Ancient

Ancient Blood #1

by Rain Carrington

Caution! This is not the young adult version! This book contains scenes of a sexual nature not appropriate for anyone under 18. Please see Ancient, by R. Carrington for the young adult version! Thank you!

In the first book of the series, we meet Adam, sacrificing college to stay in his childhood home for one reason. His sister. Anna is his world, and her safety and happiness is more important to him than his own future. His abusive father makes it hard, but his beloved sister is worth it. Soon, however, with their father out of the picture, he sees that life is no easier and taking care of Anna means doing things that terrify and disgusts him.

The ancient vampire, Neku, doesn’t know exactly how old he is, but he estimates it around five thousand years. In the beginning of it, he felt the sorrow of betrayal, so he never chanced love again in all that time, at least not romantic love. He has a family, a small nest of vampires he’s made and thinks that love was enough for him. Though, for the longest time, he thinks his nest won’t grow unless the younger vampires in the nest make more. It seems that Neku could no longer turn humans to vampires, as his blood is so strong, it boils a human’s brain.

When they meet, Neku is shocked by the color of Adam’s eyes. Is it a sign of the only real threat to ancient vampires? Can Adam and Neku come together in the relationship they both need, or will Adam’s hidden powers tear them apart?

This is an ongoing vampire series from the international best selling author, Rain Carrington.
Violence, sexual content, blood and gore. MA only.
If you are interested in the young adult version, see Ancient, by R. Carrington!

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Fantasy

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2022

About the author

I love writing, it's been my dream for many years, and in October of 2013, when my first book went live on Amazon, that dream came true.

Writing love stories that are centered on flawed but lovable characters is my passion. Finding love between people isn't easy, nor should it be. Even in a book, there have to be obstacles for the story to feel real.

I am a mother of three amazing people, and three adorable fur babies. I live in Colorado but love many other places besides my home. One state in particular is New Mexico, the state where I was born has always held a place in my heart.

People and places make my stories what they are. Each character I've written is a part of me in some way. Each place I write is as well. Adventures come in many ways, and each of my stories has taken me on an adventure that I treasure.

Come with me on my adventures and fall in love with my characters, as I have. I promise, you will love the ride.

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Reviews

[Rina Pride · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading without high expectations, but the book was very engaging. I liked it better than I thought!

I love stories with vampires, vampires without (drinking animal blood and shining in the sun) 😅

Vampires who are left drinking animal blood are pathetic. It's part of their nature to feed.
If I were a vampire... I would use the methods they use in this book, the world is full of evil people, would have food without looking too much.

I was very sorry for Adam at first, the kid is unlucky. Good-hearted and suffering boy😢 Neku entering adam's life was one of the few lucks the boy had in life, nor so adam got rid of the problems. Being a vampire brought new problems and challenges for Adam, but with his new family he wouldn't face it all alone.

I was in doubt, do vampires in this story fly superman or bat wings? I don't think the author explained well about it( My English sucks 😅

I'll wait for the second book with expectations, just hope that everything is not solved easily, I like tension and smart solutions.

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS SOMETHING!!!

Yes, this is a MAGNIFICENT beginning to Vampires. So many wonderful characters, not the normal read for this kind of Book. RAIN CARRINGTON has her own spin on things.
Neku is an ancient, he has made his own family.
Adam is a young man in deep trouble. He is on the run with his beloved sister Anna.
Rain Carrington has taken her writing chops in a whole new direction! This has so many great characters. SARA who is an Artist has drawn pictures at the beginning of EVERY chapter!! I have personally not seen this before in an e-book. It's AMAZING, she's sooo talented. I cannot wait until Book #2 comes out!!!

There is also a YA version of this for younger readers under R. CARRINGTON.

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book from this author and won’t be my last. You meet Neku, who is a millennium old vampire. He has created his own family but cannot do so any longer as his blood makes the recently turned boil. Adam is taking care of his sister as was requested by his mother. Neku was going to go to sleep as he was horrified what the humans were doing. They meet before that happens when Adam and Anna are on the run. This is book one in the series and cannot wait to see what happens in the next one.

I received a copy of this book for my review

[Avril Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this one! Vampires, Witches, and gay romance! What more could you ask for? The world building is superb, the characters fully fleshed and DEEP. I highly recommend this one!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book from this author and boy did she not let me down! This story gives A new life to the old vampires. I absolutely recommend this book. The characters just draw you into the story and you don't want to put it down! I can't wait to see where Adam and Neku's story goes along with all the other characters! I was given a advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

[Kuba Boltacz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a bit hard for me to fairly review and score this book. The concept is amazing, the mix of characters and their individual stories pulled me instantly and kept me going with relative ease. The execution though was were I had to take a few breathers before jumping back into the read.

The unique aspect for me is mixing witches and vampires, that’s something I’ve never seen before and here it works really well. Both types have their powers and when combined they create something unique. Big kudos for that idea.

Adam and Anna’s story was also really intriguing and kept the story going at a steady (although relatively slow) pace.

The pacing is what I have the most problems with. The book is slow, full of world building and backstories for all characters. Hopefully since we are all done with that the next one will pick it up a bit.

I also didn’t really get the chemistry between the two MCs (Adam and Neku), it was a bit too insta-lovey and at times too “I’ll sacrifice all of me and my life for you even though we just met and for the half of the book didn’t really talk to each other”. I’d really like to have this expanded much more on in the next books,

Overall it is a very quick and enjoyable read that sets up a larger story that will be happening over multiple books, If you love vampires and witches you’ll definitely find something worthwhile in here!

(I’ve received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, they had no influence on what I wrote and all the opinions are solely my own.)

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancient is the first book of this series! I like both Adam and Neko. Adam is staying at home instead of going to college, he promised his mom that he will take care of his sister. he wants to keep her safe of his abusive father. One day everything chance for both of them. On the run Adam have to do anything to keep her safe and he have to do things that he doesn’t want to do…my heart hurt for Adam and what he have to do.

Neku is a ancient vampire, He and his family feed on bad humans, all of them are really close and have a great bond. Neku have decided to sleep for a time because humanity is getting worse. He was betrayed a long time ago so he never wants to love again. Neku could no longer turn humans to vampires because his blood is so strong that it can boils a human’s brain. When Neku meet Adam he is shocked by the color of Adam’s eyes, it a sign that they are threat to ancient vampires, but he can help to be intrigued by him and feel a connection to him. Adam and Neku are so good together, I love that Adam can bring a different side of Neku, but could they really be together? Neku’s maker is also treat to both of them…
I enjoy so much this book and I can’t wait for the next book!

[Anabela.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picking this up to read was a no brainer for me, because Rain Carrington is one of my favorite authors. Maybe that's why I'm sorry to say that Ancient won't go on my list of favorites by this author. The writing was all over the place and I lost count of the times when something that happened in the book made me roll my eyes or sigh. The romance was told rather than shown, with declarations of love that come out of the blue. I liked the premises of the book and the characters were interesting, and I was intrested enough to finish reading. But, not much of the execution and content was at the levels I'm used from this author, and the abrupt ending didn't leave me intrigued enough to continue on with the series.

[Leelah🍁♋️ Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Well dang. I’ll start by saying this book was a good story. I loved the characters and the plot was intriguing. Which is why I gave it a 4. Well 3.75 more like it. The problem is I got confused at some parts. Like I didn’t understand what was happening and why it was happening. I would reread it and I couldn’t figure out why they’d do things. Then something were just childish. Like the clock part. I don’t know what to make of this honestly. I want to read the next book because of the cliffhanger they left us with, but I don’t want to go through the confusion again.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.
The combination of vampires and witches was great.
Amazing world building with complex characters.
The found family setting is one of my favorites and the author did a wonderful job of combining this little family with their differences.
The slow build-up to romance between Adam and Neku was so good.

[Ellie (On a break, mostly rereading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book when I first got it. I was lucky to be able to pick up an ARC copy for my review (which I have done very late! Sorry!). I'm not overly familiar with the author, or at least nothing comes to mind of previous works, so I went into this one with very little expectations. I was just going to get my fix of MM vampire/paranormal stories, which is my guilty pleasure.

Ancient was a great introduction into the writing of Rain Carrington. What blew me away is that from the outset the story was something very special and is very different to other vampire MM romances I've read - and I've read a lot of those. The interactions between the vampires and witches is different to what I've read before. I also found myself quickly pulled in by characters, particularly Adam, but also secondary characters Gus, Laura and Jeremiah (who are all part of Neku's chosen family). (I really don't want to gush too much and end up spoiling some of the really cool elements of the book).

The reader is guided through this world by Adam and the ancient vampire, Neku.
I personally found it really easy to connect to Adam, I enjoyed his backstory and it sets him apart. Adam is a kind-hearted sort of person, is something of a peace maker and has given up a lot in his young life to become the guardian of his younger sister. Neku is an ancient vampire surrounded by "people", that over the years, have become family. In many ways, Adam and Neku are opposites, but as the old saying goes, opposites do indeed attract. I don't always have patience for slow burn romances, but the building relationship between Adam and Neku was so engrossing I didn't realise that this wasn't going to a lightning strike of attraction, then bam, it's love.

I appreciated the contrasts in the characters: Adam is young and Neku is ancient. Adam seems to be at the start of something while Neku seems to be coming to an end. Even their families (chosen or otherwise) make a great contrast between the characters.

There sometimes there felt to be a lot of telling and description, which may deter some readers. But for me this was fine because this is an incredibly complex world of vampires and witches, and Carrington is setting the scene for a series based in this world. For me this was a relatively quick and relaxing read. I've been in a bit of a book slump lately and it was absolutely perfect to help me out of it. I can't wait to see what else is in store this series!

[looneybooks79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Adam and his sister Anna flee their home, and their abusive father who is killed during one of his rages, they are left to themselves to survive in a harsh world. The lure for money is big when Adam is offered to prostitute himself. But this puts him deeper into problems than expected. And when eventually he is the victim of a gay bashing, he’s on the brink of dying. But then along comes Neku, a 5.000 year old vampire, who saves his life and kills his attackers. Adam is initiated in the life of vampires, vampires that don’t kill for fun but only for food and only those that deserve death. But in his new family, there is fear… for him but also for Neku’s past. Because that past is about to catch up to him, after 5.000 years!

This actually took me by surprise, on how much I liked it. The writing is clear and very easy to read and the story is refreshing enough, albeit with elements of vampire lore we all know. And at the same time, some of the myth has is being debunked for this story. (Forget garlic, people! They love the smell and taste!)

This is the first book in a trilogy and it’s clear that it is because the story ends a bit abrupt, leaving us with many questions and if most readers are like me, a lot to look forward to!

I had never heard of Rain Carrington, as I don’t read a lot of M/M romance nor vampire stories, but I’m definitely not against it when reading this. For me this is a mix of ‘Call me by your Name’ and the ‘Twilight saga’ (but without the glimmering vampires, luckily)

So if you love vampires, a cool gay romance and witches, this is your cup of tea!

[stardragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neku is a very old vampire, over 5000 years. His family consists of Jeremiah, Lura, Gus, Maria and now Adam. He was turned into a vampire in Egypt when he was very young. He was also betrayed by his maker. Adam was a young man when his abusive father was killed, he grabbed his sister and ran away. He was turned by Neku after he was almost beaten to death by some lowlife homophobic’s. With this the adventure begins and Adam learns the ways of the vampire, but he has secret powers no one knows of yet. Great story so far and look forward to the next adventure.

[Dreamcatcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 star

DNF @ 60%

Ancient started out as quite an entertaining story, and I had a good feeling about it. However, things got boring from the moment Adam and Neku met. The MCs behaved very childishly, and despite this book being the adult version, it felt very young adult-ish to me.
I lost all interest in the book.

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

so.. i really liked this... it had witches.. it had vampires.. it was interesting and action filled.. it was sexy and curious.. it made me feel things and happy to read. i cant wait to read more of this series.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

2.75 stars

Ancient is the first book in Rain Carrington’s Ancient Blood series. Like my summary above, the story feels very segmented into details about Adam and Anna’s human lives versus Adam’s new life as a vampire. There is a preface that introduces Neku and his malaise about the state of the world. After that, the first chunk of the book fully explores the siblings’ relationship to one another and the mean circumstances they find themselves in. There is also a thorough explanation as to why neither Adam nor Anna can go to the police and explain what happened.

I have mixed feelings about the organization of the book. On the one hand, I liked having such a solid introduction to Adam. There was plenty of time to get a feel for what kind of person he is: industrious, responsible, and self-sacrificing. On the other hand, some elements just seemed like padding.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Leann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not For me

Maybe its just me, but I'm left feeling like this was a puzzle that someone put together wrong....
I get the child abuse trope and usually I'm all for that but I just didn't feel like in this book the two tropes of that and vampires fit very well together. None of the reactions seemed really enough I guess. And the interactions between all the vampires and Adam were just weird to me. Its like the author couldn't make up her mind wither she wanted them to like him or not.
Don't think ill be reading the next book, which sucks. Usually with a cliffhanger like that I'd be binging the next book till 3 in the morning but unfortunately I find myself with no interest to continue.

[Aimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really sure how to describe how I feel about this book. It had a good premise and I liked the overall story but something was off. It felt like it hopped around around and several times it didn’t connect and took me out of the story space. This was a very slow burn romance and then when the two MCs do get together there is NOTHING to tell…it began and end in two sentences. I was so ready for them to get hot and steamy and NADA! I’m not sure I’ll be continuing this series because it just didn’t resonate with me.

[Sabrina Morissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my take on Ancient.

My rating is 3.5 rounded to 4.
What I liked: the world building with a slightly different outlook on vampires, the selflessness of Adam, the variety of characters forming the vampire nest and chosen (made) family
What I less enjoyed: the slow pace since the 2 MCs don’t come across each other before the 30% mark, the depiction of hateful crimes, that it’s first in a series and ends with « to be continued »
I’ll still want to read the next installment though. I want to know what happens next.

[Mrs Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh..

Unfortunately I really struggled to finish this. I had hoped it would be semi cleared up, but even the cliffhanger can't bring me to continue the series.
This book needs some serious editing first and foremost. I feel like the characters were a little flat and the writing was not particularly gripping. The story had promise and I like the concepts, but this feel very short for me.

[Bella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good premise horrible follow through

Everything is explained to you like you're five. It's not an actual story it's a woes me long explanation. Very frustrating. The first part spends so much emphasis on the relationship between him and his sister and then he's gay bashed and separated from her to become a vampire where is painfully obvious he was turned to be Nekos little vampire. Doesn't seem very sincere.

[Gal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well....

Eilat stone (the stone is part of the name because it was named after a city. It was really hard to find it without the word 'stone' while I was searching) is not Turquoise. Its the same colour, but a different stone. It bothered me.

Also I didn't like the writing. The story was kind of interesting but I'm not invested enough to read the next one.

[Mildred · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is usually a go to for me, loving her work but I have no idea what happened with this book. I felt like it was all over the place. I couldn't get into it and I really wanted to since I love vampires.

[Assiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to finish it. It says it’s the adult version which led me to believe it would be more steamy but it really wasn’t. I’ll skip to the next one in the series. If you like vampire books on the whole aren’t looking for steamy you’ll like this one

[Christopher Babick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This novel was wonderful. It was different from most of the 200 page pornography like other novels of the stronger. There's an actual story line with lots of History and intrigue. It was love. There is family. And, there was a bit of sex. I cannot wait for the sequel

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting characters - Adam who is in a really bad place and has been for some time and Neku who has a problem I've certainly not seen in a vampire story before. These two make a great couple to follow and the world building kept me hooked. Can't wait for book two.

[Jan van Es · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Shelba · Rating 1 out of 5]

The POVs were all over the place, there was contradictory info, and a lot of plot holes or things that just don’t make sense.

Honestly, the story was more interesting before Adam was turned.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading more than I thought I would. Solid story and great characters. Loved the ending for Gus. Recommend reading.