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Jackdaw Hammond #2
The Secrets of Blood and Bone
In the stunning follow up to The Secrets of Life and Death, Rebecca Alexander has created a gripping supernatural thriller that bridges time, legend and the power of blood.
Following her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, Jackdaw Hammond is running from her past, hiding from her future, and hoping to contain her newfound thirst for blood. Buying an overgrown home in the middle of nowhere seems like the perfect place to escape…at least until she finds herself in the sights of a murderous family with a terrible secret and a penchant for dark magic. Meanwhile, her old ally Felix Guichard has gone to New Orleans to conduct his own investigation into the nature of blood magic, but is soon sucked into the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack will need Felix more than she knows, for the battle for her soul is set to begin.
Her only salvation may lie with the secrets of 16th century master occultist Edward Kelley, and a dangerous mission he undertook in Venice to confront the Inquisition, the darkest deeds of his own past, and the fearsome power of Elizabeth Bathory.
Following her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, Jackdaw Hammond is running from her past, hiding from her future, and hoping to contain her newfound thirst for blood. Buying an overgrown home in the middle of nowhere seems like the perfect place to escape…at least until she finds herself in the sights of a murderous family with a terrible secret and a penchant for dark magic. Meanwhile, her old ally Felix Guichard has gone to New Orleans to conduct his own investigation into the nature of blood magic, but is soon sucked into the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack will need Felix more than she knows, for the battle for her soul is set to begin.
Her only salvation may lie with the secrets of 16th century master occultist Edward Kelley, and a dangerous mission he undertook in Venice to confront the Inquisition, the darkest deeds of his own past, and the fearsome power of Elizabeth Bathory.
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2014
16 people are currently reading
1253 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Alexander
40 books152 followersHaving had a career in psychology, Rebecca Alexander decided to take time out to raise and home educate six children - and home educate herself with an MA in Creative Writing. The Secrets of Life and Death (2013) was a runner up in the 2011 novel writing competition with Mslexia and an agent and book deal for three books ensued. The Secrets of Blood and Bone (2014) and The Secrets of Time and Fate (2016) were published by Del Rey UK. With a historical strand exploring 16th century sorcery and a contemporary story about revenants, the books enjoyed a fantasy readership.
Since then, A Baby's Bones will be published by Titan Books (May 1 2018) and is decidedly crime. A sequel comes out next April, and the books follow the work of an archaeologist trying to solve crimes in the past. And staying safe in the present, with the help of Felix Guichard from the Secrets series. Things are still going bump in the night.
Since then, A Baby's Bones will be published by Titan Books (May 1 2018) and is decidedly crime. A sequel comes out next April, and the books follow the work of an archaeologist trying to solve crimes in the past. And staying safe in the present, with the help of Felix Guichard from the Secrets series. Things are still going bump in the night.
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August 19, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
3.5 Stars
I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but that is okay as this second book is fine as a stand alone. I do want to go back and read the first one of course to see what happened in the beginning.
I was confused at times about what was going on in the book. This mostly had to do with the occult side, what they were looking for, what really happened to these people and things like that. I'm sure this will be explained better in the first book for us with simple minds :)
There seems to be a potion that can heal people with certain diseases and some turn evil ..sooo.. the characters in the book are trying to find out all they can to make sure they can cure but not create monsters.
Jackdaw Hammond and her daughter (for all intents and purposes) named Sadie move into Maggie's old home. Maggie is Jack's foster mother. There is more to that story and how they came about the "Bell Cottage" but you can read that for yourself.
I love the gardens at Bell Cottage because... they are alive! It's a witch garden and it protects the home from any and everything that dares to walk through it.
The Story:
You have the evil Dannicks that harass Jack and Maggie to find a potion from their garden to heal their son. Jack and Maggie are also trying to keep Sadie alive because she has the same kind of disease.
You have Felix who is in love with Jack and is traveling around trying to find out if there are side effects to drinking blood. Someone in the book had to do that because of the disease they have.
This book is very in depth about the occult, blood drinking, vampires, werewolves, and demons. The story does go back and forth in time so you can read more about the history of the evil people and where all of this stuff started.
I thought it was a pretty good book. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It's not full of any kind of real excitement if that is what you are looking for, but it is a good book if you want to read about some weird stuff going on and different things in history. I honestly want to know what is going to happen with Jack and Sadie.
**I would like to thank BLOGGING FOR BOOKS for a free print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**
3.5 Stars
I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but that is okay as this second book is fine as a stand alone. I do want to go back and read the first one of course to see what happened in the beginning.
I was confused at times about what was going on in the book. This mostly had to do with the occult side, what they were looking for, what really happened to these people and things like that. I'm sure this will be explained better in the first book for us with simple minds :)
There seems to be a potion that can heal people with certain diseases and some turn evil ..sooo.. the characters in the book are trying to find out all they can to make sure they can cure but not create monsters.
Jackdaw Hammond and her daughter (for all intents and purposes) named Sadie move into Maggie's old home. Maggie is Jack's foster mother. There is more to that story and how they came about the "Bell Cottage" but you can read that for yourself.
I love the gardens at Bell Cottage because... they are alive! It's a witch garden and it protects the home from any and everything that dares to walk through it.
The Story:
You have the evil Dannicks that harass Jack and Maggie to find a potion from their garden to heal their son. Jack and Maggie are also trying to keep Sadie alive because she has the same kind of disease.
You have Felix who is in love with Jack and is traveling around trying to find out if there are side effects to drinking blood. Someone in the book had to do that because of the disease they have.
This book is very in depth about the occult, blood drinking, vampires, werewolves, and demons. The story does go back and forth in time so you can read more about the history of the evil people and where all of this stuff started.
I thought it was a pretty good book. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It's not full of any kind of real excitement if that is what you are looking for, but it is a good book if you want to read about some weird stuff going on and different things in history. I honestly want to know what is going to happen with Jack and Sadie.
**I would like to thank BLOGGING FOR BOOKS for a free print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**
September 13, 2015
Review copy
Rebecca Alexander is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in the fields of psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
Jackdaw Hammond (Jack) calls herself a "borrowed timer." In The Secrets of Life and Death there was a near death experience with Elizabeth Bathory. Jack is alive today only because of her friend, Felix Guichard, who willingly fed her his blood.
A good portion of the book is spent trying to learn what side effects may come with such a feeding. Jack doesn't feel any different, but so much is still unknown. At one point Felix meets with Madame Ivanova leading to this quote..."For those who have crossed over from mortal life, blood is energy, joy, warmth. It is immortality."
After Ellen Ratcliff, the owner of Bee Cottage, dies tragically, Jack and fourteen-year-old-Sadie move in. Sadie is in a bad way, being kept alive by magic.
There's another family with a son who is dying of a muscular dystrophy type disease. They believe the recipe for a cure is somewhere on the Bee Cottage property and will go to any length to get their hands on it.
There is also a parallel story of Edward Kelley set in Venice in the 1580s. Edward is a Protestant, influential in the field of magic, and on a quest to learn more about Alchemy. He's also being hounded by a member of the Inquisition.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is a literary work filled with complex and interesting characters. It's a work of fantasy and horror with magic, witches, werewolves and vampires, of a sort. I found the book to be well-written and entertaining. It was refreshing to read a work with substance. It might have been even better had I read book one, but it certainly was not necessary.
There is a lot going on in this book, but it does all come together in the end, although I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a third book in the series.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is published by Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. It's available now both in paperback and e-book formats.
Rebecca Alexander is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in the fields of psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
Jackdaw Hammond (Jack) calls herself a "borrowed timer." In The Secrets of Life and Death there was a near death experience with Elizabeth Bathory. Jack is alive today only because of her friend, Felix Guichard, who willingly fed her his blood.
A good portion of the book is spent trying to learn what side effects may come with such a feeding. Jack doesn't feel any different, but so much is still unknown. At one point Felix meets with Madame Ivanova leading to this quote..."For those who have crossed over from mortal life, blood is energy, joy, warmth. It is immortality."
After Ellen Ratcliff, the owner of Bee Cottage, dies tragically, Jack and fourteen-year-old-Sadie move in. Sadie is in a bad way, being kept alive by magic.
There's another family with a son who is dying of a muscular dystrophy type disease. They believe the recipe for a cure is somewhere on the Bee Cottage property and will go to any length to get their hands on it.
There is also a parallel story of Edward Kelley set in Venice in the 1580s. Edward is a Protestant, influential in the field of magic, and on a quest to learn more about Alchemy. He's also being hounded by a member of the Inquisition.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is a literary work filled with complex and interesting characters. It's a work of fantasy and horror with magic, witches, werewolves and vampires, of a sort. I found the book to be well-written and entertaining. It was refreshing to read a work with substance. It might have been even better had I read book one, but it certainly was not necessary.
There is a lot going on in this book, but it does all come together in the end, although I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a third book in the series.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is published by Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. It's available now both in paperback and e-book formats.
September 9, 2015
[I received a copy of this novel through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.]
I had quite liked the first book in this series, but I didn't enjoy this one as much. Perhaps because the pacing felt too slow, and the book to long for what it had to say? Either it would have worked better as a shorter read, or it would have deserved to be expanded on, developed more.
The format pretty much follows the same one as in the first book, interspersing the contemporary plot with one involving Edward Kelley again -- this time in Venice, where he's looking for information for the Dannick family, not realising he's about to stumble upon another, dangerous family, as well as meet old acquaintances of the not-so-pleasant kind. The Dannicks in turn play a part in Jack's and Sadie's lives, too, as the two girls set into the cottage of a dead witch and gradually discover what really happened there.
There are very interesting ideas and questions raised here, all the more after reading The Secrets of Life and Death. Jack's and Sadie's fates as "borrowed timers" obviously tie into the whole matter of having to feed on blood to survive, and what it involves and implies: would Jack become a monster by doing so? Would she suffer side effects? Can she, Maggie and Felix afford to let Sadie try this too, even though her health is failing and she's not likely to last as long as Jack has, even with the circles and potion?
However, while those points are indeed raised, not many answers are brought, and there's only slight progress towards the end to explain what may be happening. Sure, this sets the backdrop for a third novel, but considering that not much happens in this one, all things considered, I think such developments could very well have occurred here instead. Not necessarily through Jack herself: more about Felix's research, the people he met (Gina, Ivanova...), would have been nice as well.
The same is worth regarding Sadie. There's something going on with her and the garden at the new cottage, and it was brushed upon rather than given the weight it deserved. It felt like Sadie was mostly meant to be the Damsel in Distress again, and this made her potential role and importance... somewhat less potent.
As for the two families, the one in Venice and the one in England, I didn't find them so convincing as antagonists, and I think this is due to how little we actually see them "in action as villains". There's more telling than showing when it comes to the Dannicks -- the other one seemed a little more convincing... although the bit about them at the end left me wondering how such a change came to be. Details were needed here as well in my opinion, after what the Kelley chapters allowed me to see.
Conclusion: a novel with interesting elements, but too shy in exploiting them.
I had quite liked the first book in this series, but I didn't enjoy this one as much. Perhaps because the pacing felt too slow, and the book to long for what it had to say? Either it would have worked better as a shorter read, or it would have deserved to be expanded on, developed more.
The format pretty much follows the same one as in the first book, interspersing the contemporary plot with one involving Edward Kelley again -- this time in Venice, where he's looking for information for the Dannick family, not realising he's about to stumble upon another, dangerous family, as well as meet old acquaintances of the not-so-pleasant kind. The Dannicks in turn play a part in Jack's and Sadie's lives, too, as the two girls set into the cottage of a dead witch and gradually discover what really happened there.
There are very interesting ideas and questions raised here, all the more after reading The Secrets of Life and Death. Jack's and Sadie's fates as "borrowed timers" obviously tie into the whole matter of having to feed on blood to survive, and what it involves and implies: would Jack become a monster by doing so? Would she suffer side effects? Can she, Maggie and Felix afford to let Sadie try this too, even though her health is failing and she's not likely to last as long as Jack has, even with the circles and potion?
However, while those points are indeed raised, not many answers are brought, and there's only slight progress towards the end to explain what may be happening. Sure, this sets the backdrop for a third novel, but considering that not much happens in this one, all things considered, I think such developments could very well have occurred here instead. Not necessarily through Jack herself: more about Felix's research, the people he met (Gina, Ivanova...), would have been nice as well.
The same is worth regarding Sadie. There's something going on with her and the garden at the new cottage, and it was brushed upon rather than given the weight it deserved. It felt like Sadie was mostly meant to be the Damsel in Distress again, and this made her potential role and importance... somewhat less potent.
As for the two families, the one in Venice and the one in England, I didn't find them so convincing as antagonists, and I think this is due to how little we actually see them "in action as villains". There's more telling than showing when it comes to the Dannicks -- the other one seemed a little more convincing... although the bit about them at the end left me wondering how such a change came to be. Details were needed here as well in my opinion, after what the Kelley chapters allowed me to see.
Conclusion: a novel with interesting elements, but too shy in exploiting them.
November 21, 2015
**I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Historical, Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the second novel in the Jackdaw Hammond series. Once again author Rebecca Alexander spins a story that takes place both in the 16th century with Edward Kelley (1596), and in the present with Jack, Sadie, Felix, and Maggie. Kelley's story actually takes place in Venice, Italy a full year after the end of his experiences dealing with Elizabeth Bathory.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 11/21/2015*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published September 1st 2015 by Broadway Books
*Genre* Historical, Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the second novel in the Jackdaw Hammond series. Once again author Rebecca Alexander spins a story that takes place both in the 16th century with Edward Kelley (1596), and in the present with Jack, Sadie, Felix, and Maggie. Kelley's story actually takes place in Venice, Italy a full year after the end of his experiences dealing with Elizabeth Bathory.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 11/21/2015*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published September 1st 2015 by Broadway Books
September 14, 2015
I picked this up solely due to its title; knowing nothing about the author or the book itself. What I didn't realize: it's a sequel. If you're interested, I recommend starting with the first one, 'The Secrets of Life and Death.' A great deal of this book deals with 'past' events, and I think having read the first one would really have helped.
The novel alternates between two different stories. In the first, set in the present day, in England's rural Lakes District, two women have come to renovate a witch's cottage - in which the witch was recently burned to death. The two women themselves may have magical or supernatural qualities, but they're also very human characters, dealing with an odd - and possibly dangerous - situation.
The second is set in 16th-century Venice, deals with the historical Edward Kelley, the notorious English occultist/alchemist, a contemporary of John Dee. The story deals with a wholly fictional trip to Venice, where he is investigating a paranormal rumor of werewolf-like rituals, which may plunge him into danger.
The second story gives background to and throws light on the first, but they remain rather separate. I found the first story, and the characters of the two women, Jackdaw and Sadie, much more compelling, even though I usually prefer historical settings to modern-day. The exception is when the narrative switches to the point of view of their friend, Felix, who is busy investigating vampire fetish clubs in New Orleans with the help of a rather-overly-involved academic researcher. As someone who has spent far more time at vampire fetish clubs than I care to admit, this exotified outsiders' view of the scene really had me rolling my eyes. (OK, fine, I also roll my eyes far too much when I am present AT such events.) Felix's viewpoint also felt largely unnecessary to the story as a whole; I felt the book could have done without it completely.
Overall, I found this author intriguing. At moments, I was reminded of authors such as Caitlin Kiernan & Poppy Z. Brite, maybe a taste of A.M. Dellamonica. But there was, perhaps, a larger helping of M.J. Rose.
Many thanks to Broadway Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
The novel alternates between two different stories. In the first, set in the present day, in England's rural Lakes District, two women have come to renovate a witch's cottage - in which the witch was recently burned to death. The two women themselves may have magical or supernatural qualities, but they're also very human characters, dealing with an odd - and possibly dangerous - situation.
The second is set in 16th-century Venice, deals with the historical Edward Kelley, the notorious English occultist/alchemist, a contemporary of John Dee. The story deals with a wholly fictional trip to Venice, where he is investigating a paranormal rumor of werewolf-like rituals, which may plunge him into danger.
The second story gives background to and throws light on the first, but they remain rather separate. I found the first story, and the characters of the two women, Jackdaw and Sadie, much more compelling, even though I usually prefer historical settings to modern-day. The exception is when the narrative switches to the point of view of their friend, Felix, who is busy investigating vampire fetish clubs in New Orleans with the help of a rather-overly-involved academic researcher. As someone who has spent far more time at vampire fetish clubs than I care to admit, this exotified outsiders' view of the scene really had me rolling my eyes. (OK, fine, I also roll my eyes far too much when I am present AT such events.) Felix's viewpoint also felt largely unnecessary to the story as a whole; I felt the book could have done without it completely.
Overall, I found this author intriguing. At moments, I was reminded of authors such as Caitlin Kiernan & Poppy Z. Brite, maybe a taste of A.M. Dellamonica. But there was, perhaps, a larger helping of M.J. Rose.
Many thanks to Broadway Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
August 18, 2015
Rebecca Alexander’s second novel “The Secrets of Blood and Bone” is a lot like her first novel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but also not necessarily a good thing. It continues with the simultaneous story of modern day Jackdaw Hammond with the 16thcentury story of Edward Kelley, again alternating chapters between the two time period. I enjoyed the first book, but my main reservations were that I was more interested in the chapters that dealt with Kelley and John Dee than I was with the modern chapters. I also felt the modern day climax was fairly banal. This second installment leaves me feeling about the same, but with the chapters flipped. I enjoyed the modern day chapters much more than the Kelley 16th century chapters. This time around the replication of the alternating chapters felt unnecessary and not really adding much to the present day plot. What was needed from then to help with the modern section honestly could have been done in a Prologue, and because it also dealt with characters from the first book that we already knew of their fates it left those 16th century chapters feeling tacked on and boring. The modern day chapters, telling a compelling story of witches and dark transformation rituals were quite fun and captivating. And unlike the first book, I was quite taken with the climatic ending. Ms. Alexander clearly is a talented writer and both of these books were all in all quite fun. I can’t help but think though that one long book with a tighter plot could have woven all of these story lines together in a much more interesting fashion.
July 11, 2015
This book was very confusing. This book could not hold my attention. I was not brought into the world in this book and I just did not finish it. * I received this book thru a giveaway with LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review*
August 2, 2017
It's not YOU, it's ME. I am too old for YA I'm afraid.
October 12, 2022
had a hard time getting into this, did not read the first book so iwas kinda behind, but it was boring
March 27, 2016
Secrets of Blood and Bone
Following her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, Jackdaw Hammond is running from her past, hiding from her future, and hoping to contain her newfound thirst for blood. Buying an overgrown home in the middle of nowhere seems like the perfect place to escape…at least until she finds herself in the sights of a murderous family with a terrible secret and a penchant for dark magic. Meanwhile, her old ally Felix Guichard has gone to New Orleans to conduct his own investigation into the nature of blood magic, but is soon sucked into the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack will need Felix more than she knows, for the battle for her soul is set to begin. Her only salvation may lie with the secrets of 16th century master occultist Edward Kelley, and a dangerous mission he undertook in Venice to confront the Inquisition, the darkest deeds of his own past, and the fearsome power of Elizabeth Bathory.
- from the back of the book
This book is the second in a series; my review for book 1, The Secrets of Life and Death can be found here http://readingismyescape.booklikes.co....
This book combines historical fiction with the supernatural. Before I read the first in the series, I had never read a book like this before. In order to follow the story, I had to really focus. The historical part was fascinating to me, a real serial killer (Elizabeth Bathory) is included in the story and made into something supernatural.
Jack is a flawed but likable character. Drinking Felix's blood has changed her, but even she isn't sure exactly how. The garden behind the house is a character in itself. It protects itself and the occupants and responds only to Sadie.
I really don't want to give the book away, so I won't add any more details.
For more information on the author:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
For more information on the book:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/boo...
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. I have not received any monetary compensation for this review.
Recommended to:
Fans of urban fantasy mixed with historical fantasy. Whatever that means. :)
Following her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, Jackdaw Hammond is running from her past, hiding from her future, and hoping to contain her newfound thirst for blood. Buying an overgrown home in the middle of nowhere seems like the perfect place to escape…at least until she finds herself in the sights of a murderous family with a terrible secret and a penchant for dark magic. Meanwhile, her old ally Felix Guichard has gone to New Orleans to conduct his own investigation into the nature of blood magic, but is soon sucked into the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack will need Felix more than she knows, for the battle for her soul is set to begin. Her only salvation may lie with the secrets of 16th century master occultist Edward Kelley, and a dangerous mission he undertook in Venice to confront the Inquisition, the darkest deeds of his own past, and the fearsome power of Elizabeth Bathory.
- from the back of the book
This book is the second in a series; my review for book 1, The Secrets of Life and Death can be found here http://readingismyescape.booklikes.co....
This book combines historical fiction with the supernatural. Before I read the first in the series, I had never read a book like this before. In order to follow the story, I had to really focus. The historical part was fascinating to me, a real serial killer (Elizabeth Bathory) is included in the story and made into something supernatural.
Jack is a flawed but likable character. Drinking Felix's blood has changed her, but even she isn't sure exactly how. The garden behind the house is a character in itself. It protects itself and the occupants and responds only to Sadie.
I really don't want to give the book away, so I won't add any more details.
For more information on the author:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
For more information on the book:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/boo...
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. I have not received any monetary compensation for this review.
Recommended to:
Fans of urban fantasy mixed with historical fantasy. Whatever that means. :)
August 23, 2015
This is a review based on both the first and second book in the series:
I went into these novels with a whole lot of excitement, as they're quite different from my normal fare, but looked fantastic! Plus, because my writing has been veering in the "adult" direction more and more lately, I have been feeling remiss that I haven't been reading as widely in that area. Anyhow, both books were intensely interesting, with a really fascinating slant on magic and both vampires and werewolves. I rather liked the characters, especially Sadie, though Jackdaw (who goes by Jack), always felt a step removed from the reader--I still don't feel like I have a good sense of her personality or really anything beyond her condition. Interwoven in both books is the story of Edward Kelley, while he either starts or is involved in some of origins of what Jack is facing in the modern portion of the book. This is a clever was to tell the story, though Kelley himself doesn't draw me in as much and I found myself wanting to skip those chapters (I didn't) to get on with Jack's tale. I imagine this is always the hazard with dual narratives--one is always more interesting than the other :) Other than that, I did find the pacing to be a bit off in both books, but I do wonder if that's because I have been reading quite a lot of YA where pacing it expected to, well, keep up. Here, the beginnings were good, but the middle lagged, often up until the last couple of chapters. It made for some sleepy reading a few times, I'll admit. Anyhow, this is a long-winded reviews, mainly because the books were complex with a lot that both drew me in and left me wanting more.
I went into these novels with a whole lot of excitement, as they're quite different from my normal fare, but looked fantastic! Plus, because my writing has been veering in the "adult" direction more and more lately, I have been feeling remiss that I haven't been reading as widely in that area. Anyhow, both books were intensely interesting, with a really fascinating slant on magic and both vampires and werewolves. I rather liked the characters, especially Sadie, though Jackdaw (who goes by Jack), always felt a step removed from the reader--I still don't feel like I have a good sense of her personality or really anything beyond her condition. Interwoven in both books is the story of Edward Kelley, while he either starts or is involved in some of origins of what Jack is facing in the modern portion of the book. This is a clever was to tell the story, though Kelley himself doesn't draw me in as much and I found myself wanting to skip those chapters (I didn't) to get on with Jack's tale. I imagine this is always the hazard with dual narratives--one is always more interesting than the other :) Other than that, I did find the pacing to be a bit off in both books, but I do wonder if that's because I have been reading quite a lot of YA where pacing it expected to, well, keep up. Here, the beginnings were good, but the middle lagged, often up until the last couple of chapters. It made for some sleepy reading a few times, I'll admit. Anyhow, this is a long-winded reviews, mainly because the books were complex with a lot that both drew me in and left me wanting more.
October 16, 2015
I'll say it again, seldom does a sequel trump the first book in a series. That's not to say it wasn't a decent offering, but it's like a second helping of dessert, never as tasty as that first bite. And, if you haven't read the first book in Alexander's series, you'll probably be a bit lost. In my opinion, this book is not exactly a standalone. Take my advice and read The Secrets of Life and Death before picking up the second book in the Jackdaw Hammond series. It'll make more sense. Let me also say this, I kind of feel tricked, like maybe I signed up for one thing and got another. I dunno. I just wasn't crazy about the direction this book took. The present day story, the world that Jackdaw Hammond inhabits, seemed to putter along. I was nearly 200-plus pages in before anything substantial happened. However, when Alexander revisits the character of alchemist Edward Kelly, sans John Dee, the story is always interesting. Kelly is never far from Countess Erzsébet Báthory and the Inquisition is still after both. Kelly's nomadic life is once again in danger and he faces seriously scary foes. A couple of scenes were rather chilling. Towards the end, both stories melded together and each was equally good. And, the ending? Never. Saw. It. Coming. Overall, I liked the book well enough to read the next book in the series. There just has to be a Jackdaw Hammond #3.
*I received an ARC from Blogging for Books in exchange for review.
*I received an ARC from Blogging for Books in exchange for review.
May 16, 2015
Thanks to Edelweiss and Random House for providing a review copy. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but Bathory has always fascinated me, so I couldn't wait to read this. Unfortunately, "The Secrets of Life and Death" just wasn't in the budget for this month, so I came into this sequel with a bit of a knowledge gap.
Nevertheless, I really appreciated the writing and more importantly, the very distinct styles used for the modern and medieval chapters. The story fit together seamlessly and each perspective enhanced the others, this was a fascinating and well paced read.
Nevertheless, I really appreciated the writing and more importantly, the very distinct styles used for the modern and medieval chapters. The story fit together seamlessly and each perspective enhanced the others, this was a fascinating and well paced read.
November 13, 2015
(Quick note: From other reviews I've looked at, there seems to be a very descriptive sexual assault in the book that is continually brought up. By the time I stopped reading, I had not gotten to it yet, so I cannot comment on it. Please keep your triggers in mind if you pick up this book.)
The second book in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Victoria Alexander and I'm already not looking forward to this as it seems to be a run of the mill Twilight knockoff.
I just want to say that, first, I haven't read the first book and after reading this one, I have no interest to. Second, I tried very hard to finish this book, but I could not do it. It's boring, repetitive, and there's nothing to really link the three ongoing stories together.
I decided to pick up this book despite knowing what it was because the back cover gave me hope for something more interesting than a dreary and dry romance story. The description leads one to expect a supernatural mystery with vampires and magic. As of what I've forced myself to read, that doesn't seem to be the case.
What we do have is a story that flipflops between three different main characters and third and first person point of views, the first being Jackdaw and her friend Sadie as they clean out the destroyed home of a…the book doesn't say how Jack is related to this woman, though she may be someone's aunt or great aunt. The second story takes place in the past, involving what I can only presume is the 'historical' part of this book that is historical fiction. I've honestly never heard of Edward Kelley, so I cannot say if I should know of him or if he's only prevalent in England's common knowledge. In the past, Kelley is called to Venice to conduct research but stumbles upon a more sinister plot related to the main villain of the last book. Or I assume so since their last names are the same. The third part, and I suppose the 'erotic' part of the book features Jack's love interest Felix Guichard in New Orleans researching blood's effects on people who drink it.
That’s a lot going on in one book and it's really way too much. In fact, this is enough to plot two, even three books, not one. For a woman who prides herself on having a MA in Creative Writing, I would expect Mrs. Alexander to know this. It really hurts this book. The most interesting part of this book is what Jack is doing, because she is our main character, and yet we spend so little time with her. We spend more time with Kellie and Felix in the first eight chapters than with Jack and what the pull of this story is supposed to be: the questionable death of the house's previous owner, the mysterious family that threatens Jack and Sadie, and the magic garden.
Speaking of Felix's side of the story, it goes nowhere. It’s just the author rambling on about how she did some research online and wanted to tell you what she found about 'real life' vampires. If this was used in the plot in some manner, this would be interesting, but it's not so it isn't. Instead, we have the same obvious question being asked over and over again: "are there any side effects to blood drinking?"
Keep in mind, I have not read the first book, but Jack is a vampire, or at least a corpse of some kind. It doesn't matter how you dress it up or what you call them, she is a vampire. I bring this up because I don't understand why Felix is asking the above question. I don't even understand why he couldn't take five minutes to think about why drinking blood would or wouldn't have side effects and thus have his answer like any one would do when posed with this question. For such an 'intelligent' man - or I assume he is as he mentions having an office, traveling, and observing rituals and studying the occult - he acts as if he's never studied how blood can carry pathogens, much less considered all the times he's sure to have ingested a small amount of blood from either a cut lip or any steak he’s ate in the past.
To further waste our time, each book starts with a needless quote, such as the ones being from the perspective of the garden. What all this comes down to is it needlessly slows down the pace of the book and most of these different perspectives and information could have either been integrated into the story or removed completely. Because of all the jumping and the introduction of so many side characters who are just as bland, I started to forget who they were or what they were there for, which is the worst thing to do in any mystery story where the reader is expected to keep up.
To make this worse, some of the sentence structure is strange. This could simply be because I am American and the author is English, but I think it's more along the lines of it made since in her head, but no one bothered to give it another look before she published it.
I also don’t understand why we go out of our way to make the American characters dislike the ‘British’ nature of English characters. For example:
(Page 33) ”He’ll talk to me though. If you come along, and don’t act so – British - he might get you into one of the (vampire fetish) clubs.”
What does this even mean? Is the author implying that Americans think English people are shy virgins and stuffy prudes? Or is she trying to say Americans are loose and wild? Either way, I take offense at the author’s stereotyping.
If you have not read the first book, then you will not know or understand the in universe terminology that this series uses. The book casually throws out that Jack and Sadie are 'Barrowed Timers'. What does that mean? If I have to guess, the author needs to go back and rewrite into the story a quick explanation. I've said it before in my review of Unholy Magic: you cannot expect that the person reading your second book has read your first book or will even go back to read your first book. As an author, you must take the time to explain in every book what you expect to be common knowledge to the reader. It doesn't have to be as detailed as the explanation in the first book, but it should basically be a cliff note for new readers and a reminder for returning readers.
In conclusion, don’t buy this book. There is nothing for you here.
I'd like to thank BLOGING FOR BOOKS for a free print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The second book in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Victoria Alexander and I'm already not looking forward to this as it seems to be a run of the mill Twilight knockoff.
I just want to say that, first, I haven't read the first book and after reading this one, I have no interest to. Second, I tried very hard to finish this book, but I could not do it. It's boring, repetitive, and there's nothing to really link the three ongoing stories together.
I decided to pick up this book despite knowing what it was because the back cover gave me hope for something more interesting than a dreary and dry romance story. The description leads one to expect a supernatural mystery with vampires and magic. As of what I've forced myself to read, that doesn't seem to be the case.
What we do have is a story that flipflops between three different main characters and third and first person point of views, the first being Jackdaw and her friend Sadie as they clean out the destroyed home of a…the book doesn't say how Jack is related to this woman, though she may be someone's aunt or great aunt. The second story takes place in the past, involving what I can only presume is the 'historical' part of this book that is historical fiction. I've honestly never heard of Edward Kelley, so I cannot say if I should know of him or if he's only prevalent in England's common knowledge. In the past, Kelley is called to Venice to conduct research but stumbles upon a more sinister plot related to the main villain of the last book. Or I assume so since their last names are the same. The third part, and I suppose the 'erotic' part of the book features Jack's love interest Felix Guichard in New Orleans researching blood's effects on people who drink it.
That’s a lot going on in one book and it's really way too much. In fact, this is enough to plot two, even three books, not one. For a woman who prides herself on having a MA in Creative Writing, I would expect Mrs. Alexander to know this. It really hurts this book. The most interesting part of this book is what Jack is doing, because she is our main character, and yet we spend so little time with her. We spend more time with Kellie and Felix in the first eight chapters than with Jack and what the pull of this story is supposed to be: the questionable death of the house's previous owner, the mysterious family that threatens Jack and Sadie, and the magic garden.
Speaking of Felix's side of the story, it goes nowhere. It’s just the author rambling on about how she did some research online and wanted to tell you what she found about 'real life' vampires. If this was used in the plot in some manner, this would be interesting, but it's not so it isn't. Instead, we have the same obvious question being asked over and over again: "are there any side effects to blood drinking?"
Keep in mind, I have not read the first book, but Jack is a vampire, or at least a corpse of some kind. It doesn't matter how you dress it up or what you call them, she is a vampire. I bring this up because I don't understand why Felix is asking the above question. I don't even understand why he couldn't take five minutes to think about why drinking blood would or wouldn't have side effects and thus have his answer like any one would do when posed with this question. For such an 'intelligent' man - or I assume he is as he mentions having an office, traveling, and observing rituals and studying the occult - he acts as if he's never studied how blood can carry pathogens, much less considered all the times he's sure to have ingested a small amount of blood from either a cut lip or any steak he’s ate in the past.
To further waste our time, each book starts with a needless quote, such as the ones being from the perspective of the garden. What all this comes down to is it needlessly slows down the pace of the book and most of these different perspectives and information could have either been integrated into the story or removed completely. Because of all the jumping and the introduction of so many side characters who are just as bland, I started to forget who they were or what they were there for, which is the worst thing to do in any mystery story where the reader is expected to keep up.
To make this worse, some of the sentence structure is strange. This could simply be because I am American and the author is English, but I think it's more along the lines of it made since in her head, but no one bothered to give it another look before she published it.
I also don’t understand why we go out of our way to make the American characters dislike the ‘British’ nature of English characters. For example:
(Page 33) ”He’ll talk to me though. If you come along, and don’t act so – British - he might get you into one of the (vampire fetish) clubs.”
What does this even mean? Is the author implying that Americans think English people are shy virgins and stuffy prudes? Or is she trying to say Americans are loose and wild? Either way, I take offense at the author’s stereotyping.
If you have not read the first book, then you will not know or understand the in universe terminology that this series uses. The book casually throws out that Jack and Sadie are 'Barrowed Timers'. What does that mean? If I have to guess, the author needs to go back and rewrite into the story a quick explanation. I've said it before in my review of Unholy Magic: you cannot expect that the person reading your second book has read your first book or will even go back to read your first book. As an author, you must take the time to explain in every book what you expect to be common knowledge to the reader. It doesn't have to be as detailed as the explanation in the first book, but it should basically be a cliff note for new readers and a reminder for returning readers.
In conclusion, don’t buy this book. There is nothing for you here.
I'd like to thank BLOGING FOR BOOKS for a free print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2015
This is a sequel to The Secrets of Life and Death. I said in my review of that book that I didn't know if it was one book or a series because the last one had enough closure but there was an opportunity for the story to continue. I enjoyed this continuation. I give it a solid four stars. You can tell the story is more comfortable and detailed in this one. There are more answers given but for each answer there are 10 new questions which keeps you reading, wanting to know what is happening to our favorite revenants. Again you have to adjust between the two timelines. We are following the present day with Jack, Sadie, Maggie & Felix along with the past but only Edward Kelley this time with some new acquaintances, Dee is mentioned but not with him.
This starts off not long after the first one ends. Jack is still running high on the blood Felix gave her and Sadie is still weak. They are in a different town where Maggie's sister died under suspicious circumstances. Jack is different but still Jack for the most part. Things have changed quite a bit in a short period of time. We are introduced to a new set of baddies. Bathory is gone in the present but the Dannicks are there and they are frightening. They are part of an ancient line of "hunters". There is a wolf on the cover so I am not really giving anything away saying, holy moley there are Weres in this book and not the ones we think of care of movies. These are 100% more disturbing.
I think if you enjoyed the first book, this one will be a welcomed continuation. If you didn't read the first book, no worries, both can stand alone as they give enough backstory for you to follow. But I think you should read the first one just so you can understand more of the internal battle Jack is having related to Felix and blood. I would recommend it. It is packed with supernatural happenings along with bits of historical fiction to grab your attention and keep it.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books to give my honest review.
This starts off not long after the first one ends. Jack is still running high on the blood Felix gave her and Sadie is still weak. They are in a different town where Maggie's sister died under suspicious circumstances. Jack is different but still Jack for the most part. Things have changed quite a bit in a short period of time. We are introduced to a new set of baddies. Bathory is gone in the present but the Dannicks are there and they are frightening. They are part of an ancient line of "hunters". There is a wolf on the cover so I am not really giving anything away saying, holy moley there are Weres in this book and not the ones we think of care of movies. These are 100% more disturbing.
I think if you enjoyed the first book, this one will be a welcomed continuation. If you didn't read the first book, no worries, both can stand alone as they give enough backstory for you to follow. But I think you should read the first one just so you can understand more of the internal battle Jack is having related to Felix and blood. I would recommend it. It is packed with supernatural happenings along with bits of historical fiction to grab your attention and keep it.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books to give my honest review.
June 19, 2019
It's a beautiful love story if you could imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer dating her watcher. It's interesting to follow Jackdaw the main character at first you aren't sure of her character something is not right but what. If you like a story that looks at all the darker beings werewolves, vampires, demons and witches this is the book for you. Dark and energetic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2020
This is the second book in this series and well worth reading. I didn't find the 17th century Kelly and Dee pieces quite as interesting, although some parts were. On the whole it is well written and I shall follow on straight away with the concluding book as it gets under your skin and you need to know what finally happens.
October 14, 2020
It was really slow to start, and I didn’t feel engaged at all for a while. It felt too much the same as the first one with an eye roll of a new monster whoopdidoo. Once the characters started to show up more than the plot, it really got moving though. I hope she explores the actually interesting characters now. I will read the next one.
November 7, 2018
Hate the ending!
September 30, 2015
This is the sequel to The Secrets of Life and Death, which I read last year. I thought since I liked the first one so much that this would be amazing and I would have all my questions from the first ending answered but that didn't happen. I didn't really care for this book as much as the first and to be honest found myself quite confused at times.
Jackdaw (Jack) Hammond is a borrowed-timer, meaning she was supposed to die but because of magic she is still alive. For most of her life she felt like she was only half alive and that maybe she should have just died on that day but now she feels almost normal. After taking Felix's blood to save Sadie's life, Jack is changing but no one knows what the side effects are for taking blood. Felix worries she's changing for the worse and is trying to find out all there is to know about the procedure. Jack thinks she's changing for the better and wants to live and have fun. Sadie keeps going into remission and it's not looking good for the teenager, who is also a borrowed-timer. Jack wants to give her blood but Felix thinks its too dangerous. Will they be able to find out what they need to about blood taking before Jack does something she'll regret? Can they figure out away to save Sadie?
Once again I did not like the constant back in time thing that was going on. The every other chapter being in the past thing got old quick and I honestly liked it better when I skipped over those chapters because I only really cared about the present times anyway. I know Edward Kelley's parts are important to the story but I hate that every other chapter is about him especially when something good is going on with Jack.
I like all the characters, even though Jack could get annoying at times I still liked her. Jack is a very complex person and I think the author did a good job differentiating her from the thing that is almost possessing her. I could tell when Jack was no longer Jack, if that makes sense. I also really like Sadie because even though she is only fourteen she is very mature. She was forced to grow up when she became a borrowed-timer and she didn't let it get her down. Felix, um well he's okay. He got on my nerves a couples of times but he's an okay guy. I didn't like that he slept with Gina but I guess he and Jack were not together at that time so it wasn't so bad.
The magic in this book is the coolest thing! Jack and her abilities with animals is so freaking cool and I am so jealous because who doesn't want to join a wolf pack? I sure as hell would, that could just be me though. Sadie and her magic with plants would be pretty cool too especially since I kill most things that I plant. Maggie is just awesome with all of her magic-ness.
It's been a while since I read the first book so I forgot a lot of what happened and it took me a few chapters before things started to come back to me. I think this book could survive as a standalone but I think it would make a hell of a lot more sense if you read the first one. I mean I was confused enough and I did read the first one so I couldn't imagine how it would would have been if I didn't.
Jackdaw (Jack) Hammond is a borrowed-timer, meaning she was supposed to die but because of magic she is still alive. For most of her life she felt like she was only half alive and that maybe she should have just died on that day but now she feels almost normal. After taking Felix's blood to save Sadie's life, Jack is changing but no one knows what the side effects are for taking blood. Felix worries she's changing for the worse and is trying to find out all there is to know about the procedure. Jack thinks she's changing for the better and wants to live and have fun. Sadie keeps going into remission and it's not looking good for the teenager, who is also a borrowed-timer. Jack wants to give her blood but Felix thinks its too dangerous. Will they be able to find out what they need to about blood taking before Jack does something she'll regret? Can they figure out away to save Sadie?
Once again I did not like the constant back in time thing that was going on. The every other chapter being in the past thing got old quick and I honestly liked it better when I skipped over those chapters because I only really cared about the present times anyway. I know Edward Kelley's parts are important to the story but I hate that every other chapter is about him especially when something good is going on with Jack.
I like all the characters, even though Jack could get annoying at times I still liked her. Jack is a very complex person and I think the author did a good job differentiating her from the thing that is almost possessing her. I could tell when Jack was no longer Jack, if that makes sense. I also really like Sadie because even though she is only fourteen she is very mature. She was forced to grow up when she became a borrowed-timer and she didn't let it get her down. Felix, um well he's okay. He got on my nerves a couples of times but he's an okay guy. I didn't like that he slept with Gina but I guess he and Jack were not together at that time so it wasn't so bad.
The magic in this book is the coolest thing! Jack and her abilities with animals is so freaking cool and I am so jealous because who doesn't want to join a wolf pack? I sure as hell would, that could just be me though. Sadie and her magic with plants would be pretty cool too especially since I kill most things that I plant. Maggie is just awesome with all of her magic-ness.
It's been a while since I read the first book so I forgot a lot of what happened and it took me a few chapters before things started to come back to me. I think this book could survive as a standalone but I think it would make a hell of a lot more sense if you read the first one. I mean I was confused enough and I did read the first one so I couldn't imagine how it would would have been if I didn't.
August 31, 2015
The Secrets of Blood and Bone by Rebecca Alexander is a historical paranormal novel in the style of The Historian and A Discovery of Witches. Unfortunately, the similarities end there as Blood and Bone does not deliver a particularly well written or engaging story.
Told in first person point of view by both Jack, the rather emotionally perplexed heroine, and Edward Kelley, a 16th-century alchemist/occultist portrayed here as a rather bumbling magician. The novel meanders rather disjointedly through Europe and New Orleans as the handful of characters endeavor to unravel a knot of mysteries surrounding the secret to eternal life.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the sequel to Alexander's novel, The Secrets of Life and Death, and would be better served as a novella. The novel feels stretched out and rather thin in places with a few storylines altogether superfluous (Gina) The main characters would benefit from further development. They feel chaste and stoic to the point of being robotic. The sense of urgency heavily featured as a driving force in the plot is underdeveloped and woefully open ended. The link between the stories of Kelley and Jack is rather oblique. Frankly, at times the Kelley chapters are more interesting even if Kelley is rather meek and sycophantic; they offer greater action and a number of interesting dynamic characters.
The book ends rather abruptly and unsatisfactorily but surely in a way that allows for another installment in this insipid storyline. Perhaps some of the characters are sketchy because they will be further developed in the next novel (Callum)?
I have not read the first book and wonder if a lot of the holes in the story were because I lacked that foundation. The illnesses in the book were never quite clear to me with many words used repeatedly but almost interchangeably which lead to much confusion on my part (in example revenant, borrowed timer, ascended; skin walker, werewolf, lion; demon and angel). Perhaps the novel suffers from sophomore slump, the dreaded flaccidity that often follows the success of a first novel? Frankly, if the author had chosen to expand the storyline for either the character of Ellen or Thomazine and instead offered their point of view as the contrast for Jack and company, the novel would have been much more interesting. Clearly Alexander has writing skills but lacks confidence choosing to rely heavily on a series of second-tier historical personas rather than fully develop an intriguing character development of her own creation. Really - the characters of Merinello and Konrad are much more interesting than Bathory.
Bottom Line: I highly suggest that this novel be reworked. If you are looking for a historical paranormal novel I recommend you read The All Souls Trilogy instead.
Disclaimer: I received this novel gratis in exchange for an honest review (and will probably never be asked to review by this PR group again).
http://wp.me/p2scP0-ym
Told in first person point of view by both Jack, the rather emotionally perplexed heroine, and Edward Kelley, a 16th-century alchemist/occultist portrayed here as a rather bumbling magician. The novel meanders rather disjointedly through Europe and New Orleans as the handful of characters endeavor to unravel a knot of mysteries surrounding the secret to eternal life.
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the sequel to Alexander's novel, The Secrets of Life and Death, and would be better served as a novella. The novel feels stretched out and rather thin in places with a few storylines altogether superfluous (Gina) The main characters would benefit from further development. They feel chaste and stoic to the point of being robotic. The sense of urgency heavily featured as a driving force in the plot is underdeveloped and woefully open ended. The link between the stories of Kelley and Jack is rather oblique. Frankly, at times the Kelley chapters are more interesting even if Kelley is rather meek and sycophantic; they offer greater action and a number of interesting dynamic characters.
The book ends rather abruptly and unsatisfactorily but surely in a way that allows for another installment in this insipid storyline. Perhaps some of the characters are sketchy because they will be further developed in the next novel (Callum)?
I have not read the first book and wonder if a lot of the holes in the story were because I lacked that foundation. The illnesses in the book were never quite clear to me with many words used repeatedly but almost interchangeably which lead to much confusion on my part (in example revenant, borrowed timer, ascended; skin walker, werewolf, lion; demon and angel). Perhaps the novel suffers from sophomore slump, the dreaded flaccidity that often follows the success of a first novel? Frankly, if the author had chosen to expand the storyline for either the character of Ellen or Thomazine and instead offered their point of view as the contrast for Jack and company, the novel would have been much more interesting. Clearly Alexander has writing skills but lacks confidence choosing to rely heavily on a series of second-tier historical personas rather than fully develop an intriguing character development of her own creation. Really - the characters of Merinello and Konrad are much more interesting than Bathory.
Bottom Line: I highly suggest that this novel be reworked. If you are looking for a historical paranormal novel I recommend you read The All Souls Trilogy instead.
Disclaimer: I received this novel gratis in exchange for an honest review (and will probably never be asked to review by this PR group again).
http://wp.me/p2scP0-ym
October 16, 2015
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the second installment in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Rebecca Alexander. While I have not read the first installment, I was able to follow this novel without any issues. It was a solid enough book that it could almost be a stand alone novel. I enjoyed the novel, however it was not enough to blow me away. At times, the pacing of the novel was incredibly slow. The plot was choked with unnecessary discussions and drivel, that had no point in the over-all novel. This detracted some from my enjoyment as a whole.
The plot centered around Jackdaw Hammond and her life as a "borrowed timer". By flipping through various points of view, as well as different time periods, the reader was allowed to glimpse and slowly put together the events that were unfolding in Jack's life. We learn what effect drinking blood has on a borrowed timer. I found it interesting how this was told (and barely shown) in the novel. We primarily learn of it through various character's research. At various points, we can see the first hand effects of drinking blood in the change in Jack's personality. While I did not read the first novel, and thusly do not know what her original personality was like, multiple characters mention her "change" as well as she herself becoming concerned about it towards the end of the novel. I am interested to see how this plays out in the third installment, as the novel was left as a cliffhanger.
Both the British and the Italian antagonists of the novel did not feel "evil" enough to me. We see infinitely more of the British ones, and hear more of their escapades, but as a whole they see very little page time. Same for the Italians. We see them behaving in a civilized manner but being accompanied by warnings than we see them actually behaving badly. As a result, the climax of the novel was not as thrilling as it potentially could have been. I do have hope for Callum, a member of the British family, and hope to see him in later novels. It will be interesting to see how he progresses, and could potentially (hopefully) be a love interest for Sadie.
Speaking of Sadie, I feel like she did not get enough character development that she deserved. Her "witchy" side was glossed over and only came to play for a few pages. I believe it should have been hashed out more, versus her being relegated to a child needing saving yet again. I am also interested in seeing how she progresses in later novels due to her struggling and being sickly.
In all, this was a light read that was entertaining although not substantial. If you enjoy historical fiction or paranormal fiction, I would give it a try.
Review also appears on Misadventures in Wonderland
(I received this novel for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review)
The plot centered around Jackdaw Hammond and her life as a "borrowed timer". By flipping through various points of view, as well as different time periods, the reader was allowed to glimpse and slowly put together the events that were unfolding in Jack's life. We learn what effect drinking blood has on a borrowed timer. I found it interesting how this was told (and barely shown) in the novel. We primarily learn of it through various character's research. At various points, we can see the first hand effects of drinking blood in the change in Jack's personality. While I did not read the first novel, and thusly do not know what her original personality was like, multiple characters mention her "change" as well as she herself becoming concerned about it towards the end of the novel. I am interested to see how this plays out in the third installment, as the novel was left as a cliffhanger.
Both the British and the Italian antagonists of the novel did not feel "evil" enough to me. We see infinitely more of the British ones, and hear more of their escapades, but as a whole they see very little page time. Same for the Italians. We see them behaving in a civilized manner but being accompanied by warnings than we see them actually behaving badly. As a result, the climax of the novel was not as thrilling as it potentially could have been. I do have hope for Callum, a member of the British family, and hope to see him in later novels. It will be interesting to see how he progresses, and could potentially (hopefully) be a love interest for Sadie.
Speaking of Sadie, I feel like she did not get enough character development that she deserved. Her "witchy" side was glossed over and only came to play for a few pages. I believe it should have been hashed out more, versus her being relegated to a child needing saving yet again. I am also interested in seeing how she progresses in later novels due to her struggling and being sickly.
In all, this was a light read that was entertaining although not substantial. If you enjoy historical fiction or paranormal fiction, I would give it a try.
Review also appears on Misadventures in Wonderland
(I received this novel for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review)
March 7, 2016
Jackdaw Hammond is on the run-from her past, hiding from her future and trying to hide the fact she craves blood. After her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, she is desperate for peace which seems to elude her. Buying a home in the middle of nowhere suits her needs at the moment but when she finds herself in the sights of a family with murderous secrets and an affinity for dark magic. With her old ally, Felix Guichard in New Orleans following up on the nature of blood magic, he finds himself lost in the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack’s journey is only beginning as secrets from the past collide with the future as the battle for her soul begins.
I seriously wanted to like this book. It had a historical character that fascinated me (Elizabeth Bathory), a good premise and intriguing sounding characters. What I got was a thin story line with one dimensional character’s that fell flat and made me put the book down more times I could count. I have to stress you better have read book one, Secrets of Life and Death, first or you will be as confused as I was while reading book two, THE SECRETS OF BLOOD AND BONE. Characters pop up that went nowhere and really contributed to nothing of the story. The story line itself felt quite weak and thin. It was like the author had this premise of an idea and just didn’t flesh it out into a full blown book. The author could have done better by just making this into a shorter story or totally rewriting the whole thing from scratch. I had a hard time following the storyline at times and felt the characters themselves were quite boring, at times annoying and overall, ones I could care less about.
When I read a paranormal story I don’t want to feel like the author has a checklist of paranormal attributes that should be in a book while I am reading it. As much as I liked the idea surrounding this book, the author just did not connect with me with this story or give me believable characters to fall in love with. The characters themselves were not fully formed in the story, in my opinion. They are one dimensional, boring and the relationship between Jack and Felix felt stilted and not realistic. It made reading this book tougher to enjoy and I kept putting it down to read something else.
Overall, I feel the author could have done a better job in this sequel to the Secrets of Life and Death with a total rewrite or even a more fleshed out story for readers to fall into. I don’t think I will pick up the next book in this series though I may pick up book one, The Secrets of Life and Death, as others have recommended that book over this one to me to read. If you enjoy a jumble of paranormal ideas in a story then you might enjoy this one.
This was an objective review and not an endorsement
I seriously wanted to like this book. It had a historical character that fascinated me (Elizabeth Bathory), a good premise and intriguing sounding characters. What I got was a thin story line with one dimensional character’s that fell flat and made me put the book down more times I could count. I have to stress you better have read book one, Secrets of Life and Death, first or you will be as confused as I was while reading book two, THE SECRETS OF BLOOD AND BONE. Characters pop up that went nowhere and really contributed to nothing of the story. The story line itself felt quite weak and thin. It was like the author had this premise of an idea and just didn’t flesh it out into a full blown book. The author could have done better by just making this into a shorter story or totally rewriting the whole thing from scratch. I had a hard time following the storyline at times and felt the characters themselves were quite boring, at times annoying and overall, ones I could care less about.
When I read a paranormal story I don’t want to feel like the author has a checklist of paranormal attributes that should be in a book while I am reading it. As much as I liked the idea surrounding this book, the author just did not connect with me with this story or give me believable characters to fall in love with. The characters themselves were not fully formed in the story, in my opinion. They are one dimensional, boring and the relationship between Jack and Felix felt stilted and not realistic. It made reading this book tougher to enjoy and I kept putting it down to read something else.
Overall, I feel the author could have done a better job in this sequel to the Secrets of Life and Death with a total rewrite or even a more fleshed out story for readers to fall into. I don’t think I will pick up the next book in this series though I may pick up book one, The Secrets of Life and Death, as others have recommended that book over this one to me to read. If you enjoy a jumble of paranormal ideas in a story then you might enjoy this one.
This was an objective review and not an endorsement
October 30, 2015
My Thoughts:
This is the second installment in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Victoria Alexander. In this book there are two different stories being told at once. One is set in the present time following a Jack.
This was slightly confusing. Every other chapter is in a different time setting. There are a lot of characters to follow. The haracter development wasn't very strong so it was easy to forget who everyone was.
Present day, you have one girl, Jack, who was saved from death by magic struggling to understand what she has become as a result. Another, Sadie, fighting for her life. Both girls have some weird abilities, which, in my opinion, is really the only thing that saved the book.
The parts set in the past were boring and gloomy. I really think these parts of the book should have been trimmed down because they seemed to drag on forever. Actually the whole book could have been trimmed down, and would have been much more enjoyable if it had been.
To be honest, this book was all over the place, and slow moving. I am still confused about things, and not because of the way it ended in a cliffhanger. I didn't read the first book, but I don't think it would have made a big difference. I am a huge fan of books from this genre, but this one was just blah. I really wanted to like this. I was excited after reading the synopsis and had seen reviews of this book stating that it would be okay to read it as a standalone.
Also, there is a rather descriptive sexual assault scene. If those things bother you, stay away. The incident is brought up over and over.
Excerpt:
"Borrowed timers are always skinny." Jack thought back to the moment when she had augmented her life - preserving magic with a mouth full of fresh blood. It had infused her with energy, enough to last three months. For a moment, the craving for Felix''s warm arm, the cut skin against her tongue, the slow pulsing of salt into her mouth, overwhelmed her.
About the Author:
REBECCA ALEXANDER is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R04...
I recieved a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second installment in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Victoria Alexander. In this book there are two different stories being told at once. One is set in the present time following a Jack.
This was slightly confusing. Every other chapter is in a different time setting. There are a lot of characters to follow. The haracter development wasn't very strong so it was easy to forget who everyone was.
Present day, you have one girl, Jack, who was saved from death by magic struggling to understand what she has become as a result. Another, Sadie, fighting for her life. Both girls have some weird abilities, which, in my opinion, is really the only thing that saved the book.
The parts set in the past were boring and gloomy. I really think these parts of the book should have been trimmed down because they seemed to drag on forever. Actually the whole book could have been trimmed down, and would have been much more enjoyable if it had been.
To be honest, this book was all over the place, and slow moving. I am still confused about things, and not because of the way it ended in a cliffhanger. I didn't read the first book, but I don't think it would have made a big difference. I am a huge fan of books from this genre, but this one was just blah. I really wanted to like this. I was excited after reading the synopsis and had seen reviews of this book stating that it would be okay to read it as a standalone.
Also, there is a rather descriptive sexual assault scene. If those things bother you, stay away. The incident is brought up over and over.
Excerpt:
"Borrowed timers are always skinny." Jack thought back to the moment when she had augmented her life - preserving magic with a mouth full of fresh blood. It had infused her with energy, enough to last three months. For a moment, the craving for Felix''s warm arm, the cut skin against her tongue, the slow pulsing of salt into her mouth, overwhelmed her.
About the Author:
REBECCA ALEXANDER is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R04...
I recieved a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2015
The Secrets of Blood and Bone is the second book in the Jackdaw Hammond series. It picks up several months after the events in the first book, The Secrets of Life and Death. Jack and Sadie have moved to a more secluded area so that the truth about them won't be discovered and Felix has gone to New Orleans in search of answers and possibly a cure for Jack and Sadie. Although Jack wants to lay low and stay off the reader, she finds herself at odds with a local family, the Dannicks. According to them there is a book in her new house that holds the cure to their sons illness. For more information about this book and The Secrets of Live and Death: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/boo...
The characters in both of these books feel real. You understand their daily struggles if not their overall struggle to just live. The new setting was interesting and the introduction of more magic and ancient Roman rituals adds to the overall story telling as well as the realness of the characters.
As with every novel there are areas that I wish would be explained in more depth like, Sarqual. I also really enjoy the parts about Master Kelley and would like to read more of his story.
I loved that this is a more modern, realistic telling of the vampire/werewolf story. I love fantasy and have no problem opening my mind to the possibility of magic, vampires, werewolves, etc...but, it's nice to have the story more grounded and relatable. It's a more approachable story for those that are new to fantasy novels.
Because of the authors choice to make the magical elements of the story less fantastical this is the type of novel that really anyone could read. All in all, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I really like all of the characters, even the new ones that were introduced in this book. I want to know what happens to Jack and her friends.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
REBECCA ALEXANDER is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9... The Secrets of Life and Death
The characters in both of these books feel real. You understand their daily struggles if not their overall struggle to just live. The new setting was interesting and the introduction of more magic and ancient Roman rituals adds to the overall story telling as well as the realness of the characters.
As with every novel there are areas that I wish would be explained in more depth like, Sarqual. I also really enjoy the parts about Master Kelley and would like to read more of his story.
I loved that this is a more modern, realistic telling of the vampire/werewolf story. I love fantasy and have no problem opening my mind to the possibility of magic, vampires, werewolves, etc...but, it's nice to have the story more grounded and relatable. It's a more approachable story for those that are new to fantasy novels.
Because of the authors choice to make the magical elements of the story less fantastical this is the type of novel that really anyone could read. All in all, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I really like all of the characters, even the new ones that were introduced in this book. I want to know what happens to Jack and her friends.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
REBECCA ALEXANDER is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9... The Secrets of Life and Death
October 6, 2015
I thought I was being careful in selecting a book, but this book is a sequel. Good news is, you can read this book without reading the first one. It's not confusing and they explain a lot of things that happened in the first book. Bad news is, I really want to read the first book!! So I guess that's not really a bad thing. ;)So on to what I thought!There was a lot of things that I really liked about this book, and of course there were a few things that I didn't like. Let's talk plot first and then talk about characters.There's a lot of interesting things about this plot. The twists and turns were all well placed, most I didn't see coming, which is a big must for me. The magic and world-building were great, though I do have to say this is not YA book. I mistakenly thought this before I started reading. :D That said there are some adult topics in this book having to do with sex (though no actual sex scenes) and rape and fetishes.
Characters were all pretty good, Jake and Sadie were well done. Jack was awesome because she wasn't a damsel in distress at all. At some points I was afraid she would be, thankfully it didn't happen. Trying not to give spoilers, but there's one scene were a guy attacks her and I liked it that she got out of the situation by herself. Sadie was sweet. I wish we could have spent a big more time with her character, but it turned out fine. Maggie's character definitely could have had more development, maybe I wouldn't say that if I had read the first book. Felix was the one character that I did not like. He made me angry. I mean I understand that he was worried about Sadie and Jack but honestly he just seems to get in the way. I don't have much to say about Edward, his parts of the story were pretty much always boring. I wish we could have got more of Callum's story, because his part in the end didn't make much sense to me.
One thing I didn't like about this book is the multiple narrators, this is more of a personal preference than anything else though.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I would love to read the first book and I would definitely recommend it. Thank you to Blogging for Books for giving me this book in return for a review.
Characters were all pretty good, Jake and Sadie were well done. Jack was awesome because she wasn't a damsel in distress at all. At some points I was afraid she would be, thankfully it didn't happen. Trying not to give spoilers, but there's one scene were a guy attacks her and I liked it that she got out of the situation by herself. Sadie was sweet. I wish we could have spent a big more time with her character, but it turned out fine. Maggie's character definitely could have had more development, maybe I wouldn't say that if I had read the first book. Felix was the one character that I did not like. He made me angry. I mean I understand that he was worried about Sadie and Jack but honestly he just seems to get in the way. I don't have much to say about Edward, his parts of the story were pretty much always boring. I wish we could have got more of Callum's story, because his part in the end didn't make much sense to me.
One thing I didn't like about this book is the multiple narrators, this is more of a personal preference than anything else though.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I would love to read the first book and I would definitely recommend it. Thank you to Blogging for Books for giving me this book in return for a review.
October 6, 2015
Magic. Mysticism. Alchemy. Voodoo. What a wild mix of elements make up this story. As the action toggles back and forth between 16th century Venice and present day England, the cast of characters swaps along with the setting. In Venice we follow Edward Kelley (a protege of the alchemist John Dee), as he tries to complete research for a patron named Lord Dannick. Among all the glittering masked balls, intrigue, and danger from the Inquisition, Kelley attempts to contact the family he believes holds the information his patron needs. In England, Jack is busy cleaning out the cottage that her foster mother has inherited. The local gentry stops by to ask about an herbal concoction that the cottage's owner had supplied to his family, the Dannicks. Sound familiar? Yes, it's the same family, which creates just one of the connections between the two time periods.
The characters are fascinating. Jack, or Jackdaw, is still trying to recover from her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory (in the first book, The Secrets of Life and Death). She and the teenager Sadie are both "borrowed timers" and need special magical symbols and potions to maintain their energy. Their friend Felix is busy researching others with their symptoms, trying to find a way to free them from their dependence on outside sources of energy. His search takes him from New Orleans to Paris and then to London and plunges him into the world of blood-drinkers and voodoo. Edward Kelley is one of the practitioners of alchemy, but he also has had experience with occult rituals, demons, and encounters versions of werewolves and blood-drinkers, as well as the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Yes, another connection.
You should really read the books in order to see how all the connections form and how tightly these seemingly disparate threads are actually woven together. Whether you prefer historical fiction with alchemy and magic, or present-day urban fiction, this blend is an enjoyable one. Readers of books such as the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness will feel right at home in these pages.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
The characters are fascinating. Jack, or Jackdaw, is still trying to recover from her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory (in the first book, The Secrets of Life and Death). She and the teenager Sadie are both "borrowed timers" and need special magical symbols and potions to maintain their energy. Their friend Felix is busy researching others with their symptoms, trying to find a way to free them from their dependence on outside sources of energy. His search takes him from New Orleans to Paris and then to London and plunges him into the world of blood-drinkers and voodoo. Edward Kelley is one of the practitioners of alchemy, but he also has had experience with occult rituals, demons, and encounters versions of werewolves and blood-drinkers, as well as the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Yes, another connection.
You should really read the books in order to see how all the connections form and how tightly these seemingly disparate threads are actually woven together. Whether you prefer historical fiction with alchemy and magic, or present-day urban fiction, this blend is an enjoyable one. Readers of books such as the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness will feel right at home in these pages.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
November 18, 2015
4.5 Secret Stars
It seems the more I read from Rebecca, the more I fall in love with her writing and the world she builds. The author has a way with words that would leave you on the edge of your seat. Have you wanting more by the time you are finished with the book. You can't just read a couple of chapters and think you can sit it down and continue later. No, you need to know what happens next. It's gripping a tale, make you question just a little if some of these events are real. Not the actual characters, I know of Elizabeth Bathory, sadly not Edward Kelley until I began reading this series. I mean the some of the events that happened to our female lead Jack. That some how the author got a hold of Jack's ledger or something. I guess that's the great thing about authors; they have you questioning on weather things happened, but we just turn a blind eye to.
I'm rambling. Back to the story, it begins with Jack cleaning out a home of one Ellen Radcliffe. Part of the home was burned and they, Jack and Sadie are repairing it. While cleaning up a certain Sir Henry Dannick shows up asking about a book that belongs to Ellen. Elsewhere Felix is in New Orleans, trying to find if they are any consequences about drinking blood. In the past, Kelley is in Venice to run an errand for Lord Dannick.
This was an amazing journey to be apart of. I love the characters even more, well besides Kelley, I think he's a coward. New characters were introduced and I hope to see more of them in the next book, especially Ivanova, I want to know more about her and past.
The ending of this book, holy mother of pearls, yeah, I definitely want the next book in my greedy hands. That ending, jeesh. I need to see when the next book is coming out because I don't know if I can wait that long. I already want to reread the books again.
Rebecca is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
This book was provided by Blogging For Books for an honest review.
It seems the more I read from Rebecca, the more I fall in love with her writing and the world she builds. The author has a way with words that would leave you on the edge of your seat. Have you wanting more by the time you are finished with the book. You can't just read a couple of chapters and think you can sit it down and continue later. No, you need to know what happens next. It's gripping a tale, make you question just a little if some of these events are real. Not the actual characters, I know of Elizabeth Bathory, sadly not Edward Kelley until I began reading this series. I mean the some of the events that happened to our female lead Jack. That some how the author got a hold of Jack's ledger or something. I guess that's the great thing about authors; they have you questioning on weather things happened, but we just turn a blind eye to.
I'm rambling. Back to the story, it begins with Jack cleaning out a home of one Ellen Radcliffe. Part of the home was burned and they, Jack and Sadie are repairing it. While cleaning up a certain Sir Henry Dannick shows up asking about a book that belongs to Ellen. Elsewhere Felix is in New Orleans, trying to find if they are any consequences about drinking blood. In the past, Kelley is in Venice to run an errand for Lord Dannick.
This was an amazing journey to be apart of. I love the characters even more, well besides Kelley, I think he's a coward. New characters were introduced and I hope to see more of them in the next book, especially Ivanova, I want to know more about her and past.
The ending of this book, holy mother of pearls, yeah, I definitely want the next book in my greedy hands. That ending, jeesh. I need to see when the next book is coming out because I don't know if I can wait that long. I already want to reread the books again.
Rebecca is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
This book was provided by Blogging For Books for an honest review.
October 3, 2015
The Secrets Of Blood And Bone
By
Rebecca Alexander
What it's all about...
Ok...here goes...this is the second book in this series. I read a part of the first one but didn't get to finish it. I strongly urge potential readers to read the first one. I read summaries, too, and that help me but I wish I would have finished the first one. I may go back and finish it if I have time. This one again focuses on Jack...after she has drunk a tiny bit of her friend and scholar Felix's blood. This seems to make her more human but I am not really sure how she was before. She also has Sadie with her...and Sadie needs some sort of potion to keep her alive but I am confused about why...they arrive at this creepy trashed cottage and they begin to clean it up and hire workers and buy furniture. The house was a witch's house and harbors secrets so it's a really difficult job. Plants are everywhere. Then a weird neighbor pops in and demands a book and a potion that the witch who used to live there provided for him...he is not very happy when Jack can't produce it. While all this is going on there is Felix who is trying to find something that will help Sadie and Jack...and there are werewolves, real wolves, revenants and a feisty Raven! Oh and some chapters take place in the 1500's...whew!
Why I wanted to read it...
It was compared to Deborah Harkness's works and I loved those!
What made me truly enjoy this book...
Well...I loved the situations. The settings and characters were really interesting. I liked the plot. It didn't remind me of any other book at all. It was really good! I enjoyed it. It had tons of scary parts, yummy love parts, and weird parts!
Why you should read it, too...
All that I can say is this. Read the first book first and then decide.
By
Rebecca Alexander
What it's all about...
Ok...here goes...this is the second book in this series. I read a part of the first one but didn't get to finish it. I strongly urge potential readers to read the first one. I read summaries, too, and that help me but I wish I would have finished the first one. I may go back and finish it if I have time. This one again focuses on Jack...after she has drunk a tiny bit of her friend and scholar Felix's blood. This seems to make her more human but I am not really sure how she was before. She also has Sadie with her...and Sadie needs some sort of potion to keep her alive but I am confused about why...they arrive at this creepy trashed cottage and they begin to clean it up and hire workers and buy furniture. The house was a witch's house and harbors secrets so it's a really difficult job. Plants are everywhere. Then a weird neighbor pops in and demands a book and a potion that the witch who used to live there provided for him...he is not very happy when Jack can't produce it. While all this is going on there is Felix who is trying to find something that will help Sadie and Jack...and there are werewolves, real wolves, revenants and a feisty Raven! Oh and some chapters take place in the 1500's...whew!
Why I wanted to read it...
It was compared to Deborah Harkness's works and I loved those!
What made me truly enjoy this book...
Well...I loved the situations. The settings and characters were really interesting. I liked the plot. It didn't remind me of any other book at all. It was really good! I enjoyed it. It had tons of scary parts, yummy love parts, and weird parts!
Why you should read it, too...
All that I can say is this. Read the first book first and then decide.
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