What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood of Ages
From The Ashes
For a simple eternity, all Michael Roman has to do is let it all go: the mystery surrounding his maker’s murder, the memory of his mortal life, and the basic idea that killing is wrong.
“From the Ashes” chronicles Michael’s early vampire life spent fighting on the Tournament circuit and falling for another vampire’s familiar.
This is a Blood of Ages Companion Novel. It can be read independently of or in addition to the Blood of Ages series by K.L. Kerr; if reading as part of the series, it is advised to read at any point after "The Genesis (Blood of Ages, #1)".
“From the Ashes” chronicles Michael’s early vampire life spent fighting on the Tournament circuit and falling for another vampire’s familiar.
This is a Blood of Ages Companion Novel. It can be read independently of or in addition to the Blood of Ages series by K.L. Kerr; if reading as part of the series, it is advised to read at any point after "The Genesis (Blood of Ages, #1)".
322 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
306 people want to read
About the author
K. L. Kerr
2 books43 followersK. L. KERR is an eighties child, raised on the likes of "American Werewolf in London", "Elvira" and "The Lost Boys", all of which she attributes to her long-lasting interest in tales of the supernatural.
Kerr very much enjoys writing in the universe she's created, and she intends to write many, many more.
Kerr very much enjoys writing in the universe she's created, and she intends to write many, many more.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 19, 2013
Wow. Another great read from K.L. Kerr. This is a companion to The Blood of Ages. With this installment we get to know more about the Rouge Vampire society and hierarchy. Set before "The Genisis", there will be some familiar characters, but mostly new ones.
February 25, 2024
Michael is a new vampire who is taken under the wing of a much older and more experienced vampire who is anything but a good influence on him. Michael wants to know how he never knew his mother was a vampire, and why and how he was turned. And most of all, he wants to know who killed her, and why they are determined to exterminate the entire vampire race.
Full disclosure: I haven't read any of the Blood of Ages books, so I was a bit lost at times. That's not the authors fault, that's on me. That said, I did enjoy the story. As it was a companion novel, it was a very quick read. I enjoyed the interplay between Michael and the other characters because he had a different dynamic with all of them. It gave Michael some depth and made me more interested in them.
All in all, even though I was lost at times, I enjoyed the book.
4/5 stars.
Full disclosure: I haven't read any of the Blood of Ages books, so I was a bit lost at times. That's not the authors fault, that's on me. That said, I did enjoy the story. As it was a companion novel, it was a very quick read. I enjoyed the interplay between Michael and the other characters because he had a different dynamic with all of them. It gave Michael some depth and made me more interested in them.
All in all, even though I was lost at times, I enjoyed the book.
4/5 stars.
October 15, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having not read any of the Blood of Ages books prior to this one, I came at the story pretty blind. The book was about Michael, a newly turned vampire, who is stumbling through his new life trying to fit in. Vincent, a much older and more “traditional” vampire, takes Michael under his wing and makes sure that Michael doesn’t fumble around too much. As Michael struggles to learn more about his new world, he finds himself face to face with a group of hunters determined to exterminate the vampire race.
I have to admit, my favorite part of this book was the interaction between Michael and Vincent. Their relationship was very reminiscent of the Lestat/Louis dynamic, without the sexual overtones. The father/son relationship twists into a friendship somehow throughout the book, and it was a great joy to watch Vincent’s hard exterior begin to crack a little.
Vincent was by far my favorite character in the book. I had a hard time getting into Michael’s story when it didn’t involve Vincent. The love story elements were brief and did not really engage me much. Michael’s fighting history was a little boring for a non-fighter like me to read over and over again. I assume it ties in to the other books in the series in some way because so much time was spent on it, but I have no point of reference for that. The ending of this book is a big downer, so you should prepare yourself adequately for it.
Overall, this was a well written book that had a lot of interesting characters and development. I just felt like it was missing something, but that could totally be my lack of exposure to the other books. There might be some revelations that I missed along the way. I really loved Vincent, though.
Having not read any of the Blood of Ages books prior to this one, I came at the story pretty blind. The book was about Michael, a newly turned vampire, who is stumbling through his new life trying to fit in. Vincent, a much older and more “traditional” vampire, takes Michael under his wing and makes sure that Michael doesn’t fumble around too much. As Michael struggles to learn more about his new world, he finds himself face to face with a group of hunters determined to exterminate the vampire race.
I have to admit, my favorite part of this book was the interaction between Michael and Vincent. Their relationship was very reminiscent of the Lestat/Louis dynamic, without the sexual overtones. The father/son relationship twists into a friendship somehow throughout the book, and it was a great joy to watch Vincent’s hard exterior begin to crack a little.
Vincent was by far my favorite character in the book. I had a hard time getting into Michael’s story when it didn’t involve Vincent. The love story elements were brief and did not really engage me much. Michael’s fighting history was a little boring for a non-fighter like me to read over and over again. I assume it ties in to the other books in the series in some way because so much time was spent on it, but I have no point of reference for that. The ending of this book is a big downer, so you should prepare yourself adequately for it.
Overall, this was a well written book that had a lot of interesting characters and development. I just felt like it was missing something, but that could totally be my lack of exposure to the other books. There might be some revelations that I missed along the way. I really loved Vincent, though.
February 10, 2014
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
In The Genesis we got to see Fox through the eyes of another person. But in some ways I actually like the companion novel From the Ashes even better because we get to see Michael’s evolution from regular guy to Fox, the toughened Tournament fighter.
The plot is not exactly fast-paced in the beginning because it focuses more on Michael’s character and his transformation to a vampire. Of course in the beginning he has no idea he’s a vampire until the mysterious Vincent rescues him from a police officer determined to turn him in to the ACA. After that the plot is a little slow while Michael gains his bearings in this terrifying new world of vampires. But then the plot starts to pick up when Vincent decides it’s time Michael became useful and throws him into the Tournaments to prove his fighting capabilities.
It’s there that poor Michael meets Amy, who is the familiar of Chino, the Tournament organizer. Falling for another vampire’s familiar isn’t exactly the greatest thing to do and it explains why Michael is so distant toward Catrina in The Genesis. Sometimes companion novels or novellas don’t really add any backstory or greater understanding of the world of the original novels, but this is certainly not the case with From the Ashes.
Sure, I suppose you could read From the Ashes before you read The Genesis, but then The Genesis won’t be nearly as awesome if you already know Fox’s tragic backstory. I don’t think reading From the Ashes will be required to understand the second book in Blood of Ages, but it certainly gives Fox and Dayson city a lot more depth. If you loved the first book, I highly recommend reading this companion novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
In The Genesis we got to see Fox through the eyes of another person. But in some ways I actually like the companion novel From the Ashes even better because we get to see Michael’s evolution from regular guy to Fox, the toughened Tournament fighter.
The plot is not exactly fast-paced in the beginning because it focuses more on Michael’s character and his transformation to a vampire. Of course in the beginning he has no idea he’s a vampire until the mysterious Vincent rescues him from a police officer determined to turn him in to the ACA. After that the plot is a little slow while Michael gains his bearings in this terrifying new world of vampires. But then the plot starts to pick up when Vincent decides it’s time Michael became useful and throws him into the Tournaments to prove his fighting capabilities.
It’s there that poor Michael meets Amy, who is the familiar of Chino, the Tournament organizer. Falling for another vampire’s familiar isn’t exactly the greatest thing to do and it explains why Michael is so distant toward Catrina in The Genesis. Sometimes companion novels or novellas don’t really add any backstory or greater understanding of the world of the original novels, but this is certainly not the case with From the Ashes.
Sure, I suppose you could read From the Ashes before you read The Genesis, but then The Genesis won’t be nearly as awesome if you already know Fox’s tragic backstory. I don’t think reading From the Ashes will be required to understand the second book in Blood of Ages, but it certainly gives Fox and Dayson city a lot more depth. If you loved the first book, I highly recommend reading this companion novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
November 4, 2013
It is a separate story from The Blood of Ages yet it does tie in to the original story. That being said I have to say I liked it. It was a bit slow moving at the beginning and it did have me asking a few questions since I wasn't sure where the story was going. Once it started to pick up everything fell in to place and it was a great twist I wasn't expecting.
All the characters are well developed and I especially liked that we get to follow Michael through his transition. Vincent was a self centered and yes a jerk but hey what can you expect from such an old and powerful vampire. I like the contrast between soft Michael to cold Vincent it went good with the story. I felt bad for Michael if it's not one thing it's another thing going wrong. At least that explains why he is the way he is in the book The Blood of Ages. I loved that we get a background on one of the main characters it helped understand more what they're going through in the original story. Sonny! Yes he's back too. Come on you can't help but like the guy, he's a great bartender with great witty humor. We get a few new characters too among them Amy a human mixed in with the vampires. I found her funny, sarcastic and she goes through so much too.
The book was well written you still get your action, mystery and romance this time around. The action part was great you get the Agents attacking plus vampire fighting tournaments. The romance wasn't cheesy, it was good Michael had to work for it. The ending was good and it leads you into The Blood of Ages. Overall a good companion novel yet it can be read on its own for those who haven't read Blood of Ages.
All the characters are well developed and I especially liked that we get to follow Michael through his transition. Vincent was a self centered and yes a jerk but hey what can you expect from such an old and powerful vampire. I like the contrast between soft Michael to cold Vincent it went good with the story. I felt bad for Michael if it's not one thing it's another thing going wrong. At least that explains why he is the way he is in the book The Blood of Ages. I loved that we get a background on one of the main characters it helped understand more what they're going through in the original story. Sonny! Yes he's back too. Come on you can't help but like the guy, he's a great bartender with great witty humor. We get a few new characters too among them Amy a human mixed in with the vampires. I found her funny, sarcastic and she goes through so much too.
The book was well written you still get your action, mystery and romance this time around. The action part was great you get the Agents attacking plus vampire fighting tournaments. The romance wasn't cheesy, it was good Michael had to work for it. The ending was good and it leads you into The Blood of Ages. Overall a good companion novel yet it can be read on its own for those who haven't read Blood of Ages.
November 23, 2013
There are few Urban Fantasies starring vampires where the protagonist is male. I found this surprisingly refreshing.
If you've read "The Genesis" the first of the "Blood of Ages" series, you'll recognize some characters. And as usual, K.L. Kerr did an amazing job with her character development. I had a great time learning and relearning about the people and vampires from Dayson city. Vincent was especially fascinating and she didn't skimp on his details. He's very much an old-school vampire with a lack of morale while Michael, in his newly awakened life, still clings to his.
There are masterful action scenes that are rife with suspense.
I always have a soft spot in my heart for dark storytelling and K.L. Kerr doesn't give us the sunny side of the undead. Instead it's the compulsive, violent and blood-addicted creatures of legend and how they're coping with a modern society.
If you haven't read the first book "The Genesis", don't fret, you can go into this one blind and still have a great read.
If you've read "The Genesis" the first of the "Blood of Ages" series, you'll recognize some characters. And as usual, K.L. Kerr did an amazing job with her character development. I had a great time learning and relearning about the people and vampires from Dayson city. Vincent was especially fascinating and she didn't skimp on his details. He's very much an old-school vampire with a lack of morale while Michael, in his newly awakened life, still clings to his.
There are masterful action scenes that are rife with suspense.
I always have a soft spot in my heart for dark storytelling and K.L. Kerr doesn't give us the sunny side of the undead. Instead it's the compulsive, violent and blood-addicted creatures of legend and how they're coping with a modern society.
If you haven't read the first book "The Genesis", don't fret, you can go into this one blind and still have a great read.
October 30, 2013
I enjoyed K.L. Kerr's prequel to The Genesis; it fills in some of the back story behind the Rogue society and some of the characters in Blood of Ages #1, as well as introducing us to many more. I continue to appreciate the moral complexity Kerr gives her vampires, as opposed to simply portraying them as innocent victims, do-gooders, or pure evil. I will look forward to the release of Blood of Ages #2!
For full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of the book for an honest review.
For full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of the book for an honest review.
November 25, 2013
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
Great read! I really enjoyed getting the background on Michael.
There was never a point where I was left board with this book.
It was well written and details kept me interested.
I can't wait to read the next book from K.L. Kerr.
Great read! I really enjoyed getting the background on Michael.
There was never a point where I was left board with this book.
It was well written and details kept me interested.
I can't wait to read the next book from K.L. Kerr.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews