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Silver in the Blood
Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2015
161 people are currently reading
11478 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Day George
30 books5,903 followersJessica Day George likes chocolate, knitting, books, travel, movies, dragons, horses, dogs, and her family. These are all things to keep in mind if you ever meet her. For instance, you could bring her chocolate to make the meeting go more smoothly. You could also talk about how adorable her children are, even if you have never seen them. You could discuss dog breeds (she had a Maltese named Pippin, and grew up with a poodle mix and a Brittany Spaniel. Right now she has a Coton de Tulear named Sunny). You could talk about Norway, and how it's the Greatest Place On Earth, and Germany, The Second Greatest Place On Earth. You could ask her about yarn, and indicate a willingness to learn to knit your own socks, if you can't already do so.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 983 reviews
April 16, 2025
This is the book that I went to Romania to research. I love this book. I'm so excited for this book to finally be out there, in the world. Also, I love the cover of this book. Isn't it gorgeous? Love this book! Just had to say that!
February 2015: Just finished reading the galleys. This book is awesome.
April 2025: Reread for . . . reasons.
February 2015: Just finished reading the galleys. This book is awesome.
April 2025: Reread for . . . reasons.
February 10, 2017
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS GOING TO BEVA SECOND BOOK? I CANT FIND ANY INFO ON IT!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
When I first started this book I really liked it, then it was dragging & I needed to know, & then I found out...... I LOVED IT!
As you know by reading about the book, it is the 1890's and Dacia and Lou who are cousins living in New York, are shipped off to meet their relatives in Romania. (I want to go there so bad) They are Romanian through their moms bloodlines.
Both girls have diaries and write in them throughout the book, or are writing letters to different people throughout the book. I liked this little added quirk. Both girls are also traveling separate from each other. Dacia with her Aunt Kate and Lou with both her mother and father. The girls have little run ins with men along the way or upon arrival. Dacia gets there before Lou and gets to meet up with a cousin they knew from childhood, Radu and he's cool. But Dacia also meets a Prince, who isn't a Prince....... Lou meets a shady dude that seems to be following her.
Anyhoo, they finally get together and Dacia tells Lou about their evil grandmother Ioana who makes them call her Lady Ioana. She's NOT grandmotherly!
It turns out the girls family are considered a very powerful family in Romania (The Florescus Family) and said family are also connected to the Dracula bloodline. They even go for a visit over at Bran Castle.
While the girls are there they find out what they think is a horrible secret about their family. I think it's cool myself, but only in the magical way, not in the way they have been using their magic for... they become something else and it is so cool! I can't wait for the next book to see how this is going to play out!
I think the author did an awesome job with these characters and what she made of them. No one is ever what they seem :-)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
When I first started this book I really liked it, then it was dragging & I needed to know, & then I found out...... I LOVED IT!
As you know by reading about the book, it is the 1890's and Dacia and Lou who are cousins living in New York, are shipped off to meet their relatives in Romania. (I want to go there so bad) They are Romanian through their moms bloodlines.
Both girls have diaries and write in them throughout the book, or are writing letters to different people throughout the book. I liked this little added quirk. Both girls are also traveling separate from each other. Dacia with her Aunt Kate and Lou with both her mother and father. The girls have little run ins with men along the way or upon arrival. Dacia gets there before Lou and gets to meet up with a cousin they knew from childhood, Radu and he's cool. But Dacia also meets a Prince, who isn't a Prince....... Lou meets a shady dude that seems to be following her.
Anyhoo, they finally get together and Dacia tells Lou about their evil grandmother Ioana who makes them call her Lady Ioana. She's NOT grandmotherly!
It turns out the girls family are considered a very powerful family in Romania (The Florescus Family) and said family are also connected to the Dracula bloodline. They even go for a visit over at Bran Castle.
While the girls are there they find out what they think is a horrible secret about their family. I think it's cool myself, but only in the magical way, not in the way they have been using their magic for... they become something else and it is so cool! I can't wait for the next book to see how this is going to play out!
I think the author did an awesome job with these characters and what she made of them. No one is ever what they seem :-)
August 11, 2019
Review first posted on www.FantasyLiterature.com:
In 1897, seventeen year old Louisa (Lou) and Dacia, cousins, close friends and high society debutantes, are excitedly traveling from New York City to Bucharest, Romania for an extended stay with their Florescu family relatives, on their mothers’ sides. Dacia is traveling with her mother’s sister, Aunt Kate, while Lou is traveling along a separate route to Romania with both of her parents.
Bucharest about 1900.
But their eagerly anticipated trip starts to go wrong. Dacia made the mistake of flirting too much with a young man in London, and now Aunt Kate is restricting her every move. Wolves haunt their train ride to Bucharest and block it temporarily by leaving something unmentionable on the track; a man whom Dacia has never before seen appears and kisses Aunt Kate in a “scandalous” manner. A stranger accosts Lou on the boat to France and accuses her of being “the Wing.” And once they reach Bucharest, things aren’t any better: the girls’ freedom is still limited, family secrets ominously swirl about them, and the girls’ Romanian grandmother turns out to be cold and cruel, ruling the Florescu family with an iron fist.
So maybe it isn’t entirely good news when Dacia meets the attentive, incredibly handsome Prince Mihai, who turns out to be a descendant of Vlad the Impaler, the original Dracula. Or, perhaps, when the entire extended Florescu family leaves Bucharest to take the girls to Bran, Romania ― where Dracula’s historic castle is located.
Castle Bran, Romania (Dracula's Castle)
As the girls’ heritage turns out to be tied to mysterious powers that run in the Florescu family, as well as the hereditary links between their family and the Dracula clan, these two proper young ladies realize that there’s more to life than dresses and idle socializing. They’ll need to dig deep within themselves for the courage to cope with the shocks and challenges that will face them.
Each chapter of Jessica Day George’s Silver in the Blood begins with a letter or diary entry by Lou or Dacia (or, later, by a couple of other characters), and the chapters alternate between the two girls’ viewpoints. It’s interesting to see how their concerns shift over time, from fashion and flirting with eligible young men and society visits, to life and death concerns and fighting for what they believe in. Some readers may get impatient with the girls’ (particularly Dacia’s) initial superficiality, but I thought it was realistic and played out well.
A key point occurs midpoint in the story, where the big family secret is revealed to the stunned girls. Although I had been anticipating this development for some time and, in general, could guess what was going to occur, there was at least one unexpected surprise that was a very welcome addition to the plot. It has a surprising effect on the girls’ personalities as well. In many ways, the girls trade the leadership role in their relationship at that point, as one finds the self-confidence she’s always lacked and the other struggles with her new capabilities and the damage it does to her self-image. While her reaction seems a little overwrought, it’s worth remembering that these girls are from a much more sheltered time.
Silver in the Blood has its shortcomings. The plot drags at times, which is likely to be particularly noticeable to adult readers. The villains in particular are rather one-dimensional; some additional and more layered character development would have been welcome with all of the secondary characters. Additionally, the parents played unsatisfactory roles in the story, abandoning them or turning against them without adequate explanation, and essentially being sidelined for most of the action (although I’m a parent, so I probably felt that much more strongly than younger readers will). The girls’ Aunt Kate, torn between her heritage and love for a man, on the one hand, and her love for Dacia and Lou and her sense of what is good and true, on the other, was a much more developed personality than any of their parents.
Jessica Day George deserves props for coming up with an unusual plot and setting, and for avoiding what must have been a temptation to make vampires part of this Transylvanian paranormal fantasy ― even with the Dracula clan as part of the plot!
Silver in the Blood is a light read, definitely in the YA category, although more sensitive readers may be disturbed by some death and violence, including the threat of rape. There is a romantic element to the story, but it is handled very lightly. This novel won’t appeal to all readers, but it kept my attention and I finished it off in one sitting. I would recommend it without qualms to an older teenage girl who enjoys paranormal fantasy.
3.5 stars.
In 1897, seventeen year old Louisa (Lou) and Dacia, cousins, close friends and high society debutantes, are excitedly traveling from New York City to Bucharest, Romania for an extended stay with their Florescu family relatives, on their mothers’ sides. Dacia is traveling with her mother’s sister, Aunt Kate, while Lou is traveling along a separate route to Romania with both of her parents.
Bucharest about 1900.
But their eagerly anticipated trip starts to go wrong. Dacia made the mistake of flirting too much with a young man in London, and now Aunt Kate is restricting her every move. Wolves haunt their train ride to Bucharest and block it temporarily by leaving something unmentionable on the track; a man whom Dacia has never before seen appears and kisses Aunt Kate in a “scandalous” manner. A stranger accosts Lou on the boat to France and accuses her of being “the Wing.” And once they reach Bucharest, things aren’t any better: the girls’ freedom is still limited, family secrets ominously swirl about them, and the girls’ Romanian grandmother turns out to be cold and cruel, ruling the Florescu family with an iron fist.
So maybe it isn’t entirely good news when Dacia meets the attentive, incredibly handsome Prince Mihai, who turns out to be a descendant of Vlad the Impaler, the original Dracula. Or, perhaps, when the entire extended Florescu family leaves Bucharest to take the girls to Bran, Romania ― where Dracula’s historic castle is located.
Castle Bran, Romania (Dracula's Castle)
As the girls’ heritage turns out to be tied to mysterious powers that run in the Florescu family, as well as the hereditary links between their family and the Dracula clan, these two proper young ladies realize that there’s more to life than dresses and idle socializing. They’ll need to dig deep within themselves for the courage to cope with the shocks and challenges that will face them.
Each chapter of Jessica Day George’s Silver in the Blood begins with a letter or diary entry by Lou or Dacia (or, later, by a couple of other characters), and the chapters alternate between the two girls’ viewpoints. It’s interesting to see how their concerns shift over time, from fashion and flirting with eligible young men and society visits, to life and death concerns and fighting for what they believe in. Some readers may get impatient with the girls’ (particularly Dacia’s) initial superficiality, but I thought it was realistic and played out well.
A key point occurs midpoint in the story, where the big family secret is revealed to the stunned girls. Although I had been anticipating this development for some time and, in general, could guess what was going to occur, there was at least one unexpected surprise that was a very welcome addition to the plot. It has a surprising effect on the girls’ personalities as well. In many ways, the girls trade the leadership role in their relationship at that point, as one finds the self-confidence she’s always lacked and the other struggles with her new capabilities and the damage it does to her self-image. While her reaction seems a little overwrought, it’s worth remembering that these girls are from a much more sheltered time.
Silver in the Blood has its shortcomings. The plot drags at times, which is likely to be particularly noticeable to adult readers. The villains in particular are rather one-dimensional; some additional and more layered character development would have been welcome with all of the secondary characters. Additionally, the parents played unsatisfactory roles in the story, abandoning them or turning against them without adequate explanation, and essentially being sidelined for most of the action (although I’m a parent, so I probably felt that much more strongly than younger readers will). The girls’ Aunt Kate, torn between her heritage and love for a man, on the one hand, and her love for Dacia and Lou and her sense of what is good and true, on the other, was a much more developed personality than any of their parents.
Jessica Day George deserves props for coming up with an unusual plot and setting, and for avoiding what must have been a temptation to make vampires part of this Transylvanian paranormal fantasy ― even with the Dracula clan as part of the plot!
Silver in the Blood is a light read, definitely in the YA category, although more sensitive readers may be disturbed by some death and violence, including the threat of rape. There is a romantic element to the story, but it is handled very lightly. This novel won’t appeal to all readers, but it kept my attention and I finished it off in one sitting. I would recommend it without qualms to an older teenage girl who enjoys paranormal fantasy.
3.5 stars.
December 31, 2016
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
4.5 stars
SILVER IN THE BLOOD could have been a lot of things. It could have been yet another spin on wolves in service (enslaved) to vampires. It could have been nothing more than two silly girls running amok in Eastern Europe. It could have been a bland Victorian tale about society misses having their sensibilities shocked by some generic Family Secret.
I was half expecting it to be one of those things or something else equally mediocre.
Which is why SILVER IN THE BLOOD is a perfect example of why sometimes you just have to read a book for yourself, other opinions be damned.
Lou and Dacia are best friends and cousins and as different as two girls can be, both in appearance and temperament. They are daughters of two of the most prominent New York families on their fathers’ sides and practically blue blood on their Romanian mothers’.
You'd be hard-pressed to find more well bred ladies on American soil.
Dacia is especially aware of this and enjoys it immensely. BUT. She sometimes finds the routine—the same people, places, parties, etc. day in and day out—a bit stifling.
Which is why she rejoices when her mother suggests a European tour, ending with a long family visit in Bucharest, or “Little Paris” as it was known at the time.
Her excitement, however, is dampened after a questionable escapade in London leads her aunt (and traveling companion) to take the most direct path to Romania, skipping over the actual Paris completely.
Such hardships.
*snickers*
Lou is having a difficult time of her own, traveling separately with her parents and hellion younger twin brothers. It begins when a young man approaches her on a ship and inquires, strangely, whether she is, "the wing, the claw, or the smoke?"
Baffled and more than a little bit flustered, for Lou is a rather fragile creature, and impertinent young men asking inscrutable questions is a perfect recipe for her discomfiture. She is further scandalized by That Awful Man’s continued harassment of her person by his repeated attempts at bizarre conversation, and seeing him throughout the remainder of her travels, she becomes quite convinced that he is following her.
I found Lou and her sometimes morose observations to be particularly hilarious:
Dacia was also highly entertaining, if in a more direct manner:
Beyond the girls (and their various family members) being a delight to read, I also found the plot wonderfully compelling. It's true that Day George did take an inordinate amount of time to finally reveal the Big Family Secret, but she paved the way to the discovery well enough that I didn't feel taunted, and she still managed to slip in a Surprise despite our expectations.
Bravo.
I was also impressed by her restraint in not taking the obvious supernatural route.
Bravo, again.
SILVER IN THE BLOOD by Jessica Day George is the delightful first installment of her new YA fantasy series. Between the secret societies, dark Family Secrets, and our two heroines who are both brave and strong enough to stand with impeccable posture in the face of adversity, what's not to love? Completely devoid of a cliffhanger, I suggest that anyone who enjoys Victorian society and paranormal twists pick this gem up immediately. Definitely a top read for the year and highly recommended.
4.5 stars
SILVER IN THE BLOOD could have been a lot of things. It could have been yet another spin on wolves in service (enslaved) to vampires. It could have been nothing more than two silly girls running amok in Eastern Europe. It could have been a bland Victorian tale about society misses having their sensibilities shocked by some generic Family Secret.
I was half expecting it to be one of those things or something else equally mediocre.
Which is why SILVER IN THE BLOOD is a perfect example of why sometimes you just have to read a book for yourself, other opinions be damned.
Lou and Dacia are best friends and cousins and as different as two girls can be, both in appearance and temperament. They are daughters of two of the most prominent New York families on their fathers’ sides and practically blue blood on their Romanian mothers’.
You'd be hard-pressed to find more well bred ladies on American soil.
Dacia is especially aware of this and enjoys it immensely. BUT. She sometimes finds the routine—the same people, places, parties, etc. day in and day out—a bit stifling.
Which is why she rejoices when her mother suggests a European tour, ending with a long family visit in Bucharest, or “Little Paris” as it was known at the time.
Her excitement, however, is dampened after a questionable escapade in London leads her aunt (and traveling companion) to take the most direct path to Romania, skipping over the actual Paris completely.
Such hardships.
*snickers*
Lou is having a difficult time of her own, traveling separately with her parents and hellion younger twin brothers. It begins when a young man approaches her on a ship and inquires, strangely, whether she is, "the wing, the claw, or the smoke?"
Baffled and more than a little bit flustered, for Lou is a rather fragile creature, and impertinent young men asking inscrutable questions is a perfect recipe for her discomfiture. She is further scandalized by That Awful Man’s continued harassment of her person by his repeated attempts at bizarre conversation, and seeing him throughout the remainder of her travels, she becomes quite convinced that he is following her.
I found Lou and her sometimes morose observations to be particularly hilarious:
That Awful Man was standing in the passageway, peering into their compartment! She thought she might really have an attack of some sort now, and could only gasp for air. Lord Johnny appeared beside him, and Lou wondered for a fevered moment if she was simply hallucinating all the beaux she didn’t have.
Dacia was also highly entertaining, if in a more direct manner:
She wanted to hide, or open the window and somehow fly away. Instead she pasted on a smile and did her best to keep it there.
“Not so big, LouLou, you’re looking ghoulish,” Dacia whispered,
Beyond the girls (and their various family members) being a delight to read, I also found the plot wonderfully compelling. It's true that Day George did take an inordinate amount of time to finally reveal the Big Family Secret, but she paved the way to the discovery well enough that I didn't feel taunted, and she still managed to slip in a Surprise despite our expectations.
Bravo.
I was also impressed by her restraint in not taking the obvious supernatural route.
Bravo, again.
SILVER IN THE BLOOD by Jessica Day George is the delightful first installment of her new YA fantasy series. Between the secret societies, dark Family Secrets, and our two heroines who are both brave and strong enough to stand with impeccable posture in the face of adversity, what's not to love? Completely devoid of a cliffhanger, I suggest that anyone who enjoys Victorian society and paranormal twists pick this gem up immediately. Definitely a top read for the year and highly recommended.
May 3, 2022
Dacia and Lou, two cousins from upper-crust New York society find themselves in Romania doing g a meet and greet with their mothers' side of the family.
Turns out, their mothers and their aunt have one of those families with a proud history of service.
Service to Dracula!
{insert evil laugh here}
Ok, so you have these two girls who find out some really hinky shit about themselves and the world they live in, and then have to decide how to navigate their lives now that everything has changed.
There's a lot of character growth that happens for both of them, and I absolutely loved the way the author had the two young ladies morph into something new as they begin to understand everything.
Are you still a lady if you have fur?
Biggest complaint is that this isn't a fast-paced story, but I'm somewhat used to that when it comes to fairytales and retellings. And while this isn't straight-up either of those things, it does fall somewhere in the middle as a story that takes the Dracula tale in a new direction.
The Claw.
The Wing.
The Smoke.
Instead of Dracula being a vampire, this focuses on a family with shapeshifting powers that have served the descendants of Vlad Tepes, and the two girls raised far away in America who had no idea this was their lot in life. Or that they might be part of a prophecy.
Bonus points for giving Bram Stoker's book a cameo appearance, it was a cool way to spice up the Dracula myth.
I listened to the audiobook and was quite taken with the way Sandy Rustin read this story. Usually, I'm not the sort that likes stories with as little action in them as Silver in the Blood, so I think part of the reason I liked this one was due to her reading of it.
Turns out, their mothers and their aunt have one of those families with a proud history of service.
Service to Dracula!
{insert evil laugh here}
Ok, so you have these two girls who find out some really hinky shit about themselves and the world they live in, and then have to decide how to navigate their lives now that everything has changed.
There's a lot of character growth that happens for both of them, and I absolutely loved the way the author had the two young ladies morph into something new as they begin to understand everything.
Are you still a lady if you have fur?
Biggest complaint is that this isn't a fast-paced story, but I'm somewhat used to that when it comes to fairytales and retellings. And while this isn't straight-up either of those things, it does fall somewhere in the middle as a story that takes the Dracula tale in a new direction.
The Claw.
The Wing.
The Smoke.
Instead of Dracula being a vampire, this focuses on a family with shapeshifting powers that have served the descendants of Vlad Tepes, and the two girls raised far away in America who had no idea this was their lot in life. Or that they might be part of a prophecy.
Bonus points for giving Bram Stoker's book a cameo appearance, it was a cool way to spice up the Dracula myth.
I listened to the audiobook and was quite taken with the way Sandy Rustin read this story. Usually, I'm not the sort that likes stories with as little action in them as Silver in the Blood, so I think part of the reason I liked this one was due to her reading of it.
June 26, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If I met Jessica Day George in person, there is a 99% chance that I would freak out; the odds are also high that I would start either crying or incoherently trying to talk about how much I love her books. Perhaps both. She’s one of my favorite authors, so saying that I didn’t like Silver in the Blood really pains me. I was so sure this was going to be my favorite book from her, because it sounds so BEAUTIFUL.
Let me make it clear why I didn’t like this book. I have a chart. Because science.
Now, looking at this pie chart, we can see that the slices of pretty dresses and romance, are extremely disproportionate to the butt kicking slice.
This is a problem.
Yes, my problem was that Dacia and Lou are just terrible at being capable protagonists. Actually, Lou’s okay at it, but Dacia downright sucks. And even though Lou is alright at it, this didn’t completely make sense because she’s supposed to be shy and reserved, so why is the Lou that we meet so powerful and in control and not afraid to put people in their place? I dunno, I dunno. Let’s tackle these problems one at a time, shall we?
First; the dresses. There are so. Many. Dresses. The book takes its time talking about what Lou and Dacia are wearing and I just don’t care. I don’t care what color sash Dacia decided to wear with her gown. I’m all for adding a little detail now and then, but come on. This was not fun.
Second; the romance. Can it even be called that? Because I read the book and I still cannot figure out how Lou and Dacia fell in love with these guys. There was so little of it, but all the sudden in the end it mentions that they are apparently couples. It came out of nowhere; I saw hints, but nothing else, and it seems like any romance in this book was just added because it’s YA and ‘that’s what all the teen girls want nowadays, amiright?’ (NO IT’S NOT JUST STAHP PUBLISHERS PLEASE)
Third; the character of Prince Mihai. Now, there was potential here, I’ll admit. This could have been a wonderful villainous character. But no. First clue that I wasn’t going to like Mihai’s character was when Dacia describes him as smelling “like money and masculinity.” Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure that Old Spice sells that scent. Actually, no. I have no idea what that means. Second, some of the things he says sound like a soap opera. Like if it was a movie, you could hear the organ going “duh duh DUH” in the background. They are just so over-the-top menacing. But the final straw was that
Dacia and Lou were not characters I enjoyed reading about, either. Dacia is just a spoiled brat who whines a lot, and I just couldn’t take it after a while. It’s because of her that there are so many passages about dresses in this darn book. Then there’s Lou. She’s supposed to be shy and easily embarrassed, but aside from other characters thinking this about her, there’s really no evidence. I get it; she’s supposed to have overcome her shyness—but it doesn’t seem like there’s much to overcome if there’s really no signs in the book of her being shy.
Considering that Jessica Day George has written one of my favorite books (Tuesdays in the Castle) I don’t think I will give up on reading her books; I’m just going to consider this a fluke amongst an otherwise wonderful pile of books that I have read by her. Still, I will warn other fans that there is a chance that, like me, you won’t like this as much as the rest of her books.
If I met Jessica Day George in person, there is a 99% chance that I would freak out; the odds are also high that I would start either crying or incoherently trying to talk about how much I love her books. Perhaps both. She’s one of my favorite authors, so saying that I didn’t like Silver in the Blood really pains me. I was so sure this was going to be my favorite book from her, because it sounds so BEAUTIFUL.
Let me make it clear why I didn’t like this book. I have a chart. Because science.
Now, looking at this pie chart, we can see that the slices of pretty dresses and romance, are extremely disproportionate to the butt kicking slice.
This is a problem.
Yes, my problem was that Dacia and Lou are just terrible at being capable protagonists. Actually, Lou’s okay at it, but Dacia downright sucks. And even though Lou is alright at it, this didn’t completely make sense because she’s supposed to be shy and reserved, so why is the Lou that we meet so powerful and in control and not afraid to put people in their place? I dunno, I dunno. Let’s tackle these problems one at a time, shall we?
First; the dresses. There are so. Many. Dresses. The book takes its time talking about what Lou and Dacia are wearing and I just don’t care. I don’t care what color sash Dacia decided to wear with her gown. I’m all for adding a little detail now and then, but come on. This was not fun.
Second; the romance. Can it even be called that? Because I read the book and I still cannot figure out how Lou and Dacia fell in love with these guys. There was so little of it, but all the sudden in the end it mentions that they are apparently couples. It came out of nowhere; I saw hints, but nothing else, and it seems like any romance in this book was just added because it’s YA and ‘that’s what all the teen girls want nowadays, amiright?’ (NO IT’S NOT JUST STAHP PUBLISHERS PLEASE)
Third; the character of Prince Mihai. Now, there was potential here, I’ll admit. This could have been a wonderful villainous character. But no. First clue that I wasn’t going to like Mihai’s character was when Dacia describes him as smelling “like money and masculinity.” Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure that Old Spice sells that scent. Actually, no. I have no idea what that means. Second, some of the things he says sound like a soap opera. Like if it was a movie, you could hear the organ going “duh duh DUH” in the background. They are just so over-the-top menacing. But the final straw was that
Dacia and Lou were not characters I enjoyed reading about, either. Dacia is just a spoiled brat who whines a lot, and I just couldn’t take it after a while. It’s because of her that there are so many passages about dresses in this darn book. Then there’s Lou. She’s supposed to be shy and easily embarrassed, but aside from other characters thinking this about her, there’s really no evidence. I get it; she’s supposed to have overcome her shyness—but it doesn’t seem like there’s much to overcome if there’s really no signs in the book of her being shy.
Considering that Jessica Day George has written one of my favorite books (Tuesdays in the Castle) I don’t think I will give up on reading her books; I’m just going to consider this a fluke amongst an otherwise wonderful pile of books that I have read by her. Still, I will warn other fans that there is a chance that, like me, you won’t like this as much as the rest of her books.
July 9, 2015
***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
Silver in the Blood was sadly not all I wanted it to be. It’s not a bad book by any means, it’s very creative and fun but it is also a little slow and needed a little work in the character department.
It takes almost a third of the book for us to finally see all the fun action and I don’t think there was enough of all the good stuff happening to make up for the initial slowness. To be fair, I didn’t mind the slow bits too much. I was never bored and I did like reading those details since they helped built up the suspense, but I feel like there was too much time spent building that suspense and not enough time spent actually making the wait worth it.
I would like to start off by saying that this book isn’t as dark as it sounds. It’s actually quite light hearted (and not in a bad way), it’s cute and fun to read and I enjoyed reading from the POVs of both the main characters.
Dacia and Lou are spoilt young ladies traveling to Romania to meet their mothers’ side of the family. When I say spoilt, I don’t mean it in a bad way. They are from wealthy, influential families but they aren’t horrible, mean girls. I always found both characters to be likeable (even when Dacia made some questionable decisions.)
Dacia is the more outspoken of the two and while she did make some questionable decisions she was also not a bad person. She wasn’t stupid and really, what’s wrong with someone who enjoys receiving attention (not in an obnoxious way.) She can stand up for herself and won’t let people get away with shit.
Lou is in some ways the exact opposite of Dacia. Where Dacia is outspoken and sometimes impulsive, Lou is shy and likes to think things through. In that way, Dacia and Lou complement each other. I definitely found Lou to be more likeable (since I could relate to her better) but what I also liked was that both the girls were likeable. You didn’t have to hate one to like the other.
Both girls develop over the course of the book and I loved watching them both turn into the mature, confident women they were by the end of the novel.
One of the drawbacks of this book is the secondary characters. The love interests have no real depth to them (which was a pity.) Lou and Dacia’s family were talked about in such vague terms that I never found myself feeling anything towards them. Their villainous grandmother was cartoonishly evil to the point where her motives made no sense. I also didn’t like how we never saw enough of Lou’s mother. She is made out to be a bad guy but we never really see her do anything bad (besides siding with the Grandma). I never understood the sudden change in Lou's mom. I felt the same way about Aunt Kate. Although in her case, I never saw her being good so when she is talked about in such nice terms, I was like huh? What do you mean? Isn’t she a douche? There was also the question of Lou’s father who I would have liked to see more of. Basically I felt like the adults and the love interests needed to be round instead of flat.
This book isn’t very romance heavy but the problem is that I never really saw the romantic relationships develop. There is the tension, yes but I wanted to see that flourish instead of the automatic transition into ‘we are in love.’ How long have you known each other for again??? BUT ALSO I just wanted to see the couples, I wanted to see the banter, I wanted to see them work together as a team but none of that really happened on a large enough scale for me to enjoy the dynamic.
The world building in the novel was nice. I liked the Claw, Wing and Smoke aspects (although I might have enjoyed seeing some more of that.) I also liked the Romanian setting. It definitely added a certain darkness to the atmosphere (although keep in mind what I said earlier about this not being a dark novel.)
The first book in this series may not have won me over completely but I still enjoyed it and will definitely be watching out for the sequel. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun fantasy novel to read.
Silver in the Blood was sadly not all I wanted it to be. It’s not a bad book by any means, it’s very creative and fun but it is also a little slow and needed a little work in the character department.
It takes almost a third of the book for us to finally see all the fun action and I don’t think there was enough of all the good stuff happening to make up for the initial slowness. To be fair, I didn’t mind the slow bits too much. I was never bored and I did like reading those details since they helped built up the suspense, but I feel like there was too much time spent building that suspense and not enough time spent actually making the wait worth it.
I would like to start off by saying that this book isn’t as dark as it sounds. It’s actually quite light hearted (and not in a bad way), it’s cute and fun to read and I enjoyed reading from the POVs of both the main characters.
Dacia and Lou are spoilt young ladies traveling to Romania to meet their mothers’ side of the family. When I say spoilt, I don’t mean it in a bad way. They are from wealthy, influential families but they aren’t horrible, mean girls. I always found both characters to be likeable (even when Dacia made some questionable decisions.)
Dacia is the more outspoken of the two and while she did make some questionable decisions she was also not a bad person. She wasn’t stupid and really, what’s wrong with someone who enjoys receiving attention (not in an obnoxious way.) She can stand up for herself and won’t let people get away with shit.
Lou is in some ways the exact opposite of Dacia. Where Dacia is outspoken and sometimes impulsive, Lou is shy and likes to think things through. In that way, Dacia and Lou complement each other. I definitely found Lou to be more likeable (since I could relate to her better) but what I also liked was that both the girls were likeable. You didn’t have to hate one to like the other.
Both girls develop over the course of the book and I loved watching them both turn into the mature, confident women they were by the end of the novel.
One of the drawbacks of this book is the secondary characters. The love interests have no real depth to them (which was a pity.) Lou and Dacia’s family were talked about in such vague terms that I never found myself feeling anything towards them. Their villainous grandmother was cartoonishly evil to the point where her motives made no sense. I also didn’t like how we never saw enough of Lou’s mother. She is made out to be a bad guy but we never really see her do anything bad (besides siding with the Grandma). I never understood the sudden change in Lou's mom. I felt the same way about Aunt Kate. Although in her case, I never saw her being good so when she is talked about in such nice terms, I was like huh? What do you mean? Isn’t she a douche? There was also the question of Lou’s father who I would have liked to see more of. Basically I felt like the adults and the love interests needed to be round instead of flat.
This book isn’t very romance heavy but the problem is that I never really saw the romantic relationships develop. There is the tension, yes but I wanted to see that flourish instead of the automatic transition into ‘we are in love.’ How long have you known each other for again??? BUT ALSO I just wanted to see the couples, I wanted to see the banter, I wanted to see them work together as a team but none of that really happened on a large enough scale for me to enjoy the dynamic.
The world building in the novel was nice. I liked the Claw, Wing and Smoke aspects (although I might have enjoyed seeing some more of that.) I also liked the Romanian setting. It definitely added a certain darkness to the atmosphere (although keep in mind what I said earlier about this not being a dark novel.)
The first book in this series may not have won me over completely but I still enjoyed it and will definitely be watching out for the sequel. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun fantasy novel to read.
February 10, 2017
DNF at about 75%
Immature, underdeveloped, boring, predictable - it is all the words that came to my mind while reading this book. Usually, I would start to list all the bad things this book has and analyze why I didn't enjoy it. But in this case, there's no need to analyze. Silver in the Blood wasn't particularly bad - it just middle grade book. That's it, if you are under 16, you will like this book. It has this childish aftertaste and as a grown person I did not find anything interesting for me in it. Some YA books are for more mature audience, some books are not. I just wish that book's annotation would mention it before I started to read this story.
June 2, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
Book One of the Silver in the Blood series
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.
Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.
With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.
What I Liked:
This book was quite different from what I was expecting! To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was expecting, but I got something completely different, and I really liked it! This book has a younger YA feel to it - NOT Middle Grade, but definitely on the lower end of YA. The protagonists are seventeen, but the tone of the book is light and humorous, giving the book a younger feel. Not to say that the protagonists act immaturely! But I want to dispel the idea that this book is Middle Grade! It is indeed YA!
Dacia and Lou are set to visit their family in Romania. The cousins were born in America, their mothers not returning to Romania until now. Lou's father and two brothers accompany Lou and her mother, while Dacia and Aunt Kate (the third sister) travel as well. There is something sinister about the Florescu family - and Dacia and Lou are trapped in Romania by their own family. They find out that their family members are shape-shifters. The Florescus are an old family that protects another old family - the Draculas. Prince Mihai (a Dracula) has an odd interest in Dacia, and Lou and Dacia must figure out how they can escape their family, and save themselves.
This book is written in third person, dual perspective! Lou and Dacia are cousins, two very close cousins. I liked both of them. Lou is quiet and obedient, well-mannered, the peacekeeper. Dacia is a bit wild and reckless, and she thinks she is being sent to Romania with Aunt Kate as a punishment for an Incident in London with Lord Johnny (a young man a few years older than her). I liked Lou more than Dacia, but I liked them both (which is surprising for me - usually I dislike one heavily and like the other a lot). This relationship between the cousins reminds me of the relationship between the sisters in Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong!
I liked the structure of this book. We get the story, but there are also letters before every chapter. The letters are written by a number of characters, but mostly Dacia and Lou. They were interesting, and definitely lent themselves well to the plot.
The story is very intriguing! Lou and Dacia slowly find out that the Florescu family are a family of shape-shifters. Lou's mother, Dacia's mother, the aunts, cousins, grandmother, are all shifters. Dacia is the Claw (wolf), and Lou is the Smoke (she can turn into a mist-like form). There is a ton of family history and drama associated with the girls' transformations - it's not as easy as, you're a wolf, welcome to the family!
Lou and Dacia are prisoners in their family's home, and they want nothing more to leave, especially after they shift and learn the truth. With the help of a group trying to stop Prince Mihai from taking over the throne of Romania, Lou and Dacia put their abilities to good use.
There is romance in this book! We hear about the Incident, with Dacia and Lord Johnny, from the beginning of the book. Lord Johnny appears later in the book, as one of the members of the Archangels, a group trying to stop Prince Mihai. He is accompanied by Theo Arkady, another young member of the Archangels. Lou and Theo have a bad start, in which Theo indirectly insults Lou when he meets her. But throughout the story (especially towards the end of the book), Lou's feelings toward him greatly change, especially when she realizes that he isn't disgusted with her abilities, and wants to help her. I really, really liked Theo. Theo and Lou are a great pair - Theo is very intelligent and attentive and kind, as is Lou.
I liked Dacia and Lord Johnny too! They're a fantastic pair as well. Lord Johnny is the tiniest bit sardonic, and Dacia is very wild and feisty. They always have hilarious interactions. I wanted more from Lou and Theo, but I liked seeing Lord Johnny and Dacia together.
I like the historical fiction setting of this book! Late nineteenth century Romania, with Parisian influences (in the gowns), and heavy Romanian history influences. I found the author's take on Dracula and Vlad the Impaler and whatnot very fascinating!
The ending of this book isn't perfectly wrapped up, so I'm excited to read more! I like how much Dacia and Lou grow and develop, really grounding themselves and finding their stride in terms of their abilities and their newly found forms. I'm curious to see how the author takes the story to another level, in the next book!
What I Did Not Like:
I thought there could have been more romance! Especially between Lou and Theo. I mean, the relationships are clearly developed, albeit slowly and surely. I suppose because this is historical fiction, the author didn't want the romance to be steamy and heavy. But still, more physical interactions between Lou and Theo would have made their relationship even more three-dimensional! Same with Lord Johnny and Dacia's relationship.
This book reads a bit younger in YA, so that could have also been why the romance was a bit tame. It's historical fiction, but also, the tone is light (despite the whole evil/darkness/light themes going on). Not to say that the protagonists aren't mature! They are! But the tone is on the lower end of YA (but not Middle Grade). I'm not always the biggest fan of lower YA, but I thought this novel was good.
I'm not too sure what the title is referring to! The "silver" reference is made several times throughout the book, but it's never stated explicitly (or even implied), what it means. I'd like to know!
Also, Lou undergoes a very rapid change, after her first time shifting. This change in personality was extremely fast, and I found it a bit out of place. Especially since Dacia didn't really undergo an immense personality change? It was just kind of sudden and weird. There wasn't too much I found negative though.
Would I Recommend It:
I found this book to be very interesting! I liked it, and I would recommend it. It's not one that you MUST read (like An Ember in the Ashes or The Wrath and the Dawn), but it's a good novel, especially if you see it in the library or already have a copy. Note my comments on it reading like a lower YA novel.
Rating:
3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I enjoyed the read! It was a bit slow at first, but it picked up nicely and I was rooting for the protagonists throughout the book. I'm excited about the sequel, and will definitely be reading it next year (hopefully I get the chance)!
Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
Book One of the Silver in the Blood series
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.
Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.
With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.
What I Liked:
This book was quite different from what I was expecting! To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was expecting, but I got something completely different, and I really liked it! This book has a younger YA feel to it - NOT Middle Grade, but definitely on the lower end of YA. The protagonists are seventeen, but the tone of the book is light and humorous, giving the book a younger feel. Not to say that the protagonists act immaturely! But I want to dispel the idea that this book is Middle Grade! It is indeed YA!
Dacia and Lou are set to visit their family in Romania. The cousins were born in America, their mothers not returning to Romania until now. Lou's father and two brothers accompany Lou and her mother, while Dacia and Aunt Kate (the third sister) travel as well. There is something sinister about the Florescu family - and Dacia and Lou are trapped in Romania by their own family. They find out that their family members are shape-shifters. The Florescus are an old family that protects another old family - the Draculas. Prince Mihai (a Dracula) has an odd interest in Dacia, and Lou and Dacia must figure out how they can escape their family, and save themselves.
This book is written in third person, dual perspective! Lou and Dacia are cousins, two very close cousins. I liked both of them. Lou is quiet and obedient, well-mannered, the peacekeeper. Dacia is a bit wild and reckless, and she thinks she is being sent to Romania with Aunt Kate as a punishment for an Incident in London with Lord Johnny (a young man a few years older than her). I liked Lou more than Dacia, but I liked them both (which is surprising for me - usually I dislike one heavily and like the other a lot). This relationship between the cousins reminds me of the relationship between the sisters in Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong!
I liked the structure of this book. We get the story, but there are also letters before every chapter. The letters are written by a number of characters, but mostly Dacia and Lou. They were interesting, and definitely lent themselves well to the plot.
The story is very intriguing! Lou and Dacia slowly find out that the Florescu family are a family of shape-shifters. Lou's mother, Dacia's mother, the aunts, cousins, grandmother, are all shifters. Dacia is the Claw (wolf), and Lou is the Smoke (she can turn into a mist-like form). There is a ton of family history and drama associated with the girls' transformations - it's not as easy as, you're a wolf, welcome to the family!
Lou and Dacia are prisoners in their family's home, and they want nothing more to leave, especially after they shift and learn the truth. With the help of a group trying to stop Prince Mihai from taking over the throne of Romania, Lou and Dacia put their abilities to good use.
There is romance in this book! We hear about the Incident, with Dacia and Lord Johnny, from the beginning of the book. Lord Johnny appears later in the book, as one of the members of the Archangels, a group trying to stop Prince Mihai. He is accompanied by Theo Arkady, another young member of the Archangels. Lou and Theo have a bad start, in which Theo indirectly insults Lou when he meets her. But throughout the story (especially towards the end of the book), Lou's feelings toward him greatly change, especially when she realizes that he isn't disgusted with her abilities, and wants to help her. I really, really liked Theo. Theo and Lou are a great pair - Theo is very intelligent and attentive and kind, as is Lou.
I liked Dacia and Lord Johnny too! They're a fantastic pair as well. Lord Johnny is the tiniest bit sardonic, and Dacia is very wild and feisty. They always have hilarious interactions. I wanted more from Lou and Theo, but I liked seeing Lord Johnny and Dacia together.
I like the historical fiction setting of this book! Late nineteenth century Romania, with Parisian influences (in the gowns), and heavy Romanian history influences. I found the author's take on Dracula and Vlad the Impaler and whatnot very fascinating!
The ending of this book isn't perfectly wrapped up, so I'm excited to read more! I like how much Dacia and Lou grow and develop, really grounding themselves and finding their stride in terms of their abilities and their newly found forms. I'm curious to see how the author takes the story to another level, in the next book!
What I Did Not Like:
I thought there could have been more romance! Especially between Lou and Theo. I mean, the relationships are clearly developed, albeit slowly and surely. I suppose because this is historical fiction, the author didn't want the romance to be steamy and heavy. But still, more physical interactions between Lou and Theo would have made their relationship even more three-dimensional! Same with Lord Johnny and Dacia's relationship.
This book reads a bit younger in YA, so that could have also been why the romance was a bit tame. It's historical fiction, but also, the tone is light (despite the whole evil/darkness/light themes going on). Not to say that the protagonists aren't mature! They are! But the tone is on the lower end of YA (but not Middle Grade). I'm not always the biggest fan of lower YA, but I thought this novel was good.
I'm not too sure what the title is referring to! The "silver" reference is made several times throughout the book, but it's never stated explicitly (or even implied), what it means. I'd like to know!
Also, Lou undergoes a very rapid change, after her first time shifting. This change in personality was extremely fast, and I found it a bit out of place. Especially since Dacia didn't really undergo an immense personality change? It was just kind of sudden and weird. There wasn't too much I found negative though.
Would I Recommend It:
I found this book to be very interesting! I liked it, and I would recommend it. It's not one that you MUST read (like An Ember in the Ashes or The Wrath and the Dawn), but it's a good novel, especially if you see it in the library or already have a copy. Note my comments on it reading like a lower YA novel.
Rating:
3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I enjoyed the read! It was a bit slow at first, but it picked up nicely and I was rooting for the protagonists throughout the book. I'm excited about the sequel, and will definitely be reading it next year (hopefully I get the chance)!
December 29, 2015
I didn't actually finish this book. I got to page 257, and when the prince threatened to RAPE both girls, decided that I'd had enough. It's a long stretch before anything happens, with lots of ominous foreshadowing and stilted dialogue. There were elements that I thought may be good, I was entertained by the characters, and honestly wouldn't have minded finishing the book, if it hadn't been for the completely unnecessary rape threat.
"If she refuses, I will simply force myself on her, and ruin her more effectively than simply being abducted in her underthings has already done. And if she still refuses I will tie her to this chair and force her to watch while I have my way with you."
WHY, JESSICA DAY GEORGE?! Why would you think that including rape in a tween book is totally normal? Especially when it's just a plot device? There's nothing here that we can learn, no support or insight offered, it was just thrown in there for drama's sake, so that the damsels-in-distress would be in even more distress. The book is full of focus on the male gaze on our naked heroines, enough that it was already sounding misogynistic. And that was before a man threatened to rape a girl, and then rape her cousin as she watched. We have enough books like this from the 1800s, Jessica Day George. We don't need this poorly-written, insipid version. Such a disappointment from an otherwise enjoyable and talented author.
I just...really hate how popular it's become to include rape and threats of rape as a way to build drama and take away girls' power in books. It already happens to much in real life. Why do we need unnecessary and not-thoughtful portrayals of it in our literature?
"If she refuses, I will simply force myself on her, and ruin her more effectively than simply being abducted in her underthings has already done. And if she still refuses I will tie her to this chair and force her to watch while I have my way with you."
WHY, JESSICA DAY GEORGE?! Why would you think that including rape in a tween book is totally normal? Especially when it's just a plot device? There's nothing here that we can learn, no support or insight offered, it was just thrown in there for drama's sake, so that the damsels-in-distress would be in even more distress. The book is full of focus on the male gaze on our naked heroines, enough that it was already sounding misogynistic. And that was before a man threatened to rape a girl, and then rape her cousin as she watched. We have enough books like this from the 1800s, Jessica Day George. We don't need this poorly-written, insipid version. Such a disappointment from an otherwise enjoyable and talented author.
I just...really hate how popular it's become to include rape and threats of rape as a way to build drama and take away girls' power in books. It already happens to much in real life. Why do we need unnecessary and not-thoughtful portrayals of it in our literature?
December 2, 2014
Have you ever loved something so much that every time you tried to formulate an acceptable description of it, all that came out was incoherent babbling, punctuated by half-sobs and words like "amazing," "beautiful," "perfectly realized and imagined," "argle blargle blergh"? My love of supernatural stories and anything mentioning that infamous Romanian/Transylvanian figure of history and fiction blend perfectly with my love of the Georgette Heyer and Marion Chesney worlds of Regency romances, and the steampunk brilliance of Gail Carriger in this breathtakingly well-written and delightful story. I could not put it down and have struggled with putting my thoughts down once I finished. May I just say, "Murmle, blurmle, love, love, love, gah?" Read. This. Book. So. Much. Love!
February 9, 2018
Ahoy there me mateys! This author came to me attention with her book the princess of the midnight ball which is a twelve dancing princesses retelling. No, I haven't read it yet. I was looking for something light to read as me last several books have been rather heavy. The dancing princesses book wasn't available but this one was. It had also been on me list as it had a cool cover.
So I scooped it up and had a gander. The book ended up being a silly okayish read that did give me some enjoyment.
The story involves two girls from New York that are sent on a trip to meet their mothers' family back in Romania. These cousins get more than they bargained for. Secrets are being kept and the family is being evasive. What is the family hiding and what does that have to do with them?
So some cool things in this book:
- It takes place in the 1890s. I love historical fantasy fiction.
- The format is letters, diary entries, and perspectives from the girls themselves.
- It has shape-shifters. Which I figured from the cover.
- The two cousins have an awesome relationship. I love how supportive they are of each other.
- The girls both have very different personalities but due to circumstances in the book their roles are reversed at one point and that was excellent fun.
- The majority of the book takes place in Romania. I don't know many books that are. (One other. That's all I could come up with.)
- Lou has an awesome power. I loved how it was used.
- It was a quick read.
The not as fun:
- The plot is kinda plodding in a lot of places. It took forever for the girls to find out about the family. I would have liked that reveal to be way earlier in the book. And of course when yer reader guessed fairly early on what was going on, it makes the two girl's lack of intelligence in that regard tedious and annoying.
- The girls' powers could have been used WAY more in terms of plot.
- While the book is set in Romania, I would have liked the country to feel more integral to the plot. Yes there are myths and history facts that are used in good ways in the story but not enough.
- The villain was extremely two dimensional and irked me in his rational. Which basically came down to "because he wanted it."
- The love interests were too numerous and too boringly shallow.
- I wanted more action and adventure and girls kicking butt. I wanted the girls to show more initiative.
While this book didn't thrill me, it was a good way to spend some of the evening. Me crew still highly recommends her dragon books and I still want to read the fairytale so I will certainly give this author another shot.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
So I scooped it up and had a gander. The book ended up being a silly okayish read that did give me some enjoyment.
The story involves two girls from New York that are sent on a trip to meet their mothers' family back in Romania. These cousins get more than they bargained for. Secrets are being kept and the family is being evasive. What is the family hiding and what does that have to do with them?
So some cool things in this book:
- It takes place in the 1890s. I love historical fantasy fiction.
- The format is letters, diary entries, and perspectives from the girls themselves.
- It has shape-shifters. Which I figured from the cover.
- The two cousins have an awesome relationship. I love how supportive they are of each other.
- The girls both have very different personalities but due to circumstances in the book their roles are reversed at one point and that was excellent fun.
- The majority of the book takes place in Romania. I don't know many books that are. (One other. That's all I could come up with.)
- Lou has an awesome power. I loved how it was used.
- It was a quick read.
The not as fun:
- The plot is kinda plodding in a lot of places. It took forever for the girls to find out about the family. I would have liked that reveal to be way earlier in the book. And of course when yer reader guessed fairly early on what was going on, it makes the two girl's lack of intelligence in that regard tedious and annoying.
- The girls' powers could have been used WAY more in terms of plot.
- While the book is set in Romania, I would have liked the country to feel more integral to the plot. Yes there are myths and history facts that are used in good ways in the story but not enough.
- The villain was extremely two dimensional and irked me in his rational. Which basically came down to "because he wanted it."
- The love interests were too numerous and too boringly shallow.
- I wanted more action and adventure and girls kicking butt. I wanted the girls to show more initiative.
While this book didn't thrill me, it was a good way to spend some of the evening. Me crew still highly recommends her dragon books and I still want to read the fairytale so I will certainly give this author another shot.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
Read
March 30, 2018the wing, the claw, or the smoke?
this is one those books where it takes you a while to get into, but you keep going because you’re curious and the writing ain’t half bad. then 50% into the book it starts to get charming and interesting.
also I knew what the big twist was (sort of) so I don’t know why drag the mystery. I mean it was perfectly clear. that frustrated me.
this is one those books where it takes you a while to get into, but you keep going because you’re curious and the writing ain’t half bad. then 50% into the book it starts to get charming and interesting.
also I knew what the big twist was (sort of) so I don’t know why drag the mystery. I mean it was perfectly clear. that frustrated me.
May 15, 2015
This was an interesting book. It definitely dragged a bit in the beginning, but the second half made up for it.
I loved Dacia and Lou. On the surface, they're quite opposite, but they both are devoted to each other and their family and expect truthfulness from everyone. There are a couple of boys that were pretty adorable and fit right in with the girls.
The chapters alternate with letters or telegrams and I thought that was a unique way of progressing the story. I did wish that the shifting part would have happened earlier, but the build up kept me interested.
I'm eager to see what happens next. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but there's a lot of potential for future books.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I loved Dacia and Lou. On the surface, they're quite opposite, but they both are devoted to each other and their family and expect truthfulness from everyone. There are a couple of boys that were pretty adorable and fit right in with the girls.
The chapters alternate with letters or telegrams and I thought that was a unique way of progressing the story. I did wish that the shifting part would have happened earlier, but the build up kept me interested.
I'm eager to see what happens next. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but there's a lot of potential for future books.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
November 16, 2016
Please note that I gave this book 3.5 stars but rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads.
So I liked this book a lot. I noticed some issues here and there, but not enough for my interest in the next book in the series to wane. I think that the world building could have been a bit improved and the flow between Dacia and Lou's chapters to be a lot smoother. I would also like a prologue book or something just so you can get more of the history between the two families in this book. I hate being told things via another character (info dump) it is one of my least favorite things while reading.
So the book starts in medias res, or it tries to I think. We start out with Dacia who is being forced to go to her maternal family's home in Budapest. We know that Dacia did or was thought to have done something outrageous with some young man, and for some reason this has spurred on her Aunt Kate to get her moving quickly. On a train something mysterious seems to be happening and her Aunt Kate becomes more and more troubled. All Dacia wishes is that her cousin and best friend Lou was there. Then the book shifts to Lou who is with her father, mother, and twin brothers also traveling to Budapest. Lou is troubled by a man who seems to be following her.
The book moves slow. Seriously. We don't really get to know what's going on for a good 1st half of the book. And even then, things are not really explained very well by family members except for things like prophecies and you will do what is told to you. We have the girls eventually come together in Budapest and find out all about their family history and why it is linked to the Dracula family as well.
I loved Dacia and Lou equally in this book. Both girls are different from each other like night and day. Eventually though both girls react differently to their family secret and that also causes them to change again personality wise (and I got that). In the end though, I wish that maybe the author had broken up the chapters a lot more so we could have stayed with the characters longer. I say that because in between each chapter we would have a diary entry, telegram, letter, etc. that one of the girls wrote. I liked including it because we do get to see their mindsets and in Dacia's case how betrayed by her mother and father she feels.
We don't really get an in depth look at other characters in this book, and I get why, but I think the author could still develop them (Aunt Kate, Grandmother Ilona). I want to see more of these other characters, and I want to actually see how Lou's mother handles things after the events in this book. I also want to see more reasoning behind what the family did besides prophecy, because if that's the case, Dacia and Lou's mothers are kind of freaking awful.
The world building could be improved a lot. I think the issue was that we have a lot of characters talking, I wish that we had Lou and Dacia finding out more themselves through investigation or something. Just being told something didn't set well with me while reading. I wanted to understand more than what the author was showing us.
The ending left things pretty decided regarding Dacia and Lou's romantic lives (I did not care about either boy/man at all, even a little bit) and what they are going to be doing in the future.
So I liked this book a lot. I noticed some issues here and there, but not enough for my interest in the next book in the series to wane. I think that the world building could have been a bit improved and the flow between Dacia and Lou's chapters to be a lot smoother. I would also like a prologue book or something just so you can get more of the history between the two families in this book. I hate being told things via another character (info dump) it is one of my least favorite things while reading.
So the book starts in medias res, or it tries to I think. We start out with Dacia who is being forced to go to her maternal family's home in Budapest. We know that Dacia did or was thought to have done something outrageous with some young man, and for some reason this has spurred on her Aunt Kate to get her moving quickly. On a train something mysterious seems to be happening and her Aunt Kate becomes more and more troubled. All Dacia wishes is that her cousin and best friend Lou was there. Then the book shifts to Lou who is with her father, mother, and twin brothers also traveling to Budapest. Lou is troubled by a man who seems to be following her.
The book moves slow. Seriously. We don't really get to know what's going on for a good 1st half of the book. And even then, things are not really explained very well by family members except for things like prophecies and you will do what is told to you. We have the girls eventually come together in Budapest and find out all about their family history and why it is linked to the Dracula family as well.
I loved Dacia and Lou equally in this book. Both girls are different from each other like night and day. Eventually though both girls react differently to their family secret and that also causes them to change again personality wise (and I got that). In the end though, I wish that maybe the author had broken up the chapters a lot more so we could have stayed with the characters longer. I say that because in between each chapter we would have a diary entry, telegram, letter, etc. that one of the girls wrote. I liked including it because we do get to see their mindsets and in Dacia's case how betrayed by her mother and father she feels.
We don't really get an in depth look at other characters in this book, and I get why, but I think the author could still develop them (Aunt Kate, Grandmother Ilona). I want to see more of these other characters, and I want to actually see how Lou's mother handles things after the events in this book. I also want to see more reasoning behind what the family did besides prophecy, because if that's the case, Dacia and Lou's mothers are kind of freaking awful.
The world building could be improved a lot. I think the issue was that we have a lot of characters talking, I wish that we had Lou and Dacia finding out more themselves through investigation or something. Just being told something didn't set well with me while reading. I wanted to understand more than what the author was showing us.
The ending left things pretty decided regarding Dacia and Lou's romantic lives (I did not care about either boy/man at all, even a little bit) and what they are going to be doing in the future.
November 13, 2016
Settled in 1897, Silver in the blood tells the story of Dacia and Lou, two cousins that after a scandal in London are sent back to Romania to meet their extended family and find proper suitors. Their mothers moved to New York in their youth and they hadn't had any contacts with the rest of their peculiar lineage since then; but the time has come and Dacia and Lou have to fulfill a prophecy and enter a world of shape shifters, different rules and many mysteries.
Saying that I'm astonished doesn't give you the right picture of how I'm feeling right about now. I won't hide that I didn't have any expectations from this book, when I requested it I thought it was just going to be another fantasy novel to entertain myself with this summer. How mistaken I was..
Silver in the blood was incredible and out-standing.
First of all, the writing style. It was impeccable. It was elegant and old-fashioned, polished yet fluent and whimsical. It gave off a pleasant Pride and prejudice feel, with its good-mannered and witty but sarcastic comments that aren't rude but are no less sharp and poignant. I was under the impression of reading a book that came straight from the 19th century, it being focused on balls and gown and etiquette.
The story was told from both Dacia and Lou's PoVs, alternated in a mixture of letters, pages of diaries and third-person narration. It was familiar yet original and unheard of and not confusing as one might think.
Those cousins are close like sisters, however couldn't be any more different: Dacia was more frivolous, confident and had a sharp tongue while Lou was more delicate and timid, kind and gentle and less ill-tempered; and the cast of characters was in general various and brilliant.
Prepare yourself for some eyelashes batting, lots of blushing (seriously, is it even humanely possible to blush that much?!) and long glances that will make you grinning like complete idiots!
Let's not forget about the setting. I can't speak from experience, for I have never set foot in Romania or any similar country, but I think nobody will be able to deny that you felt somewhere else while reading, somewhere exotic and eccentric and colorful, somewhere dark and gruesome, somewhere in Eastern Europe.
And last but not least, the paranormal aspect.
Dacia and Lou come from old and powerful Romanian families of... shapeshifters! The Claw, the Wing and the Smoke have always been incredibly influential and, now more than ever, they'll do whatever they can to fulfill the prophecy and conquer their long-lost glory.
If you like books set in past époques that have an old-fashioned but mysterious touch to them and a sprinkle of paranormality and creepiness and vain talks of high society customs, Silver in the blood will be the most suitable pick!
And obviously, I need the 2nd book asap. I have a feeling there's a lot in store for us!
*thanks to NetGalley for approving me with an eARC copy of this book*
June 20, 2015
Full review to come...
February 7, 2017
Però io voglio un secondo volume! Ci sono così tante cose in sospeso, perché farmi soffrire così?
June 2, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury!
So, growing up changes you. Obviously you’re not the same person you are five years ago, especially from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes they are these books that you grow up with, and you love from the start to end, no matter how tiring or cliche it gets. Then there are the books that you grow out of, where it’s great when you’re reading them, but five years later it just gets tiring and you can’t give it the unconditional love you give to the former types of books I mentioned.
Jessica Day George writes lovely books that I think I’ve simply grown out of.
In middle school, I would not hesitate to grab any of her new books. It was the same for this one, but I guess old habits die hard.
There’s an amazing plot with the background of a complex Romanian culture. You can always count of George to bring out pretty ball gowns and handsome princes. And of course, the sweet and not overbearing romance that is omnipresent in her books. The writing style was clear and both narrators had such fun and diverse personalities. Of course, these are all traits of a book I would love.
However, these elements just didn’t affect me the way it would have affected my 12 year old self. Looking back, I can see why in my preteens I would absolutely love this book, but now that I’ve grown (a little), my tastes just don’t mesh anymore.
I read the majority of George’s books in middle school, and this one would do best with younger readers that age. The plot was really slow in the beginning. Like, so slow I kept on checking the progress of how I was doing. When I have to do that, you know the book isn’t going anywhere.
Two cousins, Lou and Dacia, are traveling to their hometown Romania to discover secrets about their family. And oh man, those secrets? Took almost half the book to find out. And by that time, the readers will know what’s up. It was predictable, to say the least. However, during that time we’re given glimpses of Romanian culture, which I really enjoyed. George does her magic and describes the castles, traditional dresses, and scenery in such detail that I can imagine them perfectly in my head.
What I’d do to get one of these!
Look how fucking majestic this is!
But as thrilling as they are, it still bothered me how slow the plot was moving, and how the foreshadowing made me annoyed and irritable instead of excited and eager to read more.
Dacia and Lou are both endearing characters with their own personalities. Dacia’s confidence and bold behaviors are a sharp foil to Lou’s shyness. That doesn’t mean they don’t change throughout the story, though. Oh, and each gets their own cute love interest. George’s romances are always like the icing on the cake. It’s not central to the story, but definitely a sweet addition to it.
But, like I said in the beginning of the review, George’s books no longer affect me the way they did to my self a couple years ago. Maybe it’s the lack of action until the end, or the slow plot in the beginning, or the one dimensional villain(s), but something in it just made me disappointed, no matter how much I enjoyed reading the plot, romance, characters, and setting.
Just because something was missing for me doesn’t mean something will be missing when you read it. If you’ve always been a George fan, like to see different cultural backdrops, or like some paranormal elements in your historical fiction, then definitely pick this one up!
_____________________________
Rating: 3.5
So, growing up changes you. Obviously you're not the same person you are five years ago, especially from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes they are these books that you grow up with, and you love from the start to end, no matter how tiring or cliche it gets. Then there are the books that you grow out of, where it's great when you're reading them, but five years later it just gets tiring and you can't give it the unconditional love you give to the former types of books I mentioned.
Jessica Day George writes lovely books that I think I've simply grown out of.
Review to come.
So, growing up changes you. Obviously you’re not the same person you are five years ago, especially from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes they are these books that you grow up with, and you love from the start to end, no matter how tiring or cliche it gets. Then there are the books that you grow out of, where it’s great when you’re reading them, but five years later it just gets tiring and you can’t give it the unconditional love you give to the former types of books I mentioned.
Jessica Day George writes lovely books that I think I’ve simply grown out of.
In middle school, I would not hesitate to grab any of her new books. It was the same for this one, but I guess old habits die hard.
There’s an amazing plot with the background of a complex Romanian culture. You can always count of George to bring out pretty ball gowns and handsome princes. And of course, the sweet and not overbearing romance that is omnipresent in her books. The writing style was clear and both narrators had such fun and diverse personalities. Of course, these are all traits of a book I would love.
However, these elements just didn’t affect me the way it would have affected my 12 year old self. Looking back, I can see why in my preteens I would absolutely love this book, but now that I’ve grown (a little), my tastes just don’t mesh anymore.
I read the majority of George’s books in middle school, and this one would do best with younger readers that age. The plot was really slow in the beginning. Like, so slow I kept on checking the progress of how I was doing. When I have to do that, you know the book isn’t going anywhere.
Two cousins, Lou and Dacia, are traveling to their hometown Romania to discover secrets about their family. And oh man, those secrets? Took almost half the book to find out. And by that time, the readers will know what’s up. It was predictable, to say the least. However, during that time we’re given glimpses of Romanian culture, which I really enjoyed. George does her magic and describes the castles, traditional dresses, and scenery in such detail that I can imagine them perfectly in my head.
What I’d do to get one of these!
Look how fucking majestic this is!
But as thrilling as they are, it still bothered me how slow the plot was moving, and how the foreshadowing made me annoyed and irritable instead of excited and eager to read more.
Dacia and Lou are both endearing characters with their own personalities. Dacia’s confidence and bold behaviors are a sharp foil to Lou’s shyness. That doesn’t mean they don’t change throughout the story, though. Oh, and each gets their own cute love interest. George’s romances are always like the icing on the cake. It’s not central to the story, but definitely a sweet addition to it.
But, like I said in the beginning of the review, George’s books no longer affect me the way they did to my self a couple years ago. Maybe it’s the lack of action until the end, or the slow plot in the beginning, or the one dimensional villain(s), but something in it just made me disappointed, no matter how much I enjoyed reading the plot, romance, characters, and setting.
Just because something was missing for me doesn’t mean something will be missing when you read it. If you’ve always been a George fan, like to see different cultural backdrops, or like some paranormal elements in your historical fiction, then definitely pick this one up!
_____________________________
Rating: 3.5
So, growing up changes you. Obviously you're not the same person you are five years ago, especially from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes they are these books that you grow up with, and you love from the start to end, no matter how tiring or cliche it gets. Then there are the books that you grow out of, where it's great when you're reading them, but five years later it just gets tiring and you can't give it the unconditional love you give to the former types of books I mentioned.
Jessica Day George writes lovely books that I think I've simply grown out of.
Review to come.
August 18, 2017
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
***DNF Review***
This book has been on my to read list for ages - probably since I started my book blog back in 2015. The thing is, I never got around to reading it because I've seen so many negative reviews about it, so I kind of just kept pushing it to the back and forgetting about it. When I saw that it was going to be a book of the month from Bloomsbury in their YA newsletter, I finally decided that I was going to read Silver in the Blood. I was excited. I sat down on the couch under a blanket (because I felt it necessary to crank the air conditioning), and started to read.
I expected the first part of the book to be slow. I mean, a lot of historical/paranormal/fantasy books kind of start of slow, with plenty of information for the reader to absorb before moving on. The pace can be slow too, and oftentimes that leads to a build up in the second half in the book, so I wasn't even complaining there. As long as the characters have depth and the plot is interesting, I can deal with slow pacing and information dumps.
But as I kept reading, I honestly kept falling asleep - I would put the book down and come back to it later, and then keep doing the same thing for a few days. Eventually, at about 70%, I realized that there was absolutely no way that I could finish this - the book had already taken me two weeks to get this far, and I just had no drive to keep reading. I didn't even want to read any other books at that point because I was afraid they would be just like this. So I gave up.
Now, if you follow my reviews on Goodreads or here on my blog, you'll notice that I rarely post reviews for books I don't finish. In fact, I rarely DNF books, because I hate investing time into a story and then walking away without seeing how it ends. But this is one of t hose rare times where there was just no way I could keep going with this. I mean, like I said earlier, I could more or less just keep going with a book even if it has slow pacing or the plot is kind of meh, as long as the characters were full of life and entertaining, but Silver in the Blood just failed on all of those levels and I found myself wishing there was just something worth grabbing onto so I could finish. But sadly, every time I tried, I just found myself yawning skimming ahead just to avoid being bored.
I wanted to love Dacia and LouLou, because they just seemed to be strong and independent characters in the 1890's, which is one of my favorite time periods. As much as I tried to love these independent and witty heroines who weren't afraid to stand up for themselves, their personalities just seemed forced to me, and I didn't witness any character growth or anything to prove that they would get better in time. I really didn't feel connected to either of them, and more than anything else, I simply didn't care about their dilemmas or what was going on in each of their lives.
The plot was just a bit too boring and slow paced for my tastes, and for the entire 70 percent of the book that I actually read, not much actually happened. I expected a lot more mystery and paranormal aspects than were actually present, and the fact that a kind of love story was being weaved throughout the pages didn't really help the book out at all.
While Silver in the Blood got some reviews that also called it boring, I was excited to dive into this without thinking of those reviews (plus, that cover is gorgeous - both the hardcover and the paperback editions), but I just couldn't. For once, I found myself agreeing with a lot of other reviewers, and I didn't hesitate to put this one down. Maybe someday in the future I'll feel adventurous enough to go back and finish it, but for now, I think it's time to move on.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
***DNF Review***
This book has been on my to read list for ages - probably since I started my book blog back in 2015. The thing is, I never got around to reading it because I've seen so many negative reviews about it, so I kind of just kept pushing it to the back and forgetting about it. When I saw that it was going to be a book of the month from Bloomsbury in their YA newsletter, I finally decided that I was going to read Silver in the Blood. I was excited. I sat down on the couch under a blanket (because I felt it necessary to crank the air conditioning), and started to read.
I expected the first part of the book to be slow. I mean, a lot of historical/paranormal/fantasy books kind of start of slow, with plenty of information for the reader to absorb before moving on. The pace can be slow too, and oftentimes that leads to a build up in the second half in the book, so I wasn't even complaining there. As long as the characters have depth and the plot is interesting, I can deal with slow pacing and information dumps.
But as I kept reading, I honestly kept falling asleep - I would put the book down and come back to it later, and then keep doing the same thing for a few days. Eventually, at about 70%, I realized that there was absolutely no way that I could finish this - the book had already taken me two weeks to get this far, and I just had no drive to keep reading. I didn't even want to read any other books at that point because I was afraid they would be just like this. So I gave up.
Now, if you follow my reviews on Goodreads or here on my blog, you'll notice that I rarely post reviews for books I don't finish. In fact, I rarely DNF books, because I hate investing time into a story and then walking away without seeing how it ends. But this is one of t hose rare times where there was just no way I could keep going with this. I mean, like I said earlier, I could more or less just keep going with a book even if it has slow pacing or the plot is kind of meh, as long as the characters were full of life and entertaining, but Silver in the Blood just failed on all of those levels and I found myself wishing there was just something worth grabbing onto so I could finish. But sadly, every time I tried, I just found myself yawning skimming ahead just to avoid being bored.
I wanted to love Dacia and LouLou, because they just seemed to be strong and independent characters in the 1890's, which is one of my favorite time periods. As much as I tried to love these independent and witty heroines who weren't afraid to stand up for themselves, their personalities just seemed forced to me, and I didn't witness any character growth or anything to prove that they would get better in time. I really didn't feel connected to either of them, and more than anything else, I simply didn't care about their dilemmas or what was going on in each of their lives.
The plot was just a bit too boring and slow paced for my tastes, and for the entire 70 percent of the book that I actually read, not much actually happened. I expected a lot more mystery and paranormal aspects than were actually present, and the fact that a kind of love story was being weaved throughout the pages didn't really help the book out at all.
While Silver in the Blood got some reviews that also called it boring, I was excited to dive into this without thinking of those reviews (plus, that cover is gorgeous - both the hardcover and the paperback editions), but I just couldn't. For once, I found myself agreeing with a lot of other reviewers, and I didn't hesitate to put this one down. Maybe someday in the future I'll feel adventurous enough to go back and finish it, but for now, I think it's time to move on.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
June 30, 2015
3.5/5
Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George has one of the prettiest covers to ever grace a book. As shallow as this may sound, it's exactly what drew me to the book. Besides the gorgeous cover, I was also lusting for this story because of its historical Romanian setting. While Silver in the Blood started off a bit slowly, it ended up being an entertaining story that I read in one sitting.
The book is told in the point of views of two NYC cousins, Dacia and Lou, whose family are from Romania. Dacia and Lou were both wonderful characters on their own. Dacia was the flirty, bold spitfire of a character, while Lou, herself was more on the quiet and shy side. They both had their strengths and weaknesses that made them shine as characters. Throughout the book, as family and personal secrets were revealed to them, the two of them underwent tremendous growth. By the end of Silver in the Blood, they weren't the same gossip-loving, naive characters that they were at the beginning of the book. Dacia became more reserved, but at the same time more confident as she found out about her gift, while Lou blossomed into this fierce character who was no longer afraid to stand up for herself. While they were individually stunning characters, Dacia and Lou were infinitely better as a team. The bond that these girls shared went beyond family. They were best friends and they cared deeply about each other. I loved how close they were and how they pretty much knew each other more than they knew themselves. It truly was a lovely relationship that they had and their dynamic was one of the strongest points of Silver in the Blood for me. I enjoyed it far more than the romance, which in itself is a rarity when it comes to me. The letters that they shared with each other while being away from each other were very endearing. The secondary characters were also quite enjoyable. I especially liked the roles of Johnny and Theo, the two cousins' love interests. While I did wish we got to know them a bit more personally, with the way the book ended, I have no doubt that that will happen with the next installment.
The Florescu family was quite the intriguing family since they were pretty much entrenched in supernatural secrets. They made for an interesting part of the book, especially because their relationship wasn't always what it seemed like on the exterior. I enjoyed getting to know them and finding out their true self and their relationship to the main villain in Silver in the Blood. The luscious Romanian setting also made for an engaging story line. I would have perhaps liked to learn more about the culture at the time itself, but I was definitely satisfied with what Jessica Day George presented. Plot-wise, Silver in the Blood was slow. It took time for it to gain its momentum, but I personally felt like the book was boring because I found the relationship between Dacia and Lou to be so delightful. I honestly could have read on and on had the book just been about them frolicking around. The one area I did find a bit lacking in Silver in the Blood was in the romance department. While the chemistry was certainly there between the two couples, I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. There was no insta-love for certain, but the romances needed more build up for me to get behind them. I guess I needed to see the couples interact with each other more on a romantic level because their interactions were definitely more of a partnership to bring down the villain more than anything. Jessica Day George's writing remained lovely throughout the book and like I said, I had trouble putting the book down.
With the way Silver in the Blood ended, I think this series has the potential to turn into an epic one in future books. While the book may have a bit of a slow start, I recommend sticking with it because the relationship between Lou and Dacia more than makes up for it.
July 27, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
SILVER IN THE BLOOD was a book I was very much looking forward to reading. The beautiful cover and author alone (I loved DRAGON SLIPPERS) was enough to intrigue me, and I didn't even bother reading the description. So going in a bit blind, I was very happy when SILVER IN THE BLOOD lived up to my expectations.
It's hard for me to encapsulate exactly what I liked so much about SILVER IN THE BLOOD. The two main characters, cousins Dacia and Louisa, or Lou, were perfect, and I loved their letters, telegrams and diary entries between the chapters. Both had their moments of spunk and they were lots of fun to read about. They also felt very real and I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite.
The setting, Romania, is a bit different than most paranormal historical novels. But it was done beautifully. You could tell the author was a bit in love with the countryside and the people, based on the descriptions of clothing, and country estates.
The one bone I have to pick with SILVER IN THE BLOOD is the absence of development of any romantic relationship. Though at the end, one of the cousins is in a relationship, the reader doesn't get to see its growth, and in my opinion, that would have rounded out the book wonderfully.
With an excellent story, fun main characters, and wonderful world building, SILVER IN THE BLOOD is a unique young adult novel, without your typical girl falls in love with vampire or werewolf story, about two girls coming into their own and learning what it means to grow up and make your own decisions. This is one I'd recommend any teenager, and adults will definitely find something to like as well. Though you may want to read the book description first!
Sexual content: References to rape
SILVER IN THE BLOOD was a book I was very much looking forward to reading. The beautiful cover and author alone (I loved DRAGON SLIPPERS) was enough to intrigue me, and I didn't even bother reading the description. So going in a bit blind, I was very happy when SILVER IN THE BLOOD lived up to my expectations.
It's hard for me to encapsulate exactly what I liked so much about SILVER IN THE BLOOD. The two main characters, cousins Dacia and Louisa, or Lou, were perfect, and I loved their letters, telegrams and diary entries between the chapters. Both had their moments of spunk and they were lots of fun to read about. They also felt very real and I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite.
The setting, Romania, is a bit different than most paranormal historical novels. But it was done beautifully. You could tell the author was a bit in love with the countryside and the people, based on the descriptions of clothing, and country estates.
The one bone I have to pick with SILVER IN THE BLOOD is the absence of development of any romantic relationship. Though at the end, one of the cousins is in a relationship, the reader doesn't get to see its growth, and in my opinion, that would have rounded out the book wonderfully.
With an excellent story, fun main characters, and wonderful world building, SILVER IN THE BLOOD is a unique young adult novel, without your typical girl falls in love with vampire or werewolf story, about two girls coming into their own and learning what it means to grow up and make your own decisions. This is one I'd recommend any teenager, and adults will definitely find something to like as well. Though you may want to read the book description first!
Sexual content: References to rape
December 5, 2015
So much potential, but this was really dreadful. The first half of the book was unbearable: nothing happened. Dresses, travel, a few oddities, stupid imagined romances. The second of the book was okay. Two female cousins (Dacia and Lou) finally meet in Little Paris (i.e., Bucharest, Romania) in the late 1800s, where their weird family (the Florescus) and evil grandmother have big plans involving destiny and politics. A great setting with enormous potential squandered. The characters were immature, underdeveloped, wildly inconsistent, boring, and predictable. At least Lou went from being a pushover to gaining some mettle while her cousin Dacia devolved. I should have read George's Castle Glover books...
July 14, 2015
As seen on The Quiet Concert
Well, as you can tell by my rating, this wasn't really my kind of book.
For starters, it took roughly 170 pages before Dacia and Lou discover their power and the story to even really start. I can't really tell you what filled those 170 pages except uneventful travels, thinly veiled hints, and the musings of two extremely un-curious society girls. Oh, and lovesick boys kept popping out of the woodwork. After they did find out they were shape shifters, Dacia and Lou switched personalities. Dacia, who always put on a brave face and challenged the world, was suddenly drowning is self-loathing to the point of catatonia. And Lou, who was always quiet and meek, was suddenly taking charge and ordering people about. I am all for characters growing and changing, but not so abruptly. And they didn't embrace their powers at first but instead ran from them. This, I was OK with, I only mention it because it led to more inaction. By the time things did finally get going (in the last 75 pages or so), I was unfortunately already exhausted beyond the point of caring. But I can recognize that it was a good ending.
I think Silver in the Blood would be better suited for readers who are able to connect with Dacia or Lou, although they don't have much depth yet. Or for readers who don't mind a slow start to a series. I do think the world and premise hold a lot of promise, it's just that the things that didn't work for me overshadowed that. That being said, I might give the sequel a shot if I hear really good things. But sadly this book did not pull me in and was not suited to my interests (though that cover is GORGEOUS). I'll leave it at that.
Well, as you can tell by my rating, this wasn't really my kind of book.
For starters, it took roughly 170 pages before Dacia and Lou discover their power and the story to even really start. I can't really tell you what filled those 170 pages except uneventful travels, thinly veiled hints, and the musings of two extremely un-curious society girls. Oh, and lovesick boys kept popping out of the woodwork. After they did find out they were shape shifters, Dacia and Lou switched personalities. Dacia, who always put on a brave face and challenged the world, was suddenly drowning is self-loathing to the point of catatonia. And Lou, who was always quiet and meek, was suddenly taking charge and ordering people about. I am all for characters growing and changing, but not so abruptly. And they didn't embrace their powers at first but instead ran from them. This, I was OK with, I only mention it because it led to more inaction. By the time things did finally get going (in the last 75 pages or so), I was unfortunately already exhausted beyond the point of caring. But I can recognize that it was a good ending.
I think Silver in the Blood would be better suited for readers who are able to connect with Dacia or Lou, although they don't have much depth yet. Or for readers who don't mind a slow start to a series. I do think the world and premise hold a lot of promise, it's just that the things that didn't work for me overshadowed that. That being said, I might give the sequel a shot if I hear really good things. But sadly this book did not pull me in and was not suited to my interests (though that cover is GORGEOUS). I'll leave it at that.
September 27, 2016
Bought this book mostly because it's a paranormal set in 19th century Romania. Our protagonists are New York socialites who are on a trip to get to know their mothers side of the family. I got really excited since I heard that the author has visited Transylvania before writing the novel.
But here is the biggest problem: I did not like the writing. It's repetitive, goes into too much detail and feels forced. The book starts out slow, but even in the climax the author failed to maintain an ounce of tension.
As far as the Romanian historical aspect, I could not complain since author clearly did her research. The setting and the relevant events were correct, you can tell she payed attention to her tour guide. But all that research was used to paint Romania as a backwards country filled with mystical monsters.
That wouldn't really be a problem if any of the Romanian characters were good or interesting characters. But that's not the case, they're either cowards or ruthless, power hungry leaders in the most boring way.
Even our protagonists Dacia and Lou are weak characters. In the beginning, Dacia is an outgoing flirt with a love of danger and Lou is smart, shy and doesn't know she's beautiful. But by the end, both girls have gone through a lot. In theory I would be thrilled with their progress, but it was handled so poorly, it was so overly melodramatic that I can't really recommend this book to anyone. That is, unless you want a headache.
But here is the biggest problem: I did not like the writing. It's repetitive, goes into too much detail and feels forced. The book starts out slow, but even in the climax the author failed to maintain an ounce of tension.
As far as the Romanian historical aspect, I could not complain since author clearly did her research. The setting and the relevant events were correct, you can tell she payed attention to her tour guide. But all that research was used to paint Romania as a backwards country filled with mystical monsters.
That wouldn't really be a problem if any of the Romanian characters were good or interesting characters. But that's not the case, they're either cowards or ruthless, power hungry leaders in the most boring way.
Even our protagonists Dacia and Lou are weak characters. In the beginning, Dacia is an outgoing flirt with a love of danger and Lou is smart, shy and doesn't know she's beautiful. But by the end, both girls have gone through a lot. In theory I would be thrilled with their progress, but it was handled so poorly, it was so overly melodramatic that I can't really recommend this book to anyone. That is, unless you want a headache.
April 28, 2015
Really, really liked this! It started out slow, wish it would have got to the shifting part a bit earlier. But I loved the back half! I'd love to see a book 2 there's so much left to tell!
July 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this story about historical family duels between the Draculas (vampires) and The Florescus (shapeshifters). Only the women daughters have the shapeshifter blood - as two young women are going to find out when they return to their homeland in Romania. I would have given 4.5 stars if I could have. I really loved the storytelling, and the narrative description of the countryside in Romania was breathtaking. Great Story!
August 10, 2015
Silver in the Blood has an intriguing premise. Jessica Day George has once again created a rich, believable fantasy world within our old world. It has promise and potential...and somehow falls short.
Plot
American cousins Dacia and Lou are the belles of upper 1890 New York. Dacia longs for adventure. Lou for consistency. Just as Dacia is about to get an offer of marriage from the catch of the season, the two girls are packed off to their mothers' relations in Romania. There they discover a dark family secret and a world that blots out everything they have ever known.
Thoughts
The book is obviously well researched and some of the descriptions are lovely. Even the idea of a family of Claw, Wing, and Smoke was creative and absorbing. As far as the plot goes, it kept me guessing and had some great twists and turns.
The writing was okay. It wasn't great. Every character "babbles" at some point which got on my nerves. Just because there are three sentences in a row doesn't mean someone is babbling. I think there were a few other words and plot elements that were unnecessarily repetitive.
However, what really annoyed me about this book was the characters. Almost every single one of them. They were unlikable. Annoying. I liked Lord Johnny. Otherwise...
(Some spoilers to follow)
Dacia - This girls begins by falling for every guy around. She's always flirting/thinking about boys/whining about her life/thinking about boys/complaining/thinking about boys... Thankfully a little danger smacks her out of it but when she loses her constant boy-filled thoughts she also loses the gumption that made her interesting. In fact, as soon as she gets her power she goes into shock. Her character becomes limp, passive, and unwilling to use her power. I know this is supposed to develop character change but it mostly just irritated me and I lost any respect I had for her character (especially in the room with Mihai when she just stood there blankly...I wanted her to fight! To be strong! The timing of her rescue was too convenient to make me comfortable about the situation)
Lou - Lou-Lou had some good character change and was more likable. However, she too irritated me after a while. She starts off getting pushed around by everyone, bemoaning life, and bemoaning her lack of beaus/charm/beauty...all of the above. Then she has her change and becomes strong overnight. She gets a confidence booster and that was good. But see, she also gets a Romance.
And I really didn't like the guy she fell for.
Lou is too timid. She remains timid throughout, even with her new "stronger" persona. Also, her ability confused me
Beaus - I liked Lord Johnny. He showed gumption and was enjoyable to read about. I'd read more with him in it. I disliked Theo Arkady, whose behavior is never really explained. I have no clue why Will Carver was even part of the plot. I was ready to take up a gun and shoot him myself. Prince Mihai was kinda...
I liked Radu. He's a ginger and so that automatically gives him points in my book. His hair basically made up for his waffling attitude.
Overall, not a book I would necessarily recommend but it isn't one to avoid. I will definitely keep my eye out for the sequel.
Plot
American cousins Dacia and Lou are the belles of upper 1890 New York. Dacia longs for adventure. Lou for consistency. Just as Dacia is about to get an offer of marriage from the catch of the season, the two girls are packed off to their mothers' relations in Romania. There they discover a dark family secret and a world that blots out everything they have ever known.
Thoughts
The book is obviously well researched and some of the descriptions are lovely. Even the idea of a family of Claw, Wing, and Smoke was creative and absorbing. As far as the plot goes, it kept me guessing and had some great twists and turns.
The writing was okay. It wasn't great. Every character "babbles" at some point which got on my nerves. Just because there are three sentences in a row doesn't mean someone is babbling. I think there were a few other words and plot elements that were unnecessarily repetitive.
However, what really annoyed me about this book was the characters. Almost every single one of them. They were unlikable. Annoying. I liked Lord Johnny. Otherwise...
(Some spoilers to follow)
Dacia - This girls begins by falling for every guy around. She's always flirting/thinking about boys/whining about her life/thinking about boys/complaining/thinking about boys... Thankfully a little danger smacks her out of it but when she loses her constant boy-filled thoughts she also loses the gumption that made her interesting. In fact, as soon as she gets her power she goes into shock. Her character becomes limp, passive, and unwilling to use her power. I know this is supposed to develop character change but it mostly just irritated me and I lost any respect I had for her character (especially in the room with Mihai when she just stood there blankly...I wanted her to fight! To be strong! The timing of her rescue was too convenient to make me comfortable about the situation)
Lou - Lou-Lou had some good character change and was more likable. However, she too irritated me after a while. She starts off getting pushed around by everyone, bemoaning life, and bemoaning her lack of beaus/charm/beauty...all of the above. Then she has her change and becomes strong overnight. She gets a confidence booster and that was good. But see, she also gets a Romance.
And I really didn't like the guy she fell for.
Lou is too timid. She remains timid throughout, even with her new "stronger" persona. Also, her ability confused me
Beaus - I liked Lord Johnny. He showed gumption and was enjoyable to read about. I'd read more with him in it. I disliked Theo Arkady, whose behavior is never really explained. I have no clue why Will Carver was even part of the plot. I was ready to take up a gun and shoot him myself. Prince Mihai was kinda...
I liked Radu. He's a ginger and so that automatically gives him points in my book. His hair basically made up for his waffling attitude.
Overall, not a book I would necessarily recommend but it isn't one to avoid. I will definitely keep my eye out for the sequel.
October 16, 2016
The Claw, The Wing & The Smoke...
The beginning of this book started out pretty iffy for me. The main characters, cousins Dacia & Lou, came across as superficial, flighty and immature and the majority of the dialogue focused on what they were wearing, what boys they liked and what shops they were going to visit while on vacation.
I listened to the audio and the narrator's voice, although it reflected the flighty characters personalities perfectly, it was also rather annoying. About midway through, the plot finally took a turn for the better and Dacia & Lou gained a little more depth in their characters. The narrator seemed to reflect that too in her tone and I started enjoying both book and narrator a lot more- not enough to rate it 5 stars or anything but enough to finish the story at least.
I think the story with its shapeshifters, Dracula family origins and Romanian setting had the potential to be much more then it was but it just wasn't executed very well. The plot waa thin at best. The Romanian culture was hardly touched on and the characters left much to be desired. The tone of the book also seemed geared more toward children's middle grade then young adults. I would say the last quarter of the book was probably the strongest but, it was a case of- too little, too late!
*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Vampires vs. Werewolves~ square
**Booklikes has been sooo slow today & yesterday for me that I can't do anything on there so I'm only posting here on GR until it's fixed.
The beginning of this book started out pretty iffy for me. The main characters, cousins Dacia & Lou, came across as superficial, flighty and immature and the majority of the dialogue focused on what they were wearing, what boys they liked and what shops they were going to visit while on vacation.
I listened to the audio and the narrator's voice, although it reflected the flighty characters personalities perfectly, it was also rather annoying. About midway through, the plot finally took a turn for the better and Dacia & Lou gained a little more depth in their characters. The narrator seemed to reflect that too in her tone and I started enjoying both book and narrator a lot more- not enough to rate it 5 stars or anything but enough to finish the story at least.
I think the story with its shapeshifters, Dracula family origins and Romanian setting had the potential to be much more then it was but it just wasn't executed very well. The plot waa thin at best. The Romanian culture was hardly touched on and the characters left much to be desired. The tone of the book also seemed geared more toward children's middle grade then young adults. I would say the last quarter of the book was probably the strongest but, it was a case of- too little, too late!
*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Vampires vs. Werewolves~ square
**Booklikes has been sooo slow today & yesterday for me that I can't do anything on there so I'm only posting here on GR until it's fixed.
August 17, 2015
This review was originally posted on About to Read. For Fairytale fashions, reads, and more visit abouttoread.com
***
I thought I was going to enjoy Silver in the Blood, but I ended up really, really liking it. It wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was engaging, fast-paced, and exciting. I decided to pick this one up because I flew through Princess of the Midnight Ball and wanted to try out something else by the author.
I was expecting Silver in the Blood to be a lot like The Luxe by Anna Godberson, but with shape shifters. Not the case at all. There are certainly shape shifters, but we see very little of New York or Romanian society. No fancy balls, not too much romance, but tons of political intrigue, back-stabbing, and rebellion.
While the story was 100 fold different from what I thought I’d be getting, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I attribute that to a strong plot and Jessica Day George’s writing style. She crafts these awesome characters that you can’t help but get attached to and she knows how to keep you turning pages. I was surprised that I found myself not wanting to put this one down.
I was also surprised at the open-ending. I thought this was a stand alone (and it was supposed to be), but this feels like there is more coming. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see! I would have preferred if this was a one and done story, but I will continue reading if more are released.
***
I thought I was going to enjoy Silver in the Blood, but I ended up really, really liking it. It wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was engaging, fast-paced, and exciting. I decided to pick this one up because I flew through Princess of the Midnight Ball and wanted to try out something else by the author.
I was expecting Silver in the Blood to be a lot like The Luxe by Anna Godberson, but with shape shifters. Not the case at all. There are certainly shape shifters, but we see very little of New York or Romanian society. No fancy balls, not too much romance, but tons of political intrigue, back-stabbing, and rebellion.
While the story was 100 fold different from what I thought I’d be getting, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I attribute that to a strong plot and Jessica Day George’s writing style. She crafts these awesome characters that you can’t help but get attached to and she knows how to keep you turning pages. I was surprised that I found myself not wanting to put this one down.
I was also surprised at the open-ending. I thought this was a stand alone (and it was supposed to be), but this feels like there is more coming. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see! I would have preferred if this was a one and done story, but I will continue reading if more are released.
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