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pagesofshannon 's review for:

A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake
4.5
emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really enjoyed this book! Samara is a human trapped in a magical prison. She gets tasked with caring for a vampire, Raphael. He is everything she has been taught to hate and fear, except he's her only chance at escaping the terrible life she has at Greymere. The two decide to strike a bargain and escape, but nothing is ever really that simple is it?

I was lucky enough to receive an ALC (advanced listener copy) and even though its a single narrator, she absolutely nails it. Audiobooks can be challenging in the fantasy genre, but I did not find that the case with this one. This novel has really nice pacing throughout and the plot continues to gain more depth as you progress. 

I really liked both main characters. Samara's past shapes her so much throughout the book and I found that Drake did a beautiful job tying her childhood experiences together with her present situation. Raphael reminds me a lot of Eric Northman from True Blood - a vicious and rigid character who bends his traditional personality due to his infatuation. They are both so different, but drawn to each other.

This is the first book in a series and as such it leaves readers wanting the next book immediately. I cannot wait to see where the author takes their story.

Thank you for this ALC. I am voluntarily leaving this review with my thoughts.