Review: ‘Blood Beneath the Snow’ by Alexandra Kennington
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Blood Beneath the Snow
by Alexandra KenningtonSeries: Blood & Souls Duology #1
on March 11, 2025
SubGenres: Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy
Format: eArc, Paperback
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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A heart-pounding romantasy following a rebellious princess who must compete to the death against her siblings for the crown to ensure justice, while fighting her feelings for her country's most powerful enemy by debut author Alexandra Kennington
Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake by her kingdom and a blight on her bloodline. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.
Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own secret reasons.
Blood Beneath the Snow is the debut Romantasy novel by Alexandra Kennington. If you’re in your Fantasy Era this year (2025), you’ll definitely want to read this book. The synopsis caught my attention and compelled me to dive in. Just a fair warning: the story ends on a cliffhanger, and I’m uncertain when the second book will be released.
Blood Beneath the Snow follows the main character, Revna, who is considered godforsaken, meaning she is the only person in her kingdom without powers. Her family treats her poorly, with the exception of two of her brothers, because they view her as weak. Her father even prefers to send her away rather than keep her around, and in this book, he tries to arrange a marriage for her. However, Revna has other plans. Tired of being mistreated for her lack of powers, she refuses to marry. Instead, she decides to compete in trials against her brothers with the aim of winning the crown, which she knows she has no chance of winning.
Revna is kidnapped by the Hellbringer, the enemy of her family, just before the trials. He has his own reasons for taking her; he wants to train her to compete in the trials, hoping to improve her chances of winning. However, as she spends more time with the Hellbringer, she finds herself increasingly intrigued by him despite the fact that he is her enemy.
Blood Beneath the Snow had me hooked from the very beginning, largely due to Revna’s character as a rebellious princess who is determined to defy her family. I appreciated the strength she displayed; even though she doubted herself, I knew deep down she had a real chance of winning the trials—especially after working with the Hellbringer, who turned out to be an intriguing character. Like Revna, I was eager to discover his true identity despite his questionable actions throughout the book.
The book primarily focuses on Revna’s concern for her friend, who her father has imprisoned, as well as her training with Hellbringer, rather than on the actual trials themselves. However, this didn’t deter me from reading; I was eager to find out whether Revna would triumph against her brothers. The challenges that Revna faced before the trials were incredibly difficult for her. Now, as far as romance, there was some, but it’s not the focal point of the story. I have a feeling there will be more in the second book.
Overall, a great start to the Blood & Souls Duology, and I can’t wait to read the next book, especially with how Alexandra Kennington left the story toward the end.
What to Expect:
♥️Romantasy
♥️Slow Burn
♥️Enemies to Lovers
♥️Captor/Captive Romance
♥️Forbidden Romance
♥️Forced Proximity
♥️Morally Grey MMC
About Alexandra Kennington
Alexandra Kennington has been writing fantasy stories since she was young. Now, she’s living her dream as an author of fantasy and science fiction novels. When she’s not knee-deep in a world of her own creation, you’ll find her reading a book with the enemies-to-lovers trope or obsessing over Star Wars. She lives in Utah with her spouse and child. Alex is represented by Bethany Fulk at Spencerhill Associates.
Alexandra’s debut romantasy novel, BLOOD BENEATH THE SNOW, is out now in the U.S. and Canada (Ace Books) and in the UK and Commonwealth (Hachette Children’s).
Stay in touch with Alex by subscribing to her monthly newsletter or following her on social media.
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