I could talk about this book for a while, so bear with me. Tegan’s Blood is nothing short of wonderful. It's a unique vampire novel that crosses a lot of literary genres, and I'm so glad I read it.
One of the greatest draws in the book is Tegan herself. First of all, that’s the coolest name I’ve heard in a while. As someone who has the same name as half of Henry VIII’s wives, I’m always drawn to people with lovely and interesting names. It really fits her personality in that it’s a bit mysterious but inexplicably beautiful. Tegan has recently dealt with a tragedy and she’s only starting to put back together the pieces of her life that fell apart. I was glad that Cosway referred back to this issue throughout the novel. So many times female characters are reeling from a loss and suddenly forget everything that happened when they meet a new hottie love interest. I really felt for her and could not imagine dealing with such a tragedy myself. This level of realism really carried the story within the paranormal context.
Tegan’s far from being a damsel in distress, however. Despite her woes, Tegan approaches life with a sardonic sensibility that is refreshing in a paranormal novel. The norm with vampire novels (thanks to an obscure little gem called Twilight) is that the female protagonist is completely weak to her male love interest and she accepts his vampire-y ways, no questions asked. I liked the fact that Tegan was skeptical throughout the novel, and at times, even a bit disgusted. Not once did I roll my eyes at her or say, “Seriously? What are you doing? Girl, please.” Despite her vulnerability, she’s a girl who thinks through her situation and tries to be logical about the paranormal elements that occur around her. In one scene, she’s forced into a Wiccan ceremony, where she sits there a sort of wonders, what the heck are these people doing? I laughed out loud and loved it, because that’s how a normal girl should act in a situation like that.
Ethan, the love interest, is super sexy and that she can resist him on any level is shocking to me. He says all the things that you want a guy to say to you. At the same time, their relationship is surprisingly healthy. As much as he wants to be manly and constantly protect her, Tegan keeps him from being controlling and dominating. He is just as drawn to her as she is to him, and their relationship is one that I’m willing to root for. Supporting characters stand on their own and are unique, offbeat individuals that are anything but clichéd. I especially liked Rita, although I was ready to dislike her when she first appeared. But the characters kept me guessing and it was nice that as a reader, I was hesitant to trust many of them because the stakes were so high in the novel. To me, that’s a sign of carefully crafted relationships between the characters in the novel, some of which go back long before the temporal confines of Tegan’s story.
The story line itself is complex. Tegan’s city is teeming with secrets and hidden layers, and is nice complement to Tegan herself. Like Tribane, Tegan has mysterious qualities, most of which she cannot explain. These elements unfold throughout the novel and keep things interesting without relying on action, violence, or unnecessary bloodshed. There is some closure towards the end of the novel, but things are certainly left open and there is unfinished business that will surely be addressed in the sequel.
All this aside, my last comment is that this book is just simply well-written. That’s an important factor. Cosway is a fantastic writer and she could probably make the phone book sound dark, mysterious, dangerous, and sexy. The book is wonderfully indulgent and leaves mystery and intrigue in all the right places.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes vampires, magic, strong female heroines, and dark urban tales. It’s a great read.