I was burned at the stake at fourteen... I was drowned in a lake when I was twenty-four... At twenty-seven, I was stoned in a public square...
I have died a hundred times in a hundred different ways, usually at the hands of the humans I've tried to save. But when a pregnant young woman finds her way into my tattoo shop with a demon on her tail, things go from bad to worse. Being a centuries-old witch isn't going to help me - nothing will.
This time I might just die in a way that sticks... Permanently.
Annie Anderson is the author of the international bestselling Rogue Ethereal series. A United States Air Force veteran, Annie pens fast-paced Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy novels filled with strong, snarky heroines and a boatload of magic. When she takes a break from writing, she can be found binge-watching The Magicians, flirting with her husband, wrangling children, or bribing her cantankerous dogs to go on a walk.
Note: if you have not read the author's Ashes to Ashes series, do NOT start this one until you do.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is right up my alley. However, there was so much missing that I felt like I was missing half the story. I discovered (after getting well into the story) that this is a spin-off series from the author's Ashes to Ashes series. That series (I'm assuming) is where we are first introduced to the main character, her possible love interest, and where all the world building is done. Reading this felt like I'd picked up the third in a series and not the first. There is no mention on the cover art or in the description that this is picking up where another left off. And there is nowhere near enough character- or world-building for this series to stand on its own (I am assuming this was all done in the original series).
In addition to billing book six of one series as book one of another, the storyline just jumped around an awful lot, it could've used another editing pass, and the characters just fell flat.
Jump into a fantasy world with magic, angels, demons, and so much more. The female lead is awesome and kicks some butt as she gives tattooed trying to live her life. After living for hundreds of years she thinks she has seen it all until life throws her a curve ball. Now she has to figure things out before it all goes bad with little to no information. Great development and smooth writing that Will draw you in until you hit the last page wondering what will happen next. Perfect for fans of the genre. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
I got this book from an amazon add on facebook, what it doesn't tell you is that this book is a spin off series and all the previous information is left out. It says no where in the add or the start of the book that this is a spin off. There are previous relationships and events that effect this story but they are not explained, we are just expected to know them. This is super confusing and frustrating. There is one event in particular from the previous book that is brought up constantly and by the end of the book we kind of get the jist of what happened but not enough for the plot of the story. This book was advertised as a romance but it's definitely not a romance. (Not that I only read romance, I personally prefer stories that are not romance but have a background romance element, however, that is not what it was advertised as). The book is in serious need of an editor. I wanted to like this so much, there were elements that I really liked and I loved the idea. It was not executed well, there were so many editing errors and continuity errors, including character continuity issues which really bother me. The story was a little all over the place. I know you need a lot of suspension of disbelief in a fantasy story line but even thinking in terms of the universe we are in there are just some problems. The problems really pull you out of the story. There were a lot of elements that just ended or ultimately had no pay off, which was frustrating. I think a rewrite with a good editor could really fix this book. TLDR: If you get this book for free from KU or other offers, read it, it's fine. If you have to pay for it just find something else.
I have a single complaint, so I’ll get it out of the way now: so much cussing. In particular, it’s hard to find a paragraph that doesn’t include some version of “fuck” in it. I do enjoy a good F-Bomb, but there is such a thing as too much, and this does cross the line for me.
But that’s the only thing. This was soooo freaking good. It was fast paced, not a moment of boredom, has excellent character development, and a very solid storyline that has far reaching potential.
I loved these characters. I really, really loved Max. I’m pretty sure it’s because she is so incredibly flawed. Yes, she is a badass, but mostly by necessity and sheer will power. There are many, many times in the story where she wants to give up, run away, or hurl at the sight of blood, but she picks herself up and does what she knows is right anyway. Which actually makes her an even better badass. I kinda wanna be her when I grow up.
I’m picking up the next book NOW. I’m sure I’ll have it finished tomorrow.
Trigger warning: it’s violent, and a tad on the gruesome side, although her descriptions of the gore are not over the top. But if this were a movie, it would definitely be rated R. It also deals with themes of physical abuse, and human trafficking.
I think the best word to describe this one is "uneven." It had a lot of promise, though, which is why I'll be checking the second book out. I'm a sucker for a kick-ass heroine, but the book just could not seem to settle on whether Max was the strongest witch of them all, or whether she was going to pass out every few pages. There were a few plot points that really should have been much bigger deals that seemed like they were just kind of "Oh hey there's this thing" dropped in without a bigger reaction. It made me think the book that was published was an early draft that could have been fleshed out a little better.
And the thing was, there was something here that could have been good. I liked the world, although it was clear I was being dropped into a pre-existing world that I'd need to read at least one other series to fully get. Same with the characters -- Max's links to Striker, Ian, and Aurelia as well as her Big Death Scene were clearly established in prior books and as a result, I didn't feel like I was properly introduced to any of them. I especially couldn't understand her big friendship with Striker when it felt like most of the book he was working against her in pursuit of his own goals. And it's clear she and Ian were supposed to be some sort of enemies-to-lovers thing but that didn't track when clearly their "enemies" portion was in a different book and you don't really see any of their sparks on the pages of this book.
So yeah, this wasn't great, but it had enough to like that I'll likely pick up book 2 at some point since they're on KU. I'm just hoping the second one will rely less on previous books and will do more showing than telling, or it will likely be a DNF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Well this one was weird there were fantastic parts and then other parts were just so. I felt the author needed to spend longer on the world building and character development to allow us a chance to connect. Some of the story was unique like the fact she's a witch that doesn't die but then other parts are a common happening in the paranormal world like demon branding.
Who knew Max would be such a complicated character? There were hints of it, but this story surpassed anything I’d have come up with! I am loving this spin off from the Phoenix Rising series immensely!
The world building and character development were crap, absolute crap! You know why? There's a whole series of books that come before this one and in order to understand this book/series, you need to have read it. Guess where that little tidbit is listed..... nowhere!! Not on the blurb for the book where courteous authors let their readers know that trying to read this book is futile without the previous series. On top of that, the multiple POV was handled horribly. I've made a note to never pick up another book by this author.
Probably 2.5 but I've rounded up as I didn't finish it.
The biggest issue with this is that it's clearly a spin off from another series and so I feel like way too much is established already and I've just missed out on loads of back story and world building, which is just annoying really.
Secondly, the main character is a bit obnoxious in a shallow and arrogant sort of way. I didn't really warm up to her at the start and my feelings towards her didn't get any better.
Life's too short to read books that annoy you, so I just threw in the towel on this one.
Annie Anderson delivers something new with the Rogue Ethereal Series. A spin off from the incredible Ashes to Ashes Series, I couldn't wait to dive into Woman of Blood & Bone. This story was different than Anderson's previous series as this one focuses on Max. She had intrigued me and I was eager to find out more about her.
As with all of her previous books, Anderson hits us with a fast paced and action packed storyline. Woman of Blood & Bone has Max and her best friend, Striker, doing their best to protect a pregnant woman from her boyfriend. A boyfriend who is more than he lets on. On a race against time and a battle against evil, both Max and Striker are also faced with the truth of their histories and where they come from. It was an emotional and exciting story. I didn't want it to end.
Anderson has expertly laid the groundwork for the next book. She has set up the conflict, given us interesting new characters, and teased us with a romance that I'm dying for. At the end, we are left desperate for more.
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Annie Anderson!
Woman of Blood & Bone is the first book in the Rogue Ethereal series and tells the story of Max and her friends. One day two people visit her tattoo shop and then everything changes…
Woman of Blood & Bone was such a good and interesting story. I really liked that this book, and series, is about different kinds of supernatural creatures. I think it’s always nice when you can read about different creatures and not just one.
Woman of Blood & Bone has multiple perspectives, which is something I also really like because you get to know the characters and you get to know why they do certain things. I really liked reading in Max’ perspective because she’s so badass and just amazing!
This book is definitely one of my favourite books because it’s just so fast paced and I couldn’t stop reading. I would’ve finished it in one day if I had the time. This is the second book I read by Annie Anderson, and the second book I loved written by her. She can write Contemporary and Fantasy, and she’s just amazing! I cannot wait to read the sequel, Daughter of Souls & Silence!
I like the idea of this book. The fmc was way over the top and super dramatic and it hindered me from really loving her. The plot was muddled and confusing, and there was a lot of history that was implied at, but that we were never really given. (ETA: apparently this is a spin off from another series that had all of that history I was looking for).
I was really intrigued by the whole - can’t die witch thing, and on that front, I wasn't really let down. I enjoyed the story of Max and her best friend trying to save a woman from a demon. I liked them coming into themselves but considering they have both lived for over 400 years, it really didn’t fit their whole coming of age/power storyline.
This really felt like two different stories mashed into one and it was a bit convoluted at times, but it was still a quick, easy and decent read.
ANNIE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!! Wow! I'm just gonna go ahead and tell ya, this is one wild ride. An excellent, easy to follow, fast paced, nailbiting, thrilling read that captures your attention from the first page to the last word. You can't put it, frozen to the edge of your seat and held prisoner till the very end. Annie shows her impressive skilled talent to bring this from imagination to life. You'll follow the main characters and fall in love with their personalities. You root for the good guys and try to help with the bad. A must read for anyone that loves an exciting tale.
I really wanted to like this book. Like everything about it theoretically ticks every box of what I like but it missed the mark.
there was too many subplots, too many characters that were not delved into properly. And striker falling in love after a ten minute conversation ... come on.
It wasn't bad enough for me to DNF but I won't be continuing the series
OMG!!!!!! I could not put this down. I so badly am waiting to read more from Annie Anderson. I highly recommend this book and author to everyone who loves a terrific book. i can't wait to read more loved it.
Max, a witch of unusual power, has spent her life dying and coming back while protecting others. As the story progresses unknown secrets come to light, she can’t keep from fighting against her need to help, and this time may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Annie Anderson’s Woman of Blood and Bone is a thrilling read with a grab bag of characters and their assorted issues. I truly appreciated her sense of mystery and wanted to rail at her toward the end for some of the things that happened. If you appreciate Kim Harrison and Patricia Briggs, you cannot go wrong with this book.
I really enjoyed listening to Woman of Blood & Bones. The narrator does a great job. Max had me hooked within the first few minutes of the book. I enjoyed the different view on paranormal and all the action! I can’t wait to hear what happens next.
Uh... Just gimme a minute to collect my thoughts, because what the heck did I just read?
I'm so confused & not in a good way. I debated long & hard how to rate this book. On one hand, it kept my interest...like a train wreck or a car accident will keep a person's interest. Honestly that's about the only nice thing I have to say about it. I think there might've been an idea for a decent plot & interesting characters in there somewhere, but there was nothing, & I do mean NOTHING to prop it up.
I still have no idea what the purpose of the first couple chapters is. The book starts with the main character, Max, meeting her best friend at a club. While there she has some amazing make out session with a stranger...then fast forward 1 year & she wishes she knew who that mysterious man was...except he seems to be someone she knows fairly well & she just doesn't realize he was the guy at the bar? What? No, really, what?! The first two chapters have absolutely no bearing on anything. But that's just par for the course, as I soon learned.
The whole book was just all over the place. Character development was a complete zero. You're given a few facts about the main characters, but there's no character growth arc or even anything relatable or particularly likeable about them. There are a bunch of mostly unnecessary secondary characters, all possessing the personality of poorly-drawn stick figures. The antagonist just shows up out of nowhere & starts being mind-blowingly evil; one of the main characters falls prey to the absolute WORST & most poorly developed case of insta-love I've EVER encountered; & the only thing I know for certain about the primary narrator is that she wears ridiculously high heels & has a lot of snarky comebacks. Oh, & she's a witch. A poorly trained but very powerful one who has apparently lived 400+ years while learning nothing about the supernatural world she lives in.
I call Max the "primary narrator" because for some truly useless reason there are multiple POVs in this book. Max's best friend Striker has a few chapters & I am genuinely baffled as to why that is. Particularly considering that one of them is LITERALLY the same scene Max just lived through from his POV even though he was IN THE ROOM WITH HER THE WHOLE TIME. I'm not sure the author really understands how to use multiple POVs.
Even the characters don't know what's going on. As I mentioned, despite being alive for 100s of years, neither of them seems to know much about the world they live in. That includes being unaware of what kind of creatures THEY are-- or rather, what kind of Ethereals they are, that is, since it seems that witches & demons & angels etc are known as Ethereals in this world, but I can't even be 100% on that because there is NO worldbuilding. Like none at all. I don't understand a damn thing about the world of this book. Absolutely nothing is adequately explained.
This book was barely readable, and I definitely won't be continuing the series or reading more by this author. Give this one a pass & don't waste your time!
Ok, let me start by saying I REALLY REALLY wanted to like this book.... but sadly all I could think was, when is the POS ending??
I read so many reviews saying how amazing it was but honestly, I just couldn't connect with ANY of the characters!
I agree with some of the other reviewers... the F-bomb was literally everywhere! So much so that I seriously questioned the authors writing capabilities. Can u NOT think of any other word to use? Are u THAT lazy? Now don't go thinking I'm a prude or whatever. I love me a bit of dirty talk, but seriously... this was just awful.
Plus was it just me, or did it feel like there was a whole chunk of the story missing right at the start?? The MC talks to her supposedly BF on the phone about an upcoming nupital, goes to a club, makes out with a guy... pretty standard stuff... then suddenly theres an unexplained never spoken of again raid in said club... and then its a year later!! With no mention whatsoever of the nupitals, said friend... nothing. Huh??
And the sarcasm.... dripping off Every. Bloody. Sentence... Literally! I love some sass and some sark from my FMC's but seriously... this was just lazy & I felt like there were never any genuine feelings from Max. Always gotta poke or say some witty one liner... 🙄🙄 So why should I give a damn about this person.. or any of them in the story?? The story moved too fast, too jumbled together, heck of a lot of insta-love (Striker & Melody), insta-besties (Max and Melody), insta-i-got-to-stop-a-war-i-know-nothing-about-and-is-only-like-a-side-story-anyways. None of it made ANY sense.
I only finished it instead DNF because I wanted to come on GR & give this review.
If you want to read a meaningful story, with strong character development, really cool magic, action packed scenes with REAL relatable people in it.... DON'T read this book.
I got sucked in by Facebook advertising... I won't be fooled again. 😒
Y’all remember Maxima right? She’s the spunky enigmatic witch who captured the glances of Ian and saved our friends from Ashes to Ashes series. This is the story you knew you needed but wasn’t sure you’d ever see.
Max is a rouge witch. She runs a tattoo parlor with her best friend and fellow unique person Striker. She’s been on earth several millennia and has died often yet she comes back every time. She is done with putting herself out there for ones who won’t extend her the same courtesy. When Striker drags her into an underground witch bar her life gets flipped upside down. She learns things about herself she didn’t know were true. On top of helping a mortal woman from a demon she must break bonds that were enforced upon her against her will.
Max is a strong woman yet at times she was in way over her head. I love that we finally got to see what Max truly is besides a kickbutt chick we all want to be like. Striker was a little overboard at times but I guess that was his nature to feel so much in such a short time. I want her to jump Ians bones. Hopefully in future books she’ll get her head out the clouds.
Annie Anderson weaves yet another magical word seamlessly with the Ashes to Ashes world. I can’t wait for more
This was a poorly written book. I liked the plot idea and the ethereal world created, but I knew after only a few pages into the work, that I wasn't going to like it. For some stupid reason, I persisted in reading through to the end; although I did start skimming about 50 pages in. Not going to continue with this series.
3.5 Addictive, quick listen (when you aren't in classes and have work due). Pretty good characters, can be developed more, but hiding secrets is part of the plot. Plot was good. Tensions were good. Rating could go up. Will continue with the series.
I read this first last year and I greatly enjoyed the entire series, so when the opportunity to listen to the audio book arose I leapt at the chance! Max is a very sassy yet loveable fmc who actually reminds me of my own tattoo artist friend! I will forever recommend all books by Annie
I'm still working through the Scattered Ashes series so this is my first introduction to Maxima, but what an introduction it was! Max is half demon, half witch, and was thrown out of her coven at the age of 14 after coming back to life after being burned at the stake. Her mother, the coven leader, bans her from the coven leaving her as a Rogue witch. She has since lived hundreds of years along with her best friend Stryker, and though she has died many times, the first time is the one that haunts her. When an innocent pregnant woman comes into her tattoo shop in need of help, Stryker and Max jump to her aid and end up with far more than they bargained for. Now Stryker and Max are on the run, trying to keep Melody and her unborn child safe. This was an awesome introduction to Max's story with nonstop action and surprises at every turn. Max and Stryker despite their many years of life together still have much to learn about themselves and each other and each new revelation was an unexpected treat. Anderson pulled no punches, fully displaying each characters emotional turmoil and vividly describing the brutal action scenes as they unfolded. All of this led to an impactful, intense, and unequivocally worthy read that shouldn't be missed. The emotional ride alone was worth the read! The story ended with a cliffhanger so be warned, you'll be ready for the next one. I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.
OMG, what did I just read? What a roller coaster ride of a book!
Annie Anderson has done it again, created a book that grabs you by the throat from the very first page and never lets go!
Maxima Alcado is a rogue witch who has died hundreds of times in her long life, each and every time because she is helping someone else to live. She and her best friend, Striker, are drawn into a young pregnant woman's life when her "boyfriend" comes into Max's tattoo parlor to get some new ink. Little do they know what will happen next.
The action never stops and after reading this book, I felt totally drained emotionally. Max has such a good heart and you just feel every bit of her pain as she tries to help the young woman, Melody, out of a horrible situation. My favorite quote: "What we are does not dictate what we can be."
I love Ms. Anderson's writing! Her characters are well-developed, there is always plenty of action and she always manages to introduce a new Etheral creature into her books. She never disappoints and I always know that I just have to set aside the time to read the book all in one setting. Once you start, you will have to finish! Another amazingly wonderful read!