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Bloodlines #1
Blood Will Out
My name's Cassandra Blackthorn. I used to hunt vampires - until a hunt went wrong, and I woke up in the morgue. I don't know why or how - all I know is that I'm not human.
The Hunters' Guild should have put me down. Instead, they let me go free, with a warning. If - when - I lose control, my life is forfeit.
Now, I'm not hunting vampires - I'm working with them. I don't trust the rebel vampire Grey, but he - and the mysterious witch Felix - are my only option.
I'm going to find the vampires who killed me. And find out what I am.
Or die trying.
Blood Will Out is a fast-paced, action-packed all-slaying-no-laying urban fantasy adventure! If you like badass female leads, mystery, and suspense, then Blood Will Out is for you - get it now!
The Hunters' Guild should have put me down. Instead, they let me go free, with a warning. If - when - I lose control, my life is forfeit.
Now, I'm not hunting vampires - I'm working with them. I don't trust the rebel vampire Grey, but he - and the mysterious witch Felix - are my only option.
I'm going to find the vampires who killed me. And find out what I am.
Or die trying.
Blood Will Out is a fast-paced, action-packed all-slaying-no-laying urban fantasy adventure! If you like badass female leads, mystery, and suspense, then Blood Will Out is for you - get it now!
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 19, 2022
11 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 23, 2023
3 stars.
I wanted a fast paced urban fantasy as a quick palette cleanser between some heavier books and this certainly fit the bill!
I like the hints of the world being established here and how our main character is beginning to question the power structures that she has taken for granted until this point in her life. It bodes well for character development in the future installments in the series.
However, I found there were some issues with repetition that once I noticed I couldn't un-see. We would be told information we already knew quite frequently, which can sometimes serve a purpose, but with how fast paced this book was, it stuck out like a sore thumb. There was almost no down time to spent getting to know the characters which means that every piece of information we get about them is key. So it felt like a shame to use a lot of that page time saying the same things.
I also felt that we skipped over some potentially very interesting scenes in order to move the plot along faster- though this may just come from my preference towards slower paced character work as a reader.
Overall though, I wanted something fun easy to read, and this book very much delivered that. I had purchased the first three books in a bundle during a sale a few weeks ago, so I do pan to continue with the second and third installments at least at some point in the future!
I wanted a fast paced urban fantasy as a quick palette cleanser between some heavier books and this certainly fit the bill!
I like the hints of the world being established here and how our main character is beginning to question the power structures that she has taken for granted until this point in her life. It bodes well for character development in the future installments in the series.
However, I found there were some issues with repetition that once I noticed I couldn't un-see. We would be told information we already knew quite frequently, which can sometimes serve a purpose, but with how fast paced this book was, it stuck out like a sore thumb. There was almost no down time to spent getting to know the characters which means that every piece of information we get about them is key. So it felt like a shame to use a lot of that page time saying the same things.
I also felt that we skipped over some potentially very interesting scenes in order to move the plot along faster- though this may just come from my preference towards slower paced character work as a reader.
Overall though, I wanted something fun easy to read, and this book very much delivered that. I had purchased the first three books in a bundle during a sale a few weeks ago, so I do pan to continue with the second and third installments at least at some point in the future!
Want to read
January 11, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
An emergency vampire hunt is called. A powerful member of the Guild is coming with our characters. This isn’t usual. There’s no time to lose.
“Less than an hour later, I was locked sword to claw with a snarling vampiress.”
This starts in a good hurry, leading with urgency, but not sparing us the cool details of getting equipped for the hunt.
Our characters are in motion, and so we begin to learn who they are by what they do, but glimpses of their character outside of hunting come through - who doesn’t love a protagonist who likes to read?
Our first person MC seems to have a switch they flip from idle to ON when it’s time to work. They lay their book aside, get kitted out from their go-bag, stakes, blades, guns and all, and their off.
The pace of this has been very appealing to me. The dialogue is tight. The narration tells me just what I need to know to be invested in the action while still hinting at the larger world of subterranean undead.
This has a World Of Darkness, urban fantasy setting vibe to it. It’s cool and active and moving right along, and at < 300pgs, I expect the story to stay tight. This is fun. I’m in!
An emergency vampire hunt is called. A powerful member of the Guild is coming with our characters. This isn’t usual. There’s no time to lose.
“Less than an hour later, I was locked sword to claw with a snarling vampiress.”
This starts in a good hurry, leading with urgency, but not sparing us the cool details of getting equipped for the hunt.
Our characters are in motion, and so we begin to learn who they are by what they do, but glimpses of their character outside of hunting come through - who doesn’t love a protagonist who likes to read?
Our first person MC seems to have a switch they flip from idle to ON when it’s time to work. They lay their book aside, get kitted out from their go-bag, stakes, blades, guns and all, and their off.
The pace of this has been very appealing to me. The dialogue is tight. The narration tells me just what I need to know to be invested in the action while still hinting at the larger world of subterranean undead.
This has a World Of Darkness, urban fantasy setting vibe to it. It’s cool and active and moving right along, and at < 300pgs, I expect the story to stay tight. This is fun. I’m in!
July 23, 2024
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
2.5*
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Possibly
Would you recommend?: Probably
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
2.5*
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Possibly
Would you recommend?: Probably
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
July 24, 2023
I received a gifted copy of BLOOD WILL OUT by Lara Lynwood from the author for the purpose of reviewing it for #SPFBO9 for @coverswithcassidy’s team.
BLOOD WILL OUT is an urban fantasy following Cassandra Blackthorn, a young woman who has been trained as a hunter. The Hunter’s Guild lives by strict codes, so when a vampire hunt goes horribly wrong and she recovers from a mortal wound, Cassandra is forced out as a non-human. Cassandra knows it could have been worse, the guild could have ended her life, but still she has no friends or family outside of the guild.
Cassandra doesn’t understand how she survived or how she came to be something other than human. With few resources at her disposal, she sets out to find the vampires to took her down, ones who seemed to know more about her than she knows herself. This means venturing into the world of those she’s been hunting and teaming up with those previously considered enemies.
I was quickly drawn into this book and I really enjoyed my time with it. It was a really quick read and very action packed so it really kept my attention and flew by. There’s a bit of an infodump in the beginning, but I think that was needed in order to get the reader up to speed with the action and it wasn’t a lengthy process.
We are following in the head of someone who was orphaned young and raised by the hunters, so her view is very much set in their beliefs and mindsets in the beginning. As she gets to know her vampire guide Grey, I liked the ways she was forced to reconsider and question all the beliefs indoctrinated in her. Given that this is the first book in a series, I will be interested to see how this develops even further.
The author created some interesting lore around the vampires of this world and the politics of their community living mostly beneath the city. Some of this felt familiar from other vampire stories, but there were a good amount of differences too.
There was a bit more that I wanted in terms of the world building. Early on we are told that Cassandra is branded as non-human and we’re given glimpses of what this means. In this world, those not human can’t be trusted not to go on a rampage and kill humans. I just wanted a little bit more about what types of creatures these non-humans (and non-vampires) were.
Cassandra was a very interesting character to follow, but given the very action/plot heavy nature of the book, I did want a little more from her as a character. She is very upset to be kicked out of the guild and we do see her break down about this shortly after. Still, I wanted a bit more lingering emotion given that she has lost nearly everything in her life all at once. We get some flashbacks to her past with the guild and the people there so we’re getting good history, I just wanted a bit more from the emotion.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would definitely look to pick up the rest of the series! This was really easy to binge read. I think if you like stories like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Shadowhunters, this would have some similar vibes to check out!
BLOOD WILL OUT is an urban fantasy following Cassandra Blackthorn, a young woman who has been trained as a hunter. The Hunter’s Guild lives by strict codes, so when a vampire hunt goes horribly wrong and she recovers from a mortal wound, Cassandra is forced out as a non-human. Cassandra knows it could have been worse, the guild could have ended her life, but still she has no friends or family outside of the guild.
Cassandra doesn’t understand how she survived or how she came to be something other than human. With few resources at her disposal, she sets out to find the vampires to took her down, ones who seemed to know more about her than she knows herself. This means venturing into the world of those she’s been hunting and teaming up with those previously considered enemies.
I was quickly drawn into this book and I really enjoyed my time with it. It was a really quick read and very action packed so it really kept my attention and flew by. There’s a bit of an infodump in the beginning, but I think that was needed in order to get the reader up to speed with the action and it wasn’t a lengthy process.
We are following in the head of someone who was orphaned young and raised by the hunters, so her view is very much set in their beliefs and mindsets in the beginning. As she gets to know her vampire guide Grey, I liked the ways she was forced to reconsider and question all the beliefs indoctrinated in her. Given that this is the first book in a series, I will be interested to see how this develops even further.
The author created some interesting lore around the vampires of this world and the politics of their community living mostly beneath the city. Some of this felt familiar from other vampire stories, but there were a good amount of differences too.
There was a bit more that I wanted in terms of the world building. Early on we are told that Cassandra is branded as non-human and we’re given glimpses of what this means. In this world, those not human can’t be trusted not to go on a rampage and kill humans. I just wanted a little bit more about what types of creatures these non-humans (and non-vampires) were.
Cassandra was a very interesting character to follow, but given the very action/plot heavy nature of the book, I did want a little more from her as a character. She is very upset to be kicked out of the guild and we do see her break down about this shortly after. Still, I wanted a bit more lingering emotion given that she has lost nearly everything in her life all at once. We get some flashbacks to her past with the guild and the people there so we’re getting good history, I just wanted a bit more from the emotion.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would definitely look to pick up the rest of the series! This was really easy to binge read. I think if you like stories like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Shadowhunters, this would have some similar vibes to check out!
May 26, 2023
3.5 stars. Overall I am not a fan of modern vampire books but I had fun with this - a vampire book without romance and "sparkly" vamps.
I really enjoyed the female vampire hunter protagonist, especially as she started learning to overcome years of what she'd thought was true and that the world was not black and white as she'd been taught.
Lynwood creates an excellent world in the tunnels; I certainly got a feeling of claustrophobia and a slight sense of terror in the dark setting and like our protagonist a feeling of relief in the momentary respites of light. Childhood memories of things that go "bump in the night" certainly pervade.
Will pick up book 2 at some point as these scratch my urban fantasy itch and are perfect reads between the usual grimdark I gravitate towards.
I really enjoyed the female vampire hunter protagonist, especially as she started learning to overcome years of what she'd thought was true and that the world was not black and white as she'd been taught.
Lynwood creates an excellent world in the tunnels; I certainly got a feeling of claustrophobia and a slight sense of terror in the dark setting and like our protagonist a feeling of relief in the momentary respites of light. Childhood memories of things that go "bump in the night" certainly pervade.
Will pick up book 2 at some point as these scratch my urban fantasy itch and are perfect reads between the usual grimdark I gravitate towards.
August 23, 2023
Cassandra Blackthorn is a hunter for the Guild, fighting vampires to protect the citizenry. She fights as assigned by the job board posted at the Guild. Marci fights with her along with her sponsor and trainer. Then suddenly she is killed in a battle against two nobility vampires. When she awakes, she is in the morgue and all are surprised, including the leaders of the Guild. They kick her out of the Guild for all time and Cassandra has to find out why as she goes to find and kill the two vampires that killed her. Filled with action, questions, and strange alliances, this novella will be sure to keep you guessing and lead you to want more.
August 2, 2023
An exciting adventure into the dark, Blood Will Out is an easy-to-read urban fantasy that showcases a variety of characters and supernatural creatures. The world is rich and complex but not at all hard to immerse yourself in. Cass is a flawed heroine and main charcter that it's easy to take the ride with. And I'd die for Luka.
If you like fresh but familiar takes on urban fantasy adventure with a dash of mystery, lots of variety, and some amazing found family elements, this book (and the next 3 at least) are for you.
If you like fresh but familiar takes on urban fantasy adventure with a dash of mystery, lots of variety, and some amazing found family elements, this book (and the next 3 at least) are for you.
September 3, 2023
💜🤗💀VERY GOOD DISCOVERY!
Marci came to pick up Cassandra who was reading.
They had to join Carmen who was waiting for them to go on a mission.
Cassandra was surprised.
Why did the head of the Guild want to send his assistant Carmen to supervise the two hunters that they were? ?...
---------------------------------
This is a very good Fantasy adventure novel, full of action and mysteries.
From the first pages, I loved the main character of Cass as well as the plot of the novel.
I really liked the secondary characters of Felix and Grey.
I can't wait to read more!
I recommend
Marci came to pick up Cassandra who was reading.
They had to join Carmen who was waiting for them to go on a mission.
Cassandra was surprised.
Why did the head of the Guild want to send his assistant Carmen to supervise the two hunters that they were? ?...
---------------------------------
This is a very good Fantasy adventure novel, full of action and mysteries.
From the first pages, I loved the main character of Cass as well as the plot of the novel.
I really liked the secondary characters of Felix and Grey.
I can't wait to read more!
I recommend
August 29, 2023
So this is a great read, I love urban fantasy, but for me the characters are the best part. They are flawed, and while extraordinary also relatable, and someone you can connect to and that's what people need. Cass especially was someone I could sympathize with and connect to on a personal level. This book made it seem like people you could know. Best kind of characters.
September 22, 2023
This was an absolutely exciting book from start to finish. I always love a new take on things and this absolutely was. I love stories about vampires in the first place but this was way more than that especially when it came to the other "beasties" described! Fast paced, full of action and wit. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Great read.
November 26, 2023
This book was a good start for a fantasy series but I felt there was something missing in the story. Maybe it needs more time for growth?
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
May 21, 2025
4.5
this was everything I wanted from Darkfever, but with vampires and characters I actually care about.
this was everything I wanted from Darkfever, but with vampires and characters I actually care about.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews