“You are not broken” … “You are reborn. Leave those white men’s names behind you. They were never yours. You are Kwadzo, born on a Monday.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
star read
Well I’ll be, just give me a message with some history in this here horror Mr. Redmond!
There is an order of things around here, somewhat…
So let me get this out the way, so I can go in on why I’m writing this in-depth review right now. (Because yes, it is good, and yes you should read, and most importantly I need to get these ramblings out my head).
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond centers Willie, and his life as an enslaved person after being stolen from his mother land. Eventhough Willie cannot publicly claim her due to you know… being livestock and all, he loves and is in love with Gertie, which is reciprocated. They have a vast difference of opinion on acquiring their freedom however.
When I tell you that I had feelings? I HAD FEELINGS!
I got enraged, I felt anger, I got truly sad, I was jubilous, and reading this was not only enjoyment there was some enlightenment as well.
‼️So triggers, yes there are a LOT of triggers. This is a horror, historical thriller, so blood, gore, violence are to be expected. Besides the expected, Mr. Redmond gives the following triggers as well: nudity, murder, maulings, treatment of enslaved people including beatings; torture; emotional, psychological and physical abuse; sexual abuse, including rape; child abuse, including pedophilia (OFF page); cultural abuse; racism, including racist slurs, hate speech, and systemic racism.
Recommend?
I’m writing and posting about it, so YES, I recommend this one. However if what I mentioned triggers or impacts you negatively? Always choose your mental wellbeing.
Mr. Redmond’s author debut, Blood Slaves, will release on the 29th of July of this year. However is available for pre-order already through the following links:
E-Book: Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
Signed Hardcover: Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
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SheReadsaLot to Audience:
SheReadsaLot to Audience: I will not even pretend that this will not be a lecture this time around. Because honey? I HAD THOUGHTS!! And since you decided to stay, you’re gonna hear them! As always, I am trying my best, but there can (most probably will) be spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned!
Reintroducing the Characters
Introducing the characters by order of appearance.
Kwadzo, MMC, enslaved, partner to Gertie, wants to be free more than anything.
Gertie, FMC, enslaved, partner to Kwadzo, believes in being good.
SheReadsaLot to Audience: You will encounter more characters along the way in this book, but as these characters are the ones we hear the most of, these are the ones I’ll mention.
Audience to Audience: Characters we hear the most of?
Audience to SheReadsaLot: What about Willie?
SheReadsaLot to Audience:
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Stop playing with these folks!!
SheReadsaLot: Ma’am, I’m not exactly playing though!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Well at least explain it to these good folks!
SheReadsaLot to Audience: We don’t deadname over here, and since it never was his name to begin with, during these here ramblings, we’ll address him by Kwadzo!
Feelings, lovely feelings
As I started off saying I had FEELINGS!
And they mostly had to do with the injustice of it all.
Let me quote myself for a min, as I’ll be explaining them in order.
I got enraged, I felt anger, I got truly sad, I was jubilous, and reading this was not only enjoyment there was some enlightenment as well.
Rage
As most of us know, the enslavement, human trafficking, genocide of Black people is a very well known historical fact.
Those willing to learn and research history know that this didn’t take place in a vacuum. It was a consorted effort of WHITE presenting people,and they made use of all the tools available to them. Like religion; physical, emotional and psychological torment; laws and more.
“Having them here, putting them to good work, letting them know about the Good Lord instead of whatever filthy pagan animal they worshipped before— it’s a far better life than running around naked in the mud or whatever else they did in the jungle. Their savage nature comes out sometimes, but beating it back is us doing the Lord’s work for their own good.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
So to see it all once again on paper in black & white, but so vividly described and hearing them folks talk about Black people as if they were less than? As if Black people were savages? When THEY are the ones raping, abusing and torturing Black people?
So, that was the enraging part…
Anger
SheReadsaLot to Audience: I’m still on my soapbox here, in case you have forgotten…
So we have Gertie and Kwadzo who are of opposing views in regards to freedom.
Kwadzo is of the belief that the only way to gain freedom is by taking it.
Gertie is of the belief that if they, the enslaved, are good people and have hope, they will gain freedom or at least a semblance of it.
“…his commitment to keeping his head low. It was a trait she took pride in having encouraged in him.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Now that don’t sound like freedom to me!
SheReadsaLot: Continuining on.
Now, everyone can have their own opinion, and I will not bully you to change your opinion!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: But you will most definitely judge them for their opinion!
SheReadsaLot:
SheReadsaLot to Audience: As long as we can respectfully disagree (don’t be talking about my body or my rights now!), and you will not force your opinion on me? I can leave you be!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: And that is where Gertie had us F*cked up at!
SheReadsaLot: Don’t forget the lack of common sense!! I mean she kept on yapping about being good, but “good” by whose standards?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Now that is a good question!
SheReadsaLot: Because from what we read about Gertie up untill this part of the book is that she is the personification of the “good” acceptable Black person.
SheReadsaLot to Audience: Now don’t get me wrong!
I’m not saying it as in Gertie is truly good. But a thing I’ve noticed with racism… You are deemed “good” if you go along with THEIR thinking, enact THEIR agenda, or preach “goodness”/”turning the other cheek”/”stay quiet” while being trampled over.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: It’s a survival tactic engrained, look at codeswitching! Do you think we should extend her some grace?
SheReadsaLot: Now, logically I understand that she wanted to keep her remaining “family” save. And we are mature enough to know that socialization/indoctrination was also at play. So a bit of grace can be extended.
“Killin’ to live ain’t no kinda life. If’n y’all wants to live, y’all stay clear of him… “
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Gertie said and did what now, forcing her opinion on others???? Out here acting like Grace in Sinners!!
SheReadsaLot: F*ck the maturity! It’s overrated anyways! Where are our pitchforks?
Sad
Yes, there was a lot to be sad about. And the part that really had me feeling it was when Fanna got violated. A child!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: It was one of the most triggering parts, eventhough Mr. Redmond placed it off page.
SheReadsaLot: Which we are really thankful for. And still! To see how this affected her?!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: It’s truly something that no child should be subjected to.
SheReadsaLot: And yet too many of our children experience this. And those pedophiles justify it by adultifying our children.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: And too many parents are placing the blame of their violation and responsibility to not get violated at the feet of children instead of the perpetrators.
SheReadsaLot:
Rejoice
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: We tend to have a bit of a violent streak, don’t we?
SheReadsaLot: Do we? Or do we like to see justice take place?
“Then, she began beating him with his own detached leg.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
SheReadsaLot: Okay.. Can we agree that we enjoy seeing people exact their vengeance in a violent manner while getting their justice, and THEY their consequences?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot:
Some enlightenment?
“You see, Mister Barrow,” Penelope continued, “my father is not present to raise me in the ways of the Lord like a father should, so I often rely on my mother for guidance to teach me what a good Christian girl should be.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
Above mentioned scene, and I am saying scene because this whole book was playing vividly in my mind!
Oftentimes I see the way White men are seen as the ones keeping the patriarchy alive. And eventhough we all know that this isn’t the case, when you see depictions of “slave owners” they are usually men, where the women are depicted as docile and “victims” of the patriarchy.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: It’s a well known secret, I mean look at the past elections. They don’t even vote in their own best interests.
SheReadsaLot: Those women know exactly what they are doing. They are more vicious/savage/insidious than the men with keeping the patriarchy in high standing, they are truly the mothers of it.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: But you know what’s funny?
SheReadsaLot: Tell me!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: When the man of the house has the chance to safeguard his family, he leaves his wife and daughter to fend for themselves, he did think about his son though!
SheReadsaLot: He does, he sees his wife and daughter, both on equal footing as those he thinks to own or are working for him, so they aren’t worth his protection.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: But those same women would be the ones to uphold this thinking and system. Like how dense can you be?
SheReadsaLot: That is funny indeed!
Redemption?
“It dawned her good had not kept her out of this box, had not spared her from humiliation, violation, violence…”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: We finished the book, do we extend some grace to Gertie?
SheReadsaLot: You know, she finally let common sense catch up to her… So I guess?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Some mild appreciation?
SheReadsaLot: Some mild appreciation…
..
..
SheReadsaLot:
Recommend?
Now you all know that I am not writing in depth about books I wouldn’t recommend!
I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction! But Mr. Redmond really wrote the mess out of this book!!
SheReadsaLot to Mr. Redmond:
And once again!
If any of what I’ve mentioned would affect you negatively? Always, ALWAYS, put your mental health first!
Leaving you all with a quote, which I am still pondering myself about.
“Vengeance is not the same as courage. … Vengeance is a followed impulse, a reaction. Courage is a choice. It drives you to do the thing you know is right, even in the face of opposition.”
Blood Slaves by Mr. Markus Redmond
Mr. Redmond’s author debut, Blood Slaves, will release on the 29th of July of this year. However is available for pre-order already through the following links:
👩🏾SheReadsaLot 
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