BloodspellAuthor: Amalie HowardPublisher: Langdon Street Press, 2011
The spell was simple...
Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)
But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?
Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.
What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...
Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?
Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)
But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?
Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.
What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...
Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?
My Review:
Victoria has had a hard time after her parent’s death, and she is now just trying to get through high school. But her life is about to change drastically when her blood awakens. The way her transformation takes place is brutal. I really thought she was turning into a vampire or some kind of monster! The magic insider is a really terrible thing and she tries to ignore it. However, she soon finds out that is not the answer. Victoria needs to explore her magic, gain what little control she can over it and maybe then it won’t consume her. But will it be enough?
Dealing with her newfound magic is not the only thing keeping Victoria’s life in a knot. Christian Devereux seems to be equal parts attracted to and repulsed by her. In the end, he can’t deny his feelings and will break century old rules just to be with the girl who has made him feel alive and out of control again. And what a surprise will he get when he finds out Victoria’s secret! He’ll have to keep her safe from the vampires, especially his twin brother Lucian, but more importantly he will have to save her from herself.
I really enjoyed reading Bloodspell. I love vampires, I love witches and this book brings them together in an interesting story of love, power, and struggling with inner demons. There are no pretty monsters here, there are no easy love reunions, and there are certainly no complete happy endings. I have to say that I loved the pairing in this book. Super hot vampire Christian has really met his match in fiery willed Victoria. He might have super strong vampire abilities but she can kick his ass any day with her blood magic! It was so heart wrenching to see how they’re always worried that they might hurt the other one and so cannot give in to desires. They love each other so much, that I would have really liked to see them get a break. It was really interesting how music was incorporated into the story. I always make sure to search for the song and continue reading while listening to it. It really sets the tone for the scenes, and with all the classical piano and violin pieces mentioned I was swooning right and left.
There were a couple of things that I would have liked to be different. For example the magic was too god-like, what with healing a broken spine in seconds and teleporting half-way across the world. I know she is supposed to be this super powerful witch, but I would have liked her powers to have some kind of limit. It would have made it more believable. Also, I had no problem how the romance developed but then the on and off of feelings ~I like him, I can’t be with him, I love him too much to give up, I can see he loves me too, he had a companion a zillion years ago so doesn’t love me.~ It got a bit tiring after a while. Then, the story is told from a 3rd person POV. I don’t know if it was just me but as I followed the prose I could feel my mind switching gears too often between characters. Like one paragraph would be Christian this and that, then the following paragraph is Victoria, then back, then forth. I could just be me. I’ve been reading a lot of 1st person POVs lately. Lastly, I never got a clear cut explanation of why it is so forbidden for witches and vamps to be together.
But that’s alright! This is just the first book, and I will certainly be waiting for Book 2 of Victoria and Christian’s story!
Favorite Quotes:
“Love is a breeding ground for betrayal. Guard against it.”
~
“Stop looking at me like that,” she hissed under her breath.
“Like what?”
“You know exactly well like what! Like…like I’m…something to eat!” His smile deepened, transforming the austere planes of his face and catching her by surprise.
“Is that so bad?”
