A review by dans_bookscape
Born of Bloodshed by A. D Jones

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

In the border village of Newcastleton a group of friends find themselves in a terrifying situation once one of their friends disappears, later to discover he has been brutally murdered by someone...or something.

What follows is a delightfully horrifying adventure as the group sets out to discover what happened to their friend and others leading to a brutal and bloody confrontation that may cost them all their lives.

A.D. Jones has again created a cast of characters that are both believable and easy to invest in, even with less time in this one. The believable aspect of this one is the absolutely moronic things these kids did at times, at times I was shouting ‘wtf are you doing’ or ‘don’t stop hitting/stabbing etc,’ and of course that exactly what they do...and that because they are scared kids that don’t kow what they are supposed to do in a awful situation they are in, it makes this supernatural tale feel a lot more grounded.

I love the nostalgic feeling to Born of Bloodshed and the setting which adds a feeling of isolation to the mix. I live not far from Kielder Forest and have spent time there which definitely helped picture how terrifying it would be in the characters shoes, especially in their epic and bloody battle in the final battle!

Another great one from A.D. Jones and a big thank you for the chance to get an early look at this...I look forward to seeing what A.D. Jones has next for us!