much the enemy wants it to. This particular brand of feminism is different from the kind the West is used and has a lot more layers and is much complex containing as it does both the feminine mystique and, the more expected, strength both mental and physical.Arian's strength comes from her position as the first Oralist of the group she belongs to and her ability to recite the Claim. Which brings me to the next thing I loved about this book.Islam is very much pilloried on a global stage and often by people who know little to nothing about the religion and allow their own prejudices to form uninformed opinions about it. That said, this book presents facets of the religion in interesting ways that you may have not considered. It explores how people can take the same text and form two different and often diverging conclusions based off it. It shows how people can take a religion hostage and exploit it to fulfill their own greedy agenda and much more sinister ambitions.I also loved how the Claim, the sacred language in The Bloodprint is actual translated verses from the Quran. This gives a story an additional depth and a deeper flavour.The Bloodprint is not an easy book to read. It has pain and shows the brutality human beings are capable of. At the same time, it has pockets of uncomplicated happiness that is flavoured by sadness for the brevity of their duration.Arian, Sinnia, Daniyar and Wafa are all such complex characters who, no matter their power, still seem helpless against the world they are rebelling against. The Bloodprint is an excellent introduction to a complex world that, for all its fantasy, is an echo of ours. You should read it.

I didn't have high hopes for this after the first 50 pages or so. It's wasn't quite info dumpy, but so many new terms were introduced without much explanation that I wasn't feeling it. I'm so glad I kept going though! I saw some of the twists at the end coming a mile away, but some of them I wasn't quite expecting. I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Tome Tender1 Trade Back Copy of Bloodprintby Ausma Zehanat Khan(USA Mailing address Only)Oct 3 - 13, 2017The Bloodprint is the first book in this high fantasy series called Khorasan Archives. With two strong female characters, battling to free woman slaves in a world filled with mysticism and tyrannical religious beliefs. There is strong political messages tied into the plot with detailed world building and character depth that rival the best epic fantasies out there. With its unusual feminine leads, The Bloodprint is an epic fantasy that should not be missed. I received this ARC copy of The Bloodprint from William Morrow & Dey Street Books/HarperCollinsPublishers. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Bloodprint is set for publication October 3, 2017.My rating: 4 starsWritten by: Ausa Zehanat KhanSeries: The Khorasan Archives (Book 1)Paperback: 448 pagesPublisher: Harper Voyager Publication Date: October 3, 2017ISBN-10: 0062459198ISBN-13: 978-0062459190Genre: Epic Dark FantasyItunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bloodprint-Kho...Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...Reviewed for: Http://tometender.blogspot.com

3.5/5 i think. I have to process this one before I give it a full review. Intial thoughtsLove: The political message. I loved the breaking of slave chainsLiked: Arian, Sinnia, Wafa. The writing style but there were repetitive thoughts from characters that was unnecessary. Like i get you love each other already. Meh: The men. I was indifference about the love story. The story lagged for me but I have a short attention span for epics.Didn't like : Where the story line seems to be going with Sinnia. She is perceived as less desirable and her sexuality is juxtaposition ro Arian chastity. Which bugged me as Sinnia is Black compared to the Lighter Arian. Is this a commentary on colorism or a trope. Hopefully it will be discuss more in the next book. I want a Sinnia backstory. I will read the future books cause I mad at that cliffhanger and I want to know everything.

Just wow! If all fantasy was this well written I would be a fan of the fantasy genre! The Bloodprint is the first such novel by Ausma Zehanat Khan and the beginning of the Khorasan Archives series. It is the tale of two marvelously strong women who are tasked with freeing enslaved women who have been captured by The Talisman. It is the classic tale of Good vs Evil but told in a cleverly written, marvelously detailed, surprisingly intriguinging manner. Khan is one of my favorite authors and what I like most about her writing is her attention to detail, research and history. Although all of this is disguised in a fantasy format, it is still present and I appreciate that very much. You see this type of research in writings by GRR Martin and Gilbaldi and that attention to detail makes a book worth reading.I also love the blending of magic with religion that is created in The Bloodprint. In the past that would have been called mysticism and all religions practiced that at one time. Too bad they still don't. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and already I'm anxious for the next in the series!! The writing is impeccable, the storyline is fascinating! I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads but, of course, would have read it regardless as I have read all of her books. Thank you Goodreads, Ausma Zehanat Khan and Harper Voyager for my advanced copy.

AMAZING!

This story is about magic and sacred scriptures. A one eyed preacher is bent on overtaking the world.But warriors Arian and Sinnia are fighting to stop him. Together they are looking for a magical symbol that will destroy the one eyed preacher this may prove a hard task. This is a world full of slavery, deceit, and treachery. Something is amiss at the place where the devotees of the Claim reside, Arian can't quite put her finger on it. Ilae has allowed The Black Mage to attend council, a place where no man has ever been before. She is being sent to the land of the Authoritarian, where grave danger awaits. It will not be easy to break into a land surrounded by a great wall and defended by an army. The claim is a language that has been handed down, because all written language has been destroyed, and scribes put to death. Anyone caught reading is sentenced to death. Arian is assisted by new allies, and saved from certain death. She sees death all around her, and loses friends on her quest.At times she seems unable or unprepared to do the things she must, or to use the claim when it's needed most.The Talisman are taking women as slaves, and Arian has broken some slave chains, and rescued women, but the talisman are hoping to capture her, and make an example of her. The One Eyed Preacher is holder of dark power called the Talisman, will he use it and destroy the world as Arian and her friends know it, or will his own dark power consume him? Although there is much talk of the One Eyed Preacher you never actually meet him in this story, maybe he's just a rumor, a figure head to scare people with. Maybe the Preacher will show up in the sequels I don't know, but will find out, I am reading till the last page. I love dark stories and the Black Khan is a great example of darkness of the soul. In fact all of the Talisman, and Authoritarians are ruthless and blood thirsty, they thrive on the blood and anguish of others. This is my second read through of this book. The world building takes time but once you understand the premise you get a great adventure.I was given this book in exchange for a fair honest review, all opinions are solely my own and have no ill intent towards the author, publisher, or promoters of this book.

Review originally posted on The Bibliophile ChroniclesThe Bloodprint is the first in a new series by crime author Ausma Zehanat Khan. I confess I’ve always wanted to read The Unquiet Dead and haven’t quiet gotten around to buying a copy (that has since been rectified). Going into The Bloodprint I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but from the get go I was absolutely hooked, and I loved this book from beginning to end.This book is steeped in blood and action – there is plenty of fast-paced plot to keep the fantasy fan happy, but The Bloodprint is so much more than that. With women living in a male dominated world – they are treated like slaves and not allowed to speak unless permitted by their husbands – is in many ways relevant to today’s media.One of things I did love most about this book was the immense detail that Ausma put in. The book is very finely crafted, with the history and mythology really bringing the book to life. I’d love to spend an hour picking Ausma’s brain to find out where all these fascinating ideas came from. Her research must have taken a really long time to complete, and it really adds to this excellent story. The Claim is similarly a really fascinating aspect of this book. A magic that celebrates the written word is not something that I’ve come across before, and I really loved this unique concept.Characters can make or break a book, and The Bloodprint is no exception. Our two main characters Arian and Sinnia are fabulous. Warrior women fighting to break slave trains and save the land from Talisman rule, their sense of companionship and friendship is a wonderful aspect of this book. I also similarly loved Wafa, the young child that Arian and Sinnia rescue. There is also a romantic element of the book (which I won’t say too much about so as not to ruin anything) but it is not in your face, and adds to the story without taking over.There;s also plenty of mystery, and the reader is left with more than a few questions (I needed book two yesterday). There’s also a few shock twists a long the way, and not everything is as it seems. It really strikes home that in a world fraught with danger, who can you really trust? Each person is often out to further their own gains. I must also say that the cover design is gorgeous, my proof copy is beautiful but I cannot wait to go and buy a finished one for my favourites shelf. This is a truly superb read, and definitely sits in the top of my favourite books of 2017.

4.5/5 but rounding up to 5 because the 3.23 score on this book makes absolutely no sense to me.Such a good fantasy! I don't understand the GoodReads rating at all! I do think this is a YA though it is labeled as Adult so maybe that is why? Not sure but it's so good!

Ausma Zehanat Khan is a marvelous writer. I love her mystery series in which a Canadian Muslim detective and his Jewish woman assistant look at killings targeted at Muslims and visit Iran and Greece. However, I wasn't sure I wanted to read her fantasy series. The Bloodprint is of course a good book. Khan has based her world on Central Asia and the religion discussed is clearly a fictional parallel to Islam. I was impressed with that world. The viewpoint character is a woman warrior with the special power to speak the Holy Words in a way that paralyzes enemies. The villains in this world, the Talisman, are surely based on the Taliban. They hate not only women but the written word and they try to destroy all forms of it. There are some good men who do not hate women and who help the hero.Thus far, I relished the book. But there is another, more powerful evil force than the Talisman, a ruler who is just plain bloody. Therein the book seemed to me too much like some other adult fantasy in that there are more and more bloody forms of cruelty. I prefer books that don't go to that point. However, this is a fine book, very well written.

4.25This book is one of my new favorites for sure! The Bloodprint does all the things I want in a fantasy novel and even more. I love the aspects regarding the blood print itself and the plot is highly original and fits in with todays society and how we look at these kinds of things. The cult-like group of women, the king from another nation, the magic that involved chanting words and just the mystery of finding the bloodprint really intrigued me. So this book is one I will gladly recommend and I cannot thank the publisher and edelweiss enough for the opportunity to read this before its release.

There's a lot happening, but I adore the characters and I've grown attached to their experiences. I didn't know when I bought the book that this was a series, and while I don't like to read series, I have ordered the other books so that I might know what happens to the dear characters. I remain hopeful, but this land carries a lot of tragedy and reflection.