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michael_benavidez's review
5.0
The tagline I had thought of for the book/this book review was something along the lines of, "If twilight was done right." But that's both condescending as well as false advertisement. This book is its own genre, or to be more accurate, a culmination of several genres.
Dashes of romance, familiar drama, horror sprinkled in some perfectly done gothic prose, this book has something for everyone in the mood for a supernatural read.
The lore and the world itself feel lived in, fleshed (hehe) out. The characters live things in a way as though, the reader can FEEL how must this has always been and always will be.
I don't want to speak too much about the plot because while the story does center around our character Mina, and we follow her as she deals with the conflict of becoming Bloodmad, the plot isn't the major influence of the story. It does not drive things forward.
Mina does.
This is a story where the characters feel in charge of where things go, whether we're dealing with the repercussions of their actions, or the choices that they themselves make. It's never something where you feel like the plot is taking her hand and guiding her to the next step of the story. And I think that's what I loved most about it. There's something about just living with a character and her choices, where every choice actually seems to matter, and actually seems to make a difference as to how the rest of the pages unfold.
When Mina does something we understand it (even if we don't agree with it) because we spent enough time with Mina to know why she's doing what she's doing. There's stakes, don't get me wrong, but the book makes it feel natural enough that if Mina is calm about it, we're calm about it. Even if things seem to be leading up to a worst situation.
This is definitely the kind of book I personally needed at the moment I read it. Characters felt alive, felt fun, felt human. And i loved it. I loved them.
Dashes of romance, familiar drama, horror sprinkled in some perfectly done gothic prose, this book has something for everyone in the mood for a supernatural read.
The lore and the world itself feel lived in, fleshed (hehe) out. The characters live things in a way as though, the reader can FEEL how must this has always been and always will be.
I don't want to speak too much about the plot because while the story does center around our character Mina, and we follow her as she deals with the conflict of becoming Bloodmad, the plot isn't the major influence of the story. It does not drive things forward.
Mina does.
This is a story where the characters feel in charge of where things go, whether we're dealing with the repercussions of their actions, or the choices that they themselves make. It's never something where you feel like the plot is taking her hand and guiding her to the next step of the story. And I think that's what I loved most about it. There's something about just living with a character and her choices, where every choice actually seems to matter, and actually seems to make a difference as to how the rest of the pages unfold.
When Mina does something we understand it (even if we don't agree with it) because we spent enough time with Mina to know why she's doing what she's doing. There's stakes, don't get me wrong, but the book makes it feel natural enough that if Mina is calm about it, we're calm about it. Even if things seem to be leading up to a worst situation.
This is definitely the kind of book I personally needed at the moment I read it. Characters felt alive, felt fun, felt human. And i loved it. I loved them.
stanfieldwrites's review
5.0
I tend not to be surprised by books very often. But Bloodborn, Stephanie Kemler’s debut novel, was that rare and bloody little gem that floored me completely. My heart ached for Mina Coffin, whose trauma lives and breathes on every page, and delighted in the ridiculously wicked Lucy… no matter how twisted she is. Or maybe because of that fact. It’s really hard to tell. And the ending… well, let’s just say that I didn’t see it coming. From start to finish, this is everything you could want out of a gothic vampire tale and if not, then there’s probably something wrong with you.
maddys_needful_reads's review
5.0
I'm so shocked that this is a debut novel. The story is well developed, and the world Kemler has created is nuanced and believable. Her vampire system is so original, yet still draws from the classic gothic vampires we all love.
All of Bloodborn's characters are dynamic. I liked some of them, disliked others, and a few annoyed me, but I had feelings about all of them because they felt so real. This story is mostly character-driven, so it was important that I cared about the characters, and I really did. There are quite a few romance elements, but none are cringey (I really struggle with romance). Shockingly for me, I was even rooting for one of the couples!
I also have to note Kemler's spectacular writing. She's a master of foreshadowing (it reminds me a bit of Stephen King). She created an entirely new vampire system, but didn't have pages of exposition. Most importantly, she shows rather than tells, and that is so hard to pull off in a character-driven story.
I can't wait to read the second book! I highly, highly recommend Bloodborn, even if you don't normally like vampire stories.
All of Bloodborn's characters are dynamic. I liked some of them, disliked others, and a few annoyed me, but I had feelings about all of them because they felt so real. This story is mostly character-driven, so it was important that I cared about the characters, and I really did. There are quite a few romance elements, but none are cringey (I really struggle with romance). Shockingly for me, I was even rooting for one of the couples!
I also have to note Kemler's spectacular writing. She's a master of foreshadowing (it reminds me a bit of Stephen King). She created an entirely new vampire system, but didn't have pages of exposition. Most importantly, she shows rather than tells, and that is so hard to pull off in a character-driven story.
I can't wait to read the second book! I highly, highly recommend Bloodborn, even if you don't normally like vampire stories.
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