Blood Rights (House of Comarré, #1)

Jan 23, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Maja by: Rane

Shelves: cover-lust, dark-urban-fantasy, favorites, glistening-fangs, magic, multiple-povs, role-models, the-fae-are-so-scary, totally-saw-that-coming, urban-fantasy, reviewed-in-2011

EDIT 1/22/12: Stop by The Nocturnal Library for an interview with Kristen Painter. We're also giving away two copies of this book. Giveaway is international.

She had more signum than just what was on her hands, feet and face. The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols, and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest, and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers. Gilded, head to...more EDIT 1/22/12: Stop by The Nocturnal Library for an interview with Kristen Painter. We're also giving away two copies of this book. Giveaway is international.

She had more signum than just what was on her hands, feet and face. The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols, and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest, and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers. Gilded, head to toe. No wonder she glittered like lost treasure.

Not just a pretty cover after all. I didn’t even wait to finish Blood Rights before ordering the second and the third book from The Book Depository. I only needed to read the first 20% to know, without a doubt, that this is a series I’ll love.

Chrysabelle is not an ordinary human. Her whole body is covered in gold tattoos and at 115, she looks no more than 20 years old. She’s a comarré, a human hybrid born and bred for one sole purpose: to feed a noble vampire. A comarré’s body produces more blood than it needs, so every comarré needs to be fed from regularly or they develop hypervolemia. Their blood rights are sold to a noble and nobody else gets to feed from them as long as their Master lives. In return, vampire saliva gives the comarré super-human strength and eternal youth. But Chrysabelle is special even among her own kind. Her blood rights were sold to Lord Algernon, Dominus of the House of Tepes, for 22 million Euro, the highest price any comarré has ever achieved. She spent almost a hundred years in Algernon’s house, until one day her Master got killed by a weapon only a comarré can wield. Instead of enjoying her freedom after 100 years of servitude, Chrysabelle must leave Corvinestri and travel to Paradise City in order to try and clear her name.

Even in Paradise City, Chrysabelle has no one to turn to but Mal, the only vampire in the world who wants nothing to do with her. Mal used to be a noble vampire of great power, one of the strongest in the House of Tepes, but he became anathema after being cursed for the second time. Because of his curse, every person he sinks his fangs into must die, and those he kills end up living inside his head, haunting him forever. His body is covered with names of his victims. To avoid adding another voice to the constant noise in his head, he wants to stay as far away from Chrysabelle as possible, no matter how hungry he is or how good her blood smells to him. However, Chrysabelle offers to help him lift his curse, and that’s the only thing Mal cannot refuse.

You judge me while you have no idea what it's like. My head is never quiet. Never. You try spending just twenty-four hours without a moment's privacy and see if it doesn't make you a little crazy. I live that every day and night.

Some described Blood Rights as being halfway between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but I have to disagree. This is urban fantasy in its purest form. Sure, we have a strong heroine and a strong hero and they DO work together, but the focus is not on will-they-won’t-they at all, at least I didn’t see it that way. The worldbuilding is far too good for paranormal romance: I loved the combination of old vampire traditions and the technology one could expect in the year 2067. Supporting characters are also fantastic. Tatiana is one of the best villains in urban fantasy as far as I’m concerned, and Mal’s companions, Fi and Doc, are so interesting that they deserve their own trilogy.

I can’t wait to read Flesh and Blood, I really can’t.
For this review and more, visit The Nocturnal Library
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Apr 06, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, paranormal, adult

With an infinite amount of vampire books on the shelves, Kristen Painter was still able to give us a lore that is original and quite complex. Add in some intriguing characters, fascinating politics, and elaborate rules; we've got ourselves a considerably well built paranormal world. I did find the plot itself a bit tedious, though, which in turn gave me time to ponder and eventually figure out the bigger plot twist, but I was kept entertained by the two main characters who are both infuriating a...more With an infinite amount of vampire books on the shelves, Kristen Painter was still able to give us a lore that is original and quite complex. Add in some intriguing characters, fascinating politics, and elaborate rules; we've got ourselves a considerably well built paranormal world. I did find the plot itself a bit tedious, though, which in turn gave me time to ponder and eventually figure out the bigger plot twist, but I was kept entertained by the two main characters who are both infuriating and amusing, with highly interesting pasts.

Inside Blood Rights' future world, we're not only dealing with vampires, but a blend of supernatural creatures consisting of shifters, faeries, ghosts, and more. We also get introduced to Comarrés - a human/vampire half-blood bred to feed vampire elites. The latter is what our protagonist Chrysabelle is trying to run away from, which is how she meets our ~~delightful~~ second protagonist, Malkolm. Malkolm is cursed, he's haunted by his past kills which makes him really unpredictable. He can be fine one moment and tormented the next. Hidden under this curse, we can see that deep down he's truly a sweet guy (well, for a vampire), making it easy to feel for him and his unfortunate situation. Alongside unstable Malkolm, walks Chrysabelle; cool and collected, she can hold her own - mentally and physically - which is exactly what Malkolm needs. But does he want it!?

Filled with mysterious pasts, both of these characters are introduced to us like empty shells, to be filled and understood as we gradually learn the stories of their lives. I loved how this was played out, enlightening us just enough to make us aware they both have incredibly intriguing histories, but still leaving us in the dark, pining for more. Obviously, this means you can expect quite a few plot twists that, even though I was able to predict, are still pretty interesting.

While I really enjoyed our two main characters, this was not the case for Tatiana - the villain of the show. She's an evil, conniving bitch, but I felt like it got a bit excessive. She is so outrageously bad, so overzealous in her evil plans, that she becomes sort of a cliché; flat with no convincing personality. Whenever we switched to her perspective I was left feeling bored and wanting to move on. Her POVs are short and far between though so it wasn't a complete turn off. To make up for it, the cast of secondary characters is filled with loyalty, charm, and of course, some romantic elements which range from endearing to heartbreaking.

Being thrown blind into a new world full of unfamiliar terms and rules, I did find it difficult to get into at first. We have to concentrate a lot on learning this world which magnifies the slow moving pace. However, seeing as the world building becomes one of the book's best aspect, this tough start does pays off. A good beginning to the House of Comarré series, Kristen Painter's Blood Rights has schemes and vampire lore that urban fantasy fans can assuredly enjoy.

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Jul 15, 2011 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, 2011-reads, tour, arc

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

3.5 stars

The world of this series is set in the not so distant future. There seems to have been a major war, at least in the Americas, and there are advances in technology, but minus the vampires and other supernatural beings, it doesn't feel too different from the world we live in today. That was something I liked because it was easy to imagine and I tend to like stories set in the future more so than the past. So, in Blood Rights, it is the ye...more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

3.5 stars

The world of this series is set in the not so distant future. There seems to have been a major war, at least in the Americas, and there are advances in technology, but minus the vampires and other supernatural beings, it doesn't feel too different from the world we live in today. That was something I liked because it was easy to imagine and I tend to like stories set in the future more so than the past. So, in Blood Rights, it is the year 2067, and the covenant that protects humans from the supernatural world is close to being destroyed. However, before that can be fulfilled, the ring of sorrows must be found.

As a comarré, Chrysabelle's life in Romania has revolved around protecting her vampire patron Lord Algernon and offering him her blood. Allowing her patron to drink her blood helps them both gain strength and power and prevents Chrysabelle's blood from building up and poisoning her body. Chrysabelle dreams of escaping of her comarré duties, but it seems unlikely that her patron will ever give her the freedom she desires. That all changes when Algernon is found murdered. Although Chrysabelle is finally free, she is accused by noble vampires of murdering Algernon. She is forced to go on the run, seeking refugee with her comarré aunt in New Florida. It is there that she encounters a dangerous anathema vampire named Malkolm, who may be able to help her prove her innocence, and finds out that the ring her patron gave her before he died may be the real reason she is being hunted.

Blood Rights is told from the perspective of various characters, the main ones being Chrysabelle, Malkolm (or Mal), and the power-hungry noble vampire Tatiana. Chrysabelle would have to be my favorite out of all the characters. She's disciplined and serious. I really liked that she could hold her own in a fight, and it was a bit amusing how she tried adjusting to a world that didn't fit with the comarré lifestyle she was used to. The relationship she has with the castaway noble vampire Mal is an interesting one. Mal's cursed with a beast inside him and voices in his head that constantly demand he kill Chrysabelle, and it takes a lot of self-control from him to ignore the urge. Because of this Chrysabelle and Mal have a hard time trusting each other and are always clashing in the beginning, but once they get to know one another, the walls between them begin to slowly crumble and they come to care for each other just a bit. Both are actually very caring of the people they love and consider their allies and would do anything to protect them. There isn't quite a romantic relationship between them in this book, but it's obvious they are attracted to one another. I have a feeling their relationship will continue to develop, and I can't wait to read more about them and find out where their relationship goes.

While I liked Chrysabelle and Mal, I can't say I particularly liked Tatiana. Tatiana is a vampire who wants one thing only: power. It seems she's been scheming for awhile now to replace Lord Algernon as Elder, and she desperately wants to become Dominus, the ruler of her noble vampire family. She didn't have the greatest life as a human and suffered some tragedies, but I felt that wasn't enough to explain why she became cruel and power-hungry. Maybe she's just easily influenced. Or maybe there is still plenty more to learn about her. Whatever the reason I found it very hard empathizing with her throughout the book and understanding her purpose in siding with evil. To me she just came off as selfish and even a bit delusional, and I didn't think she was even close to being the scariest or evilest character in the book. I'm curious to know what happens to her; however, I hope she acquires some redeeming qualities because at the moment I don't believe I can bring myself to feel sorry for her.

Ever since I saw the amazing covers for this series, I knew I wanted to read Blood Rights. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it early, and the great thing is that the next two books will be released within only two months after Blood Rights's official release in September. So, the wait isn't long at all. Overall I thought it was a pretty solid first book for the House of Comarré series, and I look forward to finding out what happens next with Chrysabelle and Mal.(less)

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Oct 10, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-pnr, urban-fantasy, first-reads-arcs-netgallery, keeper

There's few books that really captured me with their world building, Kristen Painter's Blood Rights gives the reader just enough to be wanting more with new twists on the vampire lore.

Chrysabelle was born a comarré, a breed of humans to serve the noble vampires with their rich and powerful blood. With golden marks across her body, Chrysabelle is now on the run wanted for murder of her patron, into the mortal world, she finds the help of a outcast vampire Malkolm whose cursed to kill those he d...more There's few books that really captured me with their world building, Kristen Painter's Blood Rights gives the reader just enough to be wanting more with new twists on the vampire lore.

Chrysabelle was born a comarré, a breed of humans to serve the noble vampires with their rich and powerful blood. With golden marks across her body, Chrysabelle is now on the run wanted for murder of her patron, into the mortal world, she finds the help of a outcast vampire Malkolm whose cursed to kill those he drinks from.
But all it not as it appears, when those who are after Chrysabelle are seeking more then her death but something that may be the only think that may stop chaos and terror from being brought the mortal world.

Comarré (Comar-male) are a sort of geisha, bred to serve the noble vampires with their rich blood that gives the vampires power, while giving the Comarre longer life, and a pampered life. Unknown to the Nobles comarrés are also taught many skills from magic to some impressive fighting skills.

Chrysabelle may have been pampered, she's no hothouse flower, and while she feels like an outsider in the mortal world with her aunt Maris her only guide. Chrysabelle is a good lead. She keeps her head, thinks before she acts and is very knowledgeable about vampires and their history that gives the reader a deeper understanding of the world without info dumps or feeling the author is force feeding the reader this world. Taking place in the near(ish) future, you still have things that still attach to this time, from cellphones, cabs, and even e-readers. These things have been updated like the cabs being powered by solar power or the cellphones placed into the ear.

As Chrysabelle tries to unravel her old patron’s murder, she gains the help of an outcast vampire Malkolm, who she feels an attraction to, but both have major trust. Your given a chance to see how both learn how to trust one another before either feel anymore more then a spark. I liked this, as the story grows, their relationship does also. Trust is earned and the author did an excellent job of portraying this between Chrysabelle and Malkolm.

While Chrysebelle is calming deep water Malkolm is a blaze of fire! He was like a big gizzy bear that didn’t want to be bother by the outside world, as the curse that’s been placed on him, has voices ringing in his head 24/7 with the names of his victims inked on his skin, and to top it off? His victims he drinks can become ghosts and haunt him! Malkolm has no time or will to help Chrysebelle even when their first meeting doesn’t go all that well to begin with. Malkolm does a lot of changing through the story. While not bad, it does tend to get a little on the nerves of the reader with him flip flopping in his emotions. Mal is in a prison of the curse and his own making, so when Chrysabelle comes knocking on his prison and dragging his out of his cage, he doesn’t take it all so well. There’s still a lot of chance of growth with Mal now that he’s out of his cage.

Blood Rights did have it’s weak points, the world building and Mal and Chrysbelle were very much the stronger elements on the book, with a slow start to the book, the villain of the piece the power hungry vampire- Tatiana was just down right boring. Her view of events took away from the story instead of made it better, and while the author tried to make her sympatric, it just never came across as that, only someone you may happen to see only a reality show, who’s a bad guy while deep deep deeeeeeeeeeeep down they have good points.

The secondary characters were okay, but really didn’t add to the mix much to really make a impact on me enough to be wow by them yet.

The House of Comarre starts off strong in the trilogy with Blood Rights and let’s not forget some awesome cover art with a nice clean cliffhanger with Mal and Chrysebelle still having some obstacles to overcome and some nice warm sexual tension between the two that yet lead anywhere but hopefully soon. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series and more of this fantastic world. (less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, urban-fantasy

Chrysabelle is a comarré, the ultimate blood source for a vampire. From birth, she was molded into the ideal: in beauty, countenance, and blood purity. But now her patron --her blood-master-- is dead, and she is suspected not only of killing him, but stealing a magic ring in his possession. Now Tatiana, a deranged and power hungry vampire, is hunting for her and will stop at nothing to accomplish her task.

Chrysabelle takes refuge on the other side of the world, with her aunt Maris. She hides the...more Chrysabelle is a comarré, the ultimate blood source for a vampire. From birth, she was molded into the ideal: in beauty, countenance, and blood purity. But now her patron --her blood-master-- is dead, and she is suspected not only of killing him, but stealing a magic ring in his possession. Now Tatiana, a deranged and power hungry vampire, is hunting for her and will stop at nothing to accomplish her task.

Chrysabelle takes refuge on the other side of the world, with her aunt Maris. She hides the golden sigils that mark her as comarré and tries to assimilate into human culture. But it doesn't really work out. She crosses paths with Mal, a cursed and outcast vampire. And through a string of events neither intended, he becomes her new patron.

Mal doesn't need any new problems. The curse he lives with keeps him on the edge of sanity. His only companions are a spirit and a shapeshifter tied to him by circumstance. He can't feed properly; he is shunned by his kind. Yet, something in him calls to Chrysabelle. I'd like to say this turned into a romance, but I can't. There are moments it seems so close, but we don't quite get there. Grr.

They do, however, become something of a team... working together against Tatiana. As the book unfolds, we learn more about her dark plans and what they'll mean for the world. We also learn more and more about the comarré: their secrets and their legacy. The world building is unique and complicated, in parts. It took me awhile to feel invested in the story. The first half didn't grab me the way the second half did. There was too much time spent from Tatiana's POV. Way too much. And honestly, I think the book may have been better served with some tightening up, especially early on. Things just didn't feel like they were really moving forward for awhile.

I did become more invested over time. Of course, part of that was me being greedy for the moments of connection between Chyrsabelle and Mal. And while they never did get where I wanted them to be, I think there is definite groundwork to move in that direction in later books. Tatiana makes for a formidable villain and the big reveal about her at the end actually managed surprise me, so kudos to the author for that. There were some strong secondary characters, as well.

I feel pretty confident that I'll read the next installment in the series. Hopefully, it will pick up the pace a bit and give me more of the connection between our hero and heroine that we saw the beginnings-of in this book. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Chichipio rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This was on its way to be a 4, but then the climax happened and I didn't like it at all. For the last three or four chapters (it started with the scene of the little kitty meowing just outside the cemetery) every single character started to systematically make the wrong choice. It was as if they wanted the bad guys to win, so when one thing after another started to go wrong for the good guys, I couldn't muster even an ounce of sympathy for them; it took me a while to get through this part becaus...more This was on its way to be a 4, but then the climax happened and I didn't like it at all. For the last three or four chapters (it started with the scene of the little kitty meowing just outside the cemetery) every single character started to systematically make the wrong choice. It was as if they wanted the bad guys to win, so when one thing after another started to go wrong for the good guys, I couldn't muster even an ounce of sympathy for them; it took me a while to get through this part because I kept stopping at random points, my brain insisting on going off track to ask again and again "Well, what did you think it would happen, huh?"

I'm writing this paragraph after the rest of the review. I was thinking of not including any spoilers but after not finding the normal review cathartic enough, I think I need to get these things off my chest, so here it goes, just a rant without much cohesion or organization and full of spoilers: (view spoiler)

The reason I'm kind of angry is that, until those final moments, things seemed to be going quite well. In these past six months or so, most of my 3 stars are books that I didn't care much one way or the other to deserve either praise or criticism. Most of them didn't even merit a review. In this case, I wanted to like this book more and that's why I'm being this harsh.

My spoiler-free general impressions:
• The idea for the world is really interesting, with a take on vampires and fae that manages to be different of everything else out there (not an easy feat in a market that has been saturated by vampires for some years).
• Chrys and Mal are fun characters and their interaction is a mix between Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy that has some of the best of both genres; there's a lot of tension and the funny back and forth without falling in the predictable pattern of just waiting for their HEA.
• This wasn't one of those books in which the secondary characters steal the show, but they all had defined, different, personalities and were quite likable—I never cared much for Fi, though, since she seemed to be waiting for any chance to make a stupid mistake and put everyone at risk.
• Knowing the mind of the villain and understanding what she's going through is one of the best features of the book, something that sets it apart from most UF out there. And Tatiana, even if a little single-minded, is a credible and consistent villain, so you never have to wonder why she's doing something; her relation with the serpent deserves a special mention since raises the level of creepiness a few notches (and in case this needs clarification, this is a gooood thing). My only complaint about Tatiana's POV is the actual location of those parts within the book. Interesting as they were, I felt that they sometimes disrupted the flow of the story. Painter's writing has all the marks to make something unputdownable, a page turner, and several times, just as I was reaching that state… BAM! I turned the page only to find that the scene I was so invested in had been put on hold to make room for some insight into Tatiana's mind.

Since it's a trilogy, I'm hoping that all the stupid mistakes near the end were there just to stretch the story a little (not a good excuse, but at least it's something) and not an indicator of how the characters will react in every situation. I will continue with the second book based on that.(less)

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Oct 01, 2011 Erika Badass rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historicals, kindle, maybe-reads, not-released-yet, oct-2011, paranormal, vampires, awesome-covers

Erika’s Review

One of the things I like most about Author Kristen Painter, is the way she writes. It’s rather hard to describe. It’s soft and sensual, it flows nicely and leaves the reader with a nice feeling. Dark Kiss of the Reaper was my first Kristen Painter book, and I think Blood Rights is an interesting take on Vampires and Shifters, Curses and Blood Slaves.

Grade: B-/C+

First, let me kick off this review by saying that Blood Rights has one of the most gorgeous covers of the year. Seriously....more

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Oct 27, 2012 JenJenBoBin rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Three Stars... Yep Just Three"

"In this shall the coming of the end of days be revealed; the light and the dark shall collide, and the covenant shall be broken.
Sorrow shall bind the darkness, and he shall devour the light and arise reborn. Then blood and sorrow will be his mistress."
-Scroll of Thanicus

Ok I am going to write this quick because I am sure there are lots of other reviews. I had a real hard time getting "into" the story I kept wanting to put it down and had little desire to go b...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, ya-or-teen-protagonist, paranormal-urban-fantasy, superior-worldbuilding, spinning-wheels

I was drawn to BLOOD RIGHTS because it sounded like an interesting spin on the vampire/dhampir mythos, with the heroine as a member of a high-status slave race whose blood is especially attractive to vampires. Chrysabelle is wrongly accused of murdering her master after spending 100 years in his service and goes on the run partly to escape justice but partly because she wants a taste of freedom.

A character we never actually meet and have no reason to trust suggests that Chrysabelle seek help fr...more I was drawn to BLOOD RIGHTS because it sounded like an interesting spin on the vampire/dhampir mythos, with the heroine as a member of a high-status slave race whose blood is especially attractive to vampires. Chrysabelle is wrongly accused of murdering her master after spending 100 years in his service and goes on the run partly to escape justice but partly because she wants a taste of freedom.

A character we never actually meet and have no reason to trust suggests that Chrysabelle seek help from Mal, an outcast vampire of noble descent. He's living with a couple of pretty horrific curses which are slowly driving him insane, so who knows why the off-stage helper thought Mal would be a great go-to guy, but it doesn't matter because Chrysabelle and Mal never get around to doing any of the things you'd expect: they never go hunting for the actual murderer, and they don't run anywhere, either. Actually, they spend the first half of the book - HALF, literally HALF - just fighting about whether or not he's actually going to help her.

The lack of forward momentum is maddening. Chrysabelle can't decide if she wants to go or if she is going to stick around and demand Mal's aid. Mal can't decide if he's going to toss Chrysabelle out or lock her up and keep her. They're much too busy having dumb fights to cooperate. Here's a prime example: Chrysabelle goes a little crazy if she doesn't drain her blood regularly, so she's frequently after Mal to drink from her. Mal tries to resist the temptation, though it's very strong. And yet, at one point, Chrysabelle gets all mad and accuses Mal of thinking of her as food. What? She spends most of her time REMINDING him that she's food!

The only thing worse than Chrysabelle and Mal's stupid drama are the many scenes written from the perspective of BLOOD RIGHTS' one-note villain, Tatiana. Man, Tatiana is annoying. All of her thoughts are like this one, which is taken from a scene where she's made her boy-toy perform some difficult task on her behalf, and she leads him off to bed with this bit of internal monologue: "He deserved a reward for his efforts, and what was better than being allowed to pleasure her." How...very...boring. I can handle a one-note villain but I'd bet that at least 20% of BLOOD RIGHTS is written in Tatiana's POV and I cannot stand THAT MUCH one-note villain. She's arrogant and power-hungry and she kills people without remorse, I get it, enough already.

The really cool thing about BLOOD RIGHTS is the mythology. I really dug the different houses, the curses, and especially the culture of the comarré, the vampire blood-slaves. Everything about them is meant to remind vampires of daylight - they're pale, blonde, they wear white and decorate themselves with gold tattoos, they even have summery, floral scents and glow to supernatural eyes. I like the contrast between how wealthy the comarré can be as a group and even individually, and yet how powerless they are. Painter went deep with her worldbuilding and I think the results could have been awesome, if she'd put even half that effort into crafting a decent story. Unfortunately, the story is awful.

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Nov 20, 2011 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-books, urban-fantasy, young-adult, vampires, dhampir, kindle-edition, 4-stars-books, fiction, favorites, sagas

Wow, now this is the kind of story I enjoy; fast paced, with a really good story.

Chrysabelle is the best of the comarré, certainly the most expensive one, one of the many women raised to become a vampire’s life source. She has lived her life as decreed by tradition but when her patron is found dead and all signs point her as the culprit she must run away in order to find a way to clear her name. But when her journey takes an unexpected turn for the worst an unlikely ally might be her only hope....more

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Feb 11, 2013 Susana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kristen-painter, 2013, urban-fantasy, wannabe

I've had this book for months now, waiting to be read on my nightstand. The only reason i decided to read it at this moment, was because the youngest member of my feline clan (yeah, i have one!) decided that the corner of the dam book was tasty. O_O So before, i ended up with a ruined cover, i decided to read it once and for all.
Thanks, kitty....for nothing.

So this book...well, lets start with the positives, shall we?
The cover, YES, its beautiful isn't?
The problem is that inside, there's almost...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Aliya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Myra

Shelves: fiction, first-reads, own, birthday-gifts

I must say, I didn't think I'd really like this book, but I did. I expect it's because it consists of more than the typical single main element included in vampire novels, romance. There are so many more parts to this book, which tie it in together and make it interesting and an easy read, one of those books you don't put down till you finish. At least that's how it was with me. There's mystery, adventure, horror, not just romance. All these aspects keep the book interesting because there's alwa...more

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Sep 05, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

She blocked his path. "Not until you kiss me." She licked her bottom lip. "You owe me!"

His eyes stayed on that bottom lip, studied the deep crimson that evidenced the richness of her blood.
Would she taste the way she smelled? Would her lips be as soft as they looked? He'd not kissed a woman in many years. She notched her head back, lightly rapping it against the door behind her, shaking him from his thoughts. Without realizing it, he'd backed her into the door, pinning her with his arms. Her p

...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Robin K added it · review of another edition

Much like it's extraordinary cover design Blood Rights is an intricate story woven from rich characters and their majestic world. Kristen's world flourishes with riches, controversy, secrecy and nobility. Blood Rights is a book about new beginnings and devastating ends. About birth via fire, so to speak.

I am actually finding the book review hard to write as I try to summarize the complexity of Blood RIghts. It is almost like I have just begun with chapter one and need to read more to fully descr...more

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Sep 24, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, arc, cover-is-awesome

3.5 stars

First off, when I initially picked this book up (virtually, of course since I read it as an ebook), I thought it was a Young Adult book. I have no clue why. The only thing I can think of is that the cover threw me off. It's a fantastic and very gorgeous cover, but for some reason it looks more like a Young Adult cover than an adult Urban Fantasy. I didn't mind at all because I love Urban Fantasy (as well as Young Adult). But, I just thought I'd put that out there for people who only lik...more 3.5 stars

First off, when I initially picked this book up (virtually, of course since I read it as an ebook), I thought it was a Young Adult book. I have no clue why. The only thing I can think of is that the cover threw me off. It's a fantastic and very gorgeous cover, but for some reason it looks more like a Young Adult cover than an adult Urban Fantasy. I didn't mind at all because I love Urban Fantasy (as well as Young Adult). But, I just thought I'd put that out there for people who only like to read Young Adult books. That being said, there isn't any sex in this though, and in that sense it could be a Young Adult novel. But, I'm not sure how the future books will change when it comes to that.

I really enjoyed this book. I know I only gave it a 3.5, but my reasoning for that is because it tended to be slow and drawn-out at times. The other thing is that there were times when the visuals were a bit confusing and I had a hard time following. But other than those two things, I really enjoyed this. I loved Chrysabelle. She's strong and sexy and sure of herself (without being cocky). Malkolm is still a bit of a mystery, which isn't a bad thing, but the chemistry between him and Chrysabelle was definitely strong and I can't wait to see how their relationship develops in the future books.

I think what I loved most about this book was just the world and the characters. Despite it being slow at times, I found myself getting lost in the world and sort of mentally jumping in there, which is why I think many of us read (including myself) so that's always a good feeling to get with a book. The ending was also, not so much a cliffhanger, but a "to be continued". We definitely ended up with a few twists and several surprises I didn't expect, but it left it open to much bigger stories to come. In this case I loved it. I sometimes like to have the Urban Fantasy books I read just wrap up and the next one in the series start up with a new story altogether (with the same characters). But this time the "to be continued" feel was intriguing and it left me really craving the next book. Plus, the next one comes out in November, and the third in December so not too long of a wait!

Overall, this was really good. If not for it being a bit slow and too long at times, I would've given it four stars easily. The world is unique despite it being about vampires, the characters are really interesting and I can't wait to see what happens with not only the world after this book, but with Chrysabelle and Malkolm especially!

More of my reviews at I'm Loving ♥ Books.(less)

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Oct 25, 2011 Danny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: watch-out, bea11, imm-sept1

First things first, the cover... isn't is the most awesome thing you've ever seen? The cover is what drew me in, what made me aware of this incredible story behind this cover... But also, reading the synopsis I was pretty sure this is so my cup of tea...

World building per excellence!
Blood Rights is the first in a series and basically builds up the world for us. And... it does it perfectly!! We slowly but surely learn in which world we find ourselves here. It's in the future - think dystopian...more First things first, the cover... isn't is the most awesome thing you've ever seen? The cover is what drew me in, what made me aware of this incredible story behind this cover... But also, reading the synopsis I was pretty sure this is so my cup of tea...

World building per excellence!
Blood Rights is the first in a series and basically builds up the world for us. And... it does it perfectly!! We slowly but surely learn in which world we find ourselves here. It's in the future - think dystopian - and there are Vampires and of course other creatures. But most intriguing there is this race of human that a breed to feed Vampires - their blood is especially powerful and delicious. Also, they get marked with gold tattoos all over their body! How damn sexy!
Mrs Painter introduced this world, laid down the basics and rules so that we can then focus on the characters she created...

Chrysabelle - Oh my kick ass Girly!
Ok calling her girly is most definitely wrong but... Chrysabelle is one of the most pure Comarré and was sold to serve a high ranking Vampire. You would imagine such kind of girl to be quite and submissive. But, she will prove you wrong! When the plot unfolds you will see that this girl in fact is kick ass and a backbone is full of determination and stubbornness! At the same time she has some sort of vulnerability surrounding her, which made her even more 3 dimensional. She's in fact awesome and I really loved and connected with Chrysabelle!

Men, where are the men!
Give my bad boy kick ass hero!
Of course, what would a story like this be without a kick ass hero? Nothing! Which is why we get to know Malkom a cursed Vampire who has to kill anyone he's drinking from... and it tortures him and makes him hard and detached. And there you have the perfect love interest - dark, kick ass and tortured! The perfect addition to Chrysabelle!

Murder, Mystery and the big bad Villain!
The story starts with a murder which Chrysabelle is accused of so that she has to run off , hide and find the real murder. This is in fact how she meets Malkom! Together they have to find out what is going on, because behind this murder is of course much more and we are just at the tip of the iceberg in this story! The big Villain here is .. well bad, cruel and full of bad intentions and motives our heros have to stop!
Oh and the story ended with a big gasping moment and surprise...

Bottom Line

This is an incredible start into a new series - a series every lover of Urban Paranormal Fantasy can't miss! Vampires, Desires, immense World Building deep characters you want to get to know even better and a plot that just begun.... (less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Nicole by: Eunice

If you're like me and enjoy the odd vampire story, while at the same time am so incredibly disappointed with the YA vampire romance crap that gets published nowadays, then this is the book for you!

Finally! A vampire story that keeps the old traditions alive, while at the same time constructs a multi-dimensional and unique mythology. The characters are well rounded and the female protagonist doesn't make me want to hit her in the face with a brick. The quality of writing is great and it's easy to...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Nadia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was great and honestly it had it all. It had great story, full of fantastic world building that felt fresh, which is hard to find in vamps stories. It had action, but my favorite part was the romantic side that builds overtime. If you are tired of the boy meets girl and the are madly in love in a week, then this is a romance for you.

Gist: sometime in future Florida, the irony of vampires in sunny year round Florida, a girl is accused of murdering her patron, the person who purschased...more

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May 31, 2013 Giota Papadimakopoulou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Μετά από δέκα και πλέον, συλλογές βιβλίων βρικολάκων, που βρίσκονται στα ράφια της βιβλιοθήκης μου, είχα κάνει μια σιωπηλή συμφωνία με τον εαυτό μου. Δεν πρόκειται να ξαναδιαβάσω κάτι παρόμοιο εκτός αν μεσολαβήσει πολύ μεγάλο διάστημα και μου λείψει καθώς, είχα την πεποίθηση πως πολύ δύσκολα πλέον θα κατάφερνε κάτι να με συγκινήσει με την διαφορετικότητά του. Και όμως, δεν πρέπει να λες τελικά μεγάλες κουβέντες γιατί βλέποντας το "Δεσμοί Αίματος", το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς "Ο Οίκος Των Κομαρρέ"...more Μετά από δέκα και πλέον, συλλογές βιβλίων βρικολάκων, που βρίσκονται στα ράφια της βιβλιοθήκης μου, είχα κάνει μια σιωπηλή συμφωνία με τον εαυτό μου. Δεν πρόκειται να ξαναδιαβάσω κάτι παρόμοιο εκτός αν μεσολαβήσει πολύ μεγάλο διάστημα και μου λείψει καθώς, είχα την πεποίθηση πως πολύ δύσκολα πλέον θα κατάφερνε κάτι να με συγκινήσει με την διαφορετικότητά του. Και όμως, δεν πρέπει να λες τελικά μεγάλες κουβέντες γιατί βλέποντας το "Δεσμοί Αίματος", το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς "Ο Οίκος Των Κομαρρέ", με την υπογραφή της Kristen Painter, που κυκλοφόρησε πριν λίγες μέρες από τις εκδόσεις Μάτι και στα ελληνικά, δεν μπορείς να μην το πάρεις στα χέρια σου και όταν το ανοίξεις και ξεκινήσεις να διαβάζεις, δεν μπορείς παρά να σταματήσεις μόνο όταν φτάσεις στην τελευταία σελίδα.

Η Κρίσαμπελ, είναι μια κομαρρέ. Μεγάλωσε και ανατράφηκε με σκοπό το αίμα της, να τρέφει τον προστάτη ο οποίος και θα αγόραζε το δικαίωμα στο αίμα της με τον οποίο θα ήταν υποχρεωμένη να μείνει για όσο εκείνος επέλεγε. Όμως ο προστάτης της βρίσκεται δολοφονημένος και εκείνη, κατηγορούμενη για την αποτρόπαιη αυτή πράξη και διψασμένη για μια ελευθερία που ποτέ δεν είχε, το σκάει από τη Ρουμανία για να φτάσει στην Αμερική, ζητώντας την βοήθεια της θείας της, της μοναδικής κομαρρέ που γνωρίζει να έχει ξεφύγει από τον κόσμο της. Στον δρόμο της θα βρεθεί ο Μάλκολμ, ένας πρώην αριστοκράτης, αναθεματισμένος βρικόλακας που ζει με τους δικούς τους δαίμονες και με χιλιάδες φωνές να στοιχειώνουν το μυαλό του εξαιτίας μιας παλιάς κατάρας. Και μπορεί η έλξη μεταξύ τους να είναι μεγάλη, μπορεί οι ανάγκες τους να είναι δυνατές οδηγώντας τους στο να προσπαθούν να απωθήσουν ο ένας τον άλλον όμως πρέπει να ενώσουν τις δυνάμεις τους για να διεκδικήσουν την ελευθερία τους και να παλέψουν μαζί εναντίον της Τατιάνας, μιας αριστοκράτισσας βρικόλακα που τα μοχθηρά της σχέδια δεν προμηνύουν τίποτα καλό για τον κόσμο τους.

Το "Δεσμοί Αίματος" μπορεί να είναι ένα βιβλίο που ανήκει στην φανταστική λογοτεχνία όμως υπάγεται σε ένα πολύ συγκεκριμένο παρακλάδι της το οποίο φέρει πολύ συγκεκριμένα χαρακτηριστικά που το απομακρύνουν από το romance και το παρακλάδι αυτό δεν είναι άλλο από το urban fantasy. Αυτό ακριβώς είναι το σημείο που το βιβλίο κερδίζει τις εντυπώσεις, για μένα, καθώς δεν νομίζω πως υπάρχει αντιπροσωπευτικότερος εκπρόσωπος του είδους στην χώρα μας, φέρνοντας έναν διαφορετικό αέρα και όντας σε θέση να ικανοποιήσει ακόμα και το αντρικό κοινό που κακά τα ψέματα, στην πλειοψηφία του, ιστορίες σαν το "Λυκόφως" δεν θα τις διάβαζε ούτε με λοβοτομή. Έχει περιπέτεια, δράση και αγωνία, στοιχεία που κάνουν την εμφάνισή τους από τις πρώτες κι όλας σελίδες οδηγώντας σε μια συνεχή κορύφωση της έντασης, κάνοντάς μας να γυρίζουμε μανιωδώς τις σελίδες για να μάθουμε τις εξελίξεις που γίνονται όλο και πιο ανατρεπτικές.

Πέραν όμως όλων των παραπάνω, το "Δεσμοί Αίματος", έχει ένα ακόμα μεγάλο ατού. Τοποθετείται στο μέλλον και πιο συγκεκριμένα, στο 2067, κάνοντας εμφανείς τις διαφορές ανάμεσα στο σήμερα και στο τότε, χωρίς ωστόσο να καταφεύγει σε υπερβολές ενώ παράλληλα, η ίδια η συγγραφέας, έχει δημιουργήσει έναν δικό της κόσμο στον οποίο δεν έχουν θέση μόνο οι βρικόλακες αλλά και άλλα παράξενα πλάσματα όπως στοιχειά, αερικά και άλλα. Ακόμα και οι ίδιοι οι βρικόλακές της όμως, δεν είναι όμοιοι μεταξύ τους. Δεν τους χωρίζουν απλά οι ταξικές διαφορές ή οι κοινονικοπολιτικοί παράγοντες. Υπάρχουν κάστες με συγκεκριμένα χαρακτηριστικά η κάθε μία, υπάρχουν αριστοκρατικές οικογένειες, εξορισμένοι, απόβλητοι, μπάσταρδοι... ο καθένας με τα δικά του ιδιαίτερα γνωρίσματα και την δικιά του, προσωπική χρησιμότητα μέσα σε ένα σύνολο μεταφυσικών πλασμάτων που μοιάζει να σαπίζει από τα ίδια του τα μέσα. Ουσιαστικά, η Painter, δημιουργεί την δικιά της μυθολογία για να στηρίξει το έργο της και ο διαχωρισμός του τρόπου ζωής και των δικαιωμάτων των διαφόρων τάξεων που λαμβάνουν θέση σε αυτό, είναι περισσότερο από ξεκάθαρες.

Η Κρίσαμπελ και ο Μάλκολμ είναι ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα λογοτεχνικά ζευγάρια που έχω συναντήσει στην λογοτεχνία του φανταστικού. Δένουν εξαιρετικά καλά μεταξύ τους, ανάμεσά τους υπάρχει μια έντονη σεξουαλική ένταση η οποία μπορεί να μην κορυφώνεται ούτε να εκτονώνεται ωστόσο υπόσχεται πολλά στο μέλλον. Και αν θέλετε τη γνώμη μου, αυτό είναι ένα από τα πολλά θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου γιατί ουσιαστικά και πάνω απ' όλα, είναι μια φανταστική ιστορία επανάστασης και αγώνα όπου η προσοχή, πολύ καλώς, είναι στραμμένη στη δράση, την αγωνία και την περιπέτεια και όχι σε ένα ακόμα ρομάντζο μεταφυσικού. Όχι πως είναι κακό το ρομάντζο ή το απορρίπτω αλλά κακά τα ψέματα, μου είχε λείψει να ανοίξει κανένα ρουθούνι σε ιστορίες του είδους. Διατηρούνται οι απαραίτητες αποστάσεις και για καλή μας τύχη, αποτέλεσμα αυτού, είναι να διατηρείται και η ταυτότητα του βιβλίου συνολικά.

Σε μια αγορά που αναμφίβολα έχει κορεστεί από τις ιστορίες βρικολάκων, το "Δεσμοί Αίματος", καταφέρνει να κάνει τη διαφορά καθώς η συγγραφέας δημιουργεί έναν ολότελα δικό της κόσμο, τόσο ως προς την σύσταση των χαρακτήρων, όσο και του πολιτισμού στον οποίο υπάγονται, που δεν μας θυμίζει σε τίποτα όσα βιβλία ανάλογου περιεχομένου έχουμε διαβάσει μέχρι στιγμής. Πρωτότυπο στην σύλληψη, μοναδικά εκτελεσμένη ιδέα, είναι ένα βιβλίο που σε παρασύρει στην καρδιά της ιστορία του και σε κρατάει παγιδευμένο εκεί καθ' όλη την διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης, ανεβάζοντας τους παλμούς σου και φτάνοντας την αγωνία σου στα ύψη. Γοητευτικοί, δυναμικοί, καταραμένοι χαρακτήρες που ζητάνε την ελευθερία τους, σε μια μάχη με σκοπό την απόκτηση της ελευθερίας τους και που θες δεν θες, ταυτίζεσαι μαζί τους αναζητώντας να βρεις την ίδια με εκείνους δικαίωση. Αν περιμένουμε το επόμενο; Το συντομότερο δυνατόν!(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Niki Hawkes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Via www.nikihawkes.com

I’ll admit that I initially picked this up solely because it had a cool cover. Much to my delight, I found it to be a highly original and fascinating read. What’s more, it’s clear from the few first chapters that Painter is an exceptionally talented writer. Her smart “no words wasted” writing style, along with the overall concept of the story were my favorite elements of this book.

This is a highly character-driven novel, and I admit I would’ve prefered to see a little more...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Killian McRae rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was hoping for there to be a bit more romance in this. Oh, don't worry. There's attraction, there's sexual tension, there's even some kissing, but there's not really a romance. Which leaves one evaluating the intrigues of these two binary societies: the vampires, and the comarre.

Over all, you find yourself swept up in the plot. From the cover, you might suppose the heroine is some high-end, high-maintenance, frail Franny. Chrysabelle's nothing of the sort. Well, perhaps high-maintenance, but...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Zayna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kristen Painter's Blood Rights is a novel addition to the supernatural genre. It takes a refreshing spin on the otherworld society with its introduction of the comarré--humans specially raised to feed vampires of the Nobility. The comarré, surprisingly, are not glorified prostitutes; instead, both comarrés and their patrons are bound by propriety and a stringent set of protocol. As Chrysabelle, our comarré protagonist, and our outcast vampire Mal embark on their journey, we discover that the Hou...more Kristen Painter's Blood Rights is a novel addition to the supernatural genre. It takes a refreshing spin on the otherworld society with its introduction of the comarré--humans specially raised to feed vampires of the Nobility. The comarré, surprisingly, are not glorified prostitutes; instead, both comarrés and their patrons are bound by propriety and a stringent set of protocol. As Chrysabelle, our comarré protagonist, and our outcast vampire Mal embark on their journey, we discover that the House of Comarré is not at all what it seems.

The world that Painter creates is intriguing. The normal humans live unaware of their supernatural neighbors as a result of an centuries-long covenant. The supernaturals are divided into fae, vampire, and varcolai (shapeshifters) with mixed breeds (remnants) and inferior vampires (fringe) at the lower rungs of the social ladder. The characters, the world, and the plot keep the story engaging and make it a fast and enjoyable read. Although the novel does fall prey to stereotypical leads, Chrysabelle being our pure maiden and Mal our angsty hero, Painter does add depth to both their characters. Our sheltered, privileged heroine, is also an accomplished warrior while Mal's unique curse is wholly unexpected.

The issues lie with the other characters in the novel and the minor plot points that detract from the overall book. The villain Tatiana's desperate obsession with power is overplayed. While we are obviously not expected to like the bad guy, Tatiana's character fails to feel real and three-dimensional. The insufficient introduction of her history, pre-vampire and immediately post-human life, makes it difficult to understand her ambitions and the rationale behind her descent into insanity. Tatiana is not the only victim of insufficient background information. Chrysabelle's Aunt Maris, Dominic (another outcast vampire), and Doc (a cursed varcolai and Mal's sort of sidekick) all have untold stories. While there are many more books to come in the series, I would have preferred a few more tidbits to pad their characters. The big reveals about characters' identities at the end of the novel were also rather cliche and felt like they were just thrown in there without the appropriate emotional build-up. (view spoiler)

While the book has some inconsistencies, it's novelty and attention grabbing plot will draw you in. It is certainly a good start to a fascinating series that will hopefully improve with new additions to the collection. The questions it leaves unanswered have already led me to start the next book in the series. However, even without those loose ends, my hope for a happy ending for our two protagonists will keep me reading.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BLOOD RIGHTS (House of Comarre #1) by Kristin Painter

BLOOD RIGHTS is the first novel in Kristin Painter’s House of Comarre Urban Fantasy series. Set in the year 2067, the first novel in the series introduces the reader to a wide variety of supernatural beings, terminology and a vampire premise that follows a different path than many vampire storylines. But a little background information is required to follow the premise.

Our heroine is Chrysabelle, one of the strongest and fiercest Comarre. The...more BLOOD RIGHTS (House of Comarre #1) by Kristin Painter

BLOOD RIGHTS is the first novel in Kristin Painter’s House of Comarre Urban Fantasy series. Set in the year 2067, the first novel in the series introduces the reader to a wide variety of supernatural beings, terminology and a vampire premise that follows a different path than many vampire storylines. But a little background information is required to follow the premise.

Our heroine is Chrysabelle, one of the strongest and fiercest Comarre. The Comarre are a hybrid race of humans, specially trained in the warrior arts and in service to the vampire nobility. But the method of service is necessary for both parties-as the source of pure blood, the Comarre provide strength and nourishment to the vampires and in return, the vampire is able to drain the toxic effects of the pureblood buildup in the Comarre. It is both an honor and a duty to owe patronage and ‘blood rights’ to the vampire nobility, but Chrysabelle’s patron has been found murdered and the Ring of Sorrows is missing, and all suspicions turn to the woman who has sworn allegiance to the vampire for over a hundred years.

Chrysabelle must seek refuge and solace with her Aunt Maris. But time is running out. Hoping to discover the truth to Algernon’s murder, Chysabelle is sent forth looking for the one man Maris has told her to find, but Jonas is no where to be found. When Chrysabelle crosses paths with the fallen vampire Malkolm, her adventure into the underworld of demons, shapeshifters and fae, becomes a little more complicated when her true identity as a Comarre beckons the inner beast hidden beneath the façade of the recluse vampire.

Malkolm is a fallen vampire –cursed with the many deaths he has hastened at the hands of his beast. But the voices in his head continually urge the vampire towards another kill, and this time, their target is a beautiful Comarre, tattooed with the golden fretwork of the most powerful and pure. Although unwilling to admit she is in trouble, Crysabelle needs Malkolm’s help, but it is the call of her blood, that excites the beast hidden within. But fate has brought these two lonely beings together, and it will be blood that will bring them closer –still.

Tatiana is a powerful vampire with a motive of pure menace and vengeance. Hoping to secure the position of Dominus in one of the most powerful vampire Houses, Tatiana requires the Ring of Sorrows, and Algernon was the last known vampire to be in possession of the powerful jewel and now his Comarre is missing and presumed guilty of both murder and theft of the ring. The true nature of the ring has yet to be revealed, but Tatiana’s endeavor to discover its’ power will unleash an evil thought only to exist in mythology and lore. And the hunt for Tatiana will push Malkolm and Chrysabelle spiraling the depths of hidden passages, only to discover there are more secrets locked behind the façade of an aging Comarre and a vindictive vampire hoping to avenge the death of a child.

We are introduced to Malkolm’s constant companions-Fi, a ghost from his past that haunts his present, and Doc, the shapeshifting feline who has been cursed to the life of a house pet: Marissa as Chrysabelle’s aunt who has a few secrets of her own: and Dominic, a powerful vampire with connections to both Chrysabelle and her aunt.

Kristin Painter labels herself as a gothic urban fantasy writer. The genre is usually a dark look into the future world heading for destruction at the hands of the supernatural. Although there is little in the way of ‘urban fantasy’, the gothic tag is quite dark and evil. There is no sex, no foul language but the violence is bloody and sharp. The relationship between Chrysabelle and Malkolm is slow to build and even slower is their realization of the inevitable. I am not sure whether this series is YA. I cannot find any reference to the age discipline that the author has intended-with the lack of many of the ‘staples’ of an adult storyline, this novel could read as YA, except the characters are definitely NOT teens. Blood Rights has an interesting premise that offers a different twist to the vampire myth and legend. I am looking forward to the next storyline-Flesh and Blood

see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com
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Aug 09, 2012 Maria marked it as dnf · review of another edition

I came so close to finishing this book. Maybe I had less than 100 pages to go. The only reason I even read the book was because I didn't have anything better to read at the time. I could've easily finished it, but, then again, I could've easily stopped reading, too. Plus, I finally decided to stop procrastinating and get on with my school work.

Malkolm is cool. He's a complex character with a dark and twisted past. I thought his curse was pretty creative though depressing--I would definitely hate...more

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May 22, 2012 Vannessa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, netgalley-books, urban-fantasy-adult, vampire-mostly

Chrysabelle gets this book off to a great start - she's on the run after finding her vampire patron dead, killed in a way only a comarré could, with a lethal blade that would behead him, but not turn his body to ash; a blade that only a comarré can wield. Chrysabelle is one such comarré, a human hybrid covered in gold shimmering tattoos, bred for the pure existence of providing untainted blood to vampires in return for youthful looks and long life. Although she only looks about 20, Chrysabelle i...more Chrysabelle gets this book off to a great start - she's on the run after finding her vampire patron dead, killed in a way only a comarré could, with a lethal blade that would behead him, but not turn his body to ash; a blade that only a comarré can wield. Chrysabelle is one such comarré, a human hybrid covered in gold shimmering tattoos, bred for the pure existence of providing untainted blood to vampires in return for youthful looks and long life. Although she only looks about 20, Chrysabelle is over 100 years old.

However she wasn't the one who killed him, so now she's on the run to save herself from being killed by the vampire Tatiana who is next to rule the vampire House, to which Chrysabelle's patron was affiliated.

Chrysabelle runs off to her aunt's house, an ex-comarré herself, who in turn sends her to find another vampire Mal for help. This vampire is anathema, a vampire who was once a noble but is now an outcast. Their initial meeting does not go at all well as Chrysabelle stakes him and when they meet again, they both have issues and prejudices that they need to overcome if they are to work together and help Chrysabelle to prove her innocence.

I really liked the build up between Chrysabelle and Mal - there was no romance at all between them, almost a pure hatred for one another, but at the same time a dependency on each other in order to survive. I do think and hope that something will blossom between them in time especially as they are now bound to each other, despite neither of them wanting to be and unless they find a way to break that bond, they are stuck together indefinitely.

When Chrysabelle's aunt is kidnapped and used as bait to entice Chrysabelle to Tatiana's mansion, Chrysabelle enrols the help of Mal, Dominic, another anathema vampire friend of her aunt, Doc, Mal's half were companion and Fi, a ghost, turned human again who was formerly bound to Mal in her ghost state. This strange army go up against the very strong Tatiana, her sidekick Mikkel and a demon of sorts. Not everything went according to plan, but Chrysabelle and Mal made it out alive so hopefully they'll be able to continue the story and carry on the good fight!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series. I would like to thank the author and publishers for letting me review this book honestly through NetGalley.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Tjitske Wind rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, romance, thriller, vampires, urban, fantasy, shifter, fae, ghost

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I think this book started slow. So in the beginning I thought it was boring.

Malcolm is a very sexy vampire that kinda reminds me of Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Because he used to be a real bad ass but is now trying to be good and isn't trying to drink blood from the vein. But! He's not exactly like Angel. Because he's got a curse on him that drives him insane. Chrysabelle is comarre a human that's been breeded to feed vampire nobility. When her patron gets murdered she gets accused of...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Sobia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So first things first, this is more Urban fantasy then paranormal romance. I really only picked it up, because it's advertised at the end of Gail Carriger's Timeless... (One of those, "if you enjoyed this book, you'll enjoy this..." type of dealios)...however I don't see the connection. It wasn't bad...a few dialogue issues (one character atually uses the phrase :you better check yourself". seriously.) Also the author is not afraid of killing of characters. But yeah, there's really no connecting...more So first things first, this is more Urban fantasy then paranormal romance. I really only picked it up, because it's advertised at the end of Gail Carriger's Timeless... (One of those, "if you enjoyed this book, you'll enjoy this..." type of dealios)...however I don't see the connection. It wasn't bad...a few dialogue issues (one character atually uses the phrase :you better check yourself". seriously.) Also the author is not afraid of killing of characters. But yeah, there's really no connecting it with Gail Carriger anything.

The over all story is engrossing, though there are a lot of vamp sterotypes in play...What I mean is...Well okay, you know how most authors seem to come up with their own lore/mythos re: all their para folk, and laugh at all the "dumb stuff ' that comes out of the movies? Well Ms Painter seems to embrace all that 'dumb stuff'....(holy water is bad, vamps cant enter any domain without an invitation, they can't go on consecrated ground without serious repercussions, etc) For me personally, it seemed an easy way out, of having to come up with your own ideas...Although to be fair, the society she created, and the different levels to it, were pretty interesting, if not wholly original.

Also, the H and h are at odds for waaaaay too long...and becasue this is more UF than PNR, there's no clear resolution between them...(there's a cliffhanger ending, dammit!) and if you read the reviews for book two in the Comarre series you learn (view spoiler). Also a number of times (in particular, near the end) a character would make a choice that just wouldn't be the right/sane choice...So i ended up being pulled out of the story wondering why so and so didn't do this other thing that would have made more sense, and wouldn't have screwed thigns up. Oh and there's a lot of minor characters....A lot. And we'd randomly get a small bit from said secondary characters points of view, for, IMO, no good reason.

oh and there's a lot from the villain's point of view too. A lot, a lot. Usually I like getting the big bad's perspective, but here, it just felt like too much. Every other chapter is from her point of view...really, i get it. She' bad. she's bad. she's really really bad. There's no need to clobber me over the head with it. (from i understand,t his continues on into the next book as well)

okay, crap I think I got on a roll with all the negatives... I swear its not that bad... Like I said it's engrossing, and the world building is pretty top notch....But the reviews for the rest of the books have ~~screwed~~ won me over, and I probably won't be continuing with the series...but its' still a 3 star read :)
(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paperback-i-own, paranormal, zombie-or-vampires

Cover Rating :

What's not to love about this gorgeous cover? And who can fail to see the message in it? This is a paranormal book about vampires, passion and gorgeous people! The well-placed quote from well-known New York Times Bestselling vampire author Patricia Briggs says so on the cover!

The golden tatoos, slightly soiled lacey dress with the red ribbon, and the girl's messy hair tell us she's not quite human. The writing on the cover tells us about the book and the author in perfect font and...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Majanka rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance, young-adult, urban-fantasy, vampires, read-2012

Read the review on my website.

Blood Rights is a classic example of excellent worldbuilding. The world Kristen Painter presents to her readers is very similar to our normal, everyday word, yet very different as well. There is a covenant in place protecting ordinary humans from seeing othernatural creatures like vampires, fae, shapeshifters and the likes. This book focuses mostly on the vampire part of this new world, although it occassionally mentions the other supernatural races as well. In the...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Sofija rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are two things I really hate in books.

1)When author use so many new words, that they have to put a glossary in a book
2)When there is more than two POVs

“Blood rights” has both of these elements. It has SIX POVs!!! Reading it was like watching a movie with a commercial break after every ten minutes. Annoying! Frustrating! Confusing!

And all society structure didn’t sit with me well. The comarré is just an artery in a dress. They are being bred like cows as a food source for vampires. They are...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Comarre Coloring	2	16	Jan 16, 2013 12:33pm
Cocktail Society ...: March 2012 Read	1	10	Mar 07, 2012 04:02am
SOS: Serious Over...: [Feb 2012] "Blood Rights" Discussion Spoilers	5	52	Feb 19, 2012 09:10pm
Kannapolis Parano...: May 2012 - Blood Rights	1	8	Feb 13, 2012 09:26am
Paranormal Addict...: House of Camarre - Kristen Painter	36	85	Jan 03, 2012 04:27pm
Romance Lovers fo...: Blood Rights (Nov 28th)	94	20	Dec 11, 2011 10:17pm

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Blood Rights (House of Comarré #1)

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