Blood of the Wicked (Dark Mission, #1)

Jun 08, 2011 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(2.5 stars) I can be a sap sometimes, and I confess that a good love story can move me to tears. Blood of the Wicked, however, made me cry for all the wrong reasons.

Blood of the Wicked is the first in the Dark Mission paranormal romance series by debut author Karina Cooper. It appears that each installment will be self-contained and focus on a different couple. The setting is an alternate future: witches existed and were known to exist in the story’s past, and then when disasters struck the worl...more (2.5 stars) I can be a sap sometimes, and I confess that a good love story can move me to tears. Blood of the Wicked, however, made me cry for all the wrong reasons.

Blood of the Wicked is the first in the Dark Mission paranormal romance series by debut author Karina Cooper. It appears that each installment will be self-contained and focus on a different couple. The setting is an alternate future: witches existed and were known to exist in the story’s past, and then when disasters struck the world’s cities, the witches were blamed for the cataclysms and are now hunted and burned. In New Seattle, built on the ruins of today’s Seattle, we meet our hero and heroine.

Silas is a witch hunter on the trail of a violent coven. To that end, he seeks out Jessie, the sister of one of the coven’s witches, Caleb. He finds her tending bar in a strip club and, to make a long story short, the two end up hunting Caleb together. Silas intends to capture Caleb and have him executed, while Jessie believes her brother is innocent and plans to save him instead. But Jessie has a secret: she is also a witch, and if Silas finds out, it will mean a death sentence.

Cooper’s writing is for the most part very good. New Seattle and the alternate history are interesting, and Cooper skillfully depicts the wet, cold, bleak, chaotic world her characters live in. You don’t even realize how well she describes it until the characters reach a beautiful, wholesome sanctuary that is the polar opposite of the city, and until they are thrust back into New Seattle after that brief idyll. Some of the geographic descriptions and fight scenes can get a little confusing, and Cooper has a few “pet words” that she overuses (“roil” comes to mind), but overall the prose works well.

The problem with Blood of the Wicked is the romance — and as this is a romance novel, that’s not a good thing. Silas is a bigot. I understand that he has a traumatic past involving some evil witches. When being a witch is known with 100% certainty to be genetic, though, and when Silas persists in believing everyone with that genetic marker is irredeemable, that’s bigotry in my book. Even before he finds out Jessie is a witch, he doesn’t always treat her well; he’s troublingly rough with her on several occasions and shames her for the strip-club job. After he finds out — well, that’s where a lot of the crying comes in. The way he treats her (and allows her to be treated by others) after that revelation is extremely upsetting.

All of this would be easier to swallow if Blood of the Wicked weren’t a romance. I can read about all sorts of twisted people in fantasy or general fiction. But when I read romance, I want to root for a couple to get together, and I want to turn the last page thinking they will be happier now that they’ve found each other. When it comes to Silas and Jessie, I have trouble believing it. Silas’ change of heart about witches seems born of panic, or simply put in because it’s necessary to the plot, rather than deeply felt. Even if he means it, though, I’m still not convinced he won’t trot out the strip-club jeers the first time they have an ordinary domestic argument.

Or maybe it would work if it were a stronger romance. The relationship between Silas and Jessie develops over just a few days and consists largely of the two repeatedly getting into danger and then having sex afterward. The connection feels too superficial. Love may conquer many things, but I have less faith in the power of lust and adrenaline.

I can’t deny that Blood of the Wicked took my emotions on an intense roller-coaster ride — and there’s some evocative writing here, especially in the “sanctuary” scenes — but in the end it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Edited to add: Contempt. That's the word I'm looking for. Silas alternates between putting Jessie on a pedestal and having contempt for her. He'll be all "she's innocent," "she's sunshine," etc., mostly based on the way she looks, and then whenever he's faced with the cold hard facts of her life, he's contemptuous. A life that is difficult precisely because of witch hunters, as it happens. Jessie, for her part, just doesn't do much in the story, and I can't figure out why she loves Silas after everything that happened.(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can't say as I can really articulate how I felt about this one, so this review is going to come in dribbles as I refine my thoughts ...

The setup is good, but and there were a few places where I was confused about what was going on.

One of the things that I still don't get, and I read the prequel short, is why are the witches blamed for the destruction that reshaped the world - in the short it was an earthquake and volcano eruption - we also don't get any idea of what it was like for witches befor...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Hbeebti rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: used

Oh Silas how I wanted to smack you upside your pig head, narrow minded head! Who cares that you are hot! You were an ass! Since Jessie didn't see fit to let you have it at the end of this book , I will!! You were mean and cruel and sooooo very very stupid! I don't know that I forgive you since you never said you were sorry for hurting my girl Jessie. I don't know if I even like you. You are nice to look at, soooooooooo I guess I just ..ugh!! ok ok ...

Here's the thing love the drama. Love that he...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Jenn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: z5-may-2011-releases, never-read-again-1-to-2-stars

I am really sad that I wasted $8.00 on this book. I hate... HATE the instant attraction thing! It's just a cop out! "Oh! You are part of the group that has hunted my kind for years and killed my mother! ... Well you are quite a hunk. Oh! You are also out to murder my little brother! ... Well I just can't seem to keep my hands off you... I guess I will have to just look pass all that nonsense, it doesnt matter anyway, let's have sex!" BLECH!

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Dec 23, 2012 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, pnr, reviewed, american-setting, could-have-been-worse, dark-grim, ebook-purchase, ebook-read, post-apocalyptic, romance, series, wait-and-see

I'm not sure how to go about rating this one.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but the story itself had some problems that required a lot of complicity from me as a reader to be so ready to suspend my disbelief. I loved her prequel novella hoping that the small problems in there would be addressed in the novel. Unfortunately this is not the case. Same problems, just on a bigger scale.

The world building is fractured at best and there's only a very nebulous connection between witches and the post-apocal...more I'm not sure how to go about rating this one.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but the story itself had some problems that required a lot of complicity from me as a reader to be so ready to suspend my disbelief. I loved her prequel novella hoping that the small problems in there would be addressed in the novel. Unfortunately this is not the case. Same problems, just on a bigger scale.

The world building is fractured at best and there's only a very nebulous connection between witches and the post-apocalyptic world. There's no explanation about why Witches were singled out to shoulder the blame for the Cataclysm. Yes, PNR and UF often just drop magical folk on you, but the good ones tell you how they came to be and how they interact with the world and how the world interacts with them. Cooper sets up this post-apocalyptia and we must take it in faith that it all works. And it does, if you accept the premise wholeheartedly. So for the sake of enjoying the story, I did.

What I loved about the novella I love in this book too. Cooper has very immersive writing, which helped me forget some greater plot holes, because she is amazing at setting up the bleak tone and mood of the distopic world and managed her characters so well. We spend allot of time in Jessie and Silas's heads, we get to know them inside and out. Her writing is also very intense, lots of anger, lots of grief, lots of tension filled sex. Though, I will say that I was weirded out by the quick pacing and backwardness of the romance. Couples can get together faster under unique/stressful circumstances in a short story. Not so a novel. They timidly get to know each other later in the novel, after they spend the first six or so chapters lusting after each other. I had noticed this about her novella as well. Cooper doesn't make you wait 3/4 of the way to give you the sex. She gratifies you first then gives you the slow building love after. I'm generally used to this being the other way around. The sex scenes themselves are eloquently graphic, intense and brief. I have to admit, however that I'm not an expert on PNR and tend to read more on the UF side of the spectrum, so maybe this backwardness is typical?

The distopian world is interesting, but we're not told enough about it, and even while Silas and Jessie's intense romance is the Main Point I was often distracted by the fractured world/setting they were in. After a good romance I like to linger on the finer moments of the lovers tale, but at the end of Blood of the Wicked I found myself pondering all these questions I had set aside to enjoy the love story.

Some of these questions are spoilers, so if you're very curious:
(view spoiler)

So, I really enjoyed it, I'd have given it a 4.5 easily, but these niggling problems force me to drop it to at least 3. I will keep reading the series and hopefully these world building problems will improve.(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Jennifer M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One earthquake. One disaster changed the world, and created a divide not only in Seattle, but in society itself. The gritty, decaying underground city plays as big a role as the people who dare to venture through it’s dark streets. The danger and desperation found in layer after layer of the forsaken remnants of the sunken Seattle make it an incredible, tangible background for this story.

“Normal” citizens blamed the witch population for the near-apocalyptic natural disaster that swallowed up the...more One earthquake. One disaster changed the world, and created a divide not only in Seattle, but in society itself. The gritty, decaying underground city plays as big a role as the people who dare to venture through it’s dark streets. The danger and desperation found in layer after layer of the forsaken remnants of the sunken Seattle make it an incredible, tangible background for this story.

“Normal” citizens blamed the witch population for the near-apocalyptic natural disaster that swallowed up the city of Seattle. New buildings and a new way of life were built on it’s remains, and the labyrinth below became both santuary and battleground for those who didn’t fit into the “new order”.

Jessica and Caleb Leigh were born into culture of hate and persecution. Brother and sister witches, forced to hide their gifts and raise themselves in the scarred remains of “old Seattle”. Jessie tried to use the shadows and empty spaces of the city to keep herself and her younger brother safe after their mother’s murder. After years surviving together, Caleb’s ability to see bits of the future convinced him to leave Jessie to protect her from the fate he envisioned.

Jessie’s been living from paycheck to paycheck, temp job to temp job, trying to stay under the radar in the bright, shiny rebuilt city. This all comes crashing to a hault when she’s tracked and found by a member of the “Holy Order of St. Dominic”, a group sworn to find and eliminate witches from society. Silas Smith is called back into the Order after some self imposed time away. He’s given the task of finding Jessie, believing her to simply be the sister of a powerful witch, not realizing she is a witch as well, and using her to find her brother.

The story is filled with half truths and deception from the very beginning. Both Jessie and Silas are sharing only parts of their true intentions with the other, and understandably so. Forced by their life experiences to be enemies, you could say they have some “trust issues”. Both believe they’re doing what’s best, and both needing the other to accomplish their mission. One thing they can’t help but share, however, is their attraction for each other. The intensity of the situations they find themselves in, both of their own making, and against outside forces, is a catalyst for very raw emotion. The relationship between these two isn’t the lovey dovey sweet thing of fairytales, it’s just as gritty and hard as their surroundings. They’re the opposite of what they should want, but exactly what they can’t stop themselves from wanting. The harshness that embodies the bulk of the story makes the times that they almost accidentally have sweet moments that much better.

Throughout the story, we come to find that Silas and Jessie aren’t the only ones with secrets. It seems like everyone in this world is wearing a mask of some sort. Caleb isn’t the little brother Jessie remembers, the “team” Silas works for has their own agenda, and everywhere the pair turns, SOMEONE is out to get them. It’s a non-stop-explosion-filled-car-crashing-tied-and-bound ride that just never lets up. Except, wait… there’s that one time in the “Sexy Times Sanctuary” (Karina’s words, not mine, lol) that was slow and sweet, but it took a near death experience to get them there.

I really enjoyed this book. There were many times where it was a bit darker than what I normally read. And there was a particular scene towards the end when I really, REALLY wanted to stop reading because I was crying like a baby and hated EVERYONE. But there’s a reason for those things to happen, and if you’re not a marshmallow like me, I’m sure you’ll survive it just fine. (Karina still owes me for a half a box of tissues!) The imagery and worldbuilding in this story is really interesting and the characters just feed off of each other.

Luckily, the publisher is fast-tracking the release of the second book in the series, Lure of the Wicked, which will be available on June 28th. I really can’t wait to see what happens in THAT book. It features a character I didn’t care for in this story. Normally that would be a put-off, but I have a feeling, Karina’s going to make it worth my while. And while Karina brings closure to most plot points in this part of the story, I’m looking forward to finding out how the unfinished storylines develop. Right now, I’m going to read the novella that goes back 50 years to the occurance of the earthquake, Before The Witches.

Karina Cooper has given us a fascinating debut. If you’re looking for something a little different, that will keep you on your toes, and give you a couple to root for, this is the story for you.
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Dec 16, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr

3 1\2

Pro:
-A very intriguing idea. After a natural apocalypse the world has gone back to a "middle age - like" witch hunt.
-An incredible setting: a Seattle after an apocalypse that collapsed the San Andrea rift and it's now divided in upper and lower city, kind of a human heaven and hell.
-Plot, good enough
-The writing, I loved it, it captured me even with the cons.

Con:
-A WTF romance. I never understood why the two were attracted. She knows he is lying to her to the teeth. He plans to use her to f...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blood of the Wicked is Cooper's debut and it's an excellent effort. Set in post-apocalyptic Seattle, it introduces us to Jessie, a witch, and Silas, a witch hunter. Silas is sworn to kill all witches and holds them responsible for the destruction of many of Earth's cities, as do most survivors of the apocalypse. He doesn't know that Jessie is a witch, however; he's focused on capturing and executing her younger brother, also a witch, and believes that Jessie will help him in his search.

Cooper's...more Blood of the Wicked is Cooper's debut and it's an excellent effort. Set in post-apocalyptic Seattle, it introduces us to Jessie, a witch, and Silas, a witch hunter. Silas is sworn to kill all witches and holds them responsible for the destruction of many of Earth's cities, as do most survivors of the apocalypse. He doesn't know that Jessie is a witch, however; he's focused on capturing and executing her younger brother, also a witch, and believes that Jessie will help him in his search.

Cooper's world-building skills are excellent; her imagery and descriptive language painted graphic pictures of New Seattle and its surroundings. She depicts Jessie's fear - for herself and for her brother - realistically, and we can feel Silas's pain and self-loathing. As individual characters they do quite well. They have an instant physical attraction which they act on pretty much immediately, and Cooper sets the story up well enough that we can see why it happens. It's the love that I struggle with. I have to fill in a lot of blanks and do a lot of guesswork to see why these two would fall in love in 48 hours. Jessie, having had to run for most of her life and rely on her wits, might need to finally lay down her load...but why fall in love with Silas, who berates her, is rough with her, and is out to kill her brother? And Silas, who is ready to retire from his job, is worn out in body and spirit, and who is haunted by a young girl he was unable to protect, may need someone soft and gentle to heal him...but why Jessie, other than the fact that she's lovely with eyes of "whiskey and honey," as the author keeps telling us? There's never a moment in the book when one character puzzles through why they love the other, and while some might think that would dumb down the story, I think that anyone who's built up the kind of walls these two must have would not fall in love easily and would have to spend some time working through the feelings. But that wouldn't be expedient, and since this book took place over no more than 72 hours and those hours were action-packed there was no time to stop and work through much of anything.

Still, I liked the book. And I'm intrigued; again, it's Cooper's debut, and it's the first of a series. If she can write like this out of the gate, what will she deliver a few books in? The next book in the series has already been requested from the library and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.(less)

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Aug 13, 2011 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, guys-with-guns, series, when-great-authors-go-meh

This didn't feel like the first in a series at all. Where was the world-building? What's the Holy Order? Am I supposed to know who these people on the team are because I feel like I am. They interact like they have a past and I feel like I'm intruding on it without knowing what it is. I know I don't like most of these people.

How did Silas' tattoo work to protect him from magic and how/when did he get it? He thinks all witches are bad and when he finds out Jessie is one he has no compunction abo...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/06/...

Silas Smith, and agent of the Holy Order, is looking for Jessie Leigh’s brother Caleb, who is at the top of the Witches to Be Executed for Crimes Against Humanity list. Not a list I’d want to be on. I’m just sayin’. Jessie’s on the run and has no intentions of being captured by the Order. Caleb vanished a year before, leaving everything and everyone behind, and Jessie hasn’t seen him since. When Agent Smith eventually trac...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/06/...

Silas Smith, and agent of the Holy Order, is looking for Jessie Leigh’s brother Caleb, who is at the top of the Witches to Be Executed for Crimes Against Humanity list. Not a list I’d want to be on. I’m just sayin’. Jessie’s on the run and has no intentions of being captured by the Order. Caleb vanished a year before, leaving everything and everyone behind, and Jessie hasn’t seen him since. When Agent Smith eventually tracks Jessie down, he can’t deny his attraction to her. Agent Smith is a witch hunter, and Jessie is a witch, so why in the heck is she so attracted to him too? It’s definitely not a match made in heaven, especially since if Silas knew Jessie was a witch, there would be hell to pay. Jessie can’t believe Caleb could be involved in the brutal murders that the Order has been tracking, and will do anything to protect her brother. It’s a race against time for Jessie and Silas to find the truth, because a prophecy has foreseen Jessie’s death, and her secret may get her killed.
I loved Blood of the Wicked. It’s categorized as Paranormal Romance, and there are certainly some steamy scenes (very steamy), but the action takes front and center, and I really enjoyed the author’s rendering of a post apocalyptic Seattle. Seattle has been built up in layers since earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and all manner of “natural” disaster, supposedly caused by witches, nearly destroyed the earth. Humans have rebuilt, but vast wastelands still remain, and the lower levels of Seattle remain full of danger. Ms. Cooper provided just enough world building to whet the appetite, but she has plenty of material to mine in future novels. Jessie is smart and tough, but is still very vulnerable from years of living off the grid to avoid persecution. Silas is a perfect foil, an agent passed his prime, certain this will be his last mission, and doing his best to avoid the undeniable feelings that he has for Jessie. I loved his single minded dedication to the mission, and also to protecting Jessie. Fans of urban fantasy as well as paranormal romance will love this exciting new series, and Ms. Cooper’s writing is not for the faint of heart. There was a lot to love for this reluctant paranormal romance reader, and Karina Cooper paints a gritty, violent picture of the future, which I'll look forward to returning to again and again!
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May 26, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

3.5 Stars

Jessie Leigh is a witch in New Seattle. She has lived place to place, hiding from the Holy Order. Silas Smith, an agent of the Holy Order, is charged with finding Jessie’s witch brother and killing him. Silas finds Jessie, and together they set out to try and find her brother. He doesn’t know that she is a witch, and she doesn’t know he means to kill her brother.

You know how this story goes almost at once. Big burly man sees leggy woman. Leggy woman is hot and burly man is hot, but they...more 3.5 Stars

Jessie Leigh is a witch in New Seattle. She has lived place to place, hiding from the Holy Order. Silas Smith, an agent of the Holy Order, is charged with finding Jessie’s witch brother and killing him. Silas finds Jessie, and together they set out to try and find her brother. He doesn’t know that she is a witch, and she doesn’t know he means to kill her brother.

You know how this story goes almost at once. Big burly man sees leggy woman. Leggy woman is hot and burly man is hot, but they are enemies. Sounds like hundreds of other romance novels. What set it apart was the awesome setting. New Seattle was built on the ruins of old Seattle after a major earth quake that split the city in two. There is a huge trench in the middle of the city. It feels very urban, yet this is futuristic. I was more interested in the city than Jessie at first.

I considered Jessie’s attraction to Silas strange at first. He hunts witches, and kills them for a living. Jessie’s family was torn apart because of hunters such as Silas. Her whole very sad history was formed by people like Silas. So when she starts to think about what is under his clothes, it makes me grind my teeth a little. This feeling changes over the course of the novel. Later on I found myself glued to the pages hopeful for things to work out.

The best part of the novel for me was the anticipation. Silas doesn’t know Jessie’s a witch. It is his job to kill witches. That one fact kept me turning the pages. The scenes between them get hot and heavy, which only made the anticipation that much worse. Of course Jessie doesn’t know that Silas is sent to kill her brother. That didn’t excite me as much as Jessie’s secret.

The only problem was that I didn’t really get into Silas, not as much as Jessie did anyway. I am picky with my lead men and Silas grunts to often for my taste. He tends to keep his head in the game or try to, but he came across as a little dense. It wasn’t until a lot later in the book that his connection with Jessie made me root for them. My dissatisfaction also stems from the end. Everything is wrapped up well, but his character seemed very different.

Blood of the Wicked is a typical Paranormal Romance with an awesome back drop. Although the story is typical, it still reeks with anticipation to keep the reader involved. I was not a fan of Silas or his grunting, but did like the two of them together, and the steamy scenes between them. It is a fast paced read. The action is intense, and it does a great job of keeping the reader in the book. I look forward to more from this witch hunting city!
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, autographed, paranormal-romance

So much of Blood of the Wicked caught me by complete surprise. Nothing was as I assumed it would be. Motives were far different from what I imagined. There were characters I never figured out if they were good, evil, in it for their own gain, or perhaps they just don’t know which they are themselves. Cooper has created a gritty dark, bordering on violent world and I like it. I love dark and twisted tales. The Dark Mission series seems promising in the delivery of plenty more dark and twisted.

Je...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-immortals-reading-challenge, 2013-mount-tbr-reading-challenge, pnr-uf, dystopian-apocalyptic-futuristic

This one hooked me when I read the blurb and decided to give it a whirl. I am a sucker for unique backdrops and world-building which is what drew me to the genres who specialize in this. This book did not disappoint in that area. But there was also the additional draws of romance, intrigue dystopian, and paranormal elements.

This story was interesting in that the background introductory information was left until after the story got into full swing and then the information was trickled as needed...more This one hooked me when I read the blurb and decided to give it a whirl. I am a sucker for unique backdrops and world-building which is what drew me to the genres who specialize in this. This book did not disappoint in that area. But there was also the additional draws of romance, intrigue dystopian, and paranormal elements.

This story was interesting in that the background introductory information was left until after the story got into full swing and then the information was trickled as needed instead of one massive info dump. In the end, there were still portions that were left vague- purposefully I think as I saw hints that there are big revelations to come.

Now, about the story-
Simon Smith has been a witch hunter for a long time. He is more Lone Ranger in his hunting style. He has a bitter attitude times ten on this particular night fueled by the pain from his deteriorating body and because he has been called back to his home turf to which he would have avoided forever if given a choice. He has been assigned to find and bag the sister of a witch so that she can be used to find her brother. Knowing that he will be deceiving the girl to get her to cooperate in something that can only lead to her brother's death does not set well with him though he is committed to the notion that all witches must die.

Simon is part of an universal church organization that sprung up after the devastating earthquakes along the main fault lines that left the world particularly that of New Seattle as it is now. Witches were held responsible for this natural disaster and the witch hunts of old are back in vogue. Simon's group or missionaries as they are called actively seek out witches and put them to death. Now a powerful coven of witches has sprung up in New Seattle and this Caleb Leigh, brother of Jessica Leigh is their only lead.

New Seattle is an ironic name for something that is not all that is pristine and new. If you live in the soaring skyscrapers and world of light above as the wealthy do, it is like that, but if you are poor or average you live in the dark and dingy world built on the rubble of the old city beneath that never really sees the daytime sky and you must scrape for survival. And even lower than this are the dangerous and truly dark unstable levels of the original city and the areas near the great chasm where the fault opened- where people go and never return.

Simon finds his prey, Jessica Leigh, and he is harsh with her because of his own inner uneasiness about the assignment and because he can see that she is full of light and goodness and this will all devastate her. He tries to remain detached with the 'get her, give her over to the mission and get out' plan. But instead, he is ordered to continue to use her and he himself is under scrutiny. By now, Simon is quite the opposite of detached and does the unthinkable- he starts to care.

Jessie has been on the run all her life because she is a witch. She hides what she is and hides well, but the witch hunter finds her and keeps her from escaping him. He doesn't want her; he wants Caleb. Jessie lost track of Caleb, but can't believe he is involved in a dark coven or all the ritual killings that Simon accuses him of being. Stuck with no other alternative, Jessie partners with Simon to find Caleb planning to deal with escape when she can get to her brother. But things start happening. Witches are after her and most terrifying of all a tentative relationship springs up between her and the witch hunter that would see her dead if he knew what she was.

It was a mad rush from beginning to end with that whole Sword of Damocles feel to it as Jessie waits to see if she will escape with Caleb before or after Simon learns that she is a witch. Both of them are well aware that their relationship doesn't stand a chance. For Simon, its because he's going to kill her brother and leave her behind. I loved the feeling of reading along about Simon and Jessie's adventures with the rare dip into what is going on with Caleb and knowing that there are bigger things going on in the shadows than any of them really know. Even when the story finished with its slam bang finish, I was aware due to the foreshadowing throughout the book that bigger stuff is yet to come. Yes, it is a heady feeling going into a new series that leaves me jittery and eager like that.

The characters were great. I loved them even though Simon's behavior with Jessie was parts jerk and pig. Let's just say Simon's character had the biggest growth arc of all and it was fascinating following along as he did slowly, but surely grow. Jessie was a strong and solid character from the get-go. She was my hero. That girl had a real tough row to hoe and she just did it without whining or whoosing out. The secondary characters which amounted to members of Simon's team, the mysterious character who rescued Simon and Jessie (won't say more about this individual for spoiler reasons), Caleb and the bad guys were all of interest in their own ways. I have a feeling I will meet many of them again. Caleb was a character for which I felt conflicted much like Jessie. I really couldn't give him over to being a complete villain, but yet he wasn't hero-stuff either.

I am definitely eager to read more of this series and that's the best compliment I can give this story. I think this has a wide range of appeal because of the way it crosses a few different genres- paranormal and dystopian romance along with a dash of romantic suspense.
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Mar 11, 2013 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointed, on-my-nook, paranormal, romantical, magic, first-in-series, paranormal-romance-challenge

Wow, was a bummer. I really wanted to like this book.

This story takes place in an alternate world where earthquakes killed millions of people. Who's fault are the earthquakes? Naturally... witches.

wha? photo tumblr_lzmi4lmxcm1rn95k2o1_500.gif

Okay, I'll accept that. The solution to the problem:

kill all the witches photo kill_all_the_witches__by_aoihimitsu-d4t9nax.png

Enter Silas, a witch hunter. He's looking for Jessie, the sister of a known witch Caleb, involved with a deadly coven. But, guess what....

More stuff happens, but ultimately most of it is forgettable. I love dystopia. I love romance. Neither were d...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blood of the Wicked is the first book in the Dark Mission series by Karina Cooper and a Paranormal Romance from Avon.

Book Blurb:

When the world went straight to hell, humanity needed a scapegoat to judge, to blame...to burn.

As an independent witch living off the grid, Jessie Leigh has spent her life running, trying to blend in among the faceless drudges in the rebuilt city. She thought she was finally safe, but now she’s been found in a New Seattle strip club - by a hard-eyed man on a mission to...more

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May 27, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to love this book. The prequel Before the Witches: An Original Novella was awesome. It left me wanting more. I thought Blood of the Wicked would be cut from the same cloth, but it had a very different feel. Don't misunderstand... the book isn't bad. I liked it. But I didn't love it.

The story is set about 50 years after a series of cataclysmic events changed the face of the world. Many blame witches for the near-armageddon. And they are persecuted relentlessly. Jessie is a witch...more I really wanted to love this book. The prequel Before the Witches: An Original Novella was awesome. It left me wanting more. I thought Blood of the Wicked would be cut from the same cloth, but it had a very different feel. Don't misunderstand... the book isn't bad. I liked it. But I didn't love it.

The story is set about 50 years after a series of cataclysmic events changed the face of the world. Many blame witches for the near-armageddon. And they are persecuted relentlessly. Jessie is a witch in hiding. Silas is a witch-hunter, determined to find Jessie's brother, Caleb. He targets Jessie, not because she is a witch (he doesn't know that she is), but to help track Caleb.

Silas and Jessie are undeniably drawn to each other. He has been hardened by his life, and is worn down physically and emotionally. He's been off the job for 14 years, doing other things. (And it's never really clear to me how "The Mission" got him to come back to find Caleb.) He thinks all witches are evil and with the exception of Jessie, it looks like he's not entirely wrong. You would think that because he's the heroine's brother, Caleb is really a good guy who has been unfairly targeted. You would be wrong. He is horrible. But Jessie doesn't know that. Just as Silas is using her to track his prey, she is using him, hoping to find her brother and save him.

I think my biggest problem with this book was that I found myself confused by some of the world building. I understand that a new Seattle was built above the rubble of the old, and only the upper class live above ground. After a time, I figured that city below ground was the remnants of the Old Seattle (?) but when we started talking about levels in between, I got lost. That was a distraction. So were my questions about Silas. Did he leave the Mission after the big incident where his friends died? Did he hunt witches in Florida? For who? How did they force him back to Seattle? I also had questions about the big ending. Why was Jessie a target? There are other witches who could have served the same purpose. Right? Or why not? Was I not paying close enough attention to the details?

The concept of the series is good. And it's fresh. The book is rather dark, which I like. And the sex is good.. a little rough and demanding. Hot. And morbid anticipation of Silas' discovery that Jessie is witch had me on the edge of my seat. The series has potential. I'll give Lure of the Wicked a try, and see where we go from there. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by Avon/Harper Collins Publishers
(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, bn-ebook

I'm going to make a confession. I bought this book partially to piss my husband off. He was nosing around reading an open email I had from Harper Collins and opened a blurb for this book. He looked at me while I was cooking dinner and asked "Is this the kind of crap that you're reading?"

I immediately took issue with this classifying my book selections as crap and ordered the book that he was so offended about. Really....if he thinks this is bad, I shouldn't let any of the erotica lay around.

On t...more I'm going to make a confession. I bought this book partially to piss my husband off. He was nosing around reading an open email I had from Harper Collins and opened a blurb for this book. He looked at me while I was cooking dinner and asked "Is this the kind of crap that you're reading?"

I immediately took issue with this classifying my book selections as crap and ordered the book that he was so offended about. Really....if he thinks this is bad, I shouldn't let any of the erotica lay around.

On to the book.....

I'm still on the fence about this one. I know this is the first book of the series, so the stage was being set, but I just didn't like the way we got left hanging.

Jessie Leigh has been hiding for her entire life. A witch who has lived under the radar, she keeps to the lower levels of New Seattle in hopes of staying out of the reach of the Holy Order (which has deemed witches the root of all evil which must be eradicated). She realizes her luck has run out when Agent Silas Smith walks in the strip club she bar tends at asking about her brother.

Seems Jessie's brother Caleb is now running around with a coven that is practicing dark magic and killing humans. The Holy Order has decided to use Jessie to get to Caleb. Jessie figures they'll kill them both, so she decides to go along with their plan in hopes of saving her brother and herself. What she doesn't expect is Silas breaching her barriers.

Silas is a broken soul, who's watch too many innocent people hurt or killed by witches. At the same time, he has a problem with following the orders of a Holy Order that is bent on killing in the name of all that's holy. Despite years of being in their service, he's become jaded and doesn't believe the propaganda any longer.

He reluctantly agrees to use Jessie (still believing her to be an innocent human) but vows to keep her safe. But keeping both of them safe turns out to be a lot harder than one would expect when you've got witches chasing them (instead of the other way around) and the order breathing down their necks.

The book seemed to alternate between being very fast paced to unnecessarily slow. And then when we got to the big fight scene, things happened so fast I needed to go back to try and figure out just what had happened.

I did really enjoy Jessie and Silas (even though Silas is a horrible name for a man with a body as hot as what's on the cover). Both worn down by the lives they've lead, it was nice to see them both decide there was more to life than what they had.

I could take or leave this one.

3 Cocktails.
(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Michelle novelsontherun rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle 17th DECEMBER 2012:

RATING: 4.25 HOT SILAS STARS!!

Jessie and Caleb Leigh are both witches. Jessie hasn’t seen her brother in a long time, after he took off, abandoned her. He is blocking her so she can’t find him. She lives a nomadic life, changing jobs and places to stay one step ahead of the all too present danger that awaits her kind.

Silas Smith, soldier, packing muscle , works for the Holy Order. He is a missionary.

A witch hunter.

He ALWAYS gets his witch.

Caleb is...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Rachael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aside from the novella prequel, this was my first trip with Karina Cooper. I liked the book enough, but it didn't have the same impact on me that J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Keyon, or Laurell K. do.

I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was at first. I mean, it had all the elements I like: danger, sex and the supernatural, but I wasn't drawn in as deeply as I normally am. The only thing I can think of that was missing was that the characters all seemed to exist in a vacuum and then come together fo...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Novels On The Run rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle 17th DECEMBER 2012:

RATING: 4.25 HOT SILAS STARS!!

Jessie and Caleb Leigh are both witches. Jessie hasn’t seen her brother in a long time, after he took off, abandoned her. He is blocking her so she can’t find him. She lives a nomadic life, changing jobs and places to stay one step ahead of the all too present danger that awaits her kind.

Silas Smith, soldier, packing muscle , works for the Holy Order. He is a missionary.

A witch hunter.

He ALWAYS gets his witch.

Caleb is...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-paranormal, romance-series, 2011-may-release

http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com

I was initially drawn to Blood of the Wicked from the cover – gorgeous!

Jessica Leigh is a witch in hiding, living off the grid and working in a strip club as a bartender; she has spent her life on the run or in hiding from the Holy Order, a group of Mercenaries who hunt witches. Her first instinct when she sees Silas sitting in the bar is to change her disguise and run!

Silas Smith is a witch hunter and has been ordered to find and exterminate Caleb Leigh, wh...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-outdo-yourself-reading-challen, favorites, _waiting-to-complete-series, fantasy-paranormal-1

It's too late... this series is in my blood. I have to read them all!

Caleb had the gift of prophesy and when he was fifteen he saw something so horrifying that he ran away and told his sister to stay away and not look for him. She looked. She would do anything to find him, even help a witch hunter.

Life after the disaster meant only one thing if you were a witch; if you were found out you would die a horrifying and painful death. Witches are born evil and must be destroyed. What happens if you're...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Britt Marczak rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably more like 3.5 stars.

I'm not big into witch storylines, but this one caught my attention and held it, probably because it was so dark and grim. Cooper is amazing at that, and showing just how hopeless this world the characters live in is. I think that extreme darkness has to be considered. At first glimpse, many of the characters are unlikable, unsympathetic...from the viewpoint of a person in OUR world, not theirs.

After I shifted my perspective on how to read the characters, I was able...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books

I love the concept for this new world. A post apocalyptic, or maybe cataclysmic is more appropriate, Seattle built on the ruins of Old Seattle (which was built on the ruins of an even Older Seattle) on the edge of a ginormous trench (I like to think of it as deeper and bigger and scarier and darker then the Mariana trench). Witches were blamed for the cataclysmic natural disasters that sunk a large portion of the world and are now hunted down worse then during the inquisition. Such a great premi...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic-paranormalcy-romance-vampi, witches

Jessie is an independent witch having lost her Mom when very young and single-handedly raising her brother. Her brother, also a witch, has since disappeared leaving Jessie instructions not to look for him. Silas in a missionary of the New Order searching for Jessie's brother. He has tracked down Jessie in the hopes that her brother can be found with her voluntary or coerced cooperation. The New Order has been on a mission to search for and destroy all witches since their magic was blamed for the...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book.

Jessie Leigh is a witch in hiding and moves when someone get too close. Silas Smith is a witch hunter that is looking for her brother and thinks she is the key to finding him. What Silas doe not know is that she is a witch and has not seen her brother in years.

The world as we know it is gone and people live anyway they can. The Holy Order is in charge and believes all witches are evil and need to be destroyed.

As they come together through lies and deceit to find Jessie's b...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Missy Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though this book had a really good story line, and very intriguing characters, I still had some issue with it. In some parts it was obviously a formatting issue with my Nook but in others the story was hard to follow. I couldn't tell who was saying what and what in the hell was going on. The underground setting for much of the action was a hindrance because I couldn't wrap my mind around the characters being in pitch blackness and still being able to describe the ruins.
I loved the play between...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Robin Priddy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fifty years ago the world as we know it ended due to natural disasters. People worked hard to rebuild what they could. But they needed someone or something to blame. When the church and the goverment team up, they find the perfect scapegoat, witches. The church starts recruiting people to become soldiers of the Holy Order. The goverment even developes a bolld test that will tell if someone is a witch. The job of the soldiers it to hunt and kill witches.
Jessie Leigh is a witch. She has lived her...more Fifty years ago the world as we know it ended due to natural disasters. People worked hard to rebuild what they could. But they needed someone or something to blame. When the church and the goverment team up, they find the perfect scapegoat, witches. The church starts recruiting people to become soldiers of the Holy Order. The goverment even developes a bolld test that will tell if someone is a witch. The job of the soldiers it to hunt and kill witches.
Jessie Leigh is a witch. She has lived her life on the run, living off the grid, When she arrives in New Seattle she thinks she has finally found a place where she will be safe. After her mother was burned at the stake by the hunters it was left up to Jessie to raise her younger brother Caleb. When Caleb runs off, Jessie wants to find him because she has a feeling that he is in trouble. When she gets word that he is in New Seattle. She has to find him before any witch hunter does, if not she will not be able to save him.
Silas Smith is a soldier for the Holy Order,. Like alot of other people he belives that it was the witches that caused the world to almost end and it the witches are not hunted down and killed it will happen again. When he is sent to hunt down Caleb Leigh he first needs to find Caleb's sister. He thinks she knows where her brother is and will lead him straight to Caleb. Unknown to Silas is that Jessie is also a witch. When they begain working together they find it hard to resist the attraction that burns between them. Will they be able to find Caleb and save hin before it is to late? Just how far will Silas go to protect Jessie?
This is the first installment in Ms Cooper's new series called A Dark Mission. This is a great start to what is going to be an amazing series. Ms Cooper's story will reach ouit and grab you from the frist word until the end. If you get the chance to check out the prequel novella Before The Witches, please do. The next in the series Lure of the Wicked is out now. (less)

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Jun 07, 2011 Ali Hougland rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blood of the Wicked is a post-apocalyptic romance that showcases a very possible scenario of how the remnants of human race would react after facing Armageddon. Fear and bitterness drive the persecuted witches, while righteousness and vengeance drive the followers of the Holy Order. This story showcases the extremes of primal human emotion when faced with dire circumstances and a bleak setting. I’d put this a few shades darker than JR Ward or KMM’s later “Fever” books – if those were too dark fo...more Blood of the Wicked is a post-apocalyptic romance that showcases a very possible scenario of how the remnants of human race would react after facing Armageddon. Fear and bitterness drive the persecuted witches, while righteousness and vengeance drive the followers of the Holy Order. This story showcases the extremes of primal human emotion when faced with dire circumstances and a bleak setting. I’d put this a few shades darker than JR Ward or KMM’s later “Fever” books – if those were too dark for your liking, BotW will probably be too much for you to handle.

Strip club bartender Jessie Leigh is a woman who is a master of disguises and, more critical to her continued survival, running. Jessie is a witch, but her power does not lie in combat or destruction; her gift is sight. She can “see” events that are going on in the present without being at the location. She has been trying to track her younger brother Caleb, a witch who can see the future, but he has somehow managed to block her sight. He left her a year ago after a cryptic prophecy that would ultimately result in her death – a prophecy that begins to unfold the night a soldier of the Holy Order comes into the club searching for her.

Silas Smith has reluctantly re-entered the fold of the Holy Order of Saint Dominic, a zealous organization that capitalized on the post-apocalyptic chaos and established itself as the power in the new world. Retired for fourteen years after a failure he never forgave himself for, an old colleague has brought him back into the fold to track a killer who has murdered multiple women in brutal ritual slayings – Jessie’s brother Caleb. He intends to use Jessie to track her brother, and isn’t afraid to lie or cheat to attain his goal. He doesn’t know that Jessie’s a witch, and the anticipation of the exposure of that secret is a fun build up that does not disappoint at the revelation.

The initial attraction between these two is purely driven by outside events. Near misses, murder attempts, frustration, and fear cause Silas and Jessie to come together in a sort of frantic affirmation of life and emotion. There is physical attraction, but they are very much using each other in the beginning. The emotional bond develops later, with hardened, cynical Silas seeing Jessie as “sunshine” and Jessie seeing, with her gift and her heart, what drives and motivates Silas.

Blood of the Wicked is probably one of the darkest paranormal romances I have ever read. It was similar to my reaction after watching the first television episode of The Walking Dead - I was taken aback, shocked and horrified in some areas, but completely riveted by the characters and plot. The writing was compelling, and the imagery is some of the most graphic I’ve read. It’s a fresh new angle in the highly congested paranormal romance genre.

Four and a half stars.(less)

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May 14, 2012 Kerrie Strong rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I pretty much agree with everything Kelly said.

I love post apocalyptic fiction. But... I need to know more about the apocalypse. Why were these people still living in Seattle? Why not move? What happened to create this? Granted, I didn't read the series intro novella, but I think more should have been explained, however briefly.

I also needed to know more about the characters, specifically Silas. We got a brief glimpse into him, about his first mission, but I needed to know more-- what came befo...more

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Blood of the Wicked (Dark Mission #1)

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