What do you think?
Rate this book
Split Blood #1
The Ancient Codex
When Faith’s mother starts organising the second stage of her arranged marriage to wizard, Damien, Faith knew she needed to escape, so she used her school as a place to retreat.
Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.
With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.
She knew it was wrong.
There were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...
Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?
INTENSELY PASSIONATE WITH EXTRAORDINARY TWISTS AND TURNS,
SPILT BLOOD IS A LOVE STORY WITH A DARK MYTHICAL DIFFERENCE
Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.
With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.
She knew it was wrong.
There were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...
Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?
INTENSELY PASSIONATE WITH EXTRAORDINARY TWISTS AND TURNS,
SPILT BLOOD IS A LOVE STORY WITH A DARK MYTHICAL DIFFERENCE
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2012
31 people want to read
About the author
Louise Herman
7 books12 followersLouise Herman is a North London Fantasy author obsessed with pear drops sweets and 80s Fantasy films.
In between reading James Herbert novels and drinking too much coffee, she writes Young Adult Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance novels.
Louise Herman has currently written five YA Fantasy books to date (December 2015); The Orcus Games Prequel Trilogy and The Split Blood series, which take the reader on a journey of magic, mystery, obsession and forbidden love with seductively dark consequences.
For more information on other Fantasy and YA books from Louise Herman, please go to: www.louisehermanauthor.com
In between reading James Herbert novels and drinking too much coffee, she writes Young Adult Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance novels.
Louise Herman has currently written five YA Fantasy books to date (December 2015); The Orcus Games Prequel Trilogy and The Split Blood series, which take the reader on a journey of magic, mystery, obsession and forbidden love with seductively dark consequences.
For more information on other Fantasy and YA books from Louise Herman, please go to: www.louisehermanauthor.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 31, 2013
There are many mystical elements in Split Blood: The Ancient Codex, not your habitual vampire, werewolf, gang.
Fairies, (an interesting twist) witches, werewolves, vampires, all coagulate to add in this boiling pot of characters.
Forbidden love opposites from different sects, Faith & Rohan set out on a dangerous sequence with all the probabilities against them.
The romantically aspects between Faith & Rohan, nicely woven in you actually feel for the characters.
I have to say Split Blood comes across as an adventurous attempt to add new and different elements to a genre that is slowly wearing thin.
This book takes the obsession with the dark and mystical side to a new dimension in Split Blood: The Ancient Codex fantasy romantic tale.
Fairies, (an interesting twist) witches, werewolves, vampires, all coagulate to add in this boiling pot of characters.
Forbidden love opposites from different sects, Faith & Rohan set out on a dangerous sequence with all the probabilities against them.
The romantically aspects between Faith & Rohan, nicely woven in you actually feel for the characters.
I have to say Split Blood comes across as an adventurous attempt to add new and different elements to a genre that is slowly wearing thin.
This book takes the obsession with the dark and mystical side to a new dimension in Split Blood: The Ancient Codex fantasy romantic tale.
May 22, 2013
Everything in Faith’s life is not normal; she is a witch who has an arranged marriage to Damien, a wizard her age. She doesn’t like Damien but has decided to make an effort to get to know him since they will have to spend the rest of their life together. With everything going on, Faith’s need to escape all the happenings brings her to the one place she knows she can and that is at school.
While at school she meets Rohan, a vampire and feels herself drawn to him both heart and soul although they both know this wrong (inter-circle relationships are forbidden). Both knowing that what they feel for each other they hide their growing relationship from others until one day they are seen.
Faith and Rohan decide that their love means more to them than anything else so they run off together so that they can be together forever, hiding from the Elders and then one day they are given information that will change them forever.
I really enjoyed this book right from the beginning. I grew attached to Faith and Rohan’s love story seeing how they choose love over law and would do anything so that they could stay together. The story moved along perfectly with no gaps or too much information, and there were enough events that took place to keep you enthralled. Without giving away any of the story because that wouldn’t be fun, there is one major decision that Faith has to make regarding something that will set a whole other slew of events to take place throughout the story and is very interesting to say the least J I am definitely looking forward to the second book in this series to see what happens next!
While at school she meets Rohan, a vampire and feels herself drawn to him both heart and soul although they both know this wrong (inter-circle relationships are forbidden). Both knowing that what they feel for each other they hide their growing relationship from others until one day they are seen.
Faith and Rohan decide that their love means more to them than anything else so they run off together so that they can be together forever, hiding from the Elders and then one day they are given information that will change them forever.
I really enjoyed this book right from the beginning. I grew attached to Faith and Rohan’s love story seeing how they choose love over law and would do anything so that they could stay together. The story moved along perfectly with no gaps or too much information, and there were enough events that took place to keep you enthralled. Without giving away any of the story because that wouldn’t be fun, there is one major decision that Faith has to make regarding something that will set a whole other slew of events to take place throughout the story and is very interesting to say the least J I am definitely looking forward to the second book in this series to see what happens next!
December 18, 2013
Wow!! This book is amazing!!
I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
The book starts with Faith learning that her and her sister Raven are witches. Faith’s life spirals out of her control from this moment on. She learns she is promised in marriage to Damien, who she doesn’t even like. She has to learn all the rules of her world and the other circles, while learning to live undetected in the human world and learning how to control and practice her magic. As her marriage to Damien gets closer, Faith finds escape at school in the human world. Here she meets Lily, who is a fairy, and they develop a close friendship. She also meets Rohan for the first time at school and is immediately drawn to him. There are rules against different circles being together but Faith and Rohan decide to take the chance. From that moment their lives are irrevocably changed forever.
This book is amazingly gripping and well written. I could not put it down!! I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a new take on the paranormal!
I would like to thank Louise Herman for the opportunity to read this book! I can’t wait to start the next one in this series!!
I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
The book starts with Faith learning that her and her sister Raven are witches. Faith’s life spirals out of her control from this moment on. She learns she is promised in marriage to Damien, who she doesn’t even like. She has to learn all the rules of her world and the other circles, while learning to live undetected in the human world and learning how to control and practice her magic. As her marriage to Damien gets closer, Faith finds escape at school in the human world. Here she meets Lily, who is a fairy, and they develop a close friendship. She also meets Rohan for the first time at school and is immediately drawn to him. There are rules against different circles being together but Faith and Rohan decide to take the chance. From that moment their lives are irrevocably changed forever.
This book is amazingly gripping and well written. I could not put it down!! I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a new take on the paranormal!
I would like to thank Louise Herman for the opportunity to read this book! I can’t wait to start the next one in this series!!
May 12, 2013
*I received this book from the author, via Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review*
First, I really liked this book. It had a great storyline, and a good cast of supernatural creatures. It is a decidedly different concept from the supernatural/human love stories.
Now, that being said, I got a little confused at times simply because of following the particulars of each different supernatural group. The text was a little bit "busy", but done in such a way as to pull you in and make you want to keep reading. I liked how the character grows, physically and mentally, throughout the book. I am ready to find out what happens next!
Overall, this is a great read, especially if you like your paranormal romances a bit different. :)
Thanks to the author for letting me review!
First, I really liked this book. It had a great storyline, and a good cast of supernatural creatures. It is a decidedly different concept from the supernatural/human love stories.
Now, that being said, I got a little confused at times simply because of following the particulars of each different supernatural group. The text was a little bit "busy", but done in such a way as to pull you in and make you want to keep reading. I liked how the character grows, physically and mentally, throughout the book. I am ready to find out what happens next!
Overall, this is a great read, especially if you like your paranormal romances a bit different. :)
Thanks to the author for letting me review!
April 23, 2013
I read this book while getting my hair braided and it really helped passed the time. The story has elements of Secret Circle, The Caster Chronicles,True Blood and Harry Potter with the concept there is a Supernatural World which exist along side our own. Also, Faith and Rohan's love at all cost is enduring and I wanted it to work out for them. I love the ending and really cannot wait to read what will happen next with Faith and the Elders. I would recommend the book for readers into the Supernatural genre. One shocking element for me is unlike most YA novels is Louise does not shy away from sexuality and to me it makes it more authentic.
May 22, 2013
I received this from the author in exchange for a review. I didn't really know what to expect going into the story, but I'm glad because it exceeded whatever I would have expected. The book's beginning was entirely different from the rest of the book. It started around when Faith is 12 and learns of her powers and eventual arranged marriage. The book quickly moves along to Faith being 17 and being in love with someone outside her circle. This is where the excitement really begins and the story moves along. I rooted for the romance, cried for tragedies, and am anxiously awaiting the next book! I'm glad that I agreed to read this one, the ending is killing me now that I have to wait!
November 3, 2013
When Faith’s mother starts organising the second stage of her arranged marriage to wizard, Damien, Faith knew she needed to escape, so she used her school as a place to retreat.
Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.
With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.
She knew it was wrong.
They were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...
Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?
This one was a tough one for me as I was expecting soppy vampires or a weak heroine but this was definitely not the case!
We meet a young Faith when she finds out she is a witch and is more excited about going to school with the Namuh’s (human’s backwards! Lol) than understanding her circle and powers as she begins to feel suffocated and yearns from something away from her possessive circle.
It is at school that she meets frustrated fairy, Lily and they develop a friendship based on their mutual hatred of being restricted by their circle as we also find out that Lily is not like the fairies you read about in your traditional fairytales…
Upon finishing helping their teacher clean away her classroom after school, they are confronted by a group of rogue vampires who are very keen to exploit the vulnerable pairs forbidden friendship (beings must keep to their circle when they are out in public and must not communicate with other beings) and taunt them at every turn.
Enter loner vampire, Rohan who saves the girls, without much thanks from independent Faith.
As Rohan struggles to penetrate Faith’s icy exterior they eventually become more than friends with disastrous results.
This book was definitely a page turner for me and had action, intrigue and was packed full of magic on every page.
The grammar wasn’t 100% but I can settle with it being at 90% as the storyline was quite unique and I loved that Faith never settled into that weak female role that needed to be rescued.
I loved the forbidden romance between Rohan and Faith as although the author did not hold back on the ‘more intimate’ moments between the pair, I felt it was written with authenticity and was not over the top like many other YA books I have recently.
And lastly, I really enjoyed reading the African and Romania Gypsy magic incorporated into the story. I felt the author really did her research (especially for the Gypsy magic bits) and it gave it an overall fresh element to an already distinctive story.
Overall I would give this book 4 out of 5 wings because I loved the unique concept behind the story but I had to knock off one star due to the slight grammatical issues.
I would recommend this to any YA Urban Fantasy fans looking something will a little more substance than just your typical soppy romance stories with a little added magic!
Disclaimer: This book was given to Fiery Fantasy Book Reviews Site as a review copy and was provided to us in exchange for a fair and honest review. There was no monetary exchange for this review. The free book held no determination on our personal review.
For more YA, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural and Science Fiction reviews (and FREE ebooks), go to: Fiery Fantasy Book Reviews Site
Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.
With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.
She knew it was wrong.
They were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...
Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?
This one was a tough one for me as I was expecting soppy vampires or a weak heroine but this was definitely not the case!
We meet a young Faith when she finds out she is a witch and is more excited about going to school with the Namuh’s (human’s backwards! Lol) than understanding her circle and powers as she begins to feel suffocated and yearns from something away from her possessive circle.
It is at school that she meets frustrated fairy, Lily and they develop a friendship based on their mutual hatred of being restricted by their circle as we also find out that Lily is not like the fairies you read about in your traditional fairytales…
Upon finishing helping their teacher clean away her classroom after school, they are confronted by a group of rogue vampires who are very keen to exploit the vulnerable pairs forbidden friendship (beings must keep to their circle when they are out in public and must not communicate with other beings) and taunt them at every turn.
Enter loner vampire, Rohan who saves the girls, without much thanks from independent Faith.
As Rohan struggles to penetrate Faith’s icy exterior they eventually become more than friends with disastrous results.
This book was definitely a page turner for me and had action, intrigue and was packed full of magic on every page.
The grammar wasn’t 100% but I can settle with it being at 90% as the storyline was quite unique and I loved that Faith never settled into that weak female role that needed to be rescued.
I loved the forbidden romance between Rohan and Faith as although the author did not hold back on the ‘more intimate’ moments between the pair, I felt it was written with authenticity and was not over the top like many other YA books I have recently.
And lastly, I really enjoyed reading the African and Romania Gypsy magic incorporated into the story. I felt the author really did her research (especially for the Gypsy magic bits) and it gave it an overall fresh element to an already distinctive story.
Overall I would give this book 4 out of 5 wings because I loved the unique concept behind the story but I had to knock off one star due to the slight grammatical issues.
I would recommend this to any YA Urban Fantasy fans looking something will a little more substance than just your typical soppy romance stories with a little added magic!
Disclaimer: This book was given to Fiery Fantasy Book Reviews Site as a review copy and was provided to us in exchange for a fair and honest review. There was no monetary exchange for this review. The free book held no determination on our personal review.
For more YA, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural and Science Fiction reviews (and FREE ebooks), go to: Fiery Fantasy Book Reviews Site
November 4, 2016
I have to tell you before I start my review that I did not much enjoy this book. And my biggest reason is it wasn't what I expected. This book is labeled young adult, but it's as much young adult as Breaking Dawn is (but the latter had three prior books that could help prove its claim for young adult).
This book starts out by introducing us to a world of witches, vampires, fairies, and werewolves. Each group (or circle) sticks to their own, and they all agreed early on that they would keep a shaky truce by staying away from each other. Faith is in an arranged marriage, and she feels suffocated by her circle and family. She meets Rohan, a vampire, and they rebel by falling in love. The only problem is there's a whole bunch of people pissed by this concept, and they're out to get them.
This book spans many years, so it moves quickly. But it doesn't do a whole lot of setting up the story. You just get glimpses of the circles (or paranormal creatures), and we get a feeling that things are the way they are just because (don't go questioning things or you'll upset the balance). And you know me. I need the background, the history, and an understanding before I can get into the story.
Anyways, back to the moving quickly. Every romantic-notion falls perfectly into place between Rohan and Faith. And then she ends up pregnant. Wait, hold up. Wasn't this a young adult book? I did not expect to read a book about pregnancy when I picked this one up. And it completely turned me off.
This book was a mess in my head. It wasn't something I could easily enjoy, and I think it was because I had different expectations when I first started reading this. All I can say is read more reviews before you pick this one up.
This book starts out by introducing us to a world of witches, vampires, fairies, and werewolves. Each group (or circle) sticks to their own, and they all agreed early on that they would keep a shaky truce by staying away from each other. Faith is in an arranged marriage, and she feels suffocated by her circle and family. She meets Rohan, a vampire, and they rebel by falling in love. The only problem is there's a whole bunch of people pissed by this concept, and they're out to get them.
This book spans many years, so it moves quickly. But it doesn't do a whole lot of setting up the story. You just get glimpses of the circles (or paranormal creatures), and we get a feeling that things are the way they are just because (don't go questioning things or you'll upset the balance). And you know me. I need the background, the history, and an understanding before I can get into the story.
Anyways, back to the moving quickly. Every romantic-notion falls perfectly into place between Rohan and Faith. And then she ends up pregnant. Wait, hold up. Wasn't this a young adult book? I did not expect to read a book about pregnancy when I picked this one up. And it completely turned me off.
This book was a mess in my head. It wasn't something I could easily enjoy, and I think it was because I had different expectations when I first started reading this. All I can say is read more reviews before you pick this one up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2013
Faith ist eine Hexe und wird nach einem strikten Codex erzogen. Sie wird im Alter von 13 an einen Jungen aus der Gemeinde gebunden und mit 16 mit ihm verheiratet.
Ihre Welt besteht aus den 4 Kreisen: Hexen, Werwölfe, Vampire und Feen – die sich unter keinen Umständen Mischen dürfen. Die vier Ziekel haben Großbritannien untereinander aufgeteilt, aber die Grenzen verwischen immer mehr. So kommt es, dass Faith und ihre Schwester Raven immer häufiger Jugendlichen aus den anderen Kreisen begegnen.
Faith hasst die Zwänge ihres Kreises, liebt aber die Möglichkeiten und die Macht, die ihre Zauberkraft mit sich bringen. Sie freundet sich mit dem Feen-Mädchen Lily an und lernt dabei, dass auch in den anderen Zirkeln solche strikten Regeln herrschen und nicht alle glücklich sind.
Aber erst als sie Rohan, einen Vampir kennen lernt, beginnt sie sich ernsthaft gegen diese Zwänge aufzulehnen. Die zwei werden ein Liebespaar und entschließen sich zu fliehen. Raven und Lily helfen den zwei Liebenden. Als Faith auch noch schwanger wird, nehmen die Anführer der unterschiedlichen Zirkel die Verfolgung auf und versuchen Rohan und Faith, aber vor allem das ungeborene Baby in ihre Hände zu bekommen, um die Abnormalitäten aus der Welt zu schaffen.
Die Geschichte ist generell spannend, auch wenn es ab und an Gedankensprünge gibt, die verwirrend sind und neue Charaktere eingeführt werden, die nicht weiter erläutert werden. An manchen Stellen hat man daher das Gefühl die Geschichte ist zusammen gewürfelt. Aber letztendlich ist der rote Faden zu erkennen und wenn man diese kleinen Details erst einmal missachtet, ist die Geschichte außergewöhnlich.
Ihre Welt besteht aus den 4 Kreisen: Hexen, Werwölfe, Vampire und Feen – die sich unter keinen Umständen Mischen dürfen. Die vier Ziekel haben Großbritannien untereinander aufgeteilt, aber die Grenzen verwischen immer mehr. So kommt es, dass Faith und ihre Schwester Raven immer häufiger Jugendlichen aus den anderen Kreisen begegnen.
Faith hasst die Zwänge ihres Kreises, liebt aber die Möglichkeiten und die Macht, die ihre Zauberkraft mit sich bringen. Sie freundet sich mit dem Feen-Mädchen Lily an und lernt dabei, dass auch in den anderen Zirkeln solche strikten Regeln herrschen und nicht alle glücklich sind.
Aber erst als sie Rohan, einen Vampir kennen lernt, beginnt sie sich ernsthaft gegen diese Zwänge aufzulehnen. Die zwei werden ein Liebespaar und entschließen sich zu fliehen. Raven und Lily helfen den zwei Liebenden. Als Faith auch noch schwanger wird, nehmen die Anführer der unterschiedlichen Zirkel die Verfolgung auf und versuchen Rohan und Faith, aber vor allem das ungeborene Baby in ihre Hände zu bekommen, um die Abnormalitäten aus der Welt zu schaffen.
Die Geschichte ist generell spannend, auch wenn es ab und an Gedankensprünge gibt, die verwirrend sind und neue Charaktere eingeführt werden, die nicht weiter erläutert werden. An manchen Stellen hat man daher das Gefühl die Geschichte ist zusammen gewürfelt. Aber letztendlich ist der rote Faden zu erkennen und wenn man diese kleinen Details erst einmal missachtet, ist die Geschichte außergewöhnlich.
December 28, 2013
Firstly id like to thank Louse Herman for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT!
From the moment Faith layed eyes on Rohan, she knew her life would never be the same.
The story revolves around Faith whom is a very powerful witch whom falls for Rohan a vampire, however the three main reasons they cant be together is that they are different paranormal species, are from different circles and are both betrothed to another and although they have an amazingly large pile of reasons why they shouldn't and cant be together they cant help but fall for one another.
This does not stop the pair from falling in love with each other even though they know the odds are stacked against them. They know its wrong and that they shouldn't be together but how can one live without there soul mate no matter there species.
So they do they only thing that they can to be with each other - runaway. This is no easy task for the pair who are pursued from army's of other paranormal beings intent on killing them or turning them in to the elders. Throughout there journey they must rely on unlikely allies while death and pain follow them
Great first book for the series.
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT!
From the moment Faith layed eyes on Rohan, she knew her life would never be the same.
The story revolves around Faith whom is a very powerful witch whom falls for Rohan a vampire, however the three main reasons they cant be together is that they are different paranormal species, are from different circles and are both betrothed to another and although they have an amazingly large pile of reasons why they shouldn't and cant be together they cant help but fall for one another.
This does not stop the pair from falling in love with each other even though they know the odds are stacked against them. They know its wrong and that they shouldn't be together but how can one live without there soul mate no matter there species.
So they do they only thing that they can to be with each other - runaway. This is no easy task for the pair who are pursued from army's of other paranormal beings intent on killing them or turning them in to the elders. Throughout there journey they must rely on unlikely allies while death and pain follow them
Great first book for the series.
January 26, 2015
I absolutely loved this book as it had everything magically that I love to read about!
Witches, werewolves, vampires, fairies - I wasn't left wanting until the end!
I loved going on the journey with witch Faith as she grew from a child into a challenging teenager who wanted to branch out from her circle, I loved the way the author kept her forbidden relationship with vampire Rohan authentic and didn't tame the romantic scenes but didn't try to make it a 'Fifty shades of Magic' either!
The friendship with Lily is touching but I can't wait to find out how she gets round her own arranged marriage and her personal dilemma and I really want to know what Lowell's (werewolf) problem is with Faith?
I went through a mixture of emotions with this book as every chapter takes you on different journeys and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Highly recommended if you like your YA with a kick ass twist!
Witches, werewolves, vampires, fairies - I wasn't left wanting until the end!
I loved going on the journey with witch Faith as she grew from a child into a challenging teenager who wanted to branch out from her circle, I loved the way the author kept her forbidden relationship with vampire Rohan authentic and didn't tame the romantic scenes but didn't try to make it a 'Fifty shades of Magic' either!
The friendship with Lily is touching but I can't wait to find out how she gets round her own arranged marriage and her personal dilemma and I really want to know what Lowell's (werewolf) problem is with Faith?
I went through a mixture of emotions with this book as every chapter takes you on different journeys and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Highly recommended if you like your YA with a kick ass twist!
January 12, 2014
I received this book free from author for honest review. Wow!!! This book was amazing! On to 2nd book now to see what happens. I'm hoping that somehow Rohan comes back,
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews