Blooded by Amanda Carlson

  Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban fantasy
E-book: 66 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release date: April 11, 2012

Series: Jessica McClain #0.5

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon 

Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring.

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .

BLOODED is a prequel to Amanda Carlson’s debut urban fantasy novel, FULL BLOODED. It’s a very short read—under 20,000 words—so it’s really just a window into the life of the main character of the series, Jessica McClain. It takes place seven or eight years before the events of FULL BLOODED and it shows us just how hard it is to be the only female werewolf when (a) you can’t change and (b) you’re considered a curse on your race and most everyone wants you dead and/or gone. It’s a short vignette that shows us the events that prompted Jess to leave her Pack and gives us a little extra insight into who she is.

Let me stress, this is not a novella and you shouldn’t expect a complex story. In fact, I would strongly recommend waiting until you have FULL BLOODED before reading this story because I think it’s just too much of a tease. You get a taste of Jessica and the supernatural world she lives in but it will definitely leave you wanting more. I finished reading BLOODED and immediately started reading FULL BLOODED because BLOODED didn’t satisfy me the way a novel or novella usually does. I needed more. I suppose my warning is a backhanded compliment to Amanda Carlson because she does a wonderful job of whetting your appetite, even though many of the concepts in BLOODED can be found in other urban fantasy series. For myself, I immediately thought of Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld when I saw “only female werewolf” pop up in the description but Amanda Carlson’s writing and characters are strong enough that you won’t constantly be comparing Elena and Jess.

BLOODED is a nice complement to FULL BLOODED that should be read as an appetizer, not as a meal.

Read an excerpt over at My world...in pages and books

Posted by jenn at 06:16

 Amanda Carlson, Hachette, Review, werewolf  3 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.