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REVIEW: Blood Boss by Davidson King
Black Veil: Blood Boss – Davidson King
Vampires, mermaids, and witches…oh, my! Black Veil is full of them all, but at the end of the day, it’s The Blood Boss who has the last word. Ever since The Final War, Vampires rule Black Veil, and with The Blood Boss in charge, peace reigns.
Keeping the vampires under control is a task Cain takes seriously. Humans have accepted his rule, and anyone who seeks to destroy his territory is given swift punishment. His promise to keep Black Veil safe comes with great sacrifice and selflessness; never does he dare hope for more in life. Until one day, a man walks through his front door and changes everything.
Jayce has a happy life. His adopted parents love him, he wants for very little, and he lives every day to the fullest. But when a normal evening turns into a nightmare, and Jayce is forced to come face-to-face with The Blood Boss, the world as he knows it feels like a lie.
Then a great secret is revealed, and nothing is what it seems. Cain and Jayce must work together to stop the forces uniting against the vampires. Life and love are in jeopardy as they fight those who seek to destroy them. Can Cain and Jayce keep Black Veil from crumbling into the sea when every attempt to do so seems impossible?
Black Veil is an exciting new paranormal series from Davidson King. We best know the author for her contemporary romantic suspense, Haven Hart, and, its spin-off, Joker’s Sin.
The setting is reminiscent of Haven Hart, taking place in a city ruled by the mysterious Blood Boss. It’s a time after humans nearly destroyed themselves and supernatural creatures stepped in to save Earth. When things settled, vampires were on top of the food chain.
The vampire lore has little interesting twists that I liked, such as the blood magic and the custom of treating the humans they fed from with reverence instead of livestock. Apart from vampires, there are dragons, creatures of the sea, witches, and perhaps, shifters and whatnot in the future books.
Jayce is an adopted son of a kind-hearted couple who loved him as their own. He was forced to work off their debt from the Blood Boss after his dad failed to pay. I didn’t warm up to Jayce. He has a temper that tends to flair in inappropriate times. It was supposed to make him feisty, but IMO, but he lacked the charm to pull it off.
The Blood Boss is Cain, the first vampire. I liked him better. He’s a strict leader, but he’s fair and just. I suspect he’s the biblical Cain since it was mentioned several times that he was accused of killing his brothers.
Sadly, the romance didn’t work for me. The progression of their relationship wasn’t convincing. And I didn’t feel the chemistry.
The rest of the book was much more entertaining. It’s a story of a young man who discovered his voice is more powerful than he realized and that his real parents sacrificed so much so that he lives. There were so many things to unpack here, and I was super hyped when secrets were revealed. This was more than just vampire romance! This was cosmic!
However, sometimes it felt like things were crammed and shortened to fit the required page count. The plot could have benefited from a longer book. The narrative suffered from too much tell versus show.
But even with these issues, I was fascinated with all the goings-on. Also, this is just the opener, so we can expect some of the juicier threads explored further.
Blood Boss is the beginnings of an epic urban fantasy series. It’s a story about secrets, sacrifice, power, loyalty, and families lost and found. It might not be perfectly composed but it still hit the right notes to make me look forward to the next piece.
Rating
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Blood Sings
Artist: Suzanne Vega
Album: 99.9F
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SOUNDTRACK: Blood Sings by Suzanne Vega
Black Veil: Blood Boss by Davidson King
Blood Sings by Suzanne Vega, a song about meeting one’s father for the first time, for a book about a young man with a powerful voice who learned who his blood family was and their sacrifice.
When blood sees blood
Of its own
It sings to see itself again
It sings to hear the voice it’s known
It sings to recognize the face -
When blood sees blood
Of its own
It sings to see itself again
It sings to hear the voice it’s known
It sings to recognize the faceOne body split and passed along the line
From the shoulder to the hip
I know these bones as being mine
And the curving of the lipAnd my question to you is:
How did this come to pass?
How did this one life fall so far and fast?Some are lean and some with grace, and some without;
All tell the story that repeats
Of a child who had been left alone at birth
Left to fend and taught to fightSee his eyes and how they start with light
Getting colder as the pictures go
Did he carry his bad luck upon his back?
That bad luck we’ve all come to knowAnd my question to you is:
How did this come to pass?
How did this one life fall so far and fast?When blood sees blood
Of its own
It sings to see itself again -
REVIEW: The Witch’s Blood by Michele Notaro
The Ellwood Chronicles: The Witch’s Blood – Michele Notaro
I’ve been living with this burden for years, but my secret has finally been revealed and I feel like I can breathe again. I’ve wanted to ask—to beg—for help, but the spell that’s held me captive wouldn’t allow it. With it out in the open, I’m more determined than ever to break the seal from my chest so I can truly be free.
But what if my seal has something to do with one of the most feared prophecies of the millennium?
“A broken seal breaks the fragile hold…”
What does that mean? How am I connected? And why do I find myself so deeply drawn to Julius when I know my viramore, my soulmate, is out there somewhere? It’s not fair to either of us for me to lead Jules on, but it seems that my vampire companion is fierce in his determination to help me.
The Witch’s Blood is the third book in The Ellwood Chronicles and is a continuation of the overall story as we follow Emrys, Julius, Sebastian, and Ailin on their journey. It contains explicit material and is intended for mature adults 18 years of age and older.
Recommended Reading Order:
The Enchanter’s Flame
The Witch’s Seal
The Enchanter’s Soul
The Witch’s Blood
That damn long-ass prophesy continues to haunt the Ellwoods. This time, it’s all about Emrys and the seal that cost him everything.
Em was part of the Ellwoods coven and also Ailin’s ex-boyfriend who, for reasons unknown at that time, betrayed them. Or so, they thought. It was Sebastian who finally shed some light when he saw that there was a seal on the witch’s chest, preventing him from telling Ailin and the coven the truth.
Reading the books in sequence is the best way to get to know the Ellwoods. I liked how each book build up on the previous one. There are a lot of things going on but it’s not as overwhelming as other urban fantasy books (*side eyes Soulbound*) and it never loses sight of the main thread.
The series is full of magical creatures up the wazoo, either making it on page or name-dropped. Each creature has its own magic. I do wish we get more details about the magic systems or creature abilities. What we know is that witches have different magical affinities, ex. Ailin has nature magic. Enchanters have their own special magic but what makes it different from witch abilities was not explained.
The Witch’s Blood is as riveting and magical as the first two books but with more bloodsucking. The romance takes focus but is nicely integrated with the prophesy and the overarching thread. Since this is the third book, the world is already established so there not so much info-dump.
The book picks up on the aftermath of the ogre battle where the Ellwoods’ nearly lost Seb. Em is now with his friend/lover Julius, a vampire, in coven grounds as they try to recuperate. This is where they, Julius in particular, constantly butted heads with Ailin as they try to find a way to break the seal while trying to keep all the coven members safe.
The story is presented through four POVs, Emrys, Julius, Ailin and Sebastian. This is very effective in showing the group dynamics and how each character developed as their world descends into chaos.
Sage Ailin continues to take responsibility for everything because the witch just loves to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is a giant asshole but we all know A’s heart is in the right place because he couldn’t resist bringing home yet another stray. Seb is forever the peacekeeper, defusing the easily triggered A everytime his viramore (soulmate) gets ticked off.
I was already invested in Em and Jules since the previous books and I’m glad that the author gave them their own story. Emrys is a death witch. He has magical affinity for dead things. I think it’s very apt that his partner is a vampire. It adds an extra kick to their relationship because he could very easily control the undead.
I love how Jules really shine here. You gotta love his devotion to his witch. The vampire is all about keeping Em safe. Once you read about his past, you will love him even more. Regularly drinking a witch’s blood gives him access to their powers. He could use it anytime he wishes. But would he?
This is what’s fascinating about Em and Jules’ relationship. There are many nuances to their relationship, much more so than Ailin and Seb. Later, it turned out that they are even more deeply connected.
A big hug goes to Tobi, Julius’ fledgling. I don’t know why everybody was threatening the guy, he was a cinnamon roll! If A didn’t make him part of his coven, I would have hexed the damn witch. Luckily, A has a soft spot for lost creatures.
And me, I have a soft spot for the Ellwoods a mile wide. Why can’t those evil creatures leave them alone?
We’re near the end of the prophesy. Armies gather. War is here. Another horrid monster rises out of some Goddess-forsaken hole. You can bet one of these Ellwoods is going to make the ultimate sacrifice.
I can’t wait for the final book!!!!
P.S.
Review of The Enchanter’s Flame here.
Review of The Enchanter’s Soul here.Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Blood Sings
Artist: Suzanne Vega
Album: -
SOUNDTRACK: Blood Sings by Suzanne Vega
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When blood sees blood
Of its own
It sings to see itself again
It sings to hear the voice it’s known
It sings to recognize the faceOne body split and passed along the line
From the shoulder to the hip
I know these bones as being mine
And the curving of the lipAnd my question to you is:
How did this come to pass?
How did this one life fall so far and fast?Some are lean and some with grace, and some without;
All tell the story that repeats
Of a child who had been left alone at birth
Left to fend and taught to fightSee his eyes and how they start with light
Getting colder as the pictures go
Did he carry his bad luck upon his back?
That bad luck we’ve all come to knowAnd my question to you is:
How did this come to pass?
How did this one life fall so far and fast?When blood sees blood
Of its own
It sings to see itself again
