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I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
Bloodspell (Bloodspell #1) by Amalie Howard
Published by Langdon Street Press on June 1, 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Pages: 400
Source: Author/Publicist
Goodreads • Amazon • iTunes
The spell was simple...Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)
But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?
Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark
secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.
What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...
Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself? (Goodreads)
Dark. Thrilling. A fantastic debut!
I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I read the synopsis, but I got way more than I bargained for with Bloodspell! Amalie Howard turned a now seemingly common topic of vampires and witches and made it extraordinary. The mythology that she weaves into the story is fantastic. The plot is complex, full of action, and does not shy away from the dark aspects of vampires and magic.
To my delight, Bloodspell did not read like a typical Young Adult novel. When Tori turns 17 she learns that she is a powerful witch, and struggles to control her powers before they take control of her. Due to events that occur during her “metamorphosis”, she has to change schools. Tori ends up going to a private high school adjacent to a college campus, and living in an apartment on her own. Tori meets her match in Christian… but their love is forbidden by law centuries old, and the danger of them severely hurting each other makes their relationship near impossible.
I have to admit… I wanted more intimate scenes with Tori and Christian. Time would pass between paragraphs/chapters and their closeness was eluded to, but I wanted to witness more of those moments and the dialogue. Granted, if I got my wish, the book would probably have been two or three times as long! I think the reason I felt this way is because I read this while there was a lot going on personally, so I kept having to put the book down instead of devouring it in a couple of days. Oh well, I will just have to re-read it :).
Bloodspell is incomparable to other vampire and witch stories – I highly recommend it! I’m really looking forward to seeing what Amalie Howard has in store for the series! Thank you to Marissa Decuir and Amalie for donating this signed ARC as an Armchair BEA prize so I could win it :).
Here’s the trailer:
[…] Author Interview, Giveaway Today I’m excited to have the lovely Amalie Howard, author of Bloodspell (click for my review), back for a “How I Write” feature, along with a giveaway! Many […]
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