Book Review: Bloodstone by M.J. Mallon

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bloodstone is the first in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series and follows Amelina Scott as she navigates the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her family and the strange occurrences that befall her. Clearly an outcast even amongst her friends, Amelina is an incredible artist and drummer, though the mysterious incidents that befall her are strange, inexplicable, and worth unraveling.

Mallon’s style is very reminiscent of classic authors, which I actually really enjoy, though some readers may prefer a faster-paced style or one that’s not dripping in exposition. Due to a culmination of things, Bloodstone took me a bit to get into. I started reading Bloodstone in October 2025, at the start of my busy season and I was all over the place/didn’t have a lot of time to read. I also felt the beginning of the book was rather dark. It dealt with difficult topics such as tension within the family and suicide/self-harm, so if that’s something you need to be conscious of, please be aware of the opening chapters and see the content warnings listed in Bloodstone’s description 💞

Though most of the narrative seems rather one-note and like the plot isn’t progressing, Bloodstone is, to put it simply “weird fiction” that reminded me of Death or Ice Cream, Wicked Like Wildfire, and even Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. There were even times I was reminded of the Goosebumps movies of the late 90s/early 2000s. If any of that sounds like your jam, I highly recommend giving Bloodstone a chance.

Set in modern day Cambridge, Bloodstone is an upper YA urban fantasy and the first in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series. A bit of “weird fiction” that deals with family situations, generational magic and curses, and what seems like the setup of a parallel universe/planes of existence, Bloodstone is a definite four out of five star read. While slow at times, the ending was well worth the gradual build-up.