Book Review :: The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston

The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston
ISBN: 1665934417
Series: The Revenant Games #1
Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural, Vampires
Goodreads

Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games.

Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson.

Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.

Last updated on 24 May 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

What is The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston about?

The Revenant Games is about Bly, a poor human stuck between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Normally, vampires and witches live in a – albeit tense – peace, buying human blood for food and spells. But for two weeks each year, this truce ends, and they host the Revenant Games.

Humans from the villiages can join the games for either side – vampires or wtiches. The witches promise to raise someone from the dead for anyone who captures a powerful vampire. The vampires will offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. See how it works already? For most humans, it’s a shot at escaping poverty – there’s a lot going on in life for a witch and a vampire; pretty much nothing for a human.

For Bly, though, she doesn’t want to live forever. The Revenant Games is a chance to bring back her dead sister, Elise, and save her dying best friend, Emerson.

Bly and Emerson come up with a risky plan to play both sides and win both resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture sparks feelings in Bly she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to choose between her sister and the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.

My thoughts on The Revenant Games

I haven’t read a vampire book in a while. Probably the last vampire book I read was … The Serpent and the Wings of Night in 2023. Okay so not that long ago. But it still feels like a while. The Revenant Games are this cool combo of fantasy and game. Not quite Hunger Games, but still, there’s a game involved. The characters have to be sneaky and creative and make moves against both other humans, and the vampires and witches.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I got a little bit stuck and unmotivated to read about three-quarters of the way through, but I pushed through and ended up enjoying the story. The setting up or the world dragged slightly at the beginning, but at the same time, we’re thrown right into the story in the first chapter.

Bly as a main character was everything you’d expect her to be: determined to win the game to bring her sister back and also save her best friend, pretty strong in terms of will and character, a bit annoying at times, and possibly a bit too quick to fall into ‘sparks’ and emotions with Kerrigan, the moody vampire they’re meant to be delivering to the witches. I usually like the best friend character in a story but Emerson was a bit meh for me.

I really like the idea of this story – the blood needed by two enemy races for different things, but also managing to live pretty well together. Poor humans, but the rest of them are pretty set for life. And then, in typical fantasy fashion, a once-a-year event or games to bring it all down and actually give the humans a shot at something more than living a sad, poor life.

Generally, I think Fuston executed the ideas and plot and characters really well, and I’m looking forward to continuing the story when the second book, currently untitled, comes out.

So I wanna know! Have you read The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston? What did you think?