Review: Blood Assassin by Alexandra Ivy

Posted December 31, 2014 by Lorna in Lorna, Paranormal Romance, Reviews / 36 Comments

Review: Blood Assassin by Alexandra Ivy
Blood Assassin by Alexandra Ivy
Series: The Sentinels #2
Published by Zebra
Published on: December 30, 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 433
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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They are the outcasts of humanity. Blessed with power. Cursed by fate. Driven by passion. The Sentinels have returned. . .
Out Of The Shadows

At six-foot-three and two-hundred-fifty pounds, Fane is a natural born guardian. A flawless mix of muscled perfection and steely precision, he has devoted years of his life to protecting a beautiful necromancer. But after she found love in the arms of another, Fane has been a warrior adrift. He swears allegiance only to the Sentinels. And no woman will ever rule his heart again. . .

Into The Fire

Not only a powerful psychic, Serra is that rare telepath who can connect to minds through objects. When the daughter of a high-blood businessman is kidnapped, Serra agrees to help. But when she stumbles onto a conspiracy involving secrets sects and ancient relics, her life is in mortal danger--and Fane is her only hope. Is the warrior willing to risk his body, his soul, and his heart, for Serra? Or will one last betrayal destroy them both?

ARCREVIEW paranormal ROMANCE

Alexandra Ivy was a new author to me when I stated this series by reading Born in Blood, which I really enjoyed. I read the next story which happened to be a novella(Out of Control), and thought it was good but not great. Blood Assassin fell just a bit short of really liking it, for me.

These books feature what are known as High Bloods, or paranormal creatures. This group lives in a domed complex named Valhalla, and is ruled by the Mave, a powerful witch. The inhabitants are guarded by Sentinels. Sentinels are men with tattoos all over their body that protect them from magic attacks. Serra is a powerful psychic that has loved Fane, a Sentinel from the minute she first saw him years before. He rebuffs her because he doesn’t want her to live worrying about all the danger that he is in on a daily basis. When an incident occurs that isolates them away from Valhalla, and brings them together to work under horrible stress, all bets are off as far as romance.

The premise of this book was good. It had all the elements of romance, danger,and suspense, that I have come to love in paranormal books, and was tied all together with creatures of all different types. The characters were interesting, and even the villains(one in particular) were fully realized, and not just one dimensional as in some books. The romance was sweet, but not in the G rated way, and the sex scenes were extremely hot.

So why wasn’t it as good a read for me as the first one? In a word, slow. And I got bored at times when I really shouldn’t have. Even the sex scenes after awhile, began to seem like filler at times. I kept putting it down, and honestly I thought I would never finish it. In keeping with the honesty, I should mention that I’ve had a lot going on, so maybe if I had read it at a different time, I might have enjoyed it more. I can only go by what my experience with the book was, at this time.

I think(hope) the next one features the Mave, as her character is fascinating, so I will probably be reading that one as well. She, and her love interest, had a lesser role to play in this story so we already pretty much know where it’s heading. And maybe it would be better if we didn’t already know that. The same thing applied to this book as well. Most of the time, I would rather see the couple meet, and then fall in love. Just personal preference for me. So far in this series, all of the couples have known each other before the book starts. Of course there are exceptions to this preference of mine.

I know a lot of people have already given this book good reviews, so even though it wasn’t exactly the best read for me, it could be a five star one for you.


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I’m Lorna and I live in Maryland. Since retiring, I spend my time mostly reading and reviewing books. My favorite reads are Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult. I read a lot of indie books in addition to traditionally published books. Favorite paranormal creature? Vampires, but I am really liking werewolves more everyday.

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36 responses to “Review: Blood Assassin by Alexandra Ivy”

  1. Dolly  

    This just goes to show how different readers are with the same book. I don’t read very many PNR books so I pick and choose which ones I do. I found Blood Assassin on NetGalley and it sounded different. I too, read the first in the series just to be fair.
    I had not read anything by Ms Ivy either. I guess my expectations were lower as I don’t have many books to compare Blood Assassin to and I usually “skim” the love scenes.
    You were very fair in saying you had a lot going on. I also find my mood and environment affect my perception of a book.
    Good analysis of the book!!
    Dolly recently posted…Marta Reviews: Mine to Keep (ES Series #5) by Denise Rossetti

  4. Lori from Romancing the Dark  

    I think I requested the first book in this series but unfortunately it expired before I could get to it! It sounds like an interesting concept, not your usual PNR. Sorry this one didn’t captivate you, it’s not a good sign when even the sex scenes kind of bore you..LOL I might wait for your review of book 3 to see if I want to check this series out, there are too many great reads out there and not enough time! Happy New Year!
    Lori recently posted…Release Day Event: MEET YOUR BAKER by Ellie Alexander {Guest Post + Giveaway}

  8. Stormi  

    Sounds interesting and I love how one person might just like it but someone else might love it. That is why I normally take reviews with a grain of salt cause what I might like you might hate and visversa!:) Hope if you try the next one it will be better! 🙂

    Happy New Year,
    Stormi
    Stormi recently posted…Review of Whisper the Dead

  16. Bookworm Brandee  

    I appreciate your honesty, Lorna. And I’m sorry this one was a spectacular read for you. I do understand how timing might play a role in your enjoyment – as you know, I recently read a book that I might have enjoyed so much more had I not been suffering a book hangover. 😉 It does seem as though, since you knew where the romance was going before you started, that Ivy should have packed the story with some action to keep it interesting?? I hope the next installment does have Mave as the MC and that the story is more fulfilling. Great review!
    Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**#FREE Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ The Darkest Part ~ Trisha Wolfe**

    • Lorna  

      Thank you! I really had a hard time writing this, and I actually went back and forth between 3 stars and 3 1/2. I went with the higher one because there actually was an interesting villain and the premise of the story, over and above the romance, was good.I think it could have been 100 pages shorter and it would have been so much better. I actually thought about the review you had trouble with as I wrote mine. That’s why I mentioned my circumstances to be fair to the author. So thanks for that!
      Lorna recently posted…Audiobook Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater