Half-Blood Blog Tour Interview and Review

The amazing Jaye L. Knight let me be apart of her blog tour for Half-Blood, so here we are.  Today I will be doing an interview (sorry, but it’s kinda short), and a review. Let’s get started, shall we?

What gave you the idea to write a prequel novella?

I’ve known for a long time, probably since writing Resistance, that I wanted to tell a bit about Jace’s past. Originally, I intended for it to be a short story. I had a couple of scenes written for years. It was supposed to start just before he met Rayad, but when I seriously started writing it this past winter, I just kept going back farther and farther into his life. By the time I settled on starting it when he was a six-year-old boy, I knew it was going to end up as a novella.

If you could be any of your characters, who would you be?

Probably Kyrin. She’s the female character who is most like me, though I lean more toward being like Jace.

And finally, how long did it take to write the novella?

As I said, I’ve had a few scenes written for a long time, but once I sat down to write it, it only took me a couple of weeks. It was one of those stories that just flows really well, and I didn’t hit any snags along the way. If only all stories could be that way.

Thanks for  your time, Jaye! And yes, if only all stories flowed that way… 🙂

And now for the review:

Jace is half ryrike, the most dangerous race in Ilyon. And although Jace had done nothing to deserve the way everyone treated him, he was teased, made a slave, beat, and treated like nothing. Worst of all, everyone told him that he had no soul, he was just an animal.

This novella tells Jace’s story before Resistance. It begins with his six year old self, and tells of his years of being a slave and sold from many different masters until he comes to someone who forces him to become a gladiator and further ruin his life.

But don’t worry! This book has a happy outcome! It overlaps with Resistance, telling Jace’s side of his and Rayad’s meeting, which I quite enjoyed.

I loved this book! Yes, it was sad. But many of us fans asked for Jace’s story before Resistance, and we had to know it wasn’t going to be a happy one. I found it heart wrenching to read his story, yet I quite enjoyed it. But I do like sad stories, so if you don’t, just be warned this is one of those stories.

So many times I (and probably many other fangirls) wanted to give him a hug and to tell him that he was loved by God. And all his fangirls.

I would strongly recommend reading at least Resistance first, so you can understand where Jace is going and to know that there is a happy (ish) outcome.

My computer wouldn’t cooperate, so here’s the link to the schedule.

Thanks Jaye for letting me be apart of this! I thoroughly enjoyed Half-Blood (and the other Ilyon Chronicles books!).

About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Giveaway

Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Half-Blood, a blue feather bookmark handcrafted by Jaye, a bronze sword pendant, and a $5 Amazon gift card! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)

You can find the giveaway here.