Bloodmark

The Kingsmen Chronicles #2

by Jean Lowe Carlson

-Smart epic fantasy! Deep world building and character development. If you loved Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones you should give this a shot.- - Anders C., Amazon Reviewer -Like George RR Martin and Joe Abercrombie, Carlson writes in this genre for grown-ups, with flair and elegance. A complex world with characters that develop well, this story reveals its complexity as it builds!- - Daniel F., Amazon Reviewer Alrou-Mendera reels, the nation usurped by the villainous Khehemni. But Kingsman Elohl and his sister Olea have done their duty and kept the Queen alive, helping her escape to the safety of the Highlands. As the same shadowy opponents rally the nation into a vicious war, Olea is spirited away to a desert oasis, learning the truth of the unstoppable ancient magic behind the Khehemni. And now Elohl must become the Queen's ambassador, racing against time to cross the treacherous Kingsmountains and find aid, before a ruthless slaughter begins. This dark and gritty sword and sorcery series from award winning author Jean Lowe Carlson explores a complex world of treachery, passion, sex, and magic. Readers who enjoy Game of Thrones, Outlander, the Kingkiller Chronicles, or the Wheel of Time will love this fantastic adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Adult, Adventure, Epic

732 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2017

About the author

"Richly set and beautifully told, Carlson paints a story filled with love, lust, and tragedy. She captures the tortured emotions of temptation and desire perfectly and leaves you wanting more." - Chris Patchell, author of In the Dark

“Like George RR Martin and Joe Abercrombie, Carlson writes in the fantasy genre for grown-ups, with flair and elegance. A complex world with characters that develop well, The Kingsmen Chronicles reveals as it builds!” - Daniel F., Amazon Review

Jean Lowe Carlson blends deep wisdom, fast-paced adventure, and timeless discovery into exquisite fantasy. Her raw worlds are reminiscent of George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, Joe Abercrombie, Clive Barker, and Robin Hobb.

Jean holds a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine (ND), and has a keen awareness of psychology and human behavior, using it to paint vivid characters set amidst nations in turmoil or societies with riveting secrets. Exciting, challenging, and passionate, her novels take the reader upon dire adventures while exploring deep human truths and self-knowledge.

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist medal for her dark fantasy Tears. She was also longlisted for the 2016 Online Writing Tips Short Fiction Prize for her dark fairytale The Man in White.

Reviews

[Ari Maayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is TRULY epic high fantasy.....the best. This book, the first one and I'm sure those which will follow are a series which will rival the best literature ever produced in the realm of fantasy. Jean Lowe Carlson is the new Goddess of high fantasy!!

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this 2nd book in the Kingsmen Chronicles is read, and its breathtaking till the last page, full of twists and turns, political intrigue and traitors galore! The magic element in this 2nd book is even stronger than the first book and the alranstones and the seers are all coming into their own too! There is great sadness in this book but also a lot of love and heroism. The characters have really grown and matured. The fighting style puts me in mind of other great books by Brent Weeks and the scorpions of the Keth Hakir and white eyed seers remind me of the Shadow of the Apt series of Adrian Tchaikovsky whilst Purloch's people living in the trees remind me of the great homestead of the Dragonlance epic series however the land Jean creates and the weave of the great series is all her own. I also love Jean's sense of humour which is so important when the story gets too heavy "Two thousand naked men marching straight for my tent. The Gods have heard my prayers" and this had me laughing like crazy when the tension became too much! Also love General Merra and her women fighters on their big cats, they are strong, sexual and uninhibited ready to fight and have sex and protect their own at the blink of an eye! We need to see more such strong women characters in the fantasy genre! Well done Jean Lowe Carlson, but how am I going to wait for the third book in this great series?

[Juan 🇵🇷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloodmark is the kind of sequel that builds on its predecesor and improves it. Even though I really enjoy Blackmark the pace was kind of slow. Here, though, the pace is better and so is the story overrall. We get a more detailed background on both the kingsmen and kehemnis and the reason behind their thousand year old feud. Like George RR Martin, Jean Lowe Carlson builds a world were treason is around every corner and nothing can be taken for granted. Also the magic and fantasy elements take a front seat in this one and the final result is satisfying. Can't wait for the conclusion of this trilogy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series and i loved this one even more, i didnt want it to end. Can't wait for the next book

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine würdige Fortsetzung von "Blackmark", mit noch mehr Geheimnissen und grandiosen Helden!

Manchmal verstehe ich nicht, wie es sein kann, dass in allem überzeugende Bücher kaum die Aufmerksamkeit bekommen, die sie verdienen. Eines dieser Bücher, welches mich sprachlos zurückgelassen hat, ist das Indie-Fantasy-Epos ,,Blackmark" von Jean Lowe Carlson. Es war also nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis ich auch die Fortsetzung "Bloodmark" lesen würde - und die Autorin hat mich wieder einmal begeistert mit einer epischen Welt, erstklassiger Schwert-und-Dolch-Action, facettenreichen Charaktere und mysteriösen Geheimnissen!

"Bloodmark" schließt genau dort an, wo das erste Buch aufgehört hat: Queen Elyasin den'Ildrian wurde von ihren eigenen Untertanen verraten und ist zusammen mit ihrem Verlobten Therel in die Highlands geflohen, begleitet vom ehemaligen Kingsman Elohl den'Alrahel, dessen Körper nach wie vor die Goldenmarks überziehen, die Zeichen des prophezeiten Uniter (Rennkavi). Der Krieg zwischen Alrashemni und Kehemni scheint unaufhaltsam und jede der Seiten muss sich entscheiden, wofür sie leben, kämpfen und sterben wollen ...

Ganz toll finde ich es, wie Carlson jetzt die Sicht von Charakteren mit einbezieht, die in "Blackmark" noch keine große Rolle gespielt haben, doch nun zu Schlüsselfiguren werden in einer zunehmend komplexen Welt. Natürlich bleibt noch der Fokus aus gewisse Hauptfiguren - und zwar ein emotionaler, schmerzender Fokus, denn Carlson ist wirklich eine Expertin darin, wie man jeder Figur unglaubliche Tiefe verleihen kann. Fenton, Olea, Jherrick, Elohl, Eleshen, Thouren, Elyasin - ich habe so sehr mit ihnen gelitten, dass ich mir gar nicht vorstellen kann, was im 3. Band "Goldenmark" passieren wird!! Besonders Fenton und Elohl sind mir jetzt mehr denn je ans Herz gewachsen - wird den beiden je etwas zustoßen, werde ich ganz bestimmt einen Beschwerdebrief an die Autorin schreiben.

Genauso gut wie sein Vorgänger, episch geschrieben, jedes Kapitel unvorhersehbarer als das andere und komplex wie ein Uhrwerk (stellenweise sogar ein bisschen zu sehr komplex) und fesselnd wie ein Keshari-Kampf: wenn ihr High Fantasy als euer liebstes Buchgenre betrachtet, dann müsst ihr einfach The Kingsmen Chronicles lesen!

[Marco Cabrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot imagine picking this one up if you had not read the first. So make sure to read that one. But I LOVE THIS. It is all the things I loved about the first book. The characters, the world, the magic, and how they all come together. But in this book, there is so much more that you learn about all three of the above, and it allows you to see that the magic in this world is in now way - skin deep. You see the history of this world in the magic that is brought forward. I think the thing I love the most is how so many characters have to transform into who they need to be in order to achieve their goals. The characters feel like real people who need to deal with their own challenges, and are forced into team work they didn't know they needed to be part of. And each one finds strength in themselves by doing so, and not having to change who they are to be better people. I love this series. You should read it. I will read it agin.

[Ronald Culbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY loved this book. I have read tons and tons of books thoughout the years and I can honestly say I have loved most of them over the years but until in the last 20 or so I can't say I was ever so viscerally affected. Jean Lowe Carlson much like George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss has brought forth emotions in me that books from my youth never could. I'm not saying I did not love all the old tried and true fantasy classics but they never made you feel the evil like some of these authors today do. The evil was just some shadowy something that had to be over come. Not right there in your face doing something so terrible you YEARN to leap into the pages and rip them limb from limb because of they way they killed off your favorite character or the things they did to someone truly good and innocent. When I pick up a book up and can't put it down and then once I finish it I feel completely emotionally wrung out well I call that a great reading experience.

[Jennifer Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This epic tale spans a thousand years of hatred in the people of nation. I found love, heartache, horror, lust, hope, death, and redemption. Every character has a part to play but the roles are not all known. Prophecies were not recorded, some passes through oral training, others told as myth passes throughout the thirteen tribes over the years. The battles they face now will unite or crumble the world. Unfortunately, not everyone survives in war. I cried, laughed and had o stop myself from chewing my nails a few times. I've read reviews that compare this series to Game of Thrones (which I really like) and there are quite a few similarities. I loved Blackmark and Bloodmark was just as good, if not more so.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "complex world of treachery, passion, sex, and magic". Yup, that pretty much says it in a nutshell. This is not your YA fantasy series but rather it's a layered and well constructed work with imperfect complex characters. If you enjoyed Blackmark, book1 in the series, you're pretty much guaranteed to love this one as Jean Lowe Carlson has taken all that was great there and added on to it. If you haven't read that book yet then by all means go back and read it (it's excellent) ... but be warned, this whole series is simply addictive.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
I actually enjoyed this story more than book 1. It was well written. The plot was easy to follow, but kept your interest the whole time. I still found the characters and their names difficult to keep up with. The names were very long and so different from anything I am acquainted with. I kept getting the characters confused. But it is an amazing story that I cannot wait to continue in the next book.

[Fiona Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book continues the journey of all the main characters introduced in the first book. They are moving closer and closer to the configuration that will change their world for the better. How many more obstacles will they have to overcome to achieve their goals. Highly recommended.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As amazing as all the other books by this author. Just sweeps you away into another world. It's a not to be missed book

[Vue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. Loved the world setting and magic system. Lots of action and intrigue. Bits of romance here and there (perfect amount, I'd say). I think the character development is done well and I'm starting to get attached to a few. I'm loving this series and am excited to see where the story goes or how it ends. Pick this book up if you love fantasy books with a unique magic system.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multi layered, complex story that is compelling, thought provoking and well written. Looking forward to reading book 3 of this epic trilogy. Thank you Jean Lowe Carlson.

[Sheila Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed “Blackmark” ok despite the cringe-worthy writing, but “Bloodmark” was too out of control for my taste. Most of the view-point characters have zero agency, but are rather pawns of an overly complex and confusing ancient plot / curse / plan to save the world. Every character is beautiful, buff and sexy. EVERY character. It does get monotonous. By the end, I really couldn’t care less what happens to any of them.

[Suki Rickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2

Book 2 was a fun read and had a few errors throughout. The characters and plot have grown tremendously through book 2 and have become more complex.

[Nicole Hamman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book was great. This second installment split off to so many threads. I wish I started taking notes. Some of the threads felt like absolute filler and didn’t make any sense like the journey of Dherran. Of course the author decides to kill off three main characters and two sub characters from the first book. It was a mistake. Once my favorite character was killed off it took me eight months to finish this book. Looking back I should have just DNF but I was hoping by a miracle that person wasn’t dead. And the third book is even longer. I don’t think I’m going to continue. If I have to take notes because so many things are happening is it worth it? By the time you get back to that first thread, you’ve forgotten where that journey ended. I want to say the second book has 13 different threads/journeys to follow. Nah…

[Sasha Goriounova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a novel once that featured about as many characters as this one, but found it hard to follow and rather tedious. However, this novel seamlessly weaves together the adventures and stories of multiple characters following different paths yet are part of the same story. World-building is always a bit of a let-down for me in most books, but The Kingsmen Chronicles doesn't disappoint. It has chapters devoted to the history of the Khehemni and the ancient feud. The pace at which Carlson reveals the pasts and new surprises about old and new characters is just right. I thought that Bloodmark was a step-up from Blackmark, and I am really excited to see how it ends in the final chapter. I have faith that there won't be loose ends that leave the reader unsatisfied.

[Pat Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling. Compelling. Truly epic.

[Gayreth Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Awesome". I wasn't sure if this book could be as good as book 1, Blackmark, however, it turned out to be better. A true epic fantasy continues with Elohl and Olea's quest to save their people, and others as well. Secrets and mysteries are revealed, adventure, love, anguish and battles. And one of the most evil villains you have ever come across. A must read and I highly recommend this book. Can't wait for book 3.

[Stephen Saxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Blackmark and Jean Carlson didn't disappoint me with the second of this series in Bloodmark! I can't wait for Goldenmark to come out! This series is way above what I was expecting and I couldn't put either book down. So many turns and unexpected twists, friendship, risqué encounters, magic, sword fighting. Give this series a try, it won't disappoint you!

[Dick Wilkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I said in my review of book 1, "Blackmark", this is great epic high fantasy. The only criticism I had was the constant use of the F word by almost everyone in the book. Did they really talk like that all the time? If you get pat that use of language the series is really good. Because of the language you might be careful who you recommend it to.

[Dennis Akin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Lowe Carlson has done it again. Bloodmark is almost as good as her first book in the trilogy, Blackmark. Blackmark is by far the best book I have read in 2017. I am waiting impatiently for Goldenmark to finally be finished.
Dennis Akin

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for book 3 to be released

This is a good story concept & well written so I couldn't stop reading. Each chapter is another main characters point of view so you see their overlapping plans & want to know how it works out

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

The second part of a spellbinding tale that sucked me in, and spit me out after one helluva ride. Intense, heinous and bloody, this story kept me up all night. Where is book 3?

[Rick Yvanovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first book! It’s getting complex and there are lots of surprises - only some months to wait for the final ? book - can’t wait

[Kimberly Bicknell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love!

Jean did it again, I love these books. I can not wait for the 3rd book to come out its gonna be a long wait.

[Henriette · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was reading the KC I had to think about the Arthurian legend. A great king was supposed to unite the nations but failed. However, there is a prophecy that one day he will return. Making him a messianic figure.

The KC explores what would happen if all the people that believed in that legend were presented with their savior. What they would do to make this vision of unity come through. Add to this, that they at first got the wrong guy and there are very complex relationships. Which is also what this author excels at.

This is also reflected in the POV characters. Among my favorite are the chapters from Khouren's POV as these show this conflict beautifully. They also showcase the author's ability to write not one-dimensional characters.

But, she lost me in the last third. While the book is written in the present timeline, the past plays a huge role because of the premise. Thus, the author introduces past elements through various channels including long-lived characters who were there to witness past events. In the last third, there are quite a few interactions that seem to rehash things that you already know about. And Fenton only gradually tells Elohl about the importance of the Rennkavi. Mostly to cover up the fact, that our main character is sent out on a random recruiting mission instead of focussing on training and taking out Lhaurent.

On the other hand, interesting plot elements that expand the universe, making it clear that humans aren't the only race around, are treated almost abruptly.

I also have to say that this book wasn't as carefully edited as the last one. There are the usual missing words, but the author also seemed to lose track at some points. For example, there was this Dremor to the Elsthemen. Something happens and the king sends for her. When she shows up two pages he berates her for coming.

Even more annoying are the herringbone armored men. I'm going to call them the scorpions. At this point, everybody knew that they could influence minds. Therel had experience with that power through the Dremor, which is the basis of their contentious relationship. They also know that this power is limited to a certain radius. So, when six of them line up like ducklings at a fairground shooting game before an important battle, you would think that they try to take a shot at them or at least adapt their battle plan to incorporate strategies to deal with them.

For the first 68%, I couldn't put the book down it was so well written. Even if the death of a character seemed a little random. But in the last third, the book started dithering. Shortening it a little bit would have improved the pacing as I was getting impatient towards the end. I got the impression that she lost focus and just wanted to carry the story over to the third one. Therefore, she introduced a few concepts to be explored in the final book and had characters make some truly astoundingly bad decisions to keep up the dire situation. As in the Two Towers, it is okay for the Elesthemen to win the battle at great cost. That is more believable than a bunch of strategic masterminds suddenly losing all sense of strategy.

To summarize, the book starts great but falls apart towards the end. Past events are either repeated ad nauseam or revealed too late to matter only for the sake to keep up the suspense. Hopefully, the final volume will be better again.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and is a good, although long, book following our groups of main characters as they try to escape the evil that is pursuing them.

The end of the first book, Blackmark, left us with Elohl and Fenton helping King Therel of Elsthemen and a possibly fatally wounded Queen escape from Roushenn after a failed assassination attempt. The assassination attempt was made by the first sword of the King of Elsthemen which then leads to war being declared against the King and his countrymen. The black ghost of Roushenn was instrumental in their escape and we learn more about this character as the book progresses.

Amongst all the side stories is the inter-weaving treachery of the Castellan, Lhaurent, from the Palace at Roushenn. Is he following his own plan, or the orders of others, to destroy all Alrashemni descendants ? Most Kingsmen and Kingskinder were hidden in the armies of each nation and war is now being used as a weapon to annihilate those not culled by the summons years ago.

Each group has different places they are seeking to get to and people they need to find and recruit to join them in their fight. Elohl and Fenton have to journey over the impassable mountains. Olea and her group end up being transported by an Alranstone to a small desert oasis near the old seat of Khehemni power. Dherran and Khenria have to escape a mob after their skins after a bad fight result and end up being sent out to recruit assistance from those hiding in the bogs.

Can Luc help Ghrenna survive her visions and perform the ceremony needed to ensure the ‘Uniter’ (or Rennkavi) is able to fulfil their role and unite all forces and people in peace ? Mix in Temlin and the Jenner monks at the Abbey of Lintesh, newly promoted Counsel-General Theroun sent to the front to win the war against the Elsthemeni keshavi (very large and ferocious cats), the mind controlling Kreth-Hakir atop of enormous scorpions and what will happen is multi layered and deep in description.

Another great read, which you need a good chunk of time to get through, as you follow what has happened with all the main characters. Easier to follow if you have also read Blackmark as you can understand who most characters are. Great sections of action take place in this book and push the story along at a good pace.

I was lucky to receive a copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above. I would definitely recommend this as a great read to others and can't wait for GoldenMark to come out.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. Where to start. I think it's worth saying that I did enjoy reading this, although I'm not sure I was supposed to find it as funny as I did.

So we have, in no particular order,
prophecy
a chosen one
people fated to die
fridging, (impressively providing motivation to no less than 6 different characters with one fridge)
fridging again, (one of the poor sods mentioned above is thus subject to a double whammy)
unrequited love (for the first fridgee)
more unrequited love
love at first sight, (this happens a lot)
badly written sex
nudity, (including one of my favourite parts of the book; a genius plan)
secret society
a secret society within the secret society
more secret societies
secret conspiracies (there might be some overlap with the above; I wasn't entirely paying attention by this point)
secret passages
secret peoples
secret locations
torture
rape
child rape
murders (lots of murders; some seemingly pointless just to emphasise how EVIL the bad guys are)
every other person has a special skill/power/attribute
people who didn't start with one of the above will eventually have one
everybody is a super special awesome fighter
super special awesome fighters not being super special awesome fighters
power creep, (next character will be MORE super than the previous one)
heel/face turns, (at least 3 times by my count)
people with deep feelings
people being able to tell that people have deep feelings at a single glance
people sharing deep unspoken thoughts within 5 minutes of meeting
tragic pasts, (I think that's basically every character bar one; who then gets a tragic present; huzzah!)
people who suffer because of their tragic pasts, (oh how they suffer)
tattoos
nobody just has ordinary hair, it's all 'black as onyx', 'white as a swan's wing', 'the gold of sun hitting a field of ripening wheat', and so on
similar with eyes, 'cerulean blue', 'green as a fresh-cut emerald', 'red as a drunkard's backside', (I might have made one of these up).
plot-holes, (I still haven't worked out why anyone with their super special secret powers didn't just kill off one of the bad guys in the previous 10 years; they all seemed to know he was a wrong 'un and just left him/her to it)
hard men/women making hard choices, ('Yes, lots of people will suffer and/or die because of our choice but that's okay because if we didn't do this hard thing, lots of people would die and/or suffer. We're the good guys').

It's all a bit of a mess in the kitchen sink. I found the whole thing rather fascinating.