 Title: Blood Wager
|
Connie Suttle’s debut novel is about to receive a glowing four star review from me! Yet another self-published author who’s not only surprised me but has also made me question my reluctance to review indie authors. Blood Wager is original, modern and has unusually good intentioned characters for a vamp/were book. The combination of superb world-building, engaging personalities and a sassy writing style make this novel a must read for all Urban Fantasy fans. I only have one small beef with this story which I’ll get to a bit later but no author can expect to be perfect on their first try!
Blood Wager starts off with the story of how Lissa becomes a vampire. Unfortunately for Mrs Workman, her turning is the result of a cruel joke which makes for a severely lacking intro to the un-dead world. At first she doesn’t even realize that she’s now a member of the fanged population. I really enjoyed this aspect of the plot. Lissa’s flying by the seat of her pants as she attempts to uncover the intricacies that come with her new vampire status. I couldn’t help but admire Workman from the get-go. She’s having what very well could be the worst day of her life yet she manages to keep a level head and do what must be done. It was fun watching Lissa discover her new abilities. Her only point of reference is pop culture so she tries anything and everything that she’s ever seen in movies. Some work, some don’t. Suttle also comes up with her own short-form lingo in the form of FVM (f$@%ing vampire manual) which I adored. Every time something backfires Lissa jokes about how useful it would be if she had a vamp 101 book.
I was anxious for the werewolves to make their appearance. I enjoy a good vamp read but my heart belongs to canine shifters. I had a hunch early on and Connie was kind enough to drop a few breadcrumbs here and there but the mid-point twist was still a welcome surprise. I enjoyed unraveling Suttle’s take on pack and vampire hierarchy. She develops each supernatural’s world superbly by merging existing lore with her own and the result is a well-rounded, believable, Blood Destiny universe. On top of exceptional world-building, Blood Wager is also overflowing with unbelievable characters! There’s Lissa, of course, who despite having been constantly put through the wringer still manages to maintain her big heart and do-the-right-thing attitude. William Winkler is Workman’s new boss. At first I disliked him to the extreme but he continued to surprise me throughout this book and by the end I actually liked him! Last but not least is this book’s man candy, Gavin Montegue. My verdict is still out on him but I can’t deny how hot he is! Maybe he’ll pull his head out of his butt in Blood Passage.
Now time for the not so good stuff. This book could have finished a good 50 pages earlier in my opinion. It was almost as if the main plotline concluded and then a second one started up in the final chapters. I understand the reason behind it; Connie wanted to tie up a few loose ends and create a segue for the next installment. However, I think she could have done it in fewer pages which would have resulted in me feeling less frustrated towards the end. Blood Wager was going to receive a 5 star review from me until I found myself having to wade through an unnecessarily long ending.
Connie Suttle is definitely an up and coming author to watch out for! Blood Wager blends memorable characters with a down-to-earth sassy writing style to create Urban Fantasy magic! The second installment in this series is already available; Amazon.com here I come!
 |
Find Connie Suttle:
Website / Blog / Twitter
Buy From:
Barnes & Noble / Amazon
About the Blogger
I review Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance books with a focus all things werewolf. Based out of Ottawa, Canada
Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
I have to say, people who choose to call their heroines Lissa are clearly highly intelligent and undeniably awesome.
@Lissa – I think you’re biased on the subject! 😉 Hehe