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wildflowerz76's review
3.0
This was another one I got when I first got my Kindle for free or super cheap. It was okay. It felt like it was just a recycling of other stuff I've previously read. There wasn't a lot new here. I didn't love any of the characters. In the end, it was just okay.
lyshreads's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lenoreo's review
4.0
https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/blood-will-tell-by-samantha-young
4 stars -- WOW. This one starts off with a really dark bang in the prologue. I found myself all kinds of intrigued by a heroine who lives with the evil people, and is aware of the evil things that are done in her home everyday. It just felt very unique to me. And you could really feel all the struggles that Eden was going through, growing up how she did but not having the same overwhelming urges that the rest of her family had. There was a lot of internal struggling going on in Eden's mind too, particularly after the "hunger" was awoken. I couldn't imagine what that must have been like to live with.
I found the relationship with her brother to be epically intriguing. They had such a strange relationship given their upbringing. And seeing Stratton have those dark urges, but try to quell them because of his love for his sister? I just couldn't figure out what to think. I mean, I actually really liked him and the way he protected Eden, so it made the whole thing so much more shades of gray if that makes any sense. I mean, he's a guy who is genuinely tempted by "the dark side", and yet because of how he feels for Eden, it actually gives him some sense of guilt...like he wants to be better for her. It kind of broke my heart and got to me in a way I wasn't expecting.
On the other side of things we have Noah, part of the "good side", and yet I wasn't always that impressed with him. As I'm beginning to notice in Ms. Young's paranormal series, there really isn't a strong romance aspect...it's really more about the building of the paranormal world and the conflict that arises in each. Personal preference? I miss the romance. I'm used to reading these series and having a hero to root for and make into a book boyfriend, and we didn't really get that in Noah. I mean, he has a girlfriend for part of it, and is conflicted on his feelings for Eden and whether he's disgusted by her (even though he's spent 6 months getting to know her). So that part was kind of disappointing. I wanted more from Noah I guess.
The paranormal world is intriguing though -- very different, though it still had that infodump feel to it as I've experienced in her other series. And I enjoyed the backstory of her birth (even if it was seriously disturbing), and I'm liking Cyrus so far. We really didn't get to see much of the Ankh side, so I'm hoping the next books give us a better glimpse of them.
I was really surprised by some of the twists that came during her awakening -- I can honestly say I didn't see some of that coming, and so I'm curious who the big bad is going to be, and I'm saddened for the loss of one of the characters.
The strength of this book (and series) so far is definitely in Eden, and all the conflict she experiences (mostly internal). I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes...
4 stars -- WOW. This one starts off with a really dark bang in the prologue. I found myself all kinds of intrigued by a heroine who lives with the evil people, and is aware of the evil things that are done in her home everyday. It just felt very unique to me. And you could really feel all the struggles that Eden was going through, growing up how she did but not having the same overwhelming urges that the rest of her family had. There was a lot of internal struggling going on in Eden's mind too, particularly after the "hunger" was awoken. I couldn't imagine what that must have been like to live with.
I found the relationship with her brother to be epically intriguing. They had such a strange relationship given their upbringing. And seeing Stratton have those dark urges, but try to quell them because of his love for his sister? I just couldn't figure out what to think. I mean, I actually really liked him and the way he protected Eden, so it made the whole thing so much more shades of gray if that makes any sense. I mean, he's a guy who is genuinely tempted by "the dark side", and yet because of how he feels for Eden, it actually gives him some sense of guilt...like he wants to be better for her. It kind of broke my heart and got to me in a way I wasn't expecting.
On the other side of things we have Noah, part of the "good side", and yet I wasn't always that impressed with him. As I'm beginning to notice in Ms. Young's paranormal series, there really isn't a strong romance aspect...it's really more about the building of the paranormal world and the conflict that arises in each. Personal preference? I miss the romance. I'm used to reading these series and having a hero to root for and make into a book boyfriend, and we didn't really get that in Noah. I mean, he has a girlfriend for part of it, and is conflicted on his feelings for Eden and whether he's disgusted by her (even though he's spent 6 months getting to know her). So that part was kind of disappointing. I wanted more from Noah I guess.
The paranormal world is intriguing though -- very different, though it still had that infodump feel to it as I've experienced in her other series. And I enjoyed the backstory of her birth (even if it was seriously disturbing), and I'm liking Cyrus so far. We really didn't get to see much of the Ankh side, so I'm hoping the next books give us a better glimpse of them.
I was really surprised by some of the twists that came during her awakening -- I can honestly say I didn't see some of that coming, and so I'm curious who the big bad is going to be, and I'm saddened for the loss of one of the characters.
The strength of this book (and series) so far is definitely in Eden, and all the conflict she experiences (mostly internal). I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes...
ania_star's review
5.0
What an amazing book. I really like when mythology is used properly in a story, when the author respects the original stories and at the same time puts their own spin on it. It is nice to read another great book on Egyptian myths.
rebecca_3's review
4.0
Warning for those expecting a normal YA paranormal romance. This is very dark with a lot of extremely violent and disturbing scenes. The stuff of nightmares. Its still YA but I wouldnt recommend it for those too young, or those with week stomachs.
Eden is a supernatural being called Blessed. They have extremely dark impulses. Extremely dark. She has grown up to the sounds of screams coming from the basement of her family home her whole life. Now that she is starting to get the urges too she is fighting them, because unlike the rest of her family, she has a conscience because she is only half Blessed. Her best friend Noah knows what she is although Eden doesnt know that he knows. She thinks that if he knew he would hate her and leave. But he is trying to save her from it.
Its a very dark world that [a:Samantha Young|4167378|Samantha Young|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1334413692p2/4167378.jpg] created, and it is fascinating. Eden's struggle is intense and you cant help sympathizing for her. She went through so much that she didnt deserve. But she was so strong. And I cant help sympathizing for Noah either. Poor guy was so torn. How do you come to terms with having feelings for someone like Eden? She has so much darkness in her. But Noah was amazing. He never gave up on her and he could always see the good in her, even when she was trying to eat him. I cant wait to see if a relationship develops between them. He must have strong feelings for her in order to overcome that. A romance was not explored in this book but I definitely see it happening.
I am also excited to learn more about their world and their history. They seem to have a lot of mythology behind them and I cant wait to learn more about where they came from. This ended a bit abruptly so I will be reading the second, [b:Blood Past|11382304|Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh #2)|Samantha Young|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1326373994s/11382304.jpg|16313828], right away. I highly recommend this for paranormal fans who love dark new worlds and a little mythology.
Eden is a supernatural being called Blessed. They have extremely dark impulses. Extremely dark. She has grown up to the sounds of screams coming from the basement of her family home her whole life. Now that she is starting to get the urges too she is fighting them, because unlike the rest of her family, she has a conscience because she is only half Blessed. Her best friend Noah knows what she is although Eden doesnt know that he knows. She thinks that if he knew he would hate her and leave. But he is trying to save her from it.
Its a very dark world that [a:Samantha Young|4167378|Samantha Young|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1334413692p2/4167378.jpg] created, and it is fascinating. Eden's struggle is intense and you cant help sympathizing for her. She went through so much that she didnt deserve. But she was so strong. And I cant help sympathizing for Noah either. Poor guy was so torn. How do you come to terms with having feelings for someone like Eden? She has so much darkness in her. But Noah was amazing. He never gave up on her and he could always see the good in her, even when she was trying to eat him. I cant wait to see if a relationship develops between them. He must have strong feelings for her in order to overcome that. A romance was not explored in this book but I definitely see it happening.
I am also excited to learn more about their world and their history. They seem to have a lot of mythology behind them and I cant wait to learn more about where they came from. This ended a bit abruptly so I will be reading the second, [b:Blood Past|11382304|Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh #2)|Samantha Young|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1326373994s/11382304.jpg|16313828], right away. I highly recommend this for paranormal fans who love dark new worlds and a little mythology.
noctisora's review
5.0
Let me start by saying that I really cannot believe people do not know about this book! IT IS AMAZING! Samantha Young, at the ripe young age of 25, you are a certified genius.
I had some reservations about reading this book in the beginning. It is a little darker than what I usually read, and I really do not like horror and gore and whatnot. Even though there were some disturbing and darker elements present, it never went overboard and I never felt like it was too much. Young did a really nice job of not scaring off the super scaredy-cats (like me >
I think the best thing about this book is Eden. She is a soul eater, and with her hunger awakened, she has to feed on the souls of people to survive. In other words, she is NOT a good guy. But Eden would do anything to change who she is and rid herself of the hunger that resides in her. She is portrayed as a strong and independent character that takes crap from no one, and her emotions are complex and real as she fights off the hunger. And the chemistry between her and all the other characters, especially her brother, Stellan, and Noah, is just excellently written. I felt the closeness of Stellan and Eden, reminding me of my own brother and me. Even the confusing moments when she could not decide how she felt about Noah (or why she had certain feelings of jealousy or anger) was just perfect. It was really a whirlwind of emotions that made you want to keep reading to find out how it all resolved.
I really liked Stellan and Noah. Stellan was the perfect older brother looking after his little sister and the connection and love between them was almost tangible. And then there is Noah, the immortal Ankh warrior whose duty is to destroy soul eaters. I loved when Young told the story from his point of view every few chapters or so. It really showcased his feelings and conflicted emotions, such as how he would sometimes forget Eden was one of the monsters he should hate and definitely NOT care for. It made him that much more relatable and likeable! Overall, characters, chemistry and dialogue were topnotch.
Another thing I really liked about the story was the usage of Egyptian mythology. I have read plenty of books that had elements of Greek/Roman mythology, but Egyptian mythology? Not so much. With aspects of Egyptian mythology thrown in, this story of a soul eater is utterly original and a super satisfying, fast-paced read. I already have the second book, Blood Past, right next me and I am super stoked to start reading it! I better get comfortable in case it is another book I read in one sitting. >)
I had some reservations about reading this book in the beginning. It is a little darker than what I usually read, and I really do not like horror and gore and whatnot. Even though there were some disturbing and darker elements present, it never went overboard and I never felt like it was too much. Young did a really nice job of not scaring off the super scaredy-cats (like me >
I think the best thing about this book is Eden. She is a soul eater, and with her hunger awakened, she has to feed on the souls of people to survive. In other words, she is NOT a good guy.
Spoiler
In fact, most members of her family are serial killers who get off on raping and beating their victims before finally taking their souls (shudder).I really liked Stellan and Noah. Stellan was the perfect older brother looking after his little sister and the connection and love between them was almost tangible. And then there is Noah, the immortal Ankh warrior whose duty is to destroy soul eaters. I loved when Young told the story from his point of view every few chapters or so. It really showcased his feelings and conflicted emotions, such as how he would sometimes forget Eden was one of the monsters he should hate and definitely NOT care for. It made him that much more relatable and likeable! Overall, characters, chemistry and dialogue were topnotch.
Another thing I really liked about the story was the usage of Egyptian mythology. I have read plenty of books that had elements of Greek/Roman mythology, but Egyptian mythology? Not so much. With aspects of Egyptian mythology thrown in, this story of a soul eater is utterly original and a super satisfying, fast-paced read. I already have the second book, Blood Past, right next me and I am super stoked to start reading it! I better get comfortable in case it is another book I read in one sitting. >)
zozoaltizer's review
2.0
Horrible. Story's all over the place, cliche high school experiences, and a semi-flat main character that seems to unknowingly mope around in her self pity more times than not. Great cover, though!
smhq089030's review
4.0
Warriors of Ankh is another interesting world created by Samantha Young. No werewolves or fairies, but ancient egyptian legends about those who love to eat souls of humans and those who try to save the humans from the soul eaters. Eden happens to be a soul eater with a lost past, and the only person who keeps her humanity going is her brother Stellan and secretive friend Noah. Then out of nowhere, one attack from the savers or the "neith" changes everything for Eden. Noah isn't at all who she thought he was, and along with her parents, they all represent the same word : betrayal. With all this betrayal and left alone, Eden must question who to trust and what to do next?
The first book was great a start and like other Young's series, I can't wait to finish them. Especially, the Warriors of Ankh, which will keep you intrigued through all the pages.
The first book was great a start and like other Young's series, I can't wait to finish them. Especially, the Warriors of Ankh, which will keep you intrigued through all the pages.
carsonlanelle's review
4.0
Only 4 stars because the beginning feels a little clunky!
Love this series!
Love this series!
angienagie's review
3.0
Originally posted at Disquietus Reads
The Warriors of Ankh trilogy consisting of Blood Will Tell, Blood Past, and Shades of Blood by Samantha Young, was a fairly decent paranormal YA series. I’ll admit that going in I wasn’t expecting too much from it, and was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. Each book definitely had its share of problems, but it was fun and the characters were enjoyable enough to make it worth continuing. The second book is definitely the best though.
The world of the “Blessed” as the Soul Stealers call themselves and the Neith/Ankh was well-developed. It wasn’t particularly original, and some of its lore was pretty cheesy but I was intrigued by the three races origins in Egyptian lore and wish there had been more of an exploration of that because what information we got was fascinating.
The bond between Eden and her brother Stellan is an important one throughout the series and drives many of Eden’s actions. So naturally all the talk of Egyptian brother/sister marriages did have me slightly concerned that Stellan was going to end up having some creepy perverted obsession with Eden. Especially because some of his actions definitely didn’t come off as brotherly to me, such as nicknaming her Paradise, but luckily that did not end up being the case.
In all honesty Eden is the best part of the series. She is sassy and bad-ass and even though she’s got her frustrating moments because she lets her trust-issues get the best of her, she is extremely likable. The book had a lot of great characters, my favorites being Eden, her cousin Tobe and, of course, Eden’s love interest Noah. The romance between Eden and Noah has some pretty steamy moments, but it doesn’t overshadow all the other aspects of the story, which is nice and often rare in YA. I also really enjoyed Cyrus and Val and the occasional wisdom there were able to bring.
My biggest problem with this series was that I never really felt as if a true conflict existed in any of the books. While they were filled with action, it felt pretty contrived at times. Ever villain Eden and the rest of the Warriors faced was tidily destroyed within a couple of pages at the end of each book, with almost no losses or sacrifices on the side of the good guys. These two races are supposed to be mortal, deadly enemies and yet only two people die in the entire series? Lame. The only person who may have proved to be a worthy adversary, because he was all-powerful and unbeatable, was the leader of the good guys so you know that nothing bad is really going to happen. The books also had some unresolved story lines, such as the romance between Val and Darius, and another about an inner-Warrior rebellion/power battle that honestly was not developed at all but was repeatedly mentioned and made no sense whatsoever.
I enjoyed this series mostly because I really liked the characters. The plot involving the Soul Eaters and Eden and the rebel Warriors was pretty basic and almost irrelevant, and the writing was only slightly better than mediocre. I would recommend it if you’re looking for a fast read that will amuse you but not really invest much of your emotions.
The Warriors of Ankh trilogy consisting of Blood Will Tell, Blood Past, and Shades of Blood by Samantha Young, was a fairly decent paranormal YA series. I’ll admit that going in I wasn’t expecting too much from it, and was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. Each book definitely had its share of problems, but it was fun and the characters were enjoyable enough to make it worth continuing. The second book is definitely the best though.
The world of the “Blessed” as the Soul Stealers call themselves and the Neith/Ankh was well-developed. It wasn’t particularly original, and some of its lore was pretty cheesy but I was intrigued by the three races origins in Egyptian lore and wish there had been more of an exploration of that because what information we got was fascinating.
The bond between Eden and her brother Stellan is an important one throughout the series and drives many of Eden’s actions. So naturally all the talk of Egyptian brother/sister marriages did have me slightly concerned that Stellan was going to end up having some creepy perverted obsession with Eden. Especially because some of his actions definitely didn’t come off as brotherly to me, such as nicknaming her Paradise, but luckily that did not end up being the case.
In all honesty Eden is the best part of the series. She is sassy and bad-ass and even though she’s got her frustrating moments because she lets her trust-issues get the best of her, she is extremely likable. The book had a lot of great characters, my favorites being Eden, her cousin Tobe and, of course, Eden’s love interest Noah. The romance between Eden and Noah has some pretty steamy moments, but it doesn’t overshadow all the other aspects of the story, which is nice and often rare in YA. I also really enjoyed Cyrus and Val and the occasional wisdom there were able to bring.
My biggest problem with this series was that I never really felt as if a true conflict existed in any of the books. While they were filled with action, it felt pretty contrived at times. Ever villain Eden and the rest of the Warriors faced was tidily destroyed within a couple of pages at the end of each book, with almost no losses or sacrifices on the side of the good guys. These two races are supposed to be mortal, deadly enemies and yet only two people die in the entire series? Lame. The only person who may have proved to be a worthy adversary, because he was all-powerful and unbeatable, was the leader of the good guys so you know that nothing bad is really going to happen. The books also had some unresolved story lines, such as the romance between Val and Darius, and another about an inner-Warrior rebellion/power battle that honestly was not developed at all but was repeatedly mentioned and made no sense whatsoever.
I enjoyed this series mostly because I really liked the characters. The plot involving the Soul Eaters and Eden and the rebel Warriors was pretty basic and almost irrelevant, and the writing was only slightly better than mediocre. I would recommend it if you’re looking for a fast read that will amuse you but not really invest much of your emotions.