All That Bleeds (Etherlin, #1)

May 01, 2013 Holdsherbreath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay world, I asked for a sign and you gave me one

This book was okay, which sadly enough is exactly what I needed from the pnr world. It's in-between time right now, all my favorite authors have either just released their new books or I am waiting on the new one and so I just needed something to tide me over, that's all I ask for, a fluffy funny read that doesn't need to be profound, just good enough for me to get through and have a few sighs along the way, however that doesn't mean that I wil...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Urban Fantasy Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

To read this review and others like it check out my site, www.ufreviews.com

I have never read a Kimberly Frost book, although I must admit I am pretty sure I have heard her name float around in genre circles, so when I got a copy of her book, I was pretty excited to read it. I had no idea what the book was about, and the cover really didn't tell me much, but when I read the back, I was excited to see Muses were a part of the story.

I think the part about this book that I enjoyed the most was tha...more To read this review and others like it check out my site, www.ufreviews.com

I have never read a Kimberly Frost book, although I must admit I am pretty sure I have heard her name float around in genre circles, so when I got a copy of her book, I was pretty excited to read it. I had no idea what the book was about, and the cover really didn't tell me much, but when I read the back, I was excited to see Muses were a part of the story.

I think the part about this book that I enjoyed the most was that it felt really fresh. I, like many other urban fantasy readers, have read a lot of books that have to do with vampires, and sometimes it can feel like vampires are getting a little tired. But this book never made me feel like that. The whole book felt fresh and unique, and made me want to keep reading the book. I seriously read most of the book in one sitting, that's right I pull another read until 3a.m. night.

The dynamic between Alissa and Merrick is really great. They have this great pull towards each other but at the same time they both live these vastly different lives. Alissa is being pulled into doing her duty and knows she could never realistically have a relationship with Merrick. While Merrick has to deal with the threat of death everyday, but a relationship with Alissa could certainly up the percentages of bodily harm coming to him. Even with all of that though, they still maintain their secret correspondence to each other, which is really cute to read about, it makes you pull for them.

Alissa is the one I feel the most for, she does not have it easy by any means. As a child she lost one of her parents in a horrible way, and the result of that was her one remaining parent lost his mind. Now Alissa is the parent, as well as being the main bread winner for her community. On top of all that it doesn't seem like she has anyone to really be her friend, and some people out right hate her and want to bring her downfall. With recent events she really can't even trust the people she thought she could. As a reader I was pulling for her the whole time to get the happy ended she deserved, she really is a good person and great character.

Merrick I love just as much as Alissa but for totally different reasons. He lives by his own code, and he does some seriously bad things, but you can't help but love him. It's weird. One minute he's torturing someone for information and then minute you realize, hey I still like this guy. He is a killer in every sense of the word, but yet, I felt like I understood him and thought he was great. Also another thing I loved about him was he was not stiffling of Alissa. I hate when you have a girl who is "protected" by a boy and he goes all "me man, you woman," caveman on them, and this was so not the case with Merrick. Merrick protects Alissa, a lot of the time from a distance without her even knowing it, and when she knows he's protecting her, he totally lets her do whatever she wants, he works around her wants and needs. It's really sweet actually.

Long story short, I love this book. I will be picking up more books by Frost, because if her other books are half as good as this one is then I want to read them. Great romance, great action, and fantastic read. I recommend it to all. (less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Douglas Meeks rated it 4 of 5 stars

All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished All That Bleeds (A Novel of the Etherlin) today and it was an astoundingly good novel. The main characters were fleshed out pretty well although she left the secondary characters a bit more 2 dimensional. The story was great but the basic theme of "bad boy falls in love with princess" type plot was done well. It has vampires and muses (with the ability to enhance people to more creativity and perhaps to command them a bit like h...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Paradoxical rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-list, books-otherwise

All that Bleeds takes an old concept (forbidden, star crossed love) and packages it in a glittering world filled with muses and half vampires. It's not exactly trying to tread a new path, but it's not too terrible either. It was, at most, average.

Alissa is a strong character, and she knows it (which is very different from other heroines). It might be a little annoying how perfect she is, and how beautiful and glamorous her life is, but it's balanced somewhat by the instability of her father, and...more All that Bleeds takes an old concept (forbidden, star crossed love) and packages it in a glittering world filled with muses and half vampires. It's not exactly trying to tread a new path, but it's not too terrible either. It was, at most, average.

Alissa is a strong character, and she knows it (which is very different from other heroines). It might be a little annoying how perfect she is, and how beautiful and glamorous her life is, but it's balanced somewhat by the instability of her father, and the fact that she's not an idiot. She actually has a solid head on her shoulders and for most of the book I was rather glad to have her as the main character. On the other hand, Merrick, her love interest, is rather flat in comparison. Or maybe he seems rather flat because his entire life seems to revolve around being absolutely in love with Alissa. You know obsessive overwhelming love? That would be Merrick in a nutshell.

At first it was rather refreshing for a male lead to be so open in his love for the MC, but after a while it just wears down on the reader (or at least it did for me). The fact that he seems to have based his life around Alissa was disturbing. That he was so desperate while she was more goal oriented was a nice role reversal to see, but not to this extent.

The plot held my attention, but it dragged down in several parts as I got nearer towards the end (which is precisely the last place where you want the plot to drag). I'm not sure if it's partially because I grew tired of Alissa and Merrick's relationship, or if it's really because the plot jerked along slowly.

It also doesn't help that I'm not fond of really random POV switches. Alissa to Merrick I could see. But just a few scenes in the POV of a fellow muse? Or of the enemy? It felt more forced than anything, like the author wanted to include some information, but couldn't figure out any other way other than doing it like this. I also dislike really blatant lead ins to the next book when it doesn't really have anything to do with the current plot at hand.

Basically, the best part of the book is Alissa's strength. Not physical strength because she pretty much has none of that, but her mental fortitude was nice to see, and somewhat rare in a heroine. The rest was shaky. 2-3 stars, rounding down to 2. (less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Lidia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Love, jealousy, envy, power, friendship are all the elements of this beautiful story that will also involve the beautiful fallen angel, Lysander (Showalter will be the same as?) And the fight for the wreath, a crown is given to the muse that has able to inspire more people and produced more worthy works and that the power to the wearer. I really like the protagonist, also called ice princess knows how to manage his life and his duties but is also sweet and funny when he flirts with Merrick who c...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost
Paranormal Romance Jan 3rd, 2012
4 ½ stars

All That Bleeds is a new paranormal series by Kimberly Frost. It is a bit of a departure from the more lighthearted books in her Southern Witch series. That is because it is more serious and complex. However, it still retains the author’s delightfully entertaining writing style that charms you with her sympathetic characters. This series centers on females Muses who work to inspire others for the greater good of mankind. A...more All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost
Paranormal Romance Jan 3rd, 2012
4 ½ stars

All That Bleeds is a new paranormal series by Kimberly Frost. It is a bit of a departure from the more lighthearted books in her Southern Witch series. That is because it is more serious and complex. However, it still retains the author’s delightfully entertaining writing style that charms you with her sympathetic characters. This series centers on females Muses who work to inspire others for the greater good of mankind. All the Muses are competing to be the lead Muse and win the Wreath which helps focus their powers.

In this story, Alissa North is a Muse and the last of her line. After her mother’s suspicious suicide, her father lost her mother’s muse power and fell into madness. As she struggles to help her father and win the Wreath which she hopes to help her father and discover the real reason behind her mother’s mysterious death, she finds herself kidnapped! Luckily the dangerous and lethally handsome vampire enforcer Merrick (who she has secretly been communicating with) is enamored with her and secretly keeps watch over her. As a result, he saves her. Both are strongly attracted to each other but their relationship is forbidden if Alissa wants to win the Wreath. Torn by her need for justice and her growing affection for a man who will stop at nothing to protect her, Alissa must discover what is most important.

This is a fabulous new series that drew me in from the first page. I can’t wait for the next book which features Alissa’s muse friend Cerise who I suspect will have a very interesting romance with a fallen angel! What attracted me to this first book is how well defined and immersing the world the author has created. Muses are highly regarded and it was fascinating to read all the politics, betrayals and backstabbing that occur behind the pretty façade that they show to the ‘normal’ public. I also liked the dangerous edge brought from the mystery behind the person/s who wish to discredit Alissa and bring her downfall. Plus the true reasons behind the death of Alissa’s mother are very unexpected if anticlimactic. The growing love between Alissa and Merrick was very powerful to read as both characters are misunderstood but together find understanding and comfort with each other that they could not find with anyone else. Their forbidden love was suspenseful to read as I wanted them to overcome their obstacles and find happiness together.

Engaging characters, a star-crossed love and a lethally handsome hero make for spectacular reading.

Reviewed by Steph from Bookaholics Book Club
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Jan 07, 2012 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to more. I was prepared to have a typical Mary Jane and hero. But what the Alissa I met and the James I wanted were more than I bargained for. Alissa is a smart, quick and realistic approach to the typical heroine. Merrick (James) is what (I) crave for as a hero. I was pleasantly surprised. I was kept on my toes throughout the novel my assumptions were not always correct (which I like). The heat and desire between the two main characters built u...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 - 3½ stars

All That Bleeds is about Alissa North a modern day muse who is descended from the ancient Greek muses (which means she, like the others, have a good bit of human in them, also). In the 1950s a breed of shape shifting vampires decimated the population until the muses inspired humanity to find a way to fight back and defeat them. All of the vampires were killed but their offspring, half-human, half-vampires called Ventala, were spared, but are still considered animals and aren’t allowe...more 3 - 3½ stars

All That Bleeds is about Alissa North a modern day muse who is descended from the ancient Greek muses (which means she, like the others, have a good bit of human in them, also). In the 1950s a breed of shape shifting vampires decimated the population until the muses inspired humanity to find a way to fight back and defeat them. All of the vampires were killed but their offspring, half-human, half-vampires called Ventala, were spared, but are still considered animals and aren’t allowed near the muses, who live in the Etherlin, because their blood is even more tempting than run-of-the-mill human blood.

The muses have the ability to inspire greatness in people who are inclined to it and Alissa and the other muses are vying for the Wreath Muse, which affords the wearer added powers and the ability to see memories, as well. Alissa wants it because her father has been unstable since her mother, also a muse, killed herself years earlier, and she believes the Wreath will help her cure him. Muses aren’t supposed to use their magic other than for helping aspirants, so that alone would get her into big trouble with the Etherlin Council, but she’s also been secretly writing to Merrick, a Ventalan who saved her life years before. When Alissa is kidnapped, it’s Merrick who saves her and stays with her to try and find out who’s behind the kidnapping, believing it has to do with the Wreath Muse competition.

I liked this book, but not as much as I feel like I should have. The plot and writing are all good, as is the set up to Merrick and Alissa’s relationship, but I never felt as invested in the characters as I think I should have been. I think part of it is that, despite their words and actions, for a good chunk of the book I felt that Merrick wanted Alissa because having her and her blood would be the ultimate get and Alissa wanted Merrick because he was the bad boy Ventala. (view spoiler) Additionally, I thought that a good deal of the secondary characters, while they might be interesting (Lysander, for example), could have been a little more fleshed out and given more depth, though this may be coming in the second book. There was no major cliffhanger, though there are several things that need to be solved/addressed in upcoming books. Despite the flaws I felt this had, I’ll likely check out the next book in the series.
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Jan 22, 2012 Ferdy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-tortured-broody-hero, whiny-annoying-blah-heroine, vampires-ahoy

Alissa lives in Etherlin with her human father and fellow muses. She is competing for the Muse Wreath, which is awarded to the muse who is the best representative for the muse community, who has best inspired athletes, musicians, artist & scientists and who has contributed the most financially to the community from their earnings as a muse. The Wreath enhances a muse's powers and can enable the wearer to see into the history of past muses. Alissa is determined to win the wreath to help her m...more Alissa lives in Etherlin with her human father and fellow muses. She is competing for the Muse Wreath, which is awarded to the muse who is the best representative for the muse community, who has best inspired athletes, musicians, artist & scientists and who has contributed the most financially to the community from their earnings as a muse. The Wreath enhances a muse's powers and can enable the wearer to see into the history of past muses. Alissa is determined to win the wreath to help her mentally unstable father, who is strugling to cope with the loss of his wife. Alissa cannot let anything tarnish her image, especially not a ventala - a half vampire/half human. However Alissa has been secretly writing to Merrick, the ventala she met 5 years prior, when he killed a demon who had mangaged to get into Etherlin.
Alissa has little freedom and is under near constant surveillance by the Etherlin Security. Her every action and decision is scrutininzed by the Etherlin Council. The council dictate many parts of her life and feel they know best. The way the muses were under the thumb of the council was absurd, since without the muses who bring in millions from their work and fund the council and community they would struggle..the muses should have revolted and fought for more freedom, since they had all the power and didn't actually need the council.
When Alissa is kidnapped by another ventala, Merrick saves her and together they try to investigate why she was kidnapped and who in the Etherlin community helped with the kidnapping. Alissa struggles to keep her distance from Merrick as a relationship with him not only means she won't win the Wreath but that she'll also be cast out of Etherlin. Merrick has been obsessed with Alissa since he met her and wants nothing more than to protect and love her.
Merrick's devotion, infatuation and loyalty to Alissa was a tad unbelievable, she did nothing to deserve that level of adoration and love. Alissa's feelings for Merrick made more sense as he represented freedom and change. Alissa was too vanilla and boring, her friend Cerise seemed more interesting.. the next book is from Cerise POV, from the preview it looks promising. (less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Ivanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: demon, angel, vampire, paranormal-romance

Alissa North salah kandidat Muse Wreath. Beberapa hari sebelum pemilihan, Alissa di culik oleh Cato Jacobi namun berkat Merrick pria setelah vampire yang menolongnya Alissa bebas. Namun ancaman terhadapnya tidak berhenti. Merrick memutuskan untuk menjadi pengawal pribadi Alissa dengan menyamar sebagai orang lain.

Alissa bertekad untuk memenangkan pemilihan itu agar bisa tinggal di Etherlin dan menolong ayahnya yang sakit sejak ibunya bunuh diri. Namun dengan demikian dia tidak bisa bersama Merric...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I really liked All That Bleeds, Kimberly Fox's first novel in her new Etherlin series and even though All that Bleeds is a much better story, I think my enjoyment was enhanced by having read the prequel short First Light in the Tied with a Bow anthology. Because even though Frost's Etherlin world is interesting and populated with Muses, the gangster-like Ventala (half human progeny of vampires), and fallen angels, the world is not fully explained here, so it helped to have a bit of the world bui...more I really liked All That Bleeds, Kimberly Fox's first novel in her new Etherlin series and even though All that Bleeds is a much better story, I think my enjoyment was enhanced by having read the prequel short First Light in the Tied with a Bow anthology. Because even though Frost's Etherlin world is interesting and populated with Muses, the gangster-like Ventala (half human progeny of vampires), and fallen angels, the world is not fully explained here, so it helped to have a bit of the world building coming in. Having read the short, I also had a heads up on the leading pair Muse Alissa and one time ventala enforcer Merrick there was just a glimpse of their forbidden romance - but I though that even that peek was stole the spotlight from the leading pair in short, and I was so ready for their story here.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about All That Bleeds is how that relationship – a friendship that should never have been nurtured - grew from afar through gifts and letters. As much as I like soul mates, building on a connection that grew over time was a nice change of pace to all of those instantaneous mate bonds which are all too often used as a quick and dirty device to pull PNR couples together. And being exceedingly hero-centric I thought that Merrick was a great romantic lead – an understated but lethally dangerous intelligent bad boy with a heart. Also, even though the background plot ties up pretty quickly at the end, I did liked the touch of the suspense which served to bring the pair together and keep them together with the heroine in peril long enough to cement their relationship.

Probably the one thing I found odd about the book was the Muses themselves, while the idea of special race with the ability to magically stoke the creative energy in the humans they sponsor was very original, they ended up feeling sort of like psychic cheerleaders who magically inspire their groupies to greatness. I don't know that Muses on the whole entirely work for me yet.

Even still, I did enjoy the All That Bleeds, and the setup for the next starring pair – a Muse and a fallen angel – will have me checking out the next book.
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Feb 10, 2012 DemetraP rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing alpha male hero, smart and likeable heroine

I admit I was nervous about reading a book where the heroine is descended from the Muses and inspires artwork and the sciences in human minds. But this book blew me away. The plot is fast paced, keeps you guessing, and the world building is great.

The hero, Merrick is extremely protective of the heroine, Alissa, and their love letters were hilarious to read. Merrick is a man who has chosen to do one thing, help Alissa, and no one is going to stan...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I got this book from a friend who recommended it. I loved it. It was written very well. I felt that it was easy to be drawn in.

I have to say I was pleasantly pleased on the outcome of the forbidden relationship. It had its moment in the middle where it was a tad boring. But it didn't last long and got better fast. I was a fan of Alissa and Merrick. Richard was also a great character. I did for sometime think that Dimitri was Alissa real dad the way he doted on her. Luckily the truth of it al...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Recommended to Marsha by: Goodreads.com

(3.5 Stars)
When I read the summary for "All That Bleeds" I was not sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the story line and characters.

Alissa North is a descendant of Muse. She inspires humans who have gone on to win Academy Awards and other worldly prizes. She takes very little for herself; but she is desperate to win the Muse Wreath. Generations of women in her family have held the award but she wants it for a different reason: she wants to prolong the life of her ailin...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I knew Kimberly Frost by her other series that I really enjoy: The Southern Witch series. It’s always a nice read as it’s a chick-lit/paranormal saga. I was therefore pretty curious to read another genre, here a paranormal romance series. Plus, have you seen this wonderful cover? Impossible to not like it. Mainly when we know it perfectly corresponds to the novel.

We discover in this first volume a very intriguing world, indeed, this one is shared by an impass...more Mon avis en Français

My English review

I knew Kimberly Frost by her other series that I really enjoy: The Southern Witch series. It’s always a nice read as it’s a chick-lit/paranormal saga. I was therefore pretty curious to read another genre, here a paranormal romance series. Plus, have you seen this wonderful cover? Impossible to not like it. Mainly when we know it perfectly corresponds to the novel.

We discover in this first volume a very intriguing world, indeed, this one is shared by an impassable wall. We can find the world of the Etherlin, the one where the muses live, and another world where the vampires are. Two very different worlds that don’t mix up. The muses and the vampires can’t live together as the blood of these women is addictive for the bloodsuckers. However, a half vampire/human will come off the lot by his incredible control: Merrick, this cold blooded killer but also so mysterious, who will fall in love with the beautiful muse, Alissa.

What can I say about Merrick? He is the perfect bad boy whom everyone dreams about. He has a hard and impenetrable side, but this side is also counterbalanced by his sensibility and his love for Ally. It was funny to see him change like that when he is with her, him, this killer without any pity who will finally do everything she desires. It’s a pleasure from the start to discover this character and I was surprised by the Ally’s resistance. (I don’t think I could have done the same thing). We understand it, it’s therefore why we’re impressed by her acts.

Ally is a young muse who dreams to become THE muse of Etherlin, but it’s also a competition and a fight of everyday. We can only be impressed behind this strong woman, this woman who has to face so many things all the time and who can escape by the letters she can send to Merrick. Like the vampire, we really discover her nature all along the chapters, understanding that everyone thinks she is cold despite she keeps for herself all her feelings. As if her future as a muse wasn’t in danger, she also has to face many questions about the death of her mother, the state of his father that is worst and worst, and also the constant kidnapping threat. Something that Merrick is decided to change.

It’s a touching couple we can discover here. They are together very complementary and we hope from the start they could have a happy ending. Kimberly frost had a lot of wonderful ideas in this book and I was very happy to get into this incredible world. The writing style is fluid and the plot very interesting, we ask ourselves more and more questions to know to discover the truth about what is really going on. I confess I’m now curious to have the sequel as it’s about Lysanger and Cerise who only are two characters introduced to us, so it would be nice to learn more about them. A really nice start! (less)

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Jan 16, 2012 MelissaB rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, paranormal-romance, kindle

Okay story but the paranormal world building wasn't very good and the story wasn't great. The muse theme seemed kind of hokey, basically the heroine is a muse who uses magic to "inspire" people to do stuff and is in some popularity contest to win a top muse award. I would have liked it better if the heroine had a better super power.

I liked the hero, he was half-vampire. The problem was I didn't know enough about the world to understand how the whole vampire thing worked. The background is never...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Alice Liu rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm always amazed when an author can come up with something completely new in the paranormal genre, and Kimberly Frost accomplished that in "All That Bleeds." In this alternate reality, greatness is inspired by actual muses who stand as shining examples to the outside world (think Miss America and her morality clause), while competitiveness and backstabbing occur within their ranks. Alissa North, the Etherlin's most accomplished muse, stands to lose everything if she answers her internal calling...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Christina Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was pleasantly surprised when I received a copy of this book from Goodreads Firstreads Giveaways! When I came home from vacation and found this package in the mail I tore it open immediately and inside I found the book, a bookmark, and an extremely nice card from the author. It was such a thoughtful touch- and for that alone I would read all of her books. All That Bleeds is my favorite kind of story. Merrick is the perfect bad boy male hero. He is a little dark, with a good heart underneath hi...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Rachelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

A paranormal fantasy novel about self-control, love that makes you a better person, and fighting for the people you love. The world-building is an interesting mix of muses, vampires, demons, and angels. There is great character and relationship development, from flirty to sexy, and I love their long-distance relationship through old-fashioned letters. The muse Alissa is complex, brave, optimistic, and realistic; the ventala (half-vampire) Merrick is darkly romantic, constant, patient, and contro...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Helena Ferrell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 08-first-reads, para-fae

I received this book from a First Reads giveaway.

When I won this book, I was excited. Even though the blurb for this book is short, I was immediately taken in. The cover is beautiful, which added to it's appeal.

The book was very well written. The characters developed well. I found myself getting angry at characters, which is a great sign of character development for me. I found myself consistantly cheering for Alissa and Merrick. I really enjoyed their forbidden love, even though it can be consi...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Rosalind M rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

2.5 stars. I many not have been the right audience for ALL THAT BLEEDS. I consume a lot of fantasy and science fiction books, and my experiences with the necessarily complex "mythology" development in many of those novels probably colored my reaction to this one. I felt like I was only being given a hurried glimpse of the underpinnings of the world presented here, and it was the type of storyline that would have benefited from strong (even if offstage) worldbuilding. I never got invested in the...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Coucher de soleil rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. All in all this was a an acceptable, but not exceptional, read.

Good points: Some elements of the world building and plot were quite interesting, such as the idea that a muse who descended from angels, would fall in love with a descendant of those her ancestors had fought in an earlier 'good vs. evil' type war. I found the notion that these angelic descendants retained some angelic characteristics to be interesting, as was the notion that their power was fading with sucessive generations of inter...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Jeni rated it 4 of 5 stars

"It's so evil , so wrong to use the gift to hurt someone." -- Alissa, All That Bleeds, by Kimberly Frost

I was very excited when this Goodreads First Read free signed copy of All That Bleeds showed up at my house after I won the giveaway, especially since Kimberly Frost had even included a personal handwritten note to me. It was one of those thoughtful touches that we don't normally see enough of, in my opinion. So I will admit I sat down to read this book with quite a bit of hopeful expectation....more

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Jan 16, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

All That Bleeds (Etherlin #1) by Kimberly Frost
All That Bleeds is the first in a new series by Kimberly Frost the author of the Southern Witch series. All That Bleeds is much darker than the Southern Witch series. I must admit I had a little trouble getting into it but by chapter 10 I couldn’t put it down. It started out epic fantasy and ended a love story with a mystery through it all. Ms. Frost has created a fantastic universe and I look forward to exploring it with her in the future.

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Jan 18, 2012 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Five years ago, Merrick saved Alissa's life and those of her kind from a demon on a killing rampage. Their connection was instantaneous. Ever since then, Alissa developed a respect for him regardless of what he was - a powerful enforcer whose main goal is to rid the world of demons and wayward vampires. Theirs was a clandestine relationship that could ruin her chances of bearing the Wreathe if exposed. Alissa wouldn't care so much for the crown had it not been for her father who seemed to have l...more Five years ago, Merrick saved Alissa's life and those of her kind from a demon on a killing rampage. Their connection was instantaneous. Ever since then, Alissa developed a respect for him regardless of what he was - a powerful enforcer whose main goal is to rid the world of demons and wayward vampires. Theirs was a clandestine relationship that could ruin her chances of bearing the Wreathe if exposed. Alissa wouldn't care so much for the crown had it not been for her father who seemed to have lost his mental capacities since her mother was found hanging from the rafters. She's resolved that the Wreathe could help restore her father from his old self. But this means that there could be no relationship between her and Merrick. Easier said than done...especially when Alissa found herself kidnapped and being snacked on by another vampire. A muse's blood is not only delectable but could sustain a vampire longer than normal. Merrick would do anything to protect her even to glamor himself with magic and place himself in a position where his life would always be at stake. As the vote for the Wreathe gets closer, Alissa's restless need to know the circumstances of her mother's apparent suicide puts her own life in peril and pushes her closer to Merrick.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did simply because Paranormal Romance is a genre that I have a hard time getting into. As much as I love J.R.Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon, I'm happy that their series are sometimes a year apart between publications. And in any case, I could've sworn All That Bleeds was a Paranormal YA, and of course, I was wrong. It didn't matter anyway because once I started reading this, it was difficult to stop. The plot has an unputdownable quality in spite of the grievances I will state below.

While I loved the premise of this paranormal fare, I couldn't say the same for the characters. I just don't think that there was enough development done on Alissa and Merrick. Alissa was a bit perplexing. Her character was that of a perfect creation; beautiful, compassionate and thoroughly devoted to her father and to her role as a...well, a muse. But I found her to be lacking in grit - chutzpah, something that I'm not overly fond of in my heroines. She can be pretty determined and at times, even conniving when it comes to the welfares of both Merrick and her father but I just wish that she was consistent. I cannot stand that Dimitri and Grant were pulling the wool over her head and she seem oblivious about it all. But I also understand that no character ever written is perfect so a flaw here and there is acceptable.

As for Merrick, let's just say that aside from the fangs and the incredible strenght he possess, the man wasn't much of a typical vampire. He doesn't burn in the sun, he just...uhm...fall into a heavy sleep. I don't ever remember him craving blood or did he ever hold his breath because Alissa smelled too appetizing. All in all, his skills were a bit on the interchangeable side and really not that convincing as a vampire. Come to think of it, I don't ever remember him drinking blood...or did I miss that somehow?

I do love the other characters in this book, however. I'm looking forward to reading more about Cerise and Lysander (the fallen angel). They had a brief encounter in this book that scored uhm...7 out of 10 on the heat scale. Their story is next so I'm plenty pumped :) Incidentally, I just saw the cover and wowza. That is all.

This is a promising paranormal series which combines all the elements characteristic of the genre. Action, folklores with a twist, legends and some pretty hot and heavy love scenes. If all the aforementioned awesomeness is your cup of tea, then you might want to get a copy. As for me, this book was not entirely disappointing, it just didn't exactly hit the spot, ya know? But I'm on the lookout for Lysander's story, that's for sure!
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Jan 03, 2012 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alissa is the good girl, Merrick plays the bad boy, and they both do it oh so well. The story opens in the height of action and continues with a quick pace throughout the book. Even in the downtime scenes, the getting to know our characters bit, it still flows quickly and fluidly, never a dull moment. Learning about both Alissa’s past and Merrick’s was interesting and often downright entertaining. (Merrick’s definitely the winner for the crazy friend story.) Alissa’s character is endearing and I...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012, genre-paranormal-romance, series-etherlin

This review was posted at Under The Covers

When I first read about the Etherlin world in the Tied With a Bow anthology just a months back I have to admit I was intrigued. The storyline and the world itself were captivating and even though it was a bit hard to take it all in by reading a novella (that might've been too ambitious) it did set the stage for this book. Even though I don't think you need to read the prequel in that anthology, it would give you a bit of background history so you go into...more This review was posted at Under The Covers

When I first read about the Etherlin world in the Tied With a Bow anthology just a months back I have to admit I was intrigued. The storyline and the world itself were captivating and even though it was a bit hard to take it all in by reading a novella (that might've been too ambitious) it did set the stage for this book. Even though I don't think you need to read the prequel in that anthology, it would give you a bit of background history so you go into this one knowing a bit more about the world.

Basically the world is divided, physically, by a wall. There's the Etherlin, where the muses live; and the Varden where vampires and lowlifes make their home. Well, you will know vampires as ventalas and they are seen as second class citizens due to a plague that happened in the 1950s.

In All That Bleeds we feature one of the worlds Top Muses, Alissa, from the House of North, is in competition to be the Wreath Muse. She is a bit of a celebrity in her world, complete with paparazzi's and bodyguards. Her job is to inspire humans to create and invent great things. At the same time she cares for her father, who has gone a bit mad after her mother "killed herself".

She's not supposed to associate with ventalas (vampires) but there's one halfling that caught her interest and she's been secretly corresponding with him for five years. Five years that she's had the safety of a wall separating them so that she can be herself in her letters.

Now that somehow she's in danger, just a few votes before the final vote for the Wreath Muse, she could only count on him to keep her safe.

Why this book worked for me? The originality of the story. Yes, it's refreshing to read about a different setting and group of supernaturals!! The slow building of the relationship between Alissa and Merrick. There's so much that's keeping them apart and they still, slowly, manage to become the most important part of the other person's life. There's a good amount of suspense to keep things interesting. And then, lets face it... a good heaping dose of exquisite bad boys. Merrick, with his expensive Armani suits, is wicked (yeah wickedly hot) but melts in her hands. He respects her, her boundaries, and her role, but all he wants is to be where she is. She seems to be so proper but she's truly adventurous and a bit rebellious, even though with a sense of responsibility. Merrick and Alissa were captivating.

And lets not forget the side characters! Alissa's father, in all his craziness was awesome. And don't get me started about Lysander. I loved him in the prequel and I loved him the little bit he was in this book and I cannot wait for his book next. There's just something about a scarred, don't-care-attitude, leather-wearing fallen angel that can melt anyone. I'm already liking his pairing with Cerise (I'm guessing) and I can tell there will be lots of sparks between them too. The gloves will come off!

*ARC provided by publisher (less)

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Dec 01, 2011 Krystal added it

Shelves: arc

What happens when two people who are never supposed to meet are instantly attracted to each other? Alissa is a muse and Merrick is part vampire; by all accounts, the two should not be attracted to each other. What do you do when you're not supposed to see the other person? Find ways around it, of course! Alissa begins writing Merrick secret letters while he sends her thoughtful gifts and they continue with their secret correspondence. This idyllic world can't last forever. Alissa is kidnapped an...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Yodamom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, owned, signed, favorites

I read through the night, couldn't put it down, needed a resolution.I give it 4 stars. MS. Frost writes characters that I bond to very easily. I really enjoyed the Muse/vampire/human society, the mystery was intriguing, the romance very forbidden. Merrick, the tall dark and handsome vampire/human enforcer and Alissa the intelligent, loyal and beautiful Muse. It built up to a intensity so great I could not stop reading. Then it pulled everything together too quickly, it was unsatisfying. The coup...more

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Jul 21, 2012 L.P. Dover rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-challenge-books

This was a really great book that took so many twists and turns that it kept you on your toes. This book was a change from other vampire books I've read. Alissa is the main character and she is a muse. She lives in Etherlin which is gated and walled up to keep the vampires and half vampires out of the city. The vampires have their own territory that they live in. Five years earlier, Alissa was saved by a demon from Merrick, a half vampire enforcer. For five years they keep sort of a secret affai...more

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All That Bleeds (Etherlin #1)

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