Voodoo and Vampires

The Blood Witch Saga #1

by Theophilus Monroe

When one of the world's most gifted witches becomes a vampire, you'd be wise to heed this advice: Don't f*** with her.

I’m supposed to seduce and assassinate the vampire king…

He’s defied the new vampire council.

The Voodoo Queen has evoked Erzulie, the Loa of Love, to render him susceptible to my allure

Once I’ve enthralled the king my orders are to stake him and cast a spell to harness the power that lingers in his blood.

But there’s one problem…

He has enthralled me instead.

MEET THE BLOOD WITCH

I'm Hailey Bradbury: Hedge Witch and Vampire.

My sire was staked moments after I was turned.

As a youngling, the Voodoo Queen took me in. She taught me her art.

I've been working with the new Mistress of the Vampire Council.

She trained me in the ways of vampirism, the path of the night.

Witchcraft + Voodoo + Vampirism = what I call bloodwitchery.

Most witches won't mess with the power latent in blood.

It's dark. It's dangerous. But if you can master it...

You can harness the power of life itself.


Voodoo and Vampires is the first volume in Theophilus Monroe’s expansive Blood Witch Saga. Hailey Bradbury was only sixteen when she was turned seven years ago. She might be a young vampire—but she’s an accomplished badass witch. After all, only the most daring of witches dabble in blood magic.

Readers of Monroe’s Legacy of a Vampire Witch, Voodoo Academy series, or The Legend of Nyx, have encountered Hailey before. Now, she has come into her own. She may be a member of the Vampire council. Her mentor might be the Voodoo Queen. But no one tells this blood witch what to do. Voodoo and Vampires is an action packed Urban Fantasy with a heavy dose of closed-door Paranormal Romance.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Teen

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2022

About the author

Theophilus Monroe is a fantasy author with a knack for real-life characters whose supernatural experiences speak to the pangs of ordinary life. After earning his Ph.D. in Theology, he decided that academic treatises that no one will read (beyond other academics) was a dull way to spend his life. So, he began using his background in religious studies to create new worlds and forms of magic-informed by religious myths, ancient and modern-that would intrigue readers, inspire imaginations, and speak to real-world problems in fantastical ways.

Reviews

[Helen Wawrejko · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I could not finish this. I found the dialog and inner musings very juvenile. I really didn't like that she was 16 when she was turned, and looked it. Yikes.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the age of fourteen, Hailey Bradbury found her family's grimoire in her grandmother’s attic. At the age of sixteen Hailey was bitten in the street by a vampire. Now she is a Hedge Witch and a Vampire hybrid.

Inside the grimoire, she found a letter from an ancestor, Moll Dwyer. Hailey learned a lot about being a witch from Moll Dwyer in the grimoire.

Moll tells Hailey about a spell that she needs to help stop a very powerful vampire. Hailey needs a cauldron if she is going to brew up this spell. She also needs to find herself a coven to join. She kills two birds with one stone so to speak she finds a coven that will loan her a cauldron.

Hailey meets some new friends in this coven that she is able to learn a lot more about being a witch. They also teach her about the Vampire King. Hailey must seduce him so she can assassinate him and stop him from harming humans. And to find out what his plans for vampires happen to be.

The Vampire King is a very powerful vampire but so is Hailey. But the question is, is she strong enough to take him on and stop him? But you know strength does not always prevail, right? Sometimes it takes more than strength to win, right?

I sorely enjoyed reading Voodoo and Vampires. I loved the person that Hailey is. I loved seeing Hailey and Connor together. I loved the fun banter between them. I loved how they cut up with each other always making a joke. I could just see how happy they were when they were together.

I have not read any of the books with Hailey in them as of yet but I sure wish I had as I would love to know more about Hailey and this world that Theophilus Monroe has created with vampires and witches. I can’t wait to read more from this world.

Voodoo and Vampires was an amazing read that kept me glued to my seat and not able to flip the pages as fast as I wanted. I couldn’t get enough of the vampires, witches, and wolves. Voodoo and Vampires pulled me in with the first page and once it did I was lost between its page for the duration with all the tension and suspense that filled each and every page.

I would recommend Voodoo and Vampires to all vampires and witches fans! One-click your copy of Voodoo and Vampires today!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Voodoo and Vampires is the first installment in author Theophilus Monroe's The Blood Witch Saga. When Hailey Bradbury was only fourteen, she found a grimoire that started her down a path to become the most powerful witch in the past 300 years. When she was sixteen, her mentor, Moll Dwyer, an infamous blood witch, told Hailey to expect a change that would mean she had to leave her family behind when she was sixteen. What she didn’t know, was that Moll had set her up to be attacked by a vampire, who wanted the strong blood concoction she and Moll had brewed up in her cauldron.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good series starter! I thought this one was pretty enjoyable. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

[Jeanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unrealized potential.

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Voodoo and Vampires” marks the start to another fabulous series (The Blood Witch Saga” in the vast “Gates of Eden” verse by Theophilus Monroe. Once again, avid readers surely remember “The Legacy of a Vampire Witch” series, Monroe blends voodoo, magic, fantasy, mystery, and romance is a unique tapestry, that interlaces a fast-paced action-filled plot, and multidimensional characters to form a very well-crafted story, set against a magnificent New Orleans realistic landscape, in which the fantasy elements serve to highlight the credibility of the tale. Once more, with feeling and deranged precision Monroe revisits a widely variety of tropes (teenager-angst, vampire lore, voodoo, mythology, while embarking the reader into a new rollercoaster of emotion. And while surely doesn’t hurt 😉 no previous knowledge of the mentioned “The Legacy of a Vampire Witch” series is necessary to fully enjoy this new ride.

Hailey Bradbury had a really bad ‘turn’, as if being bitten wasn’t enough, her sire was stacked right after the ‘deed’. Being an orphan vampire really sucks, but fortunately for Hailey, the Vampire Queen stepped into the parental role. Hailey is not merely a very good student, but a former hedge witch, add vampirism to the mix and you’ll get the most dangerous apex predator in town, provided she manages to wield the power she is about to harness, before falling into under the spell of the Loa of Love, aka Erzulie.

As stated above, “The Blood Witch Saga” is a new addition to Monroe’s original “Gates of Eden” verse which loosely borrows Arthurian tropes and transfer them organically into a modern urban fantasy that spans centuries, crossing realms and blurs the boundaries between reality and legend and transforms them into a veritable smørrebrød of action, unexpected twists, wonderful characters and mind-blowing descriptions, garnished with a good dose of magic some sprinkles of mythical lore and some paranormal romance on the side, and served with very well-crafted, with an accurate world building, interesting characters, captivating writing style and carefully editing. Monroe’s ‘Gates of Eden’ verse is populated by a vast number of extraordinary characters, which are (unless very subjectively) almost impossible to rank, but all beware! Hailey is aiming for the top of the food chain already😉

[Erica Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hailey has been sent by Mercy to eliminate another powerful vampire. In her attempt, she learns of a far more evil plan which could mean bad news for all vampires. Hailey and Mercy must find a way to stop these things from happening and fast.

[Erin M. Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Read

The book was not quite your typical witch\vampire story. The author incorporated voodooism into the mix, and the story did keep me interested in the book. I did have some mixed feelings on the age of the characters with adult type interactions. I know that the main character Hailey was turned into a vampire at 16, and I know the story takes place seven years later. Which she is older mentally, but physically she is still 16.
I received a advance reader copy, and leaving a fair and unbiased review.

[Jerry Harkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch/Vampire hybrid Hailey is having a tough time in her latest mission for the Vampire Council. Can she seduce and assassinate a 700+ year old vampire lord? Sadly, you have to be very patient and tolerate some very poor narration to find out. The protagonist was turned vampire at 16-years old, and although this story starts 7 years later, she still acts/thinks like a 16-year-old. Worse, the narrator does all the other voice very well, but portrays the Hailey as a squeaky-voiced, insipid YA character.

[Kelley Hazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bram Stoker did it with the Count. Anne Rice did it with Le Stat. They let imagination and terror be their guides and created a whole new culture that took the literary world by storm. Theophilus Monroe has let his inspiration and creativity run wild, as he gives us the New Orleans of today populated with a vampire/witch hybrid society, that rocks the night and lives quite the highlife, both above and under ground. All the while these varied creatures - that harken back to the monsters of yesteryear - watch Netflix, veg out on Play Station, and consider how best to integrate with humankind.

We fell in love with Mercy Brown in The Legacy of a Vampire Witch 1-5. Mercy intrigued us as a late 1800's nineteen year old turned bloodsucker, navigating the modern world as the sort of 'woman of the night' Kristen Stewart could only hope to be. Now Monroe serves up Hailey Bradbury in Voodoo and Vampires.

Hailey is a modern girl. Only recently turned at sixteen, she has seen the error of her ways in depending on ancient magical mentors who have used her for their own purposes. Hailey is 'un-living' life on her terms. She teams up with Mercy to soften the undead blow as it heats up in NOLA. As member of the Vampire Council lead by Mercy, Hailey's def understanding of technology aides her aged counterparts in their quest to find the je ne sais quoi required for the undead and humanity to live in balance.

With the attraction of pop star Britany Spears and the innocent savvy of CLUELESS' Cher Horowitz, Hailey is on her own personal road to redemption and balance. While developing her occult skills in high school, before her turning, she only now faces the risks she took with other people's lives and the price of her choices.

Mercy and Hailey begin a battle against adversaries from all sides - fundamentalist humans that would end their kind, and arrogant factions of their own lineage that would take over the world by storm. Neither way will end pretty. The lacing of religion, voodoo, mythology, gods, and goddesses blankets The Big Easy in steamy, slinky, sultry textures that up the provocative nature of an already sexy city.

Voodoo and Vampires is just so much fun. I love that these vampire heroes are women. Monroe is hilarious. His sense of humor, distinctive. His understanding of the feminine mystique, spot on. The world building of his New Orleans with the underworld of his characters is nothing short of Minecraft. And his characters have a depth, a sense of purpose and responsibility, that belie their YA eccentricities.

Voodoo and Vampires makes you think.

Voodoo and Vampires with its anti-heroine Hailey Bradbury is fresh, funny, and a promise of great things to come for the next two books of Monroe's THE BLOOD WITCH SAGA - both of which are due this summer.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of The Blood Witch Saga and the main character is young Hailey Bradbury and tells her story. She was a typical fourteen year old teenager, when she found a family grimoire in her grandmother’s belongings up in the attic. Opening up a letter found hidden within it, led her to meet an ancestor of hers, Moll Dwyer, an infamous blood witch. She started learning her craft as a Hedge Witch, through the grimoire and experimentation and then later on by working with Moll as her mentor. She was told to expect a change that would mean she had to leave her family behind when she was sixteen. What she didn’t know, was that Moll had set her up to be attacked by a vampire, who wanted the strong blood concoction she and Moll had brewed up in her cauldron. Her sire was staked and she was taken in by the new Voodoo Queen, Annabelle, as Mercy Brown, the head of the Vampire Council in New Orleans didn’t want to deal with a youngling and their bad blood decisions! She learnt a lot more about magic from Annabelle and eventually ending up working with Mercy, learning all about vampirism and blood. She now had an excellent grounding in witchcraft, voodoo and vampirism, that Hailey likes to call bloodwitchery. It is a type of magic that most witches avoid due to its darkness and the danger it can bring. The way the story is told, you don’t have to know any of the characters, nor have read any of the other books they have been in.
The Vampire King, Corbin, is visiting town and Mercy puts him up in one of her numerous mansions in town. He has brought a lot of young female vampires with him, as well as three wolf shifters as guards. Hailey is to try and seduce Corbin and find out what his plans for the future of vampires in Europe and elsewhere is, but if that doesn’t work then she is to assassinate him! She finds a possible ally in Bianca, a vampire a bit older than her, who loves Corbin, but doesn’t agree with his plan to make humans fear vampires, when humans finally find out about the supernatural and vampires in particular. Which with technology and social media, could happen at any time! He believes vampires should rule the world and use humans as they wish, which won’t be good for mankind. Mercy wants to ensure humans see them as kind beings, that don’t kill to feed, which would turn a lot of humans against them. Hailey has been placed on the Vampire Council as a very junior member, to help with the transition of technology, which a lot of older vampires aren’t very knowledgeable about. She also gets the shock of finding out that the wolf shifters are actually kids she went to school with and were there when she did the initial spell, which brought Moll to her. They were all turned into wolf shifters and are a small pack, surviving by doing odd jobs and security for others, as well as information gathering. Some of that has been for hunters, but another surprise client, who kept their identity hidden, was the Church of the Morning Dawn, who want witches and vampires eradicated, but use nightwalkers themselves, as well as infernal magic. Hypocritical, a bit!
But the self-proclaimed Vampire King has been building up to a very dangerous point, where he will be able to take in the aspect of Baron Samedi, and this will allow him to carry out his plans. He has been gathering souls by feeding on loads of humans and doesn’t care whether they are killed in the process. To help, the Voodoo Queen had evoked Erzulie, the Loa of Love and they have given her their aspect, to enthral Corbin and get him to fall in love with Hailey. With someone like Moll and the Baron around in the past, nothing will actually happen as they hope. She has help from Connor, her fourteen year old crush and now a wolf shifter, but someone is betraying them to the Church of the Morning Dawn. This brings more danger and if Hailey uses her magic to put a spell on Corbin, he may not be the one that is the most dangerous now! Someone she thought she could trust, has now clearly betrayed her and she should be used to that after the number of times Moll betrayed her and used her for her own purposes. Corbin is hundreds of years older than Mercy and has had the opportunity to feed from so many more humans, gaining unknown powers from those he has fed from. What he will be able to do, that neither Mercy nor Hailey would expect, is what may allow him to survive their need to stop him, no matter what! Still so much more to come from Hailey and the others, as her past and present combine to affect her future and the powers Moll was told she would have, have still to be realised in full. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Arabella Auberon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to clarification by the author, this book has solidly earned my 5⭐️ Rating!

This book is hilarious and so much fun reading. Hailey is both strong and capable and her sense of humor is on point. I loved Annabelle and Mercy, so I have no choice but to read the other series’ stories so I can get my fix. Good thing I already own Voodoo Academy - The COMPLETE Boxed Set. It’s so rare for an author to be able to tell such a great story and still make it funny, and Mr. Monroe has more than accomplished that! This story is phenomenal and I can’t wait to get my grubby hands on the next books in the series!

5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.

4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.

3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.

2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.

1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** No Spoilers ***

I've read other works by this author but none from earlier series containing characters that appear in this one. So there is history that feeds into these characters and their interrelationships. Having said that, a new reader like me (and hopefully you) can pick the tale up here and follow the flow.

Start with one powerful witch, who is also hot, who is now also a vampire. Throw in some other factions including competing witches, werewolves, different Voodoo characters including some of the most powerful ones. Add a betrayal or two, competing interests of the allies you have, and a love interest between the young but powerful witch and the similarly powerful villain she's supposed to kill.

This gives the author several plot threads to weave together and the reader to follow. Sounds like it could be daunting but they are presented in a way that I could follow without confusion. The characters, though nothing like mundane humans, can still be related to and sides picked and rooted for. All in all, a solid read that held my interest throughout while also teaching me several tidbits of the mystical folklore behind the players.

Bottom line is I highly recommend this both to those who have read the earlier stories as a worthy continuation as well as to someone looking to try something maybe a bit out of their usual stock. It has also interested me enough to go back and start reading the books beginning this saga. Four and a half (rounded to five) stars.

*** NO SPOILERS ***.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. I also voluntarily leave reviews with fewer stars and less positive comments when they are deserved.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theo's books are a fantasy feast! Like a long table laid out with every culinary delight! And what can I say, I'm a glutton! Spinning a tale with Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Magic, Voodoo, and oh heavens, so much more! There's "fact" amongst the fiction to add just the right amount of credence, we all know that Voodoo IS practiced, the rest, well, that's debatable! I love how characters from previous books keep popping up, they're all integrated beautifully and it all makes perfect sense! One is never left confused, the brief description pertaining to each character is spot on. This book is Hailey's POV, which I must say, is perfect! Having read about her and totally loving her character in previous books, I loved finding out more about her, what makes her tick. By the end of chapter one, I'd fallen in love with her all over again! Is she a witch? Is she a vampire? Does she have magic? Guess what? She has it all and more! I love how all the different elements, witch, vampire, all combine fluidly. And having Annabelle and Mercy being part, pure heaven! The characters are so likeable, so wonderfully delightful, their adventures take me on an adventure, every single time! Oh and I can't forget to mention the humour, it slips in so quietly, like sliding a letter into an envelope, I don't t see it coming until I catch myself giggling out loud. Here's a taste, "I hate biting men with beards, if I wanted to floss, I'd get some damn floss". Theophilus Monroe is, in my book, a master storyteller!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2022
This is Hailey's main premier book and it's a fast paced kick butt read with hilarity sprinkled throughout.

She has old "friends" she gets reacquainted with that help her in her fight. Her backstory is interesting and she was a brave young teenager. She also has Mercy and the Voodoo Queen Annabelle who I know and love from Mr. Monroe's Cain series.

Don't get me wrong, Hailey mainly needed guidance from her friends and not too much muscle. With the exception of Connor that is since he is topside with her a wolf which gives him daylight freedom. Annabelle stays at the academy in Vilokan during the day.
She may be a youngling vampire but she's a badass blood witch.

I'm keeping Moll right here in the middle but she leans more towards villain in my book at least.

Between the insane (in my opinion) Corbin, the self proclaimed "Vampire King," the Baron and the Order of the New Dawn, this book has villains a plenty. Oh, and let's not forget Bianca that 2 faced biotch. At the end nightcrawlers are thrown into the mix. It does set up the next book very well though.

It sent my mind on a fantastic ride that I didn't want to stop. I would also like to put my vote in for Hailey and Conner. (: If you don't purchase and read, you'll never know what I mean.

P.S. In my long time on earth, trigonometry has never paid off. LOL! If you read, you'll know my reference.

I highly recommend. Easily one click worthy!

[Tom Intiso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?

This one is a FUN one!

This series puts inside the mind of one of the most intriguing characters in the whole of the Eden Gate saga.

Hailey has been on every side of this war at different points in time, and now we finally get a chance to know her in detail. Let me tell you something… This girl is a hoot! You will love her.

I’m also very fond of the way TM summarizes some 20 odd books neatly and concisely, using very little space on the history, instead dedicating most of his words to pushing the story forward. We learn a little bit more about the vampire hell and quite a bit more about the Loa.

The same villains who’ve plagued our heroes from day one reveal more of their plans, and it feels like it’s all finely coming together. Of course, as readers, we know it will ultimately all work out. However, if as TM’s writing has evolved and matured, so too have his plots, and I’m not entirely sure it WILL all work out, because Life doesn’t always do that either.

Finally, the ending to this book came as a total surprise and I can’t wait to see how this new wrinkle in the plot will unfold. Trust me, folks, you will ENJOY!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Wow, Wow!! I am a cozy mystery reader and wanted to expand my interest to a new genre! I chose Urban Fantasy! The audible version of Voodoo And Vampires. I loved the characters! Hailey is smart and so funny, she cracks me up through most of the story! Mercy is intelligent, beautiful and seems to be laid back. Baron is the "evil" vampire. A devious character but found him not as smart as other characters. I can't wait to find out more about him and what he has planned. We all have our favorite teacher from school and Annabelle reminds me of the sweet, caring lovable teacher we all once had. Now to Moll , is Moll the sweet grandmother? Or is there more to this character? I love that the author left us hanging with Moll. I am excited to find out more about her and her plans.
The author made us go back 9-10 years and back to the present day to find out how Hailey became who she is today. I am extremely impressed how he did this. This author hit it right on and made it very easy to follow.
The twists and action makes this an exciting fun read! I am also extremely impressed with the Narrator! The Narrator makes these characters come alive and adds so much to the story.
I highly recommend this series! On to Book 2!!

[Exiguous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waffling 3.5 or 4... was good

There were things I thought were cool and then things that were sort of me.

I would have loved for the blood witch part to not have been there and just the voodoo/vampire. I mostly feel this way because it's a little too OP in the making. FMC was okay I guess not great and I wasn't really rooting for her or connecting much with her really...now that I write about it.

I like the verbal banter between her and Conner it was entertaining. I have bo idea how we were supposed to see Corbin but I just got nothing. He's just flat and unremarkable as in I can muster no emotion at all. I mean normally you hate or love a villain here it just didn't happen.

Honestly this is the first book that I haven't connected to the characters and still chose to read on. It was worth the read because the concept and magic/vampire/werewolf world was cool. I definitely figure the author could have done so much more with it but who am I to judge?! Haha

I think readers will enjoy the magics/supernatural world that the author has imagined. I say why not it's a quick read!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many thoughts underdeveloped

I felt like I was reading somebody's rough draft. There was a clear story line with the introduction of several characters some character develement many Grand ideas for revamping the vampire and magic and were wolf satire,. However there was a lot of back-and-forth, hinting at stories but not actually telling the story, so you felt like you weren't getting the full picture. There are some authors that can do that well, telling a story from 2 different time periods flowing back-and-forth in a continuous manner so that they. Make sense why and when we have flashbacks support the events that are happening currently. With this story it felt disjointed more of an afterthought thrown in as kind of an excuse. Oh yes something here happened? That was really big and that's why this happens now moving on to the real story. It felt like placeholders, Like they gave themselves a note of a story they wanted to tell her to support the main one that they were doing but never actually bothered to fill it in

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will the real Hailey please stand up?
What a interesting twist of supernatural meets fantasy! The story focuses on Hailey Bradbury and her journey of becoming what she is today-a blood witch vampire. We find out how she discovers this new life in flashbacks as she does the bidding of her surrogate family in present day events. It is a lot of introduction into a new world with voodoo, vampires, religions, shifters and an assortment of other paranormal entities. Very interesting and loads of action. Plus a small taste of romance. This series does compliment the other series in this collection of Vilokan Asylum, Wyrmrider Academy, The Curse of Cain, etc. I definitely recommend this author as his tales spin wonder, fantasy and humor. Ending is strong and reflective. Great lines and inspiring thoughts.

[Adena Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perpetual teenager with an independent streak a mile wide and enough sass to keep her attitude at a constant boil - that is a volatile combination. Mix that with extraordinary witchy strength and a thirst for vein juice, and New Orleans is ground zero for significant shenanigans. This author gives us the back history of Hailey Bradbury, whom has been mentioned in the Dr. Cain books, and I am amazed at the detail and realism of the author's creation (once you allow for the supernatural). I am also amazed and apprehensive about all the emotionally nuanced and overly powered extraordinary people he has populating New Orleans. Will New Orleans survive their residency? I guess I need to read all the author's books set around New Orleans to find out!

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[DeeDeeWReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. I have met Hailey in many of Theophilus's books via other series, so I couldn't wait when I saw she was getting her own series. This one starts us down the path of how Hailey came to be a witch and a vampire, practicing bloodwitchery.

We get to spend more time with Mercy and Anabelle, which I always love. We meet a certain wolf shifter that I don't remember seeing in other books, so I look forward to seeing where that goes and if he'll appear later in some. Oh and Moll, if you're read some of the other series, you know who I'm talking about!

Great read, Theophilus is always knocking it out of the ballpark if you ask me. Fun, the humor is always appreciated.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voodoo and Vampires, the first book of the Blood Witch Saga, is a cleverly written urban fantasy. It's very well plotted with imaginative and fascinating world-building and intriguing characters. The storyline is rich, fast-paced, and entertaining, geared toward young adults but can be enjoyed by all ages. There were loads of suspense, action, magic, witches, vampires, vampire rules, culture, and unexpected twists and turns. The story certainly captured my attention, and I'll be listening to the next installment.

Kelley Hazen did an excellent job with the narration. She captured the nuances of the various characters' personalities and intensity found on pages, breathing life into the story. Voodoo and Vampires was an entertaining listen, one I'll recommend.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting paranormal action!

Hailey Bradbury is unique. She comes from a long line of witches, which is not that unusual, but her lineage is blood magic, that powerful but often dangerous dark magic. She is also a Vampire, the youngest member of the Vampire Council, and has been tasked with assassinating the self-proclaimed Vampire King. Stopping Corbin will take every power and skill she possesses and maybe a few others she will have to acquire along the way.

This book has an interesting back-and-forth between the past and the present. It fills in Hailey’s backstory and builds momentum toward the grand finale. The paranormal action is intense and thrilling. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Victoria Golby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a Vampire Witch series

Hailey was a hedge witch until she was turned by a vampire and taught about her new abilities by the voodoo queen. At the beginning it was nice that the chapters alternated between the new Hailey (after the bite) and old Hailey so you understand her better. She might be a young vampire but she's a skilled witch and is sent to seduce and spy on the vampire king (or seduce and assassinate depending on what she finds); but things don't go according to plan.

A great read with vampires, witches, shifters and voodoo; there's action, drama, magic and plenty of twists. I look forward to reading the next in the series, "Witches and Wolves".

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC I am writing my honest opinion. I love the style this author uses to write the adventures of characters that overlap several different series. They are unique to their own plot, but the storyline is full of action, suspense, unexpected happenings and unique problems one would encounter in the mystical world of witches, vampires and voodoo. This particular story will capture your attention from the start, as the search is on to prevent disaster from happening. Can a witch, turned into a vampire save the day? Maybe, with the help from some powerful friends and entities. Be prepared for a long night of reading!

[Roy Murry · Rating 4 out of 5]

VOODOO & VAMPIRES

A Blood Witch Saga. Book 1

THEOPHILUS MONROE

Review by Author Roy Murry

I am not a believer in Witchcraft, Vampires, or Voodoo. However, I like a fun read, and this fits the bill. You may learn something new from this adventure if you are a believer.

Hailey, a teenager, learns she is a witch, becomes a vampire, and then learns a little voodoo. All this is in the first few chapters.

Reading about her character's development defines the storyline's direction - Hailey is unique. She is a Blood Witch who agrees to an implausible main story task.

The supporting characters add humor and advice to this adventure leading to hell. This first in a series is a fun Young Adult read.

[Charles L · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "Voodoo and Vampires," I am left with immense feelings of satisfaction as it is a total immersion into Hailey Bradbury, the Hedge Witch who became a vampire. Monroe recaps her origin stories in a series of flashbacks that is both riveting and informative so that the reader can identify with her as the protagonist in the story whose somewhat of an antihero, as some of the tactics she uses to achieve her goals are not always pure. Nevertheless, she triumphs as a true defender of the masses even if she losses a few innocents along the way.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the narrator and extremely enjoyable. Mercy's story maybe over but the adventure continues. Hailey is at the helm and ready to save both humans and vampires. With the help of old friends, Mercy and Annabelle, Hailey is facing a difficult situation, is to up to the challenge? The interesting and intriguing characters keep you listening, wondering what unexpected twist will happen next in this action packed tale. It's very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to tales with these characters.

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent first in series

I have wanted Hailey's story for sooo long. It was worth the wait. The writing is amazing, the characters strong and well developed. The story is complete but with those little things left open so that a series can form.
I highly recommend that you have read Annabelle and Mercy's stories before moving to this one. Cain, Nix, Elijah, and Joni if you want to know everything that might be mentioned. It's not necessary to enjoy this book, but it definitely increases your engagement with the characters.