Review: A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson

A Cursed Embrace
by Cecy Robson
Series: Weird Girls #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: July 2, 2013
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
My review of book one: Sealed with a Curse 

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird… After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome. To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

With Cursed Embrace, Cecy Robson has been added to my favorite authors list and The Weird Girls series is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Fans of Kim Harrison’s the Hollows series and Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series will devour Weird Girls. Robson delivered an action-packed tale with characters I instantly connected with. She took me on an emotional roller coaster ride and I want more! Three world review: Intense, heart-breaking and brilliant.

The girls are all recovering from the escapades of the last novel and attempting to return to normal. *Pfft* Things are looking good in the love department, except for Celia who isn’t sure where she stands with Aric. When a dead raccoonwere shows up on their door step things are about to get ugly and normal it is not! Told from Celia’s perspective the tale kept me enthralled as we fought evil and Robson toyed with my heart and emotions.

While Celia is the most fleshed-out character, I adore them all. Each has a unique voice and it is easy to keep this cast of characters sorted. Stand out characters would be Bren who in my opinion is a total smart-ass and loyal to the end. Of the sister’s Celia and Taran are my personal favorites. To the outside world Taran is a total bad-ass, and confident, but inside she is this big old ball of heart and I’d totally go into battle with her or shoe shop. Celia is brave, caring, tormented and gads do I adore her. In battle she is quick, smart and fearless even as her personal life resembles a vortex sucking out her very soul. The girl's love interests are adorable, smexy wolves and we see some tender moments. The relationship between Celia and Aric is one smoking hot mess! I am totally 100% for them but my emotions shifted from elated to hunt him down and kill him. Ha! I understood him, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! All I can say is I better get my HEA even if it takes twenty books!!!!  Ari is swoon-worthy and I one of the aspects I like about weres is their possessiveness. That whole, “mine” mentality curls my toes. Despite the whole alpha thing he is also tender, romantic and respectful. This was/ is a total turn on. *swoons* Misha is back, and he totally wants Celia and isn't afraid to say so. While he makes his feelings quite clear, I give him credit for respecting Celia’s wishes. We have the tribal leaders, villains and other characters that both aid the plot and toyed with my emotions. Grrr!

While we see plenty of action and the threat is fascinating, the central theme in this second novel is the relationship between Aric and Celia Whatever it was, it kept me flipping the pages and caught up in the action. I verbally engaged with the tale shouting my frustrations, oohing and ahhing it was totally crazy and I loved every friggin' minute of it. Robson introduces us to a serious threat and makes us privy to some diabolic violence. While I learned more about the girls, their boyfriends and life in Tahoe, I really want to know more about the different supernatural beings and different classes of weres. Hopefully those things are answered in the next book. The girl’s relationships talk, shopping trips and boyfriend issues had me giggling aloud as these moments helped me catch my breath between the non-stop action scenes. The relationship between Aric and Celia was one hell of a ride. We get some seriously hot moments and a few  romantic ones.  The climactic scene right before the ending had me reeling, making the cliffhanger ending more manageable. I understood it, but dang it I want more. I immediately searched out the next book's release date and I am now counting the days.

Fans of urban fantasy with kick-butt heroines and smexy weres and vampires need to check out Cursed Embrace and the Weird Girls series. Curse Moon a novella will be released in December and Cursed By Destiny book three will be released in January of 2014. *are we there yet?*

Four and half cups of coffee out of five

Release Day Review: Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed
by Jessica Spotswood
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: June 18, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for unbiased review
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
*purchases made through buy links support this blog
My review of book one: Born Wicked

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves. Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war. In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

After reading Born Wicked the first book in the Cahill Witch Chronicles I was anxious to dive back into this world. I never imagined that Spotswood could make the world anymore sinister but in Star Cursed she did just that! I slipped right back into this world and once again found myself captivated by the prophecy, characters and dark oppressive world. I literally consumed this and didn't want the tale to end. Three word review: captivating, suspenseful, emotional.

The tale picks up a few weeks after Cate declared herself to the Sisterhood. She is now in New London and living with the sisters. She doesn't know who to trust, longs for Finn and misses her sisters. She quickly realizes there is a divide within the Sisterhood on how to deal with the controlling and ever violent Brotherhood. The climate is volatile as more girls are accused and tortured. Tragic events and dark times have Maura and Tess joining the Sisterhood. Finn is in town with the Brotherhood and he and Cate risk seeing each other. Everything is unraveling and Cate must decide once and for all how she will stand.  The tale that unfolds is a mix of dark and light and kept me completely enthralled in its captivating web.

I liked Cate in Born Wicked despite a few issues with her handling of her suitors, but I feel in love with her in Star Cursed. Cate has begun to accept who she is and the responsibilities that come as a consequence  She has always been selfless and despite wanting to have it all, she sees the whole picture and thinks with her head not her heart. I really struggled with Maura in book one and loathed her in book two. Forget the middle-child syndrome the more page time she got the more I wanted to slap her. From her jealousy to her obsession with being the chosen one she is going to see them all killed! This added a level of fear to the tale because honestly despite her protest I believe she is capable of true evil. Tess is still her adorable self and we see changes in her throughout the novel. She and Cate confide in each other as the rift between Maura and Cate grows wider. Finn is back and I was so glad to see he will play a major role. I enjoyed their sweet interactions, but found myself terrified they would be discovered. We learn more about the Sisterhood and a few key sisters. Others characters and the Brotherhood add to the suspense, and flesh out the world and characters.

Sometimes second books suffer and aren't as captivating as their predecessor but Spotswood raised the bar. She gave us a deeper understanding of the world and the characters. She makes you feel the oppressive world around you as she paints a clear picture from struggling hungry families, to the fear that quells in their bellies as the Brotherhood approaches. The Brotherhood is an oppressive, controlling government ruled under the guise of religion and obsessed with the prophecy. They seek to destroy the witches and keep woman from having any power. The people are becoming restless and the witches are demanding war as more restrictive laws pass. The tension and suspense was delicious as we all began to fear the second Terror. Spotswood slowly increased the tension as the tale progressed keeping me on the edge of my seat. I loved her descriptions of the town as well as Harwood and the conditions there. She gives us a panoramic view and I felt like I was a sister walking along side Cate. We see death, betrayal, and love. All of these played on my emotions and kept me vested. The ending was both exciting and mind-blowing. We are left with a heart-wrenching honest to goodness, stop your heart, mother of all cliffhangers. The air turned blue at my house as I vented my frustration. Book one ended in a cliffhanger but it looks like a speed bump compared to the cliff we fall of here. If cliffhangers do you in, hold off reading this till closer to the next release date. 

Fans of Born Wicked will find themselves delighted with Star Cursed. If you enjoy witch themed books, dark dystopians and fleshed out characters the Cahill Sister Chronicles are worth the read. The next book is still untitled and has no scheduled release date. *faints* 

Four and half cups of coffee out of five

Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked
by Jessica Spotswood
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: February 7, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source : Purchase
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
*purchase made through by links support this blog

 Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Born Wicked with its beautiful cover sat in my TBR pile for way too long but I am glad that I finally immersed myself into the dark world of the Cahill Witch series. Jessica Spotswood created a dangerous world for witches and woman. She introduces us to three eccentric sisters who are all witches. I quickly consumed this tale in a single day and cannot wait to continue the story. Three word review: suspenseful, dark and captivating.

The tale is set in the late 1900’s in a dark, deeply religious period about two days travel from New London at the home of the Cahill sisters. Cate Cahill is the oldest and approaching her seventeenth year. When she will have to do one of the following: accept a marriage proposal, join the sisterhood or allow the priests of the Brotherhood to select a husband for her. Cate lives with her two sisters and absentee father. The girls are getting a reputation as bluestockings but the truth is they are witches. This is a dark period where woman are regularly accused of witchcraft. The judgment is swift, often unfounded and they are shipped to the asylum, a prison camp or mysteriously disappear. Some suspect they are dead. The girl’s mother died and upon her death bed made Cate promise to keep their secret and protect her sisters. A mysterious note, a lost diary and a newly arrived governess are about to set Cate’s world upside down and the tale that unfolds held me spellbound as Spotswood took me into this world.

The Cahill girls were all interesting. Cate doesn't embrace her magic and is very over-protective of her sisters. She fears their discovery. She is dealing with uncertainty and doesn't know who to trust. Clues left by her mother, and threats all have her confused. I admired her, wanted to hug her and found her to be level headed and intelligent. Tess is the youngest and the magic flows from her. She is sweet and eternally optimistic. Maura is the middle child and desperate to be noticed. She loves to read romances and wants to escape the small-town doldrums. She is constantly at war with Cate and sees her as overbearing. While I didn't like her I certainly understood her. The relationship between Tess and Cate was more mother/daughter and sweet. We see typical sister dynamics and as the oldest of four children, the first three being girls all eighteen months apart I understood the bickering, and shenanigans. The father is absent for most of the story immersing himself in business after the loss of his beloved wife. He does share forbidden books with his girls and has educated them despite the unpopularity of it with the Brotherhood. We have a little love triangle, but the heroine doesn't lose her head over it and instead loses her heart. While it’s a big part of the story it really reflects more on the many obstacles effecting Cate’s decisions. What occurred felt genuine and my heart broke a little. Ooo the villains of this tale the Brotherhood and Sisterhood added to the dark, ominous suspense and gave me the willies!

Spotswood’s world building was fabulous and I really got a sense of the dark period the girl’s lives in. Through Cate’s discoveries we learn about the dynamics of this world, its history and about a prophecy that has all parties involved. The author intertwines the daughters of Persephone into the tale and it was cleverly done and set the tone. We are slowly given details and ultimately they affect every decision Cate must make. The tale was well paced, with a mix of light and dark scenes that offset each other giving me as a reader a chance to breathe against the dark world and events. The last part of the book flew at a dizzying pace, had my heart racing and ended with a cliffhanger that made me oh so glad I waited till closer to the release of book two to read this.

Fans of witchy tales will enjoy the dark, suspenseful tale Spotswood delivers in Born Wicked. Star Cursed the next book in the Cahill Witch Chronicles releases on June 18, 2013. Be sure and look for my release day review.

Four and half cups of coffee out of five

Blood by Moonlight by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey, Caris Roane {review-giveaway}

Blood by Moonlight
by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey and Caris Roane
Publisher: Avon/Harpercollins
Publication date: October 23, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

Just in time for the scariest season of all, three popular paranormal authors come together to tell original tales of romance where anything can happen under a Halloween moon . . .
Tempers flare and passions rise in Jocelynn Drake's Of Monsters and Men as the local werewolf pack clashes with the Winter Court's Wild Hunt . . .
In Terri Garey's The Ghoul Next Door, a witch and a warlock battle it out for possession of a haunted house, but the ghost may have her own agenda . . .
And, in Trick or Treathen by Caris Roane, a master vampire struggles to stay away from the mortal woman who enflames his very soul.

I grabbed Blood by Moonlight a collection of three short stories surrounding All Hallows Eve for a number of reasons: 1. It’s the perfect way to check out an author I haven’t tried and 2. It’s perfect for bedtime, since the “just one more chapter” nightmare is guaranteed to end and I will get some shut-eye. I actually enjoyed all three tales and found them to be perfect reads for the spooky season.

All three books deal with a couple and so the paranormal tale is wrapped in a romance. Each has a crisis to be dealt with and all occur during the twenty-four hours surrounding all Hallows Eve. 

Jocelyn Drake’s Of Monsters and Men deals with The Winter Court’s Wild Hunt. The tale is a short As an Asylum short tale and features Trixie, and elf and Gage an ex member of the Winter Court. When a local wolf pack asks for help against the hunt their romantic evening gets turned upside down.  I enjoyed the tale, but it was obvious these characters are from an established series. It did peak my curiosity and kept me entertained.

The second tale, The Ghoul Next Door by Terri Garey was my personal favorite. In fact, I actually went searching for a series about the characters, but had no luck. GRR! The tale features a witch and a warlock. Cassie Holloway is the local witch and has been trying to get her families property back from James T. Falco. He refuses to sell it and it belongs to her family. On All Hallows Eve the veil between worlds is thin and she plans to evoke a spell to bring her grandmother forth to help her. The tale that unfolds was action packed, cute, romantic and had me begging for more.

The third tale, Trick or Treathen by Caris Roane was by far the spiciest tale and the pages sizzled. The tale features master vampire Treyne of the Prescott Territory in Arizona. In Roane’s vampire world, vampires are not a secret and live in communities. Many vampires now share a blood bond with humans and Treyne has been fighting his attraction to Jenna Shawe. Jenna is trying to locate her missing sister and the tale that unfolds is hot, dark and held me captive.

Blood by Moonlight is approximately one hundred pages long, but also includes two excerpts; The Forbidden Lady by Kerrelyn Sparks and Turn from Darkness by Jaime Rush. If you are looking for some easy bedside reads and want to explore new authors this collection is for you.

I want to thank HarperCollins/Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this collection 3.5 coffee cups out of 5

Giveaway Time!!

I am giving one winner an eBook of

Blood by Moonlight

(from B&N or Amazon)

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Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman {review-giveaway}

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft
by Jody Gehrman
Series: Audrey's Guides #1
Publisher: Magic Genie
Publication date: June 30, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/ Amazon

Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

When I was approached for a review by the author of Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft, the cover whore in me screamed, “Say yes! Say yes!” The practical (weaker) side of me said, “Calm down, let me read the synopsis! Stop jumping you're making the words all blurry!” I distracted my inner cover whore by pointing out a shiny object and quickly read the synopsis and you can guess what our answer was. Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft has a gorgeous cover and inside there is a terrific spell-casting, character filled tale that kept me spellbound. Witches, necromancers, swoon worthy guys and a chocolate cake with raspberries that should be illegal! This witchy tale offered a great start to a new series.

The tale pulls you in from the start. We meet protagonist Audrey and things are about to turn upside down in her fairly normal little life. First, strange things happen at school that kind of freak her out, she has some weird visions/daydreams and a nagging, persistent feeling that something is wrong with her Mom. When she gets home she and her sister are greeted by their supposed cousin, twenty-one year old Sadie. Sadie informs them their mother has had to go home to deal with a family emergency. Audrey and Meg have never met their mother’s side of the family and something just feels wrong.  Stranger still weird things are happening to Audrey. Mix in a cute boy who does things to her, the weird dude from her dreams and her unusual cousin and you have the makings for a witchy tale. The tale that unfolded kept me enchanted, as the tale slowly picked up speed and things were revealed to us.

Audrey is a typical teenager, who is eager to take on the world. She loves cooking and chemistry and I ended up liking this geeky, nerd girl. Her sister Meg is one of those girls who seems to have it all, from the way she walks to her ease at being center stage. Sadie was totally cool and just gave of that whole 'hippy-vibe'. I found her to be funny, quirky and quick-witted. I so want to read more about her!  Bridget is Audrey’s best friend, and I liked this nerd girl with her made up vocabulary. I admired how loyal Audrey was to her, but also loved the growth we saw in Bridget.  Julian is yummy, and I am very curious about him and the effects he has on Audrey. Overall the characters were fairly fleshed out but still have the potential to be more as the series progresses. The romance is sweet, funny, smexy and served on the side is this tale. 

Gehrman adds her own delightful twists and colorful characters to a tried and true formula creating a fun, silly, captivating read that kept me intrigued as the tale unfolded. The tale had dark and suspenseful moments filled with evil, necromancers, zombie type creatures and witchy goodness. Gehrman made baking sensual, even magical, and I liked this added element. I want to test out that chocolate cake recipe..Eep! Audrey’s powers, the coven’s rules, spells mentioned and other witchy details were fascinating. The pacing was perfect and slowly built to the intense climax. While the tale is far from over, she skillfully avoided the dreaded cliffhanger.

I recommend Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft to fans of anything witchy. This was a delightful start to a promising series and I am looking forward to the next cover book in the series.

This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for my unbiased review. *Purchases made through buy links on this site result in a small commission which funds our giveaways.

I gave this witchy tale 4 brewed cups of coffee out of 5

Giveaway time!! 

The author loves Halloween and will give

13 followers an eBook copy of Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft!

open internationally

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Spectral by Shannon Duffy ~Blog Tour Review

Today I am delighted to be a part of Tribute Books Spectral Blog Tour. Grab a cup of coffee and check out my review:

Spectral
by Shannon Duffy
Publisher: Tribute Books
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Buy: Barnes and Noble / Amazon

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.(synopsis from Goodreads)

Spectral is the debut novel of author Shannon Duffy. This young adult paranormal romance offers us a delightful looks at witches, covens and the power of celestial events. This was a beautifully written, fast paced tale that kept me engaged. Spectral is sure to delight fans of paranormal, suspense and mystery as we travel from a small town in the Midwest, to Russia and Italy.

The tale begins with Jewel and her family moving yet again. Jewel and her family are in the witness protection program and she along with her seven year old brother Jayden have moved with her parents just about twice a school year. There are those who wish to harm them, and it’s never safe. She was just starting to make friends at her old school when her Dad whisked her away in the middle of class. When they arrive, they pick new names and head off to their new school…but not before their parents go over the rules. 1. What are your names? 2. Our names?  3. Where did you moved from and 4. The biggest rule of all for Jewel; let no one see your scar! The tale that unfolds was engaging and suspenseful as Jewel begins to discover things about who she is.  

The characters in Spectral were interesting. Whether I loved them or hated them they felt genuine. Jewel is a typical seventeen year old, who adores her brother and tries for their own safety to obey her parents. I questioned why she didn’t demand more information about why they had to keep running, but the human mind is complex and I know plenty of people who choose to ignore the pink elephant in the room. Despite this, I liked Jewel; she was brave, sweet and loyal. This novel presents a love triangle. Ugh! However Jewel does indicate her choice, but we all know that could change with the stroke of a pen. First we have Chase, school athlete, tall and gorgeous he befriends Jewel and makes his intentions known. Then there is dark and mysterious guitar carrying Jacob. He knows about Jewel and her family; he has been tracking them. Both boys are completely swoon- worthy and I adored them both. I will leave you to decide which team you will join. Now the characters I loved to hate…you will meet a snotty, stuck-up female bully and an Aunt straight from the movie Matilda. A Grandma that reminded me of Raymond’s mother Marie from Everyone Loves Raymond. She was all sweet and gooey on the outside and sour in the middle.

The world-building was exciting in Spectral. I loved Duffy’s take on witches, the covens and of course Jewel. At times it had elements that reminded me of the DaVinci Code and I loved it. While I am so not a fan of love triangles, Duffy did a great job with it. To complicate matters she mixed in a little insta-love and forbidden romance! I know by now you are seriously scratching your head but all of these elements are present and it was believable. While the plot leaves room for sequels, this book would work well as a standalone.

I recommend Spectral to fans of paranormal romance, suspense and witches. I read Spectral in a few hours and found it to be an entertaining and delightful tale. I have added Duffy to my list of authors to watch. 

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5. 

Shannon Duffy

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Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10) by Kim Harrison

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison returns to the Hollows with the electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed Pale Demon!

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the I.S. and the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She’s faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity itself might be her toughest challenge yet.(synopsis from Barnes and Noble)

Like many Hollows fans I pre-ordered A Perfect Blood and was counting down the days till its release. I was anxious to get my hands on it and stayed up Monday night just to download it promptly at 12:01. I just wanted to read a few pages; such was my anticipation.  It took me three sessions to complete this novel, as the gods and life worked against me. Now that I’ve finished, I am glad because I had a chance to savor it. Now I find myself, stuck right back where I was on Monday...waiting for the next Hollows release..sheesh.  A Perfect Blood, had a blended feel of earlier novels and newer ones as Rachel dealt with being a demon and spent much of the novel with limited powers. As always I loved my trip back to the Hollows.

The tale begins with Rachel, a declared demon, trying to gain status as a citizen; well get her car registered.  She is wearing the bracelet Trent gave her, and basically has no more power than an earth witch. While it protects her from the entire demon collective and keeps Al from dragging her to the ever-after, it is pitiful to see Rachel like this.  She feels stuck and feels like Ivy and Jenks are moving forward. She has a bodyguard, courtesy of Daddy. A delicious werewolf named Wayde and even without all of her powers she is still quite capable of getting in trouble and driving him crazy.  While at the DMV she is paged and taken to a back office. She meets a living vampire who asks her to take a seat and then proceeds to be inhabited by a very old Master Vampire. He wants Rachel’s to help the I.S. department. Someone is abducting witches and using demon magic on them. Rachel immediately agrees but only if, he gets her car registration taken care of.  Rachel is first suspected of committing these crimes, and asked to produce a list of curses that she is capable of performing as a demon. Rachel calls Glenn and the FIB when she sees evidence that this might be a crime involving HAPA (A human hate group). The first part of the book progresses at a slower clip, as Rachel contemplates life without magic, has mini-pity-parties and works to solve the case. The second half of the book is non-stop action and left me breathless. No filler words here my Hollow loving peeps. Tons of twist, trickery, traitors and secret groups will have you turning the pages. Rachel as always finds herself in trouble, kicks butt and never ceases to surprise anyone..even herself.  

I love Harrison’s characters and many make an appearance along with a few new ones.  Trent is back, a softer Trent, a happier Trent. An elf who is embracing his magic. Is that hearts I see in Rachel’s eyes?  Harrison weaves their stories closer together in this novel and makes Rachel see him in a somewhat different light. It is almost magical, like perhaps this was Harrison’s vision all along. Eek gads she is wickedly good.  What we also see in this novel is a lot of character growth. While Rachel still (and always will) rushes into things, she is getting better and actually made plans. She, listens (well some of the time) and is starting to think things through and see the bigger picture.  Ivy is finding peace and acceptance and Jenk’s is surviving the loss of his wife.  David makes an appearance and he and Rachel make peace about her position in the pack. Trent has a lot of character growth and I loved it. Our beloved AL puts in an appearance or two…is it freaky that I love that little demon.  We meet Ella, the young living vamp, who is possessed by the Master Vampire and Dr. Cordova and FIB agent you will love to hate. We also meet a witch, named Winona, who is held prisoner and befriended by Rachel. I really liked Winona, she is clever, witty and one brave cookie.  Daryl is back and living with Glenn and we learn a little more about her.

While not without flaws, A Perfect Blood delivered and lived up to my expectations. I really liked the blended feel from the first few books of the series to the present. I am anxious to see what Rachel does in the next installment of the Hollows entitled,  Ever After. It is expected to be released in 2013. Harrison is saying there are two maybe three novels left in this series and I will be sad to see it end. A Perfect Blood is currently available in paper, eBook and audio formats.


Cover Talk: I loved the red and black. Rachel looks good, and the man in the back ground had me curious. It's a winner.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5. 

Author's website: Kim Harrison

Buy the book from:
Barnes and Noble:A Perfect Blood 
Amazon:A Perfect Blood 

The Book Depository:A Perfect Blood