Book Review: Wildblood Calls You to the Jungle

In Wildblood, Lauren Blackwood constructs a compelling character analysis against the backdrop of a Jamaican jungle filled with spirits, ghosts, and monsters. The “Wildblood” people can use “blood science” as tools or weapons, shaping freshly drawn blood into whatever they need. Their ability naturally causes them to be feared and shunned in normal society, but one man finds a use for them- as tour guides in a deadly island jungle.

Our heroine Victoria was kidnapped by the evil boss at the age of 6 and forced into indentured servitude- paid a pittance for dangerous work with the lure of freedom dangled like a carrot. In the most dangerous tour guide job yet handled by the company, Victoria tries to find a way to freedom both for herself and her fellow Wildbloods.

The story uses the classic trope of throwing a large group of people into a dangerous situation together and watching what unfolds as character’s personalities and intentions play off each other. The question of who lives and dies quickly becomes inconsequential as Victoria discovers who she can trust and how much of her humanity she’s willing to sacrifice to gain her freedom.

There is a lot of death and mutilation in this book but it isn’t glorified or overly detailed, so it shouldn’t be an issue for readers looking to avoid gory descriptions. The supernatural elements were intriguing: spirits who eat souls, ghosts who never cease their wandering, and classic big-toothed monsters. The blood magic doesn’t specifically deal with witchcraft or voodoo, but feels adjacent to it. The jungle is truly alive, with the trees able to communicate to its inhabitants and the river as the manifested essence of a particular spirit.

The ending was perhaps unconventional, but I thought it was the only conclusion that made sense for Victoria. She had some remarkable character growth, spurred by her interactions with other characters, which made for a compelling case study of repression. I would certainly be willing to check out Blackwood’s first novel if it’s anything like this one, and keep an eye on her future works as well.

Wildblood is out February 7, 2023. Special thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy for review purposes.