ARC Review: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Dearest blog readers, I would like to present to you Amalie Howard.

She will be a force to reckon with in the Young Adult world, a writer to look forward to, someone who will make it big! If you don't believe me, please read her debut novel, Bloodspell.

Title: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard
Pages: 369
Release Date: June 1st 2011
Published by: Langdon Street Press
Source: Publicist, the awesome Marissa!
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

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?

Tori Warrick was a loner. Her withdrawn attitude started when her parents died in an accident. But when her classmates misunderstood her constant wanting for solitude she became a social outcast. Bullied and humiliated on the day of her seventeenth birthday, Tori was at the receiving end of a vicious attack, until she fought back, but it wasn't really her. Something inside her awakened when she turned seventeen. Something dark, mysterious and quite possibly be evil. Tori thought a change of scenery will help, but then her paths crossed with Christian Devereux, and things became more confusing. As she discovers who she really is and the power she's keeping, she was drawn to dark and brooding Christian who has his own secrets to keep, and he isn't really what Tori thinks he is.

See I've read books about Vampires and Werewolves hating each other, and maybe in the supernatural, paranormal world, its not far fetched that Witches and Vampires also tend to hate each other, but Bloodspell takes it to a whole new level.

I loved how truthful this book is. The characters were not sugarcoated or described with pretty words that will make readers swoon over them. There was no pretense that the vampires or the witches are do-gooders and it's a refreshing change. They are evil, they have the tendency to do horrible things, and it was obvious in the entire story.

Both Tori and Christian were characters that are hard to describe. But what I love about them is how they want to fight for what they feel to each other. Their relationship wasn't all sunshine and butterflies. There was this constant fear that they could kill each other. Christian was a powerful guy who drives Tori crazy with his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality, while Tori is someone who was trying to make sense of the power she has and what it means to posses the Blood. They were both terrified of their own selves for what they can do to each other. Vampires and Witches were forbidden to make any kind of association, which was the biggest hurdle they had to face.

Truthfully, it took a bit of patience for me to get used to seeing their relationship going okay when suddenly the complication of "Stay away, I'm not strong enough to fight this." comes back and they had to do something just to be together again. But I think moments like it made the foundation of Christian & Tori's relationship stronger.

Amalie Howard took time to explain the background story behind all the characters and she did it very well. I especially loved the one about Brigid, Tori's ancestor. The "Blood" is probably the most frightening aspect of the story. It's evil, it's death. If you think Vampires and Witches are scary, then the Blood is something more to fear.

Bloodspell has a well rounded plot which was a delight to read. Amalie Howard takes the readers into a journey filled with danger, evil lurking around, and she has written a story of forbidden love between two people who, despite all the odds against them, couldn't stay away. I'm a romantic at heart, and the romance in this book just appealed to me so much. And the scenes between Tori and Christian are just scorching hot!

Such a luscious read this book is. Bloodspell is a dark, haunting, fast-paced action filled story that will enthrall fans of the paranormal genre. This book is highly recommended! If you want to read about a headstrong heroine, a persistent and gorgeous male lead and villains who are evil personified, then this book is for you! Bloodspell will hold your full attention and won't let go until you've read the last page!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
Gorgeous cover! Doesn't it give you a haunting, dark vibe?

I received this book free of charge from a publicist in exchange for an honest review.