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blood_rose_books's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book in Anthony Francis' Dakota Frost series. If you are interested in this book or series you do need to read the first book Frost Moon, before this one as it the main introduction to Dakota's powers, relationship as well as the main development of Dakota's world.
Dakota Frost the best magical tattoo artist in the south is back and trying to get her life back to normal. Well as normal as her life can be when attempting to adopt Cinnamon a werecat, as well as trying to keep a relationship going with Phillip when he is in town and making sure that she still has cliental to pay the bills. When Dakota is called to the scene of a police situation, she has no idea what to expect, but the police seem to think that she will be the expert, but how wrong they were. Someone has developed a way to create magical graffiti, similar to the magic that Dakota does with her tattooing but someone has infused paint with the ability to move and with being able to move it gives the graffiti the ability to attack with deadly consequences. This graffiti is spreading throughout Atlanta and attacking everything, people, wares and vampires. Dakota is an expert in tattooing and not graffiti, but as she keeps showing up to try to help those caught by the graffiti and figure out the graffiti works, the police believe Dakota is the problem. Now on the run from the graffiti artist as well as police Dakota needs to figure out quick how the graffiti magic works, or she is going to loose everyone she loves.
This book had me involved right from the first pages and it made me wonder why I took so long to pick up this book to read as I really enjoyed basically everything from the first novel, and I am glad that Francis has not disappointed in the second. Francis has an uncanny ability to create a unique world that is both interesting and easy to follow, something different within the paranormal genre as well as a great, well rounded and believable main character (well as believable as a character can be in this genre). Additionally, Francis is not afraid to take risks. In this book you will really question who is going to come out alive in the end as there are some major deaths that I do not think that others would have had the guts to do because they were people who were/are important to Dakota. I think that by taking risks
I love Dakota as a character, she is a great mix of hard and soft especially when it come to her daughter Cinnamon and her friends, but she has that takes no prisoner attitude when it comes to people who want to harm her or those that she cares about. You really get to see the harder/darker side of Dakota, especially near the end of the book, she does things I did not think that she was capable of in this book. Francis does a great job in allowing Dakota to change and develop as a character based upon what is occurring around her, which means there are times where Dakota steps way out of her character's element. Dakota's power of tattoo magic and skin-dancing is amazing. I personally think that Dakota's powers are extremely cool; I mean you can have an arsenal of "weapons" or "helpers" at you beck in call but you have to be able to go through some pain first in order to achieve them. Plus the stigmatization that someone would have to go through, I know Dakota does does not care, but it is still there. I think that dealing with this makes Dakota a very strong person and character.
There is a lot, and I mean a lot that occurs within this book. It really gets to the point where the reader will ask is there really anything else that could happen to Dakota? There is really everything that a reader can think of that occurs to Dakota in this book. It appears like Francis was trying to put too much into the book and maybe got a little overwhelmed with all the ideas that he had. I think the only thing that remains constant is her job as a magical tattooist, but even that is threatened slightly. With everything occurring I questioned whether this was going to be Dakota's last novel based upon everything that Francis was throwing at her (but do not worry fans there is a third book coming out this year hopefully).
Math has never been my strong suit; therefore, physics is pretty much over my head as well. There were points in the book where the math and physics theories that was being used to explain the magical graffiti that I found confusing and rereading over these part. There is no question that Francis is a very smart man. Using physics and math in order to explain how graffiti magic could work is very clever, however, I just found the explanation a little overwhelming. I found myself doing the smile and nod to the book and trying to pretend I understood what was going on. I think that Francis could have dialed this down a little bit and possible used more laymen terms within the explanation to help those of us that are mathematically or physics inclined.
This was a great follow up to the first novel, although I was not that crazy about all the math and physics terminology that Francis used, this did not detract very much from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I think those who enjoyed the first will also like the second as well. I am looking forward to the release of the third book Liquid Fire.
Enjoy!!!!
Dakota Frost the best magical tattoo artist in the south is back and trying to get her life back to normal. Well as normal as her life can be when attempting to adopt Cinnamon a werecat, as well as trying to keep a relationship going with Phillip when he is in town and making sure that she still has cliental to pay the bills. When Dakota is called to the scene of a police situation, she has no idea what to expect, but the police seem to think that she will be the expert, but how wrong they were. Someone has developed a way to create magical graffiti, similar to the magic that Dakota does with her tattooing but someone has infused paint with the ability to move and with being able to move it gives the graffiti the ability to attack with deadly consequences. This graffiti is spreading throughout Atlanta and attacking everything, people, wares and vampires. Dakota is an expert in tattooing and not graffiti, but as she keeps showing up to try to help those caught by the graffiti and figure out the graffiti works, the police believe Dakota is the problem. Now on the run from the graffiti artist as well as police Dakota needs to figure out quick how the graffiti magic works, or she is going to loose everyone she loves.
This book had me involved right from the first pages and it made me wonder why I took so long to pick up this book to read as I really enjoyed basically everything from the first novel, and I am glad that Francis has not disappointed in the second. Francis has an uncanny ability to create a unique world that is both interesting and easy to follow, something different within the paranormal genre as well as a great, well rounded and believable main character (well as believable as a character can be in this genre). Additionally, Francis is not afraid to take risks. In this book you will really question who is going to come out alive in the end as there are some major deaths that I do not think that others would have had the guts to do because they were people who were/are important to Dakota. I think that by taking risks
I love Dakota as a character, she is a great mix of hard and soft especially when it come to her daughter Cinnamon and her friends, but she has that takes no prisoner attitude when it comes to people who want to harm her or those that she cares about. You really get to see the harder/darker side of Dakota, especially near the end of the book, she does things I did not think that she was capable of in this book. Francis does a great job in allowing Dakota to change and develop as a character based upon what is occurring around her, which means there are times where Dakota steps way out of her character's element. Dakota's power of tattoo magic and skin-dancing is amazing. I personally think that Dakota's powers are extremely cool; I mean you can have an arsenal of "weapons" or "helpers" at you beck in call but you have to be able to go through some pain first in order to achieve them. Plus the stigmatization that someone would have to go through, I know Dakota does does not care, but it is still there. I think that dealing with this makes Dakota a very strong person and character.
There is a lot, and I mean a lot that occurs within this book. It really gets to the point where the reader will ask is there really anything else that could happen to Dakota? There is really everything that a reader can think of that occurs to Dakota in this book. It appears like Francis was trying to put too much into the book and maybe got a little overwhelmed with all the ideas that he had. I think the only thing that remains constant is her job as a magical tattooist, but even that is threatened slightly. With everything occurring I questioned whether this was going to be Dakota's last novel based upon everything that Francis was throwing at her (but do not worry fans there is a third book coming out this year hopefully).
Math has never been my strong suit; therefore, physics is pretty much over my head as well. There were points in the book where the math and physics theories that was being used to explain the magical graffiti that I found confusing and rereading over these part. There is no question that Francis is a very smart man. Using physics and math in order to explain how graffiti magic could work is very clever, however, I just found the explanation a little overwhelming. I found myself doing the smile and nod to the book and trying to pretend I understood what was going on. I think that Francis could have dialed this down a little bit and possible used more laymen terms within the explanation to help those of us that are mathematically or physics inclined.
This was a great follow up to the first novel, although I was not that crazy about all the math and physics terminology that Francis used, this did not detract very much from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I think those who enjoyed the first will also like the second as well. I am looking forward to the release of the third book Liquid Fire.
Enjoy!!!!
rosepetals1984's review against another edition
3.0
Blood Rock is definitely an improvement upon its adult urban fantasy predecessor, "Frost Moon" in many ways. For one, the story picks up where it left off with having Dakota and Cinnamon, Dakota's adopted weretiger daughter, bonding together before being thrown into the heart of another case where graffiti (you heard me) starts attacking people in violent ways and vampires are being killed off. Dakota has to piece together events all while maintaining her relationship with Cinnamon as well as a number of other relationships with the people she works with, including some romantic interests.
I found this a story with wonderful worldbuilding and visual imagery. Francis certainly knows his way around drawing captivating descriptions, and he opts to create his own unique world rather than drawing upon other realms established by peer adult urban fantasy writers. The urban fantasy/alternate universe settings are distinctly drawn and pulled me through the story. This actually has better overall structure (and less preachy tangents) than the first novel did, and it focuses on more abstract, illustrated threats (i.e. the menacing graffiti) and building upon the mystery/suspense of the identity of the graffiti culprit. However, there's a lot of graphic violence, such as the killing off of some major characters to elicit emotions. I won't spoil them here, but I definitely felt surprise at some of the events that transpired through the novel, but I didn't necessarily get a chance to feel for these events as much as I could've. The pacing was sound, the link between the events and the emotional resonance wasn't always fluid. Also, the descriptions of physics and such somewhat bogged down the prose for me in spurts, and made it a less quick read than it would've otherwise been.
I do think that the characters were distinctly drawn, and I had a clear idea of who they were in the scheme of the novel, though I wasn't necessarily convinced by the romantic ties noted in the novel. The strongest relationship I saw in this novel was between Dakota and Cinnamon, and those two were worth seeing in their interactions through the course of the novel. Dakota seems more motherly and less forced on the scale of cool (the author shows her cool more than tells in this novel) here, and I enjoyed the transition.
I would certainly read more of Francis' work for a quick, unique foray into his established urban fantasy realm, and I think others who enjoy the genre would find this an interesting read, even considering its caveats.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher Bell Bridge Books.
Overall score: 3/5
I found this a story with wonderful worldbuilding and visual imagery. Francis certainly knows his way around drawing captivating descriptions, and he opts to create his own unique world rather than drawing upon other realms established by peer adult urban fantasy writers. The urban fantasy/alternate universe settings are distinctly drawn and pulled me through the story. This actually has better overall structure (and less preachy tangents) than the first novel did, and it focuses on more abstract, illustrated threats (i.e. the menacing graffiti) and building upon the mystery/suspense of the identity of the graffiti culprit. However, there's a lot of graphic violence, such as the killing off of some major characters to elicit emotions. I won't spoil them here, but I definitely felt surprise at some of the events that transpired through the novel, but I didn't necessarily get a chance to feel for these events as much as I could've. The pacing was sound, the link between the events and the emotional resonance wasn't always fluid. Also, the descriptions of physics and such somewhat bogged down the prose for me in spurts, and made it a less quick read than it would've otherwise been.
I do think that the characters were distinctly drawn, and I had a clear idea of who they were in the scheme of the novel, though I wasn't necessarily convinced by the romantic ties noted in the novel. The strongest relationship I saw in this novel was between Dakota and Cinnamon, and those two were worth seeing in their interactions through the course of the novel. Dakota seems more motherly and less forced on the scale of cool (the author shows her cool more than tells in this novel) here, and I enjoyed the transition.
I would certainly read more of Francis' work for a quick, unique foray into his established urban fantasy realm, and I think others who enjoy the genre would find this an interesting read, even considering its caveats.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher Bell Bridge Books.
Overall score: 3/5
mtuttle82's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really nice second installment in the skindancer series. I was really looking forward to this book and it didn't dissapoint. I got sucked into this book and couldn't put it down!
pither's review against another edition
2.0
I was eager to start the second in the Skindancer series, as I really enjoyed the first one, Frost Moon. Dakota is a great protagonist, sharp and intriguing and well-written. I also wanted to see where Francis would take Cinnamon, Dakota's newly-adopted werecat daughter.
Blood Rock follows Dakota Frost, tattoo artists and magical skindancer, and her wide variety of friends through an alternate Atlanta. This time the city is beset by magical graffiti, and she's tasks with cleaning it up and the magical mess that follows.
Got to say though, Blood Rock was a big disappointment for me. I got about halfway through and wanted to put it down, but a dogged determination to see what would happen to the characters kept me going.
The action in Frost Moon was well-written, keeping your interest level high without bogging you down in the finer details of magic and science. Blood Rock though, you have to positively wade through. At several points I felt like I had to have a degree in physics or engineering just to know what they were talking about. The magic is explained through scientific terms, but if you're not quite sure how the scientific concepts work that Francis using as comparison, you're out of luck.
The plot also fell kind of flat for me. Bad things kept happening to Dakota, one after the other after the other. I get that her life isn't sunshine and lollipops, especially with having to fight the magical graffiti, but often I had the reaction of "Oh NOW what?" At some points it felt like a whole range of plot points being strung along together without a lot connecting them.
Between the stodgy plot and difficulty of scientific concepts, Blood Rock was more work than pleasure for me. I'm not sure yet if I'll read the third, Liquid Fire; I'm reserving judgment.
Blood Rock follows Dakota Frost, tattoo artists and magical skindancer, and her wide variety of friends through an alternate Atlanta. This time the city is beset by magical graffiti, and she's tasks with cleaning it up and the magical mess that follows.
Got to say though, Blood Rock was a big disappointment for me. I got about halfway through and wanted to put it down, but a dogged determination to see what would happen to the characters kept me going.
The action in Frost Moon was well-written, keeping your interest level high without bogging you down in the finer details of magic and science. Blood Rock though, you have to positively wade through. At several points I felt like I had to have a degree in physics or engineering just to know what they were talking about. The magic is explained through scientific terms, but if you're not quite sure how the scientific concepts work that Francis using as comparison, you're out of luck.
The plot also fell kind of flat for me. Bad things kept happening to Dakota, one after the other after the other. I get that her life isn't sunshine and lollipops, especially with having to fight the magical graffiti, but often I had the reaction of "Oh NOW what?" At some points it felt like a whole range of plot points being strung along together without a lot connecting them.
Between the stodgy plot and difficulty of scientific concepts, Blood Rock was more work than pleasure for me. I'm not sure yet if I'll read the third, Liquid Fire; I'm reserving judgment.
reader44ever's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much I read it in pretty much one sitting, albeit a fairly long one. ;-) Dakota is a fascinating protagonist and her adventures and challenges in this book were even greater than those in the first one. I loved seeing more of Cinnamon, meeting Arcturis was fun, and I really wanted to slap the Lady Saffron. The mystery of the magical graffiti was interesting and contained several surprises. I really liked Calaphase and I was so very bummed when he died in the graffiti after saving Dakota . I am also very bummed that I have to wait until 2014 for the third book, [b:Liquid Fire|15726742|Liquid Fire (Skindancer, #3)|Anthony Francis|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|21404066].
missstarlamae's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. There were some parts that jarred me out of the flow of the story a little bit; I don't know if the descriptions were too technical or if they were just hard for me to imagine. Some of the plot points made me sad like when Calaphase died . However, I loved the story and I can't wait for the next installment!!
eloiseinparis's review
3.0
I am a big fan of Dakota and the Magical Graffiti was awesome.
But her dating and sleeping with Calaphase made no sense. Phil and her had no big fight, and they didn't even really break up. They were simply dealing with the pains of a long distance relationship. Plus Dakota had major issues with Vampire's as lover's. It's way she ended things with Saffron. So why would she go running into the arms and bed of Cal? And killing him off was way to easy, she should have had to deal with the fallout of that rushed relationship.
Her mentor's new apprentice tried to kill her, yet Dakota not Arturus took any real action. WTF?
The whole storyline with child services taking Cinnamon was a big stretch. If they had an issue, or really cared they never would have let her leave to hospital when she was six. And with spread resources and a lack of good home's they certainly wouldn't have just shown up to take Cinnamon away. Especially since Dakota was her legal guardian and in the process of a adoption. A social worker would have already visited their home multiple times and given their assessment, so the whole she was still living at the Werehouse thing was silly. Teenager's are had to place and even harder to find a permanent adoptive home for, and in this universe Were's are seen as second class citizens it made no sense that the system got that involved.
It was to much of the world against Dakota. It just started to get silly. If the DA had been the graffiti artist or somehow connected to him the conspiracy would have made more sense.
But her dating and sleeping with Calaphase made no sense. Phil and her had no big fight, and they didn't even really break up. They were simply dealing with the pains of a long distance relationship. Plus Dakota had major issues with Vampire's as lover's. It's way she ended things with Saffron. So why would she go running into the arms and bed of Cal? And killing him off was way to easy, she should have had to deal with the fallout of that rushed relationship.
Her mentor's new apprentice tried to kill her, yet Dakota not Arturus took any real action. WTF?
The whole storyline with child services taking Cinnamon was a big stretch. If they had an issue, or really cared they never would have let her leave to hospital when she was six. And with spread resources and a lack of good home's they certainly wouldn't have just shown up to take Cinnamon away. Especially since Dakota was her legal guardian and in the process of a adoption. A social worker would have already visited their home multiple times and given their assessment, so the whole she was still living at the Werehouse thing was silly. Teenager's are had to place and even harder to find a permanent adoptive home for, and in this universe Were's are seen as second class citizens it made no sense that the system got that involved.
It was to much of the world against Dakota. It just started to get silly. If the DA had been the graffiti artist or somehow connected to him the conspiracy would have made more sense.
suzjustsuz's review
4.0
I really like this series a lot. This particular book could have stood another pass through with a copy editor, but nothing that pulled me out of the story.
I love the characters and the world. The stories are both great fun and fairly dark. I'm looking forward to the next one.
I love the characters and the world. The stories are both great fun and fairly dark. I'm looking forward to the next one.
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