Blood Rising (The Blood Saga #2) by Markus Redmond
Dafina (August 2026)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin
“If Blood Slaves is about the cost of freedom, Blood Rising is about the cost of power.” 
Markus Redmond introduces both installments of the Blood Saga with a letter to the readers. In the Blood Slaves opening, Redmond describes wanting to write a “badass vampire book,” which was what he was in the middle of writing in May 2020, right before George Floyd was murdered. And while Floyd’s murder was tragic, Redmond reminds us that it was not a new or unique occurrence. This kind of violence, with little to no consequence, has been happening since slavery in colonial America.
Feeling infuriated and powerless, Redmond returned to his vampire book, wishing he could be one, imagining how that kind of power could right so much wrong, unleash revenge, settle scores, and change culture, society, and history. That’s when the author’s vampire book became something more. That’s when it became Blood Slaves, and much to this reader’s delight, the Blood Saga.
If you haven’t read Blood Slaves, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of my top reads of the year alongside Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane, American Nightmare by Kelly McWilliams, and The Curse of Hester Gardens by Tamika Thompson. If you like Cane’s critically acclaimed book, Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film Sinners, or Stephen Graham Jones’ Stoker award-winning novel, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Blood Slaves and Blood Rising are for you.
Blood Rising takes place immediately after the events of Blood Slaves, beginning with a recap from my favorite character in the saga, Gertie. This recap, and tight timeline, made it easy to step back into the world of the Ramangans, as though I’d never left.
And true to Redmond’s word, there’s a shift from longing and fighting for freedom in Blood Slaves to sharing and abusing power in Blood Rising. In the first book, readers might have felt at odds with Gertie, Willie/Kwadzo’s companion and moral compass, but now, the key tension lies in what to do with the power of the Ramangans, who it should be shared with, who it should be kept from, and how it can be used to uplift and mobilize the oppressed. Some simply wish to relish the power and all the delights of victory, while others, like Gertie, Irene, and Kwadzo, know there is still a lot of work to be done, and that a lot of their people are still in bondage and subjected to horrific cruelty at the hands of slave masters.
There are other characters such as Irene, who really steps into the power of the Blood. Her character arc might be one of the best parts of the saga so far and her specific specialty expands the powers and knowledge of Ramangan lore, which makes the next installment in the Blood Saga all the more exciting.
There is still injustice here. There’s injustice everywhere. And wherever there is growth, there is opposition, and just like in the first book, this makes for quite a bloody journey, and a hell of a tale of resistance.
Markus Redmond is the newfound king of vampire horror and I urge every horror and historical fiction fan to pick up these books.
Welcome to the Blood.
