'I’ve been lucky enough to read the first two books of the Blackwood series as a reviewer, and I think this would make an amazing set of films. It has so many cinematic elements to it, and Freya as a character grows and grows. She was always funny, with an enjoyable narrative voice, but unsure of herself: now she’s funny and increasingly confident. In particular, I would love to see the city of Aurora come alive, I can imagine it in vivid detail – the fight scenes are spectacular. It’s a crowded, hierarchical world, ruled by an ageing despot. Freya gets to test her skills in battle, find out more about her powers and work out what she feels for Beau. The way Thomson builds tension in this book is even better than the first. For me, the key component of the books is the world-building – lots of well-loved elements but combined in new ways – Twilight, meets Buffy meets The Hunger Games. I was gripped.' Jackie Morris, Reviewer
'An epic and intoxicating blend of secrets, power play and rebellion. Thomson creates one hell of a sequel. She really is a rare talent!' Peta Carolan, Reviewer, @UnfoldedEdges
'After loving Welcome to Blackwood, I couldn’t wait to dive into the sequel, Leaving Blackwood! Freya is desperately awaiting her 18th birthday, since her and Beau have been banned from dating until then, while dealing with her biggest secret yet – the extra soul she is harbouring inside her head. One who doesn’t always give the best advice and she’s not sure if he has her best interests at heart. When Freya is kidnapped and taken to the home of her enemy, her first thought is only of escape, but as she integrates with others living in the fortified city, she starts to wonder if there’s a longer play she could make. Leaving Blackwood is just as thrilling as Welcome to Blackwood. Dangerous magic, unlikely allies and desperate choices made this a compelling read I didn’t want to put down. If you love fast-paced fantasy, shifters and unique magic systems, make sure you pick this series up!' Jenny DuRoss, Reviewer, @Bookbookowl
'Freya (lead character) is a fountain of sass and an increasingly interesting morally grey character who pushes at her boundaries of ‘where do I draw the line’. The author has expertly built upon characterisation established in Welcome to Blackwood, and Freya’s struggle to keep herself and her darker impulses in check is fascinating to read. Five stars.' Nita Delgado, Reviewer
'HOLY MOLY 😱 Leaving Blackwood makes Welcome to Blackwood feel like a nice, warm hug. The stakes, the world, the powers, EVERYTHING was ramped up several notches in this sequel and there was nothing I didn’t love about it. Freya has become so fit and fierce and I loved following her journey, even though some of her decisions were dark ones. Her power grows and becomes much more interesting, and I also loved being introduced to so many new cool supernatural powers. Ladies, Beau is still around, don’t worry 😏 If you’re a big fantasy fan, please don’t miss the Blackwood series!' ✨#yaforwa, Reviewer
‘Freya’s ambition to become not only magically strong but physically stronger and more capable to protect herself, all while she learns to adapt to her constantly evolving powers and changing surroundings; with the added stress of a not-so-little voice (and memories) of a centuries-old sarcastic serial killer for hire stuck in her head made me admire the heck out of her. I would give this five stars just for Freya. I absolutely loved her and some of the morally grey choices throughout. What surprised me the most was how funny the book was. I loved Freya’s sarcasm, great one-liners and ability to get under people’s skin. I finished this the same day I picked it up due to being so enthralled throughout the whole story, there isn’t one boring chapter. Five stars!’ Bianca Barber, Reviewer, @the_books_and_cats_life
'Finished it in 2 days, and it only took that long because I had to work and had an essay due! How amazing is this book?! Well this book had me hooked from the dedication to Hugh Jackman, all the way to ‘The End’. Thank you to Khaiah and Hawkeye Publishing for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review… and to be HONEST, this book is a deserving sequel to thewonderful Welcome to Blackwood, taking the already great and making it unputdownable! The story picks up shortly after the first one, Freya is still learning about her abilities, and things with her not-quite-boyfriend Beau have become a little…tense. So of course we need to throw in some exciting new characters to shake things up! Enter the Clementes, a more fleshed-out version of the Volturi from Twilight, only with much more personality. Will Freya give in to the lure of power they present? I loved revisiting old characters, and I still love all the brother figures in Freya’s life – she is one lucky girl! But I also loved meeting the new ones, and seeing Freya’s character develop as she tried to figure out who she was, at the same time trying to save her loved ones. Kilian was a charismatic guy, I hope we get to see him and Elle again in the next book. This book had all the right things, and I spent much of the time grinning like an idiot over the banter between characters. Fans of The Prison Healer, From Blood and Ash, Talon, Twilight, Dark Elements and the Harbinger series will enjoy this YA Paranormal adventure set in my favourite country, Australia.' Sheree Howard, Reviewer, @the_cute_sidekick
'She actually did it—the second book in the series is even better than the first. I didn’t think it was possible.' Cate Sawyer, Author
'Freya is so relatable as a teenager growing into a young adult — inner voices, heartaches, temptations and new dangerous, attractive characters kept me on the edge of my seat! I want more!' Chermaine Er, Reviewer
‘I couldn’t tell it was a sequel, Leaving Blackwood reads as an enjoyable, standalone Young Adult fiction novel. We follow the tale of Freya, in a coming-of-age love story, where she is confronted by lessons of adolescence and morality, battling an inner voice vying for impulses over integrity, which we all must face in our own journey to adulthood. Fantasy elements embellish the world of Blackwood and now beyond, introducing new characters and magical concepts along the way, keeping you enthralled by the allure of the supernatural. A coupling of comic relief and super-powered action that makes for an easy read. Would recommend and do.’ Nicholas Farrell, Editing Intern, Hawkeye Publishing
