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Blood Trails #15
Guilt
Scath has been arrested by the Unseelie Court. Multiple homicides, along with a crime the fey consider even worse than murder.
Magic theft.
Conviction will mean execution unless Scath can return the power she took. And for that, she’ll need Shade’s help.
Fortunately, Shade has allies in high—and low—places. A demon lawyer hired by the Queen of Air and Darkness herself. A determined pixie. An alpha werewolf. And an old friend who’s learned a lot about the truth of good vs evil…
The only thing standing in Shade’s way? A century old murder. To save Scath’s life, Shade will need to find the killer before closing arguments.
And the dark court believes in a speedy trial.
Magic theft.
Conviction will mean execution unless Scath can return the power she took. And for that, she’ll need Shade’s help.
Fortunately, Shade has allies in high—and low—places. A demon lawyer hired by the Queen of Air and Darkness herself. A determined pixie. An alpha werewolf. And an old friend who’s learned a lot about the truth of good vs evil…
The only thing standing in Shade’s way? A century old murder. To save Scath’s life, Shade will need to find the killer before closing arguments.
And the dark court believes in a speedy trial.
ebook
First published October 10, 2023
48 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Blackstream
53 books511 followersJennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She is amazed and grateful to have made a writing career out of a Master’s degree in Psychology, hours of couch-detecting watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and endless research into mythology and fairy tales. She firmly believes that whether it’s a village witch deciding she wants to be a private investigator, or a single mother having a go at being a full time writer, it’s never too late for a new adventure.
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 10, 2023
Really, really enjoyed this. Easy 5 stars for everything except one thing which grated enough that it reduced my enjoyment overall. More on that below.
I was as happy as Peasblossom to see Andy back. A lot of things building up to this point get answered and it seems like a jumping off point to reset the series dealing with the ramifications of the reveals and I'm hoping this means quite a few more books to go. Shade herself, a number of her relationships and her life situation end up in a very different place that I’m looking forward to reading in the future. Like the last book, this doesn’t end in any cliff hanger because the immediate plot resolves here, but it does jump right into the next thing in a sort of teaser like tv shows often employ for the next episode and I can’t wait for the next one.
So that one thing - that would be Shade and Liam for the same reasons I went over in my review for Wicked which is basically how undeveloped this relationship is compared to all of Shade's other relationships. I like reading two strong characters trying to make their lives go together whether the relationship is friendship, family, work or romance. Sometimes that means conflict. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s ugly. But that's where the meaning is, too. I need it to feel earned. Liam is in this entire book so the issue was in my face the whole time and it distracted. His sole purpose in Guilt is apparently to very occasionally comment on the case, but mostly to be the Very Supportive Stepford Boyfriend and hand-holding, cuddles and back rub dispenser.
I can't make sense of these two because they feel very wrong just below the surface. Shade narrates the book, but as in love as Shade seems to think she is, Liam constantly fades into the background compared to other characters like Shade doesn’t even notice him most of the time. No personal conversations, no eye contact, no description of Liam’s expressions, mannerisms, body language, moods, what he's thinking or anything indicating that Shade is tuned into him much at all. There was a short story taking place a few books ago where Shade and Liam had to be told that they should want to make the effort to spend more time together. What new relationship needs a third party to tell them they should want to spend more time together? I sorta feel gaslighted because I see that these two don’t add up but the reader is constantly getting meaningless mush thrown at us to cover it up.
The list of problems that they just ignore grows in this book. Liam should have a lot of questions at the very least over what happens in this book, anyone would if they found out this sort of thing out about their partner, but he's just peachy I guess? Liam’s aura is commented on often, but based on past books this supposedly means he’s emotionally unmated which Shade should be concerned about given how serious they claim to be, but she’s not. Denial? Maybe she doesn’t care that much as she claims? I don’t get how Shade's other relationships can be written so dynamically and layered but this one is so flat and empty to read.
I was as happy as Peasblossom to see Andy back. A lot of things building up to this point get answered and it seems like a jumping off point to reset the series dealing with the ramifications of the reveals and I'm hoping this means quite a few more books to go. Shade herself, a number of her relationships and her life situation end up in a very different place that I’m looking forward to reading in the future. Like the last book, this doesn’t end in any cliff hanger because the immediate plot resolves here, but it does jump right into the next thing in a sort of teaser like tv shows often employ for the next episode and I can’t wait for the next one.
So that one thing - that would be Shade and Liam for the same reasons I went over in my review for Wicked which is basically how undeveloped this relationship is compared to all of Shade's other relationships. I like reading two strong characters trying to make their lives go together whether the relationship is friendship, family, work or romance. Sometimes that means conflict. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s ugly. But that's where the meaning is, too. I need it to feel earned. Liam is in this entire book so the issue was in my face the whole time and it distracted. His sole purpose in Guilt is apparently to very occasionally comment on the case, but mostly to be the Very Supportive Stepford Boyfriend and hand-holding, cuddles and back rub dispenser.
I can't make sense of these two because they feel very wrong just below the surface. Shade narrates the book, but as in love as Shade seems to think she is, Liam constantly fades into the background compared to other characters like Shade doesn’t even notice him most of the time. No personal conversations, no eye contact, no description of Liam’s expressions, mannerisms, body language, moods, what he's thinking or anything indicating that Shade is tuned into him much at all. There was a short story taking place a few books ago where Shade and Liam had to be told that they should want to make the effort to spend more time together. What new relationship needs a third party to tell them they should want to spend more time together? I sorta feel gaslighted because I see that these two don’t add up but the reader is constantly getting meaningless mush thrown at us to cover it up.
The list of problems that they just ignore grows in this book. Liam should have a lot of questions at the very least over what happens in this book, anyone would if they found out this sort of thing out about their partner, but he's just peachy I guess? Liam’s aura is commented on often, but based on past books this supposedly means he’s emotionally unmated which Shade should be concerned about given how serious they claim to be, but she’s not. Denial? Maybe she doesn’t care that much as she claims? I don’t get how Shade's other relationships can be written so dynamically and layered but this one is so flat and empty to read.
March 29, 2024
More, please...
Fifteen books in, and this story arch still grips me long past the point where other series I have followed waned. I love the intricacy of this universe and how seamlessly the threads of this tale weave together to form a rich tapestry.
Fifteen books in, and this story arch still grips me long past the point where other series I have followed waned. I love the intricacy of this universe and how seamlessly the threads of this tale weave together to form a rich tapestry.
October 15, 2023
Overall I enjoyed this book but while I wanted to see more of Liam I was a bit disappointed in his role here. He was pretty much introduced as Alpha quite a bit and they held hands. He has police work and alpha duties that really weren't brought up. How could he be with Shade the whole time? I'd like a bit more on their dynamic really. Their relationship seems like it is really glossed over. The investigation and navigating court politics were really interesting. Liked having Andy back and know there's more to learn.
October 16, 2023
Another highly enjoyable book by Jennifer Blackstream. She writes in an amazing world of fae and magic with all sorts of monsters hiding in the shadows. In it we have Shade a powerful witch with a tragic past. Her companion and bodyguard and sometimes pain in the tush Scath follows her around in cat form and keeps her out of most trouble. This time it's Shade's turn to rescue Scath from her mysterious past when it comes back to get revenge. This book reveals so much I've been wondering about for the entire season as well as adding complexity to future books. Blackstream is excellent at creating a mood and fully fleshing out her characters. She is more than a romance writer she is a very good detective mystery writer as well. I have never not enjoyed one of her books. I read this one in a marathon reading session because I didn't want to put it down.
October 15, 2023
awesome
Holy moly this has to be one of the BEST books on Shade. SOOOOOOOO many questions answered and yet sooooo many more open ended ways for her story to continue I LOVED IT
Holy moly this has to be one of the BEST books on Shade. SOOOOOOOO many questions answered and yet sooooo many more open ended ways for her story to continue I LOVED IT
October 25, 2023
Another wonderful book in this series! It was more serious, I missed the ridiculous shenanigans found it earlier books, but a fine faerie murder mystery.
October 6, 2023
I just can't say enough great things about this book!!! Jennifer Blackstream is an incredible author with a flair for twists and turns. This book is the best yet, I am just in awe and still processing everything. I don't give spoilers so let me just say, there is so much unexpected things that happen and the reveals, just wow!!! The book brings so many characters together or against each other that you really don't know where things are going till the very end! Of course it ends in a cliffhanger, making the next book release not soon enough.
January 24, 2024
Another excellent read
I love this series and with each book the storyline gets more intriguing. Scath's history is finally revealed during her murder trial. In a desperate attempt to solve a theft and two murders that happened over a century ago before Scath is executed, Shade joins forces with her allies to investigate while evading numerous attacks. A well written and fast paced action packed storyline that kept me hooked until the very end. Highly recommend.
I love this series and with each book the storyline gets more intriguing. Scath's history is finally revealed during her murder trial. In a desperate attempt to solve a theft and two murders that happened over a century ago before Scath is executed, Shade joins forces with her allies to investigate while evading numerous attacks. A well written and fast paced action packed storyline that kept me hooked until the very end. Highly recommend.
February 26, 2025
In which the team solves a murder that happened over a hundred years ago, because fae. On the plus side, it explained a lot of backstory - possibly all the backstory? On the minus side, the explanations were along the lines of "X was conspiring with Y, but framed A to make it look like A was conspiring with Y instead, but then B..." Hard to follow especially when so many of those letters represent characters who died before our books started, or who we only meet briefly.
October 29, 2023
Finally some answers
This one was fast paced and I tried to draw it out longer, but I really love Jennifer black streams endings in Shades stories! This one is no exception, good from beginning till end. The only negative for me was the cliffhanger ending. So now I will try to patiently wait for the next installment to find out, it as always will be worth the wait!
This one was fast paced and I tried to draw it out longer, but I really love Jennifer black streams endings in Shades stories! This one is no exception, good from beginning till end. The only negative for me was the cliffhanger ending. So now I will try to patiently wait for the next installment to find out, it as always will be worth the wait!
April 28, 2024
Excellent bringing together of all of the clues about the Shade/Scath relationship provided from the first book in the series. Key information we didn't know before is presented. I love the main and supporting characters in this series and highly recommend it for world building, characterization, exciting events of plot and much-appreciated humour.
October 11, 2023
Fascinating sequel where lots of questions are answered. And I am fangirling so hard, every time Anton Winters appears. And just ... steps behind someone. So cool. So suave. So incredibly powerful and authoritative. Ah! He gives me all the good kind of shivers
October 22, 2023
So satisfying after following this series for the past two years to finally understand some of the mystery behind Scath and her connection to Shade. Also love some of the unexpected cameos! Some of the favorites return as the puzzle pieces come together.
October 6, 2023
...always leave them wanting more
October 30, 2023
5 Stars:)
March 28, 2024
One star down for making it a cliffhanger instead of ending this story.
June 7, 2025
It was good to get some closure on some major plot points. 7/10.
July 9, 2024
It was good to finally solve the mystery of Scath.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews