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revisins's review against another edition
5.0
The urban, horror, dark fantasy genre has become a bit waterlogged in the last few years. Whether it's Twi-hard fatigue or just the overall embrace of popular culture of any and all things angsty; it is difficult to craft a vampire story that actually does something entertaining with the tropes.
Cherie Priest has written a novel that could be labeled a vampire story for sure, but there are so few references to the vampiric that it transforms into a snarky noir. When you mix blind vampires, drag queens with a propensity for silver, spangly bikinis, and an increasingly self aware first person perspective--you end up with a romp of a story.
It's a story with attitude and wit. It borders on whimsical. I enjoyed this quite a bit--and will be waiting impatiently until July when then next book is due to be published.
Cherie Priest has written a novel that could be labeled a vampire story for sure, but there are so few references to the vampiric that it transforms into a snarky noir. When you mix blind vampires, drag queens with a propensity for silver, spangly bikinis, and an increasingly self aware first person perspective--you end up with a romp of a story.
It's a story with attitude and wit. It borders on whimsical. I enjoyed this quite a bit--and will be waiting impatiently until July when then next book is due to be published.
morenmoren's review against another edition
2.0
Slighlty "flat". "Boneshaker" felt much more natural. I have slightly hard time getting to the end of it...
whatsmacksaid's review
3.0
Delightful. The whole thing took a while to grow on me, but I really enjoyed the gender stuff and the narrator's sass. She's fun and crazy in the head without being unable to function, Adrian and Sister Rose are The Absolute Best, and the kids are great. Not crazy about the guy she ended up kissing, but I can roll with it. I'd definitely like to read the next one.
dreizehn's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know exactly what to expect. I've liked the other works by Cherie Priest that I have read, but I didn't really picture her writing a vampire book. I'm glad she did, because I really enjoyed it. It's a dark urban fantasy comedy thriller vampire conspiracy book. If that sounds like a lot to pack into one book, may I direct you the Priest's Clockwork Century series? Cherie Priest is very good at crafting a multi-faceted novel, and making it work. The narration is snarky and funny. The plot is different than anything I've read lately, and was interesting. The twists and turns helped keep it lively. Notably, unlike most urban fantasy vampire books, the protagonist is not in bed with someone in the first 30 pages of the book. While I must admit that I enjoy well-placed, well-written smut as much as the next person, its absence isn't missed. Overall, Bloodshot is a fun romp, and I'd recommend it to fans of Cherie Priest, vampires, snarky narrators and urban fantasy.
mamap's review against another edition
3.0
PG-18. I can't give it a higher rating because of innuendo and language. However, if I was giving a rating based just on the snark - I'd probably give it somewhere between 4-5 stars.
Not all vampires like other vampires - some are thieves and very good at their job. But the world chooses otherwise for our friend who finds herself with pet humans and friends and an evil government entity turned civilian to fight.
It's a fun adventure.
Not all vampires like other vampires - some are thieves and very good at their job. But the world chooses otherwise for our friend who finds herself with pet humans and friends and an evil government entity turned civilian to fight.
It's a fun adventure.
sparklingreader's review against another edition
4.0
Raylene is a much-in-demand thief. She is famous for getting what the client wants without getting caught. Plus, she just happens to be a vampire, but there are no sparkles here. She’s got attitude. She’s got aptitude. She’s got a problem.
Hired by handsome fellow vampire, Ian Stott, to steal documents concerning the experiments done to him that took his sight, she discovers a much larger conspiracy. On the run from the government, mercenaries, and other vampires, Raylene has to figure out all the pieces to a huge puzzle and how they all fit together.
This was a fun book to read. It’s definitely not the usual vampire novel. It’s edgy with all the action and adventure you want from a good suspense novel. There are enough issues to keep the pages turning and trouble around every corner. The only reason I didn’t grade it higher was the ending. Although satisfactory, it left so many loose ends dangling that you know you’re going to see more of Raylene and Ian. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a surprise in that I didn’t know going in that this was going to be a series. Once again, the people in marketing ruined what could have otherwise been an incredible read. So a caveat to the readers – pick this up. You’ll enjoy it. But be forewarned that not all the loose ends are tied up and it is obviously part of a bigger series.
Hired by handsome fellow vampire, Ian Stott, to steal documents concerning the experiments done to him that took his sight, she discovers a much larger conspiracy. On the run from the government, mercenaries, and other vampires, Raylene has to figure out all the pieces to a huge puzzle and how they all fit together.
This was a fun book to read. It’s definitely not the usual vampire novel. It’s edgy with all the action and adventure you want from a good suspense novel. There are enough issues to keep the pages turning and trouble around every corner. The only reason I didn’t grade it higher was the ending. Although satisfactory, it left so many loose ends dangling that you know you’re going to see more of Raylene and Ian. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a surprise in that I didn’t know going in that this was going to be a series. Once again, the people in marketing ruined what could have otherwise been an incredible read. So a caveat to the readers – pick this up. You’ll enjoy it. But be forewarned that not all the loose ends are tied up and it is obviously part of a bigger series.
bibliorobi_'s review against another edition
3.0
Raylene Pendle è una vampira e, come se ciò non bastasse a renderla quando meno "particolare", il suo mestiere contribuisce senza dubbio alla sua singolarità: Raylene è una ladra di professione.
Ormai da secoli (e non è un modo di dire!) la vampira continua a rubare oggetti di valore per clienti facoltosi. La sua grande abilità ha fatto sì che tutti la soprannominassero "Stregatto" e, inoltre, il governo la crede un maschio. E Raylene non ha certo intenzione di smentirlo!
I clienti di Raylene, però, sono sempre e solo umani: la donna, infatti, non sopporta i suoi simili.
Ed è per questo che, quando Ian Stott, vampiro cieco e incredibilmente affascinante le propone di rubare dei documenti, Raylene esita.
Ma la posta in gioco sembra troppo alta. Infatti, i documenti che Ian desidera sono legati al Progetto Bloodshot: un progetto attuato dal governo, dove vampiri e altre creature vengono vivisezionati e dal quale Ian è riuscito a fuggire.
Raylene decide di accettare, ma le conseguenze le saranno quasi fatali: il governo si metterà sulle sue tracce, deciso a farla tacere per sempre.
Ma Raylene, aiutata da una strana drag queen e da due ragazzini orfani "ospiti" del suo magazzino semi-abbandonato, non si arrenderà fin quando non sarà riuscita a mettere le mani su quei documenti.. ma fino a dove è disposta a spingersi?
Ammetto che avevo grandissime aspettative riguardo Ladra di sangue, e anche che, intorno a pagina 80, ero certa che sarebbero state deluse.
Perché sì, il romanzo inizia in modo lento, noioso, prolisso e anche pesante, ma - e qui arriva il ma - dopo pagina 100 si riprende alla grande, e si trasforma in un vero e proprio romanzo d'azione, trascinandoti completamente all'interno della trama, complici una protagonista divertente e antagonisti molto simpatici.
Un'altra nota dolente è però la quasi totale assenza dell'elemento urban fantasy: come ho scritto prima, Ladra di sangue è più un romanzo d'azione che il sopracitato urban fantasy.
Infatti, Raylene è praticamente solo una ladra, e non è difficile dimenticare che si tratta di una vampira.
Il finale, inoltre, mi è sembrato un po' troppo affrettato: non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto se l'autrice avesse aggiunto qualche pagina in più, anzi.
Però non me la sento di bocciarlo: Ladra di sangue si è senza dubbio rivelato un romanzo ricco d'azione e che riesce a tenere incollato il lettore fino all'ultima pagine.
Lo consiglio quindi proprio agli amanti dei romanzi d'azione, ma state attenti a non aspettarvi troppo romance e troppo urban fantasy.
Ormai da secoli (e non è un modo di dire!) la vampira continua a rubare oggetti di valore per clienti facoltosi. La sua grande abilità ha fatto sì che tutti la soprannominassero "Stregatto" e, inoltre, il governo la crede un maschio. E Raylene non ha certo intenzione di smentirlo!
I clienti di Raylene, però, sono sempre e solo umani: la donna, infatti, non sopporta i suoi simili.
Ed è per questo che, quando Ian Stott, vampiro cieco e incredibilmente affascinante le propone di rubare dei documenti, Raylene esita.
Ma la posta in gioco sembra troppo alta. Infatti, i documenti che Ian desidera sono legati al Progetto Bloodshot: un progetto attuato dal governo, dove vampiri e altre creature vengono vivisezionati e dal quale Ian è riuscito a fuggire.
Raylene decide di accettare, ma le conseguenze le saranno quasi fatali: il governo si metterà sulle sue tracce, deciso a farla tacere per sempre.
Ma Raylene, aiutata da una strana drag queen e da due ragazzini orfani "ospiti" del suo magazzino semi-abbandonato, non si arrenderà fin quando non sarà riuscita a mettere le mani su quei documenti.. ma fino a dove è disposta a spingersi?
Ammetto che avevo grandissime aspettative riguardo Ladra di sangue, e anche che, intorno a pagina 80, ero certa che sarebbero state deluse.
Perché sì, il romanzo inizia in modo lento, noioso, prolisso e anche pesante, ma - e qui arriva il ma - dopo pagina 100 si riprende alla grande, e si trasforma in un vero e proprio romanzo d'azione, trascinandoti completamente all'interno della trama, complici una protagonista divertente e antagonisti molto simpatici.
Un'altra nota dolente è però la quasi totale assenza dell'elemento urban fantasy: come ho scritto prima, Ladra di sangue è più un romanzo d'azione che il sopracitato urban fantasy.
Infatti, Raylene è praticamente solo una ladra, e non è difficile dimenticare che si tratta di una vampira.
Il finale, inoltre, mi è sembrato un po' troppo affrettato: non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto se l'autrice avesse aggiunto qualche pagina in più, anzi.
Però non me la sento di bocciarlo: Ladra di sangue si è senza dubbio rivelato un romanzo ricco d'azione e che riesce a tenere incollato il lettore fino all'ultima pagine.
Lo consiglio quindi proprio agli amanti dei romanzi d'azione, ma state attenti a non aspettarvi troppo romance e troppo urban fantasy.
stumpsv's review against another edition
1.0
This was a pretty disappointing book, mostly because I am a Cherie Priest fan and love her steampunk Clockwork Century series (Boneshaker, Clementine, Dreadnought, and coming soon Ganymede). I don't typically read urban fiction, particularly those with vampires and romance. While BS misses the trifecta by leaving out the romance I don't think it really does anything spectacular for the genre. In fact reading it felt exactly like reading an UF, vampire, romance novel only without the romance. By the end of the novel there is some tenuous romance budding which I can only assume will be further elucidated in later novels (I believe this is the start of a series of novels) but this is hardly a saving grace.
In particular I disliked the glossing over of the plot through the use of vampiric powers and excess cash. The constant asides to the reader really break up the flow of the story and accentuate the shallowness of the work. It gets better about half way in but not by much. I actually liked some parts at the end and the ending was OK.
Overall I was really bored reading this and while it wasn't a chore it certainly wasn't very much fun either. I think my predominant feeling while reading this was surprise that this was the same author who wrote Boneshaker.
I had a tough time giving this 1 star, but I really can't say that I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend you read some of Cherie's other works as they are phenomenal.
In particular I disliked the glossing over of the plot through the use of vampiric powers and excess cash. The constant asides to the reader really break up the flow of the story and accentuate the shallowness of the work. It gets better about half way in but not by much. I actually liked some parts at the end and the ending was OK.
Overall I was really bored reading this and while it wasn't a chore it certainly wasn't very much fun either. I think my predominant feeling while reading this was surprise that this was the same author who wrote Boneshaker.
I had a tough time giving this 1 star, but I really can't say that I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend you read some of Cherie's other works as they are phenomenal.
mxsallybend's review
2.0
Although the book started off well, and seemed nicely paced, I found myself impatient with the narrative. Cherie’s writing has a very clean style that lends itself particularly well to the genre, and I quickly found myself engaged by the ‘voice’ of Raylene. Yet, at the same time, I found myself frustrated with the literary device of a first-person narrator.
After the first few chapters, I was sorely tempted to just put the book down, move onto something else, and then come back to it later. I knew that if I did that, though, I’d likely never come back to it. So, I persevered, and I finally realised what was bothering me about the novel – I simply liked Raylene more as a narrator than I did as a character. Fortunately, I also realised what it was about the novel that ultimately managed to draw me in and keep me reading – the supporting characters.
The blind vampire, Ian, seems like little more than a plot device at first, but he is slowly and subtly developed into a sympathetic character. For all his superhuman strength, his mental powers, and his immortality, his blindness makes him human. Our sympathy for Ian even extends to his ghoul of an assistant – a character who could have better developed (he only really begins to develop a distinct personality towards the end), but who still works to remind us that Ian is NOT human, no matter how sympathetic he seems.
As for the homeless children squatting in Raylene’s warehouse, I was initially annoyed by their presence. The last thing I figured this story needed was a pair of brats who would serve only to get into danger and allow Raylene to betray the human compassion beneath her vampire exterior. Much to my delight, Pepper and Domino turned out to be decent characters on their own, and while Cherie uses their situation to heighten the tension, she never succumbs to the temptation to exploit them as a plot device.
What really sold me on the novel, though, was the introduction of Raylene’s drag queen sidekick. Yeah, I know, are you really surprised? Both an ex-Seal and an ex-son (his parents disowned him out after discovering a feather boa in his closet) who is looking for answers in the disappearance of his sister-turned-vampire, Adrian is by far the most complex and most interesting character in the novel. We first meet ‘him’ in full drag mode, bitchy and catty, and read to take the stage. We even get to enjoy a bit of his show, before he’s forced to lead Raylene on a crazy high-heeled escape through some of the nastiest back alleys in fiction. It would have been far too easy to play him as a caricature, but he’s as nasty as a man as he is naughty as a woman, and there’s a clear distinction between roles/personalities.
I think the plot could have benefited from a little less CIA silliness and a little more vampire nastiness, but that’s a personal preference. There is nice twist at the end when it’s revealed who is behind Project Bloodshot, but I think exploring that a little earlier on would have really given the story some edge. As it is, we’re left to ponder that twist and wonder how Cherie will tackle it in Raylene’s next adventure.
As for a next adventure, so long as Adrian is along for the ride, I just might be willing to entertain a sequel . . . but I’m not so sure Raylene could carry it on her own
http://bibrary.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-bloodshot-by-cherie-priest.html
After the first few chapters, I was sorely tempted to just put the book down, move onto something else, and then come back to it later. I knew that if I did that, though, I’d likely never come back to it. So, I persevered, and I finally realised what was bothering me about the novel – I simply liked Raylene more as a narrator than I did as a character. Fortunately, I also realised what it was about the novel that ultimately managed to draw me in and keep me reading – the supporting characters.
The blind vampire, Ian, seems like little more than a plot device at first, but he is slowly and subtly developed into a sympathetic character. For all his superhuman strength, his mental powers, and his immortality, his blindness makes him human. Our sympathy for Ian even extends to his ghoul of an assistant – a character who could have better developed (he only really begins to develop a distinct personality towards the end), but who still works to remind us that Ian is NOT human, no matter how sympathetic he seems.
As for the homeless children squatting in Raylene’s warehouse, I was initially annoyed by their presence. The last thing I figured this story needed was a pair of brats who would serve only to get into danger and allow Raylene to betray the human compassion beneath her vampire exterior. Much to my delight, Pepper and Domino turned out to be decent characters on their own, and while Cherie uses their situation to heighten the tension, she never succumbs to the temptation to exploit them as a plot device.
What really sold me on the novel, though, was the introduction of Raylene’s drag queen sidekick. Yeah, I know, are you really surprised? Both an ex-Seal and an ex-son (his parents disowned him out after discovering a feather boa in his closet) who is looking for answers in the disappearance of his sister-turned-vampire, Adrian is by far the most complex and most interesting character in the novel. We first meet ‘him’ in full drag mode, bitchy and catty, and read to take the stage. We even get to enjoy a bit of his show, before he’s forced to lead Raylene on a crazy high-heeled escape through some of the nastiest back alleys in fiction. It would have been far too easy to play him as a caricature, but he’s as nasty as a man as he is naughty as a woman, and there’s a clear distinction between roles/personalities.
I think the plot could have benefited from a little less CIA silliness and a little more vampire nastiness, but that’s a personal preference. There is nice twist at the end when it’s revealed who is behind Project Bloodshot, but I think exploring that a little earlier on would have really given the story some edge. As it is, we’re left to ponder that twist and wonder how Cherie will tackle it in Raylene’s next adventure.
As for a next adventure, so long as Adrian is along for the ride, I just might be willing to entertain a sequel . . . but I’m not so sure Raylene could carry it on her own
http://bibrary.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-bloodshot-by-cherie-priest.html
vikingwolf's review against another edition
5.0
Raylene is a vampire thief, hired by a blind vampire to steal his medical files from people who experimented on him in the hope that he can be cured. Along with Ian's loyal ghoul Cal and an ex military drag Queen, Raylene takes on government and military enemies.
When I read the back of the book and saw that the team had a vampire thief, blind vampire, ghoul and drag queen, I grabbed this off the shelf and rushed to buy it. I certainly wasn't disappointed! Raylene is a tough kickass vampire whose cocky attitude leads to her making some life threatening mistakes which makes her a much more interesting character. I like a flawed hero better than one who is totally invincible. She lives in a warehouse and allows two homeless kids to sleep there in an unorthadox alliance which makes an interesting side story when intruders break in. She pretends not to care about the kids as that is a human trait but you know that her cool attitude to them is just a front.
Now Raylene is taking on Ian's case. It sounds at first like a simple matter of stealing Ian's files back from a known facility but when a contact looks into the case for her, he barely escapes an ambush with his life, and the flagged email file he sent her now places Raylene in danger and she goes on the run, getting Ian and Cal somewhere safer. The files also tell her that Ian's files were stolen by an AWOL military guy, meaning that she must find him first by breaking into the facility for his file. I liked this part of the story which was all action as Raylene risks her life to get a lead on the case. I liked Raylene because she was the feisty kind of paranormal heroine that I like reading about and the plot was fast moving and never dull. These two things are vital for me to enjoy an urban fantasy adventure!
Her research leads her to a missing girl who was a fellow victim of the people who tortured Ian. She finds out that the AWOL soldier Adrian is her brother who is estranged from his family for making a living as a drag queen called Sister Rose. Adrian is a brilliant character and it was great to see a bit of diversity in the main characters in the book with him and a blind vampire. Adrian is more than capable of kicking ass in both of his personas and I loved his friendship with Raylene. They made a really great team and the action scene at the club when they meet is really well written. I also liked the tension in Cal's relationship with Raylene and his devotion to his boss. Cal grows on me throughout this book. In fact, I liked all the main characters.
There is a sideline of a growing attraction between Ian and Raylene which I actually liked. Those who follow my reviews know that I'm not a fan of romance but having the tough MC getting involved with the vulnerable blind vampire was great as it added diversity to the book. Usually a character with an impairment of some kind is left in the background and doesn't often get to be the love interest, so it was nice to see the author going in a different direction. However the romance element does not overpower the story in any way, for those worried about it. This book is proper urban fantasy, not sex filled paranormal romance.
This book has plenty of action with the various break ins, attacks and hiding from the bad guys but it also takes the time to develop the characters and make you care about them. The bad guys are proper bad guys that you want to boo and hiss. There are a few plot twists that you might or might not guess and the whole book is well written, exciting and entertaining. What more could I want in an urban fantasy series?
There was only one let down-there are only two books in the series as the publisher decided not to continue with the series. Cherie Priest has no current plans to continue as self published which is a shame but maybe in the future we might see more of the gang.
When I read the back of the book and saw that the team had a vampire thief, blind vampire, ghoul and drag queen, I grabbed this off the shelf and rushed to buy it. I certainly wasn't disappointed! Raylene is a tough kickass vampire whose cocky attitude leads to her making some life threatening mistakes which makes her a much more interesting character. I like a flawed hero better than one who is totally invincible. She lives in a warehouse and allows two homeless kids to sleep there in an unorthadox alliance which makes an interesting side story when intruders break in. She pretends not to care about the kids as that is a human trait but you know that her cool attitude to them is just a front.
Now Raylene is taking on Ian's case. It sounds at first like a simple matter of stealing Ian's files back from a known facility but when a contact looks into the case for her, he barely escapes an ambush with his life, and the flagged email file he sent her now places Raylene in danger and she goes on the run, getting Ian and Cal somewhere safer. The files also tell her that Ian's files were stolen by an AWOL military guy, meaning that she must find him first by breaking into the facility for his file. I liked this part of the story which was all action as Raylene risks her life to get a lead on the case. I liked Raylene because she was the feisty kind of paranormal heroine that I like reading about and the plot was fast moving and never dull. These two things are vital for me to enjoy an urban fantasy adventure!
Her research leads her to a missing girl who was a fellow victim of the people who tortured Ian. She finds out that the AWOL soldier Adrian is her brother who is estranged from his family for making a living as a drag queen called Sister Rose. Adrian is a brilliant character and it was great to see a bit of diversity in the main characters in the book with him and a blind vampire. Adrian is more than capable of kicking ass in both of his personas and I loved his friendship with Raylene. They made a really great team and the action scene at the club when they meet is really well written. I also liked the tension in Cal's relationship with Raylene and his devotion to his boss. Cal grows on me throughout this book. In fact, I liked all the main characters.
There is a sideline of a growing attraction between Ian and Raylene which I actually liked. Those who follow my reviews know that I'm not a fan of romance but having the tough MC getting involved with the vulnerable blind vampire was great as it added diversity to the book. Usually a character with an impairment of some kind is left in the background and doesn't often get to be the love interest, so it was nice to see the author going in a different direction. However the romance element does not overpower the story in any way, for those worried about it. This book is proper urban fantasy, not sex filled paranormal romance.
This book has plenty of action with the various break ins, attacks and hiding from the bad guys but it also takes the time to develop the characters and make you care about them. The bad guys are proper bad guys that you want to boo and hiss. There are a few plot twists that you might or might not guess and the whole book is well written, exciting and entertaining. What more could I want in an urban fantasy series?
There was only one let down-there are only two books in the series as the publisher decided not to continue with the series. Cherie Priest has no current plans to continue as self published which is a shame but maybe in the future we might see more of the gang.