Tainted (The Blood Lily Chronicles, #1)

Mar 08, 2011 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-series, reviewed

The premise of the book may not be very original, but it was something which quickly caught my attention.

Tainted, an urban fantasy about a heroine who fights demons, may not be the most original concept, but it certainly is entertaining. It starts off with a gripping opening and is very fast-paced and entertaining throughout.

One thing I really liked about this book were the plot twists. As Lily kills more demons, she absorbs some of their powers and becomes more demonic. Nor suprisingly, this l...more The premise of the book may not be very original, but it was something which quickly caught my attention.

Tainted, an urban fantasy about a heroine who fights demons, may not be the most original concept, but it certainly is entertaining. It starts off with a gripping opening and is very fast-paced and entertaining throughout.

One thing I really liked about this book were the plot twists. As Lily kills more demons, she absorbs some of their powers and becomes more demonic. Nor suprisingly, this leads to a struggle against her own inner demons. Will she become evil? It's up to the reader to find out.

Another aspect that I praise it the extremely fast pace. The chapters are very short, so it's an easy to stop anytime and pick up where you left off. Most of them end with a cliffhanger which leads to a good amount of suspense. It will be easy for most urban fantasy readers to devour this book in no time. There are little, if any, boring or slow spots. The book quickly jumps from scene to scene without any boring dialogue sequences or filler moments.

Lily is one of the best heroines that ubran fantasy has to offer. Rather than simply an empty vehicle that the author uses to move the plot foward, Lily has a fully fleshed out personality. She has the definite bad girl attitude which is shown through many memorable quotes full of sass and sarcasm. However, her priorities to her family and sister are still deeply rooted in her heart and a character like her never forgets her duties.

One particularly intriguing aspect of the book is the love interest, who, believe it or not, happens to be a demon. This builds up a fair amount of suspense and mystery as Lily has trouble deciding on who to trust. Coming from someone who doesn't like romance very much, Julie Kenner used it in a way to make it suspenseful.

Overall, it's a fairly easy read. (It took me two or three days to finish.) The plot does seem like it could use some more creativity or originality, since there are dozens of urban fantasy books like it. (Hunter Kiss, Black-Sun's Daughter, etc.) However, for what it's worth, it's damn good entertainment. (less)

1 like · like · see review

May 06, 2010 Bethany C rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm sitting here a little confused as to how exactly to word this review, mostly because I can't reconcile exactly how I feel about the book as a whole. Don't get me wrong; that's not a terrible thing- I really did like it. When the book began I was completely riveted. Then it kind of turned into something I wasn't expecting, but was still very interested. I judge a book on how interested I continue to be in the story, and I was never bored, never skimmed. I realize this is really vague, but I h...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2010 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

It grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go until the book was done. There were many twists and turns and the author wrote a compelling storyline, and had me questioning all the characters to figure out what was really going on.

Lily is out to protect her sister when she dies. She's resurrected into the body of a girl named Alice. Clarence tells her that she has been chosen by the big guy to help save the world. The Apocalypse is coming, and it's been prophesied that Lily will be the one t...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really 4.85 Rating

Lily Carlyle died while trying to exact revenge against her teenage sister's stalker and rapist. Unfortunately for Lily, regardless of how noble her cause for retribution, her intent does not dismiss the fact that she had murder in her heart. While Lily was alive, she was a small time hustler and thief. She did whatever it took to put food on the table for her family. Luckily for Lily, shortly after her death, she was given an opportunity for redemption against her past sins.

He...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lily Carlyle has had a very hard life. Her mother died when she was on 14 years old, leaving her with a little sister to take care of and a drunken stepfather who quickly became to loss in his grief to be of any real help. Lily made a promise to her little sister Rose that she would always keep her safe and if this meant lying, cheating and stealing to the bills, then so be it. When Rose is raped and her attacker was released on a legal technicality, he begins stalking her. Lily remembers her pr...more Lily Carlyle has had a very hard life. Her mother died when she was on 14 years old, leaving her with a little sister to take care of and a drunken stepfather who quickly became to loss in his grief to be of any real help. Lily made a promise to her little sister Rose that she would always keep her safe and if this meant lying, cheating and stealing to the bills, then so be it. When Rose is raped and her attacker was released on a legal technicality, he begins stalking her. Lily remembers her promise to protect her sister, and if that means committing murder to ensure that Rose was safe, then she is more than willing to do it.

What Lily does not count on, is that her act of vengeance leading to her death. Lily dies knowing that with all of her past actions, that there is only one final destination for her - hell. Lily is however offered a chance of redemption, when she is placed into the body of Alice Purdue and told that she is girl who is prophesied to ensure that the demons amassing at the ninth gate are never able to escape. She says yes to this challenge, because the alternative is an eternity of damnation, and so with the help of Clarence and her fighting coach, an incubus named Zane, Lilly/Alice sets out to save the world and in the process keep her promise to her little sister.

As with all plans, things don't run smooth for Lily. Each time she kills a demon she takes on their essence and this means that she inherits all of the dark passions, crimes and urges. Lily is terrified that is becoming that which she is seeking to eradicate.

With Armageddon looming, Lily also find herself deeply attracted to a demon named Deacon. It appears that Demon and Alice had some sort of arrangement and he quickly surmises that though Lily now looks like Alice something is very wrong. There is an extremely strong attraction between the two of them which Lily has great difficulty reconciling. How is it possible that the chosen one - a demon killer, can be attracted to a demon. Is possible that things are not as black and white as she has been told? Do demons possess the ability to be an agent of good?

Read More (less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 19, 2011 Dlora rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-action, paranormal

By the same author, Tainted is the dark version of Carpe Demon. the wholesome socceer mom transposed into a seedy, hardened, lying, stealing woman who will and has done anything to protect her little sister and keep their household running since she was 14-years-old when their mom died and their dad retreated into alcoholism. The story begins with Lily dying as she kills the man who raped and is still terrorizing her little sister. Although Lily's life hasn't been sin-free, her motivations have...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 10, 2011 Blood Rose Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles and I know that I will be picking up the second one. This book has sat on my shelf for a few months and I think I kept passing it by, for its somewhat cheesy cover. But I am glad that I picked the book up, it was a good easy read, that was action packed and even some romance in there for you.

The book is based around Lily, who believes that she has never been good person. She has done bad things in her life, but they were all to protect her youn...more This is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles and I know that I will be picking up the second one. This book has sat on my shelf for a few months and I think I kept passing it by, for its somewhat cheesy cover. But I am glad that I picked the book up, it was a good easy read, that was action packed and even some romance in there for you.

The book is based around Lily, who believes that she has never been good person. She has done bad things in her life, but they were all to protect her younger sister Rose, but still she has never been on the side of good. Lily's final act of protection is to kill Lucas Johnson, who was a constantly stalking Rose (but it is hinted in the book that he may have abused and/or assaulted her as well). Lily kills Johnson, but Johnson is also able to kill her. Now Lily has awoken in another girl's body (Alice) and is being chased by a demon who is trying to kill her. Enter Clarence (who looks like a frogman), he is Lily's mentor and he informs Lily that she is the chosen one, the assassin for the Light, the one who will defeat the demons and close the ninth gate (gate to the Demon world) forever as she is directly connected to the key for the gate. Lily begins training with Clarence who gives her information about the demons and Zane, an extremely Hot trainer who Lily cannot take her eyes off. Zane has some interesting training techniques, mostly involving letting a demon loose in the ring and seeing how Lily handles the situation. If all this was not enough, Lily needs to become Alice and move smoothly through Alice's life. Enter Deacon, who was a friend of Alice's before she had died, but he is also a Demon. Deacon makes her question Clarence's teachings about all Demons being bad, but she knows she has to focus on closing the gate, she wants redemption for all the bad things that he has done in her previous life. So ready or not, here she goes, trying to the save the world, but Lily soon realizes that she may be trying saving the world, but there are a lot of demons and people that would like to see her fail.

I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was looking for to read. It is one of those good vs evil books, with all the gray area in between. It has twist and turns and you really don't know who she should trust and listen to and which guy she should go for.

I really enjoyed Lily as a character and her need to seek redemption for her past actions, but never regretting them, other than her promise to keep Rose safe and being there for her. Lily also does not pretend to know it all or know how to fight. Kenner does a good job of explaining how Lily grows in her knowledge and fighting skills and in the first few fights scenes you can picture Lily bumbling through them. I also enjoyed some of the new abilities that Lily was given when she was "reborn". If she kills a demon with her own blade (it has been anointed with her blood), she receives some of the demon's power, either good or bad. For example she kills a vampire like demon that was feeding on a girls blood and she now experience blood lust in one form or another.

I think this is one of the Next Series you need to get into.

Enjoy!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 17, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars

Plot: 4 Stars
It's not every day that a book completely blindsides me. I don't always figure books out before I finish, but when Tainted came to the revelation portion near the end, I was blown away. I was expecting anything except for the direction the story actual turned. The ending did feel a little rushed and lacking finality, but it's not the end of the world because the next book in the series comes out 11/24 and the third sometime in December.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
The story grabbed me quickly and...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

As with many of the urban fantasy books I've been reading lately, I was really looking forward to reading Tainted. I actually got excited when I saw this sitting on the shelf in the library, and I couldn't wait to get to it in my to-read pile. A demon fighting assassin heroine may not be original, but it sounded fun and exciting at least. Unfortunately, I was more than a little disappointed with Tainted. First, the age old wake up with powers routine. I've never been bothered when this happens i...more As with many of the urban fantasy books I've been reading lately, I was really looking forward to reading Tainted. I actually got excited when I saw this sitting on the shelf in the library, and I couldn't wait to get to it in my to-read pile. A demon fighting assassin heroine may not be original, but it sounded fun and exciting at least. Unfortunately, I was more than a little disappointed with Tainted. First, the age old wake up with powers routine. I've never been bothered when this happens in other books, but this time I was. While training, the main character Lily amazingly knows exactly what to do to kill the crazy demon. A kick butt switch was turned on in her head that makes her a fighting machine. I understand that people may not enjoy reading hundreds of pages of fighting lessons and combat training, but the instant ability is a bit annoying. It felt very unrealistic and unbelievable, and my favorite urban fantasy books have the most realism. My next issue was the characters. I personally did not like Lily. In her previous life she was somewhat of a punk. Yet, when she is reborn as Alice she becomes caring, concerned, and an upstanding citizen. At the same time she is a crazed killer that has a large dose of bloodlust. I just didn't find her character cohesive and enjoyable. Next, the plot. Lily is to take down the forces of evil and save humanity. She is also concerned with making sure her sister is safe, and discovering Alice's past. A large portion of the book is introspection. Lily goes over the same things in her mind time and time again. I didn't mind reading it the first time because I wanted to find out more about her character, but by the 5th or 6th time I had enough. The training and fight scenes were not very interesting to me either. I knew that the main character was pretty much invincible, so why bother reading an action scene when you know the outcome. Overall, the plot felt like 250 pages of boredom followed by 50 pages of excitement, and a huge cliffhanger ending. If the novel was comprised of a 50 page introduction, followed by the 50 pages of excitement, and then continued past the cliffhanger, I really think I would have loved it. Instead, the chapters felt choppy and didn't flow into one another, and the first three fourths of the book felt like a waste. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-antihero-sleuth, paranormal-fantasy

This is well worth the read, it puts me in mind of Stacia Kane the 'Unholy series', Lilith Saintcrow,Faith Hunter, Natasha Rhodes & Jennifer Armintrout, who turn out gritty, exciting urban fantasies.

Alice or should I say Lily is training to close the ninth gate of hell, she failed to protect her sister, so she is determined to succeed at this. She has a scaley mentor & succumbus trainer, a demon stalking her to reveal what she knows & no-one to talk to, because even though she just...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 02, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lily has gone to kill her fourteen year old sister’s rapist. She is able to kill Lucas Johnson with a gunshot, or so she thinks, but her act also backfires on her as she lies dying in a pool of her own blood because he stabbed her. Now she thinks she is going to hell for the crime she has committed as well as some minor misdeeds she did while was alive. But Lilly doesn’t die because as she awakens from her blackout, she finds herself tied down and about to be sacrificed by some monster. Lily is...more Lily has gone to kill her fourteen year old sister’s rapist. She is able to kill Lucas Johnson with a gunshot, or so she thinks, but her act also backfires on her as she lies dying in a pool of her own blood because he stabbed her. Now she thinks she is going to hell for the crime she has committed as well as some minor misdeeds she did while was alive. But Lilly doesn’t die because as she awakens from her blackout, she finds herself tied down and about to be sacrificed by some monster. Lily is able to escape but passes out on the street in front of a man who reminds her of a frog.

When Lily comes to, she isn’t in her own body. She has been inserted into Alice Purdue, a waitress who works at her uncle’s pub. The mysterious looking frog man is Clarence, and the reason Lily has been saved is because she has been called upon to join in the battle between good and evil. The war that has been raging for millenniums is about to come to a head and Lily is the only one that can stop the demons from opening the final gate of hell, where they will bring pain and suffering on Earth. While she trains, Lily now must become Alice and forget about her old life, especially of her drunk of a stepfather and Rose, her emotionally scarred little sister.

As Lily becomes accustomed to her new body and life, she meets a sexy and dangerous man. His name is Deacon and he knows that Alice is very different. Apparently Alice had secrets, and Lily has to try and figure out what they are as well as keeping her distance from Deacon because he is not human but a demon. Because he is Lily’s enemy she may have to kill him at one point even though she is very attracted to him. As Lily channels her powers, she has entered into a dark world where no one can be trusted and is she doesn’t succeed, many will suffer, which also means Rose.

TAINTED by Julie Kenner is a dark Urban Fantasy with another heroine who channels her inner turmoil to fight those that are evil and want to rule the world. Lily’s outlook on life is bleak but because of her deep love for her sister Rose, you can’t help but want to cheer her on. Lily goes through a great deal of pain all because of one rash act on her part. But because of this, she sets into motion something that has been planned for a long time.

Lily acts like a fish out of water, which makes sense because she has a new identity and new body. She does pretty well considering, especially with Alice’s family and friends. Things really pick up when she meets Deacon, the demon who makes Lily question herself and what she must accomplish.

Fans of urban fantasy will find much to recommend with Tainted and the world Julie Kenner has created. There were times I had a strange sense of déjà vu while reading because of the amount of urban fantasy series being published with a heroine who is the key to salvation and must fight evil. If readers can get past this main issue while reading then they will certainly enjoy Tainted and look forward to the next book, Torn in The Blood Lily Chronicles.
(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 27, 2011 Anika rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed it,its about a girl named Lily who dies killing the man who raped and terrorizes her little 14 year old sister but comes back in the body of Alice. They only have each other, mom died a few years ago, step dad to Lily took up drinking and that left Lily to care for her little sister Rose. So before Lily dies she was asked if she wants to live again but the catch is that she has to work for the side of good taking out evil. They tell her she's the one who will full fill the prophecy and...more

like · see review

Nov 28, 2009 Nan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: no-longer-own, fantasy, never-again, urban-fantasy

Lily is dead; she died in an attempt to kill the man that raped her half-sister, Rose. (Yes, they have flower names.) However, Lily is not gone. At the moment of her death, she's offered a chance to atone for her crimes, apparently because this final crime was motivated by love.

Lily is in Alice Purdue's body; Alice is dead, and Lily doesn't know who killed her. Clarence, Lily's handler, tells her that she shouldn't bother to investigate what happened to Alice, as it's not important.

What is impo...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 Book Guardian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, airplane

I probably shouldn't have read the reviews for this before I finished the book...there were some spoilers that just sort of ruined it for me. My own fault!

However, with that being said, I got most of the way through the book on an airplane ride and it wasn't compelling enough for me to pick it up again later. Part of it was because I already felt like I knew the ending...but mostly it was just because I had a hard time getting into the character. She didn't really seem to have many redeeming qua...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2010 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

From Goodreads: (I tried to do my own summary but it was just too hard to do it without giving anything away)

"Lily Carlyle has lied, cheated, and stolen her way through life.
But in death, she'll really get to be bad...
When her little sister is brutalized, a vengeful Lily determines to exact her own justice. She succeeds at the cost of her own life, but as she lies dying, she is given a second chance. Lily can earn her way into Paradise by becoming an assassin for the forces of good.
It's the job...more

like · see review

Sep 28, 2011 Alice Janell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, urban-fantasy

At first glance, Tainted may not seem to stand apart from other urban fantasies. Tough chick fighting demons to save the world is hardly a new or thrilling storyline. However, Tainted gives the reader a lot more than a familiar story.

For one, Julie Kenner's writing is riveting. It keeps you sucked in and turning pages. Plus, Lily Carlyle is so badass, she dies and comes back to life -- all in the first couple of pages!

This book has a lot of twist and turns, too. You only think you know what's go...more

like · see review

Dec 14, 2009 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adults

Tainted is an interesting story about young woman who is thrown into the role of raising a younger sister after her mother dies(when she was fourteen) and her stepdad sinks into a world of alcoholism and disinterest in life. Lily does not always make good choices in attempting to earn money to put food on the table but she manages. However, when her sister was raped, brutalized and the man responsible is set free on a technicality, she seeks revenge killing him but is killed in the process. She...more

like · see review

Oct 27, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

The premise of Tainted is this: A young woman, Lily, is killed while carrying out vengeance against a rapist who attacked her sister. Lily is sure she’s going to hell for all the things she did in her short life, but instead she comes back from the dead…in someone else’s body. Her mission: to hunt demons for God. Her reward, if she succeeds, is redemption.

At first, I was reminded of a couple of other urban fantasy series. The wrong-body plotline and the theme of sisterly love reminded me a bit o...more The premise of Tainted is this: A young woman, Lily, is killed while carrying out vengeance against a rapist who attacked her sister. Lily is sure she’s going to hell for all the things she did in her short life, but instead she comes back from the dead…in someone else’s body. Her mission: to hunt demons for God. Her reward, if she succeeds, is redemption.

At first, I was reminded of a couple of other urban fantasy series. The wrong-body plotline and the theme of sisterly love reminded me a bit of Vicki Petterson's Signs of the Zodiac (though Lily’s new body is a stranger’s, not her sister’s). The idea of earning redemption by slaying supernatural nasties called S.J. Day's Marked to mind. And Deacon, the possibly-evil bad boy who stirs Lily’s senses, reminded me of a lot of urban fantasy love interests. What I really loved from the beginning, though, was the story of Lily’s struggle to integrate herself into the life of Alice, the woman whose body she now inhabits. It’s hard and confusing trying to take over someone’s life without giving away how little you know, and it’s sometimes sad, as when Lily realizes how few of Alice’s acquaintances have even noticed the difference.

What really kicks Tainted into high gear is Lily’s growing curiosity about Alice. Why is she in Alice’s body in particular, and what happened to the real Alice? Things start adding up a little funny, and I remember thinking, If Julie Kenner has the guts to take this story where I think she’s taking it, I’ll be thrilled. And Kenner does. A big fat plot twist takes Tainted out of “standard-issue urban fantasy” territory and makes it something unique and very much worth reading. Even Deacon turns out to have more depth than I was expecting.

If I have any quibble with Tainted, it’s this: Demons, in Kenner’s universe, bleed black sludge instead of regular blood. This is plot-relevant a couple of times. Trouble is, I can think of two scenes that would have been very different if Lily, and the reader, had been privy to the color of a bleeding character’s blood. Knowing whether these two characters were demon or human would have given a lot away, and so the narration simply doesn’t mention the color of the blood. Given that Lily usually notices this detail during combat scenes, the fact that she doesn’t in these two instances feels a little bit like cheating.

That said, Tainted is quite enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to the two upcoming Blood Lily Chronicles novels. There are enough twists here to set this series apart from the pack, and that’s something to celebrate in this subgenre.(less)

like · see review

Nov 21, 2009 Jeanette Stingley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have tried on several occasions to jump on the Paranormal Fiction bandwagon and absorb books by recommended authors such as Kim Harrison, Anita Blake, and L.A. Banks. I honestly did try but I just couldn't find a book or author to catch my fancy. It finally happened this week with Tainted by Julie Kenner.

Julie Kenner is the author of many award winning books and he most famous series is about a demon hunting soccer mom. In her new series, The Blood Lily Chronicles, she takes a more serious ton...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2011 Tally Song rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: paranormal lovers looking for a new series to read

Recommended to Tally by: took a chance at the grocery store

Shelves: vamps-werewolves-and-witches-oh-my

Very interesting story line! I can honestly say that I have never come across a series like this in the world of paranormal. I applaud the uniqueness of the idea. Kenner drew me in right away with a fast paced writing style and herione who loves her family so much it kills her...no, really it kills her. Given a second chance to redeem her soul from the last moment before death act, our girl chooses to fight for the good of man and vanquish all the baddies she might run into.

However, this is eas...more

like · see review

Jan 21, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-2009

I'm coming in kind of late with a review here, but I just recently finished this series. Tainted is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles.

Lily Carlyle is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her younger sister, Rose, is raped by a man named Lucas Johnson. When Johnson is released on a technicality and begins to stalk Rose, Lily takes matters into her own hands and kills Johnson. Unfortunately, Lily is also killed during the attack.

Lily wakes up in the body of Alice Purdue, a bar mai...more I'm coming in kind of late with a review here, but I just recently finished this series. Tainted is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles.

Lily Carlyle is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her younger sister, Rose, is raped by a man named Lucas Johnson. When Johnson is released on a technicality and begins to stalk Rose, Lily takes matters into her own hands and kills Johnson. Unfortunately, Lily is also killed during the attack.

Lily wakes up in the body of Alice Purdue, a bar maid at the Bloody Tongue. The Bloody Tongue is owned by her uncle Egan, and, as it turns out, by Alice and Alice's sister Rachel. Lily is soon greeted by an odd creature who calls himself Clarence and who tells Lily that her mission is to assure that the Ninth Gate to Hell is locked before something called Convergence. At Convergence, which is imminent, the legions of Hell will be able to pass through to Earth. Part of what she will have to do is kill demons.

Lily begins her demon-killing training, but is curious about the life she has usurped. She begins to dig into Alice's background, all without giving away the fact that she is *not* Alice, and finds that Alice is an integral part of what is happening. Making things even more interesting is a demon named Deacon Camphire, who was originally befriended by Alice and who seems to have an intense interest in Lily-in-Alice's-body.

I thought this was an original take on urban fantasy. Lily was an engaging character. The story is told in the first person, typical of much UF, and although, Lily can be sarcastic, I still found that I liked her voice. She is smart and has a sensible knack for self-preservation.

I did think that Lily's acceptance of her new life came pretty quickly, but I can understand why she was ready to leave her old life -- except for Rose -- behind. I also wasn't completely sold on the seemingly instant transformation of Lily into a demon-fighting super-girl. Fighting is a skill acquired through practice -- lots and lots of practice -- and it seemed to come too quickly to Lily to be realistic.

The secondary characters were interesting. Deacon is a enigma, who we get to know better over the course or the series. I like that his secrets are revealed slowly. Can't say too much here, because it would be a spoiler.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and I would definitely try other books by this author. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Darcy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

I wasn't sure what to think about this book until I was half way in and then I realized why. I was very confused just like Lily. Her life was by no means easy and then she thinks to do something to protect her sister, but ultimately ends her own life. She was ok with that as she accomplished her task, but was surprised to find out that she wasn't really dead. As she was trying to maneuver through her new life was where I was feeling the disconnect, along with her, because at her core she is stil...more

like · see review

Jan 24, 2010 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-read, angels-demons, zz-challenge-bcc-fantasy-2010, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, read-in-2010, urban, ebook-owned, twitter-author

Of all of the urban fantasy I've read, this one comes closest to Buffy. Which is not actually a bad thing. Buffy was great, with wonderful characters and emotional stories that really connected with the audience. I read once that there are really only 8 stories/themes, and every new story is just a shuffling and repackaging of of those originals. The trick is to be entertaining in the telling, and this book was. So sure, there's a young woman suddenly called to fight demons and prevent the end o...more Of all of the urban fantasy I've read, this one comes closest to Buffy. Which is not actually a bad thing. Buffy was great, with wonderful characters and emotional stories that really connected with the audience. I read once that there are really only 8 stories/themes, and every new story is just a shuffling and repackaging of of those originals. The trick is to be entertaining in the telling, and this book was. So sure, there's a young woman suddenly called to fight demons and prevent the end of the world. She has super strength, newly acquired fighting skills, a quirky mentor and is attracted to a hot guy who turns out to be a demon. Possibly a demon seeking redemption. Yup, all very Buffy. But it works. There was enough going on to keep me turning the pages, wondering about the details, and eager to see what happened next. Kenner is a really good writer. I enjoyed her demon hunting soccer mom books and the good ghouls series, but I think this is my favorite so far. Despite having nothing in common with Lily, she's the lead character I identified with the most. Her motivations make sense within the context of the story. And overall, this book was the most exciting of the three series of Kenner's I've read so far.

In fact, and this is sure to be controversial among some fans, there is something here that reminds me of Karen Marie Moning's Darkfever. The comparison didn't occur to me until the last 1/6 of the book or so. There's something about Lily's journey, the darkness of the world that she discovers, her love for her sister, and her determination to do the right thing even when it's hard and scary, that reminded me of Moning's series. There's also a nice sexiness in the series that's reminiscent, and maybe even Deacon's questionable good guy/bad guy/can she trust him status.

Overall, favorable comparisons to two great series is a pretty good sign. I doubt these books will generate the rabid fans that those two series generated, but think the favorable elements and good storytelling are there enough for me recommend the series to friends.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm glad that I have at least a slightly better review this time. Again, the concepts that Ms. Kenner comes up with are intriguing and engaging but their execution falls a bit flat. At least this time I didn't have to slog through a product placement every five seconds.

Her characters are not believable and their reactions are nonsensical. Her settings are stale and flat. Her romance is all "forbidden heat" and no actual romance.

Luckily for Ms....more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Lyndi rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf-hated-the-heroine, heroine-ruins-it

Couldn't finish. When somebody ignores their gut/instincts/superiors that much, they should be the villain - not the heroine. Lily should have died in training. The End.

like · see review

Oct 25, 2009 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Urban Fantasy readers

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2009-read

Do you think the difference between good and evil is as simple as black and white? Well think again. Lily finds out that she can be good by being bad as an assassin for God. After Lily kills her sister’s attacker in cold-blood, she is given a second chance to redeem herself and wakes up in Alice Purdue’s body. Working for the light as a demon assassin, her job is to prevent the ninth gate to Hell from being opened by demons. But Lily’s new life has her wondering if she’s strong enough to the kee

...more

Do you think the difference between good and evil is as simple as black and white? Well think again. Lily finds out that she can be good by being bad as an assassin for God. After Lily kills her sister’s attacker in cold-blood, she is given a second chance to redeem herself and wakes up in Alice Purdue’s body. Working for the light as a demon assassin, her job is to prevent the ninth gate to Hell from being opened by demons. But Lily’s new life has her wondering if she’s strong enough to the keep the ninth gate from opening? What happened to Alice Purdue, now that Lily is occupying her body? Will her sister be able to cope without her there to help her?

Tainted was an enjoyable read from Lily’s point of view, and it moves at a brisk pace with it’s eclectic cast of characters and their fun and clever dialogue. Lily is sassy, head strong with street smarts and resilient in her role as the God’s assassin. I found myself easily liking Lily and her attitude towards her new life.

Everyone from her new friend Gracie to her supernatural guide Clarence, tell Lily to stay away from Deacon Camphire. Deacon is a dark mystery to Lily and she doesn’t know if she can trust him but she does know she has a strong attraction to him. And he to her. While Tainted is light on the romance, there is plenty of sizzling tension between Lily and Deacon.

“She’s mine.” he said, pushing my partner aside with little more than a glance. His arms slid around me, his hands on my lower back pulling me close as my body tingled from the electric storm surrounding this force of nature.

“I’m not yours,” I protested, but I stayed in his arms nonetheless, tempting fate and testing the limits to my newfound sensual allure, not mention my self-control.

He took his hand from my back long enough to hook a finger under my chin and tilt my head up. A smug grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Maybe not,” he said with a cocky grin. “But you want to be.”

Tainted is the first book in the new dark urban fantasy series, The Blood Lily Chronicles by Julie Kenner. Tainted is well written, full of mystery and action, saturated with sexual tension and has turns in the plot that you won’t see coming. This book is a must for urban fantasy readers who like their reads to be suspenseful, with a dark, fast moving setting and a sassy, street smart heroine.

I’m looking forward to release of Torn next month because the ending of Tainted left me with more questions then answers.

(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2010 Jennie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, trashed-it

Girl dies avenging an attack on her sister, becomes demon hunter. Wants to sleep with every man she meets. Other stuff happens. Yawn.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2010 Tara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, urban-fantasy, things-that-go-grr-arg-in-the-night, angels-or-demons

This book was good, it just didn't capture my interest the way I hoped. I've wanted to read this series a while and just finally got my hands on all 3 books.

Tainted is the first book of the Blood Lily Chronicles, which is a trilogy. Basically the book starts as Lily Carlyse dies and then she comes back in a different body and finds out she the key to saving the world. (I have a theory about that that and I'd like to see if it pans out.) In any case, she left behind a younger sister that she had...more

like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Smirlah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I hate not to finish a book, but then, this is the second one in a row...
It's not that it was actually a bad book. I guess it is okay for someone who wants a simple plot with simple characters a not so original idea.
It just wasn't interesting enough. My expectations were high and as soon as I started the book I saw it wasn't going to be exactly my cup of tea. Still, I kept going on hoping to see something interesting. Past the half mark there was no longer anything new to add to the plot and I w...more

like · see review

Nov 16, 2011 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, paranormal-mystery

This is mostly a demon-slayer urban fantasy. Even though the subject matter is really dark (preventing the gates of hell from openning), something about the tone seemed young, stupid, and predictible. I think that was on purpose, though, to set you up for a twist late in the book. Problem was, I saw the twist coming, so it wasn't all that effective. Even by the end of the book, I'm not all that emotionally invested in the characters. I'm not sure I'll ever bother reading the next two books in th...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Tainted
avg rating	preview: Tainted Goodreads rating: 3.45 (704 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6348338-tainted?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311703433l/6348338.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6348338-tainted?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Tainted by Julie Kenner[/url]

Tainted (The Blood Lily Chronicles #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Julie Kenner

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Tainted

Quotes from Tainted