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The Blood That Bonds (II AM Trilogy #1)

by Christopher Buecheler (Goodreads Author)

3.62 · rating details · 985 ratings · 198 reviews

Two is trapped: hooked on heroin, held as property, forced to sell her body to feed the addiction. Time brings her ever closer to what seems an inevitable death and Two waits, uncaring, longing only for the next fix.

That’s when Theroen arrives, beckoning to his Ferrari and grinning his inscrutable grin. He is handsome. Confident. Eager to help lift her out of t...more

ebook, 1st Edition, 265 pages

Published September 29th 2009 by Christopher Buecheler (first published July 15th 2009)

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Community Reviews

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Jun 10, 2011

Pia Veleno rated it

Shelves: genre-horror-thriller, theme-undead, source-freebie, publisher-non-traditional, source-owned-digital

"Her name was Two, and she sometimes thought she could smell her death, blowing in from the cemetery that lay south of her building in East New York. Sometimes she even hoped for it. Stinking, muttering, moldering death. Cold and dark."

It was a great start. I was pulled into Two's world of heroin addiction, a vicious pimp, and selling her body simply to survive.

Then a mysterious client requests her for what she assumes is a typical night of sex.

From ...more

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Jan 20, 2011

Mena Grazie rated it

Shelves: vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I enjoyed this story. It is the tale of a human prostitute and addict with an unusual name who finds redemption in a vampire's love. Like most vampire stories, it is one of death and rebirth and the emotional ties which endure for lifetimes. It is the story of survival and finding reasons to go on, even in the midst of despair.

Two, for all her flaws and frailties, makes an interesting anti-heroine. She does not want to be a heroine at all. She wants to lose herself in dreaming, in need...moreI enjoyed this story. It is the tale of a human prostitute and addict with an unusual name who finds redemption in a vampire's love. Like most vampire stories, it is one of death and rebirth and the emotional ties which endure for lifetimes. It is the story of survival and finding reasons to go on, even in the midst of despair.

Two, for all her flaws and frailties, makes an interesting anti-heroine. She does not want to be a heroine at all. She wants to lose herself in dreaming, in needs and in love. Instead, she finds that dreams and love and even needs can be shattered past all repairing. It is a hard lesson. Rather than emerge from it calloused and cold, Two emerges with a family, perhaps more than one. She finds the strength not only for revenge on those who shattered her dreams, but to survive and save others. One can't help wondering what happens to her in a future only hinted at in the epilogue.

Abraham is the monster, the villain all vampires threaten to be. Cold, uncaring, selfish and deadly, his power, both as an ancient vampire and as an individual of great wealth is immense. Like most men of power, however, he has lost touch with his children though he will not let them go. They are his, as much as his art collection and library are.

Readers can't help feeling sorry for Theroen and Melissa. They are tragic figures caught in a game they have little hope of winning. The idea of a priest becoming a vampire is intriguing. So is the concept of someone developing multiple personalities (or going feral as Tori does) as a result of the Turning process. I also liked the idea that if the Maker/Sire vampire is destroyed within a certain amount of time, say 50 years or so, of making a new vampire, that vampire will revert to being human.

The author shows flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately, these are camouflaged by a great deal of extraneous detail and some poor editing. There are jarring typos and errors which spoil the spell of disbelief. It is also too long (974 pages on my iPod) though I read it over the course of a couple of days, so it is a very fast read. I must admit, I skipped ahead in a few places, but then I often do, even in books I love. Maybe that's why books are always fresh to me, even when I've read them before. It's a good read for distraction, something you can pick up and put down without really interrupting the flow. A good beach book.(less)

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Aug 26, 2011

Kayla rated it

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Some spoilers* - Anyone who knows me, knows that if I give a 5 star rating to ANY new age vampire book...then it's absolutely worth a read. With all of the too-soft vampire novels being spun out this era, it's been getting increasingly difficult for one to hold my attention, let alone merit a review. I actually picked up this book on a whim for my Nook. The minute I started reading it I could not put it down. The character's in Buecheler's book are intriguing and exciting no matter what power t...more

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May 13, 2011

BookMarc rated it

'The Blood That Bonds' is a vampire novel with more than an element of romance to it that reads as a little bit more old school than say, the Night Huntress series.
Like the Night Huntress series, and most vampire novels these days, it has a major love interest between the story's two most prominent characters. The female of the couple, Two, starts out the story as a drug addicted prostitute before being converted by the ancient vampire Theroen. I can't say I cared too much for the names of ...more'The Blood That Bonds' is a vampire novel with more than an element of romance to it that reads as a little bit more old school than say, the Night Huntress series.
Like the Night Huntress series, and most vampire novels these days, it has a major love interest between the story's two most prominent characters. The female of the couple, Two, starts out the story as a drug addicted prostitute before being converted by the ancient vampire Theroen. I can't say I cared too much for the names of the two main characters. Sure, they're different from the normal names you see in vampire novels but I never really took to them, particularly Two. Another aspect I couldn't take to was the cover of the book. It looked too much like the cover of a 70s horror B-movie and didn't do the novel any favors at all as it's much more refined and intellectual than what the cover suggests.
If you were to judge this book from the first chapter then you wouldn't think it was a vampire novel at all (unless you seen the cover of course) as it very much concentrates on introducing Two and the horrible life she leads. At the mercy of heroin, and reliant upon her pimp to supply it, Two's life is one of dejection and despair. The despair is portrayed very well and when Theroen enters the story and shows Two a wealthier and more opulent standard of living it's easy to see why she quickly falls for his charm and falls in love. Likewise, Theroen falls in love with Two although there was an aspect of Theroen also being that father figure that Two never had and thus she falls for a more emotionally mature male. I loved the relationship between Two and Theroen and much preferred their dynamic to that of the very popular Kat and Bones.
With Two's character being fleshed out from the beginning we're left with a series of story telling flashbacks to set the foundation for who Theroen is and how he came to be. While living as a priest Theroen is transformed into a vampire by Abraham which is an action that calls him to question everything he has believed. There's a very strong distinction in the name of Abraham to the Biblical figure of the same name and thus it was a very well chosen name for the character. Of course, with Theroen being a priest there are some good lines in this novel in relation to his faith. One such line spoken by Abraham being, "If ever your God was listening, little sheep, he has long since gone deaf."
As well as Abraham there are a couple of strong side characters who play a major part in this novel. Melissa/Missy who is a vampire with a split personality. Sometimes the evil Missy is in control and at other times it's Melissa. This was a very good way of creating suspense in the novel for her character could appear as either person and it kept her very interesting. The other main vampire character is Tori who is as much, if not more, animal than human. In that respect she is a vampire but one who has the raw brutality and demeanor of a werewolf that remains in its non-human form.
There are strong sexual elements throughout this novel, as arousal is often brought about from the desire that the vampires have to feed, but equally strong is the notion of love. At times the two are brought up in conversation and we are left in no doubt that Two and Theroen truly love each other even though their relationship is highly sexual such as when Theroen says, "Sex is sex. Love is love...love makes sex something more...sex without love is merely gratification. I love you Two."
I was actually loving this novel until 75% of the way through (yes, I read it on my Kindle so I know the exact percentage) and then there's a story changing moment that totally changes the whole direction of the book. I'm not sure as to why the author chose the direction he did but I really do believe 100% that it was the wrong way to go. I think I could have lived with that moment being the end of the book but the fact it happens with a quarter of the novel still remaining just had me baffled. Even more so when taking into account that the final quarter of the novel is actually its weakest part.
The final quarter of the novel loses its way a bit and is a tad inconsistent. For instance there's a part where Tori gets out of a shower and is seen naked by a character named Sam. Sam complains about seeing more than she needed to. In itself that's fine except Sam has just witnessed the slaughter of two people with blood and guts everywhere. Why on earth would she be concerned about seeing another female get out of the shower with the carnage she just witnessed? Didn't really make sense to me and pulled me out of the novel. Another example of the novel losing its way in the final quarter when Two states it would take a nuclear bomb to kill Abraham. Earlier in the novel she mentioned the same thing to Theroen and he told her that wouldn't work without getting into details as to why. So as she knew that already why even say it again even if it was meant in jest?
The ending of the story wraps everything up into a neat little package and gives the reader a positive, if somewhat timid, finish to the novel. It's difficult to go into the faults of what transpires at the end without giving the ending away but I will say I found it too unrealistic and the reasoning used, in relation to what happens, was about as strong as wet paper.
It's a shame I felt the way I did about the final quarter of the novel as up until then this novel was a definite winner and I would have rated it higher. Given the way it panned out in the last quarter I feel I have to drop the rating down a little.(less)

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May 03, 2011

OpenBookSociety.com rated it

Review brought to you by OBS Staff member Heidi

This is the first book in the II AM Trilogy by Christopher Buecheler and is available as a free nookbook on Barnes and Noble’s website. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Blo... .

This story is about a young girl, Two, that has had a rough life. Her mother passed away, and after years of fighting with her father she leaves to make it on her own. She is attacked and is thrown into the clutches of Darren, who gets her addict...moreReview brought to you by OBS Staff member Heidi

This is the first book in the II AM Trilogy by Christopher Buecheler and is available as a free nookbook on Barnes and Noble’s website. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Blo... .

This story is about a young girl, Two, that has had a rough life. Her mother passed away, and after years of fighting with her father she leaves to make it on her own. She is attacked and is thrown into the clutches of Darren, who gets her addicted to drugs and forces her to sell her body to pay for her addiction.

Then one night she is picked up by the handsome and charming, Theroen. He takes her for a night on the town and shows her what life could have been like if only she had taken a different path. She wishes so badly that she could stay with him forever.

She awakes the next morning to find herself locked in a prison cell, and looks in the mirror and realizes that she doesn’t look human any more, but more like a vampire.

Theroen comes to release her from her prison, saying he only put her there to keep her safe and that now she can live with him forever, once he finishes making her into a vampire. She enjoys her time with him and asks her to finish her transformation, which he does gladly.

There is one problem though, Theroen’s vampire father, Abraham, who is evil and doesn’t like Two. He knows that now that Theroen has her that he will be leaving him soon. So Abraham decides to give Theroen a little parting gift and gives another of his children, Missy, the job of killing Two. But the plan backfires and Two ends up killing Missy instead. Now Abraham wants payback! Theroen stays to fight Abraham so that the others can escape, knowing that it’s a fight he will never win.

I really wasn’t sure what to think about this book. After reading for a little bit, I liked the concept, but that was about it. I thought that the story was long-winded at times, especially when they got into the different characters’ pasts and just became boring. I finished the story hoping it would get better and expecting Theroen to somehow come back to Two, but it never happened.

The story ended with a segue into the next book, Two wanting to find other vampires because she had reverted back to being human after Theroen’s death and she wants to return to vampirism. No warm and fuzzies here…I lost my love so I must go find another. Nothing about it made me want to continue this trilogy, whether it also is a free read or not.

http://openbooksociety.com/article/chris...(less)

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Apr 25, 2011

Lainy rated it

I loved this book (no suprises there with it being a vampire book!). Add to that it is absolutely free for the Kindle and now available in tree book form (http://www.thebloodthatbonds.com/) it is a win win.

Two is living a life going nowhere, controlled by a deadly addiction and dangerous way of life ruled by her pimp and going through the paces surviving day to day. Suddenly a client comes along requesting her by name and things start changing fast and furious.

Two delves in...more

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Jan 11, 2011

Jenni Hackler rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone who enjoys fantasy/vampire

Recommended to Jenni by: amazon.com

A mesmerizing read that intrigues you from almost the start to the end.
At 1st it was a wee bit slow but by the 2nd chapter, I was hooked.
If you are not used to jumping from current to the past view of characters, it may
confuse you only a wee bit to where you may need to re-read parts to understand
clearly. The ending caused a joyful/ caring relief but then at the same time,
wanting you to experience more of the main character. What will she do now?

I am a new fa...more

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Jul 03, 2011

Carina rated it

This had potential to be a great story. It had promise of being something different, new and exciting. But it wasn't.
The first 2 chapters were really good. It sets you up for something that looks to be a great story, but from there it falls flat, predictable and a tad boring. I was still hopeful, so I kept reading.

There is no climax really. The conflict is obvious but it doesn't reach that high and it doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, like it should.
Two and Theroen are...more

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Mar 24, 2011

Gloria rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to enjoy this book. I generally love vampire/supernatural stories, especially when they involve an epic love story. I did love this novel in the beginning. I knew and accepted there would be some lack of editing so that did not distract me from the story. I also didn't mind the name of Two but it made it difficult to read at times. A couple of times I had to go back and read the last couple of sentences because my mind didn't register Two as a proper name.

As the ...more

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Jan 10, 2011

Jamie rated it

This book was very interesting to me. I think, because it is written by a male, and because it is just very different. It does not end with the happiest of endings ... but that's one of the reasons that makes this book interesting. It was written differently as well ... not bad per se but the author certainly has a different writing style. It did have more than the average amount of typos, but they were words that just had an extra letter or a forgotten letter. I am really at a lose of word...more

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Dec 27, 2009

Jackie rated it

Shelves: adult-fiction, drugs, death, strong-female-character, vampires, nook-e-book

Young, attractive, blond Two Ashley Majors is addicted to heroin and in order to support her habit, is a prostitute for sleazy Darren. She and Molly, 12 are his best girls. When a client requests Two for the night, he has special, odd requirements...dark clothes, black lipstick, and a gold chain. Two complies and meets Theroen , a handsome, obviously rich man in his Ferrari. Little does she know her life will change forever since Theroen is a vampire. He changes her and slowly she begins to love...more

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Jan 03, 2011

Lisa rated it

Shelves: kindle-freebie-cheap, paranormal, vampires

2.5/5 stars

The Blood That Bonds contains some truly clever moments, some new twists to the vampire mythos, and some well detailed world building. Unfortunately, there are also some very glaring inconsistencies, errors (i.e. the character James became Frank became James, and Theroen has a 400 odd year history, yet says he was born in the late fifteenth century), and tell-don’t-show narrative that bogged down the pacing and removed me from the story, too frequently for me to have...more2.5/5 stars

The Blood That Bonds contains some truly clever moments, some new twists to the vampire mythos, and some well detailed world building. Unfortunately, there are also some very glaring inconsistencies, errors (i.e. the character James became Frank became James, and Theroen has a 400 odd year history, yet says he was born in the late fifteenth century), and tell-don’t-show narrative that bogged down the pacing and removed me from the story, too frequently for me to have ultimately been able to enjoy it.

Two is an eighteen year old, heroin addicted prostitute. Her story begins as she’s on her knees before her pimp, begging for a fix. The writing is rich in visual imagery and engaged me thoroughly, promising a gritty, raw, and emotionally compelling read. Between its opening and its conclusion, however, the writing had a tendency to alternate between artful and simply average.

When Two, who is named for the hour of the day during which she was conceived, meets Theroen, her vampire/lover/savior, there is a glaring plot hole, left gaping as to why he would cull Two from amongst the herd of junkie hookers. It’s not until well toward the end of the story that the reader is gifted with one sentence, “I saw her working, and the strength I sensed in her caught my attention.” There is no preamble to this that would allow the reader to witness this strength, merely this sentence, which was not terribly satisfying for me. There was no prelude to their relationship, period. It is left up to the reader to fill in the gaps as to why, how, and when these two characters fell in love. The question of why Two wanted so badly to give up her humanity and become vampire is left unexplored, and an opening is definitely left for a second book in which one would assume an answer will be found to the question, why would Two, after all she lost, after her very brief and painful dalliance with immortality, make the choice she makes at the end?

Many of the common vampiric and Biblical archetypes are included in the story; the allusions to death and rebirth are both stated and portrayed several times over in the narrative, which may leave the door open for a deus ex machina for Theroen in the next book. I regret that the sum of this offering didn't serve to peak my interest enough to read further and find out.
(less)

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Sep 21, 2011

Kitty Bullard rated it

"THE BLOOD THAT BONDS" BY CHRISTOPHER BUECHELER

A Vampire's need for a companion takes a heroin addicted hooker by the name of "Two" off the streets and into the realm of nightmares. Though Theroen had given her a new life, Two is having a hard time adjusting but learns quickly how to handle the change and seeks to help the other girls that are trapped by the pimp Darren.

This story is well-written and has a bite that most fans of the supernatural will enjo...more

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Jul 11, 2011

Christine rated it

The Blood that Bonds pleasantly surprised me. I was intrigued by Two and the dark, gritty, story line, so I downloaded it regardless of my reservations about reading a “free” e-book. Many times, these books are self published and frankly are deeply, desperately in need of editing. Just the spelling errors found in these books could give me nightmares for days. However, this novel (and it is a novel at over six hundred pages) was relatively well-edited. There were a few inconsistencies that t...moreThe Blood that Bonds pleasantly surprised me. I was intrigued by Two and the dark, gritty, story line, so I downloaded it regardless of my reservations about reading a “free” e-book. Many times, these books are self published and frankly are deeply, desperately in need of editing. Just the spelling errors found in these books could give me nightmares for days. However, this novel (and it is a novel at over six hundred pages) was relatively well-edited. There were a few inconsistencies that threw me as I tried to get the details of the plot straight, but thankfully I didn’t have to sit and cringe at every other line. The only thing that really irks me is the title. In my world, the title should read “The Blood that Binds” not Bonds. I don’t know if the usage of bonds is actually incorrect; it just sounds funny to me.

The story itself is very good. The author explores a darker side of the supernatural world and of humanity. The lead character is female which is very typical in today’s urban fantasy/paranormal books, but what is not typical is she’s a whore and an addict. Two screws men, women, begs or steals, it doesn’t matter, as long as she gets her fix. In my opinion, Mr. Buecheler did an excellent job describing the symptoms of addiction, the desperation, the hopelessness as well as the feelings of desire, passion and need that come along with any addiction, whether it is heroin or, as later in the story, blood.

The cast of characters were well-developed; I loved Two, Melissa and Tori. The motivations of the two main characters were unclear to me or not explained in ways I found satisfactory. The emotions Two feels for Theoron seem more like Stockholm’s Syndrome than real love and I still don’t understand why of all people he picked her. However, people make choices in life all the time that I don’t understand, I guess the characters in books don’t have to be any different.

All in all, I found this story to be well worth the time to read. The sequel of The Blood that Bonds is in the works and I’m looking forward to reading more of Two’s journey.
(less)

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May 02, 2011

Jacob Drake rated it

· review of another edition

In The Blood That Bonds, we are thrust into a realm that is decidedly not of romance and frivolity as the heroine (Simply named "Two"), who is trapped in the role as a heroin-infected-prostitute and can't escape, beaten and abused by the pimp who "owns" her, meets Theroen, a vampire of no mean power, who falls in love with her and she with him. He turns her into one of the denizens of darkness, but these are vamps with a difference, due to their particular bloodline - up to a...more

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Feb 28, 2011

Kelly rated it

Shelves: mmm-reviewed, paranormal

The beginning of this book reminded me of the movie Kiss of the Dragon (with Jet Li and Bridget Fonda). Though it started out as a familiar story, I have to say that it drew me in. I liked Two right off the bat and hated Darren immediately. This is big for me. I have to have a develop "relationship" with the characters right away and Buecheler did that well in this book.

After the first two chapters or so, I was just waiting for something to happen. There was a lot of c...moreThe beginning of this book reminded me of the movie Kiss of the Dragon (with Jet Li and Bridget Fonda). Though it started out as a familiar story, I have to say that it drew me in. I liked Two right off the bat and hated Darren immediately. This is big for me. I have to have a develop "relationship" with the characters right away and Buecheler did that well in this book.

After the first two chapters or so, I was just waiting for something to happen. There was a lot of character and relationship development in the first half of the book (which is great) but not much else going on. Once Theroen entered the picture the action seemed to stop. Sure, there was Two's transition into a vampire and the feeding that comes along with it, but I feel like there could have been more action to draw the reader further into the story. With character and relationship development and nothing else, it was hard to see what the whole plot of the story was aside from "handsome vampire rescues girl".

The second half (well, really about 2/3 into it) finally got into the "guts" of the story, the plot development, the action and (let's face it) the whole point of the book. With so much leading up to it, I was ready for some serious conflict, a really great fight scene or something along those lines. I feel like that never happened. Don't get me wrong, there were some great parts and some good ideas but I feel like the story fell flat. There was so much potential for it to be really great but it never quite made it. The best part was when Two returned to seek revenge (I'm not going to call that a spoiler because as soon as you start the book you know that's coming at some point in the book), but even that could have been better. I just feel like it left something to be desired.

Favorite quote:
"Sex is sex. Love is love. The first is a raw biological process, the latter is something more."

Rating: 3 stars
It wasn't a bad book by any means. It was a dark, gritty and dramatic story. Once I finished, my first thought was that it was 4 star worthy. But then I started writing my review and as I was rehashing the book in my head I started realizing that I wished there was more to the story. There were some really great ideas (the progression into vampirism, the evil elder, the different effects that vampirism has on different people, etc.) but I just think they were poorly executed. It had the potential to be a 5 star book with a little more action and if there was a little more effort and detail put into the key scenes. I felt like by the time the story was fully developed the author rushed to finish the book.

This is the first book in a trilogy. I did like it and I will be downloading the next book, Blood Hunt, when it's released.(less)

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Jan 04, 2011

Nicole rated it

Shelves: free-on-kindle, romance, vampires

I wanted SO bad to like this book.

It was free on Kindle and when I read the description and glanced at the reviews (I only really scan the star ratings) I was siked. I LOVE Vampire novels written by men. (Ala Charlie Huston) Men have a way of making the (possible) love between a mortal and a Vampire make sense. Women go for the old, every girl likes the bad boy they think will change for them. Men, not so much.

I thought ahh ha! She was a drug addict and prostitute, of ...moreI wanted SO bad to like this book.

It was free on Kindle and when I read the description and glanced at the reviews (I only really scan the star ratings) I was siked. I LOVE Vampire novels written by men. (Ala Charlie Huston) Men have a way of making the (possible) love between a mortal and a Vampire make sense. Women go for the old, every girl likes the bad boy they think will change for them. Men, not so much.

I thought ahh ha! She was a drug addict and prostitute, of course loving a Vampire would make sense Stockholm syndrome something like that. Somehow the author took that no-brainer of a plot and made it senseless. They are in love about 30 seconds after meeting. I was literally sitting jaw dropped like “really?!? Wtf?!?” How and when did that happen? The heroine bounced back and forth between a hardened street urchin to a whiney and love struck little girl. It made no sense.

And how like a man to think that he can give her an orgasm (which lacked detail imo btw) and she will instantly fall in love. She was a prostitute. I imagine it would have taken her a bit longer to get past some things.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this plot. I really do. I felt like the story got away from the author, like perhaps his brain was working faster than he could type and there was no one there to properly edit or add and delete and line up his story. It was disjointed. He would have me really interested and liking the style and then wham! Jump around to something that made no sense.

I, by no means think this author is lacking in talent. I think it’s just the opposite. He has the makings of a very good vampire writer, but he needs honest back up. Someone who is not afraid to tell him when to cut the story back and what does and does not work. The bones of this story are very good. But for instance the bit about Two liking art seemed random and disjointed. I think I am using disjointed for the second or third time in this review. That is why I am NOT a writer. But that does sum up my feelings about this book. Disjointed. Get it together and I could be a rampant fan. Nothing better than Vampire love stories that actually include sex. :-)

Ohh and I am all for crazy names, but Two was difficult to read as a name.
Charlie Huston (less)

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Dec 02, 2010

Tina rated it

Shelves: brain-junk-food, fantasy

This is not a clean and sanitized Twilight-esque vampire novel, nor is a sweet romance where the vampires never kill people. Instead it is a dark, gritty novel. The main character starts out the novel as a prostitute, unwillingly hooked on drugs so that she becomes a virtual slave to her pimp. The vampire we know best doesn’t think twice about killing people, although he doesn’t have to do so to survive. Yet, despite that I enjoyed reading the story. The author doesn’t explain much of anyth...more

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May 24, 2011

Kristy rated it

Shelves: vampires-werewolves-fairies-oh-m

I'm still so confused about how I feel about this book. Was it good? Was it bad? Was it horrible? Was it laughable? Was it glorious? I .. I don't know. I can't quite wrap my head around it.

But! It was free! So that deserves at least a star, right? And, while Two's name was distracting at times, it started looking less and less ridiculous as the story went on. And Melissa, the split personality vamp, she was pretty fun. In both forms. Tori, the wild dog/cat/vamp/whatever, she turned out...more

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Jan 09, 2011

Nic rated it

Shelves: for_me

My rating and review takes in to consideration that I got this book for free from iBooks. Why must this be a part of the criteria, well it is because of one word, "editing". I've read several free iBooks and for most novels; editing, grammar, and word usage are extremely poor. The Blood That Bonds seems to be an exception to this sad fate.

The characters are well written and their voices are defined. The story isn't new or fantastic but it was entertaining and you cared ...more

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Dec 15, 2010

Joshua Hansford rated it

This book was a little bit slow to start but got going around the middle. It's a vampire story and therefor has to deal with a lot of vampire story clichés. The vampire is rich and powerful; the girl he pursues is poor and out of luck. There's a really evil vampire that has to be dealt with. I was a bit disappointed that the book centered around such a played out plot but it really did deliver in the end.
The characters grew out of their stereotypes quickly. The pacing was very well do...more

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Feb 18, 2011

Tammy ~NovelOpinion rated it

Shelves: horror, indie-self-pubbed

Two, ( That really is her name.), is a hooker addicted to heroin. She has a mean pimp. A vampire sees her and decides to turn her for himself. He loves her for no apparent reason. His master/father doesn't like this. and so on....

The books reads about as smoothly as my review so far. The author may as well called me up on the phone to droll on about his book. I felt like I was waiting for the actual story to start while being introduced to two dimensional characters.

Even her ...more

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Nov 27, 2011

Jerry rated it

Shelves: theme-vampires, urban-fantasy, books-read-in-2011

Thia was my first venture into the world of vampires and it will not be my last.

This is the story of Theroen and Two. It is a nicely paced story and it is a true love story. Theoren brings Two into the realm of the vampire. I really liked the story of Two's transformation from a drugged out street prostitute into a very willing vampire. Two has just become a full-fledged vamp when her lover is killed by his vampire father Abraham, who is evil personified. Two is transformed back i...more

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Dec 30, 2011

Pam rated it

This book was so much more than I expected. It is a vampire story, with creative constructs related to the vampire mythology, but The Blood that Bonds is the tale of literal and figurative bonds between all the characters, with the vampire blood exchange the basis, but not the entirety, of the bonding.

The characters are well developed and the action takes place not only in the present, but through the use of flashbacks that give a shading to the characters that effectively creates...more

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Dec 02, 2011

Lainy rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: vampire lovers

Blurb from Goodreads

Two is trapped: hooked on heroin, held as property, forced to sell her body to feed the addiction. Time brings her ever closer to what seems an inevitable death and Two waits, uncaring, longing only for the next fix.

That’s when Theroen arrives, beckoning to his Ferrari and grinning his inscrutable grin. He is handsome. Confident. Eager to help lift her out of the life that’s grinding her down.

The only problem? Theroen is a vampire.

His b...moreBlurb from Goodreads

Two is trapped: hooked on heroin, held as property, forced to sell her body to feed the addiction. Time brings her ever closer to what seems an inevitable death and Two waits, uncaring, longing only for the next fix.

That’s when Theroen arrives, beckoning to his Ferrari and grinning his inscrutable grin. He is handsome. Confident. Eager to help lift her out of the life that’s grinding her down.

The only problem? Theroen is a vampire.

His blood can cure her addiction, grant her powers she has never had, change her forever into something greater than she was. But when he sinks his teeth into her neck, Theroen also thrusts Two into a world of danger, violence, madness and despair. The powerful, twisted elder Abraham will use her arrival to shatter the uneasy peace that exists in his mansion, bringing an end to the dark game he has been playing for centuries.

My Review

This is my second time reading this (I wanted a recap as I am going to read the second installment) and it was just as good as the first time if not better.

Two is a prostitute kept in her profession by her vicious pimp Darren and her addiction of heroin. Along comes a client who will completely change her life and living as she knows it. What follows is a tale of love, blood, frienship, sex and distruction.

The story is very different from most of the vampire tales I have read in the way the vampires are with each other, how they turn, how it lasts, the families interactions and how they "bond" with each other. It is a story of love, a very unlikely friendship, retribution, revenge and mostly one young girls journey through what can only be called an unbelieveable rollercoaster.

The story has a great pace, the writing is very easy reading and the story is very simple to follow. There are a few good twists in it and the only thing I would caution readers o is some of the scenes are a bit graphic but most vampire/gore lovers know to expect some aspect of this in this type of book. I loved it both times so it is another 5/5 for me.

(less)

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Feb 04, 2011

Lisa rated it

Shelves: kindle

This was a freebie from Kindle, and seemed fairly interesting. Certainly not the type of book I would normally pick up, I actually liked it. The plot seems outrageous from the outset - a teenage runaway turned heroin-addicted prostitute turned vampire. Certainly not a read for the faint of heart. But it's well-written and moves at a good pace, some movement forward and backward in time but not in a disruptive way. You learn a lot about each of the characters through their interactions and throug...more

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Dec 24, 2010

Sue rated it

Gritty, very original take on the vampire saga. Loved the characters, loved the idea.

It fell a little short in some of the details. . . the idea of the 'change back' sort of left me out. I know it's silly to say when you're discussing something ridiculously implausible, but I just didn't feel the idea of being able to become human again was workable. How long do you need to be a vampire for it to 'take'? Is it good only as long as your 'maker' is 'alive'? When a maker dies, do...more

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Apr 06, 2011

Abbe rated it

Shelves: kindle-free, ebook

This was not your typical vampire story, which is something I really loved about it. I loved that it took its time unfolding, giving us plenty of back story on Two, who is imperfect and compelling. I was hooked straight away. However, the strength that the opening scenes gave to the narrative seemed to weaken as the book went on and more characters were introduced. It almost felt as though the writing grew more shallow. It was disappointing because I wanted to believe in the love and tragedy of ...more

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Dec 23, 2010

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: ebooks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like

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Jan 03, 2011

Beth Blake rated it

Shelves: awesome

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like

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About Christopher Buecheler

Christopher Buecheler is a web designer and developer, an author of both fiction and non-fiction, a student of mixology and brewing, a player of guitars and drums, a follower of professional sports, and a fan of of video games, genre and mainstream fiction, and horror movies.

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Quotes from The Blood That Bonds

“Sex is sex. Love is love. The first is a raw biological process, the latter is something more.” — 15 people liked it

“I could kill you a thousand times over Abraham, but we would never be even. You took everything I had.” — 2 people liked it

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