Blood of Toma


Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
310 Pages
Reviewed on 08/06/2018
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Author Biography

Lauren Lee Merewether, a Texas native, is a historical fiction author. Her debut novel, Blood of Toma, received 4 stars from Foreword Clarion Reviews and 5 stars from Readers Favorite as well as an Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal Nomination and Finalist Designation in the Indie Book Awards in Historical Fiction. It was also a Finalist in the Readers Favorite Young Adult- Thriller category.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

In Blood of Toma, author Lauren Lee Merewether gives readers a glimpse of the life that existed in ancient Mexico when slavery and human sacrifice dominated society. Human sacrifice is slowly coming to an end with the arrival of the conquistadors. The nation is going to be defeated by the conquistadors and Toma escapes into the jungle with the help of a slave after the murder of her father. She ends up being captured by the conquistadors where she becomes attracted to Arrio, one of the conquistadors. Toma is caught between wanting to go back to avenge her father's death and save her people from civil war and being with the man she is forbidden to fall in love with.

I found it a compelling read with many dimensions in the plot. The author does a wonderful job weaving together the story with an in-depth look into the power struggle and a lust for gold that dominated ancient Mexico at that particular time period. Amid the brutality, action and human sacrifice, the love story of Toma and Arrio gives the plot a gentle touch. The story has a lot of twists and turns, suspense and mystery that make the story fast paced and keep readers guessing what is going to happen next. The unpredictable plot makes it an exciting story. The glossary at the end of the book is very useful to readers in case they get confused by unfamiliar words.

Sefina Hawke

Blood of Toma by Lauren Lee Merewether is a historical event/era fiction book that would appeal most to a mixed audience of young adults and adults who enjoy stories about ancient Mexico during the time of the Aztecs and who do not mind violence. High Priestess Tomantzin is the daughter of the Tlatoani and the New Fire sacrifice, meaning that in the coming months she would die for her people. Yet, High Priestess Tomantzin’s life took a drastic turn when she witnessed her father being murdered before her eyes and chose to flee from what could be her own death into the jungle. Her decision to flee forever changes her life as she is forced to choose between vengeance, her own life, and her people.

Blood of Toma by Lauren Lee Merewether is a well-written book that stayed true to the time period while still weaving an intricate story filled with suspense, mystery, sacrifice, and adventure. High Priestess Tomantzin quickly became my favorite character due to the amount of compassion she felt towards her people to the extent that she was willing to sacrifice her own life and happiness for them. When Tomantzin was forced to flee from her home, I rejoiced at the idea that she might not have to sacrifice her life, and I felt for her when she started to feel love even though her position and his very identity made their love forbidden. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and when I finished it I was left hoping that the author would write more historical fiction from this time period!