My friend left this with me when she moved. I honestly though it was going to be a poorly written, semi boring read.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it was pretty decent, an entertaining and breezy read. It was just the right amount of mystery and straight up telling me the story.

It was refreshing to read something that had a hint of a romance and forbidden interests. (We all know that was going to be there!) However I liked that the story didn't entirely revolve around the romance. We still got to hear about what was going on in Zeraphina's life and what else was happening around her.

An enjoyable read and was addictive enough that I bought the 2nd and 3rd books while only being a quarter of the way through Blood Song.
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As a child Zeraphina had suffered a grave illness, an illness that caused changes in her. However there was no illness she knew off that could change your very features; turn hair red gold to deepest black and eyes green to icy blue. There were also the changes people couldn't see, the ones she was careful to keep hidden, the blood lust and the voices only she could hear that travelled in song on the wind and called to her.

North. She was being called north, for what purpose she didn't know but she knew one thing, to unravel the mystery behind who or what she was she would have to follow the voices on the wind. There was only one problem, what reason would a princess have to leave her home to travel. And then the news came, her older sisters was to marry a prince from the north, and with that came her excuse to travel and her chance to find answers.

Upon arriving in the kingdom of Pergamia, Zeraphina finds more questions then answers. Who are the Lharmell's who occupy the mysterious country to the north? Why are they so feared that it is even forbidden to speak of them? What possible link is there between these foul creatures to herself? And who is the strange and hostile boy who seems to know more about what she is then she does?

Blood Song calls a princess far across the land, to a distant and feared kingdom, to a place that is home despite her never having set foot in there. A kingdom filled with fearful subjects, the skies filled with unknown creatures, and a boy as strange as he is dangerous who holds the answers she is searching for. An interestingly new tale of blood drinking beings and an unusual girl who is determined to discover the truth. ( )

3.5 Stars
Princess Zeraphina is fighting a painful hunger and a driving pull to head north. Zeraphina has been hiding a craving for blood from her family, she has no idea why she hungers for blood and is gripped with pain when the hunger rises. Not being able to fight the pull to go north anymore, Zeraphina comes up with a ruse to use her sisters betrothal to get there.

When Zeraphina arrives in Pergamia she meets the Kings adviser Rodden Lothskorn and he quickly notices her features and how they differ from her mother and sister. He instantly knows she has a connection to dwellers of Lharmell.

Zeraphina is very desperate to know who she is and, why she looks nothing like her family and why she craves blood so she goes in search of answers. Pergamia neighbors Lharmell and has been in a war for a very long time but no one, through the orders of Rodden, will not speak a word about the place where monsters abide, but Zeraphina did learn one thing, Lharmellins crave blood.

Zeraphina is pushy, short tempered, stubborn, (or determined), and hates being told what to do with a passion, this particular trait shows her immaturity, well she's sixteen after-all. She constantly pushes Rodden's buttons. Although, he is not blameless for using a mean tactic to keep Zeraphina ignorant about Lharmell because he thought it would make her lose interest and return home to Amentia. As Zeraphina continues to fight the pull and blood hunger the more she's confused and desperate to find some support.

Blood Song was a unique take about blood lust not once referring to them as vampires, they are Lharmellins, a creepy looking being that feeds on the blood of humans. From the synopsis I thought she was going to find out she's a vampire but I was excitedly wrong. It made me more curious to find out where Zeraphina's story goes and was surprised at the revelations, and Zeraphina's strength and capacity to handle the difficulties of her existence. She was definitely a strong heroine, who can fight her own battles.
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The only thing remarkable I can say about this book is that I sold it not a few days after I read it. In my opinion, this was a horrible, boring book. ( )

I think my main beef with this book is the writing. It's not entering terrible, but its far from excellent and it took away from the reading experience. I had really high expectations for this one, and the 3 star rating has a lot to do with how much I liked the ideas.

All I can hope for is that the author will improve between book one and book two, so that book two can step up from mediocre. ( )