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Vampire #1
Blood Born
When the human and the vampire worlds collide, there will be hell to pay. Luca Ambrus is a rare vampire from birth, begotten by vampire parents, blood born. He is also an agent of the Council—the centuries-old cabal that governs vampirekind, preserving their secrecy and destroying those who betray them.When a cryptic summons leads him to the scene of the brutal killing of a powerful Council member, Luca begins the hunt for an assassin among his own people. But instead of a lone killer he discovers a sinister conspiracy of rogue vampires bent on subjugating the mortal world.All that stands in their way are the conduits, humans able to channel spirit warriors into the physical world to protect mankind. Chloe Fallon is a conduit—and a target of the vampire assassin who’s killing them. When Luca saves her life, an irresistible bond of trust—along with more passionate feelings—is forged between them. As more victims fall, Chloe and Luca have only each other to depend on to save the world from the reign of monsters—and salvage their own future together.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
186 people are currently reading
1318 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
223 books7,179 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
July 20, 2018
As far as Vampire Paranormal Romances go, it was fine. The characters were interesting enough, the world was cool, there was action. But, there was too much repetition. You would read about something like why she had a deep-seated fear of balloons (globaphobia - it's a thing), and then a few pages later, or in the next chapter, you would have to read the same thing told over again as if it was new. It felt like when you are talking to an old person and they tell you the same story over and over again as if you've never heard it before.
And, then there was too much rambling. I felt like the book just need a strict editor with a red marker. Desperately.
Because of all of the unnecessary words, this cool story became a little monotonous at times.
So, here's the deal:
We have our heroine, Chloe. She's a human with a brain aneurysm, which means she could die at any moment. She is also a "conduit" for an immortal warrior race that only comes to our world when human existence is endangered. There are tons of conduits in the world, they are descendants of these warriors and the only way a warrior could move from their plane of existence to ours. So, they are important.
The few. The special. The chosen.
Our hero is Lucas, a vampire executioner. He has some weird magic thing going where nobody can remember him as soon as he is out of their sights, so he is constantly having to reintroduce himself to everyone around him. Talk about an annoying skill? Obviously, it is a good thing and bad thing for Lucas. Good news? He can steal someone's cupcake and they won't remember it was him. Bad news? If he spends the night with a woman she freaks out in the morning wondering who the stranger in her bed is. Also, he never gets his Starbucks coffee.
Surprisingly, there are bad vampires and they are planning on taking over the planet. Since the eternal warriors seem to know this, they are arriving through their conduits to fight for humans. But, checkmate, warriors, because the bad vamps know this is happening, so they are just killing all the conduits. Lucas' goal is to keep Chloe, the conduit alive. Because she's special. Like, really special. So special that she do something no other human can do. I won't tell you that would spoil it. Let's just say she would be good at "Bop It!" (Remember that game? By the way, this was the only non-porn meme I could find for Bop-it)
See? Didn't spoil it at all. (It's in the beginning of the book. Really not a spoiler.)
Like I said, the story was entertaining enough, and neither of the main characters were annoying. There was a pretty cool bad-guy that I even liked. It just needed to be edited.
And, then there was too much rambling. I felt like the book just need a strict editor with a red marker. Desperately.
Because of all of the unnecessary words, this cool story became a little monotonous at times.
So, here's the deal:
We have our heroine, Chloe. She's a human with a brain aneurysm, which means she could die at any moment. She is also a "conduit" for an immortal warrior race that only comes to our world when human existence is endangered. There are tons of conduits in the world, they are descendants of these warriors and the only way a warrior could move from their plane of existence to ours. So, they are important.
The few. The special. The chosen.
Our hero is Lucas, a vampire executioner. He has some weird magic thing going where nobody can remember him as soon as he is out of their sights, so he is constantly having to reintroduce himself to everyone around him. Talk about an annoying skill? Obviously, it is a good thing and bad thing for Lucas. Good news? He can steal someone's cupcake and they won't remember it was him. Bad news? If he spends the night with a woman she freaks out in the morning wondering who the stranger in her bed is. Also, he never gets his Starbucks coffee.
Surprisingly, there are bad vampires and they are planning on taking over the planet. Since the eternal warriors seem to know this, they are arriving through their conduits to fight for humans. But, checkmate, warriors, because the bad vamps know this is happening, so they are just killing all the conduits. Lucas' goal is to keep Chloe, the conduit alive. Because she's special. Like, really special. So special that she do something no other human can do. I won't tell you that would spoil it. Let's just say she would be good at "Bop It!" (Remember that game? By the way, this was the only non-porn meme I could find for Bop-it)
See? Didn't spoil it at all. (It's in the beginning of the book. Really not a spoiler.)
Like I said, the story was entertaining enough, and neither of the main characters were annoying. There was a pretty cool bad-guy that I even liked. It just needed to be edited.
July 13, 2018
I must admit it took me several months to finish reading this book. Not because it was awful or boring or anything, but because I initially had a trouble getting into the story. The first chapter didn’t pull me into the book instantly and I found myself struggling with the way the story was told at the beginning. I tried to continue reading, but every time I picked it up, I ended up falling asleep after only a few pages.
But fortunately, around the 15% mark, I felt like the book and I just really clicked for the first time and I finally got into the groove of the story. And honestly, from then on, I couldn't stop reading!
There was so much happened in the book that I felt like I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, especially in the second half. I enjoyed almost everything, from the plot to the characters to the romance and the action scenes and also every twist and turn.
I can tell you that the book with almost 500 pages is a long read for me but this one was really worth it. Well, it was certainly long, but I still want it longer!
I hope Linda Howard writes more paranormal romance. More vampires and warriors, please!
Recommend this book for fans of paranormal/fantasy romance.
But fortunately, around the 15% mark, I felt like the book and I just really clicked for the first time and I finally got into the groove of the story. And honestly, from then on, I couldn't stop reading!
There was so much happened in the book that I felt like I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, especially in the second half. I enjoyed almost everything, from the plot to the characters to the romance and the action scenes and also every twist and turn.
I can tell you that the book with almost 500 pages is a long read for me but this one was really worth it. Well, it was certainly long, but I still want it longer!
I hope Linda Howard writes more paranormal romance. More vampires and warriors, please!
Recommend this book for fans of paranormal/fantasy romance.
May 24, 2022
I'm a big paranormal romance/urban fantasy fan and I've enjoyed some of Linda Howard's mainstream romance books previously. So when I saw she had written something in the paranormal genre, I thought it'd be a slam dunk. I was disappointed. The book was slow and boring. It's one of those books where the authors do the world building as data dumps of information, explaining everything to the reader instead of letting the information build more naturally during action and dialogue. And the the setting/story was unoriginal--the hero was an ancient vampire who hunted rogues on behalf of the vampire council. That has been done in so many other books previously, and done much better than this one. It finally picked up midway through and got a little better, but the first half really dragged the book down.
If you are looking for great paranormal romance, here are some others that I really enjoyed and recommend:
Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
Psy Changelings and Guild Hunters by Nalini Singh
Elder Races by Thea Harrison
Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews (also love her Kate Daniels UF books)
The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy by Hailey Edwards
Tairen Soul by CL Wilson
World of Lupi by Eileen Wilks
Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward
Iron Seas by Meljean Brook
Deals with Demons by Stacia Stark
Demonica by Larissa Ione
Or if you haven't read Linda Howard before and want to give some of her better books a try, I enjoyed:
Cry No More
Mr Perfect
Now You See Her
All the Queen's Men
If you are looking for great paranormal romance, here are some others that I really enjoyed and recommend:
Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
Psy Changelings and Guild Hunters by Nalini Singh
Elder Races by Thea Harrison
Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews (also love her Kate Daniels UF books)
The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy by Hailey Edwards
Tairen Soul by CL Wilson
World of Lupi by Eileen Wilks
Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward
Iron Seas by Meljean Brook
Deals with Demons by Stacia Stark
Demonica by Larissa Ione
Or if you haven't read Linda Howard before and want to give some of her better books a try, I enjoyed:
Cry No More
Mr Perfect
Now You See Her
All the Queen's Men
June 30, 2015
You know it's a terrible night when you dnf-ed your favorite author's work.
As much as I liked the story line of this book- a hot executioner vampire protecting a human to some rogue assassins which are also blood suckers- I have to let this one go. This one has too much explanations that I find myself skipping some pages. And what's the point of reading a book if you'll just skip some parts of it?
November 2, 2020
Highlander (or maybe Wheel-of-Time's Birgitte subplot) meets BtVS? I dunno. BB was pretty silly overall, and there was just one--one!--decent LH sex scene, so all that potential hot vampire sex never really emerged. Neither did a plausible plot--there was too much fluffy and trite "fantasy" silliness: "guardian" warriors from another dimension, vampire factions battling in a human-domination plot that was plucked straight out of season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Angel and Buffy Luca and Chloe help to save the world... for now (sequel-establishing cliffhanger ending). The otherworldly Warriors didn't seem like great shakes when one finally arrived, and the whole conduit thing didn't really make a lot of sense. The superpowered young witch able to restore Angel's soul break the "invitation" spell was silly too--what were the vamps going to do when that happened? they were still vastly outnumbered. Oh golly, thinking about this with any degree of logic hurts.
I am a forgiving reader generally--I don't expect great literature from mainstream paranormal romance, but I do expect compelling MCs, a central conflict that bears scrutiny, some originality. I didn't really get that here.
I am a forgiving reader generally--I don't expect great literature from mainstream paranormal romance, but I do expect compelling MCs, a central conflict that bears scrutiny, some originality. I didn't really get that here.
May 3, 2010
A war is brewing.
A faction of rebels among the vampire society are determined to gain the upper hand the vampires should've always had, lead the world with humans as mere food source.
And the rebels have quite a good shot at world domination. They're systematically killing those humans selected as conduits to call immortal warriors to war from "the other side". Render the humans completely defenseless and you can rule the world. Add to it the possible breaking of the sanctuary spell that prevents a vampire from entering a human home and they're the rulers of the world.
There's just a small fly in the ointment. Luca Ambrus, one of the few blood borns (both parents were vampires when he was conceived, making him that much more stronger and faster) with a strange fascination for a human woman. Chloe Fallon is a conduit and the only human immune to Luca's "curse". She remembers him. And she just got herself one heck of a bodyguard.
The war just got interesting.
Whoa. This book literally left me speechless. There's so much going on, so many sideline plots, twists, turns, interesting characters, inner and outer turmoil, truth, lies, mythos and legends to keep the reader on her/his toes, and not bore us to tears.
Though sometimes the first books in such series are rather tedious, thanks to the extensive world-building and history/legend/myhology creating, but this one was surprisingly easy and entertaining to read from beginning to end.
Sure, there were a few slow moments, mostly due to the vast inner monologuing, and there were repetitive instances (the constant reminding us that no one remembers Luca, for example, got a little annoying toward the end), but still this was one of the fastest paced, intriguing, tension-filled, nail-biting first books in a series I've read in a long time.
The romance part had a little to be desired, but the paranormal plot and the news of the brewing rebellion more than compensated for that little hiccup.
Great characters, wonderful pacing, good and tight plot, and some pretty kick-ass action scenes (I loved the final battle sequence). Now I can hardly wait for the sequel and I really hope it will be as good (or better) than this one.
A highly recommended 5-star read!
A faction of rebels among the vampire society are determined to gain the upper hand the vampires should've always had, lead the world with humans as mere food source.
And the rebels have quite a good shot at world domination. They're systematically killing those humans selected as conduits to call immortal warriors to war from "the other side". Render the humans completely defenseless and you can rule the world. Add to it the possible breaking of the sanctuary spell that prevents a vampire from entering a human home and they're the rulers of the world.
There's just a small fly in the ointment. Luca Ambrus, one of the few blood borns (both parents were vampires when he was conceived, making him that much more stronger and faster) with a strange fascination for a human woman. Chloe Fallon is a conduit and the only human immune to Luca's "curse". She remembers him. And she just got herself one heck of a bodyguard.
The war just got interesting.
Whoa. This book literally left me speechless. There's so much going on, so many sideline plots, twists, turns, interesting characters, inner and outer turmoil, truth, lies, mythos and legends to keep the reader on her/his toes, and not bore us to tears.
Though sometimes the first books in such series are rather tedious, thanks to the extensive world-building and history/legend/myhology creating, but this one was surprisingly easy and entertaining to read from beginning to end.
Sure, there were a few slow moments, mostly due to the vast inner monologuing, and there were repetitive instances (the constant reminding us that no one remembers Luca, for example, got a little annoying toward the end), but still this was one of the fastest paced, intriguing, tension-filled, nail-biting first books in a series I've read in a long time.
The romance part had a little to be desired, but the paranormal plot and the news of the brewing rebellion more than compensated for that little hiccup.
Great characters, wonderful pacing, good and tight plot, and some pretty kick-ass action scenes (I loved the final battle sequence). Now I can hardly wait for the sequel and I really hope it will be as good (or better) than this one.
A highly recommended 5-star read!
April 29, 2010
This could have been a very good book. If you could take out the annoying repetitiveness that wastes many a page, and the interminable inner monologues between almost every sentence uttered by any of the characters, there is some promise underneath.
Some very interesting world building and good characters to carry a series with if they would just have some conversations to bring the various aspects and personalities out instead of the info dumping that goes on and on.
Chole has a great personality. She is feisty with several funny outbursts but there was so little actual conversation/true interaction between she and Luca that you are never completely satisfied.
Of all the vampire PNR in the last year Blood Born has one of my favorite lines. As Chloe discovers and tries to make sense of "what" Luca is she rants..... "assuming you actually LIVE somewhere, instead of hanging upside down in a cave." :0)
If you could bring all the good parts of this book together you'd have a very good Silhouette Nocturne. I'll be trying out the next in the series and hoping that these authors have pulled it much more tightly together by then.
Some very interesting world building and good characters to carry a series with if they would just have some conversations to bring the various aspects and personalities out instead of the info dumping that goes on and on.
Chole has a great personality. She is feisty with several funny outbursts but there was so little actual conversation/true interaction between she and Luca that you are never completely satisfied.
Of all the vampire PNR in the last year Blood Born has one of my favorite lines. As Chloe discovers and tries to make sense of "what" Luca is she rants..... "assuming you actually LIVE somewhere, instead of hanging upside down in a cave." :0)
If you could bring all the good parts of this book together you'd have a very good Silhouette Nocturne. I'll be trying out the next in the series and hoping that these authors have pulled it much more tightly together by then.
May 23, 2010
A fantastic read, great plot. lots of action. The main Character is a rare blood born vampire who is two thousand years old and very powerful. Lucas Ambrus is an agent of a vampire council that governs vampirekind. He helps them preserve their secrecy and destroys any who betray them.
His good friend is killed and he uncovers a sinister conspiracy of rogue vampires bent on taking over the earth and enslaving humans. Chole Fallon is a conduit and a target because she can bring forth the spirit warrior that can kill the vampires. After Lucas saves her life they bond and they fall in love. Many other things happen including a witch named Neveda that breaks the spell allowing vampires to enter homes without an invitation. The battle ensues and doesn't end but Chole gets stabbed by the vampire queen and Lucas has to turn her inorder for her to live. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one called Warrior Rising coming spring 2011.
His good friend is killed and he uncovers a sinister conspiracy of rogue vampires bent on taking over the earth and enslaving humans. Chole Fallon is a conduit and a target because she can bring forth the spirit warrior that can kill the vampires. After Lucas saves her life they bond and they fall in love. Many other things happen including a witch named Neveda that breaks the spell allowing vampires to enter homes without an invitation. The battle ensues and doesn't end but Chole gets stabbed by the vampire queen and Lucas has to turn her inorder for her to live. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one called Warrior Rising coming spring 2011.
May 13, 2010
Luca, a sexy beast who was born a vampire, works for the Council. This group polices his kind to make sure that their secrets will remain safely hidden from the human world.
When a Council leader has been slayed by none other than a vampire, Luca sets out to find and destroy the one responsible. If only things could be that simple. There is more going on with some of the Council members than meets the eye. In an attempt to change the way vampire's have lived in the past, a group of rogue vampires are determined to change the future in unimaginable ways.
Loved it! I really enjoy conspiracy theories and vampires, so I got two in one with this book. The writing was great and the vivid details made me feel like I was right there in the action.
When a Council leader has been slayed by none other than a vampire, Luca sets out to find and destroy the one responsible. If only things could be that simple. There is more going on with some of the Council members than meets the eye. In an attempt to change the way vampire's have lived in the past, a group of rogue vampires are determined to change the future in unimaginable ways.
Loved it! I really enjoy conspiracy theories and vampires, so I got two in one with this book. The writing was great and the vivid details made me feel like I was right there in the action.
May 12, 2010
Read Full Review Here
blood born: most powerful vampire that exists – naturally born from two vampires
warriors: immortal fighters that exist on a different plane, sent via a conduit to save the human race from slavery
conduits: human descendants from warriors and the only way for warriors to enter the human realm. Fiercely hunted down by rebel vampires and killed.
Disclaimer: I’ve been a huge Linda Howard fan since I first read Dream Man; when I received Blood Born for review (a new “UF” book) I was beyond excited. Like twirl with the book in my hand excited…
The story is told from 4 main characters Luca, Chole, Nevada, and Sorin. Vampire rebels are killing off conduits, (rare human descendants from Warriors) and without the presence of conduits warriors cannot appear in the human realm to save the human race from a vampiric hostile takeover.
Blood Born is a pleasant surprise as the authors focus on creating a different take on vampires and humans, foreshadowing a future war that will pit the vampires against the human’s champions…the warriors. In this world vampires are cold, calculating creatures that have little to no emotion whatsoever, their humanity traded for a chance at immortality. Humans are considered no better than cattle, and vampires should NOT have to hide themselves from these pesky humans. It is time for the birth of a new era, an era where Vampires rule!
The Cast
Luca is one of the rare vampires that are blood born, he is investigating the death of one of the vampire that sits on the council, there is a traitor among the vampires.
Chole is a conduit only she doesn’t know it (yet). Hunted by a vampire, she is saved by Luca. Only she isn’t safe, not one bit. The rebel vampires have a person on the inside that can sniff out conduits thus assigning their executions. In order to save herself she must ‘bond’ with Luca and I don’t mean shake hands *exaggerate wink*; she must tie herself to this alien stranger or risk death.
Sorin, captain of the vampire rebels, willingly hunts down and kills conduits. He wants nothing more than to see his kind in power, vampires are the superior race. The human ‘animals’ will learn their place…as tasty snacks on the food chain. He’ll do anything to achieve this.
Nevada is an untrained witch that is being held hostage by the vampires in order to remove the only spell left to protect humans from vampires…once removed, vampires will be able to come in uninvited. With her family held hostage she has no choice but to work for the vampires.
Can the warriors protect the human race in time….?
The secondary characters Sorin and Nevada provided an interesting side story. Sorin is part of the rebel vampires that kill conduits to prevent warriors from entering the human realm. He is very cold but you can’t help but be intrigued by his hidden humanity and his growing affection for Nevada. I must have liked him too much as it overshadowed my connection with the main romance between Chole and Luca. I did feel that some aspects of their relationship were a bit tricky since vampires view humans as a lessor class, and this was glossed over a bit with Chole and Luca’s relationship. However, I am most excited for the future books as the authors left us on the precipice of war and I can’t wait to read more about Sorin and the warriors!
Blood Born is a good start to a new vampire series that has me looking forward to the next installments. Team Warrior-Human all the way!
Rating
3 1/2
Next Story is with Sorin and Iklayina (Immortal warrior)
blood born: most powerful vampire that exists – naturally born from two vampires
warriors: immortal fighters that exist on a different plane, sent via a conduit to save the human race from slavery
conduits: human descendants from warriors and the only way for warriors to enter the human realm. Fiercely hunted down by rebel vampires and killed.
Disclaimer: I’ve been a huge Linda Howard fan since I first read Dream Man; when I received Blood Born for review (a new “UF” book) I was beyond excited. Like twirl with the book in my hand excited…
The story is told from 4 main characters Luca, Chole, Nevada, and Sorin. Vampire rebels are killing off conduits, (rare human descendants from Warriors) and without the presence of conduits warriors cannot appear in the human realm to save the human race from a vampiric hostile takeover.
Blood Born is a pleasant surprise as the authors focus on creating a different take on vampires and humans, foreshadowing a future war that will pit the vampires against the human’s champions…the warriors. In this world vampires are cold, calculating creatures that have little to no emotion whatsoever, their humanity traded for a chance at immortality. Humans are considered no better than cattle, and vampires should NOT have to hide themselves from these pesky humans. It is time for the birth of a new era, an era where Vampires rule!
The Cast
Luca is one of the rare vampires that are blood born, he is investigating the death of one of the vampire that sits on the council, there is a traitor among the vampires.
Chole is a conduit only she doesn’t know it (yet). Hunted by a vampire, she is saved by Luca. Only she isn’t safe, not one bit. The rebel vampires have a person on the inside that can sniff out conduits thus assigning their executions. In order to save herself she must ‘bond’ with Luca and I don’t mean shake hands *exaggerate wink*; she must tie herself to this alien stranger or risk death.
Sorin, captain of the vampire rebels, willingly hunts down and kills conduits. He wants nothing more than to see his kind in power, vampires are the superior race. The human ‘animals’ will learn their place…as tasty snacks on the food chain. He’ll do anything to achieve this.
Nevada is an untrained witch that is being held hostage by the vampires in order to remove the only spell left to protect humans from vampires…once removed, vampires will be able to come in uninvited. With her family held hostage she has no choice but to work for the vampires.
Can the warriors protect the human race in time….?
The secondary characters Sorin and Nevada provided an interesting side story. Sorin is part of the rebel vampires that kill conduits to prevent warriors from entering the human realm. He is very cold but you can’t help but be intrigued by his hidden humanity and his growing affection for Nevada. I must have liked him too much as it overshadowed my connection with the main romance between Chole and Luca. I did feel that some aspects of their relationship were a bit tricky since vampires view humans as a lessor class, and this was glossed over a bit with Chole and Luca’s relationship. However, I am most excited for the future books as the authors left us on the precipice of war and I can’t wait to read more about Sorin and the warriors!
Blood Born is a good start to a new vampire series that has me looking forward to the next installments. Team Warrior-Human all the way!
Rating
3 1/2
Next Story is with Sorin and Iklayina (Immortal warrior)
June 27, 2014
My main problem with this book is an extension of my problem with the majority of Linda Howard's more recent publications: too much time spent on ancillary characters. This book seemed like it was even worse than most of hers (and that includes "Prey" where we got quality time inside the head of a homicidal bear). In fact, this book felt almost entirely like filler. I would estimate I got about 40% of the book with the characters on the back of the book, Chloe and Luca, and the remainder of the book seemed like it focused on interesting-but-also-not-the-reason-I-bought-the-book-characters like Soren and Nevada (apologies if I'm spelling names wrong - I was listening to the audio version so I'm not sure I am guessing correctly) or uninteresting wooden characters like Regina (the bad guy) or the multiple killings of random conduits (and gosh weren't those murder scenes just a bag o' fun) or a conduit named Jimmy who, while he wasn't a bad character, I also wasn't sure why I was expected to spend so much time inside his head or what it added to the story.
Basically, this book felt like filler. I didn't feel like I spent the majority (or even half) of the book with the characters I got the book to read about and that's one of my pet peeves. I'm not sure why Linda Howard has started doing this in her more recent books, but I believe I'm done with any of her books published after 2005. I'm not adding her to my Never Buy This Author Again shelf because I still completely intend to find and devour a good chunk of her backlog, but I'm giving up on finding new stuff to enjoy from her.
That aside, honestly the book wasn't bad, it just wasn't the book I wanted to read. I feel a little bad giving it only two stars, but according to the Goodreads scale, two stars means "It was okay". And that's what this was: okay. I'll admit to being curious to seeing how the series plays out, but considering that it was published in 2010 and at the time of this review, it's four years later, I'm thinking the Lindas Howard and Jones aren't that interested in continuing it and honestly, even if a second book was published tomorrow, after the frustration with this one, I'm not sure I'm interested in continuing. Luca, Chloe and the rest of the heroes of this book were fun and the ending definitely has me curious, but the Howard and Jones A.D.D. when it comes to characters and story has just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Basically, this book felt like filler. I didn't feel like I spent the majority (or even half) of the book with the characters I got the book to read about and that's one of my pet peeves. I'm not sure why Linda Howard has started doing this in her more recent books, but I believe I'm done with any of her books published after 2005. I'm not adding her to my Never Buy This Author Again shelf because I still completely intend to find and devour a good chunk of her backlog, but I'm giving up on finding new stuff to enjoy from her.
That aside, honestly the book wasn't bad, it just wasn't the book I wanted to read. I feel a little bad giving it only two stars, but according to the Goodreads scale, two stars means "It was okay". And that's what this was: okay. I'll admit to being curious to seeing how the series plays out, but considering that it was published in 2010 and at the time of this review, it's four years later, I'm thinking the Lindas Howard and Jones aren't that interested in continuing it and honestly, even if a second book was published tomorrow, after the frustration with this one, I'm not sure I'm interested in continuing. Luca, Chloe and the rest of the heroes of this book were fun and the ending definitely has me curious, but the Howard and Jones A.D.D. when it comes to characters and story has just left a bad taste in my mouth.
September 13, 2016
Too slow. Not on par for Linda Howard. Despite the paranormal edge, not as engrossing as Dream Man or Son of the Morning. Narration by Vanessa Hart is great, but she had doubtful material to work with. If only an editor had cut 150 pages.
This plot has promise, and I liked the lead couple, but...a frustrating listening experience. With two authors, everything was repeated to the point of annoyance, at least 4x (as if I'm too stupid to remember that Luca can tolerate the sun, or that nobody has ever remembered his name, or that Nevada is worried about her family, or ...). Every key point was repeated, mostly in the meandering thoughts of several characters. Lots of scene shifting. Lots of head hopping, in 3rd person POV. Because of info dumping and redundancy, the pace is slow, and Luca doesn't even meet Chloe till about 25% into the book, approx page 100.
There is no sequel, but this story felt finished. No big cliff hanger.
See my reading status updates.
Below, I affirm what another reviewer said (Gamast);
This could have been a very good book. If you could take out the annoying repetitiveness that wastes many a page, and the interminable inner monologues between almost every sentence uttered by any of the characters, there is some promise underneath.
Some very interesting world building and good characters to carry a series with if they would just have some conversations to bring the various aspects and personalities out instead of the info dumping that goes on and on.
This plot has promise, and I liked the lead couple, but...a frustrating listening experience. With two authors, everything was repeated to the point of annoyance, at least 4x (as if I'm too stupid to remember that Luca can tolerate the sun, or that nobody has ever remembered his name, or that Nevada is worried about her family, or ...). Every key point was repeated, mostly in the meandering thoughts of several characters. Lots of scene shifting. Lots of head hopping, in 3rd person POV. Because of info dumping and redundancy, the pace is slow, and Luca doesn't even meet Chloe till about 25% into the book, approx page 100.
There is no sequel, but this story felt finished. No big cliff hanger.
See my reading status updates.
Below, I affirm what another reviewer said (Gamast);
This could have been a very good book. If you could take out the annoying repetitiveness that wastes many a page, and the interminable inner monologues between almost every sentence uttered by any of the characters, there is some promise underneath.
Some very interesting world building and good characters to carry a series with if they would just have some conversations to bring the various aspects and personalities out instead of the info dumping that goes on and on.
May 24, 2010
A vampire book for adults! Sorry, I'm just so sick of the whole "Twilight" thing going on now.
Anyway, wow! This was a new take on an old theme. Good guys, bad guys, "sex and blood." What scene, by the way. This was the only part of the book that bothered me. Then, I thought about it, and well, okay. There were feelings there already.
Luca is hot. Chloe is real, funny, and very likable. She doesn't whine, but does what needs to get done with insights into her inner struggle.
I must admit, however, that I had to buy the book even though I checked out the audio. There were soooooo many freaking story lines going on that I kinda got lost. Ok. The narrator's voice also annoyed me at times.
I really liked the parts with Nevada and Sorin. Their relationship went somewhere I hadn't really expected, but I was happy with it. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
A quick, satisfying read that wet my appetite for the next, and final, installment in this series.
Anyway, wow! This was a new take on an old theme. Good guys, bad guys, "sex and blood." What scene, by the way. This was the only part of the book that bothered me. Then, I thought about it, and well, okay. There were feelings there already.
Luca is hot. Chloe is real, funny, and very likable. She doesn't whine, but does what needs to get done with insights into her inner struggle.
I must admit, however, that I had to buy the book even though I checked out the audio. There were soooooo many freaking story lines going on that I kinda got lost. Ok. The narrator's voice also annoyed me at times.
I really liked the parts with Nevada and Sorin. Their relationship went somewhere I hadn't really expected, but I was happy with it. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
A quick, satisfying read that wet my appetite for the next, and final, installment in this series.
March 2, 2020
Vampire Romances
I really enjoy Linda Howard's books but I was really disappointed with "Blood Born". Didn't care for any of the characters nor the storyline. Blood Born was very slow with all those lenghty descriptive narratives, endless internal musings about pasts, present and possible futures and there were so many characters introduced. I guess vampires are not just my "thing".
I really enjoy Linda Howard's books but I was really disappointed with "Blood Born". Didn't care for any of the characters nor the storyline. Blood Born was very slow with all those lenghty descriptive narratives, endless internal musings about pasts, present and possible futures and there were so many characters introduced. I guess vampires are not just my "thing".
September 1, 2010
Luca Ambrus, a vampire of over two thousand years old, is in Scotland, taking a little time off, so to speak. While he prefers the hussle and bussle of the city, at times, he needs the calming effect that his place in Scotland brings to him. The peace, the quiet. He's lived a long life, a blood born, the son of vampire parents. Stronger than most vampires alive, he works for the Council, dispatching rogue vampires. Vampires who believe that humans are nothing but sheep, chattel, food, that they're higher up in the food chain. Luca believes in leaving the world as it is: where humans don't believe in things that go bump in the night.
But a war is brewing. A Rebellion has formed, and now they've found a descendant of the witch that cast a spell a very long time ago. This spell prevents vampires from entering a human's home without an invitation. And once this spell is broken, the Rebellion will bring war with the humans in full force, showing the humans what they are truly meant to be.
However, the Warriors, spirits that lie in wait for each and every war, are whispering, talking, pleading with their conduits to bring them to their world. Conduits are descendants of the Warriors, and only the conduits can bring them across from their plain of existence.
Chloe Fallon is one such conduit. But she believes she's slowly going nuts. Dreams, whispers are keeping her awake, for when she sleeps, the dreams and whispers grow stronger.
Luca is called by a longtime friend on the council, Hector. He's certain that a Rebellion faction is forming, and asks Luca to come immediately. But Hector is murdered before he can arrive, but left enough clues with his powers to plainly show Luca his killer. But Enoch is only a foot-soldier to a higher power, and Luca plans to follow him, to see what Enoch can tell him.
The Rebellion queen, known as Regina to protect her true identity, has coerce Jonas's help. He's helped the council before, and she knows he has the power to do what she wants - find the location to all the conduits. If the conduits are killed, the Warriors cannot cross over, thereby ensuring the Rebellion wins the war.
But when Enoch attacks Chloe, and whispers to her, Luca hears it all, and defeats Enoch. But another surprise lies await for Luca - for Chloe can remember him. It is one of Luca's gifts as a blood born vampire. No one remembers him the moment they turn their back. Only a very strong vampire can. It's been a lonely life for Luca, but he's accustomed to it. When Chloe remembers him, it's a blow; even Glamour doesn't work on her the way it should. There is something truly different about Chloe. The more time he spends with her, the more time he realizes she's a conduit. The more information he gathers, the more he's sure that there's a Rebellion faction in the works, and the more he's sure that the Queen, is none other than a member of the Council.
So now Luca's job is two-fold. Not only does he have to stop the Rebellion to prevent a war, he needs to keep Chloe safe. For more reasons than one... Chloe has gotten under his skin. Even in the face of danger, she holds her head high, no matter how scared she is. She's lived in danger all her life. A small aneurysm too dangerously close to her heart cannot be operated on, and the threat of it bursting is always there. Chloe is determined to live life to the fullest each day. Luca has never met a human like her before, and she's gotten even more under his skin... she's dangerously close to his heart.
**A great story, but could have used more.
I loved Luca in this story. To watch him see the world anew through Chloe's eyes. Sure, Luca is a very old, very strong, very dangerous vampire, but Chloe is unlike anyone he's ever met, vampire or human. Realizing what she means to this world, he vows to protect her at all costs.
Now, most who know me know I'm a paranormal nut. Paranormal in any form. There's a mystery here, and it's a good one. I sort of had an inkling of who the rebel queen was, but it wasn't until one last clue is thrown to the reader do you really know who she is before seeing her real name. The mystery part is pretty good. So's the action, the fighting. But one thing bugged the living daylights out of me.
For a paranormal-romance, I didn't feel the romance. Luca and Chloe bonding together was an added measure for Chloe to be stronger, to help defend herself, even if only for a few seconds. While I felt a love start to grow, I felt no romance whatsoever.
And just once, I'd like to see the hero and the heroine declare their love for each other before the inevitable "about to lose the love of their life" confession happens. Just once. Anyone know of an author who can indulge me with that one?
Watching Sorin come to the realization that the queen would destroy even him, if he was in her way, was sort of bittersweet. I just wish he'd come to the realization a different way.
What I really liked was the difference in the play of the vampire world that Howard and Jones created. First, the old saying "a vampire cannot entire a home without an invitation" has been around for years/centuries, I liked how they tweeked it a little, but mentioning that it was a spell cast by a very strong witch a very long time ago. I liked that twist.
I liked how the young witch, Nevada, managed to outsmart the queen somewhat.
And I especially liked how Chloe managed to get a couple of good licks at the queen herself before and after receiving a strike from the queen that insured her death. Even while Chloe lay dying, she still managed to get one last "in your face" to the queen (ha! In your face... if you read the book, you'll catch the unintended pun.)
The ending is a sure set up for book number two, which is what I'd expected. You can't have a story end completely and expect to write a second book. Kudos to Howard and Jones on a book worth reading.
But a war is brewing. A Rebellion has formed, and now they've found a descendant of the witch that cast a spell a very long time ago. This spell prevents vampires from entering a human's home without an invitation. And once this spell is broken, the Rebellion will bring war with the humans in full force, showing the humans what they are truly meant to be.
However, the Warriors, spirits that lie in wait for each and every war, are whispering, talking, pleading with their conduits to bring them to their world. Conduits are descendants of the Warriors, and only the conduits can bring them across from their plain of existence.
Chloe Fallon is one such conduit. But she believes she's slowly going nuts. Dreams, whispers are keeping her awake, for when she sleeps, the dreams and whispers grow stronger.
Luca is called by a longtime friend on the council, Hector. He's certain that a Rebellion faction is forming, and asks Luca to come immediately. But Hector is murdered before he can arrive, but left enough clues with his powers to plainly show Luca his killer. But Enoch is only a foot-soldier to a higher power, and Luca plans to follow him, to see what Enoch can tell him.
The Rebellion queen, known as Regina to protect her true identity, has coerce Jonas's help. He's helped the council before, and she knows he has the power to do what she wants - find the location to all the conduits. If the conduits are killed, the Warriors cannot cross over, thereby ensuring the Rebellion wins the war.
But when Enoch attacks Chloe, and whispers to her, Luca hears it all, and defeats Enoch. But another surprise lies await for Luca - for Chloe can remember him. It is one of Luca's gifts as a blood born vampire. No one remembers him the moment they turn their back. Only a very strong vampire can. It's been a lonely life for Luca, but he's accustomed to it. When Chloe remembers him, it's a blow; even Glamour doesn't work on her the way it should. There is something truly different about Chloe. The more time he spends with her, the more time he realizes she's a conduit. The more information he gathers, the more he's sure that there's a Rebellion faction in the works, and the more he's sure that the Queen, is none other than a member of the Council.
So now Luca's job is two-fold. Not only does he have to stop the Rebellion to prevent a war, he needs to keep Chloe safe. For more reasons than one... Chloe has gotten under his skin. Even in the face of danger, she holds her head high, no matter how scared she is. She's lived in danger all her life. A small aneurysm too dangerously close to her heart cannot be operated on, and the threat of it bursting is always there. Chloe is determined to live life to the fullest each day. Luca has never met a human like her before, and she's gotten even more under his skin... she's dangerously close to his heart.
**A great story, but could have used more.
I loved Luca in this story. To watch him see the world anew through Chloe's eyes. Sure, Luca is a very old, very strong, very dangerous vampire, but Chloe is unlike anyone he's ever met, vampire or human. Realizing what she means to this world, he vows to protect her at all costs.
Now, most who know me know I'm a paranormal nut. Paranormal in any form. There's a mystery here, and it's a good one. I sort of had an inkling of who the rebel queen was, but it wasn't until one last clue is thrown to the reader do you really know who she is before seeing her real name. The mystery part is pretty good. So's the action, the fighting. But one thing bugged the living daylights out of me.
For a paranormal-romance, I didn't feel the romance. Luca and Chloe bonding together was an added measure for Chloe to be stronger, to help defend herself, even if only for a few seconds. While I felt a love start to grow, I felt no romance whatsoever.
And just once, I'd like to see the hero and the heroine declare their love for each other before the inevitable "about to lose the love of their life" confession happens. Just once. Anyone know of an author who can indulge me with that one?
Watching Sorin come to the realization that the queen would destroy even him, if he was in her way, was sort of bittersweet. I just wish he'd come to the realization a different way.
What I really liked was the difference in the play of the vampire world that Howard and Jones created. First, the old saying "a vampire cannot entire a home without an invitation" has been around for years/centuries, I liked how they tweeked it a little, but mentioning that it was a spell cast by a very strong witch a very long time ago. I liked that twist.
I liked how the young witch, Nevada, managed to outsmart the queen somewhat.
And I especially liked how Chloe managed to get a couple of good licks at the queen herself before and after receiving a strike from the queen that insured her death. Even while Chloe lay dying, she still managed to get one last "in your face" to the queen (ha! In your face... if you read the book, you'll catch the unintended pun.)
The ending is a sure set up for book number two, which is what I'd expected. You can't have a story end completely and expect to write a second book. Kudos to Howard and Jones on a book worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2017
Chloe is a normal 'gal, working studying and doing what normal people do, but recently she has been having dreams and is scared she is going crazy.
Because that is apparently what normal people (or all the ones in this novel at least) think when they have dreams or visions: "Oh, I must be going crazy" not, for example "Oh, I am having dreams and visions, that's interesting, I wonder why?" or "I am having dreams.... not to worry, they are only dreams.". Well, that boat has long sailed, it seems to be a standard for all supernatural novels and movies that 'normal' people don't believe what is happening. Tedious, and it lasts a bit too long in this novel so it tried my temper a bit, really has NO ONE heard of Occam's razor???
Luca is a not-very-normal-at-all vampire, he is blood born which is to say he was born a vampire from vamp parents instead of being made, he is immensely strong and old and he works for the vampire council.
The council's main objective is to keep humans from knowing about them and sometimes kill off vamps who are threatening the status quo, this is where Luca comes into it. This time around there are rebels who want to enslave humanity and age old warriors are being drawn to earth to fight them. They are being drawn through human conduits, and Chloe is one.
Once we get over the OH-I-must-be-going-crazy yawnfest, it was actually a good book I liked the vampire society I liked the rebels and thought they were well done. The evil leader was a bit two dimensional but the sparks between Chloe and Luca made up for it. A good fun romance with a better plot line than many.
Because that is apparently what normal people (or all the ones in this novel at least) think when they have dreams or visions: "Oh, I must be going crazy" not, for example "Oh, I am having dreams and visions, that's interesting, I wonder why?" or "I am having dreams.... not to worry, they are only dreams.". Well, that boat has long sailed, it seems to be a standard for all supernatural novels and movies that 'normal' people don't believe what is happening. Tedious, and it lasts a bit too long in this novel so it tried my temper a bit, really has NO ONE heard of Occam's razor???
Luca is a not-very-normal-at-all vampire, he is blood born which is to say he was born a vampire from vamp parents instead of being made, he is immensely strong and old and he works for the vampire council.
The council's main objective is to keep humans from knowing about them and sometimes kill off vamps who are threatening the status quo, this is where Luca comes into it. This time around there are rebels who want to enslave humanity and age old warriors are being drawn to earth to fight them. They are being drawn through human conduits, and Chloe is one.
Once we get over the OH-I-must-be-going-crazy yawnfest, it was actually a good book I liked the vampire society I liked the rebels and thought they were well done. The evil leader was a bit two dimensional but the sparks between Chloe and Luca made up for it. A good fun romance with a better plot line than many.
May 3, 2010
The battle between good and evil has taken a new twist. There is rebellion brewing within the ruling vampire council, and humans may end up as just so much cannon fodder. An apolitical executioner of rogue vampires ends up in the middle, and does not want to experience feelings for the human woman he is guarding, whose finite life will leave him alone at its end. The plot is fantastic, the characters intriguing, and the action is fast-paced. I don't want to wait a year for the sequel, but I guess I've no choice.
August 20, 2016
I loved this book! The romance wasn't a huge factor in this book, it was there, but so many other things were going on. It was fast paced and I found myself not wanting to put it down. A different take on the vampire world. There were a few things in this book that reminded me of other series by other authors. I didn't really mind, I still loved it and can't wait to read the next one in this series
May 8, 2010
I've never read a Linda Howard book before, but I love Linda Winstead Jones, so I picked this up right away. I'm not sorry I did - this book has all the touches of LWJ's best books: interesting world, strong characters and plot, and the promise of more to come. I love how the bad guys win some in her books - it makes it that much more satisfying when the good guys come out on top!
June 23, 2010
The cliffhanger ending irritated me, though technically, since it's the setup for a series, I guess I should have been expecting it? *shrugs* I guess I didn't realize it was a series in the making until the last chapter and nothing was wrapped up other than Luca and Chloe's relationship.
I really like Linda Winstead Jones' addition to the Raintree series (Linda Howard's was good, but left me wanting -- again with the cliffhanger lol), so I was really looking forward to their collaboration.
I liked the premise with the whole revolution/warrior/witchy/spell.. thing... Luca was cool -- a 2000 year old vampire that nobody could remember (except, of course, for our heroine).. I was a little disappointed he never told Chloe how old he was, though that was a very minor point...
It was sweet (though mayhap a wee bit insulting?) how protective of Luca Chloe became lol Itty bitty little human girl thinks she's gonna protect big bad uber-vamp. Mmhmm. Sure.. But, the thought behind it was sweet :)
Anyway, it dragged a bit at times, and all the jumping around with the various conduits became a bit tiring at times.. Overall though, I was pretty pleased with it, and am interested to see how the series plays out.
3 1/2 Stars
I really like Linda Winstead Jones' addition to the Raintree series (Linda Howard's was good, but left me wanting -- again with the cliffhanger lol), so I was really looking forward to their collaboration.
I liked the premise with the whole revolution/warrior/witchy/spell.. thing... Luca was cool -- a 2000 year old vampire that nobody could remember (except, of course, for our heroine).. I was a little disappointed he never told Chloe how old he was, though that was a very minor point...
It was sweet (though mayhap a wee bit insulting?) how protective of Luca Chloe became lol Itty bitty little human girl thinks she's gonna protect big bad uber-vamp. Mmhmm. Sure.. But, the thought behind it was sweet :)
Anyway, it dragged a bit at times, and all the jumping around with the various conduits became a bit tiring at times.. Overall though, I was pretty pleased with it, and am interested to see how the series plays out.
3 1/2 Stars
July 3, 2010
Blood Born is a joint-venture between Linda Howard and Linda Winstead Jones ("Witchling"), and I thought it was a good merger between the two. There was enough action and tension to keep my attention, the characters were definitely engaging and the worldbuilding was authentic-feeling. Semi-original premise, great storyline, good set up for the next installment which is coming in 2011.
I probably should rate this book a 3.5, however, because there were several instances where something would jump out at me and throw me off track. Little things, such as naming the neighbors "the Lessers". Why bring up the BDB? Any PNR reader worth their salt (where did that phrase come from?)will immediately think of the Brethren. I kept finding little pieces that brought to mind other series!
Also, this book is a hybrid. Paranormal for sure, romance very secondary, not a thriller or urban fantasy. There was certainly romance between the H/H, but nothing that felt hot or sexy. I mean, the "Kindred" sounded hot and sexy but they weren't, not really. And I will be interested to see how the "Warriors" are incorporated into the storyline of the next book.
I probably should rate this book a 3.5, however, because there were several instances where something would jump out at me and throw me off track. Little things, such as naming the neighbors "the Lessers". Why bring up the BDB? Any PNR reader worth their salt (where did that phrase come from?)will immediately think of the Brethren. I kept finding little pieces that brought to mind other series!
Also, this book is a hybrid. Paranormal for sure, romance very secondary, not a thriller or urban fantasy. There was certainly romance between the H/H, but nothing that felt hot or sexy. I mean, the "Kindred" sounded hot and sexy but they weren't, not really. And I will be interested to see how the "Warriors" are incorporated into the storyline of the next book.
October 21, 2010
I read a lot of romance books by Linda Howard, and wasn't surprised when she decided to start with the Vampire theme. Afterall, the whole vampire topic is so hot lately! Firstly, I'm so grateful to this book, because it actually introduced me to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. Unfortunately after reading those, I can only give it a 4 star.
Blod Born is written in true Linda Howard's style, some very passionate steamy scenes, and Luca.... Oh Luca, he's just so yummie... All in all, it looks like a good start to the new series. Looking forward to the next book.
Blod Born is written in true Linda Howard's style, some very passionate steamy scenes, and Luca.... Oh Luca, he's just so yummie... All in all, it looks like a good start to the new series. Looking forward to the next book.
May 23, 2012
Good read!
Luca a very old blood born vampire is called to vampire ouncil headquarters by council member and friend Hector with an ominous warning of rebellion and death.
When he arrives he finds hector dead and begins the hunt for his killer , while going so he winds up saving Chloe a human and also a conduit( a person that can bring warriors into this world from another realm to fight against the rebels).
A relationship develops between Chloe and Luca while on. Journey to stop he rebellion, protect Chloe an find Hector's killer!
Luca a very old blood born vampire is called to vampire ouncil headquarters by council member and friend Hector with an ominous warning of rebellion and death.
When he arrives he finds hector dead and begins the hunt for his killer , while going so he winds up saving Chloe a human and also a conduit( a person that can bring warriors into this world from another realm to fight against the rebels).
A relationship develops between Chloe and Luca while on. Journey to stop he rebellion, protect Chloe an find Hector's killer!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2012
First in the Vampire paranormal romance series.
Warrior Rising was to be published in Spring of 2011 and the publishers have chosen not to go ahead, so I'm guessing that this first installment didn't do well.
My Take
A bit cold, detached...I really can't put my finger on what is so different about this story. Possibly, the lack of heat between the major protagonists as well as the agonizing process involved in the Warriors contacting their conduits. It seems like one heckuva lotta work for a human to go through and fraught with failure.
There's a foreword that explains the Warriors followed by a prologue which sets the scene about the conduits and introduces Sorin. The rebellion certainly proves that vampires are still human in their emotions. Envy, jealousy, and a desire for power is not constrained to only non-vampires. It certainly does confirm that life is cyclical as Luca and the Council both agree that similar rebellions in the past have not succeeded and that, as irritating as contemporary life is with all the ways in which living beings are tracked, it is better than exposure with the proportionately smaller population of vampires to humans.
The Lindas also make a good point about the inventiveness of humanity. That vampires don't care and don't create whereas humans are boiling over with ideas and creations. If humanity were to be subjugated, what would happen to their creativity?
I don't see where Sorin has a leg to stand on when he's cursing the Warrior who would be so callous as to use a child as a conduit, considering how many people he's destroyed.
Oh, yes! I love Luca's reaction to the Council when they get all demanding, especially after they indicate how they intend to fight this war.
The Lindas missed some opportunities for emotional drama between Luca and Chloe, although Chloe's "sacrificial" act in the bonding was rather unique. Her switch in perspective was certainly speedy. At one point, Luca is rather nastily dismissive and it goes nowhere. It's more as though this story is a massive set-up for whatever might come next in this series with the battle at the end of the major casting set-up.
The Story
It's the meeting of five points and basic humanity that will change everything:
- An escalation of vampire attacks brings Luca out of the woodwork: too many deaths among the humans, terrified vampires, and whoever is heading up this push is, well, pushing too hard
- Luca has been called in by Hector, who is disturbed by a foretelling. His vengeance will not be dictated by the Council; Luca will follow his own path.
- Chloe is a conduit located in Washington D.C.---too close to the Council to be ignored for long.
- Nevada has been captive for too many years and has hidden her progress
- The Warriors themselves are contacting more conduits and changing their geographical strategies
The Characters
Luca Ambrus is over 2,000 years old and a blood born vampire—born of two vampire parents. This dual genetic inheritance has resulted in a very powerful vampire who is content to follow a loner's path, although, these days, he does enjoy working for the Council. It's about the only chance he has to practice his fighting skills.
Chloe Fallon loves managing a restaurant. She refuses to let her aortic aneurysm hold her back, even when she learns the role she is to play in the coming battles. Valerie Spencer is Chloe's best friend in D.C. A weakness.
Nevada Sheldon is a descendant of Briallen, the witch, who created the spell that hampers a vampiric conquest of humanity. And it's why she has been kidnapped, her family—her parents, Emily, and Justin—held hostage against her learning to undo it.
Sorin is another powerful vampire. One who was made and is tired of having to hide himself from the humans. Melody is one of his children and has psychopathic tendencies. Jonas is a vampire tortured by Regina into locating conduits whose Warriors are attempting to contact them. Regina is the self-styled "queen" who has gathered the rebels together. The only style of rule she uses is force, torture, and savagery. I think she's amazingly stupid.
Hector is the head of the Council and the only council member whom Luca trusts. He has a slight gift of foretelling and requests Luca's presence. Enoch is in charge of the Council building and its members' security. And old enough to be able to move around in the day. Theodore is another Council member and the vampire who generally gave Luca his assignments as the Council's assassin. The women Council members include Alma, ancient and bloodthirsty; Marie is the oldest and the only other Blood Born; Nadia; Eleanor is tiny and ruthless; and, Darnell is from what we now know as Ethiopia. Pablo and Benedict, a Roman patrician who thinks he's is better than anyone of them, are the rest of the men. Ahron is a vampire much older than Luca. And a whacko nutjob!
There are three vampires in the U.S. Senate and Valerik is one of them. I have no idea who Grandma Annie is. Jim Elliott is the catalyst for his son Jimmy with his girlfriend's, Kate's, help. She believes in the supernatural and has opened his mind to the possibilities. Phillip Stargel provides a pivotal moment. Indikaiya and Rurik are two Warriors who come through while Isaac and Duncan are vampires on the humans' side.
The Cover
The cover is red and white with the upper two-fifths a white background to display the authors' names and the lower three-fifths a range of reds from the blood at the base up through Luca's muscled chest and the lower half of his face with a deep, black-red as the background and a bright red surrounding the white full moon in the upper right.
The title is all about Luca, for he is Blood Born. Although...it could refer to Luca's future as well.
Warrior Rising was to be published in Spring of 2011 and the publishers have chosen not to go ahead, so I'm guessing that this first installment didn't do well.
My Take
A bit cold, detached...I really can't put my finger on what is so different about this story. Possibly, the lack of heat between the major protagonists as well as the agonizing process involved in the Warriors contacting their conduits. It seems like one heckuva lotta work for a human to go through and fraught with failure.
There's a foreword that explains the Warriors followed by a prologue which sets the scene about the conduits and introduces Sorin. The rebellion certainly proves that vampires are still human in their emotions. Envy, jealousy, and a desire for power is not constrained to only non-vampires. It certainly does confirm that life is cyclical as Luca and the Council both agree that similar rebellions in the past have not succeeded and that, as irritating as contemporary life is with all the ways in which living beings are tracked, it is better than exposure with the proportionately smaller population of vampires to humans.
The Lindas also make a good point about the inventiveness of humanity. That vampires don't care and don't create whereas humans are boiling over with ideas and creations. If humanity were to be subjugated, what would happen to their creativity?
I don't see where Sorin has a leg to stand on when he's cursing the Warrior who would be so callous as to use a child as a conduit, considering how many people he's destroyed.
Oh, yes! I love Luca's reaction to the Council when they get all demanding, especially after they indicate how they intend to fight this war.
The Lindas missed some opportunities for emotional drama between Luca and Chloe, although Chloe's "sacrificial" act in the bonding was rather unique. Her switch in perspective was certainly speedy. At one point, Luca is rather nastily dismissive and it goes nowhere. It's more as though this story is a massive set-up for whatever might come next in this series with the battle at the end of the major casting set-up.
The Story
It's the meeting of five points and basic humanity that will change everything:
- An escalation of vampire attacks brings Luca out of the woodwork: too many deaths among the humans, terrified vampires, and whoever is heading up this push is, well, pushing too hard
- Luca has been called in by Hector, who is disturbed by a foretelling. His vengeance will not be dictated by the Council; Luca will follow his own path.
- Chloe is a conduit located in Washington D.C.---too close to the Council to be ignored for long.
- Nevada has been captive for too many years and has hidden her progress
- The Warriors themselves are contacting more conduits and changing their geographical strategies
The Characters
Luca Ambrus is over 2,000 years old and a blood born vampire—born of two vampire parents. This dual genetic inheritance has resulted in a very powerful vampire who is content to follow a loner's path, although, these days, he does enjoy working for the Council. It's about the only chance he has to practice his fighting skills.
Chloe Fallon loves managing a restaurant. She refuses to let her aortic aneurysm hold her back, even when she learns the role she is to play in the coming battles. Valerie Spencer is Chloe's best friend in D.C. A weakness.
Nevada Sheldon is a descendant of Briallen, the witch, who created the spell that hampers a vampiric conquest of humanity. And it's why she has been kidnapped, her family—her parents, Emily, and Justin—held hostage against her learning to undo it.
Sorin is another powerful vampire. One who was made and is tired of having to hide himself from the humans. Melody is one of his children and has psychopathic tendencies. Jonas is a vampire tortured by Regina into locating conduits whose Warriors are attempting to contact them. Regina is the self-styled "queen" who has gathered the rebels together. The only style of rule she uses is force, torture, and savagery. I think she's amazingly stupid.
Hector is the head of the Council and the only council member whom Luca trusts. He has a slight gift of foretelling and requests Luca's presence. Enoch is in charge of the Council building and its members' security. And old enough to be able to move around in the day. Theodore is another Council member and the vampire who generally gave Luca his assignments as the Council's assassin. The women Council members include Alma, ancient and bloodthirsty; Marie is the oldest and the only other Blood Born; Nadia; Eleanor is tiny and ruthless; and, Darnell is from what we now know as Ethiopia. Pablo and Benedict, a Roman patrician who thinks he's is better than anyone of them, are the rest of the men. Ahron is a vampire much older than Luca. And a whacko nutjob!
There are three vampires in the U.S. Senate and Valerik is one of them. I have no idea who Grandma Annie is. Jim Elliott is the catalyst for his son Jimmy with his girlfriend's, Kate's, help. She believes in the supernatural and has opened his mind to the possibilities. Phillip Stargel provides a pivotal moment. Indikaiya and Rurik are two Warriors who come through while Isaac and Duncan are vampires on the humans' side.
The Cover
The cover is red and white with the upper two-fifths a white background to display the authors' names and the lower three-fifths a range of reds from the blood at the base up through Luca's muscled chest and the lower half of his face with a deep, black-red as the background and a bright red surrounding the white full moon in the upper right.
The title is all about Luca, for he is Blood Born. Although...it could refer to Luca's future as well.
Read
May 24, 2022DNF -- got to 50%. Not my thing. I like a little more spicy romance to my PRN. This has a lot of complex world things that need explaining. Lots of characters. It's just very sloowwwwww.
September 8, 2018
3 stars.
It's been quite a while since I've read this and I couldn't remember why I gave it a 2 stars. Having revisited the book as an audiobook, I still find the book a bit messy. There are too many points of views and at times, the jumping around got quite confusing when listening.
Probably my major gripe is with Sorin, the wannabe vampire queen's right-hand man. I supposed that he's the type of anti-hero some readers enjoy reading and he's slated to be the central character in the next book. Let's see how I feel about him after I've read the next book.
It's been quite a while since I've read this and I couldn't remember why I gave it a 2 stars. Having revisited the book as an audiobook, I still find the book a bit messy. There are too many points of views and at times, the jumping around got quite confusing when listening.
Probably my major gripe is with Sorin, the wannabe vampire queen's right-hand man. I supposed that he's the type of anti-hero some readers enjoy reading and he's slated to be the central character in the next book. Let's see how I feel about him after I've read the next book.
January 8, 2021
3 stars - B, C, D
I loved this story. Interesting twist on vampire romance.
I loved this story. Interesting twist on vampire romance.
September 21, 2019
I got this audiobook on a whim because I was bored and wanted to try something new. Unfortunately, the more I listened the more bland the story became. I decided to not finish the last 4 hours because the plot went stale (along with my interest). I would rather spend those hours finding something better from the library.
February 11, 2018
#13 for 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Genre: Paranormal Romance
July 16, 2014
This story starts with much potential. A 2000+ yr. old vampire assassin (Luca), a cute levelheaded female protagonist with a heart condition (Chloe), kidnapped witch who didn’t know she was a witch (Nevada) until she was kidnapped by rogue vampires and immortal warriors that potentially drive their ‘conduits’ crazy until they can learn their name and ‘call’ them from their plain of existence….whew!
I was very interested in the overall story but as you can imagine with this many characters there are a lot of subplots going on and many points of view. I’ve not read either author before (Linda Jones, Linda Howard) so I’m not certain if this is either author’s authentic writing style or if the combined effort created the disjointed feeling this story had for me.
The big obstacles IMO were to many characters. They were developed well and I truly felt each of their personalities but that’s where my connection ended (with the exception of Soren and Nevada). Luca wanted to be a killer alpha male but falls flat about a third of the way into the book. Chloe wanted to be strong but frankly bored me. Luca and Chloe’s initial attraction was meh and the development of the relationship was extremely predictable. The dynamic between Soren and Nevada was interesting but the storylines were not managed carefully enough to hold my attention from one chapter to the next.
This book can be a stand alone read but the ending most assuredly is written to segue into a sequel(s). Blood Born has its moments of…could be goodness…but overall falls short, has to much repetition and seems to…heavy for lack of a better word.
I was very interested in the overall story but as you can imagine with this many characters there are a lot of subplots going on and many points of view. I’ve not read either author before (Linda Jones, Linda Howard) so I’m not certain if this is either author’s authentic writing style or if the combined effort created the disjointed feeling this story had for me.
The big obstacles IMO were to many characters. They were developed well and I truly felt each of their personalities but that’s where my connection ended (with the exception of Soren and Nevada). Luca wanted to be a killer alpha male but falls flat about a third of the way into the book. Chloe wanted to be strong but frankly bored me. Luca and Chloe’s initial attraction was meh and the development of the relationship was extremely predictable. The dynamic between Soren and Nevada was interesting but the storylines were not managed carefully enough to hold my attention from one chapter to the next.
This book can be a stand alone read but the ending most assuredly is written to segue into a sequel(s). Blood Born has its moments of…could be goodness…but overall falls short, has to much repetition and seems to…heavy for lack of a better word.
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