Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Review of BLOOD RIGHTS

Blood Rights (House of Comarré, #1)Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

These days books, digital and otherwise, and bowing under the weight from all the vampire books out there. Given this sheer preponderance, finding a new approach to a well-worn formula can be daunting. To her credit, Kristen Painter focuses instead on well-written characters and a compelling plot.

The time is about fifty years in the future, in a world that is distinctly more Bladerunner-ish than today. Chrysabelle (wince-worthy name in truth...) is a Comarre, a unique subspoeci3s of human whose blood is more delicious than the usual pint of B Pos. For various expected reasons she flees too Florida, where she crosses path with a cursed vampire outcast named Malkom (the usual fanged beefcake number...)

So far, as expected. The world building is not too detailed, but at this point it;s hardly necessary, people know what to expect. The real strength of the story are the characters - Chrysabelle is a surprisingly appealing heroine. Malkom's sense of doomed fate self-loathing can be grating after a while, but fits fully within the expectations of a romantic hero. The supporting characters (shapeshifters, ghosts, etc...) really give the story an extra zing, being well shaped and distinctive in their own right.

All in all, a nice breezy potboiler, perfect for a beach read or a long ride on a train. I winced at some of the more cliched parts, but went through a hundred pages before coming up for air. Not bad indeed.

View all my reviews

Cool cover...

Cool cover...hope the band matches it...

The lady stands alone

The lady stands alone in the wind

Once a goddess supreme overall.

Now lost in the shadow of her sons.

Her small lamp dwindling in the mist.

The fullness of their arrogance!

Her call to the lost children,

lost in their self-regard.

Honor your mother, that is the way.

God's commandment to warring sons.

But who hears the old words,

buried in empty caskets!

The cries of fools!

 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Indie writers on the rise....

"Publishing Is Broken, We're Drowning In Indie Books - And That's A Good Thing"

Or so claims Forbes magazine...

 

Read the article here.