Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré, #2)

Nov 20, 2011 Jael rated it 1 of 5 stars

A love triangle? Seriously, like that hasn't been overdone.

This book was one disappoint after another. Basically the disappoints just don't stop with this one.
1.) The love triangle. We are introduced to Creek who is some not quite human vampire slayer (hello Buffy rip off). Of course, Chrysabelle starts lusting for him right away and she just "wants to get to know him". In the first book I found her to be quite wishy washy, but whatev alot of female characters are like it, but now she's just a...more

like 8 likes · see review

Dec 19, 2011 Mithrendiel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, heroines-in-need-of-slapping, popular-books-i-disliked

I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Rights, but sadly its sequel, Flesh and Blood, had some story elements I found exceedingly irksome.

Before we get into anything that resembles ranting, let's review the book's premise. Flesh and Blood takes place a few months after Blood Rights. Chrysabelle has yet to fulfill her promise to enlist the aid of the Aurelian for Mal, and this breach of her vow has created barriers between them. Tatiana is back and hunting the Ring of Sorrows. She's not the only one, either....more I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Rights, but sadly its sequel, Flesh and Blood, had some story elements I found exceedingly irksome.

Before we get into anything that resembles ranting, let's review the book's premise. Flesh and Blood takes place a few months after Blood Rights. Chrysabelle has yet to fulfill her promise to enlist the aid of the Aurelian for Mal, and this breach of her vow has created barriers between them. Tatiana is back and hunting the Ring of Sorrows. She's not the only one, either. So while Chrys and Mal work to resolve their differences, their adversaries close in, eager to claim the power of the ring.

Whow, I just had a bit Lord of the Rings flash there.

Okay, so let the ranting commence.

#1 on my hate last is the introduction of a completely unnecessary love triangle. As if Mal and Chrysabelle didn't already have enough romantic tension and issues in their relationship - we somehow needed more?! Grr. A new vampire hunter comes on the scene - Creek. He's from some ancient class of super humans, and is equally determined to get the Ring of Sorrows for his order, protect Chrysablle, and bed her (and not in that order - bedding seems of paramount importance to him). I think he was intended to be the light hearted bad boy type, but with little to no character development, it's hard to tell. He's just sort of thrown into the story, and promptly starts making the moves on Chyrsablle. And she encourages him! In fact, she goes ahead and makes out with him just one POV chapter after he's introduced. Despite all the history she and Mal now share, despite knowing how women have betrayed him in the past, she acts like a little girl in a candy story - eager to sample every flavor.

And it gets worse - Not only are we subjected to an out of the blue love triangle, but this is the worst kind of triangle: One where the men agree to SHARE the woman. So basically Chrysabelle gets to have her cake and eat it to. Never mind that Mal is not the sort to share.

Which brings me to hate element #2: The introduction of this triangle causes everyone involved to act like three year olds. Chrysabelle is stomping around slamming doors, pissed that the men she's playing want to kill each other. She's indecisive, and, instead of doing right by either man, she decides she wants both of them. She has the nerve to tell them so, and then wonders why they want to kill one another? I'd had some concerns about her maturity in Blood Rights. I thought she was a bit stereo typically brash, in a slice-first-ask-questions-later urban fantasy chic kind of way. I also felt that she acted a bit immature for a 100+ year old vampire courtesan, but I was willing to cut her some slack in book 1 because it was the author's first book and, lord knows, first book syndrome affects most authors. But Crysabelle did not grow at all in book 2. If anything she regressed, acting even more immature.

The men in her life are at each other's throats acting like jealous babies. I don't mind the jealousy part - Mal has a reason, but the way he acts it out... gah! The Mal we knew in Blood Rights was 100% pure, dark vampire awesomeness, yet he seems somehow emasculated by the events of this book. He wants Chrysabelle, loves her even, but spends half the book repressing anger and spouting ineffectual threats at Creek, and then the rest of the book unhappily bowing to Chrysablle's wishes to share her with another man. He didn't' feel like the same character at all.

Another element that bugged but does not make the Hate List is this - there are FAR too many character perspectives in this book. There were a lot in Blood Rights, but we get even more here. I continue to puzzle at why Ms. Painter subjects us to Tatiana chapters as well. The only reason I can see to give us the villain's perspective is to attempt to make them a sympathetic character - I can respect this tactic. Brandon Sanderon makes me love his antagonists almost as much as his protagonists which makes their defeat feel more personal. But there's nothing likeable about Tatiana - and I'd prefer to never read another one of her chapters.

Okay so enough of hate. What was good in the book? The story continued to be solid and interesting. I enjoyed the world, and definitely cared about the characters (Creek excluded). I'm hopeful Bad Blood will redeem this series for me. The first book had such promise, and because of this I know Ms. Painter has the writing chops to pull off a great conclusion to the series. Sadly I think the only way I'll be able to avoid hurdling Bad Blood across the room is if Creek gets himself offed in the first part of it. Everything bad in this book can be tied back to him. What was Ms. Painter thinking?!
(less)

like 14 likes · see review

Dec 06, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-releases, genre-paranormal-romance, borrowed-library

*Rating* 4.0
*Genre* Paranormal Romance

*Review*

Flesh and Blood is the second book in the House of Comarre series. The year is 2067, and vampires, varcolai (shifters) and fae are prevalent in all walks of life. Paradise City, Florida is located in what is now the Southern Union. Ever since the covenant has been broken, more and more othernaturals are suddenly appearing in public to the chagrin of the humans in charge who didn’t believe they existed before now.

It has been two weeks since the events...more

like 5 likes · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Christal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: multiple-leads, vampires, urban-fantasy, fae, ghosts, lesser-known-creatures, magic, weres-and-shifters, witches-warlocks-and-mages

See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

Flesh and Blood is the second in the House of Comarré series. It picks up about two weeks after the events of Blood Rights. I didn't find this book to be quite as strong as the first, but I still really enjoyed it and my actual rating would be 3.5 stars. One of the main reasons this book didn't work as well for me was the amount of POV changes. There seemed to be twice as many narrators in this book and the switches always occurred right...more See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

Flesh and Blood is the second in the House of Comarré series. It picks up about two weeks after the events of Blood Rights. I didn't find this book to be quite as strong as the first, but I still really enjoyed it and my actual rating would be 3.5 stars. One of the main reasons this book didn't work as well for me was the amount of POV changes. There seemed to be twice as many narrators in this book and the switches always occurred right when something big was about to go down. It pulled me out of the story and made the different plots feel jarring instead of neatly weaving within one another.

Malkolm and Chrysabelle haven't spoken in weeks. Chrysabelle is still grieving the loss of her mother, while Malkolm is trying to put his life back together after learning Tatianna is really his wife. Chrysabelle made a promise to Mal, to help him find the cure for his curse, and she intends to pay up. While reading her late mother's journals, she stumbles across a note mentioning a brother. Desperate to find out if he still lives, she begins researching a risky ceremony to contact The Aurelian. If successful, she could find out the answers to both her and Mal's questions. If she fails, it could cost her life. All the while, Tatianna is lurking on the background with a plan to kidnap Chrysabelle and get the Ring of Sorrow back for herself.

I still enjoyed the characters of Chrysabelle and Malkolm. They are both damaged and tortured, but know they have to buck up and get stuff done. The person that I didn't care for much this time around was a new character, Creek. I didn't find him that integral to the story and really disliked the love-three-way that seems to be happening. I found his order, the Kubai Mata, interesting but he didn't seem to offer much to the plot as a single character.

I absolutely loved Doc in this book and sympathized with his plight to save Fiona. The lengths that he went to were pretty heart-wrenching, and I'm still not sure if they will get their HEA or not. They are terrific together though. Their love for one another shines through in each scene.

Tatianna is a bit of an enigma. She's this vampire badass, who cons other vamps easily, but she is constantly foiled by Chrysabelle. In the scenes were she is scheming alone, she seems so devious and... just evil. When it comes down to show time though, it seems like she has always missed some small thing that causes her plan to fail.

Chrysabelle's search for answers was really intriguing and I hope we learn more about her family in the next books. The new conflict with the witches seems like it will be another layer added onto the broken covenant. Will Aliza and Evie become new power players? Chrysabelle's condition and Malkolm's actions at the end of the book are sure to have repercussions in Bad Blood and I am interested to see how they change both characters.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-read, favorites, read-in-2011

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

* If you haven't read Blood Rights, I don't recommend reading this review unless you don't mind spoilers!

I enjoyed Flesh and Blood even more than Blood Rights! Much more! I guess it could be because there was much less explaining of things. Painter just delved right on in.

This book takes place not long after the events of Blood Rights. Chrysabelle is living in her deceased mother's home now, and Mal is still living in his dilapidated b...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Protagonist Chrysabelle is a commaré, a race bred essentially as vampire food, and who must regularly give blood to their assigned patrons. Chrysabelle, however, is in a state of turmoil: not only has she lost her patron, but she’s being hunted by a group of vampire baddies who are after the magical ring they believe Chrysabelle is hiding.

At least, that’s the plot as far as I can discern it. Although there’s a good deal of verbiage and action going on, the plethora of point of view characters me...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Zayna rated it 2 of 5 stars

After reading Blood Right, I jumped right into this book in hope for some answers. Well, I certainly got some answers, but not at all in the way I'd hoped. Doc's history was finally disclosed but in some sort of information overload that just took over the beginning of the book. Unfortunately, because the first few pages focused on the estrangement between Chrysabelle and Mal, I couldn't even focus on Doc's visit down memory lane and was just impatient to return to the scenes with Chrysabelle an...more After reading Blood Right, I jumped right into this book in hope for some answers. Well, I certainly got some answers, but not at all in the way I'd hoped. Doc's history was finally disclosed but in some sort of information overload that just took over the beginning of the book. Unfortunately, because the first few pages focused on the estrangement between Chrysabelle and Mal, I couldn't even focus on Doc's visit down memory lane and was just impatient to return to the scenes with Chrysabelle and Mal so I could figure out why they were not speaking. The explanation for that came much later on in the book (too late, IMO) and was really silly. Isn't our heroine supposed to be one hundred and fifteen years old and relatively smart?

In Flesh and Blood, we are also introduced to a new love interest for Chrysabelle, Creek. Blood Right charmed me with the blossoming relationship between Chrysabelle and Mal, so the sudden addition of Creek totally turned me off from the book. First, Chrysabelle's interest in Creek comes across forced. I can understand instant attraction, but somehow, in the course of a chapter or two, Chrysabelle's feelings for Creek evolve to the point where they are practically equal to the way she feels about Mal. Say what? I mean, Mal has a whole book on Creek, so shouldn't that count for something? While Mal is showing some maturity in this book and attempting to not be so dark and pessimistic, I find his changes abrupt. There isn't really much explanation or build-up to it and seems to me to have happened because of a love rival and Mal's sudden epiphany to enjoy what he can of life.

Flesh and Blood really feels like a filler book--meant to introduce new players to the field (Creek, Katsumi, the witches, the KM, etc.). And while that does add complexity to the story as a whole, I am unable to appreciate it. It would have been much better if it'd been deftly woven in and the main plot took steps forward. Unfortunately, no progress was made on the battlefront between good and evil. All Tatiana did was flit about uselessly with an anti-climatic showdown near the conclusion of the book that ended with her, once again, fleeing in a burst of black insects (wasps?). Reading the book was part-torture (time spent wondering when I would finally get back to the main plot line and the end) and part-hope (time spent hoping it'd get better). Having finally reached the end, I am left with a strong sense of disappointment.

Readers probably should check out this book if they desire to continue with the series (although the book itself is mostly fluff). Overall, the merit of the plot will keep me going with the series. However, I will probably skim the next book instead of trying too hard to read it all.

(less)

like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Ayana Raine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have dilemma with Kristen Painter's books. While I end up speed reading through a whole book, when I finish I always wonder why. Don't get me wrong, her writing is good and I enjoy her characters, but I can't seem to shake the thought that the books are still missing something. Case in point, I just finished the second book and have the third one in hand but can't seem to be bothered to read it right now. When I absofreakinglutely love a book, I'll devour it and all the books in the series the...more

like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Tatina of the house of Tepes, and Chyrsabelle the comarré, still have unfinished business. When we last left the house of comarré series, Tatina had murdered Maris, Chyrsabelle's mother, and in return, Chrysabelle had severed her hand. Back in their own separate spheres, Tatina is even more determined to capture Chrysabelle, and force her to hand over the ring of sorrows. Chyrsabelle of course wants vengeance for the death of her mother, and to keep a promise to Mal about finding away to end the...more Tatina of the house of Tepes, and Chyrsabelle the comarré, still have unfinished business. When we last left the house of comarré series, Tatina had murdered Maris, Chyrsabelle's mother, and in return, Chrysabelle had severed her hand. Back in their own separate spheres, Tatina is even more determined to capture Chrysabelle, and force her to hand over the ring of sorrows. Chyrsabelle of course wants vengeance for the death of her mother, and to keep a promise to Mal about finding away to end the curse that plagues him. Doc, a leopard Varcolai, (shifter) is desperate to find a way to save Fi, the ghost woman he loves, and he is even willing to take on the powerful anathema Dominic to do so. There is also Creek, a member of an secret society named the Kubai Mata, whose purpose is to protect mankind, and his mission is to secure the ring.

As you can see, there are several story lines being intertwined in this one book. The one that is the most typical, and quite frankly the most annoying, is the love triangle that develops between Creek, a Native American man and Mal the cursed vampire. Creek was sentenced to seven years in prison after he murdered his father to protect his sister and jumped at the chance to be become a Kubai Mata, to secure his freedom and gain a better life for his family. He makes it clear repeatedly that though he is a member of the group, that they don't trust him enough to give him a lot of information. With everything that he has at stake, he still finds Chrysabelle quite irresistible. At first he cracks it up to not being with a woman for many years, but in the end, he simply decides that there is just something special about her. In part, Mal is heavily attracted to Chrysabelle because she is a member of the comarré and has been bred specifically because of the specialness of her blood. He is impressed by her determination and physical strength. What I don't understand is why Mal continues to love her, after she takes away his only chance to be human in what is clearly a selfish act. Unlike many vampires who are self-loathing in urban fantasy because that just seems to be the in thing, being twice cursed adds validity to Mal's desire to remain human once given the chance.

I am particularly upset with Creek's fascination with Chrysabelle, because it seemed in many ways to be based on her Whiteness. There were constant mentions to her skin virtually glowing and her long blonde hair might was well have been a crown. Not for one moment are we allowed to forget that Chrysabelle is White and many ways, this Whiteness is given a moral value of pure goodness. This is especially true when juxtaposed to Tatiana, the Roma antagonist. At times it reads as though getting Chrysabelle to agree to a relationship with Creek, would equal an elevation of his person.

Read More (less)

like · see review

Jan 17, 2012 Chichipio rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This quote is the perfect example of why this book is getting one star:

She closed the door, confident of only one thing. She wanted Mal and Creek in her life. How she would accomplish that without destroying them both remained to be seen.

The emphasis is not even mine. Anyone who have ever read one of my reviews knows that I hate love triangles with a fiery passion. I don't understand why writers use them or what they like about them, but I accept the fact that they do. As long as they are upfron...more This quote is the perfect example of why this book is getting one star:

She closed the door, confident of only one thing. She wanted Mal and Creek in her life. How she would accomplish that without destroying them both remained to be seen.

The emphasis is not even mine. Anyone who have ever read one of my reviews knows that I hate love triangles with a fiery passion. I don't understand why writers use them or what they like about them, but I accept the fact that they do. As long as they are upfront about it, I don't mind. I respectfully stay away from their works and everyone's happy. Now, to be sucker punched with one in the second book of a trilogy is just not right. I feel cheated. I'm not sure if that simple word can encompass the magnitude of what it means to me. It couldn't be worse if I had started a steampunk series set in Victorian England only to find out that, in the second book, the characters uncover a weird device that allows traveling through time and space so, after accidentally activating it, they all end up in a galaxy far far away, millions of years ago, training with Yoda to become Jedi.

This detracted from my liking the characters quite a bit, but it wasn't the only problem:
• Again there were stupid choices all around, as if they good guys wanted to lose and were trying to make things easier for the other side; secrets, half-truths and outright lies from the beginning that even as they backfired and complicated things for everyone involved didn't seem to teach anyone anything, since as soon as another opportunity would arise they went right back to keeping more secrets and telling more lies.
• That foolishness with the ritual to visit the Aurelian? Come on, lowering your characters' IQ is not the right way of furthering the story.
• Then there's the way in which some characters behaved, going completely against the personalities given to them in the first book. Dominic from Book 1 is a ruthless bastard, sure, but a clever one. Here, he's just petty. That whole business with Doc and the witches was dreadful, and again, from what happened at the very end, it proved to be just another way of advancing the story with no care at all for what the characters had to do to get there.

I could go on, but at this point it would be like beating a dead horse. Suffice it to say, I didn't like it and I can't recommend a series that changed its very nature mid-stride.(less)

like 9 likes · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, kindlepurchase2011

Read for Fun
Overall Rating 4.50
Story Rating 4.50
Character Rating 4.50

NOTE: I read this shortly after reading Blood Rights! While I liked this one slightly more where the story was concerned, it took a bit to get used to the number of POVs used. I think this will bother some people more than me as shifting POVs are a preference thing. Once I got settled in, this was a Kick *ss roller coaster ride.

What I Loved: The introduction of the Kubai Mata was fantastic. They are another layer in this alread...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 29, 2011 ReadingDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Flesh & Blood is the continuation of the first book of the Comarre. It starts right off where Blood Rights ends. Like in the first installment of the Comarre series this book is filled with action. I enjoy reading this book just as much as I enjoyed reading the first one. There is uniqueness to Kristen Painter’s writing style.

In this installment of Flesh & Blood we are introduced to a whole new set of conflicts and emotions. Stakes are high and the action that follows some of the charact...more

like · see review

Dec 13, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

This second installment in the House of Comarre series builds beautifully on the events of the first book, returning us to a blindingly gorgeous pair of opposites who, for all their differences, are both struggling to escape the confines of a life not of their choosing. Ms. Painter is extraordinarily aptly named–an artist exquisitely capable of crafting characters who are carefully rendered studies in contrasts–wielding black type on a white page as opposed to brushstrokes on a canvas but creati...more This second installment in the House of Comarre series builds beautifully on the events of the first book, returning us to a blindingly gorgeous pair of opposites who, for all their differences, are both struggling to escape the confines of a life not of their choosing. Ms. Painter is extraordinarily aptly named–an artist exquisitely capable of crafting characters who are carefully rendered studies in contrasts–wielding black type on a white page as opposed to brushstrokes on a canvas but creating a work of art just the same. In this tale we begin to see some interesting shading take place, where Chrysabelle and Malkom were pretty clearly delineated light and dark in book one we now begin to see them blend, highlights and lowlights combining to create a picture with more depth and detail than we saw previously, and we stand back appreciatively to search each new shade of gray for meaning we know is there waiting.

For all that Chrysabelle is glittering gold filigree to Malkom’s tortured blackness, we get the pleasure of watching them tentatively step away from their opposite ends of the spectrum and hesitantly move toward middle ground and perhaps the comfort and sanctuary for which they’ve both long been searching. They are such stunning contradictions: the purity of the comarre versus the perceived stain of a cursed vampiric soul, with Chrysabelle's air of royalty and desired rank versus Malkom's displaced nobility making their pairing all the more fascinating to read as they slowly try to shed the roles that have defined them previously and find a new beginning. Watching as Chrysabelle flounders a bit trying to figure out who she is if not wholly and completely comarre and as Malkom dares to put his faith in someone else when all the hands that received his love and loyalty previously have spread their fingers wide to let those gifts sift through is both exhilarating and painful, but their difficult journey ensures our unwavering interest through to the very end.

The introduction of a new possible romantic interest is initially a bit of a detraction to the overall story, our love for Malkom based the time spent with him already as well as our knowledge of the brutal betrayals that make up his past forcing our hackles up as though he and Chrysabelle are ours to protect from any unwanted influence. Vampire slayer Creek is nearly impossible to dislike however, and Ms. Painter does an admirable job of not turning this story into a competition for Chrysabelle’s affections, but rather she works him into events in a way where his importance extends far beyond that of mere romantic foil character for the main couple. We know some things about him but certainly not all, and there is enough about him left in the unknown category to keep us on our guard and suspicious of his motives despite his status as an ally to both Malkolm and Chrysabelle.

As with Blood Rights, Flesh and Blood is teeming with interesting twists and turns, alliances made and dissolved quickly and easily to keep our minds churning as to exactly who we can trust, who could be playing us and those we care about, and who is the biggest bad of them all. Ms. Painter has a gift for writing characters who epitomize both good and evil but who also prove there are varying degrees to such categorization, making each classification far broader in scale than we might think before reading. We are left with not a cliffhanger per se, but definitely with events left unresolved and some very large questions looming so that our need to pick up the next book and start it is one that will not be ignored.

Rating: 4/5(less)

like 1 like · see review

Nov 17, 2011 Shaheen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read the full review here.

An interesting and action packed book, Flesh and Blood is a good follow up to Blood Rights. The story is engaging and I liked the growth of the main character, Chrysabelle. I also enjoyed seeing her and Malkolm deal with the effects of the breaking of the covenant. There are also mysterious forces killing off fringe vampires, and Tatiana is out for revenge since losing the Ring of Sorrows. The stakes (ha!) are higher in this book and the sense of danger was clear on eve...more

like · see review

Nov 16, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
hmmm, book #2 in this wonderful series was....just as freaking good as book #1. If not even better because there was an intro to a yummy new character, a human Kubai Mata member, Creek. The Kubai Mata are a legendary group set out to defend humans from the vampires. Most people don't even think that they actually exist, but with the fall of the covenant (book #1,) they are re-establishing their place in this war. Creek's job is to protect Chrysabelle and locate the ring of sorrows. Thi...more My Review:
hmmm, book #2 in this wonderful series was....just as freaking good as book #1. If not even better because there was an intro to a yummy new character, a human Kubai Mata member, Creek. The Kubai Mata are a legendary group set out to defend humans from the vampires. Most people don't even think that they actually exist, but with the fall of the covenant (book #1,) they are re-establishing their place in this war. Creek's job is to protect Chrysabelle and locate the ring of sorrows. This is definitely setting up a love triangle to the series, but what I like about this triangle is the relationship that is developing between Mal & Creek. I really like these two guys together and although they don't trust each other, they respect the fact that they are both trying to keep Chrysabelle safe. It really added an interesting twist to the whole feel of the book.

This book was full of the same intrigue and adventure from the first book. There is an amazing group of characters. Many that you love, many that you love to hate and a few that you just hate, but there is tons of action that keeps the book moving at an astounding pace. There were some twists at the end that I can't wait to see how they play out in the coming book/s. I love how Chrysabelle is continuing to grow as she learns to live outside the Comarre society. She has always been a kick-ass chick, but as she comes into her own and is realizing how to live her life, she is becoming even more so and you can't help but to cheer her on.

I continue to absolutely adore Mal. He is such a tortured hero, that my heart simply bleeds for him...and even better, he adores Chrysabelle with all of his being. He simply won't give into that passion though, because he knows that she deserves better. This is a character who thinks that he's beyond redemption, but he cares so deeply for those around him....Doc, Fi, and Chrysabelle. Even with Creek, whom he hates because of the connection between him and Chrysabelle, he treats with total and complete fairness that most guys with jealousy issues would never be able to pull off.

I am LOVING this series...the world, the characters, the intrigue. It is all so good and so well-written!! The world is so complete and has so many levels. I cannot wait for book #3, Bad Blood, coming out at the end of the month. Yippee!(less)

like 1 like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, beware-of-the-love-triangle, vampires

Hmm: I'm enjoyed reading about how the long-term story is continuing and there are a few new twists, but, for me, Chrysabelle is very unnlikeable this time around, making this book a bit of a chore to read. she comes across as a spoilt child and is quick to dish out attitude to Mal, seemingly forgetting that it was her who dragged him into her mess, thous endangering his life, in the first place. Then she doesn't share information when she should, creating more mess, but it always seems to be so...more

like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Mary Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance and/or Urban Fantasy readers

Shelves: books-read-2012

B&N Synopsis:

With the ring of sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm's problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city neither of them is welcome in.

The discovery that Chrysabelle has a brother could mean reneging on her promise to Malkolm, something that might make him angry enough to loose the beast living inside him....more

like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Marina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, vampires

I expected much more from this book and I was truly dissapointed!

In Blood Rights we read an original story but in Flesh and Blood the author uses two tools which I particularly don’t like a love triangle and cliffhanger .

Chrysabelle and Mal have a strong connection and the other part of the affair Creek isn’t a strong one to unbalance that no matter how much he tries.

Creek is a member of the Kubai Mata a secret organization to protect the humans from all the othernaturals, they are trained and...more

like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-paranormal, most-annoying-love-triangles

After finishing the first book, I had to jump right into this one since the story picks up right where we left off in Book 1. That being said, I have to agree with many of the other reviewers. After spending so much time building a complex relationship between Malkom and Chrysabelle, why oh why would you rush in with a love triangle?? The love triangle wasn't even set up well, Chrysabelle randomly meets Creek and its insta-lust love. After she was so uptight and guarded with Mal she just decides...more

like · see review

Dec 16, 2011 Sean the Bookonaut rated it 3 of 5 stars

Flesh and Blood is the second in the House of Comarre series. Yes. This is another series where I am reviewing book two first..

Despite this I had no trouble picking up the story, probably due to the fact that the genre of gothic fantasy with vampires is as old as Cain. That and Ms Painter has provided the reader with a nice glossary that outlines her particular take on the genre.

Painter’s romance writing roots are evident in this novel; there’s a love triangle, two bad boy alpha males and a subp...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, I know that people haven't read the first one, so again, I will do my best to be un-spoilery (yes, it is a word! I insist! LOL).

This book is, to me, geared more toward the PNR than the fantasy of the first book. So, the relationship of the main characters become a bit more developed toward each other. There is also the introduction of a new suitor, Creek who I wouldn't mind meeting myself. *fans self* There are also introductions to some minor characters which fit into what is going on. So...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

For full review go to http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com...

Contains spoilers for Book 1

I liked this book a little bit more than the first in the series, but it still just didn’t quite hit the mark for me from turning it from a good read into an amazing one. Everything is there to make it such a book, a great female protagonist, a handsome bad boy vampire, baddies, fighting and an interesting plot but I still found it lacking. I think that this is because there isn’t enough chemistry between t...more For full review go to http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com...

Contains spoilers for Book 1

I liked this book a little bit more than the first in the series, but it still just didn’t quite hit the mark for me from turning it from a good read into an amazing one. Everything is there to make it such a book, a great female protagonist, a handsome bad boy vampire, baddies, fighting and an interesting plot but I still found it lacking. I think that this is because there isn’t enough chemistry between the characters. There are a couple of scenes, one in particular is between Chrysabelle and Mal at her pool side that really notched up the tension but then it is lost by switching to other characters and a different part of the story. l don’t like all the different points of view and the constant switching between them, that is where I think this book is let down. There are more POVs in this book as well as we are introduced to more characters. I didn’t want to read from Tatiana’s POV in particular, I don’t like her as a character and I wished somebody would stake her. A new character called Creek is brought into Chrysabelles world which gives us a love triangle. I normally don’t mind a love triangle in a story but I didn’t feel it was necessary in this instance. Chrysabelle is portrayed in a certain way she is a 115 year old virgin, now I understand that she wants to discover a new life away from that of Commaré but having two guys as a possible love interest just seemed wrong. There is another scene at her pool but this time with Creek that was just not in keeping with how Chrysabelle had been written.

It may seem like I only have negative comments about this book and that I have been quite harsh but that is because I am frustrated that we have an ok read when it has huge potential to be so much more. On a more positive note I do like the world building and the idea of a Comarré and I really like Chrysabelle and Mal. In fact it was because of these two characters that I read book 2 and it is because of these characters plus the massive cliff hanger that I will be reading book 3 too. I would like to give this book 3 and a half stars.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 02, 2012 JenJenBoBin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Four Stars!!"

"About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up, who will turn their attention to the prophecies, in the midst of my clamor and opposition." -Sir Isaac Newton, Former Grand Master of Kubai Mata

Ok I have to say the second installment of this series was lots better than the first. This book seemed much more engaging and seemed to move along much better with more action and depth of characters. I now have to look back and think of the first book "Blood Rights" as more of...more

like · see review

Dec 03, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, shifters, reviewed

I'm really enjoying Ms. Painter's urban fantasy series, House of Comarre. This second book is just as good as the first and introduces a new love interest, setting up a love triangle. I'm not a big fan of love triangles in general, but it definitely works here.

The book is action-packed, and it'll keep you turning the pages. For some reason I find my mind wandering with the "Tatiana" (villianess) sections, but I think this is a personal failing, as I do the same with Ward's BDB series and the ba...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 17, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the House of Comarre series by Painter. This book tells the story from multiple viewpoints, while this broadens the story some it also takes away from time with the main characters. I enjoyed this book, it was about on par with the first one in my opinion.

Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help in the first book, but is having trouble fulfilling that debt since she is not at all welcome in her home city. Meanwhile the villainous, Titania is trying to hunt down the...more This is the second book in the House of Comarre series by Painter. This book tells the story from multiple viewpoints, while this broadens the story some it also takes away from time with the main characters. I enjoyed this book, it was about on par with the first one in my opinion.

Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help in the first book, but is having trouble fulfilling that debt since she is not at all welcome in her home city. Meanwhile the villainous, Titania is trying to hunt down the Ring of Sorrows, and will stop at nothing to get this back. Thrown into the mix is Doc trying to help out his ghostly girlfriend and the appearance of a mysterious man named Creek who belongs to some strange secret society.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoy Chrysabelle and Malkolm as leads but was a bit disappointed that their characters didn't make more progress as a couple. Also in this book Painter throws in the mysterious Creek to create a sort of love triangle between Chrys, Mal, and Creek. I thought the love triangle was unnecessary and can only hope there was some greater reason behind this that will be revealed in later books.

The story in this book is a lot more fractured than the previous book. We hear from many different viewpoints: mainly from Chrysabelle's, Malkolm's, Doc's, and Titania's points of view. While I enjoyed that way that this broadened the story and allowed us to see into these characters' heads; it resulted in a storyline that was more fractured and moved forward much more slowly than the previous book. I constantly found myself skimming the parts from Titania or Doc's POV so that I could get back to reading more about Chrys and Mal.

Overall I liked the writing style and found it very readable. This was a book that's easy to read and engaging.

I enjoyed the action scenes, although again there weren't as many as in the first book. I also enjoyed the expansion of the world. The plot moved slower than I would have liked and I was surprised that there wasn't much resolution around the whole Ring of Sorrows plot. The book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger and doesn't have much resolution, so just a look out for people who hate that.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I like Chrys and Mal as characters and there are some interesting side characters as well. The world is broadened in this book and some interesting twists happen in the story. Chrys and Mal don't make as much progress as a couple as I had hoped for though, and I thought that throwing in the mysterious Creed to create a love triangle between Chrys, Mal, and Creed was unnecessary and obnoxious. I also thought the constant switching of viewpoints caused the plot to move slower than it should have and fractured the story some; although it was interesting to hear from other characters in the story. I really enjoyed the writing style and the action scenes; but did not enjoy the cliffhanger ending. I will definitely be reading the third book because I need to know how everything ends! I recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy or paranormal romance types book; it falls somewhere between the two genres.(less)

like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Mika rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Blood Rights, the first book of House of Comarre. It had a good heroine, a hot and conflicted hero, and enough against between them.
Then everything went down hill in this second book, Flesh and Blood. The side characters that were interesting in the first book, became boring. Even the villain Tatiana got under my nerves.
But really the worst thing that could have happened in this series was the introduction of Creek, a second love interest for our heroine. WTF? I don't mind some love tr...more

like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Lissibith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, novel, paranormal, romance

This book was... okay.

It was not good. There are some HUGE problems here. Chrystabella is a "strong female character" in the usual vein - she can kick ass (but not TOO much, just enough to get in deep so a man can come rescue her) and she's assertive (but not TOO much, just enough to lengthen out the scene a little and then the man in the room gets his way).

There's a love triangle which feels awkward and forced and left me wondering where on EARTH we were supposed to get the idea that either of...more This book was... okay.

It was not good. There are some HUGE problems here. Chrystabella is a "strong female character" in the usual vein - she can kick ass (but not TOO much, just enough to get in deep so a man can come rescue her) and she's assertive (but not TOO much, just enough to lengthen out the scene a little and then the man in the room gets his way).

There's a love triangle which feels awkward and forced and left me wondering where on EARTH we were supposed to get the idea that either of these men is worth wanting. I suppose at least it's one up on something like Twilight and other such Love Triangles in Name Only. So often the choice a character is going to make is clear long before it's resolved. At least here, the choice between two bad options is at least more or less equal - the controlling bland one or the controlling violent one.

Then there's the plot, which is fairly Deus Ex heavy and sometimes drags to a near stop. There's a weird style which leaves most of the characters' inner voices sounding very similar, almost to the point of confusion. Or just the plain bad bits of writing. (For instance, giving blood to a vampire that's not your patron isn't the human equivalent of cheating on a spouse. It's not the *human* equivalent of anything. It's the *vampire* equivalent of cheating on a spouse)

But in a world full of perhaps too much paranormal romance rolled in an urban fantasy costume, these problems are only enough to downgrade it to "okay" in the realm of my reading in the genre. It's not as inane and tooth-grindingly bad as Twilight (which for the record I couldn't even finish). It's not as icky as Sookie Stackhouse's insistence that all women who aren't her are more or less horrible people. There are some really interesting concepts here, and once the plot really gets rolling it actually became a fairly compelling read (something I never got from either of the above). There are some fascinating secondary characters.

The problems I have here are all things which may be fixed as the author moves through the series. So, tentatively, I call this one okay and look forward a bit to the next book.(less)

like · see review

Nov 25, 2011 Joellyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book as much as the first. This had too much of the same hide and seek, pouty vampires shifters and Comarré, and a new character who isn't completely human either.

We do learn that a society that was considered a fairy tale exists and we learn more of the secret held by the Comarré as to their other purpose besides supplying purest blood to those who can afford it.

We also learn that vampires can take on abilities of other vampires they drain, which of course is forbidden and ca...more

like · see review

Nov 14, 2011 Kristina added it

While I would say that I like this book, it suffers from being the middle in a trilogy which tend to be under the pressure of being the bridge between the build up and introduction of the first book and the usually climactic end of the third book. There is an unnecessary love triangle that is kind of weak to start with and just not satisfying. It was really made annoying with the fact that the two men involved agreed on 'sharing' Chrysabelle.

The plot becomes more intricate and more characters a...more

like · see review

Oct 29, 2011 Suz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, cliff-hanger

The story is interesting enough, but this one was a bit of a downgrade from the first. It's a trilogy and there are new people, new powers, new plots still being revealed. The introduction of the love triangle was disappointing to see, it's a stereotypical trope that I could have done without.

The cliff hanger ending at this book is heinous and insulting. The only reason I didn't grade down for it is because the third is due out in one month (Dec 1). I would have been very upset if I'd had to wai...more

like 3 likes · see review

title link	preview: Flesh and Blood
avg rating	preview: Flesh and Blood Goodreads rating: 3.90 (1175 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571407-flesh-and-blood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1307379881l/9571407.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571407-flesh-and-blood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter[/url]

Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré #2)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kristen Painter

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Flesh and Blood

Quotes from Flesh and Blood