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Of Chaos and Darkness #1
Invoking the Blood
What could happen in fifteen minutes?
Faye agreed to her sister’s brilliant idea to sneak into the Hunter’s Moon ball. A night the vampires in attendance held sacred, lusting under the eerie glow of the blood red moon. Faye was no vampire. She wasn’t even a race that possessed magic. Her ceremony failed, marking her an Anarian. A mortal without magic.
After a run in with the Shadow Prince, Faye begins dreaming of him. His yearnful gaze leaves her feeling cherished after she wakes. A pleasant daydream, since men like him didn’t exist. Not for women like her.
But as days pass and the dreams intensify, the Shadow Prince comes for her. His gaze filled with the same yearning he held for her during their shared dreams. Until he realizes she’s an Anarian.
Abducted and confined in his home in Hell, Faye is left only with his promise to release her after he breaks the tie binding his life to hers. But with each heated exchange she can almost see the man that longed for her in her dreams.
The one who cherished her and tempted her heart.
Faye agreed to her sister’s brilliant idea to sneak into the Hunter’s Moon ball. A night the vampires in attendance held sacred, lusting under the eerie glow of the blood red moon. Faye was no vampire. She wasn’t even a race that possessed magic. Her ceremony failed, marking her an Anarian. A mortal without magic.
After a run in with the Shadow Prince, Faye begins dreaming of him. His yearnful gaze leaves her feeling cherished after she wakes. A pleasant daydream, since men like him didn’t exist. Not for women like her.
But as days pass and the dreams intensify, the Shadow Prince comes for her. His gaze filled with the same yearning he held for her during their shared dreams. Until he realizes she’s an Anarian.
Abducted and confined in his home in Hell, Faye is left only with his promise to release her after he breaks the tie binding his life to hers. But with each heated exchange she can almost see the man that longed for her in her dreams.
The one who cherished her and tempted her heart.
Hardcover
Published August 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 504 reviews
August 5, 2022
More of a 2.8/5 stars.
Not sure I read the same book that people are raving about?
I got it as it's been a while since I joined the club of reading a book when it's new and fresh and just released, and the fact that it had such supposedly raving reviews already, I was expecting ... so much more.
There's a trigger warning at the start of the book. I was excited, expecting some gooood shit. This book is hilariously tame I am BORED.
It's like a mix of ACOTAR, CC, Supernatural (bitch and hooker are the corniest nicknames though, I cringe every time) and Fallen.
Faye is stupid as shit. Rune is stupid as shit.
Faye is hot and cold, like honestly make up your mind.
Ra'Voshnik - Venom, is that you?
Surprised Rune's neck isn't at a permanent tilt with all his canting.
Sparrow, your constant snorting is unnattractive.
So much happens in so little time and I'm left confused and asking questions, and then so little happens in a great span of time that I start dozing off.
The relationship building between Rune and Faye was lackluster. That's all I'll say to not spoil too much because I have a lot I can say.
Curious if there was an editor? As my copy had A LOOT of grammatical errors, which sucks mostly because it wasn't the cheapest book to get either.
End of the day, not sure about the hype, not the biggest fan.
Not sure I read the same book that people are raving about?
I got it as it's been a while since I joined the club of reading a book when it's new and fresh and just released, and the fact that it had such supposedly raving reviews already, I was expecting ... so much more.
There's a trigger warning at the start of the book. I was excited, expecting some gooood shit. This book is hilariously tame I am BORED.
It's like a mix of ACOTAR, CC, Supernatural (bitch and hooker are the corniest nicknames though, I cringe every time) and Fallen.
Faye is stupid as shit. Rune is stupid as shit.
Faye is hot and cold, like honestly make up your mind.
Ra'Voshnik - Venom, is that you?
Surprised Rune's neck isn't at a permanent tilt with all his canting.
Sparrow, your constant snorting is unnattractive.
So much happens in so little time and I'm left confused and asking questions, and then so little happens in a great span of time that I start dozing off.
The relationship building between Rune and Faye was lackluster. That's all I'll say to not spoil too much because I have a lot I can say.
Curious if there was an editor? As my copy had A LOOT of grammatical errors, which sucks mostly because it wasn't the cheapest book to get either.
End of the day, not sure about the hype, not the biggest fan.
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August 30, 2023It's not working for me.
The world building and magic system are messy af.
I've read 70 pages and understood 12% of what I read.
I was confused all of the time and the writing was so chaotic it gave me anxiety.
The characters didn't seem bad, but I'm not sure. I didn't understand enough of what was going on to firm a proper general opinion, and had to constantly check whose pov I was reading so I can't really say whether I would have stayed for the romance or not, had the writing and lore been more easy to get into.
The world building and magic system are messy af.
I've read 70 pages and understood 12% of what I read.
I was confused all of the time and the writing was so chaotic it gave me anxiety.
The characters didn't seem bad, but I'm not sure. I didn't understand enough of what was going on to firm a proper general opinion, and had to constantly check whose pov I was reading so I can't really say whether I would have stayed for the romance or not, had the writing and lore been more easy to get into.
January 23, 2023
I had really high hopes for this book, and I thought it started off strong. I initially liked the FMC and thought the plot seemed really unique in a time where many new romantasy books are becoming more and more similar and just writing the exact same tropes, which I think this one avoided for the most part (although, there were times where the characters/plot had a lot of similarities to Black Sunshine by Karina Halle). Unfortunately, this book ultimately missed the mark (in my opinion), and I had to force myself not to DNF it at 65% (and I really wanted to DNF, but I had already read soooo many pages).
The FMC, Faye, became increasingly inconsistent, stupid, and weak throughout the book. One day she was furious at Rune and hated him (refusing to eat, refusing to speak with him, etc.) because he had kidnapped her, and the next day, she's like, "we are fated to be together and I don't get why he doesn't accept it" and then she's trying to seduce him. That's when the storyline started to get super repetitive--you could have cut down this book by 150 pages and nothing would be different. I felt like I was reading an endless cycle of the FMC plucking petals off of a flower going "he loves me, he loves me not." First, she would decide that she wants him & try to seduce him, then she would convince herself that he loves her because of some obscure detail that she thinks up, then Rune would reject Faye for the millionth time while his "Ra'Vosknik would be furiously whispering to him" in his mind or "circling his mind," then Faye would cry to her AWFUL sister Sparrow because she feels rejected and "no one will ever want her."....and REPEAT.
The side character Sparrow, the FMC's sister, was obnoxious, rude, selfish, and outwardly conniving towards her sister. Seriously I hated her the entire book, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to think she's funny.
The world-building was also confusing, although it started off strong/unique. There are dark blood, day bloods, and anarians (aka humans), but then within dark bloods, you can be all these different species (vampire, winged reptile thing, familiar, etc.), and they all wear mood rings to determine power levels (like some of the really powerful ones have a darker mood ring than others). Then if you are dark blood or day blood, you may be immortal or you may be mortal, and you won't know if you're immortal until you're like in your 20s, I guess. It's super vague. When you're a teenager, you invoke the blood on different altars, but i still have no idea what that means except to determine what color your mood ring is. Once you get a mood ring, you then join a court, and one of the courts is Hell but all the others are like random normal-ish names. And some of the strongest dark bloods have like an imaginary friend in their mind who talks to them all day and constantly wants to murder or fuck things (and it's named Ra'Voshnik). Oh, and there's something called "The Crumbling" happening, which Rune needs to stop and it involves him using his powers (which are unexplained besides being a vampire with "throbbing fangs" who can teleport) to detangle a bunch of threads "like a game of cat's cradle" (which apparently exists in this world). I have 0 clue why this guy is a vampire because at 0 point does he seem to do anything remotely vampirey (even when he drank blood, it was blood wine from a glass). They could have just made him a magical shadow prince (wizard, fae, etc.) without the vampire part and it would have made no difference. Oh, and there are about 4039532 queens and kings who are sometimes referred to as the king/queen, and sometimes they are referred to by random first names, which made it super confusing. I swear, I need a one-pager overview of this magic system/world of species and power, as well as an org chart of the character hierarchies. Finally, everyone has at least 15 doppelgängers/evil twin/body doubles, and it's confusing as hell. Seriously, every time they introduce a new character, their physical description is like, "they looked exactly like (insert another character's name)."
Most of this book leads up to this big moment where she does an altar ceremony, which is apparently different than invoking the blood because she doesn't do that until the last chapter. But anyways, i have no idea what happened when they were doing this ceremony. They were going to bang but they both "fell into the darkness", and then it was like, her evil twin finally emerged (I guess?). Afterwards, when they returned from the darkness to the real world, Rune (who has been fighting his attraction to Faye and her seduction attempts for the entire book because she is mortal) was suddenly like, "I'M YOURS TO COMMAND YOU'RE MY QUEEN NOW AND I WANT TO BE YOURS." And I'm sitting here like, um, that's great that she has an evil twin now too, but what's the deal with her mortality, which was the main thing holding Rune back from wanting to be with her before? Does he no longer care about her mortal lifespan anymore because she also has an evil alter ego?
The altar thing with invoking the blood was also hard to follow. Faye had invoked the blood on one altar when she was a teenager, and it said she is anarian (so no mood ring for her, unless her sister can magically spell her one, which she does everyday, so like who cares). Because of this, Faye basically gives up on all hope, and she believes that she is human (even though she's an orphan with no idea where she came from, and she hasn't invoked the blood on any of the other altars), even though another altar could technically tell her she's something else. Then, towards the end of the book, another character is like, why don't you just invoke your blood on a different altar to see if you have a darkness shard from a different altar? and everyone's like wow good idea!!! I bet she isn't anarian anymore!!!
Finally, the pacing of this book is just all off. She literally hates him, then pines for him/begs him to be with her, and suddenly they are literally picking out sex toys together. She's a virgin but also a domme? i mean, i'm no domme, but i have been in relationships, and usually kinks like that are something you kinda work up to. It was like the author started writing a fantasy book, and midway through writing the book, she read the Salacious Players series, and then she just decided to throw in 400 kinky fetish scenes. Idk, the spice was, eh. It felt like the author was trying to fit too many kinks (voyeurism, exhibitionism, domme/sub, shibari, threesomes, etc.) all in one book but it didn't make sense. I also thought that the author couldn't decide whether she wanted the male MC to be super experienced or super inexperienced. He was trained in a brothel for how to please a lady sexually, but then he's only ever been with 1 other woman besides the FMC and he was never able to get it up for her? To me, it kind of felt like, pick a lane.
Anyways, I wouldn't actively discourage anyone from reading it, and I didn't necessarily hate it, but it wasn't for me.
The FMC, Faye, became increasingly inconsistent, stupid, and weak throughout the book. One day she was furious at Rune and hated him (refusing to eat, refusing to speak with him, etc.) because he had kidnapped her, and the next day, she's like, "we are fated to be together and I don't get why he doesn't accept it" and then she's trying to seduce him. That's when the storyline started to get super repetitive--you could have cut down this book by 150 pages and nothing would be different. I felt like I was reading an endless cycle of the FMC plucking petals off of a flower going "he loves me, he loves me not." First, she would decide that she wants him & try to seduce him, then she would convince herself that he loves her because of some obscure detail that she thinks up, then Rune would reject Faye for the millionth time while his "Ra'Vosknik would be furiously whispering to him" in his mind or "circling his mind," then Faye would cry to her AWFUL sister Sparrow because she feels rejected and "no one will ever want her."....and REPEAT.
The side character Sparrow, the FMC's sister, was obnoxious, rude, selfish, and outwardly conniving towards her sister. Seriously I hated her the entire book, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to think she's funny.
The world-building was also confusing, although it started off strong/unique. There are dark blood, day bloods, and anarians (aka humans), but then within dark bloods, you can be all these different species (vampire, winged reptile thing, familiar, etc.), and they all wear mood rings to determine power levels (like some of the really powerful ones have a darker mood ring than others). Then if you are dark blood or day blood, you may be immortal or you may be mortal, and you won't know if you're immortal until you're like in your 20s, I guess. It's super vague. When you're a teenager, you invoke the blood on different altars, but i still have no idea what that means except to determine what color your mood ring is. Once you get a mood ring, you then join a court, and one of the courts is Hell but all the others are like random normal-ish names. And some of the strongest dark bloods have like an imaginary friend in their mind who talks to them all day and constantly wants to murder or fuck things (and it's named Ra'Voshnik). Oh, and there's something called "The Crumbling" happening, which Rune needs to stop and it involves him using his powers (which are unexplained besides being a vampire with "throbbing fangs" who can teleport) to detangle a bunch of threads "like a game of cat's cradle" (which apparently exists in this world). I have 0 clue why this guy is a vampire because at 0 point does he seem to do anything remotely vampirey (even when he drank blood, it was blood wine from a glass). They could have just made him a magical shadow prince (wizard, fae, etc.) without the vampire part and it would have made no difference. Oh, and there are about 4039532 queens and kings who are sometimes referred to as the king/queen, and sometimes they are referred to by random first names, which made it super confusing. I swear, I need a one-pager overview of this magic system/world of species and power, as well as an org chart of the character hierarchies. Finally, everyone has at least 15 doppelgängers/evil twin/body doubles, and it's confusing as hell. Seriously, every time they introduce a new character, their physical description is like, "they looked exactly like (insert another character's name)."
Most of this book leads up to this big moment where she does an altar ceremony, which is apparently different than invoking the blood because she doesn't do that until the last chapter. But anyways, i have no idea what happened when they were doing this ceremony. They were going to bang but they both "fell into the darkness", and then it was like, her evil twin finally emerged (I guess?). Afterwards, when they returned from the darkness to the real world, Rune (who has been fighting his attraction to Faye and her seduction attempts for the entire book because she is mortal) was suddenly like, "I'M YOURS TO COMMAND YOU'RE MY QUEEN NOW AND I WANT TO BE YOURS." And I'm sitting here like, um, that's great that she has an evil twin now too, but what's the deal with her mortality, which was the main thing holding Rune back from wanting to be with her before? Does he no longer care about her mortal lifespan anymore because she also has an evil alter ego?
The altar thing with invoking the blood was also hard to follow. Faye had invoked the blood on one altar when she was a teenager, and it said she is anarian (so no mood ring for her, unless her sister can magically spell her one, which she does everyday, so like who cares). Because of this, Faye basically gives up on all hope, and she believes that she is human (even though she's an orphan with no idea where she came from, and she hasn't invoked the blood on any of the other altars), even though another altar could technically tell her she's something else. Then, towards the end of the book, another character is like, why don't you just invoke your blood on a different altar to see if you have a darkness shard from a different altar? and everyone's like wow good idea!!! I bet she isn't anarian anymore!!!
Finally, the pacing of this book is just all off. She literally hates him, then pines for him/begs him to be with her, and suddenly they are literally picking out sex toys together. She's a virgin but also a domme? i mean, i'm no domme, but i have been in relationships, and usually kinks like that are something you kinda work up to. It was like the author started writing a fantasy book, and midway through writing the book, she read the Salacious Players series, and then she just decided to throw in 400 kinky fetish scenes. Idk, the spice was, eh. It felt like the author was trying to fit too many kinks (voyeurism, exhibitionism, domme/sub, shibari, threesomes, etc.) all in one book but it didn't make sense. I also thought that the author couldn't decide whether she wanted the male MC to be super experienced or super inexperienced. He was trained in a brothel for how to please a lady sexually, but then he's only ever been with 1 other woman besides the FMC and he was never able to get it up for her? To me, it kind of felt like, pick a lane.
Anyways, I wouldn't actively discourage anyone from reading it, and I didn't necessarily hate it, but it wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2023
A fabulous vampire romance!!!! Kalista Neith put a new spin on vampire legend with a sexy and predator vamp who not only is royalty but a total alpha hole most of the book but he also carries a dominant and very vocal beasty that is constantly telling him how he would fuck and take care of their queen!!! Rune is a court vampire and also the prince of hell and while he may look good enough to eat he can be a total asshole!! Vampires usually are very arrogant and pricks but its all about knowing your at the top of the food chain and knowing your one of the deadliest predators walking. But Rune takes it to another level ! At first when he gets a whiff of Faye he's on it like shit on rice thinking she's his dark queen and mate but when he finds out she's a mortal he does everything in his power to get away from her and blames her for putting some spell on him! Faye has always hated the dark bloods for their games and Holier then tho attitudes and while she might have a thing for this stuck up vamp she's getting tried of his shit! He acts like he's not turned on but his beast Ra’Voshnik that resides deep within has all kinds of plans for their queen and if Rune doesn't act soon he'll take over and show him how to worship at her altar! The chemistry is fire between these two and the whole enemies to lovers vibe awesome!! And the added bonus of not one but two sexy predators and mind blowing sex that just keeps coming!😂 I loved Rune with his gentleman attitude and court manners and when he loosened up he was on it, but I have to admit that Voshki his inter beast slayed me!!! Depraved and very naughty and totally devoted to Faye and her pleasure! And this book also had some fabulous secondary characters like Faye's sister Sparrow!!! This chic cracked me up! with her bad ass attitude and always going to kick someone's ass! She's a trouble maker and a big mouth who's always pushing the limit and who never thinks before she speaks and her poor boyfriend the winged and sexy hunk Vashien has got his hands full with this little dark blood ! But she's got her sisters back!! Love her!! Can't wait to read more from author! She's a great storyteller and her characters are unique and memorable! Until next time Luv's💕💋
Want to read
March 22, 2022• Dark Fantasy Romance
• Enemies-to-Lovers
• Fated Mates
• Vampires
• Spice
• Magic
Release date: 2nd of August 2022
January 26, 2023
3.8
I honestly think this book would've been better if it was shorter. The pacing in the book was ok, but the las 150 pages were HELL to me. It was slow.
The story itself was good. A good premise, with good potential. The problem is the Male Lead. This guy was literally a racist. There was this race that didn't possess magic, which was were the FL originally belonged to. This guy was okay when they were strangers but LITERALLY THREW A FIT when he realized he was from that race. He literally went through hell and earth trying to break the bond that united them.
And he literally did not evolve as a character in that aspect. Like the only reason he accepted her was bc it turned out that she didn't actually belong to that race and actually had magic.
Besides that the romance was okay, i liked the bits with him, his inner him and her.
I honestly think this book would've been better if it was shorter. The pacing in the book was ok, but the las 150 pages were HELL to me. It was slow.
The story itself was good. A good premise, with good potential. The problem is the Male Lead. This guy was literally a racist. There was this race that didn't possess magic, which was were the FL originally belonged to. This guy was okay when they were strangers but LITERALLY THREW A FIT when he realized he was from that race. He literally went through hell and earth trying to break the bond that united them.
And he literally did not evolve as a character in that aspect. Like the only reason he accepted her was bc it turned out that she didn't actually belong to that race and actually had magic.
Besides that the romance was okay, i liked the bits with him, his inner him and her.
February 24, 2023
****Unpaid and honest arc review****
I enjoyed this book. There was so much packed into. I loved Sparrow’s free spirit. She compliments Faye so well. I love Rune, white haired vampires (you can never go wrong). The world building was wonderful, but never felt dragged out. This was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks for the arc!
I enjoyed this book. There was so much packed into. I loved Sparrow’s free spirit. She compliments Faye so well. I love Rune, white haired vampires (you can never go wrong). The world building was wonderful, but never felt dragged out. This was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks for the arc!
January 13, 2023
I need a neck brace for the whiplash this book constantly gave me since the main characters literally changed their minds every ten pages.
And for the love of god stop calling oral “worshipping her alter”
And for the love of god stop calling oral “worshipping her alter”
May 8, 2023
This book was everything I wanted! A hot, powerful and sexy vamp and a kick ass female lead who doesn’t take his crap. A love triangle that doesn’t suck- and so many great moments of banter. The plot is well developed, excellent pacing and the characters are so likeable- absolutely recommend ❤️ can’t wait for book 2
June 5, 2023
❞𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅.❞
Kalista thank you so much for this ARC, after I saw Rune, our white haired vampire, I knew I just had to read this book. The fantasy aspect of the story is super interesting but the romance takes precedence in the story and I am super okay with that. Faye is an Anarian, in other words a powerless human. There is a caste system in which the most powerful stand at the top, they are the dark-bloods and their weaker counterparts, the day-bloods. Their power is determined by the shards they possess and Faye doesn’t have one. When her best friend, sister in spirit, Sparrow suggests they sneak into the Hunter's Moon Ball, Faye is at first opposed but ultimately convinced. In the 15 minutes she's there, she manages to bump into the Shadow Prince, Rune, and then begins their fated journey. In their dreams Rune was winning me over, he was dedicated and caring and that's really all Faye could ask for in a partner. Things take a turn when Rune decides that he needs to know more about his fated partner and starts a series of events that end in Faye's kidnapping. When he decided that because she's an Anarian their connection couldn't possibly be real I was hurt right alongside Faye and he had a long journey coming in order to make it up to us.
Rune sure knew how to edge us for a good bit of the book but once he surrendered…wow the spice was sooo good, I was sweating. One of the mvp's of this book included Sparrow, everything she said was so relatable and funny! The friendship between her and Faye was so real and personable that it made the book all the better. The other mvp of the book was Ra'Voshnik, he is Rune's bloodlust that materializes when there are strong emotions and speaks to him. They are two halves of the same being. Me and Ra'Voshnik were so in sync, everything he was saying to Rune was exactly what I was thinking I loved his energy, his actions, his emotions, and ooooh he sure knows how to dirty talk. When Rune came to terms with his relationship with Faye and started courting her I was having the time of my life, it was great to see him lay his ego, control, and power to the side for Faye's comfort, well being, and happiness. I super recommend because I loved it and had a great time. This debut is one to read!
Kalista thank you so much for this ARC, after I saw Rune, our white haired vampire, I knew I just had to read this book. The fantasy aspect of the story is super interesting but the romance takes precedence in the story and I am super okay with that. Faye is an Anarian, in other words a powerless human. There is a caste system in which the most powerful stand at the top, they are the dark-bloods and their weaker counterparts, the day-bloods. Their power is determined by the shards they possess and Faye doesn’t have one. When her best friend, sister in spirit, Sparrow suggests they sneak into the Hunter's Moon Ball, Faye is at first opposed but ultimately convinced. In the 15 minutes she's there, she manages to bump into the Shadow Prince, Rune, and then begins their fated journey. In their dreams Rune was winning me over, he was dedicated and caring and that's really all Faye could ask for in a partner. Things take a turn when Rune decides that he needs to know more about his fated partner and starts a series of events that end in Faye's kidnapping. When he decided that because she's an Anarian their connection couldn't possibly be real I was hurt right alongside Faye and he had a long journey coming in order to make it up to us.
Rune sure knew how to edge us for a good bit of the book but once he surrendered…wow the spice was sooo good, I was sweating. One of the mvp's of this book included Sparrow, everything she said was so relatable and funny! The friendship between her and Faye was so real and personable that it made the book all the better. The other mvp of the book was Ra'Voshnik, he is Rune's bloodlust that materializes when there are strong emotions and speaks to him. They are two halves of the same being. Me and Ra'Voshnik were so in sync, everything he was saying to Rune was exactly what I was thinking I loved his energy, his actions, his emotions, and ooooh he sure knows how to dirty talk. When Rune came to terms with his relationship with Faye and started courting her I was having the time of my life, it was great to see him lay his ego, control, and power to the side for Faye's comfort, well being, and happiness. I super recommend because I loved it and had a great time. This debut is one to read!
August 14, 2022
It started off well but went downhill every few chapters. It was a mess, too immature and shallow for me. The characterisations started off okay but somehow they became more vain, more flighty, more superficial. The plot itself I would give 3 stars but the pacing, the descriptions, the characterisations, just not doing it for me.
February 25, 2023
What in the ever-loving f*ck did I just read?? Truly, this book is a disaster. The plot is all over the place, it’s so contradictory, repetitive, and these characters are AW.FUL. Is this the same version the ARC readers are raving about?? Did an unedited version get released? I fear I’ve been bamboozled with these reviews.
July 1, 2023
I’m sorry 😖 I wanted to like this one so I pushed through. If it wasn’t part of my book club I probably would have DNF’d.
What I liked:
- unique plot and story line
- very original magic system
What I didn’t enjoy:
- the writing was hard to follow and didn’t flow for me
- the magic system was difficult to understand and not well explained
- abrupt changes in character and motivation
What I liked:
- unique plot and story line
- very original magic system
What I didn’t enjoy:
- the writing was hard to follow and didn’t flow for me
- the magic system was difficult to understand and not well explained
- abrupt changes in character and motivation
March 12, 2024
I went into this book blind. An I am so glad I picked it up. I am excited to see what is going to happen next.
October 31, 2022
I'm not sure where to begin with this review, so don't mind me if this comes across as a rant.
I think the author had a decent premise when conjuring up this story, it was just poorly executed. The sister, Sparrow, irked my nerves in a way that I cannot even begin to tell you. I don't think I've ever disliked a character more that I know the author intended for you to like or at least warm up to through the course of a story. And what's up with the nicknames??? "Hooker? Bitch?" For one, it clashed with the overall tone of what I think the atmosphere was supposed to be, but honestly I'm not even sure at this point what the tone was even supposed to be because it was so inconsistent. But more importantly, it made them seem juvenile and immature. There were multiple times that I felt like her behavior was very reminiscent of a toddler. You can have quirky, odd characters that are mature too. Just look at Phoebe Buffay from Friends! I mean it really doesn't get any more unusual than that, yet her character fit perfectly into the context of the show.
The next thing that truly bothered me was the fact that the story went in circles....like a lot. There was no progression and it was stagnant. For pages on end, it was a constant "It's a spell. Fate wouldn't curse me with this mate. She's not mine. Shut up creature in my head," and "You have to sleep with him. Make him your bitch. ....No, don't toy with him. He's dangerous." At 52%, the only thing that had happened in the story was that they sensed each other at the ball, connected in dreams prior to meeting in person (which btw, why the hell did she not come right out and tell him that she really thought she was dreaming which is why she was so forward... she might have mentioned it to other people, but not to him which was the most important person to discus it with, but I digress), and then he went and stole her away to his castle which led her to insist that he allow her annoying sister and her sister's boyfriend stay there too while she was there--Yeah cuz nothing like trying to get to know someone while sandwiching your over-meddlesome, impulsive sister and her overprotective boyfriend in the mix!
Lastly, you have this 25 year old virgin who earlier in the novel prided herself on not sleeping with anyone because it was the one aspect of her life that she felt like she could control who all of a sudden starts practically begging a man to take her virginity with a hidden affinity to bdsm too... oh and let's not forget that the author insisted that the entity in the Hero's head was a completely separate person that the Heroine longed to have a threesome with...and they did... in his mind.
Anyway, well that about sums up my experience with this book and I will not be reading any other installments in the series. It's just not for me.
I think the author had a decent premise when conjuring up this story, it was just poorly executed. The sister, Sparrow, irked my nerves in a way that I cannot even begin to tell you. I don't think I've ever disliked a character more that I know the author intended for you to like or at least warm up to through the course of a story. And what's up with the nicknames??? "Hooker? Bitch?" For one, it clashed with the overall tone of what I think the atmosphere was supposed to be, but honestly I'm not even sure at this point what the tone was even supposed to be because it was so inconsistent. But more importantly, it made them seem juvenile and immature. There were multiple times that I felt like her behavior was very reminiscent of a toddler. You can have quirky, odd characters that are mature too. Just look at Phoebe Buffay from Friends! I mean it really doesn't get any more unusual than that, yet her character fit perfectly into the context of the show.
The next thing that truly bothered me was the fact that the story went in circles....like a lot. There was no progression and it was stagnant. For pages on end, it was a constant "It's a spell. Fate wouldn't curse me with this mate. She's not mine. Shut up creature in my head," and "You have to sleep with him. Make him your bitch. ....No, don't toy with him. He's dangerous." At 52%, the only thing that had happened in the story was that they sensed each other at the ball, connected in dreams prior to meeting in person (which btw, why the hell did she not come right out and tell him that she really thought she was dreaming which is why she was so forward... she might have mentioned it to other people, but not to him which was the most important person to discus it with, but I digress), and then he went and stole her away to his castle which led her to insist that he allow her annoying sister and her sister's boyfriend stay there too while she was there--Yeah cuz nothing like trying to get to know someone while sandwiching your over-meddlesome, impulsive sister and her overprotective boyfriend in the mix!
Lastly, you have this 25 year old virgin who earlier in the novel prided herself on not sleeping with anyone because it was the one aspect of her life that she felt like she could control who all of a sudden starts practically begging a man to take her virginity with a hidden affinity to bdsm too... oh and let's not forget that the author insisted that the entity in the Hero's head was a completely separate person that the Heroine longed to have a threesome with...and they did... in his mind.
Anyway, well that about sums up my experience with this book and I will not be reading any other installments in the series. It's just not for me.
December 17, 2023
Maybe I am just not "with it" and maybe I am just took uncool for romantasy and what the kids like these days but I am in awe of this
"youre splashing the food and my book hooker" sparrow fluttered her hand at her as she made her way to the seating area in the spring "ill still eat it".
she took one last look at sparrow " goodnight hooker". "goodnight bitch".
"youre splashing the food and my book hooker" sparrow fluttered her hand at her as she made her way to the seating area in the spring "ill still eat it".
she took one last look at sparrow " goodnight hooker". "goodnight bitch".
December 8, 2022
Stopped at Chapter 45. I give up.
October 19, 2024
The story and characters itself were interesting, but the writing lacked finesse and maturity at times. The excessive use of the words "b**ch" and "h**ker" was quite distracting and felt unnecessary many times. Overall, it's not a terrible book but also not enough to make me want to continue the series.
July 11, 2022
I am so excited to be a part of the ARC team. There were so many things to enjoy it's hard to write them all down. I love the sister dynamic with Faye and Sparrow. I especially love the enemies to lovers plot. Who doesn't love a woman coming into her own and commanding her world, and her hot man? This is a great read with a visually luscious world and rich characters.
May 23, 2024
For months, I had been eyeing Kalista Neith's Invoking the Blood on bookstagram. I was intrigued by the promise of a dark fantasy romance with Hades and Persephone vibes, a violent yet passionate world filled with vampires and other super natural beings, an enemies to lovers relationship with plenty of fire and a feral vampiric blood lust whose personality and devotion to his mate can only be described as the cinnamon roll filled with razor blades that you never knew you needed.
Have I got your attention yet? Needless to say, from the moment I started this book, Kalista pulled me into to this rich, luscious and oh so sinful world and never let me go. As the story opens, we meet Faye, a young woman who has spent her whole life searching for the place where she belongs. She has grown up in a world where one's worth is measured by the power one wields and unfortunately for Faye, up to this point her shard, the symbol of one's power, has not materialized. Faye is enraged by how society's powerful elite, particularly the dark bloods, look down on human life. However, Faye does not know what she can do to stand up for the humans of her village, where she lives with her outspoken and mischief making adopted shape shifter sister, Sparrow.
Fate, of course, has other plans and when Faye and Sparrow sneak into a dark blood celebration, she crosses paths with the infamous Prince of Hell, Rune. Rune has lived over 3,000 years and while he has a reputation of being one of the most ruthless vampires, he craves a partner, an equal and a powerful Queen who can rule alongside him and whom he can worship completely. Rune's primal bloodlust, known as the Ra'Voshnik, immediately hones in on Faye as their mate and becomes consumed with being united with her.
Faye finds herself drawn to the mysterious vampire as they share intense connections in their dreams. Soon enough, circumstances force Rune to bring Faye to Hell and he is horrified to find out that despite the inexplicable draw he feels to her, she is without a shard. Rune refuses to believe that fate has cursed him to be tied to a powerless and vulnerable human. He is determined to break whatever bond is tying him to Faye, while his bloodlust, who Faye lovingly nicknames Voshki, is absolutely enraged that Rune would dare to deny their queen.
This is a true enemy to lovers story and I absolutely loved that Kalista really focuses on the evolution and development of the characters in this first book. Rune is ancient and his behaviors and prejudices are not ones that change over night. He's got an almost Darcy-like vibe, which of course means I'm going to have a soft spot for him. There is plenty of tension and passion as Rune and Faye tow the fine line of attraction and hate and it is made even more complicated by the fact that Voshki is absolutely to devoted to Faye. However, Kalista really gives space for Rune and Faye to make mistakes and learn more about each other and themselves as they navigate their growing connection. It makes the payoff that much more rewarding and let me tell you when Kalista brings the spice it's absolutely fantastic.
Beyond the romance and the simmering tension, I also really appreciated the moments of humor and levity that Kalista brings to the story. In particular, the dynamic between Rune and his bloodlust, Voshki, makes for some fantastically humorous dialogue as Rune is literally fighting against the primal part of himself that craves Faye as his mate. Voshki is not shy to call out Rune when he treats Faye badly and is the epitome of 'touch her and die' if he senses anyone disrespecting his queen. Kalista also is able to weave in poignant messages about race and the inequity between classes, as Faye opens Rune's eyes to the injustice that the dark blood ruling class perpetrates on those they consider beneath them.
I absolutely devoured this book and cannot wait to see how things evolve in book 2. I listened to this in audiobook, which was in a duet style and I really enjoyed how this format brought to life the dual POV structure of the story. Both narrators were new to me and I thought they were absolutely masterful in bringing these characters to life--especially Corvin King, who demonstrated an incredible range in voicing two extremely different personalities that share one physical body.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first book by Kalista Neith and I am still going through Rune and Voshki withdrawal. Definitely jump into this series if you are looking for a dark fantasy romance that brings the hate, the heat and the humor.
Have I got your attention yet? Needless to say, from the moment I started this book, Kalista pulled me into to this rich, luscious and oh so sinful world and never let me go. As the story opens, we meet Faye, a young woman who has spent her whole life searching for the place where she belongs. She has grown up in a world where one's worth is measured by the power one wields and unfortunately for Faye, up to this point her shard, the symbol of one's power, has not materialized. Faye is enraged by how society's powerful elite, particularly the dark bloods, look down on human life. However, Faye does not know what she can do to stand up for the humans of her village, where she lives with her outspoken and mischief making adopted shape shifter sister, Sparrow.
Fate, of course, has other plans and when Faye and Sparrow sneak into a dark blood celebration, she crosses paths with the infamous Prince of Hell, Rune. Rune has lived over 3,000 years and while he has a reputation of being one of the most ruthless vampires, he craves a partner, an equal and a powerful Queen who can rule alongside him and whom he can worship completely. Rune's primal bloodlust, known as the Ra'Voshnik, immediately hones in on Faye as their mate and becomes consumed with being united with her.
Faye finds herself drawn to the mysterious vampire as they share intense connections in their dreams. Soon enough, circumstances force Rune to bring Faye to Hell and he is horrified to find out that despite the inexplicable draw he feels to her, she is without a shard. Rune refuses to believe that fate has cursed him to be tied to a powerless and vulnerable human. He is determined to break whatever bond is tying him to Faye, while his bloodlust, who Faye lovingly nicknames Voshki, is absolutely enraged that Rune would dare to deny their queen.
This is a true enemy to lovers story and I absolutely loved that Kalista really focuses on the evolution and development of the characters in this first book. Rune is ancient and his behaviors and prejudices are not ones that change over night. He's got an almost Darcy-like vibe, which of course means I'm going to have a soft spot for him. There is plenty of tension and passion as Rune and Faye tow the fine line of attraction and hate and it is made even more complicated by the fact that Voshki is absolutely to devoted to Faye. However, Kalista really gives space for Rune and Faye to make mistakes and learn more about each other and themselves as they navigate their growing connection. It makes the payoff that much more rewarding and let me tell you when Kalista brings the spice it's absolutely fantastic.
Beyond the romance and the simmering tension, I also really appreciated the moments of humor and levity that Kalista brings to the story. In particular, the dynamic between Rune and his bloodlust, Voshki, makes for some fantastically humorous dialogue as Rune is literally fighting against the primal part of himself that craves Faye as his mate. Voshki is not shy to call out Rune when he treats Faye badly and is the epitome of 'touch her and die' if he senses anyone disrespecting his queen. Kalista also is able to weave in poignant messages about race and the inequity between classes, as Faye opens Rune's eyes to the injustice that the dark blood ruling class perpetrates on those they consider beneath them.
I absolutely devoured this book and cannot wait to see how things evolve in book 2. I listened to this in audiobook, which was in a duet style and I really enjoyed how this format brought to life the dual POV structure of the story. Both narrators were new to me and I thought they were absolutely masterful in bringing these characters to life--especially Corvin King, who demonstrated an incredible range in voicing two extremely different personalities that share one physical body.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first book by Kalista Neith and I am still going through Rune and Voshki withdrawal. Definitely jump into this series if you are looking for a dark fantasy romance that brings the hate, the heat and the humor.
July 12, 2022
It’s fated mates but enemies to lover with tons of magic. This was a fantastic book. I recommend this to anyone who would enjoy any of that. It was easy to read, a quick read in my opinion and I need this on my book shelf now! Vashien will always be one of my book boyfriends!
August 2, 2022
Invoking the Blood is a debut novel with an interesting magic system/world and a keen focus on women's sexual pleasure without judgement. I enjoyed Faye and Rune (and the extra pizzazz that Voshki, Rune's internal personification of bloodlust, brought to their dynamic). They had a complicated dynamic because of Rune's bias against magic-less people like Faye and yet him being tied to Faye, along with men's tendency to defer to women sexually and romantically in this world. While on the surface their power imbalance is immense, their relationship functions far more equitably than you might expect.
My two main drawbacks are the world-building and utilization of secondary characters. Some of the worldbuilding elements for invoking blood to discover magical capabilities and alters didn't feel cohesive with the kind of caste system magical ability creates in this world (it seems the alter you use matters but it isn't standard for people who don't receive magic to try other alters if they are unsure of what bloodline they are, which feels disingenuous in a society where not receiving magic makes you a second class citizen).
And the secondary characters could use some polishing and rounding out. Most are either dead weight that don't bring much to the story or their role is limited to being a plot device when needed and not having a role or characterization beyond that, which means they feel a little underdeveloped. However, Sparrow was the side character I think needs the most work. She seemed outrageous and funny at first but quickly started to feel aggravating and obnoxious. Often her appearing on page had me putting the book down because I felt her over the top behavior that was supposed to be funny was disrespectful and totally lacking boundaries in a way that actually took away from the scenes for me because I found it so distracting that she stole the show from the main characters. She had her moments but her initial characterization was repeated so often with no other dimension that it became grating.
The overall story was interesting and I enjoyed it so I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes.
I received an early copy from the author. Review is my own
My two main drawbacks are the world-building and utilization of secondary characters. Some of the worldbuilding elements for invoking blood to discover magical capabilities and alters didn't feel cohesive with the kind of caste system magical ability creates in this world (it seems the alter you use matters but it isn't standard for people who don't receive magic to try other alters if they are unsure of what bloodline they are, which feels disingenuous in a society where not receiving magic makes you a second class citizen).
And the secondary characters could use some polishing and rounding out. Most are either dead weight that don't bring much to the story or their role is limited to being a plot device when needed and not having a role or characterization beyond that, which means they feel a little underdeveloped. However, Sparrow was the side character I think needs the most work. She seemed outrageous and funny at first but quickly started to feel aggravating and obnoxious. Often her appearing on page had me putting the book down because I felt her over the top behavior that was supposed to be funny was disrespectful and totally lacking boundaries in a way that actually took away from the scenes for me because I found it so distracting that she stole the show from the main characters. She had her moments but her initial characterization was repeated so often with no other dimension that it became grating.
The overall story was interesting and I enjoyed it so I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes.
I received an early copy from the author. Review is my own
July 26, 2022
Thank you to Kalista Neith for the opportunity to read this ARC. This honest review was based off my experience reading an ARC, which in no way biased me.
I came across this author and their debut novel through a friend and IMMEDIATELY was sold, and applied to get an ARC. It has vampires, that’s literally all I needed to know. I came for the vampires, and stayed for literally everything else.
I honestly have no idea how to review this book, and I mean that in the best way possible. I sat down and read this book in less than 24 hours (and it would have been less if work didn’t get in the way).
The beginning felt a bit rocky to me, but as do almost all fantasy books. The reader is thrown into a world they don’t know and we have to learn the world through the eyes of the main characters. Around the 30% mark things started making sense to me.
The characters, all of them not just the main characters were so uniquely themselves very well developed. This does not mean that I didn’t wanna fight almost all of them at some point in time (as I should, if I didn’t wanna fight them that means I wasn’t invested enough), except Voshki he’s my favorite and has never done a wrong thing in his life. 🥺🥰
It was a bit difficult to see what the timeline of this book was, but overall the timing and pacing was well done.
The conflict and its resolution may have happened a bit too quickly, but I also wanted it resolved ASAP so this was not an issue.
The magic system was very interesting, I can’t wait to learn more about what they all can do.
Overall I had a great time, 4.5 stars, and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
NOW EVERYONE GO READ THIS (when it comes out next week) SO I CAN TALK ABOUT IT!!
I came across this author and their debut novel through a friend and IMMEDIATELY was sold, and applied to get an ARC. It has vampires, that’s literally all I needed to know. I came for the vampires, and stayed for literally everything else.
I honestly have no idea how to review this book, and I mean that in the best way possible. I sat down and read this book in less than 24 hours (and it would have been less if work didn’t get in the way).
The beginning felt a bit rocky to me, but as do almost all fantasy books. The reader is thrown into a world they don’t know and we have to learn the world through the eyes of the main characters. Around the 30% mark things started making sense to me.
The characters, all of them not just the main characters were so uniquely themselves very well developed. This does not mean that I didn’t wanna fight almost all of them at some point in time (as I should, if I didn’t wanna fight them that means I wasn’t invested enough), except Voshki he’s my favorite and has never done a wrong thing in his life. 🥺🥰
It was a bit difficult to see what the timeline of this book was, but overall the timing and pacing was well done.
The conflict and its resolution may have happened a bit too quickly, but I also wanted it resolved ASAP so this was not an issue.
The magic system was very interesting, I can’t wait to learn more about what they all can do.
Overall I had a great time, 4.5 stars, and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
NOW EVERYONE GO READ THIS (when it comes out next week) SO I CAN TALK ABOUT IT!!
January 23, 2023
3.5 // I liked this. A lot. The author’s writing style and casual banter pulled me in and I was immediately interested in the characters.
The side character of Sparrow was funny initially but became tedious (read: selfish and obnoxious) after about the halfway mark and ultimately fell flat the second half.
Interesting world building, interesting magic system but it needed more explanation of both. I found myself wondering the why of much of it. There was only a paragraph describing the rituals but nothing with regards to the necessity; particularly the Ceremony of Blood. Why is it necessary? Why does she plummet toward darkness during? It seemed like it was created for the sole purpose of having a ritual around the surrendering of female virginity.
The first half of the book is more tightly written than the second half. After about 55% it gets a little repetitive with character behaviors and interactions. At nearly 500 pages we need more world building and less repetition.
I also question the skill set of the editor employed because the book is riddled with spelling errors and dropped words/phrasing throughout. You can tell they used spellcheck because the spelling of a word would be correct but it would be the wrong word entirely. Your vs you’re. Their, there, they’re. “Craft of wine” instead of carafe. It went on.
Even with all the issues, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters and will be reading book 2. The author has obvious talent, she just needs a better team to tighten up the story and errors.
The side character of Sparrow was funny initially but became tedious (read: selfish and obnoxious) after about the halfway mark and ultimately fell flat the second half.
Interesting world building, interesting magic system but it needed more explanation of both. I found myself wondering the why of much of it. There was only a paragraph describing the rituals but nothing with regards to the necessity; particularly the Ceremony of Blood. Why is it necessary? Why does she plummet toward darkness during? It seemed like it was created for the sole purpose of having a ritual around the surrendering of female virginity.
The first half of the book is more tightly written than the second half. After about 55% it gets a little repetitive with character behaviors and interactions. At nearly 500 pages we need more world building and less repetition.
I also question the skill set of the editor employed because the book is riddled with spelling errors and dropped words/phrasing throughout. You can tell they used spellcheck because the spelling of a word would be correct but it would be the wrong word entirely. Your vs you’re. Their, there, they’re. “Craft of wine” instead of carafe. It went on.
Even with all the issues, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters and will be reading book 2. The author has obvious talent, she just needs a better team to tighten up the story and errors.
August 9, 2022
I DEVOURED this book in one day. That’s how good it is. It caught my attention from page one all the way to the end.
The characters, the places, all of it was so beautifully and well written.
And the way it kind of hinted at it being a hades and Persephone story but at the same time being it’s own kind of story was amazing!!
For example Rune is the shadow prince and rules Hell but it’s not entirely the Hell we know. Faye is god with plants, drinks pomegranate juice and has a darkness inside her.
✔️fated lovers
✔️vampires
✔️forced proximity (having to stay in the same place in connecting rooms
✔️grumpy MC that can’t see what’s in front of him
✔️Hurt her and you die vibe
✔️FMC that doesn’t forget where she came from no matter how much wealth is thrown her way and takes no shiz from anyone
✔️a great sisterly relationship that makes me want an older sister like Sparrow
✔️a second lead couple who’s relationship will make you smile and laugh
“I have her out of proxy. You willingly selected her.” Sparrow scowled at them both as Faye giggled behind her glass. “I am a pleasure to be around. Fuck both of you.”
Like I said. Got to love Sparrow
And let me tell you Faye is one lucky girl because she gets a 2 in 1 deal and can have them both at the same time if she wanted to. Just saying lol.
The characters, the places, all of it was so beautifully and well written.
And the way it kind of hinted at it being a hades and Persephone story but at the same time being it’s own kind of story was amazing!!
For example Rune is the shadow prince and rules Hell but it’s not entirely the Hell we know. Faye is god with plants, drinks pomegranate juice and has a darkness inside her.
✔️fated lovers
✔️vampires
✔️forced proximity (having to stay in the same place in connecting rooms
✔️grumpy MC that can’t see what’s in front of him
✔️Hurt her and you die vibe
✔️FMC that doesn’t forget where she came from no matter how much wealth is thrown her way and takes no shiz from anyone
✔️a great sisterly relationship that makes me want an older sister like Sparrow
✔️a second lead couple who’s relationship will make you smile and laugh
“I have her out of proxy. You willingly selected her.” Sparrow scowled at them both as Faye giggled behind her glass. “I am a pleasure to be around. Fuck both of you.”
Like I said. Got to love Sparrow
And let me tell you Faye is one lucky girl because she gets a 2 in 1 deal and can have them both at the same time if she wanted to. Just saying lol.
May 28, 2023
I'm obsessed with this book! I couldn't get enough of Faye and Rune. The reason I know it was a good for me, is the book wasn't just the fact that I thought about it all day but also that I felt like throwing my kindle across the room at parts of this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out and I don't want to wait. There were parts that frustrated me but I think that adds to this book. It is definitely an 18+ book but if you like your plot with some spice than this book is for you! I will be recommending this to all of my friends!
August 5, 2022
Thank you so much to the author Kalista Neith for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Please check the author's website for CW/TW!
This is my first time reading KN's work and I'm amazed. There were many highlightable moments and quotes.
"I will be a better man for you."
I don't even know where to begin with this...so let me say this story is stunning! This story is seductive, romantic, court society hierarchy, strong characters and spicy AF. Everything my dark heart desires. The book is about Faye who is mortal and without magic because her ceremony failed, because she possesses no magic is marked the lowest in society. Her sister convinces her to go to the Hunter's Moon ball where she runs into the Shadow Prince and that is where things get interesting. Faye is abducted and confined in his home in Hell, she is left only with his promise to release her after he breaks the tie binding his life to hers.
"You can spend the rest of my life making up for it." I will worship you for the rest of mine."
The world building is really well done for any reader whether new to fantasy or not can read and follow. I love how the author explains things throughout the book without making it boring which is hard to balance at times. The character development with Faye (FMC) and Rune (MMC) is well developed, I love the growth between them and for each of them it reflects throughout the story. The story plot was well laid out and written and the pacing was even throughout the book. The spicy/smut in this book is hot AF, I loved everything about it and I like how the foundation of the relationship was formed before jumping into the spicy scenes, it made it more realistic.
"I am defenseless against you, vsenia. My will, my strength, my life are yours. Command me as you will."
Things I loved about this book:
-SMUT
-enemies to lovers
-paranormal
-world building
-white hair hot vampire...yes please
-bondage
-romance
-MMC devotion to his intended
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. If you're looking for another romantasy spicy AF book with a touch of Rhysand and Feyre vibes this book is it! I'm NOT going to say this gives ACOTAR vibes because I don't think it is the same. Invoking the Blood is its own story with the relationship vibes as Rhysand and Feyre but still hold on its own. I think Kalista did an amazing job with this book and I can't wait to read the next book!
Please check the author's website for CW/TW!
This is my first time reading KN's work and I'm amazed. There were many highlightable moments and quotes.
"I will be a better man for you."
I don't even know where to begin with this...so let me say this story is stunning! This story is seductive, romantic, court society hierarchy, strong characters and spicy AF. Everything my dark heart desires. The book is about Faye who is mortal and without magic because her ceremony failed, because she possesses no magic is marked the lowest in society. Her sister convinces her to go to the Hunter's Moon ball where she runs into the Shadow Prince and that is where things get interesting. Faye is abducted and confined in his home in Hell, she is left only with his promise to release her after he breaks the tie binding his life to hers.
"You can spend the rest of my life making up for it." I will worship you for the rest of mine."
The world building is really well done for any reader whether new to fantasy or not can read and follow. I love how the author explains things throughout the book without making it boring which is hard to balance at times. The character development with Faye (FMC) and Rune (MMC) is well developed, I love the growth between them and for each of them it reflects throughout the story. The story plot was well laid out and written and the pacing was even throughout the book. The spicy/smut in this book is hot AF, I loved everything about it and I like how the foundation of the relationship was formed before jumping into the spicy scenes, it made it more realistic.
"I am defenseless against you, vsenia. My will, my strength, my life are yours. Command me as you will."
Things I loved about this book:
-SMUT
-enemies to lovers
-paranormal
-world building
-white hair hot vampire...yes please
-bondage
-romance
-MMC devotion to his intended
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. If you're looking for another romantasy spicy AF book with a touch of Rhysand and Feyre vibes this book is it! I'm NOT going to say this gives ACOTAR vibes because I don't think it is the same. Invoking the Blood is its own story with the relationship vibes as Rhysand and Feyre but still hold on its own. I think Kalista did an amazing job with this book and I can't wait to read the next book!
July 10, 2022
Thank you so much Kalista for the ARC! I am super grateful to be one of your ARC Readers. NGL when I saw the character arts for this I became so motherfookin obsessed. I love the vibe of this book and how the author created the world for this book. I read this book in a DAY! That's right when the book was sent to me, give me a white-haired daddy that can bite miss ma'am.
You may check the CW/TW at the Author's Website :)
So the story starts with Faye our FMC who is our curious little bee, but she's so spunky though and I love that energy about her and her BFF sends me to another plane. HER BFF deserves a TROPHY for the best lines in this book. I highlighted a TON of lines in this book for SPARROW because let me say she is the MVP in this book she is the BFF/Sister that made this book super duper ENTERTAINING AF! It was never boring.
No back to the story, both of them sneak into a ball, but our girl Faye just doesn't wanna stay long because she be reluctant around the dark-blooded vampires. She is uncomfortable, she just doesn't wanna be around them and auto-rejects them. Like what could happen and stay for like 15 mins? Utter-freaking-chaos!!! That's what. She meets a mysterious white-haired ahem gentleman and heard a weird ass voice out of nowhere? Bruh no fucking thanks. She just yeeted out of the party with her sister and said BYE!
She had weird mysterious smexy dreams about him asking for your name. Girl.... Girl.... I'm obsessed. I'm pretty much. Running! This is a dark fantasy book with a lot of hot AF smut! Which includes:
- Voyeurism
- Some edging not gonna lie
- omg this guy is a yummy vampy white-haired daddy with (Secret...Read the book)
- World building
- GREAT PLOT as it goes on
- FMC is potential Femme dom - Cough
- Enemies to lover
This book is 100% worth it <3 I cannot wait for book 2!!! My fave character is Sparrow. Definitely Sparrow!
Made a graphic for the vibes <3
You may check the CW/TW at the Author's Website :)
So the story starts with Faye our FMC who is our curious little bee, but she's so spunky though and I love that energy about her and her BFF sends me to another plane. HER BFF deserves a TROPHY for the best lines in this book. I highlighted a TON of lines in this book for SPARROW because let me say she is the MVP in this book she is the BFF/Sister that made this book super duper ENTERTAINING AF! It was never boring.
No back to the story, both of them sneak into a ball, but our girl Faye just doesn't wanna stay long because she be reluctant around the dark-blooded vampires. She is uncomfortable, she just doesn't wanna be around them and auto-rejects them. Like what could happen and stay for like 15 mins? Utter-freaking-chaos!!! That's what. She meets a mysterious white-haired ahem gentleman and heard a weird ass voice out of nowhere? Bruh no fucking thanks. She just yeeted out of the party with her sister and said BYE!
She had weird mysterious smexy dreams about him asking for your name. Girl.... Girl.... I'm obsessed. I'm pretty much. Running! This is a dark fantasy book with a lot of hot AF smut! Which includes:
- Voyeurism
- Some edging not gonna lie
- omg this guy is a yummy vampy white-haired daddy with (Secret...Read the book)
- World building
- GREAT PLOT as it goes on
- FMC is potential Femme dom - Cough
- Enemies to lover
This book is 100% worth it <3 I cannot wait for book 2!!! My fave character is Sparrow. Definitely Sparrow!
Made a graphic for the vibes <3
July 10, 2022
I received an arc of this book and in return agreed to an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to where the story goes. The world and characters were fleshed out for the most part but I felt there were some inconsistencies with their convictions. The character arc's felt more like waves, and each time the story seemed to progress, it took two steps back. Rune is sweet but also an aristocratic snob for most of the book but then flips on a dime and suddenly accepts what fate offered him while still clinging to his idealogy about Faye as an anarian. In turn, she picks the petals from her daisy in a long, drawn-out, "he loves me, he loves me not", sort of way.
The first few chapters lead you to believe she is a headstrong, independent female, and she is except when she completely isn't and falls in line with his sudden change and desire of her without him earning it or deserving it. I love a good enemies-to-lovers, bully romance, but I'm also a huge fan of groveling and there wasn't any of that--but it read as if he did grovel, when he didn't. He wasn't even remorseful for the most part.
Her intimacy was also a bit confusing. From the beginning, she's a shy virgin who literally blushes at everything, but then suddenly becomes a dom queen. Again, for me it just felt like the consistency of the personalities of the characters didn't track and grow, they waffled and jumped.
I did enjoy the book. I liked the story and will recommend it and will continue to read it. The writing is very good and I was able to easily imagine what the author was portraying. I think there is a lot of story to be told and I'm curious about how it will unfold and how the other characters come into play. There was a lot of ground laid out for the future. I'm curious how it will all end.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to where the story goes. The world and characters were fleshed out for the most part but I felt there were some inconsistencies with their convictions. The character arc's felt more like waves, and each time the story seemed to progress, it took two steps back. Rune is sweet but also an aristocratic snob for most of the book but then flips on a dime and suddenly accepts what fate offered him while still clinging to his idealogy about Faye as an anarian. In turn, she picks the petals from her daisy in a long, drawn-out, "he loves me, he loves me not", sort of way.
The first few chapters lead you to believe she is a headstrong, independent female, and she is except when she completely isn't and falls in line with his sudden change and desire of her without him earning it or deserving it. I love a good enemies-to-lovers, bully romance, but I'm also a huge fan of groveling and there wasn't any of that--but it read as if he did grovel, when he didn't. He wasn't even remorseful for the most part.
Her intimacy was also a bit confusing. From the beginning, she's a shy virgin who literally blushes at everything, but then suddenly becomes a dom queen. Again, for me it just felt like the consistency of the personalities of the characters didn't track and grow, they waffled and jumped.
I did enjoy the book. I liked the story and will recommend it and will continue to read it. The writing is very good and I was able to easily imagine what the author was portraying. I think there is a lot of story to be told and I'm curious about how it will unfold and how the other characters come into play. There was a lot of ground laid out for the future. I'm curious how it will all end.
July 10, 2022
COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC ebook and I devoured it in one day.
Fantasy setting with vampires, fated mates, a whole twisted hierarchy system that needs to be thrown out the window (Faye is working on it!), and a fair amount of spice.
Our lovely FMC, Faye, goes through a fair amount of personal growth throughout the book. She goes from (unjustly) believing she is at the bottom of hierarchy to perhaps the most powerful being the realms has ever seen…and we don’t even know what she is yet.
Pair her with her, at first, reluctant mate, Rune, and they are unstoppable. Throw in a bit of his second being, Voshki, and it just sweetens the deal.
Rune goes through his own growth, from being horribly elitist, to the most devoted mate. His love for Faye knows no bounds and he would burn realms down for her.
The side characters are amazing and keeps the plot moving. Sparrow is a sister anyone would want, and serves as some comedic relief throughout the book.
The spice is a solid 🌶🌶🌶.5
Possible triggers:
Self-starvation (4 days of not eating)
OW drama, but no cheating
Ends on a HEA for now, with no major cliffhanger but a good segue into the next book.
I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC ebook and I devoured it in one day.
Fantasy setting with vampires, fated mates, a whole twisted hierarchy system that needs to be thrown out the window (Faye is working on it!), and a fair amount of spice.
Our lovely FMC, Faye, goes through a fair amount of personal growth throughout the book. She goes from (unjustly) believing she is at the bottom of hierarchy to perhaps the most powerful being the realms has ever seen…and we don’t even know what she is yet.
Pair her with her, at first, reluctant mate, Rune, and they are unstoppable. Throw in a bit of his second being, Voshki, and it just sweetens the deal.
Rune goes through his own growth, from being horribly elitist, to the most devoted mate. His love for Faye knows no bounds and he would burn realms down for her.
The side characters are amazing and keeps the plot moving. Sparrow is a sister anyone would want, and serves as some comedic relief throughout the book.
The spice is a solid 🌶🌶🌶.5
Possible triggers:
Self-starvation (4 days of not eating)
OW drama, but no cheating
Ends on a HEA for now, with no major cliffhanger but a good segue into the next book.
I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.
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