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Bloodmark Saga #2
Bloodrealms
Werewolf princess Ashling Boru's eighteenth birthday is only a year away, which means that she only has twelve months before she is claimed and fulfills her prophecy to unite the packs and lead her people. Her father decrees that her four suitors must fight in the Bloodrealms, the werewolves' ancient underground fighting world, and the winner will have King Boru's choice to win Ashling's hand. The wolf laws are rigid and barbaric, and Ashling's illicit love for Grey, if discovered, will mean his death. But when Ashling and Grey get trapped in the blood-soaked depths of the Bloodrealms, they find ancient horrors far greater than Ashling's father's rule.
With betrayal around every corner and old nemeses set to destroy Ashling, she is more divided than ever between the destiny she didn't choose and the love that she did. To make matters worse, her decision will not only set the course of her future, but the future of her entire race.
Bloodrealms is the second novel in Whittet’s Bloodmark saga.
With betrayal around every corner and old nemeses set to destroy Ashling, she is more divided than ever between the destiny she didn't choose and the love that she did. To make matters worse, her decision will not only set the course of her future, but the future of her entire race.
Bloodrealms is the second novel in Whittet’s Bloodmark saga.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2014
8 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Aurora Whittet
7 books111 followersAurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Today, she has completed Bloodmark, Bloodrealms, and Bloodmoon of the Bloodmark Saga trilogy and started her journey into children’s books with Mama’s Knight in honor of her own mother who lost her battle with cancer. She’s a national award-winning graphic designer in her day job. Aurora lives with her family in Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 8, 2016
I got an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.
CHECK OUT MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KRW...
Book 1 to me had potential but I had a hard time falling in love with Grey. In this book I had a hard time with Ashling all the freaking time. To me she has this Mary Sue, holier than you attitude and I do not like that. Suddenly even people who disliked her love her and she criticises others while she knows nothing about them and their way of living! Her inner thoughts are repetitive, she acts like a child while she wants to be treated as a grown up and overall I just started to dislike her a lot. The only moment when I enjoyed this book was when Ashling wasn't thinking about Grey (whom I still don't love) and was just describing what was happening.
I also feel very disappointed with the ''evil characters'' in this book. Some seem to be just evil for the sake of being evil, others who seemed to have a good reason for being evil turned out to be not evil.
In the end I could not give this book any higher than a 2 star rating.
CHECK OUT MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KRW...
Book 1 to me had potential but I had a hard time falling in love with Grey. In this book I had a hard time with Ashling all the freaking time. To me she has this Mary Sue, holier than you attitude and I do not like that. Suddenly even people who disliked her love her and she criticises others while she knows nothing about them and their way of living! Her inner thoughts are repetitive, she acts like a child while she wants to be treated as a grown up and overall I just started to dislike her a lot. The only moment when I enjoyed this book was when Ashling wasn't thinking about Grey (whom I still don't love) and was just describing what was happening.
I also feel very disappointed with the ''evil characters'' in this book. Some seem to be just evil for the sake of being evil, others who seemed to have a good reason for being evil turned out to be not evil.
In the end I could not give this book any higher than a 2 star rating.
Want to read
November 11, 2015
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
April 9, 2017
The second book in the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodrealms, sees Ashling and her band of merry suitors flailing around trying to win her affections. All the while fighting with each other and generally being total idiots.
Between the excessively overwritten rubbish that spurts from Ashling's mind when she thinks of Grey and the adolescent lusting whenever they were within thirty feet of each other, the story actually held quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. This is the saving grace of the Bloodmark Saga in my eyes, I am curious to see how things progress in book 3, though I'd be happy if Ashling and Grey are separated by a whole continent for the duration (I've had enough of that rubbish!). Or I'll just take another 12 months to eventually get to book #3.
Ashling annoyed the hell out of me in both books, but she felt more 'mary-sue' like at the start of this book, HOWEVER, she does appear to grow a backbone and have some character growth by the end of the story. Big green tick! Head to GO, collect $200.
My main concerns for this book (outside of the gut-roiling puke-fest gushing love between Ashling and Grey) was that there seemed to be a whole heap of new plot threads that just appeared in this book and took over from the original ones from book one.
For example, you're meant to really dislike this one character throughout the whole book, then at the end it's like 'TA-DA' they're not that bad, they were doing these things out of love. Which was a total and utter surprise because we'd seen nothing about any of it throughout the books. Then, other characters who were kind of bit-parts ended up with some pretty major plot driving scenes. It seemed all over the place to me.
I'm giving this 3/5 because there was some character growth in Ashling, but it's only a start. Overall the book was flat and rather uninteresting until the last few chapters.
**Note: I was provided with an electronic version of this book in return for an honest review**
Between the excessively overwritten rubbish that spurts from Ashling's mind when she thinks of Grey and the adolescent lusting whenever they were within thirty feet of each other, the story actually held quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. This is the saving grace of the Bloodmark Saga in my eyes, I am curious to see how things progress in book 3, though I'd be happy if Ashling and Grey are separated by a whole continent for the duration (I've had enough of that rubbish!). Or I'll just take another 12 months to eventually get to book #3.
Ashling annoyed the hell out of me in both books, but she felt more 'mary-sue' like at the start of this book, HOWEVER, she does appear to grow a backbone and have some character growth by the end of the story. Big green tick! Head to GO, collect $200.
My main concerns for this book (outside of the gut-roiling puke-fest gushing love between Ashling and Grey) was that there seemed to be a whole heap of new plot threads that just appeared in this book and took over from the original ones from book one.
For example, you're meant to really dislike this one character throughout the whole book, then at the end it's like 'TA-DA' they're not that bad, they were doing these things out of love. Which was a total and utter surprise because we'd seen nothing about any of it throughout the books. Then, other characters who were kind of bit-parts ended up with some pretty major plot driving scenes. It seemed all over the place to me.
I'm giving this 3/5 because there was some character growth in Ashling, but it's only a start. Overall the book was flat and rather uninteresting until the last few chapters.
**Note: I was provided with an electronic version of this book in return for an honest review**
September 9, 2017
This was a fantastic follow-up to the first book: Bloodmark. The author did a great job at weaving an intricate plot. The story and setting were richly imagined. I loved the romance between Ashling and Grey. The friendships and familial relationships were also well written. I cried more than once from the emotions the book evoked in me. I'm absolutely dying to read the conclusion to this trilogy. Five glittery stars!
July 31, 2016
ARC kindly provided by Wise Ink Creative Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
Review
'Bloodrealms' suffered from MAJOR second book syndrome! Seriously! One of EPIC, GARGANTUOUS proportions! I disliked how everything progressed from the start to the finish and by the end of the book I was at my wits end. I do not EVER DNF a book – but this one almost made me think about it!
What annoyed me a little about the novel was how many times Ashling said that women were not equal to men yet showed no proof of that, except for a few brawls to fight for a lady's hand, for example, now and again. She also integrated the whole "a lady should not be caught in a compromising position with a man lest she be disgraced". And Ashling commented in this quite a few times and was often in the presence of men alone without being chaperoned yet she suffered no consequences. The whole situations was quite irksome
The second thing that annoyed me was the quality of the writing. It progressed from this matured, practised style to one worthy of ANY randomly picked out self-published or independently published novel! There was nothing that I could praise about it except that it made sense and the grammar was good. Argh! I was so frustrated! I expected so much more from the author but all I got was lots and LOTS of showing and not telling. Let me clarify myself: the writing told too much and stated too much like the fact that Ashling loved Grey but there was no showing that she actually did. The author kept telling about the subtle moods and emotions but she didn't provide anything that supported all this. That enhanced it or made it better!
I believe this is also what ruined my ability to form a bond and connection to the book. You can't love or hate a book if you don't have the feels for it! If you can't experience the world as the characters experience it, you are literally reading word after word after word. Sort of like the back of a cereal box. Dry.
There was much that happened which I would have found tangible and full of emotion. So many great events that lost their power on me. The words just crudely told the facts but didn't hope to establish a link to the reader.
Of course this impacted the chemistry which I felt between Ashling and Grey. They do something REALLY IMPORTANT HERE! But I hated the whole thing because it was...just DRY.
The plot was well laid out and created a great story arc, though it didn't have enough secrecy or anticipation for me. There was lots of drama but no tension. Everything was a too ordinary and easily predicted.
The world-building suffered in this 'Bloodrealms'. I hoped that the author would have expanded on the lands she created. Created a better established world and introduced some new things that would have made it all exciting and wonderful. She obviously know the world she has created thus far, but she hasn't chosen to develop it and get to know it better, and on a deeper level. This really shows.
There was an attempt on a cliff-hanger but I can't say that I was caught or look forward to the next instalment. My only hopes are that the next instalment really DOES become better!
Congratulations to Aurora Whittet on publishing the second novel in the 'Bloodmark Saga'!
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
October 31, 2014
Happy Release Day!
Aurora Whittet is Celebrating with a GREAT Giveaway
Click on Banner to Enter
US only - Ends Nov 6th
Ooooohhhhh! Shiny! Aurora Whittet has another gem to add to my collection! Book two of the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodrealms is just as brilliant as its predecessor, Bloodmark ! More twists, more tangles, more than an angst-filled young adult romance, Bloodrealms sets Ashling further down the path that will determine the fate of her entire race. Torn between duty and love, no matter which fork in the road she takes, there will be pain, will no one champion her cause for the freedom to choose love?
Nothing more than a pawn for her father’s machinations, Ashling is to be the prize in a brutal and barbaric werewolf ritual as four suitors must fight to the finish to win her hand. Hasn’t she been through enough, in her past? Strong-willed and defiant, Ashling tries to go through the motions of entertaining her suitors, but it’s Grey who has her heart, the half-breed, the least likely to win. Can she risk his life or settle for another kind-hearted, warrior suitor? When the brother of her now dead tormentor offers for her hand, how could her father say yes?
No longer able to watch her people fight and die for her, Ashling finally grows a warrior’s heart, now she needs the skills, but will it be enough to turn the tides that all seem to flow against her? Everyone is not as they seem, friends hide their true nature, strangers become allies and Ashling learns the meaning of loyalty to her people. Will she ever learn to stand against her father and his archaic ways? Will she learn what being royalty means from her mother?
Again, I am amazed by Aurora Whittet and her power over her pen. Ms. Whittet delivers another YA fantasy taut with tension, the heart of youth, and the confusion of too much responsibility for a teenaged princess. Ashling grows exponentially throughout this tale, finding her footing and looking beyond what she wants to what others need around her. Even the “bad guys” have a side that is fascinating as their stories are unfolded. Every bit as good as book one, but with a slightly different flavor, I highly recommend this series and watching Ashling grow!
I received an ARC edition from Aurora Whittet in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Bloodmark Saga - Book 2
Publication Date: October 31, 2014
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
ISBN-10: 1940014360
ISBN-13: 978-1940014364
Genre: YA Fantasy
Hardcover: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & NobleReviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Aurora Whittet is Celebrating with a GREAT Giveaway
Click on Banner to Enter
US only - Ends Nov 6th
Ooooohhhhh! Shiny! Aurora Whittet has another gem to add to my collection! Book two of the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodrealms is just as brilliant as its predecessor, Bloodmark ! More twists, more tangles, more than an angst-filled young adult romance, Bloodrealms sets Ashling further down the path that will determine the fate of her entire race. Torn between duty and love, no matter which fork in the road she takes, there will be pain, will no one champion her cause for the freedom to choose love?
Nothing more than a pawn for her father’s machinations, Ashling is to be the prize in a brutal and barbaric werewolf ritual as four suitors must fight to the finish to win her hand. Hasn’t she been through enough, in her past? Strong-willed and defiant, Ashling tries to go through the motions of entertaining her suitors, but it’s Grey who has her heart, the half-breed, the least likely to win. Can she risk his life or settle for another kind-hearted, warrior suitor? When the brother of her now dead tormentor offers for her hand, how could her father say yes?
No longer able to watch her people fight and die for her, Ashling finally grows a warrior’s heart, now she needs the skills, but will it be enough to turn the tides that all seem to flow against her? Everyone is not as they seem, friends hide their true nature, strangers become allies and Ashling learns the meaning of loyalty to her people. Will she ever learn to stand against her father and his archaic ways? Will she learn what being royalty means from her mother?
Again, I am amazed by Aurora Whittet and her power over her pen. Ms. Whittet delivers another YA fantasy taut with tension, the heart of youth, and the confusion of too much responsibility for a teenaged princess. Ashling grows exponentially throughout this tale, finding her footing and looking beyond what she wants to what others need around her. Even the “bad guys” have a side that is fascinating as their stories are unfolded. Every bit as good as book one, but with a slightly different flavor, I highly recommend this series and watching Ashling grow!
I received an ARC edition from Aurora Whittet in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Bloodmark Saga - Book 2
Publication Date: October 31, 2014
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
ISBN-10: 1940014360
ISBN-13: 978-1940014364
Genre: YA Fantasy
Hardcover: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & NobleReviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 17, 2015
I was given this book by the author for an honest review.
*Some Spoilers**
This is the second installment of the Bloodmark Saga, when I started reading this I had not yet read the first book. It was really confusing because there were so many characters that are involved in this series. I would highly recommend reading the first book before picking this one up. If I would not have picked up the first book, I would have had skewed perspectives on all the characters/relationships because there were many life changing events that happened with all the characters in the first book. From these events, most of the characters changed/evolved to who they are in this book.
What I really enjoyed about the second book was the continuation of the characters. It was nice getting to know all of them more and the introduction of new characters as well. Ashling's adventures goes on and Aurora writing is still great with the very descriptive emotions/feelings of all the characters.
I didn't give this story five stars because I didn't think Ashling matured enough as she should have in this story. In the previous book, Ashling had more acceptance of the various events that happened and was willing to move on to what she had to face next in her life. In this book, I felt that she took a few steps back. There were many times where she was hypocritical or just changed her mind on a decision that she made. I'm not sure about the shift in Ashling for most of this book, she also seemed to have lost some of her common sense that she so critically needed since her life is always in danger.
For example, she gets attacked in the middle of the night in the castle but she doesn't think about it again. Who could have attacked her in a well guarded castle? Why doesn't she realize that her life is in even more danger after that event? Why aren't any of the other characters taking the matter more seriously? Why was this event completely disregarded until the very end of the book?
Another event of her going back to her immaturity: Ashling goes into the Bloodrealms and she is horrified at all the violence and torture of people. She gets sick from all the hideous things that she witnessed. She was aware of the maze of dangers that are continuous underground and the unusual monsters that lurk in the Bloodrealms. A few days later she decides that she wants to go back in there and see "her" men fight…. even though she couldn't stand it before? She was willing to risk her life in the Bloodrealms because she wanted to be with her pack, putting her safety in danger. Therefore she dismissed that she was "the chosen one" in the prophecy that says she would unite the packs.
Also at times, Ashling would be willing to risk her life to save others because "she had to protect everyone. especially humans" but then there were times where she questioned it because she thought she "had much more to live for". This back and forth battle for Ashling was slightly draining while reading the book. I wish she would have been more sure of herself after all the traumatic events that happened. She would have been more human and appealing.
Overall, I would recommend this book, it was definitely worth reading. I would like to thank Aurora for sharing her work with me, I will be continuing with this series.
*Some Spoilers**
This is the second installment of the Bloodmark Saga, when I started reading this I had not yet read the first book. It was really confusing because there were so many characters that are involved in this series. I would highly recommend reading the first book before picking this one up. If I would not have picked up the first book, I would have had skewed perspectives on all the characters/relationships because there were many life changing events that happened with all the characters in the first book. From these events, most of the characters changed/evolved to who they are in this book.
What I really enjoyed about the second book was the continuation of the characters. It was nice getting to know all of them more and the introduction of new characters as well. Ashling's adventures goes on and Aurora writing is still great with the very descriptive emotions/feelings of all the characters.
I didn't give this story five stars because I didn't think Ashling matured enough as she should have in this story. In the previous book, Ashling had more acceptance of the various events that happened and was willing to move on to what she had to face next in her life. In this book, I felt that she took a few steps back. There were many times where she was hypocritical or just changed her mind on a decision that she made. I'm not sure about the shift in Ashling for most of this book, she also seemed to have lost some of her common sense that she so critically needed since her life is always in danger.
For example, she gets attacked in the middle of the night in the castle but she doesn't think about it again. Who could have attacked her in a well guarded castle? Why doesn't she realize that her life is in even more danger after that event? Why aren't any of the other characters taking the matter more seriously? Why was this event completely disregarded until the very end of the book?
Another event of her going back to her immaturity: Ashling goes into the Bloodrealms and she is horrified at all the violence and torture of people. She gets sick from all the hideous things that she witnessed. She was aware of the maze of dangers that are continuous underground and the unusual monsters that lurk in the Bloodrealms. A few days later she decides that she wants to go back in there and see "her" men fight…. even though she couldn't stand it before? She was willing to risk her life in the Bloodrealms because she wanted to be with her pack, putting her safety in danger. Therefore she dismissed that she was "the chosen one" in the prophecy that says she would unite the packs.
Also at times, Ashling would be willing to risk her life to save others because "she had to protect everyone. especially humans" but then there were times where she questioned it because she thought she "had much more to live for". This back and forth battle for Ashling was slightly draining while reading the book. I wish she would have been more sure of herself after all the traumatic events that happened. She would have been more human and appealing.
Overall, I would recommend this book, it was definitely worth reading. I would like to thank Aurora for sharing her work with me, I will be continuing with this series.
September 2, 2016
Originally posted @ Miranda's Book Blog
Going into this book I knew I'd enjoy it, but this book took me by complete surprise and BLEW ME AWAY! I loved every moment of Bloodrealms, it's every YA paranormal romance lover's dream!
There's tons of romance, countless plot twist you'd never see coming and it's much darker than the first book Bloodmark. Oh and it's perfectly paced, never a dull moment!
Let's delve a little deeper into what I liked:
Their Culture: Compared to the first book Bloodmark, the story went into much more detail and I found myself fascinated with their customs and holidays.
The Bloodmark Celtic Calendar- It's a solar/ritual calendar. You can check out the whole calendar HERE.
New & Original Creatures as well as MAGIC! - Most are pretty frightening, borderline horror.
Countless plot twist: Okay I knew there'd be plot twist, but it seemed there was one after another, once again I was blown away!
Not only are there countless plot twist, but the whole plot is so character driven, the amount of character development was absolutely amazing! Ashling has grown so much since the first book Bloodmark, I cannot wait to see her in the next book Bloodmoon! She's fearless, brave and loves deeply.
The overall theme of this book is good against evil. Throughout the book there's ever growing love between not only Ashling and Grey, but between their packs as well. Loyalties are tested, new alliances are formed.
I'd recommend this book to those of you who love reading about characters who grow and aren't afraid to deal with some pretty scary situations to overcome major obstacles. Oh and for those of you who love romance, magic and of course werewolves!
Now please...go read this series! You can check out my review for Bloodmark HERE.
Going into this book I knew I'd enjoy it, but this book took me by complete surprise and BLEW ME AWAY! I loved every moment of Bloodrealms, it's every YA paranormal romance lover's dream!
There's tons of romance, countless plot twist you'd never see coming and it's much darker than the first book Bloodmark. Oh and it's perfectly paced, never a dull moment!
Let's delve a little deeper into what I liked:
Their Culture: Compared to the first book Bloodmark, the story went into much more detail and I found myself fascinated with their customs and holidays.
The Bloodmark Celtic Calendar- It's a solar/ritual calendar. You can check out the whole calendar HERE.
New & Original Creatures as well as MAGIC! - Most are pretty frightening, borderline horror.
Countless plot twist: Okay I knew there'd be plot twist, but it seemed there was one after another, once again I was blown away!
Not only are there countless plot twist, but the whole plot is so character driven, the amount of character development was absolutely amazing! Ashling has grown so much since the first book Bloodmark, I cannot wait to see her in the next book Bloodmoon! She's fearless, brave and loves deeply.
The overall theme of this book is good against evil. Throughout the book there's ever growing love between not only Ashling and Grey, but between their packs as well. Loyalties are tested, new alliances are formed.
I'd recommend this book to those of you who love reading about characters who grow and aren't afraid to deal with some pretty scary situations to overcome major obstacles. Oh and for those of you who love romance, magic and of course werewolves!
Now please...go read this series! You can check out my review for Bloodmark HERE.
December 30, 2015
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me this book to read in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was given, offered, or taken to alter the opinion.
Bloodrealms is the second book in the Bloodmark series. Bloodrealms picks up close to where Bloodmark leaves off. I enjoyed this book better than the first one. Aurora Whittet definitely knows how to kick the action and romance up a level in this book. I read and finished this book over 24 hours. In this book, Ashling is in the middle of a battle of suitors. Her father agrees to have four wolves (Grey, Brychan, Channing, and Eamon) compete in a fight to the finish in the Bloodrealms for her hand. But, Ashling doesn't want them to fight. She already knows that she wants to be with Grey, but she has to keep her love for Grey a secret and entertain her other suitors. I enjoyed getting to know Ashling's other suitors in this book, Brychan and Channing. Sorry Grey, but I'm a fan of Brychan. I love that Ashling isn't a dainty princess. When the suitors train, she wants to train as well. Everyone is not as they seem in this book. Friends hide their true nature, strangers become allies, and Ashling learns the meaning of loyalty to her people. I like this series' take on Bloodsuckers. It's definitely original. I loved that this book used the word "hangry." I busted out laughing when I came across it. I am looking forward to the third and final book in this series.
Bloodrealms is the second book in the Bloodmark series. Bloodrealms picks up close to where Bloodmark leaves off. I enjoyed this book better than the first one. Aurora Whittet definitely knows how to kick the action and romance up a level in this book. I read and finished this book over 24 hours. In this book, Ashling is in the middle of a battle of suitors. Her father agrees to have four wolves (Grey, Brychan, Channing, and Eamon) compete in a fight to the finish in the Bloodrealms for her hand. But, Ashling doesn't want them to fight. She already knows that she wants to be with Grey, but she has to keep her love for Grey a secret and entertain her other suitors. I enjoyed getting to know Ashling's other suitors in this book, Brychan and Channing. Sorry Grey, but I'm a fan of Brychan. I love that Ashling isn't a dainty princess. When the suitors train, she wants to train as well. Everyone is not as they seem in this book. Friends hide their true nature, strangers become allies, and Ashling learns the meaning of loyalty to her people. I like this series' take on Bloodsuckers. It's definitely original. I loved that this book used the word "hangry." I busted out laughing when I came across it. I am looking forward to the third and final book in this series.
October 19, 2016
Blog Tour: Bloodrealms by Aurora Whittet Ashing Boru is told to leave both Baun and Gray. Though they really want to bring them. Ashing need to travel with her family for a wedding between Gwen and her brother Quinn. She and her pack leave for Castle Regan.
Things start to happen during their visit at Castle Regan. Someone attacks Ashing in her sleep. This goes a bit awry during that time. Lord Baychen invites the Killen to the wedding. What is Grey doing during their time part?
There are adventures on every page. Why are all evils trying to stop Grey and Ashling? Once they get stuck inside the Bloodrealms. Will they get out or will they end up dying there? Ashling and Grey seem to get separated. Who will win Ashling’s hand in marriage? What about her pack. Will they all want her to find the love to reunite the packs?
Ashing is to deal with her Aunt Vidagis and the Dagmar’s? She also finds some allies in the Bloodreams when she is trying to escape. We find out Vidagis and Verci daughter and how she related to the Boru or at least to Ashling Boru. We really do find out the worst horrors that can be found in the bloodrealms.
Aurora Whittet has really outdone herself again in this second book. We find out what Bloodrealms is all about and all its horrors. Can Ashling and Grey and her pack survive the attacks? There even a reveal about Emmons Dagmar and what he is will do.
Things start to happen during their visit at Castle Regan. Someone attacks Ashing in her sleep. This goes a bit awry during that time. Lord Baychen invites the Killen to the wedding. What is Grey doing during their time part?
There are adventures on every page. Why are all evils trying to stop Grey and Ashling? Once they get stuck inside the Bloodrealms. Will they get out or will they end up dying there? Ashling and Grey seem to get separated. Who will win Ashling’s hand in marriage? What about her pack. Will they all want her to find the love to reunite the packs?
Ashing is to deal with her Aunt Vidagis and the Dagmar’s? She also finds some allies in the Bloodreams when she is trying to escape. We find out Vidagis and Verci daughter and how she related to the Boru or at least to Ashling Boru. We really do find out the worst horrors that can be found in the bloodrealms.
Aurora Whittet has really outdone herself again in this second book. We find out what Bloodrealms is all about and all its horrors. Can Ashling and Grey and her pack survive the attacks? There even a reveal about Emmons Dagmar and what he is will do.
November 26, 2015
This is book two in the series and needs to be read in order.
Ashling Boru is now in the midst of a battle of suitors that she never wanted to happen. Her father agreed to have four wolves battle in the Bloodrealms for her hand. Only Ashling doesn't want them to fight. She already knows who she wants to be with. If only her life were that easy. She's still living under her father's rule.
She has to keep her love for Grey from everyone. They must not know that she is binding with him. When the suitors train, she wants to train, too. When they go to the Bloodrealms to practice, she wants to see. With every hit and bruising kick that Grey receives, she feels it as well. Will their secret be exposed? Which of the four will win her hand and the right to stand by her side?
This book was a great addition to the series. You got to see a grittier depth to the world they live in. The Bloodrealms are full of vile fighters, vicious enemies, and creatures they had only heard of, but never seen. Grey is amazing, but I also found myself falling in love with Brychan and even Channing. I can't wait to see what happens in book three!
Received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha.
Ashling Boru is now in the midst of a battle of suitors that she never wanted to happen. Her father agreed to have four wolves battle in the Bloodrealms for her hand. Only Ashling doesn't want them to fight. She already knows who she wants to be with. If only her life were that easy. She's still living under her father's rule.
She has to keep her love for Grey from everyone. They must not know that she is binding with him. When the suitors train, she wants to train, too. When they go to the Bloodrealms to practice, she wants to see. With every hit and bruising kick that Grey receives, she feels it as well. Will their secret be exposed? Which of the four will win her hand and the right to stand by her side?
This book was a great addition to the series. You got to see a grittier depth to the world they live in. The Bloodrealms are full of vile fighters, vicious enemies, and creatures they had only heard of, but never seen. Grey is amazing, but I also found myself falling in love with Brychan and even Channing. I can't wait to see what happens in book three!
Received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha.
February 4, 2016
As with the review of Bloodmark, I must state my dislike of the writing style and the use of the word but. If I could take this word from Ms. Whittet’s vocabulary, the book would have been more enjoyable.
I also wasn’t fond of the fact that by the first 15% of the book, I could tell what was going to happen and who would come out the winner and who the evil characters were.
I did like that Ashling tried to attempt to give Brychan, who was my choice from the beginning to win her hand, a fighting chance.
I also liked the addition of the character Shikobah and what she stood for and what she was. I was glad to see a little more personalization of King Porr, though the relationship description with her mother, was exaggerated and annoying. I believe a mother-daughter relationship is a sacred thing, but Ashling and her mother’s relationship was beyond normal.
I am looking forward to seeing how this ends and hope there will be a few surprises though I’m not optimistic.
Thank you, NetGalley, Aurora, and Wise Ink Creative Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
I also wasn’t fond of the fact that by the first 15% of the book, I could tell what was going to happen and who would come out the winner and who the evil characters were.
I did like that Ashling tried to attempt to give Brychan, who was my choice from the beginning to win her hand, a fighting chance.
I also liked the addition of the character Shikobah and what she stood for and what she was. I was glad to see a little more personalization of King Porr, though the relationship description with her mother, was exaggerated and annoying. I believe a mother-daughter relationship is a sacred thing, but Ashling and her mother’s relationship was beyond normal.
I am looking forward to seeing how this ends and hope there will be a few surprises though I’m not optimistic.
Thank you, NetGalley, Aurora, and Wise Ink Creative Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 11, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book was amazing! The first book in this series was good, but this was even better. Still not a fan of romance, but the romance in this book ties in to the legend and prophecy, so it is necessary. The Bloodrealms are a dark, dirty, evil, nasty place of death. That is where Ashling's suitors will have to fight for her hand. I could just picture the bloodrealms, and the squalor, sorrow, pain, and hopelessness of the place. I read this book in a little over a day. I just had to find out who would win!! Now I can't wait to get my hands on Bloodmoon!
December 29, 2014
I have to say first off by not reading the first book I was a little confused on some of the characters and their past. That said I enjoyed this book very much. I loved seeing the character Ashling grow and evolve. I also liked that it kept me interested from beginning to end. The writer did a wonderful job keeping me focused on the story and the characters. It was a well written story. My only disappointment was that I didn't read the first book before reading this one.
January 4, 2020
To be super-blunt, I didn't like this book, but it was at least better than the first book in the series. For me, the main complaint was the pacing. It was so off. There were constantly awkward changes from action to contemplation to romance to... anything and everything else with zero transition and no time for the reader to catch up.
The characters were another issue I had with this book, but I won't go into details to avoid spoilers. But I struggled with understanding characters' motivations and was unhappy with some of the characters arcs that happened in this book. Secrets were kept for no obvious reason, and new traditions kept popping up out of nowhere.
And then there's one more thing. One thing that I'm afraid of getting ranty on, so I'm honestly just not going to go into it here. I think there's potential in this book and this series, but the world and characters need to be more fully fleshed out before that potential can be realized.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
The characters were another issue I had with this book, but I won't go into details to avoid spoilers. But I struggled with understanding characters' motivations and was unhappy with some of the characters arcs that happened in this book. Secrets were kept for no obvious reason, and new traditions kept popping up out of nowhere.
And then there's one more thing. One thing that I'm afraid of getting ranty on, so I'm honestly just not going to go into it here. I think there's potential in this book and this series, but the world and characters need to be more fully fleshed out before that potential can be realized.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
Read
November 4, 2025First book was good.. Just cant be bothered with the last few chapters of the second book. Way too many underdeveloped characters and I don't care if they live or die.
March 20, 2015
Review:
Protagonist: Ashling Boru is wild, untamed, and fierce but she's still held back by the laws of the wolves and doesn't have a say in who she is to spend the rest of her life with. So I would say that I liked Ashling in the first book, but I absolutely loved her in this book. Her defiance and passion, mixed with a few flaws here and there, all held together by her determined loyalty made Ashling a brilliant narrator and protagonist. Her development in this installment is really geared toward who she is, both to those she loves and concerning the prophecy about her. While maybe slow in some part, it's easy to see her grow and change over the course of the book. I loved watching her defy convention and stand up for herself and her own beliefs more and more over the course of the story and grow into the heroine and leader that she needs to be to unite the wolf packs against the evils of the world.
Romance: So I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in the first installment of this series, it was chock full of insta-love and really lacked a good amount of complexity other than the whole hunter/hunted forbidden love thing. In this book however, there is so much more romance going around and it's all done masterfully. In this book Ashling has three main love interests, first there's Grey, the boy she fell in love within an instant, but whose shared love is really and truly earned by the start of this book, even if his declarations are a bit grandiose, over the top, and way to poetic for a kid like him to use. Then there's Brychan, Ashling's betrothed and I'd say if they end up together I wouldn't be too outraged, Brychan's a sweet guy, maybe a bit too cocky at times, but really seems to genuinely care for Ashling. Finally there's Channing, Ashling's third suitor and while he is also a sweet guy, he is a bit shallow and really loves the idea of Ashling more than who she is, but still a great guy in the end. The romance in the book is done very well, I never felt like I couldn't take the suitors other than Grey seriously and I loved how it wove through the storyline and plot so well.
World-Building: There is so much world-building in this installment. There is still so much to learn but this book really delves into not only character back stories and tales of the past that may cause strife later in the story, but really set up a great many things for the next installment in this saga. My favorite thing though may have been the pack traditions, laws and, lifestyle that we learned about. Not that I agreed with any of it, in fact I found it barbaric, archaic, and utterly sexist, but it was those things that really brought it to life and drove my passion for this book. I was excited with every little piece of information we learned. Don't even get me started on the actual Bloodrealms though. It's something you should experience when you read the book, but I will say this, I was not prepared for the primal, gory, and extremely violent setting that we get. Think underground Olympic Colosseum.
Predictability: So in the beginning I thought I had this book pegged, sure I had my suspicions every once in a while, but for the most part I thought I had at least a vague understanding of how this story would go, and for quite a while I was right. Then, it was the beginning of the end. I'm not kidding you, at the beginning of what I would classify this book's ending all my predictions went out the window. There were so many twists and the sheer organized chaos of it was glorious. I never knew quite what was going to happen and I was really surprised to see how much the author was able to truly cram into so few pages. It's pretty mind blowing.
Ending: So yeah, like I said the ending was crazy. The final confrontation was action packed and the author didn't skimp on the amount of detail for the battles with the larger antagonists of this installment. It was hard to truly keep up with the action though, but boy was it entertaining. In the cool down period following the battle, tensions were high as this book wound down. There's a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm really interested to see if this is going to be a trilogy or if the author has plans to expand the series beyond three books, because right now, given the size of the next installment, Bloodmoon, I could easily see most if not all of the loose ends being tied up.
Rating:
I honestly didn't expect this going into the book. While I stand by my four star rating for the first book, I'll be the first to admit that it had quite a few flaws. However, this is every single thing that I wanted out of a sequel to Bloodmark and so very much more. I'm practically kicking myself for not starting it sooner, and will probably read the next installment as soon as I am physically able to.
Protagonist: Ashling Boru is wild, untamed, and fierce but she's still held back by the laws of the wolves and doesn't have a say in who she is to spend the rest of her life with. So I would say that I liked Ashling in the first book, but I absolutely loved her in this book. Her defiance and passion, mixed with a few flaws here and there, all held together by her determined loyalty made Ashling a brilliant narrator and protagonist. Her development in this installment is really geared toward who she is, both to those she loves and concerning the prophecy about her. While maybe slow in some part, it's easy to see her grow and change over the course of the book. I loved watching her defy convention and stand up for herself and her own beliefs more and more over the course of the story and grow into the heroine and leader that she needs to be to unite the wolf packs against the evils of the world.
Romance: So I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in the first installment of this series, it was chock full of insta-love and really lacked a good amount of complexity other than the whole hunter/hunted forbidden love thing. In this book however, there is so much more romance going around and it's all done masterfully. In this book Ashling has three main love interests, first there's Grey, the boy she fell in love within an instant, but whose shared love is really and truly earned by the start of this book, even if his declarations are a bit grandiose, over the top, and way to poetic for a kid like him to use. Then there's Brychan, Ashling's betrothed and I'd say if they end up together I wouldn't be too outraged, Brychan's a sweet guy, maybe a bit too cocky at times, but really seems to genuinely care for Ashling. Finally there's Channing, Ashling's third suitor and while he is also a sweet guy, he is a bit shallow and really loves the idea of Ashling more than who she is, but still a great guy in the end. The romance in the book is done very well, I never felt like I couldn't take the suitors other than Grey seriously and I loved how it wove through the storyline and plot so well.
World-Building: There is so much world-building in this installment. There is still so much to learn but this book really delves into not only character back stories and tales of the past that may cause strife later in the story, but really set up a great many things for the next installment in this saga. My favorite thing though may have been the pack traditions, laws and, lifestyle that we learned about. Not that I agreed with any of it, in fact I found it barbaric, archaic, and utterly sexist, but it was those things that really brought it to life and drove my passion for this book. I was excited with every little piece of information we learned. Don't even get me started on the actual Bloodrealms though. It's something you should experience when you read the book, but I will say this, I was not prepared for the primal, gory, and extremely violent setting that we get. Think underground Olympic Colosseum.
Predictability: So in the beginning I thought I had this book pegged, sure I had my suspicions every once in a while, but for the most part I thought I had at least a vague understanding of how this story would go, and for quite a while I was right. Then, it was the beginning of the end. I'm not kidding you, at the beginning of what I would classify this book's ending all my predictions went out the window. There were so many twists and the sheer organized chaos of it was glorious. I never knew quite what was going to happen and I was really surprised to see how much the author was able to truly cram into so few pages. It's pretty mind blowing.
Ending: So yeah, like I said the ending was crazy. The final confrontation was action packed and the author didn't skimp on the amount of detail for the battles with the larger antagonists of this installment. It was hard to truly keep up with the action though, but boy was it entertaining. In the cool down period following the battle, tensions were high as this book wound down. There's a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm really interested to see if this is going to be a trilogy or if the author has plans to expand the series beyond three books, because right now, given the size of the next installment, Bloodmoon, I could easily see most if not all of the loose ends being tied up.
Rating:
I honestly didn't expect this going into the book. While I stand by my four star rating for the first book, I'll be the first to admit that it had quite a few flaws. However, this is every single thing that I wanted out of a sequel to Bloodmark and so very much more. I'm practically kicking myself for not starting it sooner, and will probably read the next installment as soon as I am physically able to.
June 28, 2016
************* SPOILER ALERT *************
While I liked this book because of the back-story and the world-building, there are several things that had me almost throwing my Voyage down in disgust. What in the blazes has happened to Ashling’s brain, has she lost all capability of thinking beyond “Grey’s sweet sexy smile, his golden skin, (on and on until you’re nauseous)? How many times does she have to be told that she is endangering him and herself by not controlling herself? Does she want her father to kill him and possible her as well? How many pages do we the readers have to endure where she licks, nip, teases, touches, etc., etc., and it’s happens page after page. How is she supposed to save their world and ours if this is all she can think about? The only thing I liked about her in this book was when she protected Lacey then they got over fighting over Grey and when she pushed Eamon into the lake. Otherwise she has acted like a spoiled, ***crazed, tease; who cannot think past her own wants and desires and is constantly endangering everyone around her.
When she saw Odin acting strangely at Gwyn and Quinn’s wedding she should have started paying more attention to him instead of trying every way she could to “touch, hold, kiss etc., etc.., Grey. When he was drinking and said those things her radar should have been on even higher alert; she should have told the others what was said. She was already warned by someone channeling Old Mother than one of her pack would betray her; but instead within the next few pages she has manipulated to get Grey alone and they stop ONLY because Grey has the control and sense to stop. Once again she is in danger, wrapped in a silver whip until she is saved by Grey and they must escape deeper into the lions den because her bad decision have gotten them locked in and no one notices they were missing. Her common sense and control in this novel is less than a grain of sand.
The guys are supposed to be protecting each others backs and she has others that should be protecting her yet something like this can happen. As if they don’t have enough problems, there’s an evil dead aunt who is not dead, Barghest(s), draugr, garms, forsaken packs, giants and other enemies. But poor, pitiful Ashling has such a terrible life, all she wants to do is be with Grey and not have to worry about anything else. (Play the bagpipes so we can all cry for the poor, wee thing).
WHERE IS THE GIRL FROM THE FIRST BOOK? She was proud to be the savior of her people, she was going to have them return to what they were created for so that they world would be better for everyone. There are a few glimpses of her here, but they are too few. If I were the wolves that had protected her for years or the new ones that have come to her side I would be saying “I’ll see you if and when you decide to follow the path that you should”. Mother Rhea needs to immediately put some sense into the poor, dumb animal”” As an “Elder God” maybe she would hear her and remember longer than five minutes or until the next time she “sees, senses, touches, feels” Grey. Maybe her presence would remind her who and what she is, even when Grey is near. Come on, we all know that it will be the two of them that reunite not only the wolves, but also the bloodsuckers so that they too can return to the way Old Mother intended. If this Ashling had appeared in Bloodmark, I would not have read Bloodrealms; that is what makes me so angry.
As if all the above is not enough, her stupidity and lack of judgment has endangered the one character that has been there from her since she has to flee. We know that she was told that she would lose someone that she has joined her pack and it looks like it will be this character. The only worse choice would be Mund, who would leave behind Tegan and Nia. I also feel like she will lose someone else that is very important in the next installment and Ashling will believe this was a gift from Old Mother because of all the sacrifices and suffering they’ve endured. The real gift would be if somehow she could save both of them and someone else dies (they’ve always put their wants above others) and their death would make it easier for them to reunite and lead the packs and this death would allow others to be happy.
Yes, I’ll be reading Bloodmoon if it comes out in the next couple of months, otherwise I’ll probably forget what I liked about this series since Ashling has turned into someone I don’t much like.
2/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
While I liked this book because of the back-story and the world-building, there are several things that had me almost throwing my Voyage down in disgust. What in the blazes has happened to Ashling’s brain, has she lost all capability of thinking beyond “Grey’s sweet sexy smile, his golden skin, (on and on until you’re nauseous)? How many times does she have to be told that she is endangering him and herself by not controlling herself? Does she want her father to kill him and possible her as well? How many pages do we the readers have to endure where she licks, nip, teases, touches, etc., etc., and it’s happens page after page. How is she supposed to save their world and ours if this is all she can think about? The only thing I liked about her in this book was when she protected Lacey then they got over fighting over Grey and when she pushed Eamon into the lake. Otherwise she has acted like a spoiled, ***crazed, tease; who cannot think past her own wants and desires and is constantly endangering everyone around her.
When she saw Odin acting strangely at Gwyn and Quinn’s wedding she should have started paying more attention to him instead of trying every way she could to “touch, hold, kiss etc., etc.., Grey. When he was drinking and said those things her radar should have been on even higher alert; she should have told the others what was said. She was already warned by someone channeling Old Mother than one of her pack would betray her; but instead within the next few pages she has manipulated to get Grey alone and they stop ONLY because Grey has the control and sense to stop. Once again she is in danger, wrapped in a silver whip until she is saved by Grey and they must escape deeper into the lions den because her bad decision have gotten them locked in and no one notices they were missing. Her common sense and control in this novel is less than a grain of sand.
The guys are supposed to be protecting each others backs and she has others that should be protecting her yet something like this can happen. As if they don’t have enough problems, there’s an evil dead aunt who is not dead, Barghest(s), draugr, garms, forsaken packs, giants and other enemies. But poor, pitiful Ashling has such a terrible life, all she wants to do is be with Grey and not have to worry about anything else. (Play the bagpipes so we can all cry for the poor, wee thing).
WHERE IS THE GIRL FROM THE FIRST BOOK? She was proud to be the savior of her people, she was going to have them return to what they were created for so that they world would be better for everyone. There are a few glimpses of her here, but they are too few. If I were the wolves that had protected her for years or the new ones that have come to her side I would be saying “I’ll see you if and when you decide to follow the path that you should”. Mother Rhea needs to immediately put some sense into the poor, dumb animal”” As an “Elder God” maybe she would hear her and remember longer than five minutes or until the next time she “sees, senses, touches, feels” Grey. Maybe her presence would remind her who and what she is, even when Grey is near. Come on, we all know that it will be the two of them that reunite not only the wolves, but also the bloodsuckers so that they too can return to the way Old Mother intended. If this Ashling had appeared in Bloodmark, I would not have read Bloodrealms; that is what makes me so angry.
As if all the above is not enough, her stupidity and lack of judgment has endangered the one character that has been there from her since she has to flee. We know that she was told that she would lose someone that she has joined her pack and it looks like it will be this character. The only worse choice would be Mund, who would leave behind Tegan and Nia. I also feel like she will lose someone else that is very important in the next installment and Ashling will believe this was a gift from Old Mother because of all the sacrifices and suffering they’ve endured. The real gift would be if somehow she could save both of them and someone else dies (they’ve always put their wants above others) and their death would make it easier for them to reunite and lead the packs and this death would allow others to be happy.
Yes, I’ll be reading Bloodmoon if it comes out in the next couple of months, otherwise I’ll probably forget what I liked about this series since Ashling has turned into someone I don’t much like.
2/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
February 21, 2024
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This second installment of The Bloodmark Saga is even more intense and exciting than the first! In this book, Ashling is dreading the day that Grey has to fight her other three suitors for her hand in marriage. She knows who she wants (kind of – there is some wavering, but I’ll talk about that later), but she feels powerless in a werewolf society where she has no power, despite the fact that she is prophesied to lead. Meanwhile, Ashling is also still trying to emotionally recover from Adomnan’s attack. She doesn’t know if she feels strong enough to rule her own life, much less her pack’s – but when the stakes are highest, she finds the strength she needs!
What I LOVED:
Ashling’s struggles.
Throughout the book, Ashling really struggled to overcome the emotional repercussions of Adomnan’s attack and near-rape. I thought that her struggles were incredibly realistic, and I loved that Whittet didn’t just skim over Ashling’s response. Memories of the attack haunt her dreams, feed her fears and affect how she responds to the people around her and the situations that she finds herself in. She is a survivor, but the journey is not easy.
Ashling’s outrage.
There are quite a few things in the werewolf society that horrify Ashling. She ends up confronting these issues head-on. When the suitors go to the Bloodrealms to train, Ashling cannot ignore the truly terrible things that go on there – all perpetuated by her people. Slavery (including using slaves to fight to the death), kidnapping, torture of the very humans that the werewolves are sworn to protect – these are just a few of the horrifying things that are done in the Bloodrealms, and Ashling can’t stand that her pack participates. Ashling is confronted by horrors, but they strengthen her resolve – she knows that she must unify the packs in order to stop these travesties from happening.
The high stakes.
There is LOTS of action and adventure in this book (especially the second half). Danger abounds, and you’re never quite sure if everyone Ashling loves will make it out alive!
Mixed Feelings:
The love triangle (pentagram?).
So, in this second book, Ashling has four men competing for her hand in marriage (and for the power that she will bring). At first, she’s sure that she wants Grey, but things do get a bit cloudy for her. First of all, she is afraid that if she chooses the wrong person it could have dire consequences for her family and the rest of her pack. This doubt seemed completely realistic – the responsibility of choosing the mate who would fulfill the prophecy must have felt overwhelming to her! What I wasn’t as crazy about was how quickly she jumped into kissing one of her suitors (I won’t give any more details than that). If it had happened even just a little bit later in the book, I would have been on board with it, but as it was it felt like it happened too soon with little connection between Ashling and this character (that connection is fostered a bit further – like I said, I think I would have been okay with the kiss if it had come just a short while later). Since it happened so quickly, it felt more like a device to cause friction between Grey and Ashling than anything else. This marred the first part of the book for me a bit. But, overall, I was relatively pleased with how Whittet handled the suitors, how Ashling felt about each of them and how it all played out.
The negatives:
Some easy resolutions.
While there were definitely high stakes in this book and a lot of danger, there were a few issues that felt like they resolved themselves a little too easily. One major example was that one of the major enemies against Ashling and her pack became (possibly hesitant) allies within the span of one conversation. Seemed just a little too convenient. There were a few other small examples of this as well (including, but the overall struggle that Ashling went through was anything but simple.
So, overall, I was very happy with this second book in the series – and I can’t wait to see what happens next! Whittet’s writes beautifully, giving us strong and complex characters and unforgettably dark settings. It’s a winning combination! I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This second installment of The Bloodmark Saga is even more intense and exciting than the first! In this book, Ashling is dreading the day that Grey has to fight her other three suitors for her hand in marriage. She knows who she wants (kind of – there is some wavering, but I’ll talk about that later), but she feels powerless in a werewolf society where she has no power, despite the fact that she is prophesied to lead. Meanwhile, Ashling is also still trying to emotionally recover from Adomnan’s attack. She doesn’t know if she feels strong enough to rule her own life, much less her pack’s – but when the stakes are highest, she finds the strength she needs!
What I LOVED:
Ashling’s struggles.
Throughout the book, Ashling really struggled to overcome the emotional repercussions of Adomnan’s attack and near-rape. I thought that her struggles were incredibly realistic, and I loved that Whittet didn’t just skim over Ashling’s response. Memories of the attack haunt her dreams, feed her fears and affect how she responds to the people around her and the situations that she finds herself in. She is a survivor, but the journey is not easy.
Ashling’s outrage.
There are quite a few things in the werewolf society that horrify Ashling. She ends up confronting these issues head-on. When the suitors go to the Bloodrealms to train, Ashling cannot ignore the truly terrible things that go on there – all perpetuated by her people. Slavery (including using slaves to fight to the death), kidnapping, torture of the very humans that the werewolves are sworn to protect – these are just a few of the horrifying things that are done in the Bloodrealms, and Ashling can’t stand that her pack participates. Ashling is confronted by horrors, but they strengthen her resolve – she knows that she must unify the packs in order to stop these travesties from happening.
The high stakes.
There is LOTS of action and adventure in this book (especially the second half). Danger abounds, and you’re never quite sure if everyone Ashling loves will make it out alive!
Mixed Feelings:
The love triangle (pentagram?).
So, in this second book, Ashling has four men competing for her hand in marriage (and for the power that she will bring). At first, she’s sure that she wants Grey, but things do get a bit cloudy for her. First of all, she is afraid that if she chooses the wrong person it could have dire consequences for her family and the rest of her pack. This doubt seemed completely realistic – the responsibility of choosing the mate who would fulfill the prophecy must have felt overwhelming to her! What I wasn’t as crazy about was how quickly she jumped into kissing one of her suitors (I won’t give any more details than that). If it had happened even just a little bit later in the book, I would have been on board with it, but as it was it felt like it happened too soon with little connection between Ashling and this character (that connection is fostered a bit further – like I said, I think I would have been okay with the kiss if it had come just a short while later). Since it happened so quickly, it felt more like a device to cause friction between Grey and Ashling than anything else. This marred the first part of the book for me a bit. But, overall, I was relatively pleased with how Whittet handled the suitors, how Ashling felt about each of them and how it all played out.
The negatives:
Some easy resolutions.
While there were definitely high stakes in this book and a lot of danger, there were a few issues that felt like they resolved themselves a little too easily. One major example was that one of the major enemies against Ashling and her pack became (possibly hesitant) allies within the span of one conversation. Seemed just a little too convenient. There were a few other small examples of this as well (including, but the overall struggle that Ashling went through was anything but simple.
So, overall, I was very happy with this second book in the series – and I can’t wait to see what happens next! Whittet’s writes beautifully, giving us strong and complex characters and unforgettably dark settings. It’s a winning combination! I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
November 21, 2016
This book opens where the last book left off. Ashling and her family are traveling to go to the wedding of her brother Quinn to Gwyn. Ashling and her mother travel to the wedding where Ashling will get to spend some time with one of her suitors, Brychan. While Ashling does not want to spend time with anyone but Grey, rules dictate that she give each of her four suitors a fair shot at courting her.
During their time at the home of the Kahedin's in Wales Ashling finds that she is attracted to Brychan. In fact, she feels a love for him that is confusing. In her heart she knows that Grey is her soul mate but she can't help feeling that Brychan is a good man and one that makes her smile. The two begin a friendship that might even become more.
After the wedding Ashling returns to the United States with Grey and Brychan. They are going with her to help protect her as she was attacked while spending time at the Kahedin's. Unfortunately another attack takes place on her almost immediately and she is sent to spend time with Channing and his sister Cora. Channing is yet another suitor and perhaps the most handsome and richest one. While Ashling has always been put off by him she soon finds herself being charmed by him. He is not her type but she feels a friendship with him.
Finally her last suitor, Eamon, shows up. He is pushy and demanding in wanting her attention. Ashling is not pleased and when their date does not go well he grabs her. His touch burns her flesh and she feels fear as she is not sure who or what he really is.
After her attack by Eamon her other suitors decide to ban together to protect her against Eamon. Grey, Channing, and Brychan join Ashling's pack and train together in the Bloodrealms. All Ashling wants is for the three of them to protect one another but will it be enough when it comes to the dark world of the Bloodrealms?
Again I devoured this book in just a few days. I enjoyed learning about Ashling's other suitors in this book and was happy to find that I liked both Channing and Brychan. I already liked Grey and this book showed him to be an honorable mate. However, I was surprised to find myself rooting for Brychan in this book.
I thought Brychan was sweet, respectful, and really paid attention to Ashling. While he is much older then she is he understands who she is and what she needs. He falls in love with her and wants nothing more to protect her from the evil in the world.
Then they all go to the Bloodrealms. It's like nowhere Ashling has ever been. Humans and wolves are trapped down here to pay a debt or they are training to be an honorable member of their family. In the Bloodrealms they fight to the death but no one sheds a tear when you do. Ashling will learn that this is the other side of the world of wolves and it's one she doesn't like.
Down in the Bloodrealms are things that go bump in the night. There are so many people hunting Ashling but when it comes down to it and we see who is orchestrating the games it's a surprise to every single one of her pack. Ashling will watch those around her fight for her, with her, and to save her. At the end a winner will claim her as their own.
There is a lot of action in this book with attacks on Ashling, attacks on the wolf pack, and the fighting in the Bloodrealms. I had a hard time putting it down after each chapter because I wanted to learn more about the suitors and see how they interact with Ashling. I also wanted to find out who was coming after Ashling and why.
While I really enjoyed this book there were a few things that bothered me. At one point everyone makes a huge deal out of Ashling kissing both Grey and Brychan. However, a few chapters later Grey kisses her in front of everyone and no one says a word. I also thought it was odd that Ashling and Grey would go off by themselves for hours at a time and no one ever seemed to notice. Since everyone was supposed to be protecting Ashling you would think they would make sure they knew where she was at all times.
Otherwise this was a great book with a lot of interactions and character development. I can't wait to read the third and final book to find out what happens to Ashling and who will be her husband. I also want to see if she is able to unite the wolves together finally.
I give this book 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
During their time at the home of the Kahedin's in Wales Ashling finds that she is attracted to Brychan. In fact, she feels a love for him that is confusing. In her heart she knows that Grey is her soul mate but she can't help feeling that Brychan is a good man and one that makes her smile. The two begin a friendship that might even become more.
After the wedding Ashling returns to the United States with Grey and Brychan. They are going with her to help protect her as she was attacked while spending time at the Kahedin's. Unfortunately another attack takes place on her almost immediately and she is sent to spend time with Channing and his sister Cora. Channing is yet another suitor and perhaps the most handsome and richest one. While Ashling has always been put off by him she soon finds herself being charmed by him. He is not her type but she feels a friendship with him.
Finally her last suitor, Eamon, shows up. He is pushy and demanding in wanting her attention. Ashling is not pleased and when their date does not go well he grabs her. His touch burns her flesh and she feels fear as she is not sure who or what he really is.
After her attack by Eamon her other suitors decide to ban together to protect her against Eamon. Grey, Channing, and Brychan join Ashling's pack and train together in the Bloodrealms. All Ashling wants is for the three of them to protect one another but will it be enough when it comes to the dark world of the Bloodrealms?
Again I devoured this book in just a few days. I enjoyed learning about Ashling's other suitors in this book and was happy to find that I liked both Channing and Brychan. I already liked Grey and this book showed him to be an honorable mate. However, I was surprised to find myself rooting for Brychan in this book.
I thought Brychan was sweet, respectful, and really paid attention to Ashling. While he is much older then she is he understands who she is and what she needs. He falls in love with her and wants nothing more to protect her from the evil in the world.
Then they all go to the Bloodrealms. It's like nowhere Ashling has ever been. Humans and wolves are trapped down here to pay a debt or they are training to be an honorable member of their family. In the Bloodrealms they fight to the death but no one sheds a tear when you do. Ashling will learn that this is the other side of the world of wolves and it's one she doesn't like.
Down in the Bloodrealms are things that go bump in the night. There are so many people hunting Ashling but when it comes down to it and we see who is orchestrating the games it's a surprise to every single one of her pack. Ashling will watch those around her fight for her, with her, and to save her. At the end a winner will claim her as their own.
There is a lot of action in this book with attacks on Ashling, attacks on the wolf pack, and the fighting in the Bloodrealms. I had a hard time putting it down after each chapter because I wanted to learn more about the suitors and see how they interact with Ashling. I also wanted to find out who was coming after Ashling and why.
While I really enjoyed this book there were a few things that bothered me. At one point everyone makes a huge deal out of Ashling kissing both Grey and Brychan. However, a few chapters later Grey kisses her in front of everyone and no one says a word. I also thought it was odd that Ashling and Grey would go off by themselves for hours at a time and no one ever seemed to notice. Since everyone was supposed to be protecting Ashling you would think they would make sure they knew where she was at all times.
Otherwise this was a great book with a lot of interactions and character development. I can't wait to read the third and final book to find out what happens to Ashling and who will be her husband. I also want to see if she is able to unite the wolves together finally.
I give this book 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
February 16, 2016
Werewolf Princess, chosen one of the legends and eligible bachelorette is back. This is the second book in a series, and...I tried to like it. I really did. I love the cover. The back blurb frames the Chosen One story in a way that makes it sound like Ashling is trying to fight for some autonomy in spite of this great destiny.
But in this book, she's not. She's deeply in love with Grey, the wolf/Bloodsucker/outcast who saved her from torture and rape in the last book (a rape that would by her culture make her completely worthless and an outcast. In fact we readers are treated to a number of “love scenes” wherein Ashling bemoans her inability to actually have sex with Grey, and a number of other moments where a woman's value is what she brings to men and Ashling hates it, but never does much to fight it. She goes out of her way NOT to break these rules because of the shame it would bring to the men around her.) Grey is...less than wonderful. He's not a terrible person, but like a delicate Victorian damsel (and Ashling) he's not much more than a male to be the other half to her female, to protect her and desire her. He speaks in stilted, poetic phrases and gets crazy jealous about other men. Men that Ashling's father are forcing in battle through the deadly BloodRealms in an effort to kill Grey and plant the wolf he wants as Ashling's husband.
Yup, it's that kind of story. Wholly grating and enraging in its attitudes and tolerance under the guise of the main characters being “helpless” to stop how their culture is.
Ashling, who has already been kidnapped, tortured and knows HER FATHER is trying to kill her man, tells her super loyal, very mysterious bodyguard to bugger off (she literally tells him to “take the night off”, flippantly) so she and Grey can run off to a beach and make out and sleep alone together under the stars (sure, romantic, but not very smart at all.) Then, after much bemoaning about how unfair the world (her father) is Ashling travels to an underground werewolf stronghold in Ireland where (her brother? Her sister? Some family member I never figured out) is getting married and Ashling is serving as a bridesmaid.
Virtually none of the interesting stuff is described. The werewolf tunnels? The other people? The journey? The wedding itself takes only a paragraph or two. But there are pages about how people are watching Ashling and how it's unfair that Grey wasn't invited to the wedding too. Because after all the trauma she's been through Ashling needs Grey to ward off the panic and fear that overcomes her.
But she also spends a little time with the man she has been betrothed to by her father, Brychan. Brychan is a warrior. But he is kind, protective of her, and he gets her blood racing. But she still kisses him, multiple times. Moans about how she might have made a mistake in dismissing him.
And I was just done. Ashling's father is mean, overbearing and sexistly male. Her mother is still with him and defends him even though she is helping Ashling and Grey. Most males are sexist, strong assholes who constantly want something from Ashling (who is pretty and special, and the only red-haired werewolf...from Ireland. That's why she is the chosen one. Because of her hair and skin.) No time, at all, is spent trying to find ways to fight the culture, find allies in her quest to be with Grey, confronting, inspiring, or even talking to people. Ashling hides in her room and bemoans not getting her way, which comes down to getting to marry this man she and we know nothing about other than she is very attracted to him. A 17 year old is madly attracted to a man and wants to marry him and does not tell us, the reader anything about this person, why he's a good person or why he's a better choice than any other person around her.
The focus was entirely on Ashling's emotions and not on the culture, the method she was fighting for her right to live her own life, or even on the plots that were going on around her. Maybe some reader would be engaged by that kind of storytelling, but clearly this book isn't for me.
But in this book, she's not. She's deeply in love with Grey, the wolf/Bloodsucker/outcast who saved her from torture and rape in the last book (a rape that would by her culture make her completely worthless and an outcast. In fact we readers are treated to a number of “love scenes” wherein Ashling bemoans her inability to actually have sex with Grey, and a number of other moments where a woman's value is what she brings to men and Ashling hates it, but never does much to fight it. She goes out of her way NOT to break these rules because of the shame it would bring to the men around her.) Grey is...less than wonderful. He's not a terrible person, but like a delicate Victorian damsel (and Ashling) he's not much more than a male to be the other half to her female, to protect her and desire her. He speaks in stilted, poetic phrases and gets crazy jealous about other men. Men that Ashling's father are forcing in battle through the deadly BloodRealms in an effort to kill Grey and plant the wolf he wants as Ashling's husband.
Yup, it's that kind of story. Wholly grating and enraging in its attitudes and tolerance under the guise of the main characters being “helpless” to stop how their culture is.
Ashling, who has already been kidnapped, tortured and knows HER FATHER is trying to kill her man, tells her super loyal, very mysterious bodyguard to bugger off (she literally tells him to “take the night off”, flippantly) so she and Grey can run off to a beach and make out and sleep alone together under the stars (sure, romantic, but not very smart at all.) Then, after much bemoaning about how unfair the world (her father) is Ashling travels to an underground werewolf stronghold in Ireland where (her brother? Her sister? Some family member I never figured out) is getting married and Ashling is serving as a bridesmaid.
Virtually none of the interesting stuff is described. The werewolf tunnels? The other people? The journey? The wedding itself takes only a paragraph or two. But there are pages about how people are watching Ashling and how it's unfair that Grey wasn't invited to the wedding too. Because after all the trauma she's been through Ashling needs Grey to ward off the panic and fear that overcomes her.
But she also spends a little time with the man she has been betrothed to by her father, Brychan. Brychan is a warrior. But he is kind, protective of her, and he gets her blood racing. But she still kisses him, multiple times. Moans about how she might have made a mistake in dismissing him.
And I was just done. Ashling's father is mean, overbearing and sexistly male. Her mother is still with him and defends him even though she is helping Ashling and Grey. Most males are sexist, strong assholes who constantly want something from Ashling (who is pretty and special, and the only red-haired werewolf...from Ireland. That's why she is the chosen one. Because of her hair and skin.) No time, at all, is spent trying to find ways to fight the culture, find allies in her quest to be with Grey, confronting, inspiring, or even talking to people. Ashling hides in her room and bemoans not getting her way, which comes down to getting to marry this man she and we know nothing about other than she is very attracted to him. A 17 year old is madly attracted to a man and wants to marry him and does not tell us, the reader anything about this person, why he's a good person or why he's a better choice than any other person around her.
The focus was entirely on Ashling's emotions and not on the culture, the method she was fighting for her right to live her own life, or even on the plots that were going on around her. Maybe some reader would be engaged by that kind of storytelling, but clearly this book isn't for me.
March 8, 2015
See full review at Katie's Corner
Wow, Aurora Whittet did it again. She did not disappoint with the first book, but hell, the second book is not far away from first one, maybe even better. I really want to get my hands on the third one, but I guess I need to wait for at least half a year to indulge in this amazing werewolf novel.
Do you remember where we left? Well, so that I do not accidentally spill anything for those who haven’t read the first book. We left on a moment when Ashlling’s dad was asking for nominations for Ashling’s hand in marriage. Yep, he is that cold-blooded man, who sells his daughter off to someone. let me introduce to our now official suitors. Please forgive me not writing their surnames. We have Brychan, who was the one Ashling was betrothed to at age of 14 and she declined. Desperate guy to be asking the same girl twice. Channing, well, the only way to describe that guy is flashy. You will understand it when you read about him more. Next we have Eamon. Do you remember that guy? i was outraged at him when he offered himself. Here’s the hint, he had a hand in kidnapping Ashland in the first book. And of course our favourite and Ashling’s favourite Grey. He’s half werewolf half bloodsucker and Ash and Grey are in love. In one of those which concurs everything on it’s way. Forgot to say, Ashling's dad favours anyone unless it’s Grey. Here comes fathers’ understanding when it come to our relationships. Sorry for the sarcasm.
I loved this book from the first page to the last one. Well, I had a bit of a problem at the beginning, only because I’ve read the book a long time ago. However, if you are new to the series, you will really enjoy it. And that’s me saying the person who was not the fan of werewolves until I read Aurora Whittet’s works. It has amazing characters, who you just fall in love with at the first sight. Ashland is an amazing character, who you love unconditionally and support on the whole way, well maybe not on some pages. But you understand what she is trying to do and you know that she is right. You get her pain and you sympathise with her when something doesn’t go the way it had to be.
I do know want to accidentally spill something important, thus making reading this book for you less enjoyable. You can’t get how much I want to share some of the secrets of the book. I think most of the secrets are around Eamon. How can this guy be so mysterious, so that every time I write a review, he just pops out in my mind? Well, skipping that. You will just love the bloodrealms, I mean it. The description is amazing, and the creatures inhabiting there? Oh, god, they are just awesome. This book has quite a lot of characters, to the end of it, and all of them are so different and interesting that you can not bring yourself to put the book down and do something else. There are a lot of surprises, and many of those are so shocking you just sit there mouth agape for some time, and then you pinch yourself to continue reading to know more. There will be some hardcore villains appearing, and some great development of the relationship between Grey and Ash.
Did I get your attention? Not yet? Okay, are you a fan of mythology and similar stuff? Well, there are a lot of different prophecies here, and some of the mythologies mixed in together. Still not got your attention? Well, I do not know what else to say. Only that you will not be disappointed if you add it to your to read library. I hope you will enjoy it to your fullest, as I did. Get your copy now to indulge yourself into a world of werewolves who just build a society within our own human one. Enjoy!
Wow, Aurora Whittet did it again. She did not disappoint with the first book, but hell, the second book is not far away from first one, maybe even better. I really want to get my hands on the third one, but I guess I need to wait for at least half a year to indulge in this amazing werewolf novel.
Do you remember where we left? Well, so that I do not accidentally spill anything for those who haven’t read the first book. We left on a moment when Ashlling’s dad was asking for nominations for Ashling’s hand in marriage. Yep, he is that cold-blooded man, who sells his daughter off to someone. let me introduce to our now official suitors. Please forgive me not writing their surnames. We have Brychan, who was the one Ashling was betrothed to at age of 14 and she declined. Desperate guy to be asking the same girl twice. Channing, well, the only way to describe that guy is flashy. You will understand it when you read about him more. Next we have Eamon. Do you remember that guy? i was outraged at him when he offered himself. Here’s the hint, he had a hand in kidnapping Ashland in the first book. And of course our favourite and Ashling’s favourite Grey. He’s half werewolf half bloodsucker and Ash and Grey are in love. In one of those which concurs everything on it’s way. Forgot to say, Ashling's dad favours anyone unless it’s Grey. Here comes fathers’ understanding when it come to our relationships. Sorry for the sarcasm.
I loved this book from the first page to the last one. Well, I had a bit of a problem at the beginning, only because I’ve read the book a long time ago. However, if you are new to the series, you will really enjoy it. And that’s me saying the person who was not the fan of werewolves until I read Aurora Whittet’s works. It has amazing characters, who you just fall in love with at the first sight. Ashland is an amazing character, who you love unconditionally and support on the whole way, well maybe not on some pages. But you understand what she is trying to do and you know that she is right. You get her pain and you sympathise with her when something doesn’t go the way it had to be.
I do know want to accidentally spill something important, thus making reading this book for you less enjoyable. You can’t get how much I want to share some of the secrets of the book. I think most of the secrets are around Eamon. How can this guy be so mysterious, so that every time I write a review, he just pops out in my mind? Well, skipping that. You will just love the bloodrealms, I mean it. The description is amazing, and the creatures inhabiting there? Oh, god, they are just awesome. This book has quite a lot of characters, to the end of it, and all of them are so different and interesting that you can not bring yourself to put the book down and do something else. There are a lot of surprises, and many of those are so shocking you just sit there mouth agape for some time, and then you pinch yourself to continue reading to know more. There will be some hardcore villains appearing, and some great development of the relationship between Grey and Ash.
Did I get your attention? Not yet? Okay, are you a fan of mythology and similar stuff? Well, there are a lot of different prophecies here, and some of the mythologies mixed in together. Still not got your attention? Well, I do not know what else to say. Only that you will not be disappointed if you add it to your to read library. I hope you will enjoy it to your fullest, as I did. Get your copy now to indulge yourself into a world of werewolves who just build a society within our own human one. Enjoy!
December 4, 2015
Book: Bloodrealms
Author: Aurora Whittet
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank Wise Ink for providing me with this in exchange for an honest review. I hope you don't judge too harshly based on my review.
The first book had me reaching for the second, waiting for the competition to begin, and that was just what I did. I waited and waited and waited. The pacing in the book was just downright awful. Authors are supposed to improve with the second book, not make readers what to throw up with the nonsense of never ending lust passages-pages and pages of it.
I don't know what happened, but Bloodrealms just, well, did not work for me. I was bored with it and found myself skimming many parts. I loved the first book, but there was just something about this second book that just seemed to fall apart.
I liked the new characters, but Ashling and Grey were just kind of hard to take. In the first book, Ashling was somewhat of a strong character. In Bloodrealms, not so much. She is always leaning on someone to see that she gets out of a situation. She does not take charge and sits and whines about how hard her life is. To me, she was not really all that likeable.
There was also no character growth and development. Everyone pretty much stayed the same. It really did seem like that most of the characters were kind of flat. I don't know, but there was just something about them.
The plot was so slow. The actual action was so slow getting too and again just seemed to be kind of skipped over. Like with Bloodmark, the build up to the action went on and on, but the actual action was not all that long. There is just a balance that is not being found and after two books of this, it really does make me wonder if Aurora will ever find that balance.
So many things were repeated throughout the story. How many lust filled passages do we really need? How many times does Ashling have to tell that Grey is endangering himself? Why is all of this even in here? It need to be cut down. Maybe in the era of Twilight this would have worked. However, with characters like Tris and Katinass, it is not going to fly. It really just isn't.
I guess that I was just downright disappointed. I was expecting something like a Hunger Games or Throne of Glass style competition and did not get it. I am not saying that I am done with this author, but I don't know if I will be finishing the series. I think I will go back to The Last of the Firedrakes.
Author: Aurora Whittet
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank Wise Ink for providing me with this in exchange for an honest review. I hope you don't judge too harshly based on my review.
The first book had me reaching for the second, waiting for the competition to begin, and that was just what I did. I waited and waited and waited. The pacing in the book was just downright awful. Authors are supposed to improve with the second book, not make readers what to throw up with the nonsense of never ending lust passages-pages and pages of it.
I don't know what happened, but Bloodrealms just, well, did not work for me. I was bored with it and found myself skimming many parts. I loved the first book, but there was just something about this second book that just seemed to fall apart.
I liked the new characters, but Ashling and Grey were just kind of hard to take. In the first book, Ashling was somewhat of a strong character. In Bloodrealms, not so much. She is always leaning on someone to see that she gets out of a situation. She does not take charge and sits and whines about how hard her life is. To me, she was not really all that likeable.
There was also no character growth and development. Everyone pretty much stayed the same. It really did seem like that most of the characters were kind of flat. I don't know, but there was just something about them.
The plot was so slow. The actual action was so slow getting too and again just seemed to be kind of skipped over. Like with Bloodmark, the build up to the action went on and on, but the actual action was not all that long. There is just a balance that is not being found and after two books of this, it really does make me wonder if Aurora will ever find that balance.
So many things were repeated throughout the story. How many lust filled passages do we really need? How many times does Ashling have to tell that Grey is endangering himself? Why is all of this even in here? It need to be cut down. Maybe in the era of Twilight this would have worked. However, with characters like Tris and Katinass, it is not going to fly. It really just isn't.
I guess that I was just downright disappointed. I was expecting something like a Hunger Games or Throne of Glass style competition and did not get it. I am not saying that I am done with this author, but I don't know if I will be finishing the series. I think I will go back to The Last of the Firedrakes.
December 6, 2016
Packed with non-stop action, this book brings the wonders and horrors of the world of werewolves to life.
After escaping near death and killing her largest enemy, Ashling finds herself the object of four suitors affections. Her father insists she choose one, but whatever choice she makes brings risks she's not really willing to take with it. To make matters more difficult, the pressure of fulfilling a prophecy hangs over her like a dark shadow. Some want to control her, some want to possess her and others simply want her dead.
This book takes off where the first one in the series leaves off, and I wouldn't recommend it as a stand-alone.
Action, multi-layered agendas and hidden dangers guarantee that this isn't a book easily put down. Ashling has began to accept who the prophecy says she is, but that doesn't mean she has a clue what she should do about it. Her desire to do her best and protect everyone makes her easy to root for, especially since she's put in the awkward situation of having to choose between suitors, which her father has picked out for her. The inner struggle to make her father happy, while remaining true to herself makes her easy to sympathize with and presents a lovely inner struggle to her somewhat rebellious personality.
Each character is given their own history, personality and depth. Although it's clear which one of the suitors Ashling prefers, the author does an excellent job of making each one (mostly) seem worthy. By the end when her choice happens, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for the ones she didn't chose.
There's quite a bit of romance thrown in with the action. At times, it was sweet. Other times, the sways toward a somewhat love triangle bothered a bit.
There are so many aspects to this werewolf culture and life, and the details made it interesting. The multi-layers and possibilities give the traditional myths an entirely new depth and background. Some of these were grabbing and intriguing. Others could have been better founded. At times, solutions or new problems seem to pop up for the sake of simply adding more tension and action. But in general, the world makes sense and grabs so much that it's easy to get lost in.
This book was even better than the first and promises an exciting read until the very last page. There's lots of romance but tons of action and adventure as well. I'll definitely be grabbing book three to see how all of this comes together at the end.
After escaping near death and killing her largest enemy, Ashling finds herself the object of four suitors affections. Her father insists she choose one, but whatever choice she makes brings risks she's not really willing to take with it. To make matters more difficult, the pressure of fulfilling a prophecy hangs over her like a dark shadow. Some want to control her, some want to possess her and others simply want her dead.
This book takes off where the first one in the series leaves off, and I wouldn't recommend it as a stand-alone.
Action, multi-layered agendas and hidden dangers guarantee that this isn't a book easily put down. Ashling has began to accept who the prophecy says she is, but that doesn't mean she has a clue what she should do about it. Her desire to do her best and protect everyone makes her easy to root for, especially since she's put in the awkward situation of having to choose between suitors, which her father has picked out for her. The inner struggle to make her father happy, while remaining true to herself makes her easy to sympathize with and presents a lovely inner struggle to her somewhat rebellious personality.
Each character is given their own history, personality and depth. Although it's clear which one of the suitors Ashling prefers, the author does an excellent job of making each one (mostly) seem worthy. By the end when her choice happens, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for the ones she didn't chose.
There's quite a bit of romance thrown in with the action. At times, it was sweet. Other times, the sways toward a somewhat love triangle bothered a bit.
There are so many aspects to this werewolf culture and life, and the details made it interesting. The multi-layers and possibilities give the traditional myths an entirely new depth and background. Some of these were grabbing and intriguing. Others could have been better founded. At times, solutions or new problems seem to pop up for the sake of simply adding more tension and action. But in general, the world makes sense and grabs so much that it's easy to get lost in.
This book was even better than the first and promises an exciting read until the very last page. There's lots of romance but tons of action and adventure as well. I'll definitely be grabbing book three to see how all of this comes together at the end.
November 4, 2016
Bloodrealms offers non-stop action and adventure. The second book in this trilogy becomes a little more complicated as the settings change somewhat drastically, new characters and plot twists are introduced, and the pace continues to move rather quickly. I found myself reading Bloodrealms a little more slowly than the first book so that I could keep all of the events and characters in order in my mind. Bloodrealms is definitely even more action packed than Bloodmoon with much darker settings and scenes.
Readers will find more characters to love--and hate--and question. The author does a nice job in keeping readers guessing about characters--and their motivations and loyalties-- throughout this story. The main character, Ashling, grows and changes a lot as she lives through the events of the book. She was a little inconsistent at times through the early-middle of the book--but, returned to the strong character readers will expect by the end. Most of the many characters introduced serve purposes to the storyline--and those purposes are sometimes surprising.
Readers will need to read the series in order. The books in this trilogy truly build upon each other and readers will need to read the entire series to understand the significance of events and feel connected to the characters and the plot.
Would I recommend Bloodrealms by Aurora Whittet? The second book is much darker and more deeply rooted in the story's ancient, werewolf world. It is a little more complicated and convoluted than the first--and readers will need to read with a little more attention to detail. This book keeps up the mix of romance, action, adventure, drama, mystery, suspense--but, this book becomes more of a book setting the foundation for the heroine to save the world from evil. Action and adventure with stronger, violent scenes are more prevalent in this book than the first. I especially think the themes are a little mature for tween/young teens--but, I still think both young adults and older adults will connect with the characters and Whittet's storyline. Readers will not find much resolution to many of the story's conflicts at the end of this book--moving on to the third book is a necessity.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher--but, opinions are my own.
Readers will find more characters to love--and hate--and question. The author does a nice job in keeping readers guessing about characters--and their motivations and loyalties-- throughout this story. The main character, Ashling, grows and changes a lot as she lives through the events of the book. She was a little inconsistent at times through the early-middle of the book--but, returned to the strong character readers will expect by the end. Most of the many characters introduced serve purposes to the storyline--and those purposes are sometimes surprising.
Readers will need to read the series in order. The books in this trilogy truly build upon each other and readers will need to read the entire series to understand the significance of events and feel connected to the characters and the plot.
Would I recommend Bloodrealms by Aurora Whittet? The second book is much darker and more deeply rooted in the story's ancient, werewolf world. It is a little more complicated and convoluted than the first--and readers will need to read with a little more attention to detail. This book keeps up the mix of romance, action, adventure, drama, mystery, suspense--but, this book becomes more of a book setting the foundation for the heroine to save the world from evil. Action and adventure with stronger, violent scenes are more prevalent in this book than the first. I especially think the themes are a little mature for tween/young teens--but, I still think both young adults and older adults will connect with the characters and Whittet's storyline. Readers will not find much resolution to many of the story's conflicts at the end of this book--moving on to the third book is a necessity.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher--but, opinions are my own.
November 18, 2014
I received these books as part of a blog tour hosted by Fallen For Books! This is no way influences my review.
I basically have the same things to say for both of these books so I decided to do a mash-up instead of a separate post for each. So here we go!
I really liked these two books. They represented such a different take on werewolves and the life they live. In this series, the werewolves are actually connected to the earth and are the protectors of humans. They have a mission which really directs the story-line.
Overall, these were very well done books but they just aren't 5 star material for me. I won't fangirl over them (although I'll probably read the next book) or speculate or anything. They were just pretty good.
Even though I really don't like patriarchy (where a society is dominated by men) it does fit the story very well. Old werewolves from ancient times who don't want to change? Definite patriarchy. So it fit very well with the characters and the plot and kept me reading because I was scoffing every time a guy talked and I wanted to see how Ashling defied that. She didn't disappoint.
It's safe to say I loved pretty much all the characters. One stands out in my mind that I hated though - Ashling's father. I couldn't believe him! His character was very well written so that he came across evil, but he was also looking out for Ashling's best interests (well... sort of at least). Every line he spoke I was shuddering. I mean someone has to go screw his head on straight! This is one of those books where I'm glad I can't trade lives with the MC.
It also was a bit cliche when Ashling fell in love with Grey with the whole forbidden romance and everything but once his true lineage was revealed, I was sort of okay with it. It still wasn't exactly the best for me though.
The Final Verdict:
Overall, a very well-written, unique book however it just isn't 5 star material. The characters are very well done and the patriarchy was very convincing as well.
4 stars
Quotes:
“I wanted desperately to be part of our pack; I felt a hole inside myself where my pack should have been.”
“Our love transcends space and time. No culture or creed could ever keep us apart. Even death is just the beginning.”
I basically have the same things to say for both of these books so I decided to do a mash-up instead of a separate post for each. So here we go!
I really liked these two books. They represented such a different take on werewolves and the life they live. In this series, the werewolves are actually connected to the earth and are the protectors of humans. They have a mission which really directs the story-line.
Overall, these were very well done books but they just aren't 5 star material for me. I won't fangirl over them (although I'll probably read the next book) or speculate or anything. They were just pretty good.
Even though I really don't like patriarchy (where a society is dominated by men) it does fit the story very well. Old werewolves from ancient times who don't want to change? Definite patriarchy. So it fit very well with the characters and the plot and kept me reading because I was scoffing every time a guy talked and I wanted to see how Ashling defied that. She didn't disappoint.
It's safe to say I loved pretty much all the characters. One stands out in my mind that I hated though - Ashling's father. I couldn't believe him! His character was very well written so that he came across evil, but he was also looking out for Ashling's best interests (well... sort of at least). Every line he spoke I was shuddering. I mean someone has to go screw his head on straight! This is one of those books where I'm glad I can't trade lives with the MC.
It also was a bit cliche when Ashling fell in love with Grey with the whole forbidden romance and everything but once his true lineage was revealed, I was sort of okay with it. It still wasn't exactly the best for me though.
The Final Verdict:
Overall, a very well-written, unique book however it just isn't 5 star material. The characters are very well done and the patriarchy was very convincing as well.
4 stars
Quotes:
“I wanted desperately to be part of our pack; I felt a hole inside myself where my pack should have been.”
“Our love transcends space and time. No culture or creed could ever keep us apart. Even death is just the beginning.”
November 17, 2016
I enjoyed Bloodmark, the first book in this series, and I knew there was so much going to happen in Bloodrealms.
There sure is a whole lot going on. Ashling now has four suitors vying for the right to claim her as their bride. A couple of them seem to really love her. One seems to want Ashling as a trophy. And then there’s Eamon. I really don’t like that guy. Something is wrong about him.
There’s also someone or something watching Ashling. She’s attacked numerous times and barely escapes with her life.
Things get bloodier, even more dangerous, when Ashling and Grey enter the Bloodrealms. It’s a place of darkness and treachery. And evil from long ago roams there, waiting for more victims.
Holy cow. It was so hard to read the last half of this book. Grey, Brychan, Channing, and Eamon all have to fight in the arena. The last one standing will win the right to marry Ashling. I’m telling you, aside from Eamon,I was hard pressed to choose a favorite. All of these guys grew on me. The suspense was so intense. I’m still feeling it.
I feel I should explain about my feelings towards Eamon. He’s standoffish, gruff, and something isn’t quite right about him. I did get his story and it’s powerful.
I didn’t bond with Ashling that much in the first book. She changed so much in this one. I wondered how a teenage girl could step into the role of the Crimson Queen, unite the packs, and protect all living things. Sounds like a lot for one little girl.
Ashling grew page by page. She matured, found that stuff inside that she didn’t know she had. Became what she was meant to be. The pack chose her. She became The Chosen One. The author did a splendid job of achieving all of this in a way that made me forget this was a fantasy. I laughed with the pack. Cried with them. Fought with them. I became a part of the pack while reading their stories.
While the first book took a bit to grab me, this one did right from the beginning. The pace is fast, the romance is tangled and messy, and the intrigue, darkness, and violence really ramp up.
There’s no way I can stop with this series now. And lucky me, I already have the third book, Bloodmoon. That title alone gives me the shivers. Can’t wait.
I received a copy of this book free of charge from the author.
There sure is a whole lot going on. Ashling now has four suitors vying for the right to claim her as their bride. A couple of them seem to really love her. One seems to want Ashling as a trophy. And then there’s Eamon. I really don’t like that guy. Something is wrong about him.
There’s also someone or something watching Ashling. She’s attacked numerous times and barely escapes with her life.
Things get bloodier, even more dangerous, when Ashling and Grey enter the Bloodrealms. It’s a place of darkness and treachery. And evil from long ago roams there, waiting for more victims.
Holy cow. It was so hard to read the last half of this book. Grey, Brychan, Channing, and Eamon all have to fight in the arena. The last one standing will win the right to marry Ashling. I’m telling you, aside from Eamon,I was hard pressed to choose a favorite. All of these guys grew on me. The suspense was so intense. I’m still feeling it.
I feel I should explain about my feelings towards Eamon. He’s standoffish, gruff, and something isn’t quite right about him. I did get his story and it’s powerful.
I didn’t bond with Ashling that much in the first book. She changed so much in this one. I wondered how a teenage girl could step into the role of the Crimson Queen, unite the packs, and protect all living things. Sounds like a lot for one little girl.
Ashling grew page by page. She matured, found that stuff inside that she didn’t know she had. Became what she was meant to be. The pack chose her. She became The Chosen One. The author did a splendid job of achieving all of this in a way that made me forget this was a fantasy. I laughed with the pack. Cried with them. Fought with them. I became a part of the pack while reading their stories.
While the first book took a bit to grab me, this one did right from the beginning. The pace is fast, the romance is tangled and messy, and the intrigue, darkness, and violence really ramp up.
There’s no way I can stop with this series now. And lucky me, I already have the third book, Bloodmoon. That title alone gives me the shivers. Can’t wait.
I received a copy of this book free of charge from the author.
January 27, 2015
This the second book in the BloodMark series. It is getting close to werewolf princess Ashlings 18th birthday and when she is claimed to be married and fulfill her prophecy. Where her and the four suitors that her father has picked to fight in blood realm. As her and her four suitors fight , they find out there is a betrayer among them. Now will they survive and will her chooses will help or hinder her race
This is the first book I read from the author. I found it to be very entertaining and had my turning pages well into the night . Now this is the second book in the series and we find out about the characters. Ashling and Grey's love for each other is so real , they want to be married and be mated but alas her father the King has other plans. Where she has three other suitors. Which she is nice enough to meet but she really wants to be with Grey. The characters are so real and the pain that they are hiding is real. The pain that Ashling is going through is so real. The near rape has Ashling going through so many emotions that are dealt with really well in the book. The author doesn't skirt the issue. She lets Ashling grow and become more confidence as she works through the pain.
You see all the characters grow and grow stronger throughout the book . They become warriors in their own right .
The author has a way with word and she takes us on a fantasy filled roller coaster ride. The was so many twists and turns. The book is full of action and danger, The stakes are very high in this book. The only thing that was a little off was that some of the issues were resolved rather quickly, like the sworn enemy becoming allies with them. The whole thing seemed to be glossed over. Other then that small thing the book is a really good read. The author gave us complex characters with a great story line. So if you want a good story with danger and a love story all rolled into one , Check it out
November 22, 2014
I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
I will start by saying that I haven't read book 1 in this series and honestly, it didn't cause any problems at all. I would like to read book 1 to find out about how Ashling and Grey come together and to find out more about the history of the characters but it wasn't essential to understand any of this story.
Ashling and Grey love each other and want to be mated/married but Ashling's father has decreed that 3 other 'suitors' plus Grey must fight in the Bloodrealms and the winner will win Ashling's hand. If Ashling defies him or the winner, she risks splitting the packs in two as some will back her and some will back her father. Her father is a misguided man in that he thinks he is doing the right thing but seriously needs to move with the times. He is a very well-written character in that every time you read about him, you long for him to do or say 'something' that will make him seem less stand-offish.
I won't go into the story too much as it would take a book length review to explain everything but suffice it to say, this book gripped me from page one. Watching Ashling grow into herself and gain confidence as the story progresses was wonderful and I was kept on tenterhooks over whether she and Grey would be able to be together. Each of the characters, even if they don't seem that interesting to start with, ended up being fascinating as you learn more about them.
There is love, friendship, betrayal, history, action - pretty much everything you could ask for in this book. You will laugh at some of Ashling's quips, gasp at the fights and, if you're like me, cry a tear or two at the end (but I'll say no more about that as I want it to be as much a surprise for you as it was for me!).
I now need to read book 1 and will definitely be keeping my eyes out for book 3. Highly recommended.
I will start by saying that I haven't read book 1 in this series and honestly, it didn't cause any problems at all. I would like to read book 1 to find out about how Ashling and Grey come together and to find out more about the history of the characters but it wasn't essential to understand any of this story.
Ashling and Grey love each other and want to be mated/married but Ashling's father has decreed that 3 other 'suitors' plus Grey must fight in the Bloodrealms and the winner will win Ashling's hand. If Ashling defies him or the winner, she risks splitting the packs in two as some will back her and some will back her father. Her father is a misguided man in that he thinks he is doing the right thing but seriously needs to move with the times. He is a very well-written character in that every time you read about him, you long for him to do or say 'something' that will make him seem less stand-offish.
I won't go into the story too much as it would take a book length review to explain everything but suffice it to say, this book gripped me from page one. Watching Ashling grow into herself and gain confidence as the story progresses was wonderful and I was kept on tenterhooks over whether she and Grey would be able to be together. Each of the characters, even if they don't seem that interesting to start with, ended up being fascinating as you learn more about them.
There is love, friendship, betrayal, history, action - pretty much everything you could ask for in this book. You will laugh at some of Ashling's quips, gasp at the fights and, if you're like me, cry a tear or two at the end (but I'll say no more about that as I want it to be as much a surprise for you as it was for me!).
I now need to read book 1 and will definitely be keeping my eyes out for book 3. Highly recommended.
October 25, 2016
WOW! This series just keeps getting even better! This book was a little bit longer than the first but it did not feel that way at all. It took me a little while to read the first one but I flew through this one. I think the story line for this one was really fast-paced compared to the first book. It had a lot of action going on.
The story picks up pretty much where the first book left off. Things really start to get interesting. The romance really starts to build up in this story. There is a whole lot of action, fighting, blood, death, and hard choices to be made. This one held my attention even more than the first book and I read it in one sitting. It had a whole lot more going on. New characters are introduced and the plot thickens. Ashling has a whole lot more weighing on her shoulders. She has to make a lot of hard decisions and grow up even faster in this book. The decisions she will have to make will effect everyone. Relationships will be tested and secrets will be revealed. There was a few twists. Some tragic moments. They weren't huge moments but they were interesting enough. This book ends on a note that tells me that things are really going to get crazy in the next book. I wouldn't be surprised if the next one is the best one yet.
You could easily pick this book up and read it as a standalone if you have not read the first book. If there had been some time in between reading the first book and the second I would have easily been able to pick this up and know what was going on. The author does a good job of giving subtle reminders without rehashing the first story all over again.
There is gore in this book and it may not be for the faint of heart. However, the language in this book series is kept very clean. I highly recommend this story to Twilight fans, especially if you were a Jacob fan and a fan of the wolves.
The story picks up pretty much where the first book left off. Things really start to get interesting. The romance really starts to build up in this story. There is a whole lot of action, fighting, blood, death, and hard choices to be made. This one held my attention even more than the first book and I read it in one sitting. It had a whole lot more going on. New characters are introduced and the plot thickens. Ashling has a whole lot more weighing on her shoulders. She has to make a lot of hard decisions and grow up even faster in this book. The decisions she will have to make will effect everyone. Relationships will be tested and secrets will be revealed. There was a few twists. Some tragic moments. They weren't huge moments but they were interesting enough. This book ends on a note that tells me that things are really going to get crazy in the next book. I wouldn't be surprised if the next one is the best one yet.
You could easily pick this book up and read it as a standalone if you have not read the first book. If there had been some time in between reading the first book and the second I would have easily been able to pick this up and know what was going on. The author does a good job of giving subtle reminders without rehashing the first story all over again.
There is gore in this book and it may not be for the faint of heart. However, the language in this book series is kept very clean. I highly recommend this story to Twilight fans, especially if you were a Jacob fan and a fan of the wolves.
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