Cranberry Blood by Elizabeth Morgan
Series: Blood #1
Published on: July 14, 2012
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Werewolves
Pages: 381
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Amazon
Killing Vampires? Easy. Tracking someone? Simple. Helping, and protecting a Vampire slayer . . . . Bloody hard work!
Thirteen years ago, Brendan Daniels made a deal with a psychic. In exchange for information on the whereabouts of a Rogue Werewolf, he promised to help and protect Sofia’s granddaughter. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was letting himself, or his Pack, in for.
Nothing about Heather is simple, from her weird dietary needs to her life’s mission. The girl can handle herself, but the promise to protect her soon becomes a need, and one that he can’t fully understand.
Vampire Slayer. Born Infected. Blood addict . . . but not by choice.
Heather Ryan is the current Slayer in a long family line. Like all before her, she has spent her life searching for her ancestor, Marko Pavel, the Vampire her family has sworn to kill. If that isn’t complicated enough, Heather is also a born “Infected” and to keep her from becoming insane or giving in to her darker side, she is on a very strict diet.
Now that her Grandmother Sofia has passed, it is up to Heather to take the family legacy into her own hands; Or at least, it would have been, if her Grandmother hadn’t sent a Werewolf to help her.
What is the irritating Brendan supposed to help her with? Sofia never told either of them. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for Heather and Brendan to find out that the Vampires have big plans, and that the Vamps have waited a long time for them both.
Elizabeth Morgan’s vampires and werewolves are not to be missed; her ability to make tired supernaturals seem new again is impressive and refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed her She-Wolf novella from this series but Cranberry Blood offers even more bang for your buck with its relentless pacing, rambunctious characters and entertaining story.
The premonition backbone behind the main plot line transformed this novel into a neat mix of fate and luck. Thanks to Heather’s deceased grandmother you’re never really sure if the characters’ destinies are their own. Like most psychics, Grandma Sofia was one cryptic lady and only left her granddaughter with enough info to help steer her in the right direction. As a result, you’re constantly wondering how much control Heather really has over her future. I enjoyed this wildcard factor because it often caused the story to change directions unexpectedly.
In her novella Morgan explored the intricacies of her werewolves but in this installment it’s her vampires who are front-and-center. I enjoyed her detailed explanations about the process of becoming a vampire as well as the differences between the various stages. Add Heather’s uniqueness into the mix and you’re left with a remarkably well-rounded mythology. Uncovering the intricacies of Elizabeth’s world was almost as pleasurable as the non-stop action! The history of Ryan’s family of Slayers is also quite the gripping read. I couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of detail that’s seamlessly crammed into this book without interrupting the flow of the story.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters; they reminded me of feuding siblings with their constant need to 1-up each other. Heather tries time and time again to release Brendan of his promise to her grandmother but the wolf is having none of it. There’s minimal romance in this book but its direction leaves little doubt that there will be some in future installments. I’ll be curious to see whether Grandma Sofia sent the werewolf merely as back-up for Heather or for something more meaningful.
Cranberry Blood is a wild ride that’s sure to entertain even the most difficult Urban Fantasy connoisseur with its innovation and creativity.
 My Review |
|
| Recommendation: | A great way to get your action fix with a few neat twists on vamp / were lore. |
| Like this, like that: | The Werewolves in Love series by Kinsey W. Holley, the Moon Shifter series by Katie Reus and the Changeling series by Dani Harper. |
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!
Well, one book in the series is called SHE-WOLF so I guess I have to read these! 😉
Ooh, this sounds like a series that I would love! Great review, Carmel! Adding them to my TBR. 🙂