Shades of Blood

Warriors of Ankh #3

by Samantha Young

Eden’s life has taken a turn she would never have imagined. She’s gone from soul eater to warrior, left behind a family she was ashamed of and moved in with one she admires. She has a purpose, a future, and… she has Noah.


Life should be good.


But… the most fervent and powerful soul eaters are determined to take down the Ankh and Eden is the key to the destruction of the warrior race.
Moreover, a shadowed enemy is still after Eden, and the mortal Warriors of Neith have chosen the worst time imaginable to start an uprising.


With an enemy in every corner the problems before her are overwhelming. Then again, Eden hasn’t come this far to let anyone snatch her new life from her…
However, just when Eden thought she’d battled the monster within and won, the warrior who took something precious from her comes back into her life, tempting Eden to take a course of revenge there is no turning back from.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Mythology, Urban Fantasy

ebook

First published December 5, 2011

About the author

Samantha is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee. Samantha has written over 60 books and is published in 31 countries. She writes emotional and angsty romance, often set where she resides—in her beloved home country Scotland. Samantha splits her time between her family, writing and chasing after two very mischievous cavapoos.

Sign up to Sam's newsletter for book updates, exclusive giveaways and freebies - https://authorsamanthayoung.com/subsc...

Find Sam online at www.authorsamanthayoung.com, and on IG, TikTok and FB @authorsamanthayoung

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting on a relaxing Sunday afternoon and I enjoyed it just as much as the others.

I feel like most parts of this story were rounded up nicely but there's just one thing that left me feeling dissatisfied...
The relationship between Darius and Valaria.
I wish we had gotten to see more of them throughout the series or that they will get their own book. I just felt like there was so much more to them that we didn't get to see.
But that's just me.

I was totally 100% on Eden's side in regards to Romany. I was furious for her. I know they all were trying to help and protect her but I also wanted to slap them for her. I think she did the right thing in the end. But I wouldn't have even done that! I'd have told her to shove it!
LOL

I would definitely recommend this series. Eden really was fantastic and the stroyline kept me enthralled throughout the trilogy. I really loved the journey.

[Bri Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am pretty conflicted right now. One side of me is like, YES! This series was AWESOME, this book was AWESOME, and Samantha Young is AWESOME. And then there is the five year old in me: What? What do you mean it is over? I want moreeee. [sigh] I am never really going to grow up, am I?

Eden has more problems now than ever before. Just when she thinks everything is going smoothly, someone just has to come and ruin it all. Cosmina is breathing down her neck, a small rebellion is rising in the Neith that would like to see Eden dead, and Romany has come back which drives a wedge between Noah and Eden and reminds Eden how much she would like to see Romany dead. Eden also discovers a few things about herself as an Ankh warrior that she is not sure how to deal with. All she wants is to catch a breather and spend some quality time with Noah. Will she ever have peace?

So as I have already mentioned, this book was amazing, and it was the perfect conclusion to the series. I honestly think it is the best book in the series. It is packed with action and raw emotions that just left me wanting more afterwards. The action scenes were intense and the flashbacks to moments between Eden and her brother, Stellan, tugged at my heart. Also, I did not think it was possible, but the chemistry between Noah and Eden got even more intense and the reader can definitely feel the depth of their love for one another. They face some hardships and some enemies from the past, but through these obstacles, they become closer than ever before. Noah and Eden have officially become one of my favorite book couples! >< Overall, this series was AMAZING and WICKEDLY AWESOME and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. :)


Be quiet, inner child! Go and read some other Samantha Young book!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really hated to see this series end! I love the characters and want MORE! I think it would be absolutely wonderful to see Cyrus fall in love again, to see if Val and Darius find their way back to each other, see Jack fall in love...just so many possibilities!

A lot of people want to see Eden dead in Shades of Blood, and they try darn hard to make it happen. Eden and Noah's relationship is strained. Eden has to find a way to let go of her anger and hate she holds toward Noah's ex-girlfriend, Romany, for killing her brother, Shellan. If Eden can't, Darius has to take her out to protect the Ankh. Therefore, Eden has to make a choice to either get past the hate, or die by the hands of Darius.

This has been an absolutely great series!

Now for the bad...what's up with the new covers? I'm not crazy about them at all. For one, they have no relevance to the books. I know the author, Samantha Young, was stoked about the new covers, and they are cool covers, but just not for this series.

[Merve Özcan Özkan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kız çok şımarık, bencil, ağlak. Deli etti beni. Kurgu da çok saçmasalak, basitti. Sonu güzel bitti denilebilir. Tahmin ettim tabii. Neyse, bir seriyi daha bitirmenin verdiği haz ve okuyarak harcadığım saatlerin azabıyla bu sayfayı da kapattım.

Detaylı yorum:
Uzun zamandır bir seriyi bitirmemiştim doğrusu. Ancak koşullar altında sevindiğim bir durum oldu. Samantha Young'u Dublin Caddesi'yle tanıdık ve kendisine bayıldık. Ancak genç yetişkinden ve paranormalden kesinlikle uzak durması gerekiyor.

Eden her zamanki gibi layık bir savaşçı olmak için çırpınıp dururken hem Noah'la sorunlar yaşıyor hem de Tobe'un saldırıya uğrayıp Cameron'un ruhunun bir parçası çalındığı için ellerinde halletmeleri gereken bir sorun var. Bunlar da yetmezmiş gibi Eden'ın ağabeyini öldüren Romany de hayatına tekrar dahil olmuştur ve Eden öfkesini bir türlü yenememektedir. (Üç kitaptır hala bunu okuduğuma inanamıyorum.)

Ben kitabı hiç sevemedim. Zaten ahım şahım bir şey olsa, yıllar önce dayanamayıp bitirirdim. Öncelikle Eden'ın mız mız, şımarık, pervasız, düşüncesiz olması beni delirtti. Bu kadar tehlike altındayken, düşünmeden hareket etmesi bence bir "savaşçı"ya yakışmıyor. Üstelik yaşlı ve lider olarak adlandırılan kişilerin de bu kızın saçma arzularına boyun eğmesini de mantıklı bulamadım.

Sevmeme nedeni bir: Karakterlerin mantıksız ve inandırıcılıktan yoksun oluşu.
Sevmeme nedeni iki: Eden'in tüm karakter özellikleri.

Üç kitaptır da hala Eden'ın öfkesi ve kimse beni anlamıyor diye ortalıkta dolaşması akıl almaz bence. Seri buna mı kurulur be hatun? Üstelik Romany'nin böyle ansızın ortaya çıkması da garip. Eden ve Noah'ın sevgili tartışmaları ve Eden'ın gereksiz çıkışmaları da bana saçma geldi. Tamam Stefan ağabeyiydi ama burada daha büyük bir mücadele dönüyor. Azıcık olgun olsan da, bencilliği kenara bıraksan????

Sevmeme nedeni üç: Gereksiz uzatılmış konu.

Kitabın tek sevdiğim yönüyse (tabii sevmek biraz abartmak oluyor haliyle) sonu oldu. Her şey bağlandı, dualar edilip sırtlar sıvandı. Bunun için mutluyum, çünkü bu bünye bir kitap daha kaldıramazdı sayın seyirciler. Ah bir de, yazar gereksiz bir aşk üçlemesine girmediği için mutlu oldum.

[Julie(Reading By The Beach) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Young is a very talented author! It is extremely easy to get lost in each and every world that Young creates! I was sooo excited that Shades of Blood came out early, that I bought it and devoured it in one sitting! I love Eden and Noah, they are two of my all-time favorite characters! Young has a way with words that paints the most vivid image in your mind for you as you read each word. Each of her female characters are bada**, which I find to be a strong attribute to each story she has written. Each of her male characters are uber hot, but not just on the outside. Samantha stays true to each character and nothing is EVER forced or unnatural with any story. I have loved EVERY single book that Samantha Young has written and I don't think that will ever change. Shades of Blood was a great ending to a beautiful trilogy, I am SUPER satisfied! Thank you Samantha Young! I'm excited to see what other worlds you will create!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is totally on a side note to begin this review, but I have to say that I am so grateful for series that have a definite story arc, a beginning and ending, a story that doesn't just go on and on and on. The Warriors of Ankh series by Samantha Young has been an enjoyable one to read, and Young finds a way to bring the story of Eden, a Soul Eater turned full Ankh warrior, to a satisfying conclusion. This series has been a story of Eden finding herself. From book one where she fought against the soul eater part of herself that was so repulsive to her, to book two where Eden learned to discover her new self fully rid of the soul eater side, and then this book, this has been a journey for Eden to figure out exactly who the Eden was who would be prancing about for all eternity.

In Shades of Blood Eden is fully removed from the soul eater existence that dominated her early life. However she faces an enemy that is a whole lot more difficult to eradicate. A sword swipe across the shoulders is not going to rescue Eden from this danger. In this book Eden has to fight her own personal demons which arise from her need for vengeance and retribution due to her continued anger and despair over the death of her half brother Stellan that occurred in the first book of the series. Despite Eden's newfound calm due to her transformation into an eternal Ankh warrior, Eden cannot find any part of her willing to forgive Romany, the Neith who had killed Stellan despite orders not to do so. It doesn't help anything that Romany also happened to be Noah's girlfriend at the time, so now the emotions of jealousy are also thrown into the pot boiling in Eden's existence. She is angry, and she wants blood. But that attitude doesn't mesh well with the laws of her Ankh society. Killing a Neith in cold blood, even if it is as retribution for what Eden feels is a crime, would constitute murder, and whether the Ankh chose to punish her or not for that, the simple fact that Eden allowed herself to enter that territory would end up destroying her all on her own. This is the major conflict of the book, even though the entire books is full of other conflicts involving a rogue soul eater group and a potential internal threat to the Ankh.

Darius, the reculsive, ultrapowerful, and mega-old Ankh leader-who-is-not-officially-the-leader, decides to test Eden and her new identity as a full Ankh warrior by using the talented Romany to help fight against the forces that are trying to rip the Ankh apart. Romany is shown throughout the book to be a talented Neith, but that dedication and talent is not enough to erase Eden's hatred of her. Darius sends Romany right into the midst of Cyrus's compound where Eden is stationed to see how Eden will react. It is not good. Eden is furious. She's furious with Cyrus who allows Darius to perform this test. She's angry with Noah who tries to help her calm her desire for revenge. She spends a good deal of this book angry. That is a little more of a taste of the old Eden who occupied the first novel in this series. But that Eden was ruled by the soul eater part of her personality that had an almost instictual quality to it. This, instead, is all Eden. Nothing else is causing her anger. Only her. And that is a harder battle to undertake. I will admit that Eden's anger at times in this book got terribly annoying to read. She acted so childish at times, pushing away those who obviously cared about her more than anyone else ever had. As an outside reader I could understand the motivations that were guiding Cyrus and Noah, and so it was upsetting to me that Eden couldn't back down for a second to see that they were behaving the way they were because they loved her. But I think that my frustration was part of the story. Eden was so caught up in her own emotions that she couldn't see the big picture, and don't we all get that way every once in a while when our emotions are high?

I won't say more about the events of the story except to say that Young tied up the story beautifully. Things progressed fairly naturally, and I think that Eden found a way to work through her intense feelings in a way that stayed true to her character. It wasn't just a gooey I-forgive-you fest at the end which would have been very unlike the fiery Eden. But it managed to bring closure to the issue. I especially loved the brief but touching scene where Cyrus showed Eden a place where she could show honor to her brother. That was sweet. I loved the secondary character of Jack. His interaction with Eden was refreshing, especially in the midst of all of her angst-filled interactions with every single other person in the compound as she worked through her anger issues. Every character in this book had layers to their personality that really enhanced their roles within the book. I appreciated that. Part of me wishes that more time would have been spent exploring the outside villains of the story -- the rogue soul eater leader who was holding October's parents, or the rogue Neith who was out to kill Eden. But when I recognize this story as a story of Eden's discovery of who she really is, those outside dangers are not as important. They are simply outside dangers. The real danger was the dark emotions that potentially could destroy Eden from within.

Overall, this was another great book from Samantha Young. I have yet to discover a book written by her that was not complex and engaging and well worth my time reading. I am happy for the ending of this series -- satisfactory in every way.

[Müjde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serinin son kitabını bitireli bir hafta oluyor. Kitapta verilmek istenen duygular çok basite indirgenmiş.
Eden ile Noah’ın ilişkileri çok yüzeysel işlenmiş, serinin başından beri tek derdi intikam almak olan Eden’in intikamından vazgeçmesinin sebebi çok mantıksız ve çok kolay oldu...
Seri genel olarak akıcı bir anlatıma sahip olsa da kurgulanış açısından bana zayıf geldi.

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The last book of the Warriors of Ankh series was amazing! It’s the perfect closure for this unique series and I really enjoyed it. “Shades of Blood” by Samantha Young isn’t an “easy” book. Nothing it’s easy in this story. Difficult decisions, difficult situations and everything belongs neither to white or black, but to gray.

In this story, Eden has to fight all those who want her dead and her worse enemy, the woman who killed her beloved brother. She has to fight with all her inner demons and she has to take some very difficult decisions. Everyone expects from her to be so good and forgive Romany for killing her brother and she is angry with all of them. Well, to be honest, I totally agree with her! Eden is trying to learn herself and it’s not something easy. She had a very difficult life and the only person that he cared about her for years was her brother and now it’s hard for her to continue her life. She’s feeling bad because she thinks that it’s not right to enjoy her life when at the same time her brother is dead.

Noah was as good as always but there were sometimes that I wanted to punch him! He should be more honest with Eden because she had the right to be angry with him so many times in the story! Nevertheless, I liked him because he never lost his faith on her!

I loved all the secondary characters and the only thing that it was missing in the story is more of Darius and Val. We have to learn more about them!

Great plot, amazing characters and a lot of action…. The recipe of success! I totally recommend this book!

[Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threads come to a head in the thrilling conclusion to the Warriors of Ankh series.

Cosmina's closing in, Eden's family is missing, and the underground leader of the Neith is instigating a possible war between the Ankh and their mortal counterparts. Which means Eden's calendar is way past full. Adding in the betrayal of her closest confidants to the workload and Paradise is spitting a rainbow of colorful curses and snarky remarks. Yet this turmoil couldn't come at worse time.

Yes, just because your soul has been redeemed doesn't mean you've been saved. At least that's the case for Eden MacDouglas. Apparently making the transition to Ankh from Soul Eater is only half the battle. Removing the demon from her soul doesn't extract the demons in heart and Darius is determined to test her in the worst way possible. Eden's relationships will be pushed to the brink, her future with Noah questionable, and the new life she's built forfeit if she fails.

Shades of Blood is chock-full of gory action sequences and emotional upheaval. Young picked her closing statements of this series to be a brutal battle both within as well as external creating a well-round tour de force of fiction. Fans will find much of what they love about this series, the world, it's humor and characters, bumped up to the next level. The only complaint about the finale, is that it's the last one.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Young is pure genius!! I don't know what else I can say, I just love her imagination, originality and her beautiful way of telling a story! I would gladly pay so much more for her books and I am truly in awe of the talent she possesses!

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone but I have to say a few things. First of all, I loved the characters in this series so much! I loved Eden, Noah, Cameron, Cyrus and October (btw how cool of a name is October?). Loved them all!!! I was so glad to see some of the relationships progress and I loved seeing the personal growth in both Eden and Tobe. I loved the fighting scenes, loved the romantic scenes and all the in betweens!! This series was amazing!! It's sad to see it come to an end... But they are immortal so you never know right?!

Overall, this book was so much fun to read!! Samantha Young is friggin remarkable, amazing, wonderful, talented and just EPIC in general. I am genuinely honored to have found her books on Amazon this year and I will forever be a loyal fan and supporter!!!

[Nicole]

So I don't know why I lasted so long to finish this series but I did...I blame school and professors. ..so anyways I re-read the first two books and started Shades of Blood today and I finished today and Oooommmgggg it was great!!!! I freaking love Eden and Noah and all the characters they're just awesome this book is awesome Samantha Young is awesome and freaking brilliant.....there's just so much action and so much love and loyalty and morals and bad asses and hot guys and great female characters I mean wooooow...I can totally find myself reading this book occasionally once in a while to just laugh and cry and laugh again and more laughing.....I wish there was more I would have loved to see more of Val's and Darius' relationship but geeesh we can't get everything!!! Nonetheless a freaking awesome book people!!!!

[Justyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the two first series of Warriors of Ankh books, I couldn't wait for the third one. As I enjoyed an interesting and complex plot in the first and second book I just couldn't find it in the third one. It was something missing! I really like Samantha Young's writing style and all her books I have read it so far, I just thing the writer has started writing too many book series at the same time and she just probably wanted to finish one series to start writing other unfinished series. The whole plot with Cosmita that starts in earlier book finishes so quickly and without any excitement. That's the reason I am giving 4 stars not five!

[Sharone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending to a fantastic series :)

[&#x1f159;&#x1d532;&#x1d529;&#x1d537; · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really enjoyed the story. Both h and h were likeable.

[Lenore Kosinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.co...

3 stars -- Another strange reading experience -- I stayed up until 3am finishing the book, but in the end it was only ok for me. This review *might* be a bit spoilery, so you've been warned.

The plot was quite different from what I'm used to in paranormal reads, in that there wasn't really a big bad guy to fight and win against. There were a few enemies, but those plots really seemed to stay in the background, and the climax wasn't traditional either...heck, our heroine wasn't even there to deal with them all. In the end the big bad seemed to be more Eden herself, and her inability to deal with her grief over Stratton and her thirst for vengeance. And while I appreciate the uniqueness of this, I guess I just wasn't completely won over. I'm having a hard time pinpointing why. I guess there just didn't feel like a lot of build up to a climax, a crucial point where things had to be taken care of.

I also didn't see as much growth in Eden as I would have liked. Her issues ended up feeling very repetitive, so maybe I grew bored? But then why did I keep reading til it was over? Maybe I was waiting for something to happen? It's not that I don't feel for Eden...I do. I just ran into a wall with her character and I wanted more.

I had mixed feelings on the romance as well. Geez, I'm not sure this review is going to be worth anything at all -- I can't seem to figure out what I liked and didn't like. Or at least I can't seem to articulate it. I appreciated that the romance was there, but I didn't always feel it...it just existed. I was even hoping for more from Tobe and Cameron, and I didn't really get anything from that either.

And in the end I think the thing that bothered me the most (and bothered me with her other series too) was the questionable morals. Not just in Eden's thirst for vengeance (and quite honestly I don't think she ever really got why killing Romany would be a bad thing for her). But I wasn't really down with Darius and his methods. Or heck, for how they treated the rebellion. I guess I want my heros to be spick and span, or at least have more reasons for behaving badly than these guys did. They just wanted to protect their group of Ankhs, and the authority they had...yeah yeah, I know, so they could focus on the soul eater killing, but no...I just didn't like that at all. So they all went down in my esteem.

Also, the Unforeseen ability? Felt like that was thrown in just to ramp up Eden's thirst for vengeance...felt like a convenient plot device, and really served no other purpose...especially since they wanted to keep it hidden.

Wow. So that really looks like I didn't enjoy it at all. It's not that...it's more like a feeling of disappointment in the end. I guess I'm just not a fan of Ms. Young's paranormals. We'll give her contemporaries a try, but she may just not be a fit for me.

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book. It was great. With so many enemies out there that wanted Eden killed, there was a lot that needed to be dealt with before the series could end. The soul eaters' Tribunal, the rebel Neith, and the rogue Neith, Corsica. So, there was a lot of action and a lot of danger.

But I was rather disappointed with Eden's behaviour a lot of the time. She is an extremely emotional woman, with passionate mood swings. Naturally, her relationship with Noah was tumultuous. She would take the smallest little thing and completely blow it out of proportion. And Noah is an extremely calm, immovable man. It reminds me of that time in Clockwork Prince when Tessa told Will that only he could manage to make a saint like Jem angry. Only Eden could get Noah as angry as she does. He found her so infuriating sometimes, and Eden really didnt help the matter. She always blamed Noah. Thankfully things turned out ok in the end, but I didnt like seeing them fight so much. But with such a stormy couple that also means they had some really passionate moments. I wish I could see more of them. I enjoyed the ending and wish I could go with them. The Ankh value and cherish having a mate. With such long lifespans, they arent all lucky enough to have someone with them to keep them company, and I am very glad that Eden and Noah were able to find each other, and that we see them onto the next stage of that life.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo good! I want more!

I guess this is kind of a brief review of all three books in the Warriors of Ankh trilogy..

The first book in the series felt like a big intro to me. I liked the story and loved learning the world of soul eaters and the Ankh.

The second book was excellent. Noah and Eden finally stopped being so extremely stubborn. It was a nice change.

The final book is definitely my favorite. Eden is quite the badass, Noah is wonderful; Cyrus and Val are given more depth. I enjoyed the dynamic presented by Tobe and Cameron. The secondary characters in this book were presented wonderfully. Also, I was very pleasantly surprised by Romany. I thought she was going to turn out to be a crazy psychotic person like in some of Young's other stories, but she turned out to be a decent person. I still didn't like that her and Noah had a history, though. The story ended in a way that you got closure, but it was left somewhat open with a slight possibility that there may be more to come.

I loved this series. I love all of Young's books (I have now read all of her books to date). Her stories are easy reads and I mean that in a very good way. It's easy to find a stopping place if you happen to get interrupted, but you don't actually want to find a stopping place. Ha. I've stayed up late many nights finishing her books. They're funny and deep and captivating and romantic all in one. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

[Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why? Why did it have to end? I want more! This series has slowly worked its way up to my top five best series. I haven’t read a series this good in a long time. And if you’ve read my review to the first two books in the series, than you know by now how obsessed I am with it.

Shades of Blood was a great ending to an AMAZING series! I would seriously love to see this series as a TV show or movies. I was at the edge of my seat reading it playing the guessing game. I wanted to skip ahead so many times just to find out what happens to Noah and Eden. Their relationship really grew in this book and I loved every single minute of it. All the obstacles and test that Eden has to face left me torn. I just wanted her to catch a break already.

I really wish I could share spoilers, but I have to remember not everyone enjoys spoilers as much as I do. All you need to know is that Blood Will Tell broke my heart, Blood Past messed with my head, and Shades of Blood left me with a craving for more. I am going to miss all the characters. Noah and Eden are kick-ass characters who you immediately fall in love with in the first book, but the other characters are just as good. I would love to read a spin off story featuring some of the other characters.

You can read my review for Blood Will Tell HERE and my review of Blood Past HERE.

5 out of 5 stars!

[BookHookup · Rating 4 out of 5]

***The Book Hookup was SO delighted to have our awesome friend, Michelle (aka TC1 / TwilightCougar1) guest review this last book in the series for us. Thank you, Michelle! ♥ ****

Michelle’s Review: So the third and last *sniff* book in the Warriors of Ankh book series…what can I say that’s spoiler free? You are in a wholely unique universe filled with characters you are strongly attached to, external and internal demons are closing in on you, and your world is almost ending. Perfect climax to our action-packed, satisfying, coming-of-age, kick-ass warrior woman heroine story.

I only have one complaint…oh yeah and that is the fade-to-black Stephanie Meyer style love scenes…What can I say? I know its Young Adult fiction…but Samantha, I wanted more…more!..Maybe I just wanted more of all of these characters…yup…I was seriously sad when I read; “Dude we’re Ankh. What’s not to love?” So sad I emailed the author and asked her if she intended to continue the Warrior of Anhk Series…She was lovely and said:

“Thank you so much, your email means a lot! :-)

I don’t have any plans at the moment to write more Ankh books. I’ve had a few requests for more books and I never say never! So perhaps in the future I’ll return to the Ankh. Unfortunately I’m too busy with other projects at the moment to give a definitive answer on it though :-s”

So there is hope…

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

That went by way too fast. Way. Too. Fast. Five hours later and BOOM, I'm done. Why?! Why did I read it so fast? I should have spread it out more, taken my time. Now the series is just over.

Okay, I'm not gonna say much (it's always the hardest to write something when you enjoyed the book) but I will say that I loved this book just like the two before it!

I loved it for these reasons:

A) Eden was back to her old, edgy self that I missed in Blood Past

B) Tobe and Eden worked things out

C) The whole relationship between Eden and Jack was kept on a purely friend level (no nonsense love triangle! Yay!)

D) Darius is still a creepy, mysterious guy I'll never understand

E) And the thing I loved most of all I actually thought for a second that Eden really did kill Romany. Young had me totally convinced. Like, my mouth dropped open and I was like NO WAY! Great job of freaking me out and thinking Eden had just ruined her life - but even if she had killed Romany I still would have stuck to Eden's side (I'm not saying Romany deserved, I'm just saying I like Eden more).

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Possible Spoiler Alert*

I was pleased with Shades of Blood, the final book in the Warriors of Ankh series. I felt like Eden really grew up in this book-without losing herself and her snark. While it was touch and go there for awhile with Eden's need for revenge, in the end she realized that the love her new family and Noah had for her was more important than her need to avenge Stellan's death. Of course there was that typical frustration where you just wanted to smack her upside the head; but she really did need to come to the right way on her own.

The on-going problems with the rouge soul-eater and the Neith who wanted Eden destroyed also came to a head and was finished. While Eden's "problems" had closure and her new life was ready to begin, I was disappointed that other character's (i.e. Val) didn't have that HEA.

As with all the books, this one was fast moving and kept me in suspense. All in all I really liked this whole series and enjoyed Samantha Young's writing.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest book of the series, but I still enjoyed Shades of Blood. Eden as a character changed so much from the desperate soul eater wanting any other life to a full-blooded Ankh warrior who knew how to kick some major ass. She was sassy and confident and learned from her mistakes.

Noah was fun to read, if a little sappy at times. He was over protective but learned to give and take over the course of the series, which made him more and more likeable.

I wish there had been more of Darius and less of Tobe and Cameron, though. I liked October fine, but when she had her own part of the story, I was bored. Cameron was wishy washy and maybe that was due to so little page time in the second book.

Still, it was a fun, quick read and I'd definitely recommend this series to YA lovers who want an ass-kicking main character.

[tooter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This last book of the trilogy is showing itself to be a letdown. Somehow, it just doesn't have the urgency of the 1st or even 2nd books. Noah and Eden finally complete their relationship, and it was just very blah. No hotness in the lead up or scene at all. Their romance is a central part of the plot, and even if it's a YA book, it was not very emotional. And about as interesting as reading about their first trip to the grocery store together.

Also, there has been an annoying number of unclear sentences, bad sentence structure, and missing or incorrect words. I'm not the grammar police, but it actually made the book harder to read when every 5 pages I would have to re-read a sentence or try to figure out what was wrong with it. Ebook or not, the editing was not up to snuff.

I would actually give this last book 2.5 stars.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book. Shades of Blood is the last installment to Warriors of Ankh. I am quite sad to see it was the end. I wanted this series to keep going. *sigh* Samantha Young is such as great writer.

I really love the characters, especially Val and Darius. I actually wanted to see more of them, actually i wanted to see them together with some chemistry. I still miss Stellan...

Shades of Blood had a great ending. I love Eden and Noah. My two most favourite couples. I also love the fighting scenes but my favourite would have to be the love scenes. *swoons*

This book was fun to read. Samantha Young is a great, brilliant, amazing and talented author. I will always be a fan of her and will continue reading her books.

5/5 stars. Way to go ;)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Eden’s life has taken a turn she would never have imagined. She’s gone from soul eater to warrior, left behind a family she was ashamed of and moved in with one she admires. She has a purpose, a future, and… she has Noah.

Life should be good.

But… the most fervent and powerful soul eaters are determined to take down the Ankh and Eden is the key to the destruction of the warrior race.
Moreover, a shadowed enemy is still after Eden, and the mortal Warriors of Neith have chosen the worst time imaginable to start an uprising.

Review: Loved it. You'll have to read to find out what happens in this awesome book. I loved absolutely LOVED the Warriors of Ankh trilogy. It has a lot of butt kicking, some love, some hate...but overall fantastic.

[Anjie Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for not having a love triangle in this series.

What a fan-fricken'-tastic way to end. I'm sorry that it's over, but I'm very satisfied with how it all played out. Loved, loved, loved Eden and Noah, and was impressed with the growth they both showed in this book, in just the little time that this series took place.

I would love if in the future Samantha Young did more with any of these characters. I thought the premise behind the story was fantastic, and if there were like "companion" books giving back stories on like Darius, Cyrus or Val, I'd love that. Merrit would be good too. I'd even love to see more Noah and Eden, but maybe like 50 years down the road.

I would highly recommend this series.

[Savannah (Books With Bite) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start off with the end because I really like it. I love how well everything is nicely tied together as well as things fall apart. At one part of the book I was thinking that maybe there was a 4th book cause soo much is happening. Not the case.

I loved the love interest and how much it changed. They went through problems yet over came them. I like that they were not perfect people but made mistakes. And they learned from their mistakes. They fought together even when they are fighting each other.

There are a few plot twist that I really enjoyed. It brought so much more than what I thought it be.

Overall this book is awesome! Great series all together that I could read over and over again.

[Aliki · Rating 3 out of 5]

τελειωσε λοιπον και τι να πουμε αγαπημενοι μου βιβλιοφαγοι?θα μπορουσε να ειναι τοσο τελεια τριλογια αν δεν απογασιζε το κοριτσι μας να κρατησει χαμηλους τονους.τι να κανεις ετσι ειναι αυτα...αμα θες αλικη κατι αλλο βαλε τον κωλο σου κατω και γραψε.οι ρυθμοι του βιβλιου ειναι ιδιοι με το δευτερο λιγο δραση λιγο φλερτ λιγο χιουμορ και λιγο διαπλοκη.η εδεμ βρηκε αυτο που εψαχνε και ειχε το επιθυμητο τελος μετα απο πολλα πολλα βασανα.το καλο μου το παιδι ολοι ηθελαν να το σκοτωσουν τσου τσου ...τι κοσμος.αν θα μπορουσα να σας πω για το εαν πρεπει η οχι να τα διαβασετε θα σας ελεγα να διαβασετε σιγουρα το πρωτο και να με ρωτησετε για τα αλλα δυο.
υστερογραφο=το βιβλιο ηταν ακουστικο,η ακροαση καταπληκτικη

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. As usual the first and third books in a trilogy seem to have all the action while the second book just acts as a bridge or intermission between the others. The series had a kick ass female lead, a love interest, a lot of action and other very interesting supporting character roles. The author left the story open enough (but no cliffhangers, thank the gods) so that in the future, there could be more books. There were enough secondary characters that there could be so many other stories told - Darius, Cyrus, Val, Tobe...... I hope that the author will someday revisit this story and tell us more about the other characters.

[Stephanie Constantinople · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downloaded and read this book in under four (combined) hours. Shades of Blood is the third book in the Warriors of Ankh series/trilogy. I loved this book very much, from Eden and Noah's relationship, to the badass fight scenes! I had to wait (rather impatiently) before I could actually read this book, but now that I had I just want to forget and re-read the whole story! Shades of Blood reached and exceeded my expectations for possible last installment. Fans of Samantha Young will definitely not be disappointed!