Tavi Johns is a werewolf who's never been part of a Pack, she's only ever heard horror stories about their way of life from her mother who died when she was small. When her human father died she thought she was all alone in the world as she scrambled to stay hidden from any others of her own kind, and moved into a small town, that unbeknown to her, had a Pack of its own. Can she trust them? Has she finally found a home? Can she fit in? And what will she do when the Alpha of the Pack from her mother's past brings his violent way of life into her here and now? Then she finds out she's not exactly what she thought she was. She's more!
Growing up, I was a relatively quiet child, often found with my nose in a book and my mind drifting away in one fantasy world or another. Thanks to my father, I became interested in books at a very young age, and used my local library from the age of five with profound glee at having a whole new world opened up for me. I absolutely loved Stephen King and James Herbert, but as time went on I found new favourite authors like Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Christine Feehan, to name but a few. Yes, I’m a fan of the supernatural, especially the ones with a love interest, even if they are rather bloody. I worked many jobs, from bar work in my parents pub, which my self confessed anti-social part of my personality called to an end, to office work, where I could spell but not type speedily enough, but at the end of every day I still took solace in the land of the monsters, magic, mayhem and love. Over the years, my local library was my second home, so much so that they decided to monitor the amount of books I read in a year. The total came as much a surprise to me as it did to them, and it was around then that I had the initial stirring of thoughts for writing my own. My first book was inspired by a wolf who always plays a starring role in the recurring dreams I’ve had since I was a little girl. I admit to having an affinity for wolves, so it was second nature to me to start with a story of a presence that has been with me for so many years. I spend my minimal free time being the family referee, mother, grandmother, and walking my German Shepard/Husky, Cain, for miles, some of which makes it into the books I write.
An interesting new twist to vampire and werewolf origins. Tavi is the female main character, and one that can look after herself at that. She's a werewolf, and more, but there's also something a little different about her. She's tough, physicaly, and confused emotionally, and ends up somewhere she really didn't want to be. She finds friends in what should have been unlikely places, and trouble finds her. Now she has to do smething about it.
,What impressed me the most about this is the way the author handled werewolves and vampires without getting "campy". The writing style allowed me to connect and relate to the characters without the silliness we often see in the genre .Because of this, I liked this better than the Sookie Stackhouse Series. To me, those started okay, but then added so much that it felt overwhelming. But the story/narrative in Angel's Blood is almost believable if you can suspend your belief to include the supernatural.
In Angel's Blood's opening scene of the lowering of a coffin at a funeral, the reader can relate to the emotions of the poor girl who was raised by a great man who CHOSE to be her father---not her biological dad. Right there the reader is sucked in. Werewolf Tavia finds herself in Camden Falls, not realizing she is surrounded by a wolf pack. She doesn't recognize them, but they identify her---and want her to join them. I laughed when she asked another character, "How long have you lived here" and he replies "seventy-two years". The guy had to back track and stutter a bit with a "my family has been" to cover his tracks. That type of writing makes it a little more entertaining, in my opinion.
If you want a unique twist on a genre that has been inundated with boring, be sure to pick this up. One thing this book is not-- it's not boring.
I love, love, loved this book! Considering it's my first look into the werewolf genre of books, I found it utterly enthralling and on more than one occasion it kept me from doing something I should have been doing purely on the basis of needing to know what happened next. I empathise with Cade, a man/werewolf you get a real feel for and Tavi, bless her, someone so fargile yet with frightening power and determination. The description of the characters means you feel you're right there with them, in every scene able to sense in your minds eye their expressions and feelings. The story stirs so many emotions in the way it is written and for a first book from this writer, I think it sets a very high bar for the future, one that I at least will be keeping a close eye on. Sallyann Phillips has a new fan and I'll be buying the sequels in this series as and when they come out. It is a compelling story centred around Tavi, a young female Roam who learns to be a werewolf the hard way but in doing so finds new family, new bonds and new trust at a time when she thought no such things existed. It is gripping in it's twists and turns to the conclusion that has you waiting for the next story so get writing Sallyann!!!! Five stars well deserved.
Definitely an enjoyable read. Loved Tavia the main character, loved the characterisation in general which was very clever as here the story deals with werewolves and the author has created her own set of rules and social norms for the pack that made sense despite the fact that she is dealing with creatures of myth and fantasy that have been written about so many times, it is tricky. However here she creates a world where it is easy to become engrossed in the plot and happily suspend belief to enjoy the story. There are some long passages of narrative which can be difficult to get right in order to maintain momentum but the book was perfectly balanced for me. I read it in two sittings lounging in the sun and it is a testament to the writer that I raced through the book so fast. Perhaps the most important thing from my perspective are the characters. I have to be engaged with the characters as an absolute and Sallyann Phillips really knows how to create believable characters that I could picture perfectly and in Tavia she has made a nicely imperfect, well rounded heroine that I completely got. Nice twist on a well used genre, good use of language, a pacey tale with more than enough going on to keep those pages turning. I really enjoyed this one. Five stars.
I grew up reading LJ Smith, for those of you unfamiliar with her works she wrote such things as Night World, The secret Circle and the better known Vampire Diaries, amongst other titles. Even now, at my age I will return to my favourites because, until now, I had never found another author who had successfully taken the aspects I love in this kind of work, and combined it expertly. After reading Angel's blood, my former favourites have now been lovingly placed to one side as I find this author's writing style, plot and characters more real and engaging than those of my former favourite author, whose work I sadly feel I have grown out of. The author shows fantastic talent in her craft, her writing style is such that it would satisfy such a wide range of readers, I initially planned to read this work just before Christmas, but after reading the first chapter I simply couldn't put it down, I literally stopped reading another book halfway through, which is very unusual for me. I don't want to spoil anything of the well designed, compelling plot, so I will simply say that this is the kind of book you will have difficulty putting down, the characters are so well constructed that you feel as if you know them personally. Even if this genre isn't for you I strongly recommend reading it, there are so few examples of this style of book been done well and this is certainly one of them.
Angel Blood dripped into the blood of a young werewolf by the name of Tavi with incredible results that define her existence. She arrives in a small town where like kind beings live. With time she learns to trust the Pack, which is mystified by her abilities.
The power system of the Pack brings out Tavi’s reasons why she is different from other male and female werewolves, and to them, those abnormal characteristics overlooked because of her tragic family story. The Pack brings her into the fold against her doubts in their sincerity.
Tavi’s upbringing and an Alfa Male who is upsetting her and the Pack’s with outside interference become the driving force in the story. It’s developed with fascinating and thrilling escapades that are novella moving.
Ms. Phillips writing flows with enjoyable highs that overshadow the lows. Her knowledge of Werewolves and Vampires gives this adventure credibility if you believe in this mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature.
When I purchased this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I was delightfully surprised to be meet Tavi, who is a hybrid, a werewolf whose blood been mixed with an angel’s blood. She has lived her entire life on the run from her werewolf father and his dangerous pack. Her adoptive human father, Owen, spent all his time protecting and teaching Tavi how to protect herself. After the death of Owen, Tavi is lost. She has no home, no family, and no support system. She only has herself and her father’s teachings to fall back on. Though she is a strong woman, she is too grief stricken to have any kind of plan other than, run. When Tavi comes upon a small sleepy town, she is standoffish and guarded. She finds that the townspeople are very friendly and helpful, but Tavi has a hard time relating to people. She fears that they will learn her secret, so she secludes herself from the town by hiding away in one of the far off cabins. Tavi’s wish to remain anonymous falls apart as the overly kind townspeople try to draw her out of her shell. Tavi soon realizes that she has landed in the middle of a wolf pack, something her father warned her never to associate with. The packs he knew about were evil and did deplorable things to their members, especially the females. After many attempts to shield herself from the town and from the handsome Sheriff Cade, she finds that someone is trying to abduct females from their pack. Never one to run from a fight, Tavi fends off the attackers, making some of the town’s people love her, and others fear her. Over time, the Camden Falls pack wear down Tavi’s defenses and try to initiate her into the pack. Will Tavi help protect the pack that she is slowly starting to think of as family, or will she put them in danger when her deplorable father finds out that she is still alive? Ms. Phillips has created a vividly detailed world for a strong, take-charge female werewolf who would go to any lengths to protect someone in danger. I enjoyed this book, though there are times when the details slow down the pace or were unnecessarily redundant. I gave this book 4.5 stars and look forward to future books by Ms. Phillips.
Tavia, a wolf in girl’s clothing held my attention from the outset. Starting a story at a graveside has been done several times by the big names, but it doesn’t mean the option isn’t open to others. This author created a believable scene of loss and heartache, while simultaneously introducing a multi-dimensional character. As a werewolf with nobody to guide her after her father’s death, Tavia must face the world alone, but in the knowledge the man she has just seen lowered into the ground has taught her well in skills to aid her survival. I will admit I’m not a fan of werewolves, vampires, zombies, or any other paranormal tales, but I test the water occasionally to see if there is a story with any depth. Here, there is such a story. I know nothing about the ‘accepted’ features of werewolf tales, but even so I felt there were a few minor issues regarding the ‘change’ and suchlike. Although I’m not an authority, I do however feel the author has attempted to rewrite the rule book with her own connotation - which is fine. It would be wrong of me not to mention the editing issues in this particular version, and although they didn’t spoil the story, they did make me question if one more edit might have been advisable. Some of the narrative was akin to spoon-feeding the reader. All in all, for a genre I’ve never read, the author has the ability not only to draw in a reader, but also to create well-rounded, believable characters. She has also proved herself as a storyteller, so if she were to change genre, she would get the job done.
Who’s afraid of Octavia wolf? The answer is me. Octavia (Tavi) Johns is a female werewolf not to be messed with. She has been on the run since she was born. Losing her mother young to an evil wolf pack and being trained by her dad to cope with any adversary, she is tough and mistrustful. Sallyann has created in Tavi a wonderful heroine. She is flawed, complex and a very strong female character. What I loved best about the book is the dynamics of the wolf pack. There is order and rules, but also the moral code of protecting the weakest and being there for each other. The author has made her characters unapologetically wolf; they have short fuses and strong emotions which often boil up. Conflicts are often settled in violent fights. After that, the loser cedes rank, hands are shook and respect is often earned rather than resentment lingering on. I also love the romantic story line of a wolf finding her mate. The notion of a wolf mating for life and not being able to live without his mate is beautiful. Love, family and belonging are some of the excellent themes in this book. I did have some issues with editing and I have contacted the writer, but top marks for the plot and characters.
I was never a big werewolf/vampire fan, however after reading this book Sally Ann may have turned me, if you excuse the pun. The main characters are really engaging, especially the main one Tavi, and the pack leader Cade. Having grown up without a pack she finds it hard to assimilate into her new life, after having lived so long under the watchful eye of her human father. Her feelings towards Cade grow ever stronger as the book progresses, and the writer states early on in the book that wolves mate for life, which gives it an almost human level. The use of the pack system and hierarchy, where disputes are normally settled in fights, is drawn straight from nature and is believable. The plot itself rolls along at a quick pace and you want find out what is going to happen next. I can thoroughly recommend this book for fans and non-fans alike of this genre.
This book was new experience for me I was just coming to grips reading books in the vampire genre but here we have a werewolf story with a vampire. It is a great story from start to finish. In particular I loved the way Sallyann Phillips intorduces the MC Tavi - the story begins with loss and sadness portraying her as a weak individual, oh boy, how one can be so wrong! Tavi's character, although complex, goes from strength to strength. In my opinion it has been cleverly done by the author. The other characters are also interesting, believable, entertaining and all wolf -especially Cade the alpha male. Angel's Blood is a very highly charged and emotive piece of work, well done Sallyann Phillips
This story differs from your usual paranormal fare because the characters are very real. Werewolf Tavi has a complex background and some very understandable fears and emotional scars. Having always been afraid of packs of werewolves she is suddenly thrown into one of them and needs to find her way within the community. The author throws a lot of work into her characters which creates an odd sense of realism within the 'unreal'. The technique is a great tool to get under the skin of and identify with the characters. The forming relationships, trust issues and some chemistry make for great reading. More secrets will be revealed that will surprise you and as a rare visitor to the genre I found the psychology and ins and outs of the pack life fascinating. A real find for fans of the genre
I truly enjoyed reading this novel. I found it gripping and suspenseful from beginning to end. The storyline is unique, not giving away the story before it has time to unfold. Sallyann does a great job creating and developing a cast of characters who are diverse and interesting. The story itself is layered with tragedy, hope, betrayal, love, fear, compassion, and raw, savage revenge. I rated this novel 5 stars based on the merits of the storyline and the author's ability to capture my imagination, keep me glued to the pages, and leave me wanting to read more of her work.
I love stories with kick-ass female protagonists! Angel's Blood has a great one in Tavi. More comfortable with knives than with people, Tavi's encounter with the Camden Falls Pack helps her to learn that she's more than just a weapon...a whole lot more. All the characters are well developed. The world building is fascinating. A lot of thought went into creating the pack life. I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to the next chapter of Tavi and the Camden Falls Pack.
A great fresh take on the paranormal genre with very real characters. A female Werewolf with a complex background has always been afraid of packs of werewolves. Now she finds herself part of such a pack and needs to get on with them. New relationships, trust issues and romance come into play as well as pack life rules and experience. A good plot and some surprises keep you going in this feast for fans of paranormal writing.
This book was a gift, I usually don't enjoy the werewolves and vampires genre, but this book had me hooked from the beginning. It is written more realistically than most books of this genre. You feel the emotions and the tension with every page. You feel for each of the characters and truly feel like part of the pack. I can't wait to read Hybrid Blood, the second book in the series. Definitely a must read.
I love this book .It is a well written book that has such a good story that keeps you interest from the beginning to the end.The characters are well thought out ,where you think you are right along while reading it as this makes a true master of writing that Sally has so well.I recommend this for all who loves this type of novel.It is a timeless classic that will live for generations to come .
Please let there be a next in series! I really enjoyed this book...intriguing from start to finish. It's not as erotic as I like, but the premise and pace of it was excellent. Great story line and solid writing. Some times Indy authors flop, but this one totally hit my paranormal bone.
This wasn't a bad story, although a pretty standard werewolf romance. I did end up skimming a lot - this was much too long winded with too much detail.