Thursday, September 1, 2022

About the Book

Book: Blood Secrets

Author: Morgan L. Busse

Genre: YA Steampunk Fantasy

Release date: August 9, 2022

Not everyone wants to see the world saved . . .

Time is running out. Cities are being engulfed in the Mist and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Theo believes he has found a way to stop mankind from Turning, but he doesn’t know how to alter Cass’s unique blood into a cure. Or if it can even be done.

Meanwhile, Cass struggles with the idea that she is possibly the savior of the world—a world she is not sure is worth saving.

From the Winchester manse to the steel city of Decadenn, there is something more chasing Cass than the House of Lords or the masked man who can walk in the Mist. Soon she must decide if she will use her blood to save mankind or let those who only care about themselves perish.

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About the Author

Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the Follower of the Word series, The Soul Chronicles, and The Ravenwood Saga. She is a three-time Christy Award finalist and winner of both the INSPY and the Carol Award for best in Christian speculative fiction. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.

More from Morgan

A lot of stories involve the hero saving the world. But is that realistic if you consider what the hero has been through? What if saving the world means saving the villain? Or that bully who made the hero’s life terrible back in high school? Or the person who lied and it cost the hero his or her job, home, or even their first love?

When I started writing Blood Secrets, it hit me (and therefore Cass as I was writing her story), that if she saved her world—all the people who were forced to live on mountaintops, airships, and sky islands because of the deadly Mist that covered everything else—she would be saving the people who saw her as lesser than. The people who forced everyone else off the mountains to die in the Mist, including her parents. The same people who would never think of saving someone like her.

As I wrote her story, I felt Cass’s resentment and anger towards the “echelons”—those at the top of society and literally the world. She was fine with saving others like her. But the thought of saving the people who ordered the purges that killed so many made her feel sick. In her mind, they didn’t deserve her sacrifice.

Honestly, I had never thought about it before. The hero saves the world. It’s what a hero does. But this was the first time I really thought about what that meant, and who it meant saving. It made me look at myself. Would I be willing to save everyone? Even those who have hurt me? Who have cost me so much in my life? Ugh. That’s a hard thought.

People love heroes, and sometimes even want to be one themselves. But the reality is being a hero is really hard. It’s not just saving the world; it’s saving those who live in the world. The good and the bad. Those deserving and those not so much. That’s what a real hero does.

I won’t share what decision Cass made because that is part of her story. But I am glad I was able to write her story because it made me think more about how I would react in her situation. And about God, who ultimately gave all to save a world that did not want Him.

MY REVIEW

I have been waiting for this book because the first book in this series left me with some unanswered questions. I loved the steampunk theme with gliding flying machines and the Mist that was mysterious and powerful. Cass is back in this story with a big adventure as we see if her and Theo can survive the danger that lingers near by.

Cass is still a fighter and I admired her strength to continue her mission at any cost. She finds herself at Theo’s family home so she can recover from her illness. His sister is quite nice but very curious as to what her brother has been up to. I was stunned at the lie Cass discovers about Theo. Will this change her decision to work with him? Can she trust him or does he have an agenda she doesn’t know about?

Once again we see that power is very important in this story and as long as the Mist is in control people are not free. Theo faces off against people he thought could be trusted but soon discovers he is in danger, I loved the tension in the story and how the author keeps us guessing as to if the Mist can be stopped. The action draws us into the story as we follow Cass and Theo on a mission that is riddled with suspense and an enemy that will try to keep from losing their control.

As the battle to save the people from the Mist continues, Cass says “Here I am. Use me.” That made me think of when we call out to God and tell Him, “I’m ready Lord. I want to be used by You.” Cass is prepared to do whatever she can to save people. The ending builds up to an epic battle. Will Theo and Cass be able to save everyone and defeat the Mist? Get ready for a test of faith, trust and making the right decisions in this masterfully written story.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.