Wildblood is marketed as a book that either can be read as a Standalone or as a companion novel in The Chaos Cycle duology. I haven’t read through duology prior to this, so I can confirm that this was very easy to read as a standalone, and incredibly enjoyable to do so. There are references to what happened within the previous two books, easily enough to follow and well explained to let this continue being a standalone, but intriguing enough to make me want to read those two books sooner rather than later. 

We follow Kai, a very hotheaded character with more childhood trauma than one man should be allowed to have and his girlfriend, Miya. Both are paranormal living on the outskirts of the human world, in Boston’s darkest and dirtiest mobster ran streets.  

Making a living as a cage fighter, which are clearly prearranged to help with betting, Kai loses a match he shouldn’t have and now owes a huge debt to those he really doesn’t want to owe anything, a Russian Mobster. 

Given a task to resolve the issue he’s created, he finds himself embroiled in a much bigger problem which is traversing worlds. Whilst dealing with his traumatic past, his potentially crumbling relationship and the chaos that is his found family, Kai must work out how to save a life which may be impossible. 

This book is gripping from the get go, full of gore and violence I would confirm the TW first before reading. There is spice, but applicable to the plot and not presented for the sake of it. There is fantastic representation of the benefits of therapy, and how sometimes the family you need is the family you have chosen. 

I want to thank NetGalley and A.J Vrana for the opportunity to read this as an ARC - this was my first introduction to this author and I can safely say it will not be my last book I choose to read by them!