Review:
This book was very different from the first in that it was about different main characters. There was no Thierry and Olivier, no vampires, no empathic connection. Those were some of the things I had loved most, so I missed them. That being said, this was still a well-written book, and I understand now why it was necessary to switch characters.
This book covers the same time period as the first, but it shows Aurelia’s side of things. There was so much going on behind-the-scenes that the reader didn’t know about, and it was nice to finally understand why Aurelia was always showing up, being so cryptic, and doing the things she was doing. I have to say, I felt awful for Aurelia after learning what her life was like.
And much like in the first book, it was the complexity of the characters and their relationships that really made the book shine. This story wasn’t just about Aurelia, it was also about Hame and, somewhat, Carn. Aurelia is a witch, Hame is an oracle, and the two are given immortality and end up fighting together for the same cause. They grow very close, but then Carn comes into the picture as Hame’s lover and their relationship becomes strained. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say this is a story of unrequited love, friendship, duty, sacrifice, mistakes, jealousy, guilt, and the bonds between people. None of these characters were perfect. They all made bad decisions at some point or another. But they were complex and realistic. I felt for them, and I felt the emotions between them.
Last but not least, though I can’t say I highlighted quite as many things as I did in the first book, this one had some beautiful writing as well.
Overall, the switch in characters admittedly threw me off a bit, but I ended up being glad to have a more complete picture of what’s going on in this series, and I loved yet again how complex and flawed the characters were!
*Even though this book is about different main characters than the previous one, the stories overlap, and both are strongly connected to the final book. I recommend reading in order, starting with Beckoning Blood.*
*I’ve read this book multiple times. This review was written after my 2nd read.*
Reread Ratings:
3.5 Stars (1st Read – 2015)
4 Stars (2nd Read – 2018)
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in Daniel de Lorne's Bonds of Blood series. Anyone who likes witches, oracles, and complex, flawed characters and relationships.
More Books in the Series:
Book Review: Beckoning Blood (Bonds of Blood Book 1) by Daniel de Lorne
Book Review: Burning Blood (Bonds of Blood Book 2) by Daniel de Lorne
Book Review: Binding Blood (Bonds of Blood Book 3) by Daniel de Lorne
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It’s quite brave for an author to focus on different characters so I am glad this worked out for you once you could acclimatise to it. I like that strong character portrayals seem to be central to these stories.
I don’t know, I’ve ended up reading quite a few series that switched characters like this, and to be honest it always frustrates me. But luckily I did still end up enjoying this one!
I love it when we get different characters in each book in a series, but it feels like there’s little to no mention of the characters from the previous book in this case. I wonder how it all comes together in the end, what the connecting thread it. Love your review and I’ll definitely add this book on my TBR.
See, I’m actually not a fan when characters change, but I know a lot of people are! The original characters were only kind of mentioned in the background of this one, but it does all come together in the third book. Thanks!
complex, flawed characters = yes please! I am off to remind myslef of this series again!
Complex, flawed characters are the best!
When you mentioned this series I figured it would follow the same characters, that’s too bad it didn’t and you missed some of the things you loved in the first book. But it sounds like this book was good too and that it was necessary to switch characters. It sounds very well done how all the characters are complex and realistic.
Yeah, I was disappointed about that, but it did make sense. I was glad the characters were at least still really well-written!
Glad this was a good read. I can’t really get into much romance but the great writing has my interest piqued.
Tori @ In Tori Lex
If you’re not into romance, I’m not sure I would recommend this series. But it did have some great writing!
Is this kind of like the Burning Magus series where you go back to the original characters at some point?
It seems like the switch did add something to the story though once you got used to it.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Similar, but not exactly the same since the third book takes one POV from the first book, one from the second, and one new one. But I have read/am reading other series like the Burning Magus one that do that. I’m not really a fan of that though. But yeah in this case, I could understand the reason for the switch.
Ah, it can be hard when you read the first book in a series and everything you loved about the first one is either taken out or switched up in the second book. It can make it daunting to read but it sounds like this one is still a good sequel and like you could understand why they choices made were made, which makes it okay!
It’s disappointing when that happens, and it can be hard to adjust your expectations. But I did understand why he switched characters and ended up enjoying this one!