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A battle for werewolf territory and rights has Rhett fighting for his life and for the survival of the pack. The last Half Blood --a half human, half vampire hybrid--has been found and Rhett has been chosen as her unlikely Guardian. The pack's survival hangs on her completing her transformation, but a Sicarii--a vampire assassin--is hunting her to ensure that never happens...

Indigo's hard exterior is nothing compared to the dark secret she carries within her. Her haunted eyes alone tell of her struggle and desire to live. But what she doesn't know is that she is hard-wired for survival; the very blood in her veins and the legacy of her father demands it. But when her life takes a violent turn, her heritage and her fate may be the very thing to get her killed...

190 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2012

115 people are currently reading
423 people want to read

About the author

Lauren Dawes

40 books228 followers
Lauren Dawes is a USA Today Bestselling Author. She's an urban fantasy/paranormal romance writer and the author of the Half Blood Series and the Dark Trilogy. You won’t find any friendly vampires in between the pages of her books; just blood, teeth and violence.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading or designing book covers. She currently lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband, daughter and cat.


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlaurend...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/officialldawes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlaure...
Website: http://www.authorlaurendawes.com

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5 stars
93 (30%)
4 stars
97 (31%)
3 stars
73 (23%)
2 stars
24 (7%)
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19 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for mirba.
880 reviews25 followers
September 22, 2015
This book has me quite confused. While the writing is of that style that has me glued to the page, my mind couldn't make any sense of what I was reading. Questions keep popping in my mind:
1. If he's the guardian, why he's never guarding her?
2. If she's so so incredibly precious, why don't they give her a 24/7 surveillance with at least 3 bodyguards in 8hrs turns?
3. How come that these foster fathers are always always always so bad in books? I'm beginning to get annoyed by it.
4. What exactly is Rhett problem? Can he or can he not transform? It is really not clear.
5. Why all this rape scenes? Has the author a psicological problem?

Mah...
Profile Image for Jacinta Maree.
Author 9 books343 followers
February 19, 2013
Half Blood starts off with an explosive beginning, a perfect picture that creates a mood of fear intertwined with a taste of murder and hot romance. Lauren Dawes has a fantastic sense of humour that is hidden in her work like Easter eggs among the garden; you just stumble upon them unexpectedly. For example she called the media 'Rubberneckers' which actually made me laugh out loud I even had to highlight it.

Indi came into the story packing punches, quickly introducing me to the norms of her life. Rhett is her best friend and protector, a sincere and beautiful character that I felt myself clutching my heart every time he entered the scene. Poor Indi is a girl stuck with handling sleazy men that seem to chase after her with lustful eyes all of her life. From foster home to foster home, betrayal after betrayal there seemed to be no one who deserved Indi’s trust. No one except for Rhett, her friend Beth and step brother Jerry.

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a jerk get punched out by a girl he’s been harassing. There is some serious girl power here. But her tough exterior wasn’t just born into her blood; it was carved into her by an act so awful that it has caused a massive rift in her heart. Dawes has done a terrific job with finding the core of fear and painting the room with it, I don’t usually get scared in books but with Dawes’ Half Blood I was chewing through my finger nails like a rabbit through carrots. It’s easy to see how this is a favourite of so many readers, especially at the end where we are left with a massive cliff hanger before Dawes pulls the curtains close on us. I was left thinking… ‘what? Noooo!’ Talk about having the rug pulled out from underneath your feet, you think you have it all worked out then BAM there’s another twist.

Half Blood is from a completely different genre to what I am used to reading, I am more focused on YA work so when I stepped into this very adult world of murder, werewolves and revenge I was very easily taken aback. I was blushing every time a cursive word was used. Her style of writing was beautifully graphic; it was very descriptive that I found myself pulling faces at the book whenever there was a vivid section about blood or violence. It actually felt like I was there, watching it unfold in front of me. I don’t usually read books with such adult content but in Lauren Dawes novel ‘Half Blood’ I found myself clued to the pages like a fly to a web. This is a fair warning, this book isn’t for the faint hearted. It is a bit violent for my taste, but I really enjoyed her style of storytelling.
Profile Image for Danielle Book Boss.
781 reviews66 followers
July 9, 2012
I decided to read Half Blood as part of a July reading challenge. Overall I liked the book. I got it for free from Amazon so that was exciting too. It was well written and had a nice take on Vampires and Werewolves.

The good:

An original take on vampires and werewolves. Indigo (the heroine) is a vampire hybrid but has no idea and she is guarded unknowingly by Rhett - a werewolf (I won't call him a hero because the book only has romantic elements. It is not a romance).

For being Indie published, it is really well written with very few mistakes however it is also written in the lexicon of Australians so words you would assume are spelled wrong, are actually spelled correctly for that particular brand of English.


The bad:

Back stories and POVs - I feel like there were too many. Some back stories didn't mesh well into the rest of the story. The POVs were in third person but from a side character's perspective. These characters I'm still trying to figure how there opinion or story mattered to the overarching story; especially Jerry's and his contribution to this story.

Unrealistic occurrences - There was a lot of rape mentioned in this story. Does rape happen that often in Australia? While it is was well-written and tasteful, there was a little underlying obsession by the author concerning rape. Also I don't know how old the characters are. I like to have this perspective so I can figure out why they act the way they do or why they don't act the way they do. Indigo was really tough. Some of her actions and abilities (without training or experience) were super unrealistic to me even for a paranormal when you factor in human sensibility.

I do want to read the next book in the series. If don't like books with cliffhanger-like endings, then I wouldn't recommend this read.

Profile Image for Theresa.
396 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2017
Excellent read, book draws you in and won't let you go until its finished. Word of advice - PAY CLOSE ATTENTION! Book introduces several characters and events, what you may think is not important is more than likely extremely important and you'll find yourself going back refreshing your memory of a character or event. The author goes from character to character giving background and details that weave together until you absolutely must know what happens next! I love this authors take on werewolves and vampires but it's so much more than (just) a paranormal book. Highly recommend but don't start it late at night or you'll end up like I did - with a book hangover. A copy of this book was provided to me by the author with no expectations or requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Brandi Kennedy.
Author 13 books41 followers
August 30, 2013
I have to start by saying that this book isn't writing my typical genre. I read a little mix of everything, including fantasy and paranormal, but I'll admit that most of what I tend to read is in the contemporary romance area. It just seems to be the genre I relate more clearly to, since I tend to be a bit of a romantic most days.

Still, I do branch out here and there. I get into stories about ghosts, about witches, and about faeries. I get into vampires and werewolves from time to time. And that brings me to Lauren Dawes and the intricate story of 'Half Blood.' In the beginning, there are a number of characters to keep track of, but Lauren pulls you right in, giving you little pieces of back story and little bits of the plotline, hooking you, and coaching you through the story as your mind races to figure out just where she's taking you.

As we're brought into the war between the werewolves and the vampires, little twists and turns keep things lively. We're introduced to a cast of well-developed characters, each with their own back story, each with a purpose and a point. And then there's Indi. Indi, the felvair, the half blood. She's valuable, she's scary, she's tough, and she doesn't take any sh*t from anybody. Then again, she's got her sensitive side, her soft side. And she's got one weakness, other than her developing thirst for blood: Rhett.

Rhett has been appointed Guardian of the felvair, and it's his job to watch over her. He gains her trust, earns her friendship ... saves her life. He's strong and sweet, and incredibly protective, willing to give anything or do anything to see to Indi's safety. But he has his own weakness: a birth defect that sets him apart from the rest of his pack and leaves him emotionally scarred and insecure.

In the end, Lauren leaves you desperately hungry for the next part of the story, wishing that you could hurry up and find out what will happen next with the Helheim pack.

You’re left wondering (in a good way): Will Rhett be able to rise above something he's always seen as a fatal flaw within himself? Will Indi be able to accept the changes that are coming her way?? And what will happen as the war between the packs comes to a head???
Profile Image for Crissy.
2,803 reviews5 followers
February 14, 2013
Indi has had a hard life going from foster homes to foster homes and being abused by everyone she has ever known and trusted until she met Jerry. Jerry is Indi’s step-brother, his mother Barb adopted Indi when she a teenager. It wasn’t long before Jerry’s dad made a move on Indi destroying his family in the process. Barb blames Indi and when her own son chooses Indi over his family his mother will stop at nothing to get revenge. But she isn’t the only one who wants Indi dead.
Rhett is half-human half-wolf and he has to protect Indi because she is the key to the survival of his clan. Indi has no idea of whom and what she really is but will she be able to handle the truth once she finds out. With everything against her, will Rhett be able to protect her when everyone is out to kill her? Not only does Rhett have to protect her from assassins but there’s a serial rapist on the loose. Will Rhett be willing to give up his life in order to try and save Indi? Rhett makes decisions that might not only cost him his life but Indi’s life as well?
Reading Half-Blood was like watching a movie of several people who lives eventually clash together. The characters in the story have a dark past. I recommend this book to reads who like paranormal, mystery and suspense with a bit violence. The story ended with a cliff-hanger but I look forward to reading book two in the series (Half-Truth’s). This book will definitely take you on a ride you will never forget.

Profile Image for Inga Lady Of Bookland.
286 reviews71 followers
November 18, 2020
It was a really good multi POV paranormal story, with some romance, suspense and action, there was darkness and heart-breaking moments. Also this novel had an original take on werewolves and vampires.

Half Blood was addictive as Lauren Dawes is a great writer. I love her writing style as she very intricately webs together a surprising story from multiple POVs.

The only problem I had was that for some reason I couldn't connect with Indi (so that's why it's four stars and not five), but otherwise it was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.
And that cliffhanger made me want to get the second book ASAP.

Trigger warning for rape, child abuse and bloody violence.
Profile Image for Dana Fetters.
13 reviews
March 11, 2013
I absolutely loved this book! I do not typically like the whole werewolf/vampire thing, but this book was much different than the "modern-day-i-sparkle-in-the-sunshine" vampires. It was what vampires were meant to be, scary and mysterious. I am going to buy the rest of the series because I can't wait to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Denielle.
39 reviews3 followers
July 30, 2012
Loved it, couldn't put it down and definitely ended too soon, can't wait to read more :-)
Profile Image for DebbieReadsBooks.
2,768 reviews50 followers
October 6, 2020
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I enjoyed this, a lot. I didn't love for a couple of reasons.

CLIFFHANGER! It finishes on a cliffhanger, and if I KNOW is finishes as such, I'm usually ok, but I did NOT see this one coming at and I was somewhat annoyed about that!

I'm still not entirely sure whats going on, what the bigger picture is. It might just be me, but my brain didn't put everything together yet, and I was somewhat annoyed by that, too. I am certain that it will all become clear in the next few books, though! (or at least I hope so!)

There is some scene setting, for multiple characters who are side players. For a long while I wasn't sure why they even had a say, but all does become clear why they are there. Eventually. It took far too long for me though, to love that fact. I like hearing from everyone, I really do, but this reminded me a little of several series that take a long way round to get across the road.

I liked Indigo. She is a force of nature and when she fully becomes aware of what she is and what she can do, she will be invincible. Rhett, too, isn't fully aware of himself, I don't think yet. Some secrets he hasn't told us, and some I don't think have been revealed to him either.

I liked the twists to usual vampire/werewolf lore. Some major twists thrown up there!

I have to wait now, to get ahold of book 2. If you are reading this review, I recommend you wait til you at least have book 2 to hand, so you don't throw the hissy fit I did when I ran out of book!

Because of the cliff hanger and because of the not seeing the bigger picture (yet) . . .

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Profile Image for CarolKat.
2,280 reviews29 followers
March 28, 2020
Before we start with Rhett and Indie's story we get a rather peek at a man with a rather violent past.

We meet Detective Vaile Wolfe who is also a werewolf as he is investigating what looks like a murder scene minus the body. He also doesn't seem to be able to keep a partner, that is until Officer Larissa Grey. The two of them are assigned to a serial rapist case that plays an interesting role that intertwines with Indi.

Then we get to meet Indi, she works at her brother's coffee shop and she has a problem with men touching her. The result of a brutal attack that resulted in her training to protect herself. She also has a guardian in the form of a co-worker Rhett, he knows things about her she doesn't have a clue about. Another interesting fact is she is fine when Rhett touches her anyone else not so much.

After an altercation with a customer, one that gave ME the creeps, we get to know her brother Jerry a bit more and he also instills Rhett with some trust where Indi is concerned.

Of course the customer shows up where he doesn't belong leading to even more suspense.

There's also many more players in Rhett's pack, the reason he is Indi's guardian, and another someone following Indi. Plus so many twists and turns as Rhett has to admit his feelings for her although he has rejected her out of character advances.

I really loved this book, now I need to continue the series.
Profile Image for Cina Meyer.
189 reviews
January 27, 2021
A somewhat different take on werewolves.

Some of the differences are:

-Mates choose one another, and are not destined by fate;
-No telepathic link;
-No super hearing (at least, characters will talk about sensitive topics with other werewolves nearby);
-A lot of the fighting occurs in human form.

I liked the book. The female protagonist is strong and can defend herself. Always a plus when the MC isn't helpless, even though she sometimes does stupid things.

One thing that didn't make sense was, if Indigo is so valuable and must be protected, why does Rhett leave her unattended all the time? I felt like the author could have justified it better, like the Pack didn't have enough manpower to cover her 24/7.

Another thing that does not make sense is why Rhett's "defect" (his mismatched eyes - one green, one blue) is so bad. To the point that the pack forced a vasectomy on him so he won't reproduce. It is never explained why that trait is bad. I feel like the author could have come up with something else or at least a justification, for instance, wolves with mismatched eyes have a tendency to go insane, so that would be undesirable in a wolf.
Profile Image for Wanda Jewell.
938 reviews4 followers
January 30, 2021
This is a pretty good paranormal book. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other. There are werewolves and I LOVE Rhett and his mismatched eyes. Rhett is Indigo's guardian. There are also VAMPIRES! Nox aka Sam is a vamp and is set to kill the last half blood. Indigo has suffered her whole life and was the victim many times in her life. She does not intend to be a victim again. She was in foster care through many homes. Her beloved foster brother Jerry has some issues of his own to deal with, but he is a staunch supporter for Indi to lean on. Unlike a previous foster brother who stole her innocence.

Although, there is one character Buddy that will be a bit of a trigger for some people (I don't like the character, but... he is part of the story. He is a rapist and there are rape memories and scenes contained within the story, so if that bothers or triggers you, then don't read it.

I enjoyed the story, found it entertaining, easy to read and thought it was a good story. I would recommend it.
147 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2018
Wow. Just Wow! I read a lot of paranormal romance like this and this book pulled me into it! Lauren Dawes had me feeling sympathy and anger on behalf of the main character Indigo who as a child was abused and raped. Now grown up she has trust issues except for 2 people…Her foster brother Jerry and Rhett. Then Indigo finds out that she’s a vampire hybrid. What she doesn’t know is that Rhett is her guardian because she is the last of her kind!
Rhett is a werewolf that most of his pack doesn’t like. But out of the pack the Seer picks Rhett for protecting Indigo. Will he be able to protect her? Well to find out you’ll have to read this book!
I started re-reading this series as a new book has come out and I want to remember everything before reading it! I don’t want to miss anything!
If You want a great read then this is the book for you!
Profile Image for Jessica Gleave.
Author 31 books54 followers
November 17, 2016
I was given a free copy of this book for a review.

So I will be honest. I did enjoy this book in parts. Others I felt there might have been too many character arcs, that may not have been needed. But then again, this is part of a series so it may be setting the storylines up for the rest of the books.

I did find myself wanting to find out more of the plot but a lot of the time I kept thinking that Indi was given a rough lot in life and I still don't know what the full story with Rhett. Why doesn't the pack like him?

So I'm on the fence with this one. I may read the rest of the series in the future to sate my curiosity.
Profile Image for Anita Maxwell.
Author 22 books149 followers
January 12, 2018
This book was dark and twisted, which I loved. Sometimes it's really great to read something that doesn't end with rainbows and unicorns.

Note that this book contains many triggers! If a abuse of any kind is an issue, do not pick up this book.

Initially I was very distracted at the beginning, by all of the characters, but each side story was intriguing. I knew that Dawes would tie them all together and that I just had to be patient and read, and I wasn't let down. I kept telling myself "Only one more chapter" and then an hour later, I was still reading. I enjoyed the book and can't wait to start book 2!
72 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book a lot. The writing had my glued from page one.

This was my 1St book by this author and won't be my last! The story line was great and does end with a cliff hanger so if you don't like that might not be the book for you.

My only issue and why I gave 4 instead of 5 stars was there was so many main characters and their view point I got a little confused. Sometimes it would jump in the middle of a chapter. Or another chapter was started and it didn't make 100% clear who that chapter was about. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Profile Image for Clarke.
1,323 reviews20 followers
February 15, 2021
I feel like I read a different book then everyone else.

This book needs to come with a long list of trigger warnings. The mild description doesn’t do this book or some poor unsuspecting reader any justice. I’m not a fan of dark books much less ones that contain murder and rape. This book contains a lot of both. Honestly I wish I could unread what I have. There is nothing positive or uplifting about this book. If you’re looking for something dark, depressing, and disturbing this book is for you.
Profile Image for Melissa.
238 reviews3 followers
October 13, 2017
So I read the last book in the Helheim series and liked it so much I decided to go back and read the rest and I wasn't disappointed. Half Blood took me through what it was like for Indie and Rhett and how they were constantly getting beaten down but they keep getting back up. There were sone heart wrenching moments in this book also and you can definitely relate to the characters and what they are going through. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves shifter and vampire books!
Profile Image for Allysha Benson.
41 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2021
I decided to read this book after reading another of the authors series that I absolutely loved. But this one. I don’t know. I mean I finished it and will read the whole
Series because I always do but it was kinda crap. My biggest issue is it sounds like Indi was rapped by EVER man she’s ever met other than her brother. It’s a bit much. And gross and definitely takes from the story. A LOT. What happened with her last foster father was enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ann Alton.
493 reviews10 followers
September 27, 2021
I couldn’t finish it. I wish i had read the blurb here before trying, because this, unlike amazon, gives a trigger warning. Holy snap, this is 4+ characters who are rapists, plus a traumatized woman who gets to be victimized to pull the story together. She can fight, yes, but just…wow. No. Won’t do any of the rest of the series, either, which is too bad because i have loved all the author’s Cat McKenzie series.
Profile Image for Ani Roldan.
94 reviews
August 1, 2019
An impresive amount of plot twist

It is a well written story. Though it has a lot of plot twist, and too much tragedy for my taste. I don't think you can call this a romance, it doesn't have much of it. Just a lot of crazy people and traumatized women. It is quite a rollercoster ride. If you like that kind of thing the story won't disapoint.
Profile Image for Emily.
511 reviews8 followers
July 16, 2020
Urban fantasy novels, especially with werewolves are generally one of my favourites, but this just didn't do it for me. I felt that Lauren Dawes tried to include and introduction too many characters in this first book, which was only 200ish pages long. Unfortunately, I don't see myself reading the sequel.
979 reviews11 followers
July 7, 2019
Half blood

A product of abusive foster home men, Indigo is just trying to break out of her horrific past. As a half blood, she holds in her blood the means to have werewolves give birth to females. Very dark book.
36 reviews
February 7, 2021
Great read with lots of action

I liked the action, but I believe that anyone who has been sexually assaulted could be hurt in violent areas of the book. Overall, it was an interesting book.
Profile Image for Ashley.
28 reviews
March 11, 2021
Great series so far!

Very different from the usual werewolf vampire books! A little dark if you’re sensitive to crime related issues where girls are involved. But otherwise a great book
Profile Image for Sharon.
24 reviews
December 5, 2018
I really like the twist of the old werewolf/ vampire story. It gets very dark in places but still a good story.
Profile Image for Melania Ramona.
613 reviews24 followers
Read
August 25, 2019
Interesting characters, but just not my type of story. I was intrigued, the writing is ok, but I don't really want to read more about the Helheim pack. I struggled to finish this one.
425 reviews3 followers
July 8, 2020
fantastic story line, has everything a reader could want:- a heroine, sexy shifter, drama.... can't wait til the next book cause this one had me enthralled
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews

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