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bhunky's review
3.0
it was cool, although I would've expected more action. I can see why one reviewer said the ending was anticlimactic
prgchrqltma's review
4.0
Characters: necromancer, cop
World Building: alternate Kansas City, paranormal universe
Plot: stop world domination by evil person
Sex: lots of tension, largely offstage
Read another: Try one more
World Building: alternate Kansas City, paranormal universe
Plot: stop world domination by evil person
Sex: lots of tension, largely offstage
Read another: Try one more
somecharm's review
2.0
It took me too long to finish this book than I would have liked. It was long-winded in all the wrong ways. The storyline was mediocre at best and the characters just as bad. It reminded me a lot of another book and I don't like that
franjessca's review
4.0
Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas
I finished this book a while ago, but I was having issues on typing up reviews until now. Even bloggers get writer’s block…especially when your oldest daughter is home from school due to Winter Break. (Thank goodness for school back in session.)
I knew I had to read this book the minute it was introduced on my FB Newsfeed one day. The cover sold me and then the synopsis of it and of course because Alexandra Ivy is one Author that can drag a reader into the story. I literally was in the zone, while reading this book that I had no idea what was happening around me. My husband and kids were fending for themselves, while I read Born in Blood.
Alexandra did a fabulous job with the first book and introducing what it is all about and giving us other characters to look forward to in the series. I enjoyed the first book in the new series from Alexandra Ivy and looked forward to the next book. I hope it is Fane’s book. I want to know why he is just all about work and not about having fun.
I give this book 4.5 moons and highly recommend it to paranormal romance readers out there.
I finished this book a while ago, but I was having issues on typing up reviews until now. Even bloggers get writer’s block…especially when your oldest daughter is home from school due to Winter Break. (Thank goodness for school back in session.)
I knew I had to read this book the minute it was introduced on my FB Newsfeed one day. The cover sold me and then the synopsis of it and of course because Alexandra Ivy is one Author that can drag a reader into the story. I literally was in the zone, while reading this book that I had no idea what was happening around me. My husband and kids were fending for themselves, while I read Born in Blood.
Alexandra did a fabulous job with the first book and introducing what it is all about and giving us other characters to look forward to in the series. I enjoyed the first book in the new series from Alexandra Ivy and looked forward to the next book. I hope it is Fane’s book. I want to know why he is just all about work and not about having fun.
I give this book 4.5 moons and highly recommend it to paranormal romance readers out there.
amysofta's review
4.0
I think I might like this series more than I like this author’s vampire series. Blaspheme, I know! The world has some great elements in it and I have hopes that the next book is going to be even better. The setting of this story, or world, reminds me of several of my favorite movies and TV franchises. Fans of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Avengers, and X-Men should definitely give this book a try. I’m classifying it as a paranormal, but it is really a supernatural story full of characters with superpowers, essentially. There were just two points that kept me from giving it five stars and I’ll get to them later.
So what did work for me. I enjoy a good fight of good vs. evil and this world had it on several fronts. Not only did we have the typical psycho-egomaniac hell-bent on taking over the world, we also have this element of a group of society being different and therefore discriminated against. It makes you connect with these would-be heroes and root for them to overcome the prejudices of society. It helps us see the wrong in our own world and teaches us readers what it feels like to be on the other side…or gives those who are also suppressed someone to identify with, a role-model. I also adored this campus like home of Valhalla, what a cool place to explore and hang out for a few hours. That part of the story really reminded me of the X-Men movies. The pacing of the story was good, a nice mix of action, romance, and world building for a first book. We learned a lot, but Ivy didn’t bog the story down by spoon-feeding it all to us in on big chunk in the beginning.
The romance between Callie and Duncan was believable, to me at least. I liked the chemistry between them and that they seemed to have a history, having worked together over different crimes over the years. There was kinda a love triangle, but not really, when we take Fane into account, his being Callie’s guardian Sentinel. That part of the story is left hanging at the end, but I can see that Fane’s story is up next, so I expect that to be resolved there. I wish we could have had an epilogue at the end with one more scene (that I won’t share for spoiler reasons), but the ending was pretty sweet.
What held the story back from a five-star rating. The ending kind of fell apart for me. I found myself having trouble paying attention and just wanted it to end in the last 50 pages. Not that it was bad, just I was ready for it to be over. Perhaps some element was missing to keep me enthralled. Also the whole zombie aspect of the story, yeah I know it was the main plot, but I’m just not a fan of zombie movies or stories. If the world didn’t have the potential for more than just necromancers and zombies I would be done, but I think Ivy is going to be exploring other powers in future books. Fortunately for me the romance and world building over-powered the zombies for much of the book and I was able to still enjoy the story. The very end really ratcheted up the zombies, so maybe that is why I struggled with those last pages.
I’m looking forward to what happens next. I really liked Fane and can’t wait to start his story. Good thing I scored an ARC of the next book, so my wait isn’t going to be long. If you are looking for something a little different, but enjoy the paranormal genre, I suggest giving this book or series a try.
So what did work for me. I enjoy a good fight of good vs. evil and this world had it on several fronts. Not only did we have the typical psycho-egomaniac hell-bent on taking over the world, we also have this element of a group of society being different and therefore discriminated against. It makes you connect with these would-be heroes and root for them to overcome the prejudices of society. It helps us see the wrong in our own world and teaches us readers what it feels like to be on the other side…or gives those who are also suppressed someone to identify with, a role-model. I also adored this campus like home of Valhalla, what a cool place to explore and hang out for a few hours. That part of the story really reminded me of the X-Men movies. The pacing of the story was good, a nice mix of action, romance, and world building for a first book. We learned a lot, but Ivy didn’t bog the story down by spoon-feeding it all to us in on big chunk in the beginning.
The romance between Callie and Duncan was believable, to me at least. I liked the chemistry between them and that they seemed to have a history, having worked together over different crimes over the years. There was kinda a love triangle, but not really, when we take Fane into account, his being Callie’s guardian Sentinel. That part of the story is left hanging at the end, but I can see that Fane’s story is up next, so I expect that to be resolved there. I wish we could have had an epilogue at the end with one more scene (that I won’t share for spoiler reasons), but the ending was pretty sweet.
What held the story back from a five-star rating. The ending kind of fell apart for me. I found myself having trouble paying attention and just wanted it to end in the last 50 pages. Not that it was bad, just I was ready for it to be over. Perhaps some element was missing to keep me enthralled. Also the whole zombie aspect of the story, yeah I know it was the main plot, but I’m just not a fan of zombie movies or stories. If the world didn’t have the potential for more than just necromancers and zombies I would be done, but I think Ivy is going to be exploring other powers in future books. Fortunately for me the romance and world building over-powered the zombies for much of the book and I was able to still enjoy the story. The very end really ratcheted up the zombies, so maybe that is why I struggled with those last pages.
I’m looking forward to what happens next. I really liked Fane and can’t wait to start his story. Good thing I scored an ARC of the next book, so my wait isn’t going to be long. If you are looking for something a little different, but enjoy the paranormal genre, I suggest giving this book or series a try.
novelgoddess's review
4.0
This was the first Alexandra Ivy book I've read. I have amassed all the books in her "Guardians of Eternity" series...alas they sit gathering dust on my TBR shelf. Having read Born in Blood, they will probably be moving up the list.
I really like Ivy's writing style. The story had a lot going on but it was easy to follow. Another thing she did, that I found unusual from most authors I've read, was that she would cut to the chase. For example there was a point where a character was found, after having been missing for a time, and she was injured...the chapter ended and when we picked back up she was in the hospital...explaining to me how other characters called for transportation and delivery to the hospital wouldn't have advanced the story so it was left out...Ivy stuck to the "meat and potatoes" of the story. If she wrote it, you needed to know it for the story. Can I say that I LOVE this philosophy!!!!
Now for characters...there were many and they were varied. Our hero and heroine were, much like the overall story, deep enough to get us through. Meaning I didn't need to know the name of Duncan's kindergarten teacher. We learned what was relevant, but yet I know there is still plenty out there to learn about Duncan and Callie.
Ivy built a world where there are people with some exceptional abilities and they are segregated in their own little domed area called Valhalla. "Norms" are scared of the "Freaks", but not so scared they won't use them for police work and other areas where the Freaks might be useful, however most norms are extremely prejudiced. Callie and Duncan met long before our story begins because Callie is a necromancer and aids at murder scenes while Duncan is a local homicide detective. Valhalla is home to necromancers, psychics, healers, soul gazers, and sentinels/guardians to name a few.
I'm wondering if Ivy will be focusing each book in the series on different people like her "Guardians of Eternity" series or maybe we will stay with Duncan and Callie...I would prefer the later since I believe they still have some much more territory to explore, plus I really liked them...LOL
I really like Ivy's writing style. The story had a lot going on but it was easy to follow. Another thing she did, that I found unusual from most authors I've read, was that she would cut to the chase. For example there was a point where a character was found, after having been missing for a time, and she was injured...the chapter ended and when we picked back up she was in the hospital...explaining to me how other characters called for transportation and delivery to the hospital wouldn't have advanced the story so it was left out...Ivy stuck to the "meat and potatoes" of the story. If she wrote it, you needed to know it for the story. Can I say that I LOVE this philosophy!!!!
Now for characters...there were many and they were varied. Our hero and heroine were, much like the overall story, deep enough to get us through. Meaning I didn't need to know the name of Duncan's kindergarten teacher. We learned what was relevant, but yet I know there is still plenty out there to learn about Duncan and Callie.
Ivy built a world where there are people with some exceptional abilities and they are segregated in their own little domed area called Valhalla. "Norms" are scared of the "Freaks", but not so scared they won't use them for police work and other areas where the Freaks might be useful, however most norms are extremely prejudiced. Callie and Duncan met long before our story begins because Callie is a necromancer and aids at murder scenes while Duncan is a local homicide detective. Valhalla is home to necromancers, psychics, healers, soul gazers, and sentinels/guardians to name a few.
I'm wondering if Ivy will be focusing each book in the series on different people like her "Guardians of Eternity" series or maybe we will stay with Duncan and Callie...I would prefer the later since I believe they still have some much more territory to explore, plus I really liked them...LOL
madolinwelch's review
1.0
I met 4 characters. They all had different names, but were the males both had the same personality (one word answers, full of tough guy stuff) and the girls were both clueless. Couldn’t finish.
cleocleveland's review
4.0
It took a while for this one to get going for me but it could be because I had a hellish business trip with no time for myself in the middle of it. There's no way it would have taken me 9 days to read this book had I been in my normal life. There was good world building, I'm really interested in the tension between the High Bloods and the humans (or the freaks and the norms) and the different types of High Bloods. I really liked Callie but Duncan had to grow on me. He started out a little too a-hole alpha for my taste but he definitely improved. I wished I could have seen the interaction with his family, I was looking forward to Callie meeting them. The ending felt a little abrupt but I'm looking forward to more in the series. There are some pairings being hinted at that I really want to see.
eloiseinparis's review
3.0
I have to say from the start I did not like Duncan. He came across as more of a crass sexually harassing frat boy then a seasoned cop who was raised by a loving mother and strong women for sisters. When we first met him he felt the need to crudely tell Callie multiple times how he was going to screw her. I didn’t get why she thought it was sexy. Nor did I get why she was so impressed by his looks, because every High Blood we met was described as insanely gorgeous so her seeing really good looking men was part of her daily routine. While Duncan’s fascination with Callie made sense, Callie being so eager to jump into his bed was odd. I guess that’s why nearing the end of the book they suddenly had some mystical bond.
The bad guys on the other hand I found fascinating. Their back stories were steeped in history and mysticism and I wish we saw more of them. I also like the discovery of a secret group and I am eager to see what messes they cause in the future. The world built was also done well, and the alluding to many types of High Bloods out there peaked my interest. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
The bad guys on the other hand I found fascinating. Their back stories were steeped in history and mysticism and I wish we saw more of them. I also like the discovery of a secret group and I am eager to see what messes they cause in the future. The world built was also done well, and the alluding to many types of High Bloods out there peaked my interest. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.