Blood Kin (The Half-Light City, #2)

Jul 19, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vaginal-urban-fantasy, urban-paranormal

I feel like this is 3.5 as a rating, but I can't give half-stars :D In a very crowded, derivative field of urban fantasy right now, I like this series! This is the second, and I definitely enjoyed reading it. I like the characters and I think the world building is interesting (although not as fleshed out as I keep looking for, but it's definitely getting there). Templars/Vampires/Fairy/Human/Shifters, it's a lot going on, and I still don't feel like I understand 100% what it is to exist in this...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

3.5 stars

Holly is a half-fae thief and spy. She is forced to do a job she really doesn’t want to do. As it happens she runs into Templar Guy DuCaine for a second time. Being a spy and having to deal with a Templar can be hard, add in some attraction between the two, and it gets really hard. Guy nearly forces Holly to work with him, so he doesn’t have to involve his brother’s soon-to-be-wife. Soon the two are moving through the Night World together.

This is the second book in The Half-Light City s...more 3.5 stars

Holly is a half-fae thief and spy. She is forced to do a job she really doesn’t want to do. As it happens she runs into Templar Guy DuCaine for a second time. Being a spy and having to deal with a Templar can be hard, add in some attraction between the two, and it gets really hard. Guy nearly forces Holly to work with him, so he doesn’t have to involve his brother’s soon-to-be-wife. Soon the two are moving through the Night World together.

This is the second book in The Half-Light City series. I didn’t read the first book, and I didn’t feel lost starting out. It is about a different couple than the first novel in the series. It is told half in Holly’s point of view, the other half in Guy’s. The duel perspectives are enjoyable but you can read right through and forget the point of view switched to a different character.

While Holly is doing her spy thing for the Night World, Guy is doing his, save the humans Templar thing, except that the Templars are being ambushed by the beast (werewolves) kind, and they are losing good men fast. After he runs into Holly once, he then finds her where his brother works healing people. He soon learns what/who she is, and decides they should work together.

Holly and Guy are a little bit of an odd couple for me. There isn’t an instant love, but definitely some instant attraction (which is fine by me). The reason they are an odd couple is more to do with what Guy represents. He is a Templar and has an air of authority which makes me wonder why or how Holly thought him attractive still after she got to know him. As you can see I was not a huge Guy fan.

The first part of the book moves at a nice pace, mainly because of the situations both main characters find themselves in. Holly is my kind of girl. She is practical and doesn’t see everything in black and white unlike Guy. Guy is a usual alpha male which is annoying at times. He doesn’t listen to reason, or really anyone other than himself, and seems to turn into a whole different kind of person when he is getting intimate with Holly. This made him fall a little more than flat for me.

The side characters didn’t stick out for me a lot except for Holly’s friend Fen, who is also half-fae and a fortune teller to boot. I would really dig-it if he had his own book. He also seems more likely of a companion for Holly, just saying.

The story is set in a world where Vampires, werewolves and fae exist, but it isn’t an Urban Fantasy. They have gas lights, and have a bit of a seeming French flair, but I wouldn’t call it, or say it is steampunk. No cogs here. Instead I would say fantasy world, and while dragons don’t exist, mages do. It is not castles or anything like that. It is set mainly in one city, and while it is not modern, it isn’t really medieval either. What surprised me was as many politics that went into telling the story I still don’t fully understand who, or what is fully in charge of the city, but I can say I like how this is set up. It reads like an urban fantasy, so fans of the genre will not be thrown by the setting.

The story was fun and exciting. It started out fast paced with me, and then slowed down a little towards the end. I really enjoyed it, but I felt as if the scenes could have been taken a little further. It skimmed around the edges of what it could have been. The setting, it not being in a modern world, but having all the trappings of an everyday urban fantasy is what made the book stand out, but the plot lagged a little. There is one thing I still don’t fully understand about the Night World bad dudes that I can’t say without spoiling it, but I can say when everything was out in the open there is one fact that makes no sense to me. It is a plot point, and important to the story. There is a steamy scene, but once it is played out the sexual tension seems to steam out. I think it was Guy swift change of character after the scene that had me at a distance after this. I do plan to read the first one. I have heard good things, and I wouldn’t mind getting a hold of the next one, but in the end I wanted more from the story.
- Beth(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

BLOOD KIN was one of those books that I really didn’t want to put down as it hit all of my buttons for an entertaining story. It had the intrigue and danger of a spy novel, intense action scenes, and a romance that evolved organically over the course of the story. One of the most exciting scenes for me was actually not very big on action as it took place in a opera hall where people went to watch and be watched. It felt intense and scary as every action...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like the first book, I enjoyed the world and the intermingling of the Fae (even though I usually hate Fae stories!), werewolves (aka Beast-kind in this world), vampires, and humans. It was an entertaining read if I didn't think too hard about it. I liked Holly as a main character more than Lily in the first book. I have a soft spart for stealthy spies and thieves, I suppose.

Some parts that bothered me though, were how easily Guy's personality changed. In the first book, he was all righteous temp...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Erin Cataldi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway, 2012

I was due for some mindless fantasy and "Blood Kin" definitely fit the bill. The story follows half Fae and night world spy, Holly, as she gets coerced into the most dangerous spying mission she's ever encountered. She has to team up with a cocky, self assured, and righteous Templar, Guy DuCaine and the unlikely duo soon realize that they have more in common then they could ever imagine (hello sex scenes!). Their quest for information takes them through the Blood courts of the vampires, and into...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Syahira Sharif rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, mild-romance, mild-thriller, boring

Blood Kin is a first person POV Paranormal Romance book about Holly, a half-fae spy who is forced by her father to spy on a sunmage, Simon DuCaine and the also a first person POV on Guy DuCaine, a templar who caught the said, spy, falling off a roof and eventually wanted some revenge to prevent more deaths and ambushes from Beast creatures.

If you read the blurb given, its actually summarized the entire book to you. So let's cut the chase.

I saw this book in a book ad and eventually I get them (I...more

Blood Kin is a first person POV Paranormal Romance book about Holly, a half-fae spy who is forced by her father to spy on a sunmage, Simon DuCaine and the also a first person POV on Guy DuCaine, a templar who caught the said, spy, falling off a roof and eventually wanted some revenge to prevent more deaths and ambushes from Beast creatures.

If you read the blurb given, its actually summarized the entire book to you. So let's cut the chase.

I saw this book in a book ad and eventually I get them (I like girl spy novel) and am not pleased with it. For starters, although the book was set in a city with it paranormal intrigue with human, vampires, beast and fae fighting against one another, I don't really have the vibes of what it is. Someone said it is an urban fantasy while other said its steampunk while someone said its fantasy, so here I am, finished with the rest of the book and still maintain that it was a historical romance author trying to write a paranormal book and failing hard. I actually read 40% of the book in searching for some plot and the said action and to be honest, there's a lot of drama in this book that was not up to the cup of my tea. I eventually read it till the end since if I give up reading then, the book will remain unread forever.

Most of the time, I was skeptical with awkward Victorian-age dialogues and even the first POV narrations were weak to maintain the charade. Holly was possibly the worst spy ever, majority of the story is about her making charm while another was her trying to spy but failing. She couldn't even fire a gun and the whole time she's as reliable as a gnat. I'm not sold by the author trying to come up with the character being spy (which are consistently being mentioned) when she barely even do enough spying. The are multitude of motive inconsistencies in every chapter and plots because the main focus of the story seems to be centered on the animal attraction between both POV characters. Normally, I don't mind this but if you are expecting a tough as nails female spy UF/PNR novel, you're out of luck. Its a classic damsel in distress situation with some romance with knight in shining armor, if you want a better read, you should check out Virginia Henley or Nora Roberts anthologies.

Personally, I like the main story arc about a spy unwillingly being forced by her wicked father to do evil deeds but the author need to work up a proper tightfist storyline with enough complexities to made this book readable. There are thousands more books out there and this one fades in comparison. Most importantly, Keri Arthur quoted this book, oh darn it, I am a big fan of hers but to be honest, the quality of the story is bad. I can take bad writings and bad grammar but even for a romance novel, this book lack its allure. (less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mon avis en français

My English review

I was pretty curious to start this book, but I confess that I was anxious to follow another character all along the book. I really enjoyed Lily and I was a little sad to not have her point of view this time. But finally, what a surprise, following Guy and Holly was a real pleasure as well. These two new protagonists are finally really different from the couple we saw in the first volume. Plus, as the other one, this book follows each time the point of view of...more Mon avis en français

My English review

I was pretty curious to start this book, but I confess that I was anxious to follow another character all along the book. I really enjoyed Lily and I was a little sad to not have her point of view this time. But finally, what a surprise, following Guy and Holly was a real pleasure as well. These two new protagonists are finally really different from the couple we saw in the first volume. Plus, as the other one, this book follows each time the point of view of our two characters and it allows us to really understand them from the start and to know what they want.

The book begins where we were left in the last novel, so it was interesting to see the consequences of the events. But the Lucius disappearance has turned upside down all the community and everyone wants, now, to be the leader. The tensions become quite complicated to deal with for the Knights and it’s now difficult to avoid troubles. Guy decides to take matters into his own hands and to discover what is really going on. He will team up with a half-fae young woman, Holly, who from the start plays a double game in this adventure. She was ensorcelled by her father who wants to discover the secret of Simon, the brother of our knight. However, her initial goal will be quickly challenged when she starts to feel something for our hero.

Well I’m sure you know that our two protagonists will end up together. But it was really interesting to discover more things about Faes we didn’t know about. It’s true we don’t learn a lot either, but it made me even more curious about this whole universe. We assist all along the book to the inner turmoil of Holly, our young spy, about her feelings and her duty. But when it’s about her family, she doesn’t have any choices. It was touching to see them together, because Guy is quite a character! We will find one more time a story mixing conspiracies, threats and love. A nice mix to keep us curious all along the book.

I was a little surprised at first with book 1 as the romance was very important in the story and I expected to have a real UF book. This time, it was easier to get into the M.J. Scott novel, as I knew what I could expect.

The writing style is really fluid and It’s always intriguing to discover what our characters will do or to know how they would react when they would know the truth. Because, of course, the truth is always exposed one day.

I wonder who will be featured in the third book. I really enjoyed this little introduction of the Guy’s sister and I hope we will learn more about her in the next novel. Indeed, Saskia has a very interesting nature. To conclude, it was a pleasure to read this new novel and I’m glad I persevered in the series.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardcopy, received-for-review

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Holly's life has never been easy as her Fae father abandoned her for her limited magic skills and left her mother so devastated that she can't even function. Yet, bound and determined, Holly found a way to use her skills with charms and glamour to carve out a decent life for herself as a spy. Sure she may be on the wrong side of the law, but she her mother's care is expensive, and espionage pays well. Everything changes won't she falls (lite...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Holly's life has never been easy as her Fae father abandoned her for her limited magic skills and left her mother so devastated that she can't even function. Yet, bound and determined, Holly found a way to use her skills with charms and glamour to carve out a decent life for herself as a spy. Sure she may be on the wrong side of the law, but she her mother's care is expensive, and espionage pays well. Everything changes won't she falls (literally) into the arms of Guy Ducaine, a Templar Knight firmly on the side of all that is righteous. Never in a million years could she have foreseen the coming events that would not only have her teaming up with a Templar, but also questioning everything she has ever known.

Just like in Shadow Kin, out of the two love interests, it is the woman who is the one with questionable occupation and morals rather than the man. In so many paranormal romance novels, there seems to be a recurring theme of the "bad boy". The sweet naive role played by so many females honestly gets a little tiring at times. In fact, a lot of the time I find myself leaning more towards urban fantasy novels to avoid this issue, even though that means missing out on the love stuff that I enjoy. So having the role reversal in this series is utterly refreshing as it gives me the best of both worlds with a kick butt heroine and the yummy love stuff too. Now don't get me wrong, the guys in these books are anything but weak willed, they are just firmly on the right side of the law. So it's fun to see how they react to their opposite. It definitely makes things interesting, that's for sure.

I knew there would be fallout from the ending events of Shadow Kin. I had feeling a certain death, and the power vacuum it caused was going to be a terrible mess as everyone scrambled for position in the Blood. However, I never could have predicted how much more complex the issues would actually be. There is such a tangled web being woven, and it very much makes for an incredibly engrossing read. Also, I especially like the way M.J. Scott incorporated the previous couple as an integral part of the story and fallout. I was really glad to see them have more than a walk on role considering they were the ones to really start the mess, so it makes sense they would be there for the blow out.

Like the previous installment, Blood Kin is told in dual first person perspective, which I absolutely love. It's really great to be able to be that far into the head of both sides of the relationship as Holly and Guy are two very different people. I just fell like it adds so much more to the reading experience. When you combine that with the other great elements that I loved, like the incredibly intriguing mythology and incredible characters, Blood Kin was a fantastic read. In fact I had started reading it rather late at night, telling myself I would read 100 pages and then go to bed. Those 100 pages quickly turned into an all-nighter as I just couldn't put it down. The only thing that kept me from giving this a perfect rating was that I would have liked to have seen a more developed ending between Holly and Guy. Hopefully they will play an important role in the next installment so we get to see more of them together. So, in the end, I highly recommend Blood Kin as it is a stellar read that will definitely keep you coming back for more!(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012, print

I received this book free from Goodread's Firstreads program.

Despite my anti-preference for “romance” books, I really enjoyed Blood Kin. Like the first book in the series, Shadow Kin, this installment follows two characters—Guy Du Caine (brother to Simon from the first book) and Holly, a half-Fae spy and thief—as they try to save the city and Holly’s family. As the book is written using the romance formula, the two characters must come to grips with their mutual attraction while they lie, spy, a...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Beth Dawkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

3.5

Holly is a half-fae thief and spy. She is forced to do a job she really doesn’t want to do. As it happens she runs into Templar Guy DuCaine for a second time. Being a spy and having to deal with a Templar can be hard, add in some attraction between the two, and it gets really hard. Guy nearly forces Holly to work with him, so he doesn’t have to involve his brother’s soon-to-be-wife. Soon the two are moving through the Night World together.

This is the second book in The Half-Light City series....more 3.5

Holly is a half-fae thief and spy. She is forced to do a job she really doesn’t want to do. As it happens she runs into Templar Guy DuCaine for a second time. Being a spy and having to deal with a Templar can be hard, add in some attraction between the two, and it gets really hard. Guy nearly forces Holly to work with him, so he doesn’t have to involve his brother’s soon-to-be-wife. Soon the two are moving through the Night World together.

This is the second book in The Half-Light City series. I didn’t read the first book, and I didn’t feel lost starting out. It is about a different couple than the first novel in the series. It is told half in Holly’s point of view, the other half in Guy’s. The duel perspectives are enjoyable but you can read right through and forget the point of view switched to a different character.

While Holly is doing her spy thing for the Night World, Guy is doing his, save the humans Templar thing, except that the Templars are being ambushed by the beast (werewolves) kind, and they are losing good men fast. After he runs into Holly once, he then finds her where his brother works healing people. He soon learns what/who she is, and decides they should work together.

Holly and Guy are a little bit of an odd couple for me. There isn’t an instant love, but definitely some instant attraction (which is fine by me). The reason they are an odd couple is more to do with what Guy represents. He is a Templar and has an air of authority which makes me wonder why or how Holly thought him attractive still after she got to know him. As you can see I was not a huge Guy fan.

The first part of the book moves at a nice pace, mainly because of the situations both main characters find themselves in. Holly is my kind of girl. She is practical and doesn’t see everything in black and white unlike Guy. Guy is a usual alpha male which is annoying at times. He doesn’t listen to reason, or really anyone other than himself, and seems to turn into a whole different kind of person when he is getting intimate with Holly. This made him fall a little more than flat for me.

The side characters didn’t stick out for me a lot except for Holly’s friend Fen, who is also half-fae and a fortune teller to boot. I would really dig-it if he had his own book. He also seems more likely of a companion for Holly, just saying.

The story is set in a world where Vampires, werewolves and fae exist, but it isn’t an Urban Fantasy. They have gas lights, and have a bit of a seeming French flair, but I wouldn’t call it, or say it is steampunk. No cogs here. Instead I would say fantasy world, and while dragons don’t exist, mages do. It is not castles or anything like that. It is set mainly in one city, and while it is not modern, it isn’t really medieval either. What surprised me was as many politics that went into telling the story I still don’t fully understand who, or what is fully in charge of the city, but I can say I like how this is set up. It reads like an urban fantasy, so fans of the genre will not be thrown by the setting.

The story was fun and exciting. It started out fast paced with me, and then slowed down a little towards the end. I really enjoyed it, but I felt as if the scenes could have been taken a little further. It skimmed around the edges of what it could have been. The setting, it not being in a modern world, but having all the trappings of an everyday urban fantasy is what made the book stand out, but the plot lagged a little. There is one thing I still don’t fully understand about the Night World bad dudes that I can’t say without spoiling it, but I can say when everything was out in the open there is one fact that makes no sense to me. It is a plot point, and important to the story. There is a steamy scene, but once it is played out the sexual tension seems to steam out. I think it was Guy swift change of character after the scene that had me at a distance after this. I do plan to read the first one. I have heard good things, and I wouldn’t mind getting a hold of the next one, but in the end I wanted more from the story.(less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Jill Bradley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the story and the action. The only thing I will say is that I really didn't like Guy the main dude character. He was just pissed off the whole time. It seemed to me that he lost a lot of his depth in this book. When he should have connected the dots and figured out who beat Holly up, he was just pissed that he wasn't a templar, pissed that she's independent, pissed that she's not independent, pissed that she betrayed him, ect. It definitely didn't endear me to him, but apparently was supp...more

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Jun 10, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, roc

This book wasn't what I expected at all! I went in thinking it was a typical urban fantasy but it so wasn't. First off, it was set in a past world filled with vampires, Fae, Templar Knights, and shapeshifters. Second, there was a lot more romance--yay!

While this is the second book in the series, I didn't need to read the first one to fully enjoy this one. The story arc between two main characters is fully encompassed in this book, which I really like, and it includes characters from the prior s...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Lu Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is so unsettling and infuriating to many of us, who appreciates real literary talent, that the authors chose language or situations that prohibit us adding their works to our libraries.
I felt confident that a setting of the 1300's where most likely the F...in words weren't used that it wouldn't be a major problem. Given the summary, I suspected there might be some crude slang but not the sickening profanity of debased sexual references.
The story is adventurous, dramatic, imaginative, with an...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a world I could visit again and again. From the first novel, Shadow Kin, I have been held spellbound by this author's imagination. This urban fantasy is about a world where Beasts, Blood Drinkers, and the Fae attempt to coexist with humans. Thanks to a treaty written by the Queen of Fairies the four species must find a balance or perish. Humans are not merely standing back and being controlled by their more powerful neighbors, but fighting for their rights. Humans can be powerful magi, w...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, urban-fantasy

*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Steampunkish, with an Urban Fantasy twist

*Review*

Holly Evendale is a spy and thief nicknamed the Owl. She is part fae, but truly despises her father for the way he abandoned her mother and later when he forces a geas on her in order for her to do his bidding when she refuses to help him. Holly is an interesting character. She isn't an innocent bystander in this story but one who is prone to cause trouble for others for what she considers the right reasons. She spies on people...more *Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Steampunkish, with an Urban Fantasy twist

*Review*

Holly Evendale is a spy and thief nicknamed the Owl. She is part fae, but truly despises her father for the way he abandoned her mother and later when he forces a geas on her in order for her to do his bidding when she refuses to help him. Holly is an interesting character. She isn't an innocent bystander in this story but one who is prone to cause trouble for others for what she considers the right reasons. She spies on people and steals things for money and for a way to keep her mother comfortable and her dress shop opened.

It's not until she's drawn into a world that she's not accustomed to that she ends up working with Guy DuCaine. Guy is a Templar Knight who has sworn to protect the city and innocents at the cost of his own life if necessary. Holly literally falls into Guys arms while spying for her client and it's sparks love at first sight.

Guy was introduced to readers in Shadow Kin when he was trying to protect his brother Simon from being killed. His willingness to put his life on the line for the Knights Templars is admirable. Guy carries a heavy burden in that he hasn't forgiven or forgotten that the blood murdered his younger sister. When Guy meets Holly, his heart is forever changed and there's sparks right from the onset of their first meeting.

Holly and Guy find themselves working closely together in an effort to find out who is causing problems for the Templars (who are being ambushed on a nightly basis) and why they are threatening the peace accord that the Lady of the Fae created. It also appears that Simon and Lily are far from out of harms way or the spotlight in this series.

Blood Kin continues the story loop where Shadow Kin left off after Simon and Lily found a way to defeat Blood Lord Lucius which left a power vacuum within the Night World. In my humble opinion, Blood Kin isn't as good as Shadow Kin but it's still an interesting story. The world building is interesting in that you have everything from Templar Knights, Beasts (werewolves), Blood (Vampires), Fae, and humans all mixed together and living within the confines of Half-Light City.

The one thing that grates on my nerves and thus a lowers my review is the continued change of POV's in the middle of a chapter. I realize that as readers we need to be able to understand the two separate characters as the story is developing. I realize that at times it's fun to see what the other character is thinking when things suddenly change for the good, or the bad. Yet, I don't mind saying I don't like it!

It should be interesting to see who the next players are in Iron Kin (Half-Light City # 3) which will release April 2, 2013. (less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Kylie Griffin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-author, magic, paranormal-romance, recommended

MJ Scott has created a rich fantasy world in the Half-Light series and once again I was sucked in quickly to the story - much anticipated, as this time it focused on Guy DuCaine, a secondary character and brother to Simon, who appeared in SHADOW KIN, the first book in this series.

While I thoroughly enjoyed SHADOW KIN, I found BLOOD KIN a much more satisfying and smoother read. Perhaps this is because I was already familiar with the world and not grappling with getting my head around the structur...more

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May 23, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, fantasy, immortal, magical, paranormal, shapeshifters, romance, urban-fantasy

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Shifters, Vampires, Magic, Fae
RECEIVED: Received for Review from ROC
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
It’s extremely rare for me to like the second book in a series more than the first, but I absolutely loved Blood Kin. This story follows right after Shadow Kin and continues with Simon and Lily, but focuses on Simon’s brother Guy a Templar Knight. Blood Kin kept me at the edge of my seat like Shadow Kin but had that extra kick in the plot that made me enjoy...more GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Shifters, Vampires, Magic, Fae
RECEIVED: Received for Review from ROC
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
It’s extremely rare for me to like the second book in a series more than the first, but I absolutely loved Blood Kin. This story follows right after Shadow Kin and continues with Simon and Lily, but focuses on Simon’s brother Guy a Templar Knight. Blood Kin kept me at the edge of my seat like Shadow Kin but had that extra kick in the plot that made me enjoy it that much more.

Blood Kin follows Holly, a half fae who makes a living as a spy and a thief. She lives in a city that is full of secrets and dangerous people. One of the worst people is her father who is a fae lord and unfortunately puts Holly in a dangerous position, which is where she meets Simon and Guy. Luckily she teams up with the Guy who is a Templar Knight who needs her help as much as she needs his.

Holly is the typical tough female lead, but had that spark of something that made me like her character. Her cruel father damaged her mother and is using her as bait to get some answers for him. She truly has a good heart but her father’s hold on her prevents her from being honest with the people she really would want to open up too. Guy becomes someone who helps build her strength; their chemistry makes for an entertaining journey and some really great moments. Holly is pretty much a girl who wants a normal-ish life but has bad luck being tied to her fae side.

Guy DuCaine, a Templar knight, this man is hard-core and always ready for a battle. But he’s very unprepared when Holly literally falls into his arms. He sacrifices a lot of what he believes in to find out answers on the many attacks on his men. With Holly’s help he’s able to protect his brother and Lily from getting involved in more danger. I loved his devotion to his family and how even though he’s tough as steel that Holly is able to break through and soften him up.

For those who have read Shadow Kin you get more answers to what Simon was trying to figure out. I enjoyed how Scott pulled all her characters together and helped each other; lets just say the leads get into insanely dangerous situations a lot. I’m really curious if were going to be introduced to two different leads in the next book or continue with Lily, Simon, Guy and Holly on their dangerous missions.

Overall Blood Kin had everything I love about Urban Fantasies, kick butt action, fantastic characters, romance that makes the heart beat fast and a plot that was fast paced all the way through. Even more so the villains are meaner, stronger and downright fantastic, I never knew what they were going to do next. You don’t want to miss out on this series!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with some violence and adult situations. Fans of authors Christina Henry of the Madeline Black series and Keri Arthur of the Dark Angels series will love The Half-Light City series Blood Kin by M.J. Scott.
(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Susana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-j-scott, urban-fantasy, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3,5 stars.
The plot of this story, is developed in the aftermath of Lucius death, the vicious Blood Lord which we met in the first book. With the death of that one, riots and struggles for power happen on a daily basis weakening the Templars who almost every day suffer losses amongst their ranks.
Guy DuCaine, brother of Simon DuCaine, the sunmage, stands on a dificult position. Having his brother engaged to Lily, a wraith, that used to be bound to Lucius service, makes it impossible for him, to pl...more 3,5 stars.
The plot of this story, is developed in the aftermath of Lucius death, the vicious Blood Lord which we met in the first book. With the death of that one, riots and struggles for power happen on a daily basis weakening the Templars who almost every day suffer losses amongst their ranks.
Guy DuCaine, brother of Simon DuCaine, the sunmage, stands on a dificult position. Having his brother engaged to Lily, a wraith, that used to be bound to Lucius service, makes it impossible for him, to place Lily in danger. His superior officer, and most of his colleagues would like nothing more than to have Lily working for the Templars, and all dangers be damned for that one. But Guy refuses to put a member of his family at risk.
Enters Holly. One night, a woman falls literally in Guy's arms, having fallen of a building. Her name is Holly and she is a spy, an half-breed fae. Who just like Guy, will do anything to save her family.
When a "geas" a curse is placed upon her, forcing her to accept a mission, Holly's life will collide with Guy and both their lifes will never be the same. Holly's mission is to spy on Simon and discover that one's secret. Her father, the one who forces the geas on her also has her beaten as a way to grant her entrance on the hospital where Simon works. And to further her compliance he also has Holly's mother and best friend kidnapped. Talk about a truthfully hateful character...
And that is how, Holly and Guy will end working together. He needs a spy to help uncover the political games that are being played in the city, and reluctanly she will accept on the basis that he will help her with her mother and friend. So to uphold his oaths, Guy will have to pretend to renegue on the same ones. Playing the part of a renegade Templar, Guy, aided by Holly will enter a world, where for once he will not have the upper hand.
This urban fantasy novel, with a strong plot and a very intense romance, had me turning the pages until the very end, so i will be sure to read the third one, em 2013.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I was a little sad to learn that each installment in the Half-Light City series showcases a different couple; after having really enjoyed Shadow Kin I was reluctant to say goodbye to Lilly and Simon. However, I decided to give Guy and Holly the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, I found Blood Kin to be only a so-so read. The female protagonist in this book didn't manage to capture my interest the way that her predecessor did and the plot isn't nearly...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I was a little sad to learn that each installment in the Half-Light City series showcases a different couple; after having really enjoyed Shadow Kin I was reluctant to say goodbye to Lilly and Simon. However, I decided to give Guy and Holly the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, I found Blood Kin to be only a so-so read. The female protagonist in this book didn't manage to capture my interest the way that her predecessor did and the plot isn't nearly as compelling. I did enjoy the politics and the Steampunk-y feel of Scott's universe and am interested in seeing if this series evens out in 2013 with the third novel.

My feelings towards this book's characters are the opposite of what I felt towards Lilly and Simon. In the first novel I adored the female heroine but didn't care for the male protagonist overly much while as in Blood Kin I fell in love with Guy but only had lukewarm feelings towards Holly. I wonder if Scott planned it that way? The Templar Knight was very, well... knightly, as you'd expect. He's honorable, loyal and a devote practitioner. It was interesting watching him take a walk on the "dark side"; from learning the fine art of spying to tackling the slippery slope of inter-racial politics. He's the ultimate good guy and Holly is tasked with helping him step away from his comfort zone which proves to be as entertaining as it is traumatic.

Half-Light City politics are once again front and center in this story. Tales of deceit, backstabbing and power plays abound; all key trouble causing ingredients. Holly holds an interesting position in their society because she doesn't really have any allegiances; basically whoever is willing to pay her is considered a friend for the duration of their contract. Oftentimes while spying on one branch of supes she picks up information that's invaluable to another sect which in turn leaves her in a precarious situation. This girl is definitely a master manipulator and knows how to walk a fine line!

This book's plot line is closely connected to the events that happened in Shadow Kin and, as a result, it sort of comes across as a "dealing with the fallout" or "piggybacking" novel. Sure, Holly and Guy go off on their own to investigate the attacks on the Templars but everything eventually leads back to the original problem from the first book. Because of this, I found that there was a certain degree of predictability to this installment. The characters spend a great deal of time observing things from a distance (i.e. spying on rooftops and from theater balconies) which in turn causes the plot to progress at a much slower pace. Overall I found that Blood Kin was a silent observer more so than an active participant in this series' action; a disappointment when compared to the adrenaline rush from the first novel.

Blood Kin is an eclectic mix of Fantasy, Steampunk and espionage with an abundance of political intrigue. The story actually reminded me of a game of chess; not terribly action-y but every move is minutely planned.

(less)

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Jun 05, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher-author

I gave it 3.5 stars

I didn't realize that BLOOD KIN didn't revolve around the same characters as book 1 so I was kinda sad to start reading it and find that out. Lily and Simon still have roles but BLOOD KIN revolves around Holly who is a half Fae thief and spy and Guy who is a Templar Knight and also Simon's brother.

Holly despises the man that fathered her but when he puts a geis on her she has no choice but to spy on Simon to find out his secrets. Guy is trying to keep Lily his brothers wife ou...more

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Jun 07, 2012 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: june-2012-hotp, reviewed-by-kristina

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

BLOOD KIN was one of those books that I really didn’t want to put down as it hit all of my buttons for an entertaining story. It had the intrigue and danger of a spy novel, intense action scenes, and a romance that evolved organically over the course of the story. One of the most exciting scenes for me was actually not very big on action as it took place in a opera hall where people went to watch and be watched. It felt intense and scary as every action...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Jael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, the-old-people

3 1/2 stars for this bit, but I rounded up since Goodreads doesn't have a 1/2 star rating.
I was really hoping that this book would again be from the viewpoint of Lily and Simon again. I really liked her character.

I don't know what it was about this book... I just didn't adore it as much as Shadow Kin (it also didn't pull me in like Shadow Kin, too). Plus, there was just something about the female protagonist Holly that I just couldn't get into.

Oh! One thing I noticed right off the bat was Sco...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Josephine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-paranormal

I really enjoy M.J. Scott's world and writing style. However, her first book was significantly darker than #2. So it slipped from my Amazing category. It felt much more romantic and less Urban Fantasy (or Steampunk) than the previous novel. Additionally, the end just wrapped up too neatly and a bit amazingly that suddenly the guy who was so angry he couldn't even look at her turned around and professed undying love! However, I still have faith that Scott will continue to write strong books with...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Darkand rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This is the second installment of the Half-Light City series and I enjoyed this one even more than the first. It sucked me into it's world of Bloods(vampires), Beasts(shifters), Fae, wraiths, humans with magics(mages), Templar Knights, and all the swirling politics involved in different species coexisting. I liked that the author named the chapters based on who was speaking because truthfully, it took me a while in the first book to figure out the rhythms of the first person narratives switching...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Stephanie Wnetrzak rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable! The sort of historical setting was a nice change up from the usual vamps/fae story. Main characters were well done and the story was well plotted. Lots of intrigue and the reader discovered things as the characters did. The alternating first person style was different....slightly distracting, but interesting. All around good read.

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Jul 26, 2012 Dr susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: need-to-buy, read-again

I was disappointed when I finished Shadow Kin and found out the next story would involve Simon's brother....Silly me! I think I like Blood Kin even more than I liked Shadow Kin. All the characters have distinctly different personalities, and their world is very interesting. I can't wait for the next book.

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Jun 23, 2012 Rosary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, urban-fantasy

I think I liked this one a bit moe than Shadow Kin. M. J. Scott writes really well, and she creates interesting characters. And oddly, I like the alternating points of view that she uses. Normally that sort of thing bugs me, but here, and in Shadow Kin, it worked. I'm waiting for the third book!.

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Aug 03, 2012 Sunny rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: time-waste-books

I don't recommend this book to anyone. Half of the story is about Holly making charm while another half was her trying to spy but failing. She was the worst spy ever. The dialogue between Guy and Holly was also kind a boring.

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Apr 30, 2013 Imogene Nix rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good book - a bit slower than the first, but with enough twists and turns to keep me reading! Excellent... now i'm off to order book 3!

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Jun 18, 2012 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Much better than book 1!
http://www.nocturnereads.com/2012/06/...

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Blood Kin (The Half-Light City #2)

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