Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
From Publishers – Hachette Aust.
Release Date – 1st September 2011
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Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarre – a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility and control their hungers. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the darkness of the mortal world . . . and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Chrysabelle’s secrets, though, are about to put her life – and those around her – in even greater jeopardy. She possesses a powerful ring, the key to unlocking an ancient prophecy destined to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. A chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen threatens to reign unless she and Malkolm can stop the noble vampire behind the merciless plot.

Review by Esther Fong – First of all I’m so glad that I have a hard copy of this book as the cover is amazing (normally I read ebooks). The cover really helps you picture the gold etchings that cover Chrysabelle’s skin.

Chrysabelle was born a Comarre, a bred of humans whose pure blood provides there vampire patrons with special powers in return for longer life. After the suspicious death of her patron she escapes to America to her aunt and meets Malkom, the vampire cursed to kill everyone that he drinks from. Their interactions show the imperfections of each character and the ways that they try to over come this and begin to trust each other. After Chrysabelle’s aunt is kidnapped by Tatiana a noble vampire out to break the covenant that binds vampires from all out feeding on humans. Blood Rights follows their journey to the heartland of vampire society to face Tatiana and her evil patron.

Blood Rights is a well written story with amazing world building. It is not often that I read a book that allows the story to speak for itself and doesn’t force it onto the reader. Blood Rights is set in the world of vampires, comarre (humans bred to feed vampires) fae and Varcolai(shifters). At some points in the book I did find myself drifting when I was reading. This may have been due to the fact that there was several POV (point of views) which made the story hard to entrance me, as just when I got into the POV of one character it would jump to another. Towards the end of the book the pace increased and things finally started to happen.

The character that I loved the most of Tatiana. The evil Vampire set on world domination. She was so well written that I could relate to her so well. I understood where she was coming from and after the revelation of the last chapters you understood what caused her to become the way she was. I look forward to reading the next two books, Flesh and Blood and Bad Blood. Bring on the world of the Comarre!

About the Author: Kristen Painter is a former college English teacher, personal trainer, advertising exec, maitre d’ and runway model. She lives in Rockledge, Florida.

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Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur
The Dark Angel Series: Book 1
From Publishers – Piatkus (Hachette)
Release Date – October 2011
Check it out at Goodreads | The Book Depository | Kobo | iBooks

Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, Risa Jones can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see reapers and walk the grey fields that divide this world from the next. They are skills she rarely uses, however. But when her mother asks her to help the parents of a little girl locked in a coma, she reluctantly agrees. What she discovers terrifies her: someone has ripped the girl’s soul from her flesh.

As it turns out, a creature consuming the souls of the innocent – and not so innocent – is the least of her problems. Because someone wants to rip open the gates that divide hell from earth and Risa is a key component in their plans. And the only person standing between her and disaster is a reaper who isn’t exactly on her side.

Reviewed by Selina – Risa. She is part Aedh (you will have to read the book to find out what this is), wolf, shape shifter, psychic and has the ability to see Reapers and communicate with the dead or dying. Risa is the heroine of the story and quickly gets pulled into a conspiracy that seems to involve her father, of whom she has never known. There is a kidnapping attempt, a soul stealing monster, a stalking shirtless sword wielding reaper, the fiery gates of Hell and mystical magical tattoos.
Not having read Keri Arthurs books before I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid world that has been created here. Keri Arthur’s characters are very raw with their animalistic natures and some seem complicated and have many hidden histories and talents. She builds her world with intriguing characters, and tangled plots. I had to remind myself that this is a part of a series. I can’t wait to see what is unravelled in the next book.

About the Author: Keri Arthur recently won the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Urban Fantasy and has been nominated in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards. She has one daughter and lives in Australia.

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