3.5 stars ( )

96 points, 5 STARS!
Alert: massive gushing ahead, there was no getting around it

Ben and Tenzin are on a mission to Puerto Rico for pirate treasure via a treasure map that may or may not point to a secret cache of gold. Tenzin can't wait, she loves gold and she has been bugging Ben about it for months! Ben is reluctant because of his ties to his human family on the island. In the end, the allure of gold is capable of pushing against all obstacles, including sense.

I waited one year, three months, four days, 19 hours and 30 minutes to be allowed to read this book. The best thing to happen to me since that timer started counting down is getting my hands on this book.

It is only February, and this is going to be my favourite book I read this year.
...unless the third book comes out this year. Oh my god, do you think that might happen?

I cannot quite be sure I didn't die from happiness while reading this. It was everything I wanted, everything I needed out of this installment to the series. It went too well for my hopes and dreams. I knew I was going to love reading this book, I didn't know how utterly overjoyed I would be at the insides. It was one long stream of happy squealing inside my head, occasionally broken up by my holding my breath certain certain tense scenes. If I didn't actually die while reading this, I can die happy now. Though, I would prefer to last until the last book comes out.

I love so many things about this book. I love that old characters from the original series are around again. I love that Chloe and Gavin, who take a large portion of the first book in the series, have other things they're doing (and they're getting their own novella for them), so I get more Ben and Tenzin time. Even if I love Chloe and Gavin (Chavin? Gavloe? hmm..), I love Benzin more. I love how the story plays out. I love everything.

But most importantly? I love Ben and Tenzin. I would read anything at all written by the Elizabeth Hunter as long as it involves my Benzin. Things have changed between them since their last adventure with the Midnight Labyrinth, and they haven't changed at all. Ben and Tenzin have always been massively in sync with each other, almost an extension of one another. In a lot of ways, that has somehow increased, and I love it. It might have to do with all the flirting between the two that caused at least 90% of my happy squealing (and all of my held breaths).

The second time I read this book today, I bookmarked all my favourite spots in the book to read later. I bookmarked so many spots to read again later, even more than I did for Midnight Labyrinth! I use these scenes to fall asleep when I need something happy to lull me into sweet dreams. This series is the best I have for this purpose. I'm so happy to have more to add to the list!

Which means yes, I have read this book two times already, and it just came out yesterday (22 hours ago as of writing this). And some of these scenes I've read more than a healthy amount. I don't want to reveal how many, for fear others may try to stop me from reading them more times.

Blood Apprentice is even more special because we see more of Ben's past. We have seen him since was 12. We have watched him grow up and become the amazing man he is today. There have been bumps along the way, but mostly Ben has been healthy and happy and loved. But we also have known that before he came to live with Gio, he didn't have the best life. He has kept his past to himself, and now we get to know more of it. I feel privileged just because he let me, the reader, in. Even if I don't understand him like Tenzin does.

The epilogue to this, though? Better just rip my heart out and slay me right now. I don't think I can take the wait for the next book! Also, I currently have so many theories running around my head right now that is going to be happening in the next book and I can hardly contain it.

Better start the clock counting down to the next one, I sure have!

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OH MY GOD I JUST REMEMBERED THERE IS GOING TO BE AN AUDIOBOOK FOR THIS SOON!
READ THREE HERE I COME AS SOON AS I CAN! ( )