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Blood Trails #11
Sacrifice
When Agent Andrew Bradford returns from his post-demonic corruption hiatus, Shade is ready to give him time and space to heal. A nice quiet rest, free from magic, monsters, and murder.
Too bad Andy has other ideas.
The now less-than-human FBI agent is ready to get back to work, and he’s not taking no for an answer. Fortunately, a case falls into Shade’s lap that is perfect for the freshly returned law man—a rogue zombie a group of kids raised to celebrate Halloween.
Silly witch. Nothing in the Otherworld is easy.
The necromancer Shade calls to return the zombie to her grave finds one corpse too many in the cemetery.
A corpse that leads to a desecrated church.
An evil altar.
Someone tried to summon an elder demon. And with Halloween only two days away, Shade knows they’ll try again.
It’s Andy’s worst nightmare. And when he refuses to abandon the case, it becomes Shade’s worst nightmare too.
Too bad Andy has other ideas.
The now less-than-human FBI agent is ready to get back to work, and he’s not taking no for an answer. Fortunately, a case falls into Shade’s lap that is perfect for the freshly returned law man—a rogue zombie a group of kids raised to celebrate Halloween.
Silly witch. Nothing in the Otherworld is easy.
The necromancer Shade calls to return the zombie to her grave finds one corpse too many in the cemetery.
A corpse that leads to a desecrated church.
An evil altar.
Someone tried to summon an elder demon. And with Halloween only two days away, Shade knows they’ll try again.
It’s Andy’s worst nightmare. And when he refuses to abandon the case, it becomes Shade’s worst nightmare too.
- GenresUrban FantasyParanormal
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 21, 2021
58 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Blackstream
55 books517 followersJennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She is amazed and grateful to have made a writing career out of a Master’s degree in Psychology, hours of couch-detecting watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and endless research into mythology and fairy tales. She firmly believes that whether it’s a village witch deciding she wants to be a private investigator, or a single mother having a go at being a full time writer, it’s never too late for a new adventure.
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 22, 2021
It’s alright
I want to start off and say in general the book was closer to 3.5 stars. I gave it 2 because the same issues I have had with previous books still persist. This was 100% a filler book (which is okay). There was zero progression with any of the mysteries that surround shade. Andy was as annoying as always but hopefully with the ending we will see far less of him in the future. My biggest gripe is the lack of magic in the story. It’s a great murder mystery but a horrible fantasy novel. There is very little magic to begin with and even the magic you get is basic and uninteresting. Shade is still a weakling 11 books in and continues to be a damsel in distress. All these paranormal nomenclatures are thrown out and yet the fight scenes still just read like a regular fight with the occasional fire ball thrown in. The hype about the difference in power levels is useless, a broken chair leg will take out anyone demon lord, paladin, or human equally. This will be my last book in the series, it’s never all that fun reading about MCs that are too weak to handle their opponents and uninteresting magic systems.
I want to start off and say in general the book was closer to 3.5 stars. I gave it 2 because the same issues I have had with previous books still persist. This was 100% a filler book (which is okay). There was zero progression with any of the mysteries that surround shade. Andy was as annoying as always but hopefully with the ending we will see far less of him in the future. My biggest gripe is the lack of magic in the story. It’s a great murder mystery but a horrible fantasy novel. There is very little magic to begin with and even the magic you get is basic and uninteresting. Shade is still a weakling 11 books in and continues to be a damsel in distress. All these paranormal nomenclatures are thrown out and yet the fight scenes still just read like a regular fight with the occasional fire ball thrown in. The hype about the difference in power levels is useless, a broken chair leg will take out anyone demon lord, paladin, or human equally. This will be my last book in the series, it’s never all that fun reading about MCs that are too weak to handle their opponents and uninteresting magic systems.
September 27, 2021
In this dark and riveting volume 11 of her urban fantasy series starring a crime-solving witch in Cleveland Ohio, Jennifer Blackstream had me at 'scrappy zombie dog.'
Resourceful witch P.I. Shade and pixie sidekick Peasblossom are once again partnering with dogged FBI Agent Bradford to battle demons literal and metaphorical. But this time they're teaming up with motorcyle-riding necromancer Poppy and her undead Good Boy, Jenkins.
Shade's latest case takes place at Halloween, which makes it a perfect read this time of year, with its genuinely creepy and unsettling demons that keep cropping up at a certain nightclub, the last place their "fallen good girl" murder victim Alison was seen alive.
Poppy identifies too strongly for her own comfort with the intriguing Alison, whose straight-laced friends and family judge her harshly for dropping out of college to go clubbing in her tight new Gothic chic wardrobe. Until it becomes apparent she was into something far darker than ecstasy-fueled raves and corsets.
What prompted Alison's one hundred and eighty degree turn from Catholic church altar server at age twenty-two to possible participant in a demon-summoning ritual? And was she someone's victim, or a killer on whom the sacrificial stone table got turned?
Many of my favorite moments in the book are watching chipper, outspoken twenty-something Poppy play off her elder Shade's more grounded, reflective, and diplomatic persona. There's also a humorous tendency for flirty Poppy's Otherworld savvy exes, male and female, to crop up in the case.
Many of the books' most intense moments put Agent Andy Bradford center stage, and though I still enjoy him and root for him as a character, it's more complicated now that his storyline's gotten grim. Still a defender at heart--especially where young humans like their victim are concerned--Andy struggles to regain, and trust in, his own self-control under the corruption foisted upon him by the demon named Lorelei.
Giving into fear and outrage can transform him into a Hulk-sized brute with openly streaming wounds if he's not careful. Having to interview a judgmental priest and so many suspects vying for the very demonic powers Andy wishes he could shed, including Lorelei's own Acolytes, keeps pushing the agent to the brink.
Add to that a veritable horde worth of demons cruising for humans to possess, who are attracted to the righteous agent's tainted psyche like moths to flame (or perhaps hellfire). Add to that a puzzling and dapper demon called Bridgett who seems to turn up wherever the investigators go with her own mysterious agenda.
Add to that how this case might have a bearing on Lorelei's efforts to persuade the Otherworld's Ministry of Deliverance in a court hearing to grant her and her kind more equal status and freedoms. It's no wonder Andy's feeling like a ticking time bomb...
Shade's alpha werewolf beau, Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne, has sworn to Andy that he won't let him hurt innocents or allies in the throes of his corruption. From the moment he joins the case as back-up he draws closer to the moment that vow will be tested.
The series of final showdowns are some of Blackstream's most cinematic and climactic yet, with sensational combat magic flying, hard-earned twists, and dramatic confrontations galore between friends and enemies alike.
And, something else I love about this series, once again I revel in how emotionally complex and satisfying the character friendships and relationships are, and the sense of resolution and looking forward after the end battle for the main cast. And how the last chapter sets up the next book with something to look forward to, including cameos or perhaps starring roles for some really fun characters (some named in this review and some not).
This is no trick, grab this latest witchy mystery and treat yourself!
WHEN A HALLOWEEN TALE BRINGS SWEET LAUGHS AND BITTERSWEET TRIUMPHS, BOOST THE SIGNAL!
Resourceful witch P.I. Shade and pixie sidekick Peasblossom are once again partnering with dogged FBI Agent Bradford to battle demons literal and metaphorical. But this time they're teaming up with motorcyle-riding necromancer Poppy and her undead Good Boy, Jenkins.
Shade's latest case takes place at Halloween, which makes it a perfect read this time of year, with its genuinely creepy and unsettling demons that keep cropping up at a certain nightclub, the last place their "fallen good girl" murder victim Alison was seen alive.
Poppy identifies too strongly for her own comfort with the intriguing Alison, whose straight-laced friends and family judge her harshly for dropping out of college to go clubbing in her tight new Gothic chic wardrobe. Until it becomes apparent she was into something far darker than ecstasy-fueled raves and corsets.
What prompted Alison's one hundred and eighty degree turn from Catholic church altar server at age twenty-two to possible participant in a demon-summoning ritual? And was she someone's victim, or a killer on whom the sacrificial stone table got turned?
Many of my favorite moments in the book are watching chipper, outspoken twenty-something Poppy play off her elder Shade's more grounded, reflective, and diplomatic persona. There's also a humorous tendency for flirty Poppy's Otherworld savvy exes, male and female, to crop up in the case.
Many of the books' most intense moments put Agent Andy Bradford center stage, and though I still enjoy him and root for him as a character, it's more complicated now that his storyline's gotten grim. Still a defender at heart--especially where young humans like their victim are concerned--Andy struggles to regain, and trust in, his own self-control under the corruption foisted upon him by the demon named Lorelei.
Giving into fear and outrage can transform him into a Hulk-sized brute with openly streaming wounds if he's not careful. Having to interview a judgmental priest and so many suspects vying for the very demonic powers Andy wishes he could shed, including Lorelei's own Acolytes, keeps pushing the agent to the brink.
Add to that a veritable horde worth of demons cruising for humans to possess, who are attracted to the righteous agent's tainted psyche like moths to flame (or perhaps hellfire). Add to that a puzzling and dapper demon called Bridgett who seems to turn up wherever the investigators go with her own mysterious agenda.
Add to that how this case might have a bearing on Lorelei's efforts to persuade the Otherworld's Ministry of Deliverance in a court hearing to grant her and her kind more equal status and freedoms. It's no wonder Andy's feeling like a ticking time bomb...
Shade's alpha werewolf beau, Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne, has sworn to Andy that he won't let him hurt innocents or allies in the throes of his corruption. From the moment he joins the case as back-up he draws closer to the moment that vow will be tested.
The series of final showdowns are some of Blackstream's most cinematic and climactic yet, with sensational combat magic flying, hard-earned twists, and dramatic confrontations galore between friends and enemies alike.
And, something else I love about this series, once again I revel in how emotionally complex and satisfying the character friendships and relationships are, and the sense of resolution and looking forward after the end battle for the main cast. And how the last chapter sets up the next book with something to look forward to, including cameos or perhaps starring roles for some really fun characters (some named in this review and some not).
This is no trick, grab this latest witchy mystery and treat yourself!
WHEN A HALLOWEEN TALE BRINGS SWEET LAUGHS AND BITTERSWEET TRIUMPHS, BOOST THE SIGNAL!
January 26, 2022
Another enjoyable read
This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series. Every book you become more invested in the characters and how their stories will end. Lots of action packed scenes and suspense trying to solve a young girls death and prevent another sacrifice to raise a demon. Highly recommend.
This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series. Every book you become more invested in the characters and how their stories will end. Lots of action packed scenes and suspense trying to solve a young girls death and prevent another sacrifice to raise a demon. Highly recommend.
October 12, 2021
I have a love/hate relationship with Jennifer Blackstream.
I LOVE this series. I HATE that I have to wait until January for the next book.
In this book Andy is back on the job. He must master the corruption inside him in order to live a full life.
Shade and Liam are flirting again, but managing to keep their hands to themselves.
A new character joins the team. Poppy. Even her name sounds peppy. I hate peppy people. They take to much energy to deal with and Poppy is no exception.
It was really nice to see Andy be human and admit to liking Shade. Well not in those words.
I really enjoyed Sacrifice and am counting the days to January.
I LOVE this series. I HATE that I have to wait until January for the next book.
In this book Andy is back on the job. He must master the corruption inside him in order to live a full life.
Shade and Liam are flirting again, but managing to keep their hands to themselves.
A new character joins the team. Poppy. Even her name sounds peppy. I hate peppy people. They take to much energy to deal with and Poppy is no exception.
It was really nice to see Andy be human and admit to liking Shade. Well not in those words.
I really enjoyed Sacrifice and am counting the days to January.
October 24, 2021
I love the pace and writing in Jennifer Blackstream's Blood Trails books. Her mix of fantasy and mystery (her words, not mine) keeps me on my toes and makes it so hard to put down her books. This story takes place over a couple of days and is non-stop action. Andy is back from his "recovery" and there are all sorts of demons, zombies and spooky Halloween fun as they race to figure out what exactly is going on and who and what is going on. Jennifer's knowledge of the supernatural, demons, angels, etc. make for a complex mystery that is sometimes difficult to follow but is also fascinating and, as I said already, hard to put down.
September 29, 2021
Again a gripping, thrilling, nerve-wrecking adventure that brings Shade and her friends right there at the edge of the abyss and threatens to swallow them - and oh boy, did I bite my nails and jump and scream again and again! The plot was fascinating and kept me guessing for a very long time and the end... oh the end! See me dissolve in tears. I physically NEED the next book - and I need it as soon as possible! So I directly pre-ordered it.
December 29, 2021
Brilliant
I’m not normally a witch/fae fantasy reader but I read book one as was bored and it was free. I then bought all the rest the same week and read all of them in four days. They are that good I’ve been sleeping for 3 hrs only each day. I’m hooked and have preordered the next book. It’s a can’t put down/must read the next one series. Told I’m a way that drags you in and makes you a part of the story.
I’m not normally a witch/fae fantasy reader but I read book one as was bored and it was free. I then bought all the rest the same week and read all of them in four days. They are that good I’ve been sleeping for 3 hrs only each day. I’m hooked and have preordered the next book. It’s a can’t put down/must read the next one series. Told I’m a way that drags you in and makes you a part of the story.
September 26, 2021
Sacrifice: You did it again
You could not have been more dead on about Agent Bradford's willingness to over run the demon who inhabited his body.
You have a gift of writing that rivals Keri Arthur &jennifer estep, two authors I read. But this one . . . WOW! YOU WERE SOOT ON, JB.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'.
You could not have been more dead on about Agent Bradford's willingness to over run the demon who inhabited his body.
You have a gift of writing that rivals Keri Arthur &jennifer estep, two authors I read. But this one . . . WOW! YOU WERE SOOT ON, JB.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'.
January 16, 2022
Sacrifice begins with Andy and Shade on a case. Things get a little bit crazy as they try to figure it out, and Liam joins the gang as well. I liked this one, but I feel like towards the end of the book we started to loose a character. I'm a bit worried about that, but it was still an enjoyable read.
February 23, 2022
It was interesting to see the character growth for Andy and his finding a work environment(whenever he isn't working with Shade) that is safe and fulfilling for him.
I didn't really enjoy the case that this particular book is centered around(I understand it was necessary for a larger series plot line point) or Poppy's character. 5/10
I didn't really enjoy the case that this particular book is centered around(I understand it was necessary for a larger series plot line point) or Poppy's character. 5/10
April 1, 2024
Good read.
Lots of action and an interesting mystery. Andy is back in this one. Following the investigation as the story unfolds kept me turning pages. Intelligent mystery with twists that kept me guessing. I like Shade and her unique cast of friends. Each book has been good. This book brought Andy back as they investigate a crime involving demons.
Lots of action and an interesting mystery. Andy is back in this one. Following the investigation as the story unfolds kept me turning pages. Intelligent mystery with twists that kept me guessing. I like Shade and her unique cast of friends. Each book has been good. This book brought Andy back as they investigate a crime involving demons.
January 28, 2025
In which the team is joined by Poppy, the pink haired necromancer, and her psychopomp pooch, Jenkins. Previous minor characters - the Jenkins sisters, and the Acolytes - also make appearances. Blackstream's world is feeling more cohesive here than in some of the earlier books.
One question: where was Flint this whole time?
One question: where was Flint this whole time?
October 28, 2021
Halloween and grave yards what more could you want
More goblins and Other world things than you can shake a stick at.This 1 kept me guessing. A bone dog, Andy trying to control himself, Liam and Shade still not together.Just last book better do it
More goblins and Other world things than you can shake a stick at.This 1 kept me guessing. A bone dog, Andy trying to control himself, Liam and Shade still not together.Just last book better do it
February 25, 2023
I stayed up until 4 AM to finish the book it was that good, which is nothing new but I'm tired as shit now, through that won't stop me to start the next one. This series is one of the best hidden gems i had the luck to find. I freaking love it!
October 3, 2021
Well worth the wait...
Such a perfect balance of tension and humor. I love the originality of this series and the character-driven nature of the plot.
Such a perfect balance of tension and humor. I love the originality of this series and the character-driven nature of the plot.
October 4, 2021
Growth and so much more
Ohh Andy.. fire, demons, portals Andy changes. It is so much fun to watch the character growth and I was close to tears a couple times..
Ohh Andy.. fire, demons, portals Andy changes. It is so much fun to watch the character growth and I was close to tears a couple times..
November 5, 2022
4.5 Stars:)
January 28, 2023
3.5/5
April 8, 2023
New characters, and evolving characters. Each book is a story, and and an evolving story over the series. Can't wait to see what book #12 brings!
October 31, 2022
Jennifer Blackstream continues to add onto the depth of the existing characters and add new ones. This book had me hooked from the beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed the story line. I am excited for Shroud, the next book in the series.
It was great to see more of Peasblossom's character come out as a protective mother type. Poppy is spunky and full of surprises. Andy is learning more about himself, what he is capable of and to truly trust himself and others. Liam keeps everyone balanced and Shade is tuning her witchy skills better than ever before.
Huge kudos to Jennifer Blackstream for 11.5 books that are addictive, enjoyable and fun!!!
It was great to see more of Peasblossom's character come out as a protective mother type. Poppy is spunky and full of surprises. Andy is learning more about himself, what he is capable of and to truly trust himself and others. Liam keeps everyone balanced and Shade is tuning her witchy skills better than ever before.
Huge kudos to Jennifer Blackstream for 11.5 books that are addictive, enjoyable and fun!!!
February 6, 2022
This series has stalled. Many of the characters are changing dramatically, but not in a good way. Magic is a complete afterthought (which is weird for a book about magic). I am over waiting for resolution. No more for me.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews