A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire #2)
by Bella Forrest
Summary: Having been delighted by the Christmas best-selling debut, A Shade Of Vampire, readers are begging for more.
In A Shade Of Blood, Bella Forrest transports you deeper into a unique, enthralling and beautifully sensitive story.
Prepare to be lost in its pages…
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?
Source: I received a copy of this book for Kindle from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
I really liked A Shade of Blood. It picked up where A Shade of Vampire ended, which was great given that it ended on a giant cliffhanger. I absolutely loved the first book and I grew to care a lot about the characters, so at the start of book 2, I was deeply invested in the story. Sofia made her decision and attempts to live a normal life again, going back to being best friends with Ben and worrying about high school.
The book was almost frustrating because I cared so much about the characters and they were all making decisions that made me want to pull my hair out. But I wouldn’t consider this a bad thing because I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and completely engrossed in the events. In A Shade of Vampire, the book was written from both Sofia and Derek’s point of view. A Shade of Blood added Ben’s point of view and a couple chapters written from Derek’s brother, Lucas. I enjoyed the extra perspectives, especially because I didn’t like Ben. Getting his point of view was helpful for me to understand him a little more.
Even though Ben and Sofia spent time in the Shade, they had completely different opinions about it, mostly due to the way they were treated while they were there. Ben had a blinding hatred of the place and everything about it, while Sofia had fond memories that confused her and left her feeling torn. The Shade changed her, but it was up to her to figure out what that meant. This is where the issues between Ben and Sofia started to take root and fuel a major conflict.
Meanwhile, things in the Shade were getting pretty bad as Derek attempted to manage a kingdom that grew soft and uncaring over the centuries. Derek forced his kingdom to prepare for war, while he also fought one inside of himself. I have no idea why I can hate Ben for the way he treated Sofia by ignoring her and going off with his friends and girlfriends, but I can love Derek even though his mistreatment of people extends far beyond ignoring them. He was ruthless, violent, and terrible, but I still thought he was a better person. He was dealing with his own change in views and fighting against centuries of shifts in vampire attitudes that created its own set of problems.
The conflict in A Shade of Blood is definitely elevated from the one in A Shade of Vampire. A lot of the book was frustrating in an emotional sense, but in a good way. But then things got serious, kind of crazy, and a few twists and turns presented themselves throughout the book. It wasn’t just about Sofia and Derek (or even Ben) anymore and the stakes were higher. I enjoyed every bit of it and loved watching the characters fight external and internal battles. I am so in love with this series and I didn’t want book 2 to end!
I highly recommend this series. It’s captivating and I absolutely love the characters. And the covers are absolutely gorgeous! A Shade of Blood is still YA, but there’s a few mature themes and issues, much like the first book. No scenes are particularly graphic, but there’s violence, war, and sex in the plot because of what all of the characters dealt with in their lives. As an adult, I love the series because I’m still getting the YA coming of age, a little bit of angst and uncertainty about the future mixed with a plot that includes a little violence and sex without pages upon pages of descriptions. It isn’t a YA vampire book where the vampires are all that nice. The nice guy has his own problems. I find it refreshing. I recommend it to people who enjoy a good vampire romance without sacrificing the nature of vampires. I also recommend it to people who enjoy vampire paranormal romances, but don't want to read (or just want to take a break from) adult vampire paranormal romances. I cannot wait for book 3!!
A Shade of Blood released on April 8, 2013 and is currently $3.99 for Kindle.
A Shade of Vampire is the same price.
Labels: Review, sequel, YA
