BrightBlood: An Urban Fantasy Vampire Thriller

by James Anderson Foster

Alexandra Balarescu, once the deadliest assassin in a world hidden from human eyes, now finds herself a blank slate. Hunted by the very organization she once served, she must piece together the shattered fragments of her past. But each recovered memory unravels a conspiracy that threatens to topple the precarious balance between humans and the supernatural.

Caught between warring vampire factions, cunning Fae, and her own resurfacing humanity, Alexandra must navigate a minefield of allegiances. With each revelation, she grapples not just with who she was, but with who she’s becoming.

As memories and dangers close in, Alexandra faces an impossible embrace the monster within or risk everything for a chance at redemption. But in a world where time is measured in heartbeats and power is counted in blood, can she afford the luxury of humanity?

Here, in the space between human and supernatural worlds, every alliance has a price, and the line between predator and prey shifts with each revelation.

Will Alexandra reclaim her past, or forge a new future in blood?

Genres: Vampires

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2024

About the author

A decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm, he served in a rapid-deployment Cavalry unit that helped spearhead the VII Corps invasion of Iraq and engage their elite Republican Guard. Years later, he earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology, which means he now understands exactly why his characters make terrible decisions under pressure.

Under the name J.A. Foster, he writes high-intensity espionage thrillers shaped by his years living in Germany during the final days of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall — a front-row seat to shifting alliances and collapsing regimes.

As James Anderson Foster, he writes urban fantasy where Egyptian spellcraft, Norse runes, vampires, and modern technology collide in mostly inconvenient ways.

He is also an award-winning audiobook narrator of over 500 titles, including Marvel's Doctor Strange and the entire Firefly franchise, which means if you’ve listened to enough genre fiction, there’s a decent chance you’ve already heard him. He lives with his family, an unimpressed cat, and more fictional governments than strictly necessary.

Reviews

[Chrissi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book. And for the first few chapters I did! I was sucked into a world, and invested in the character discovering secrets about herself.
So what went wrong for me? It was the constant mention of her vampiric senses, her vampiric speed, the fact the could sense their foe, yet their foe (vampire) couldn’t sense them.
During battle scenes I was distracted by the constant reminder she has vampiric senses, eyesight, speed, strength etc. There’s no need to throw this at the reader continuously. We get it she’s got vampiric senses.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I found the MC to be a bit of an idiot and by the end I disliked her.
I preferred her male ally, who was murdered at the end by her to pay a Fae debt, so I will not be reading anymore in this series.
I'm going to guess that the Fae brings Radu back to life for her own reasons because Fae like playing games, unbeknownst to the MC who believes he's still dead, after she killed him....
Yep just checked spoilers for book 2. Still not changing my score, because the MC is the one who betrayed Radu. I don't want to see that poor man end up with the MC.

Also lost points for repetitive mention of her vampire abilities. I understand she lost recall of her being a vampire, so its new to her but going in depth all the time with what she was sensing got old. You also can't play the 'muscle memory' card for things like handling weapons, then have her continually focused on her vampire senses, speed etc. Her body is used to them, even if she doesn't recall them, so her brain wouldn't keep flagging them as being abnormal, especially her senses.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Tiffany Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read! I could not put this book down!

Brightblood is suspenseful and intense in a way that keeps you wanting to come back for more.

How do you run from a society that once had your unwavering loyalty? At what cost to yourself would you be willing to go to right a wrong? Alexandra will stop at nothing to correct her mistakes.

I love the incredible detail of the characters that Foster created in this book. They are complex and completely relatable. I cannot wait for the next in the series.

[Poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A somewhat different vampire tale.

Okay, I am a little weird. I generally know where a story is going before we get there. I wasn't surprised by how this story progressed, as usual I see the writing on the wall, but I liked the writing just the same. This is good character building, great fight scenes, stress upon stress for our hero, a well constructed battle, and an acceptable aftermath. I begin the next book later today and hope to find it as pleasurable.

[LivingLifeBetweenPages · Rating 5 out of 5]

The descriptive writing in this urban fantasy had me fully immersed from the start and kept me engaged until the end. If you liked the movie Underworld, then this book is for you, as it has very similar vibes. I loved Alexandra, the badass female protagonist, who I pictured as Kate Beckinsale in my mind. Overall I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Jessica Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I felt confused at the beginning because i thought maybe in the middle of the book she loses her memories because of what she found but it started right at the beginning. I feel it was a bit flat in the context and delivery of the story and didn’t keep my attention solely focused on it but by that cliffhanger ending i was biting my nails wanting to know more!!!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful mystery, lots of adventure, and surprises. Never knowing who to trust. Keeps you sucked in wondering what's next!

Great book to lose yourself in for a while!

[Cat Treadwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book from James Anderson Foster - and after just a few chapters, I was on Amazon, Wishlisting others in this series so that I could enjoy this world some more once I was finished here!

Right from the start, I was grabbed and held. I wasn't sure about the 'amnesiac protagonist' trope from the blurb, but it seemed to flow so naturally here, putting both Alexandra and the reader in exactly the same position as they try to work out just what's going on.

And the book doesn't let up! There's a few pauses to catch your breath, but in no time it seems as if the baddies are knocking down doors and the heroes are off again, running both to escape and to find out what 'Brightblood' means for them and the supernatural world as a whole.

If you liked the 'Underworld' movies, you will love this. A kickass heroine seeking the truth about a corrupt organisation that she previously worked for, a male associate along for the ride, and a TON of action. Seriously, it doesn't stop.

If anything, that's actually my only flaw to point out - there's so much action that it seemed to get a little repetitive after a while. Villains appear and are vanquished so frequently and fast that it was almost like a video game, and Alex seems to sometimes have a bit too much plot-armour. But this doesn't distract from the fun of it all, and tidbits of information are sprinkled regularly enough that the plot keeps flowing well.

'Brightblood' is a non-stop action-filled thrill ride. With vampires. If that sounds like your sort of thing, you'll love this adventure!

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the author, but the above opinions are entirely my own.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusually original vampire tale. I loved it! I loved the whole quest for Brightblood and the difficulty Alexandra was dealing with. I was sucked into this world easily but found it hard to leave. I look forward to reading more!

[Robert D Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

I did enjoy the story. There were times it seemed a little wordy, but a good story. Wish that some of the story hadn't lost a character I liked, but somewhat understandable from his bio.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great introduction to a new author for me. Right from the start it was action, drama and adventure. I loved the interaction and banter between characters and amazing storyline.

[Emerald Bryant]

Alright, imma call it.
DNF @ 61%

[MaD · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I read the blurb on this Vampire Assassin Book 1 and it sounded intriguing. When I read the first chapter, I was captivated by the author's descriptive scenery and the main character's (Alexandra's) intense emotions. I felt as if I was experiencing her heightened anxiety… why am I in a river? why don't I know who I am? why are people attacking me? I was eagerly drawn in, anticipating what was to come.

Alexandra somehow finds a building that has a stash of weapons, cash, and multiple passports with her picture Then she meets Radu who tells her they are partners in an assassin guild bound to them by magical contracts. She doesn't remember anything because of the memory wipe ritual she did after learning some frightening secret about their current employer. He explains the paranormal world to her and then they are on the run… from the guild they belong to.

And then, it lost me. The redundancy about having her memory wiped became tedious. I felt like it kept coming up and slapping me in the face. Why would she even do that if, now, she is trying to get them back? How can she and Radu hide from, sense and hear the other Venatores, but, they, in turn, cannot see, sense, or hear Alexandra and Radu? They go a couple of times to bargain for help to a Fae that Radu knows and, of course, Alex owes her a debt in return. But later when the debt comes due….it doesn't make sense… other than shock value?

I will say that the epilogue is thought provoking. Up to this point, I don't know if I liked her character or worried about her outcome. Now, I finally see … something… some change, some character development in Alexandra as she starts over , leaving Europe and going to America, "more determined to shape a better world". However, for me, it is still a question if I care enough.

For me, it was a bit disappointing. But maybe it has promise as it comtinues?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.