Keri Arthur

'Blood Kissed' was an entertaining Australian Urban Fantasy novel that kicks off a series that I think will become a comfort read of mine. comfort read Urban Fantasy.

The story is a satisfying mix of magical thriller accented with sassy humour and a dash of romance. It has everything you'd expect in an Urban Fantasy: witches, werewolves, vampires and even a zombie but with enough trope twisting to keep everything fresh. The plot was good thriller material with lots of action: abduction, murders, attacks on the good guys and a few surprises along the way. It was also crafted to introduce the main characters who are likely to form the ensemble cast in a series and to speed up the world-building.

The thing I liked most about the book was the relationship between Lizzie Grace and her human witch Familiar, Belle Kent. The idea of a witch having a lesser witch as a Familiar was fresh and fun, especially as the chemistry between the two of them worked so well. I loved that they could speak into each other's minds, that they had complementary strengths and that they respected one another. They're both heterosexual so the partnership is not sexual but it is a lifelong commitment.

I liked the magic system used by the witches and I loved the addition of possibly sentient Wild Magic. The concept of werewolves in modern Australia living on semi-autonomous reservations in the bush and then encouraging tourism to generate revenue amused me. They share a secret past which I'm sure will fuel their future adventures and their banter lifted the book.

I'd been worried that 'Blood Kiss' might be an early example of Romantasy, a genre that doesn't appeal to me but it turned out to be a fantasy with eye-candy romance on the side. I liked that romance parts weren't too eye-rollingly gushy and that they helped move the plot forward. Even so, the romance was still the most trope-heavy part of the plot. Thankfully, the relationship between Lizzie and Belle stayed centre stage, making the romance a relish rather than a main course.

I recommend the audiobook version of 'Blood Kissed'. Katherine Littrell kept the text moving and provided distinct and appropriate voices for the characters.

'Blood Kissed' works as a standalone novel but the set-up offers enough promise that I'll know I'll be back for more.… (más)

I like strong heroines, lots of action, multiple subplots, character development, a good storyline, and compelling writing; and this book fulfills. Riley Jensen is a powerful personality, whose paranormal abilities are only beginning to surface. She is being courted by her twin brother's, Rhoan, covert agency to be a guardian and she is resisting those overtures. The disappearance of her brother, though, causes her to forge an uneasy alliance with the agency in order to rescue her brother.

A lot of reviewers complain about the amount of sex and the rape scene, but, Riley's drive to have sex at the full moon phase is secondary to the plot other than it nearly defeats her ability to solve her brother's disappearance and the larger threat behind it. The book also sets up a future love interest for Riley in the form of the vampire Quinn; and, it's clear that Riley could easily be monogamous if Quinn were only able to set aside his distrust of werewolves caused by previous betrayals of the lupi kind.… (más)

Why do I always forget this is such a kickass series???!!!
It takes me forever to start the next instalment and then I pretty much devour it. Afterwards, I'm like, must read the next book sooner aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I forget.
Granted, there are a lot of good books out there but omg! If you like all things supernatural with a kickass heroine, you really need to read this series! Oh and while there is a lot of sex in this instalment, it's not very graphic, so go ahead and pick it up!

While I really liked the book, there were some things that disappointed me a bit. One thing was the pacing: things went from a normal pace to a rollercoaster, the end. It just felt so sudden, without some much-needed answers. But hey, now we have another very very evil bad guy on the loose gunning for Riley. Hope he will bring more to the table.
Another were the characters we met, Berna and Nerida. I'm still trying to find out how they fit in the whole picture and what added value they brought. Oh, and what's with being nude, the whole time?
And last, Riley's growing abilities, she seems to master them pretty quickly even though they are new. How could Quinn or Jack not pick up on those, being the better psychics? It just left a lot of question marks in my head.

But all in all, it really was another great book, honestly! Quinn and Riley are so good together, I have high hopes for them, though that would also mean that her wish for a family won't come true :( ... but still, team Quinn!… (más)

Wow, I just finished the book and I'm stunned. So many twists and turns, you really don't know what's going to happen, who's a bad guy or who isn't.... amazing writing.

World-building is great, scenes and environments are well described, very detailed and diverse. Moving back to familiar haunts from the first book, building up our view of the world and the people and species living there.

Character development is excellent. We follow our main heroine Riley throughout different ordeals, throughout tough decisions and here thoughts and feelings concerning her life, work and her lovers.
The rest of our cast have a lot to say, layers of lies, deceit, feelings, love, honour,... all mixed up making a very rich and entertaining story.

Pacing and flow were great, a hell of a lot action, just enough downtime to catch your breath and be bewildered about the last turn of events.

The book in itself was well written, no major errors found, the small ones (while sometimes a tad annoying) didn't pull me out of the story. And yes, there is sex described in this book... a lot of is, though not over the top.

All in all, a hell of a book, loving this series!!! Very much looking forward to the next instalment.… (más)