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Blood Life
Not your typical vampire this book has blood, sex, violence, violent sex, magic, and an unforgettable paranormal adventure just waiting to reveal itself without restraint! Starting off at a slower, fairytale pace, the story shifts, killing the sweetness without looking back, and jettisons the reader into a world of chaos and calm, loyalty and adversity, redemption and long lost love. Blood Life takes place in the fictional world of the Spectrum, where nothing is what it seems and everything means something. The vampires and the witches of the world have Combined to create a unique race. Times are tough for the vampires and an army of rogue, greedy bloodsuckers have surfaced and are testing Fate for their own gains, but luckily, the witches are stronger - the Combined, strongest of all. Can the Combined's strongest vampire adversary form an army to defeat them, or will the power of three keep the race on top? Centered around the lives of four integral characters, Blood Life is an adventure series unlike any in the genre. Meet Devendra, a powerful witch descended from one of the first lineages; Lokee, her son and worst enemy; Roman, her friend and companion; and Alethea, the key to it all...
326 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2012
2 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Gianna Perada Carini
1 book35 followersGrowing up in North Beach during the late 70s/early 80s, Gianna Perada fell in love with the written word at the tender age of 7. Her mother bought her a diary that year for Christmas, and instead of using it as a day-to-day ramble-fest, little Gianna used it to pen short stories with dark undertones and clever twists and turns, influenced by two of her favorite TV shows at the time: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Twilight Zone, and her favorite author, Edgar Allen Poe. Along came a fascination with horror films and the supernatural. She began writing Blood Life roughly 15 years ago and has rewritten it about 100 times since, having trouble letting it go. Working for several years as a copy-editor and book layout designer for small publishing houses and authors, she woke up the morning of March 15, 2012, looked over at her laptop, and finally said, "Today's the day I say goodbye to you." And so she did... she's got four cats, a dog, and an overwhelming workload. Working on the prequel to Blood Life. Stay tuned!
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 7, 2012
I stalked Gianna Perada during her blog tour because I fell in love with the story and reviews. There was just something about the storyline that resonated with me. Many times a story sounds interesting, but there are few times that a story "speaks" to me. This was one of the rare ones that spoke to me. Thankfully my tenacity paid off; I won a copy of the book, and I can say it did not disappoint!
This is a very dark love story spread out over the centuries. There are moments of triumph, moments of despair and moments of horror. Ms. Perada put her own unique twist on vampires and witches and told a story that was original and far from other novels with similar characters. Not everything is what it seems in this book and the ending just may shock you! Is there a sequel in the works? If so, I would buy it!
This is a very dark love story spread out over the centuries. There are moments of triumph, moments of despair and moments of horror. Ms. Perada put her own unique twist on vampires and witches and told a story that was original and far from other novels with similar characters. Not everything is what it seems in this book and the ending just may shock you! Is there a sequel in the works? If so, I would buy it!
August 4, 2012
Gianna Perada's debut novel is an ambitious take on the vampire mythology. The story itself is epic, spanning centuries, as it tells a very compelling love story. Perada's truest victory in this novel is the way she manages to fuse traditional vampire lore with a few of her own original and ingenious contributions.
April 14, 2012
Great book. Interesting new take on vampires & witches, with some mythology mixed in. Very different from the Twilight type vampires & for once, there was no reference to other vampire stories. Excellent work for a first time novelist.
July 23, 2012
Ok here we go. So first of all I have to commend Gianna for her creativity and wild imagination. The story, characters, places and dramas are very unique, some of which are also quite disturbing. In parts she made me feel uncomfortable, which I suppose in a way is a good thing.
We start off by being introduced to Roman and Alexandria, a forbidden love (this is where the Romeo and Juliette type love story comes in). Set in the 1700's, she is the King's daughter, he is but a peasant, both of which who would rather die than live without each other. Following the King's discovery of this "disgraceful trysting", Alexandria is forced into an arranged marriage. Little did she how much that it would affect her life and future lives to come.
This part of the book to me was really confusing. I was at a loss as to how it actually fit into the witch/vampire category, it made no reference to them whatsoever so you can understand my confusion. Gianna's writing style made it even more confusing. I found it hard to keep up with who she was talking about and where the storyline was going. This may dis-hearten you...
But Keep Reading
Skip forward to 1982. Roman has been a vampire for the last 2 centuries, living his existence without his one true love. That is until the time comes when her soul is re-introduced to him as Alethea. This is where the roller-coaster starts. Given a second chance at love they are forced to fight to save their race against the evil Lokee (aka Alethea's husband from her previous life) who is hell-bent on destroying Fate no matter what it takes.
Although Blood Life is at times hard to follow, the events throughout are thoroughly entertaining from the sick and twisted rituals that will make your stomach churn to the intriguing battles over mind control. Gianna's out there imagination provided a storyline like no other, it's in a league of it's own with nothing to compare it to. Yes it fits into the paranormal genre but it's so different. It was nice to read something where the author didn't hold back, I get the feeling that she didn't care if it made the reader uncomfortable. To me it's those parts that made it memorable and worth reading.
We start off by being introduced to Roman and Alexandria, a forbidden love (this is where the Romeo and Juliette type love story comes in). Set in the 1700's, she is the King's daughter, he is but a peasant, both of which who would rather die than live without each other. Following the King's discovery of this "disgraceful trysting", Alexandria is forced into an arranged marriage. Little did she how much that it would affect her life and future lives to come.
This part of the book to me was really confusing. I was at a loss as to how it actually fit into the witch/vampire category, it made no reference to them whatsoever so you can understand my confusion. Gianna's writing style made it even more confusing. I found it hard to keep up with who she was talking about and where the storyline was going. This may dis-hearten you...
But Keep Reading
Skip forward to 1982. Roman has been a vampire for the last 2 centuries, living his existence without his one true love. That is until the time comes when her soul is re-introduced to him as Alethea. This is where the roller-coaster starts. Given a second chance at love they are forced to fight to save their race against the evil Lokee (aka Alethea's husband from her previous life) who is hell-bent on destroying Fate no matter what it takes.
Although Blood Life is at times hard to follow, the events throughout are thoroughly entertaining from the sick and twisted rituals that will make your stomach churn to the intriguing battles over mind control. Gianna's out there imagination provided a storyline like no other, it's in a league of it's own with nothing to compare it to. Yes it fits into the paranormal genre but it's so different. It was nice to read something where the author didn't hold back, I get the feeling that she didn't care if it made the reader uncomfortable. To me it's those parts that made it memorable and worth reading.
September 7, 2012
I admit it was a bit confusing at the beginning, and at some point throughout the book, but I really loved it!
Let's start with the fact that these here are true vampires, the old-school ones. The ones you were supposed to run from, not fall in love with. That was how it's supposed to be.
It's set in ancient times, when a look was all it took to fall in love and Magic was feared, and I love a bit of history in a book :) I also loved how Roman, deep down, wants them both, Devendra and Alethea. There's history with both, and you'll get to see and understand that in the book.
Devendra is a very important character in the story, and reading how Blood life ended, I just can't wait to read more about her!
Let's start with the fact that these here are true vampires, the old-school ones. The ones you were supposed to run from, not fall in love with. That was how it's supposed to be.
It's set in ancient times, when a look was all it took to fall in love and Magic was feared, and I love a bit of history in a book :) I also loved how Roman, deep down, wants them both, Devendra and Alethea. There's history with both, and you'll get to see and understand that in the book.
Devendra is a very important character in the story, and reading how Blood life ended, I just can't wait to read more about her!
June 6, 2012
This book was really a pleasure to read. The story line was quite easy to follow and you find yourself caught up in plot similar to Romeo and Juliet, Medieval times and fast forwarded to a 20th century time frame in a matter of chapters. Chapter 27th was quite interesting to read, the characters are very amusing. There were moments when new characters were introduced in the later chapters and the story was a bit shaky, but then it got really interesting up till the end. Give it a try
Vincent
Vincent
August 9, 2012
I enjoyed this book, although I am biased as I am friendly acquaintances with the author. It only took the first chapter for me to get used to the author's writing style and allow myself to be enveloped by the story as I read on my commute. I love the vampire world she has created, which is quite different from the popular ones that are out there. I look forward to reading more about this world, specifically the history of it and the various creatures that inhabit it.
June 30, 2012
I loved this book! At first, I wasn't sure what to expect because of the vampire aspect but as soon as I started reading, I was immediately drawn into the story. Gianna Perada's writing style is very good at putting you in the scene, as you read. Each line is cleverly, descriptive. I can't wait to get into the next book of this trilogy!
July 17, 2012
More! More! More! Detailed, seductive, artistic! A new twist to horror, witches, vampires, the other world! It was so descriptive and well written, it had me feeling like I was right there in the middle of things! I can't wait to learn more about Devendra and her world! October, 2012 can't come soon enough!
December 27, 2012
"Blood Life" is a compelling erotic vampire novel with a plot that captures the reader's interest and then carries him over centuries and then back again. The characters were well developed; the female characters being far more interesting and more powerful than the men. I'd recommend "Blood Life" to anyone interested in the vampire genre.
April 25, 2013
This book was hard to get into in the begining I really thought I'd made a mistake but in the end I really enjoyed it. The story was a usual take on vampirism but there were a few twist and turns that kept it interesting. There was heart break, romance, friendship, and even abit of magic. I did feel that the fight scene was hyped up too much for what it was but over all a good read.
October 11, 2012
A first reads win. Book was really good, better than I was expecting. Easy storyline, reminiscent of an Anne Rice vampire/witch thriller novel filled with forbidden love, blood, magic, tragedy and sex. Great read.
June 11, 2012
I liked this story a lot though the ending was rather abrupt. I'm going to assume that Alethea and Roman were happy together for the rest of their immortal lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2012
I love the cover cant wait to read it!!!
Want to read
June 24, 2012It makes me curious, i definetly wanna know how the story will unfold. i can''t wait to start reading!!!
March 17, 2018
This reads like someone found Twilight fanfiction and then desperately tried to turn it into The Vampire Chronicles. And failed miserably. Yes, it's that weird to read.
Go read one of the good vampire stories out there. This is honestly not worth your time.
Go read one of the good vampire stories out there. This is honestly not worth your time.
October 5, 2016
It's not often that I rate a book this low, almost never and I considered the reasons, but after much though and time I still can't help but rate it the same and I stand by the rating.
It's been so long since I was so angry and disappointed reading a book. This is definitely one of the worst I have read and not even because of the editing, pacing or writing, but for the plot itself, which is a messy, confusing plot of whatever the heck is happening at the moment.
I was a bit reluctant when I read the first chapters because, even if they were not great, they still piqued my interest and I continued with the hope that eventually things will pick-up and get better. Boy, was I wrong about that one! As I kept reading everything just got messier and messier to the point that there was seemingly no point to the story and plot-wise it was going nowhere.
Main couple is supposed to be Alethea and Roman, with a prominent past played by Devendra, the latter's guide. As the storyline advanced, his character became more useless, as he lost importance and was more like a servant than a main character, and he's supposed to be pivotal to the purpose of the book. Even though his main purpose, was actually fulfilled by Devendra! Later, we are introduced to the main antagonist, Lokee, who, seemingly, could be killed around the first few chapters but is kept alive because "is not the right time," the slogan to make the book 200 pages too long. Some despicable and terrible acts fall upon our heroine, and the disturbing descriptions were quite better, just to continue the downhill spiral the book already had.
The last showdown is the most anticlimactic scene ever, and the consequences of the despicable happenings are seemingly condoned by the fact that the nightmare brought forward a "miracle" that would save them. Seriously, at this point killing every character would have been a happy ending for me. Roman was like a disposable tissue, no longer important to the story since more than half a book ago, and now I'm supposed to be happy because her "sacrifice" saved them. And then suddenly, abruptly end it with that knowledge. I was really dreading a sequel and I'm glad that that wasn't the case.
The way I felt after reading this book was so bad that I had no other rating to give. It was like I had lost my time reading this book when I could've read something better. By the end of it I just felt like I read a plotless story that didn't make sense in any way. The only think I could salvage maybe, are the first four chapters, aside from that everything wasn't good.
Don't get me wrong, this story had potential, and every element to be a great story, but the plot is terrible and doesn't make any sense. There are bits of the book that I found likable, like Devendra's story and some eerie descriptions but, shamefully, this is not good.
It's been so long since I was so angry and disappointed reading a book. This is definitely one of the worst I have read and not even because of the editing, pacing or writing, but for the plot itself, which is a messy, confusing plot of whatever the heck is happening at the moment.
I was a bit reluctant when I read the first chapters because, even if they were not great, they still piqued my interest and I continued with the hope that eventually things will pick-up and get better. Boy, was I wrong about that one! As I kept reading everything just got messier and messier to the point that there was seemingly no point to the story and plot-wise it was going nowhere.
Main couple is supposed to be Alethea and Roman, with a prominent past played by Devendra, the latter's guide. As the storyline advanced, his character became more useless, as he lost importance and was more like a servant than a main character, and he's supposed to be pivotal to the purpose of the book. Even though his main purpose, was actually fulfilled by Devendra! Later, we are introduced to the main antagonist, Lokee, who, seemingly, could be killed around the first few chapters but is kept alive because "is not the right time," the slogan to make the book 200 pages too long. Some despicable and terrible acts fall upon our heroine, and the disturbing descriptions were quite better, just to continue the downhill spiral the book already had.
The last showdown is the most anticlimactic scene ever, and the consequences of the despicable happenings are seemingly condoned by the fact that the nightmare brought forward a "miracle" that would save them. Seriously, at this point killing every character would have been a happy ending for me. Roman was like a disposable tissue, no longer important to the story since more than half a book ago, and now I'm supposed to be happy because her "sacrifice" saved them. And then suddenly, abruptly end it with that knowledge. I was really dreading a sequel and I'm glad that that wasn't the case.
The way I felt after reading this book was so bad that I had no other rating to give. It was like I had lost my time reading this book when I could've read something better. By the end of it I just felt like I read a plotless story that didn't make sense in any way. The only think I could salvage maybe, are the first four chapters, aside from that everything wasn't good.
Don't get me wrong, this story had potential, and every element to be a great story, but the plot is terrible and doesn't make any sense. There are bits of the book that I found likable, like Devendra's story and some eerie descriptions but, shamefully, this is not good.
August 5, 2012
ok kids, this is going to be an on-the-fence review. Let me say that I didn’t love the book, but I didn’t dislike the book either. So I’m going to try something a little different in my reviewing process for this one. I know I’ve said before I don’t like to give bad reviews-not that this is a BAD review, just not GREAT review either. But I would feel very wrong not to give a review if I have promised one-I KEEP MY PROMISES
First, I really liked:
-I really like how the story started back when, with kings and queens and princesses and the ruling culture of bloodlines and all those crazy rules.
-I really liked that the story progressed to give the background as if it were happening now, it made it seem so much more real.
-I really enjoy the characters. Roman, Alexandria, Devendra, even the big meanie King Morgan, and her maid, which I thought was the sweetest
-I like that I got to see how things progressed into the NOW quickly, after that traumatic event-sorry no spoilers- it skips years with little snippets so you aren’t dredging through boring time periods.
-I really like how Althea and Roman accidentally met, and how things progressed between them
-I really like the writing. There is nothing bad to say about the writing style
-I really like the prophecies those are so fun.
-I REALLY like that big secret from Devendra
Second, I didn’t like:
-I was a little disappointed in the ending, and I’m not really sure why.
-The in between of Roman meeting Althea and then the in between until the big climax was a little boring. I’m not saying it wasn’t well written. I think that because I usually like action type urban fantasy, I wanted maybe some more sword fighting, or fireball throwing, hissy-fit pitching. LOL this is not the author’s fault but my own
As you can see, there’s definitely more “likes” than “dislikes”, so I was serious when I said that this wasn’t a bad review. I’m just still on the fence. I am not trying to be difficult, lol but usually I’m more dissapointed in the beginning of the book than the end LOL. I did like how turned out, and the conclusion. I know, it’s hard to explain without give very specifics away, and that’s so spoilery, which would just ruin it for you. SO… my advice it to make your own opinion about it when you read it LOL I know that not everyone likes the same things, so someone may seriously love it, while someone else may not like it at all. I’m the in between *sigh* And I’m sad about this, as I feel like I didn’t do justice to the author who so nicely did all of that work to make this book! So, thank you for writing, and for letting me read this book for review, even if I’m probably one of your non-favorable reviews.
First, I really liked:
-I really like how the story started back when, with kings and queens and princesses and the ruling culture of bloodlines and all those crazy rules.
-I really liked that the story progressed to give the background as if it were happening now, it made it seem so much more real.
-I really enjoy the characters. Roman, Alexandria, Devendra, even the big meanie King Morgan, and her maid, which I thought was the sweetest
-I like that I got to see how things progressed into the NOW quickly, after that traumatic event-sorry no spoilers- it skips years with little snippets so you aren’t dredging through boring time periods.
-I really like how Althea and Roman accidentally met, and how things progressed between them
-I really like the writing. There is nothing bad to say about the writing style
-I really like the prophecies those are so fun.
-I REALLY like that big secret from Devendra
Second, I didn’t like:
-I was a little disappointed in the ending, and I’m not really sure why.
-The in between of Roman meeting Althea and then the in between until the big climax was a little boring. I’m not saying it wasn’t well written. I think that because I usually like action type urban fantasy, I wanted maybe some more sword fighting, or fireball throwing, hissy-fit pitching. LOL this is not the author’s fault but my own
As you can see, there’s definitely more “likes” than “dislikes”, so I was serious when I said that this wasn’t a bad review. I’m just still on the fence. I am not trying to be difficult, lol but usually I’m more dissapointed in the beginning of the book than the end LOL. I did like how turned out, and the conclusion. I know, it’s hard to explain without give very specifics away, and that’s so spoilery, which would just ruin it for you. SO… my advice it to make your own opinion about it when you read it LOL I know that not everyone likes the same things, so someone may seriously love it, while someone else may not like it at all. I’m the in between *sigh* And I’m sad about this, as I feel like I didn’t do justice to the author who so nicely did all of that work to make this book! So, thank you for writing, and for letting me read this book for review, even if I’m probably one of your non-favorable reviews.
September 7, 2013
This is a paranormal romance spanning hundreds of years, which compels the reader to turn the page in search of each instalment on the path followed by Alexandria and Roman – the doomed lovers.
Complete with the King – a bullying father, the arranged marriage of the heroine, the enforced separation of the tragic lovers, the evil husband (who’s also inhuman) and his mother – the Goddess Lilith, no less, and the enforced vampirism of the hero, we have more than enough conflict and tension to cling to, to pull us through each page.
I enjoyed the love story, the passage of time, the characters and the story as a whole. What I found problematic in parts, were a few plot holes, dialogue consistency and spasms of info dumping which jarred a tiny bit, but these were minor flaws in what I found to be a rather enjoyable debut novel.
For all paranormal romance lovers, especially those who love fantasy and vampires, this is worth a shot.
Complete with the King – a bullying father, the arranged marriage of the heroine, the enforced separation of the tragic lovers, the evil husband (who’s also inhuman) and his mother – the Goddess Lilith, no less, and the enforced vampirism of the hero, we have more than enough conflict and tension to cling to, to pull us through each page.
I enjoyed the love story, the passage of time, the characters and the story as a whole. What I found problematic in parts, were a few plot holes, dialogue consistency and spasms of info dumping which jarred a tiny bit, but these were minor flaws in what I found to be a rather enjoyable debut novel.
For all paranormal romance lovers, especially those who love fantasy and vampires, this is worth a shot.
June 6, 2012
While the product description is true to a certain extent in that Blood Life does deviate from Twilight, the mark of many other popular vampire fiction series can be felt in the novel, which lends a welcome sense of familiarity for paranormal romance fans, who will enjoy the love story between the doomed lovers, Roman and Alexandria, and finding out what becomes of them after all the hardships they face. Although the novel has some issues, it has all the elements of a page turner, and a compelling story that will keep you reading to the end to find out what happens, and when all the loose ends are tied up, everything clicks into place and leaves the reader with a satisfying resolution. If you enjoy vampire fiction with romance and epic fantasy thrown in, you’ll enjoy BLOOD LIFE.
To read my full review of BLOOD LIFE, click here: http://hellnotes.com/blood-life-book-...
To read my full review of BLOOD LIFE, click here: http://hellnotes.com/blood-life-book-...
August 27, 2012
This was not my cup of tea AT ALL. I previously said the novel had great potential and did not live up to it- I stand by that statement. It was a difficult novel for me to finish, and that rarely if ever happens.
February 26, 2023
Excellent book!!!
June 6, 2016
Life is too short to read books this poorly written. I made it a few pages in to this hot mess before I ran screaming for the hills. Just no.
November 23, 2014
"Not your typical vampire book", because if it was people would pretty much stop reading vampire books. Logic flaws and way too much Sigmund Freud, "tell me why you hate your mother?"
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews