Bloodkin

The Maeve’ra Trilogy #2

by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone will love this second book in the Ma'evra trilogy by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes about loyalty, power, and the rules of survival.

Some lines should never be crossed.

Sixteen-year-old Kadee is proud to be a part of the Obsidian guild, whose members refuse to bow to anyone in Midnight-including the vampires who claim to rule this world and the shapeshifter royals who obey them. She knows firsthand what it's like to live with the Shantel and serpiente, and she'll never forgive these shapeshifters for taking her from her real father as a sick and frightened human child. Fortunately, Kadee is the master of her own life and decisions now, but some of the choices she's made to protect her Obsidian family-and one of her peers in the guild-have begun to haunt her.

How much is one life worth, and when is the price too much to pay?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires, Paranormal, Ebooks, Magic, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

I grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where I matriculated through the public Concord-Carlisle school district from kindergarten until my graduation in 2001. The best part of school, from fifth grade until the year I graduated, was definitely chorus. I love music, and I love to sing, and though I never had the courage or the talent to participate in any of the high school plays as a performer, I enjoyed being involved at other levels; the music and drama community at CCHS was the highlight of my high school career. I was also on the fencing team for two years, an experience that actually inspired a couple storylines, and regret that I did not continue with that sport.

I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.

My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.

Reviews

[Zoraida · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are what we make outselves, not what others want to make us." ~Kadee Obsidian, Bloodkin.

Amelia Atwater Rhodes weaves a mystery that is subtle, but packs a hard action punch at the end. Kadee is a heroine worth admiring and rooting for.

[Ikayuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, well. Not nearly as good as the first installment, but it does feel like it's setting things up nicely for the final book in this trilogy. I still can't bring myself to like Kadee as a character, but it was good to see some of the other mainstays around still!

[Jessica (a GREAT read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With finishing the second installment of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' latest trilogy, I had hoped to be won over with Bloodkin, but sadly, I was only mildly moved. Amelia still weaves a very detailed world that is interesting, but again, I feel lost somewhere in the execution of everything.

The first thing that threw me just pages in, was Kadee--as this book is told through her point of view, this go around--mentions being fifteen. This threw me at first, because the first word in the description is sixteen. But Kadee says again how she's fifteen. And thus just begins a series of unfortunate events.

I can't figure out why I am not enjoying Amelia's books lately. I loved them once upon a time ago...but somewhere down the lines they started to get more confusing. I guess it was the abrupt change in narrators. I'm all for new narrators when they take place in the same world, I just wish there could have been a better introduction of the character, or to have one to begin with! Den of Shadows failed this in the latter half, and with the Kiesha'ra series, it just confounded me to go from one book with Danica being pregnant to the next book and having what I believe was a teenage girl...unless she was twenty there as well.

Anyway, with this story we get to have a little more insight to Kadee, who was the young girl--fifteen apparently--that helped Vance out four months ago. So basically this takes place a few months after the events of book 1. When they failed in their attempt to kill Jeshickah and her trainers/vampire croonies, they inadvertently laid blamed on another clan of sorts, the Shantel. Kadee has past connections with this clan, so when she and Vance were to travel to them to assist them with their negotiations with Jeshickah and Midnight, it brings back old feelings that she rather leave forgotten.

Vance continued to annoy me in this one too. I feel like he tries to be this tough, macho guy who's fearless as all get out, but to me, he comes off as a petulant little boy trying to play tough guy. He's newly freed of Midnight and yet I can't help but feel he acts like a seasoned solider against the fight to bring Midnight down once and for all. Perhaps, I'm still a tad annoyed that this boy is fourteen. If he was a little older and had a touch more experience with life, I wouldn't be annoyed so much. But I mean come on, even Harry Potter took gradual steps into being the badass hero he becomes by book 7! But I digress.

The pacing was a mite slow as well. It seems Kadee and Vance just go back and forth between their campgrounds to the Shantel's camp to Midnight and then back and forth again. All in the process of making these negotiations with Jeshickah. There's still no romance, which is fine with me. I feel like these characters are too young for that anyway. Though it did seem a time or two that Kadee had something going on with a friend from the Shantel camp. But it chalks up to being a thing of the past. If it really was anything beyond friendship that is. Which makes sense, because again, she's only fifteen too. And since it's been 2 or 3 years, that would've made her twelve or thirteen.

The ending was a bit exciting and confusing at the same time. Details can't be mention due to spoilers, if you can make heads or tails of my review or the book that is! Though it was quite shocking and will set the characters on their next and final path. Though I do wonder who will be the narrator then and if it will change the way we see the people we've met to date. For some reason, I am banking on that.I probably will be reading the next book out of more loyalty to the author who spawned my love all things paranormal, but alas, this series just doesn't seem to be my ultimate enjoyment. Though I do enjoy the combination of the previous two worlds being formed into one as we see here.




Overall Rating 3/5 stars

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most complaints I see is that this book was difficult to follow or get into, but if one had read the D.O.S, Keisha'ra series AND the first installment to this trilogy it wouldn't be so difficult. It took me some time to finish this book mostly because it's summer and I spend most of my days with my partner but I still got engrossed in this book to the point I was disappointed when sleep called to me or when my cell phone died preventing me from continuing on.
Another thing that I keep seeing is that people are unsatisfied with the endings of book 1 and 2 because they feel as though they were left hanging. I find this new method quite refreshing. The first book managed to nab my attention and this book has only sunk that hook in deeper, I fully cannot wait until the final installment is released. I want to know how this tale is to "end".
You never disappoint me Amelia, even if I find myself difficult to immerse in the beginning of a book (which were FAR in FEW) you've always managed to hook me at just the right moment to leave me curious for more. ♡

[Brandee Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just can't seem to get into this series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There seems to have been a rather big failure of the editor of this book in relation to Kadee's age. This book takes place immediately to a few months after the first book, in which Kadee is repeatedly referred to as being sixteen. The inside cover of the second book even starts out by saying Kadee is sixteen. Yet throughout the text of the book, she refers to herself as being fifteen. I feel like this is something that should have easily been caught before this book was published. I also found it weird how Vance's character completely changed in such a short span of time. He went from being super naive and useless to being intelligent and competent.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative switch from book 1 to book 2 is one of the best aspects of an Atwater-Rhodes series. The shift in perspective and inner dialogues adds a layer of detail that is so well crafted that I find myself reading each chapter a litter faster.

After the amazing events of Bloodwitch, there isn't a wasted moment at the beginning of Bloodkin, that expands amazingly every aspect of the world we have learned so much of already. Kadee Obsidian has seen the world so differently compared to the perspective of Vance from the first book.

absolutely amazing.

[LaTorre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely better than the first book in this trilogy. While I found the narrator in the first book to be whiny and passive, the narrator of this one I found to be relatable. And I never felt like I wanted to shake her.

As expected from a book written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, I found the world building breathtaking. The world was fleshed out and fully realized that when twists happened in the story it did not come across as far fetched.

[Katie Kaste · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second novel in The Maeve'ra was a slow burn. The story follows Kadee as she invesgates the attack on Midnight. The characters are expanded from the first novel. The worlds were brought together from the Den of Shawdows and The Kiesha'ra into one world. I am excited to read the final novel in this series.

[Jada Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first two books in this series were good and on the same level as all of Ameila Atwater-Rhodes' other books. They are easy reads and certainly fit well on a junior high shelf. I have been a fan of her stories since I picked up Demon in My View and this one was no different. This series ties together all of her previous stories in a way that makes her world feel much more realistic.

[Danielle Bergeron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending shocked me! On to the next one!

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffhanger? Seriously twists turns and shouts is all this book is then it leaves you on a cliff barely holding on begging for more.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first. Plot thickens, but red herrings are weak. World building is pretty fun.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. I read it quickly because I couldn’t put it down.

[Suzanne DiMaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what to think of this series. The book was OK and the ending was the best part. I felt like not much happened in this book and definitely not a lot of excitement.

[Talie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 279 pages... Not 224.
3.75
I also am not actually sure if this series is set before Kiesha'ra or not... Hmm. I hope I find out.

[Ikayuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is common with most 'Book 2s' in trilogies, this was a fairly week entry. It doesn't help that I didn't particularly care for Kadee as a character-though I will admit that this will probably do a really good job setting up Book 3 (which I haven't started yet, so we'll see!). Either way, it sets the scene and fleshes out some of the characters more, which I appreciate. Overall, it was a potato-chip read, but that doesn't meant it was bad!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bloodkin is book two in a series I honestly forgot I had started last year. I had some issues with Bloodwitch, namely in the world-building category and it sort of just faded into the background. However when Bloodkin showed up for review I found myself not hesitating to give the series another shot despite the lackluster introduction. I can say the story improved and I did enjoy it more, but there were still some issues that prevented it from getting higher than a 3 star rating from me.

Bloodkin focuses on Kadee instead of Vance, like the first book did. She is a member of the Obsidian guild and a half serpent-shifter. Like the first book I had a hard time truly understand who Kadee was as a person. She certainly seems like a strong, independent young woman, and she definitely has a good head on her shoulders…but I don’t really know her personality. There is some mention of self-discovery, and her desire to return to her human parents but that isn’t something that is explored in depth within this book. Vance is a bit easier to understand in this one simply because book one focused on him, and so I understand why he seeks to be around as few people as possible and loathes being used by anyone. However the first book’s timeline went by very quickly, and I did have some trouble trying to recall the finer details alluded to in Bloodkin.

The world-building is a bit better than before, so I can clearly tell that this occurs in our worlds in or around the 1800’s. I’m not entirely sure where it takes place though, but in my mind I picture the forests of Central America since it’s so free of pure human influence and some of the names, like Azetka, fit better in that region. However that aside I did find myself enjoying the story a bit more than I did initially. It’s incredibly fast paced with plenty of political intrigue as Kadee tries to save lives and comes face to face with the slave trade, and a huge dose of paranormal elements that make the story what it truly is. I really do like the different shifter tribes and vampires, and how witches come into play; and Rhode’s writing can be incredibly vivid at times making me wish the book were longer so I could see her describe as much of the world as possible. Where the plot was slowly laid in book one, Bloodkin really gets into the thick of it as quickly as possible and builds up the tensions. I’m really looking forward to how Misha’s temper and plans play out in book three, and how well Kadee and Vance handle the upcoming changes.

Overall I’m leaving this one with a 3 star rating, and a desire to see how the trilogy end. A lot is at stake of the characters, and even though I’m not particularly attached them I do find myself wanting to see if/how they will survive it.

[ajfogy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloodkin is written from the viewpoint of Kadee Obsidian who is a member of the notorious Obsidian guild, which is blamed for almost everything bad that happens in every kingdom and empire, especially when it comes to the serpiente people, their rivals. Although the Obsidian guild is often misunderstood, some members of the guild might not be as innocent as they would proclaim and could be hiding their own dark secrets. This is the second book of The Maeve'ra Trilogy and it is an interesting continuation to Bloodwitch, which introduced readers to Vance Ehecatl. Kadee, a sixteen-year-old girl and her companion Vance a fourteen-years old boy are given a rigorous quest to follow and will be challenged in many ways as they enter the realm of the Shantel, a mighty people who have so far managed to avoid complete subjugation by Midnight. The Shantel who consider Kadee a friend and their responsibility have called for her help in brokering a shocking arrangement that will hopefully clear their name and the charges cast upon them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bloodkin and found it to be extremely fast-paced. I was surprised by several of the plot twists and was glad to see how much Vance has changed since book one. Overall, this is an installment that should surprise you as it continues with the story of oppressed nations and people who face being conquered or enslaved by the powerful vampire-run empire of Midnight. The second book continues dealing with concepts of trust and deception. Can anyone be trusted and who has your best interest at heart? I recommend this trilogy to fans of fantasy and to anyone who enjoys magnificent world-building at its best and brightest.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, I'm having a much harder time getting into this series than the original shifter series Amelia wrote. The old and familiar characters like Jaguar and Jeshika are barely mentioned in passing as they pretty much stay in Midnight and don't interact with the outside world other than lording their market and power over everyone. Keeda seems to be the main focus in this book instead of Vance, though he still has plenty of time in the spotlight too. The two of them appear to be on the fringes of everything happening, yet still tied up in the center at the same time. It seems as if Keeda is starting to put pieces of the various prophecies together, though it's yet to be determined how that will all play out to the downfall of Midnight. There also seems to be a lot less hostility between the avians and the serpiente, even though this is clearly after the initial betrayal that would have resulted in their war taking place. Rather, the focus seems to be on the serpents and Obsidian. While Obsidian appears to be a bit of a mash up of various species looking for their own peace on the outside of their various cultures, it would also seem from the clans description that this would be where the white vipers like Adelina and Ailbhe come from. Hopefully the next book will clear things up as it appears this is meant to be another trilogy.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm left sort of ambivalent after reading this book. I wonder if I should have tried harder to find the first book in the series and read that first before attempting the second. I like to read and this seemed to take forever to slog through. The characters were enjoyable and entertaining enough, but the story took some major turns right before the end that seem to come out of left field. Just when you think you know where the story is going the author hits the reset button. Also, the end didn't really sum anything up. I know, I know Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is writing the series as a trilogy. But should a book be able to stand alone and be enjoyable or should you expect the reader buy into the whole series? My final thoughts: If you enjoyed the first book, you would most likely enjoy the second book. As for me, I won't be seeking out the other two titles in the trilogy.

[Jaimie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the previous book in this series, Atwater-Rhodes has tried to cram far too much information and narrative into a rather small space. She does it more successfully this time around, but I still found myself shaking my head at the action jumps, compacted plot, and overabundance of story lines. The story is getting far more interesting though, as the focus seems to centre on the Obsidian tribe and the pending war against Midnight, but I think that the book as a whole could have done with far fewer of the side plot lines or have been massively expanded into a proper piece of adult fantasy. Clearly Atwater-Rhodes has fantastic ideas, so I'm not sure why she feels compelled to constrain herself to such short novels when it's clear that her stories would benefit from a triple-sized word count!

[Anne Bassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read this book, but it was so long ago that I had mostly forgotten the plot. I appreciated the perspective of Kadee. She brought a knowledge of life as a human, and a knowledge of the Shantel and Serpiente culture that Vance never had. I enjoyed reading about her moral struggles as she negotiates on behalf of the Shantel for their freedom. She ends up involved in the slave trade inadvertently when they traded Alasdair for Misha, but then gets involved again with the Shantel. She hammers the nail into the coffin by being complicit in the arrangement to enslave Hara Cobriana made by Misha. Through it all, she's a 15 year old girl trying to find her place in the world. A satisfying read, and one which I'm glad I can jump from to the third and final book in the novel to escape the cliff hanger ending.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a really hard time getting into this one, and did not like it as much as Bloodwitch (which I gave a four). I think in general my least favorite books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes are the ones that primary focus on prophecy. For example, loving every book in the Kiesha'ra Series (the first being my favorite by her and one of my all time favorite books ever) except the last, Wyvernhail.

Maybe because it's been awhile since I read the first, but I felt thrown back into the world too abruptly and just never connected with Kadee, even as the first person narrator. It felt so "eh" compared to other books by the same author.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, the only thing that frustrates me is that this is the first book I didn't feel ended so another part of the story could come out in another book. It felt like the first part of a movie to long to put in one film so it ended at the pinnacle. I have to say that the thing I love most about this author is I have never felt left hanging, and this time I feel like I was.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this author since In the Forests of the Night, so I'm familiar with the shape shifter/vampire universe Ms. Atwater -Rhodes has built. some of the references I can recall from other books and make the connection of the sakkri sold to Midnight in this volume is the same one Jay rescued in Promises to Keep.
Her work is always a good quick read for me.

[Jessica Patzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but wonderfully paced read, Bloodkin continues to delve into Midnight's past, placing players where they need to be for Midnight's eventual downfall.

I enjoyed the looks behind the scenes of Midnight's slave trade, the Shantel, and how Pet came to be in the hands of Midnight's trainers.

[B. Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not impressed by Bloodkin.
Kadee was an uninspiring, boring protagonist. I hate to say that, because I really loved the other shifter books when I was younger, but this is just not good. There's no sense of urgency, and the intrigue is very poor.
While I do like that we're learning about the Obsidian Guild, I can't help but wish it was executed better.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this as much as the first one. WHY WHY did you switch to Kadee why did you not stay with Vance, I loved Vance!

But I love the world can't wait to pick up the Kiesh.. something series to learn a little bit more about this world.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets are unfolding! Can't wait to finish the trilogy.