"Blood & Breath" Review: Deals with Devils and the Price of Power
- Kim Bartosch
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
"Blood & Breath" by Qurratulayn is a dark YA fantasy that pulls you into a hauntingly vivid world of devils, blood contracts, class warfare, and revenge. Published by Page Street YA and featured on a blog tour sponsored by Toppling Stacks Tours, this book doesn't shy away from the brutal costs of magic—or the emotional toll it takes on its heroine.
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing the book and for allowing me to share my honest review. Scroll down to read my full review and get the book!
A Dark World Where Magic Has Teeth
In this gritty, atmospheric fantasy, Qurratulayn constructs a society divided by magic, class, and blood. The world of Blood & Breath is unlike anything I’ve read before—dangerous, dark, and morally grey. In this world, writing contracts with devils isn’t just real; it’s a path to power, protection, and sometimes, damnation.
There are three distinct social classes:
Necros – The elite who once monopolized contracts and imprisoned the devils.
Magi – Feared by all, able to craft contracts despite their low status.
Duns – Everyday people, powerless and vulnerable.
Evan Wilde, our main character, is a Magi taught by her revolutionary mother, who was murdered for daring to challenge the hierarchy. When a group of elite Necro teens sacrifice Evan in a brutal ritual, her dying act is to forge a contract with a powerful devil named Jack. From that moment, the story spirals into a complex tale of vengeance, infiltration, and survival.
What Worked 🖤
✨ The Worldbuilding Is Phenomenal
Let’s talk about how cool and creepy this world is. Devils exist, and people know they exist. These aren’t metaphorical inner demons—they’re real, otherworldly beings who can grant your deepest desires... for a price. The lore around the contracts, blood magic, and class divisions makes for an incredibly immersive experience.
✨ A Thought-Provoking Premise
The idea of being able to bargain with devils for success, strength, or even just survival adds rich layers to the themes of power and privilege. I also loved the ambiguity surrounding the devils—are they evil? Or victims of a system that feared their power?
✨ A Devilishly Complex Duo
Evan and Jack (her contracted devil) make for a fascinating pair. Jack isn’t a broody soft boy—he has his own motives, and helping Evan is just part of a bigger revenge plot. Their dynamic is full of tension, mistrust, and unexpected moments of vulnerability.
What Could’ve Been Stronger 💭
🌀 Too Fast, Too Soon
One of my main critiques is the pacing. Evan and Jack are introduced almost immediately, and their relationship escalates quickly. I would’ve loved a slower build-up to really feel the emotional weight of their bond and the stakes involved.
🧩 Some Plot Confusion
There were a few story elements that felt inconsistent or underexplained. For instance, Evan inherits an estate from a lower-class Necro family, yet she's suddenly welcomed into elite Necro society as if she's part of the upper crust. It created a bit of whiplash and made it harder to fully understand her status.
📚 Planning & Cohesion
This first book clearly leans into worldbuilding, but it occasionally came at the expense of clarity and character depth. A bit more polish on how certain scenes connected—especially around social status and world logistics—would’ve really elevated the reading experience.
Final Thoughts ✍️
Blood & Breath is a brutal, compelling fantasy debut that offers a fresh twist on the "deal with the devil" trope. With themes of classism, revenge, and identity woven throughout, it doesn't pull its punches—and I respect that. It's not a romance-forward fantasy (though there are hints), but instead centers on the cost of power and the blurry morality of revolution.
While I had some confusion with the pacing and social dynamics, the originality of the world and the darkly magical vibe kept me turning the pages. If you love your fantasy bloody, bold, and filled with characters who walk the line between hero and antihero, this one’s for you.
🔞 Recommended for readers 16+ for violence, blood magic, classism, and thematic maturity.
Have you read Blood & Breath? Would you make a deal with a devil if it meant revenge or power? Let me know in the comments! 👇
About the book:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publishing date: October 7, 2025
Publisher: Page Street YA
Synopsis:
Evan Wilde is a poor working-class girl. She writes contracts on behalf of wealthier folks who want to exchange a bit of their life for minor deals with devils. It’s not until she is bleeding out, the unwilling victim of an outlawed contract sacrifice, that Evan draws a contract for A devil can take the last of her life—all she wants is revenge.
With the help of a devil named Jack, Evan infiltrates the upper class by posing as one of their own to bring them down from the inside.
For the first time, Evan finds friends and maybe even love. And with time she realizes that for all their corruption, the upper class’s magic is what keeps the devils at bay. Can she condemn the world to ruin to satisfy her need for vengeance?
But a contract cannot be broken, except at a devil’s mercy. And Jack has none.
Content Warning: classism
About the author:
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Qurratulayn Muhammad moved down South when she was 11, where she was bitten by the writing bug as well as other, less friendly insects. Qurratulayn lives in Milledgeville, Georgia, and when not writing she enjoys reading, listening to K-pop, and photography. She previously self-published a YA dystopian series under a pen name.
This looks like a book I will dig. Thanks for sharing.