Scan barcode
A review by shelleyrae
Blood Rock by Anthony Francis
5.0
Having just finished [b:Frost Moon|7629854|Frost Moon (Skindancer, #1)|Anthony Francis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308973065s/7629854.jpg|10129142] I was happy to start Blood Rock on it's heels, which picks up the story just a few weeks later.
Blood Rock throws Dakota straight into a new magical crisis. This is a fast paced, action packed story that has Dakota frantically juggling murderous wall murals, a rebellious daughter, a pissed off Vampire Queen, a vampire lover, the Atlanta PD and her eccentric skindancer master.
Graffiti tags all over Atlanta are coming alive, trapping unwary humans, weres, and vampires including Revenance who is killed. Dakota is called in to consult by her uncle, since the tags seem to be using a magic similar to that used by tattoo artists, but she is out of her depth. The concept of magical graffiti is fabulous and the author has obviously put a lot of thought into it. I won't even pretend to understand the mathematical concepts Francis uses to explain how it works (mixed with a healthy dose of magic) but it all seemed to make sense to me. The authors descriptions are vivid so the story has a visual element (if you have the imagination.) I loved the whole storyline and the conclusion is spectacular.
There are several subplots in Blood Rock, mostly relating to Dakota's person life. Her adoption of Cinnamon is interrupted by the DA threatening to arrest her for murder and then she is forced to go on the run as the Atlanta PD suspect her of being involved in the graffiti murders. Lady Saffron has a tantrum, rescinding Dakota's protection after she begins to date Calaphase. Lord Transmania rears his head in the town where she learnt her craft and if that's not enough the magical graffiti artist targets Dakota and those she loves. Dakota barely gets to take a breath but Francis never lets the craziness get out of control, it all weaves together to simply create a superbly layered story.
With Blood Rock, Anthony Francis's Skindancer series becomes one of my favourites. I love the energy, attitude and creativity and look forward to the next installment.
Blood Rock throws Dakota straight into a new magical crisis. This is a fast paced, action packed story that has Dakota frantically juggling murderous wall murals, a rebellious daughter, a pissed off Vampire Queen, a vampire lover, the Atlanta PD and her eccentric skindancer master.
Graffiti tags all over Atlanta are coming alive, trapping unwary humans, weres, and vampires including Revenance who is killed. Dakota is called in to consult by her uncle, since the tags seem to be using a magic similar to that used by tattoo artists, but she is out of her depth. The concept of magical graffiti is fabulous and the author has obviously put a lot of thought into it. I won't even pretend to understand the mathematical concepts Francis uses to explain how it works (mixed with a healthy dose of magic) but it all seemed to make sense to me. The authors descriptions are vivid so the story has a visual element (if you have the imagination.) I loved the whole storyline and the conclusion is spectacular.
There are several subplots in Blood Rock, mostly relating to Dakota's person life. Her adoption of Cinnamon is interrupted by the DA threatening to arrest her for murder and then she is forced to go on the run as the Atlanta PD suspect her of being involved in the graffiti murders. Lady Saffron has a tantrum, rescinding Dakota's protection after she begins to date Calaphase. Lord Transmania rears his head in the town where she learnt her craft and if that's not enough the magical graffiti artist targets Dakota and those she loves. Dakota barely gets to take a breath but Francis never lets the craziness get out of control, it all weaves together to simply create a superbly layered story.
With Blood Rock, Anthony Francis's Skindancer series becomes one of my favourites. I love the energy, attitude and creativity and look forward to the next installment.