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halynah's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Pretty nice, but the main drawback - the characters are non-charismatic and often even irritating. I hope it'll change in the sequel.
haleyelisereads's review
4.0
"Will you mess up my bed with me?"
What a wondrous read this turned out to be! Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace has left me at awh as to how to put my thoughts on the computer screen. Descended by Blood takes on a paranormal that I for one am very picky about, vampires. I am a very picky person with vampire books, a lot of vampire books I have read in the past, have not appealed all that much to me. Descended by Blood was great. I loved it. I loved the characters I loved the world that Angeline so awesome-ly put together..I just loved this book.
Descended by Blood is in the eyes of Brooke, Brooke is a normal teenage girl she has her best friend Kaitlynn, and her new boyfriend Jaren who she is completly in love with. Brookes normal life gets turned upside down when she realizes she is being stalked by a strange man. One day while hanging out with Jaren the strange man breaks into Jarens apartment and attacks them and tries to kidnap Brooke..Brooke kills this man..and the scary part is? It was easy. Now Brookes whole life is being flipped, she is finding out she is half vampire, and her dad that she has never met is a very powerful vampire. Now Brooke has to hide, because someone is after her. Not only does Brooke have to hide, so does Kaitlynn, and so does Jaren who since finding out Brooke is half-vampire has said they need to take a break.
As if Brookes life isn't already complicated enough she also has Mirko, Mirko is there guide to taking them into hiding. Mirko is snarky, cocky, and a totally hot vampire. Even though he tries to act cool, Brooke knows deep down he is caring, and now she is finding herself caring for him in just the same way, but her and Jaren are still talking and her heart doesn't know what to do.
Descended by Blood was an amazing read, even though I feel the love between Jaren and Brooke didn't make as much sense. I am hoping that means that her and Mirko will be together in the end. The characters in this book were amazing, Brooke is such a strong character, but knows when to show her emotions. Kaitlynn is a wonderful delight for a best friend, Jaren is caring, but he was my least favorite character, he breaks up with Brooke after finding out she is half-vampire, but then right as soon as Mirko shows intrest in Brooke he gets protective of her, if he truely 'loved' her like he says over and over he does he would've went along things differently.
Mirko...ah Mirko I could talk about him alllll day long. He is sexy, he is cocky, but he is also caring and protective..and 100% yummy. I absoultely adored him. He was my favorite character of all, Angeline put him together perfetly. I seriously am gonna freak out if this series ends with Brooke and Jaren.
Anyways, Descnded by Blood is a wonderful debut it had a beautiful combination of everything anyone could want in a series, there was love, there was loss, there was action there was everything. Descended by Blood has left me yearning for book two. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. (:
He pulled away from me and cupped my head, stroking my outer ear lobe with his thumb. "Please choose me." he pleaded.
shelvesofsecrets's review
4.0
Descended by Blood was such a fun, fast, awesome read! I can't wait for the follow-up book, especially after that crazy ending! Oh my gosh!
So, after that little bit of fangirl gushing, here's my review. Descended by Blood is a great addition to the the YA vampire genre. It's not just plain old vampires creeping around in dark alleys at night. There's a whole society of Pijawikas and Zao Duhs. A society that Brooke knows nothing about until a crazy dude tries to kill her at her boyfriend Jaren's house. Brooke, Jaren and Brooke's best friend Kaitlynn run to Utah with some new friends while Brooke learns about her true nature.
I don't want to give away anything good, but I think it's safe to say that Descended by Blood is an exciting, fast-paced story that definitely is worth to read, especially if you love the vampire genre.
There were a couple things that bothered me about Brooke, however. First of all, she was a bit whiny when she learned the truth about her origins and awesome powers. I would have been super excited about this powers, but Brooke wants to pretended they don't exist. Secondly, I feel like Brooke likes to lead the boys along (yes, there is a love triangle, but it works). Seriously girl, make up your mind! Although there's not much of a contest for me (Team Mirko all the way)!
Overall, I really enjoyed Descended by Blood and I can't wait for Enemy Within!
So, after that little bit of fangirl gushing, here's my review. Descended by Blood is a great addition to the the YA vampire genre. It's not just plain old vampires creeping around in dark alleys at night. There's a whole society of Pijawikas and Zao Duhs. A society that Brooke knows nothing about until a crazy dude tries to kill her at her boyfriend Jaren's house. Brooke, Jaren and Brooke's best friend Kaitlynn run to Utah with some new friends while Brooke learns about her true nature.
I don't want to give away anything good, but I think it's safe to say that Descended by Blood is an exciting, fast-paced story that definitely is worth to read, especially if you love the vampire genre.
There were a couple things that bothered me about Brooke, however. First of all, she was a bit whiny when she learned the truth about her origins and awesome powers. I would have been super excited about this powers, but Brooke wants to pretended they don't exist. Secondly, I feel like Brooke likes to lead the boys along (yes, there is a love triangle, but it works). Seriously girl, make up your mind! Although there's not much of a contest for me (Team Mirko all the way)!
Overall, I really enjoyed Descended by Blood and I can't wait for Enemy Within!
its_tara's review
4.0
I picked this book up when it was free on Kindle, because really, the premise sounded pretty good. Admittedly, I’ve read a lot of books about vampires, and I have to admit, I always worry a little when picking up another one, because they can end up being much of a much-ness.
However, this one was kind of refreshing, because of Angeline Kace’s take on vampire lore – instead of having straight out vampires made by other vampires, there are two types. The Pijawikas, or born vampires, and the Zhao Duh, the made vampires.
Main character, Brooke, is one of the former. Well, half actually. But either way, she doesn’t know it yet. After spending her childhood moving around with her mother, she finally seems to be settled in a small town in Virginia, and is happy about that. She has her best friend Kaitlynn, and has finally been asked out by her crush/general school hottie, Jaren.
Of course, all that sounds good and simple, but weird things start happening. Right at the beginning of the book, actually, which is good, because it shows the reader just how quickly things are going to get exciting. It all starts with Brooke and Kaitlynn being attacked by a mountain lion. Yes, seriously. But it’s not just that, Brooke’s sure she saw a creepy guy near it, who seemed to be in control.
Fast forward a little, and Brooke gets attacked by said creepy guy, and that’s the point where she finds out about her heritage. Of course, she then finds out she needs training because her life is at risk, given half-human half-pijawika are forbidden, especially the variety who have very important parents.
I liked Brooke as a protagonist – she was sassy and so obviously a teenager. I admit, it was refreshing to read something where teenage characters acted like teenagers. Brooke doesn’t always make wise decisions, and neither do her friends. But that was the point – there was an obvious difference between the vampires who had lived much longer and the teenage characters, and that was done very well. It was also nice to read a vampire book where the girl is the vampire rather than the guy – I’ve read a lot of those books already.
I admit, I did roll my eyes a little at the development of the love triangle, though I had been warned by a bookish friend that there was one in this book. I think I’m going to have to fall on the side of team Mirko, but that’s only because Jaren acts like an ass for the majority of the book. I can’t wait to hear more about Mirko, and hope there is that in coming books.
I have to admit, I kind of wanted the main villain to be a bit more bad-ass than she was, especially given the build-up that was given to her. I don’t want to say any more and give things away, but that was one of my major issues. The ending felt a little rushed, but there was a pretty good cliff-hanger, so I want to know what happens next!
This is a good addition to the young-adult vampire section, and I’d recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading about vampires or paranormal romance, and isn’t too easily distracted by teenagers acting like teenagers.
However, this one was kind of refreshing, because of Angeline Kace’s take on vampire lore – instead of having straight out vampires made by other vampires, there are two types. The Pijawikas, or born vampires, and the Zhao Duh, the made vampires.
Main character, Brooke, is one of the former. Well, half actually. But either way, she doesn’t know it yet. After spending her childhood moving around with her mother, she finally seems to be settled in a small town in Virginia, and is happy about that. She has her best friend Kaitlynn, and has finally been asked out by her crush/general school hottie, Jaren.
Of course, all that sounds good and simple, but weird things start happening. Right at the beginning of the book, actually, which is good, because it shows the reader just how quickly things are going to get exciting. It all starts with Brooke and Kaitlynn being attacked by a mountain lion. Yes, seriously. But it’s not just that, Brooke’s sure she saw a creepy guy near it, who seemed to be in control.
Fast forward a little, and Brooke gets attacked by said creepy guy, and that’s the point where she finds out about her heritage. Of course, she then finds out she needs training because her life is at risk, given half-human half-pijawika are forbidden, especially the variety who have very important parents.
I liked Brooke as a protagonist – she was sassy and so obviously a teenager. I admit, it was refreshing to read something where teenage characters acted like teenagers. Brooke doesn’t always make wise decisions, and neither do her friends. But that was the point – there was an obvious difference between the vampires who had lived much longer and the teenage characters, and that was done very well. It was also nice to read a vampire book where the girl is the vampire rather than the guy – I’ve read a lot of those books already.
I admit, I did roll my eyes a little at the development of the love triangle, though I had been warned by a bookish friend that there was one in this book. I think I’m going to have to fall on the side of team Mirko, but that’s only because Jaren acts like an ass for the majority of the book. I can’t wait to hear more about Mirko, and hope there is that in coming books.
I have to admit, I kind of wanted the main villain to be a bit more bad-ass than she was, especially given the build-up that was given to her. I don’t want to say any more and give things away, but that was one of my major issues. The ending felt a little rushed, but there was a pretty good cliff-hanger, so I want to know what happens next!
This is a good addition to the young-adult vampire section, and I’d recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading about vampires or paranormal romance, and isn’t too easily distracted by teenagers acting like teenagers.
ashreads10k's review
2.0
When I started Descended by Blood, I was actually really into it because there was an adorable budding romance with a boy that Brooke has been majorly crushing on for years, Jaren Matthews. Angeline Kace had a good writing style, not the best and still a bit unpolished in some spots, but it carried the story along well. The book opened with quite a rush, and that grabbed me. I liked where things were going in Brooke and Jaren's relationship a lot, and I really liked Jaren! He was sweet, and really caring, and honestly the ideal guy for any girl. But then they hit a snag in the road, namely a vampire assassin that tries to kill Brooke, and all of that goes out the window. Then things happen at lightning speed, and then we're introduced to Mirko, another vampire who is assigned to care for Brooke.
Here's where I have the problem.
I hate love triangles in general (see my post in which I explain, in various gifs, why). But, I can put up with them if that girl isn't actually dating either of the boys and is just trying to make her decision. But in Descended by Blood, that's not the case. Brooke is literally oscillating between both boys, kissing one in one scene, and then the other in the next. I really just don't jive with that. I hate when people string along others just because they're indecisive. It's literally the ultimate form of douchebaggery. So it irritated me when Brooke would be all, "Oh, wow, Mirko is so hot!" and then in the next train of thought be like "But I still love Jaren, I can't decide who I want to be with more.... so I'll just be with both of them!"
I think the really funny (and unbelievable) part was that both boys went along with it! They were just like "I'll fight for you, and I won't give up, Brooke." Ummm, what? Last time I checked, no boy I know would ever let themselves be used like that. It's honestly demeaning to both of them. You're either with one, or with neither, but you can't have both. That's something that really annoyed me about Brooke, and I really wish the love triangle would have been handled differently.
On a more positive note, I did very much like the vampires in this book. Unique vampires are hard to come by now a days, and I love it when authors do their research and build a complex mythology around their vamps. That was pretty cool. I liked that they had like these special abilities, and it was interesting to see Brooke learning how to enhance hers.
I'm still undecided as to whether I'll read the second. I guess I'll wait a while after it comes out, and see some of the reviews on it. I give Descended by Blood 2 out of 5 stars.
Here's where I have the problem.
I hate love triangles in general (see my post in which I explain, in various gifs, why). But, I can put up with them if that girl isn't actually dating either of the boys and is just trying to make her decision. But in Descended by Blood, that's not the case. Brooke is literally oscillating between both boys, kissing one in one scene, and then the other in the next. I really just don't jive with that. I hate when people string along others just because they're indecisive. It's literally the ultimate form of douchebaggery. So it irritated me when Brooke would be all, "Oh, wow, Mirko is so hot!" and then in the next train of thought be like "But I still love Jaren, I can't decide who I want to be with more.... so I'll just be with both of them!"
I think the really funny (and unbelievable) part was that both boys went along with it! They were just like "I'll fight for you, and I won't give up, Brooke." Ummm, what? Last time I checked, no boy I know would ever let themselves be used like that. It's honestly demeaning to both of them. You're either with one, or with neither, but you can't have both. That's something that really annoyed me about Brooke, and I really wish the love triangle would have been handled differently.
On a more positive note, I did very much like the vampires in this book. Unique vampires are hard to come by now a days, and I love it when authors do their research and build a complex mythology around their vamps. That was pretty cool. I liked that they had like these special abilities, and it was interesting to see Brooke learning how to enhance hers.
I'm still undecided as to whether I'll read the second. I guess I'll wait a while after it comes out, and see some of the reviews on it. I give Descended by Blood 2 out of 5 stars.
theladygonzalez's review
3.0
Descended By Blood by Angeline Kace is a solid debut. While I did have some issues with the storyline, the excitement of the plot kept me happily reading.
First of all, my main compliant lies with the main character, Brooke. Let’s just say that she is incredibly melodramatic. I felt like she was crying every two seconds. She was definitely an emotional character. This was only worsened by the fact that Brooke’s relationships formed at a breakneck speed. Brooke falls in love with two separate boys in an incredibly short span. First she dates Jaren for a few days then has a massive breakdown when she finds out that he may reconnect with his ex. Then, skip ahead a few weeks and they are head over heels in love. Then, Mirko is introduced, things get rocky with Jaren and suddenly she loves them both. I understand that it is possible to have feelings for more than one person at a time and I can even buy into the fact that “love” is easy to come by as a teenager. But I just cannot get behind the fact that Brooke falls for two guys so quickly and so completely. She doesn’t really know either one, never mind the fact that she is constantly fighting for survival. Does she really have time to be worrying about her love life?
That being sad, I still do like Brooke and Mirko together. As a reader, I can go for the good boy or the bad boy. It really just depends on the specific relationship between the characters. And I really did not like the relationship between Brooke and Jaren. I did not really feel their chemistry and to be honest, he just really annoyed me. Jaren is the first to be introduced and as I read, I found myself waiting to see what was behind door number two. I knew there was a love triangle in the book and I could not wait to meet Mirko. While I said before, I feel the relationship between him and Brooke moved too quickly, I still feel they would be good together. Hopefully in the next book we will see more of the little things between them; see them slowly learn each other.
The story itself was fast-paced and full of excitement. Even though I did not exactly love Brooke, I still found the storyline intriguing. Kace introduces a complex vampire world that is incredibly fun to piece together and work out. I hope she expands on all the vampire politics in the upcoming sequel, because I found them utterly fascinating.
All things considered, I enjoyed Descended By Blood. While I found flaws with the story and characters, I still found it be entertaining. And when it comes down to it, isn’t that what we want as readers? Sometimes your brain needs a vacation and you just want to escape into an excitement, thrilling world.
First of all, my main compliant lies with the main character, Brooke. Let’s just say that she is incredibly melodramatic. I felt like she was crying every two seconds. She was definitely an emotional character. This was only worsened by the fact that Brooke’s relationships formed at a breakneck speed. Brooke falls in love with two separate boys in an incredibly short span. First she dates Jaren for a few days then has a massive breakdown when she finds out that he may reconnect with his ex. Then, skip ahead a few weeks and they are head over heels in love. Then, Mirko is introduced, things get rocky with Jaren and suddenly she loves them both. I understand that it is possible to have feelings for more than one person at a time and I can even buy into the fact that “love” is easy to come by as a teenager. But I just cannot get behind the fact that Brooke falls for two guys so quickly and so completely. She doesn’t really know either one, never mind the fact that she is constantly fighting for survival. Does she really have time to be worrying about her love life?
That being sad, I still do like Brooke and Mirko together. As a reader, I can go for the good boy or the bad boy. It really just depends on the specific relationship between the characters. And I really did not like the relationship between Brooke and Jaren. I did not really feel their chemistry and to be honest, he just really annoyed me. Jaren is the first to be introduced and as I read, I found myself waiting to see what was behind door number two. I knew there was a love triangle in the book and I could not wait to meet Mirko. While I said before, I feel the relationship between him and Brooke moved too quickly, I still feel they would be good together. Hopefully in the next book we will see more of the little things between them; see them slowly learn each other.
The story itself was fast-paced and full of excitement. Even though I did not exactly love Brooke, I still found the storyline intriguing. Kace introduces a complex vampire world that is incredibly fun to piece together and work out. I hope she expands on all the vampire politics in the upcoming sequel, because I found them utterly fascinating.
All things considered, I enjoyed Descended By Blood. While I found flaws with the story and characters, I still found it be entertaining. And when it comes down to it, isn’t that what we want as readers? Sometimes your brain needs a vacation and you just want to escape into an excitement, thrilling world.
fatiange's review
1.0
To be fair I didn't finish the book, I just couldn't. Maybe it gets better afterwards but I've never felt like not finishing a book, so now that I do, well I won't finish it.
jasmyn9's review
4.0
Brooke Keller isn't your typical high school student. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, she has finally found a spot where she feels at home and belongs. But when strange things start happening, she's afraid to tell her mother and find out they have to move again. Now by strange things, I mean really strange. She "talks" to a mountain lion that attacks her on a hike and realizes that a man is stalking her - trying to kill her. After the attempt at her life, her mother finds out of course, and then a whole new set of strange things begin. She finds out that she is a vampire, and it turns out that she is a very special one. She teams up with a group that is determined to keep her alive and help her adjust to her new life.
Brooke was a good character. She was sufficiently "freaked out" by the strange turn of events her life had taken. She is at once disgusted at her new way of life, and wanting to embrace her new powerful self. She adjusts quickly, but in a way that makes the story real and involving. She finds herself torn between her old life and her new one - torn between her high school love and the vampire hunk that is trying to help her. The attempts on her life continue and she has the choice to embrace her new life and powers or be killed. A wonderful, quick read that I recommend to fans of urban fantasy.
3.5/5
Brooke was a good character. She was sufficiently "freaked out" by the strange turn of events her life had taken. She is at once disgusted at her new way of life, and wanting to embrace her new powerful self. She adjusts quickly, but in a way that makes the story real and involving. She finds herself torn between her old life and her new one - torn between her high school love and the vampire hunk that is trying to help her. The attempts on her life continue and she has the choice to embrace her new life and powers or be killed. A wonderful, quick read that I recommend to fans of urban fantasy.
3.5/5
mrsjkamp's review
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
I received this book from the author for a blog tour. Here is my honest review:
I didn't realize how much I was actually into this book until the very end, where it leaves you with the craziest cliffhanger ever! I couldn't even believe it was over because I just wanted MORE! But let me start from the beginning...
I was very confused by the opening chapter with the mountain lion and trench coat man because the focus shifted to a more normal high school life for Brooke for a few chapters after that. I guess you could say that the pacing felt a little off at the very beginning. However, once the mountain lion/trench coat man linked back into the story with Brooke, her best friend Kaitlynn, and her new boyfriend Jaren, the action took off immediately!
Brooke learns that vampires exist and that she's special. Seems a little like a typical normal-teen-to-superhuman-badass story with action and boy trouble, but Brooke has personality. She grows and changes. Even though her difference is hard for lots of people to accept, it does make a difference to her. Kaitlynn is such a great friend and really accepts it, but Jaren has some reluctance. And then Mirko steps in. Oh, Mirko. *sigh*
It's hard not to compare, and it's hard not to wonder, but I did enjoy this story and wonder where it was going next. Don't make me choose between Team Mirko and Team Jaren. Brooke will have a hard enough time doing that AND juggling the training of her new powers and abilities. Good luck to her in the next installment of this series, which I will definitely be reading. I hope you do too!
Full review (and blog tour stop on 9/7) @ imabookshark
I received this book from the author for a blog tour. Here is my honest review:
I didn't realize how much I was actually into this book until the very end, where it leaves you with the craziest cliffhanger ever! I couldn't even believe it was over because I just wanted MORE! But let me start from the beginning...
I was very confused by the opening chapter with the mountain lion and trench coat man because the focus shifted to a more normal high school life for Brooke for a few chapters after that. I guess you could say that the pacing felt a little off at the very beginning. However, once the mountain lion/trench coat man linked back into the story with Brooke, her best friend Kaitlynn, and her new boyfriend Jaren, the action took off immediately!
Brooke learns that vampires exist and that she's special. Seems a little like a typical normal-teen-to-superhuman-badass story with action and boy trouble, but Brooke has personality. She grows and changes. Even though her difference is hard for lots of people to accept, it does make a difference to her. Kaitlynn is such a great friend and really accepts it, but Jaren has some reluctance. And then Mirko steps in. Oh, Mirko. *sigh*
It's hard not to compare, and it's hard not to wonder, but I did enjoy this story and wonder where it was going next. Don't make me choose between Team Mirko and Team Jaren. Brooke will have a hard enough time doing that AND juggling the training of her new powers and abilities. Good luck to her in the next installment of this series, which I will definitely be reading. I hope you do too!
Full review (and blog tour stop on 9/7) @ imabookshark
supera710's review
4.0
Wow! I would give this 4.5 stars if possible! My husband won Descended by Blood in a goodreads giveaway, and I picked it up last night, for a quick, easy read. I wasn't sure what to expect, since most of the paranormal books lately are mediocre and so similar in plot. Not the case with this book! It was refreshing and kept me entranced and guessing the whole time! Angeline Kace has made it onto my bookshelves and I can't wait for Enemy Within to come out!