Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: YA paranormal
Published: April 8th 2013
Publisher:
Pages: 314
Source: Purchased Paperback
Available at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Goodreads Summary:
When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she’d forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak.
Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek’s heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape.
High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her.
But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? … and the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?
My Rating of this Book – 3 out of 5 stars
My Review:
When I first got A Shade of Blood, I was surprised and pleased that the novel was double the first novella. Yay! More Derek and Sofia! I thought. Just like I asked for in my A Shade of Vampire review. But I ended up being a bit disappointed.
To start on a positive note, there was definitely more Derek and Sofia, which I was pleased with, and also a few chapters from Ben’s and Lucas’s point of view as well. I actually found this intriguing. I liked know what was happening with other character and how their thoughts added to the plot, eventually effecting Derek and Sofia in different ways. I also liked learning more about Sofia and Ben’s past relationship together as friends and how that built over time.
I also loved all the secrets that were revealed. Some of which I expected, some of which took me completely by surprise. All of them adding new twists and turns for the series to take.
Here’s the down sides for me. First, the novel seemed to be written in a rush. There were several things that were plainly inaccurate, events that were disconnected from the plot, and sudden turnarounds in characters’ attitudes that I couldn’t figure out. Second, the timeline was wacky. An example would be the fact that there was prom, which is usually in April or May, and then a chapter or two later, there was a big football championship game, which usually occurs in December. Needless to say, I was completely lost.
But the biggest disappointment was the fact there was no climax. I was waiting and waiting and the story just ended. True, it ended on a fascinating note, but not one that is climatic. Honestly, in my opinion, A Shade of Blood is what I would consider just a bridge to the next novel.
Considering that this is one of the few vampire novels I actually like, I will still continue reading A Shade of Vampire series. I just hope in the next novel there’s more of a climax to the plot
Kelsey Ketch 